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The Amazon Store at MillionDollarPetPix.com ( In association with Amazon.com )Ascendancy of the Last (Lady Penitent) - Did not dissapoint, very enjoyable!I, for one, enjoyed this third book very much - I was captivated through the story which provided sufficient amount of non-linear plot, double-crosses, weaves and turns to make it very entertaining. I would recommend this to anyone who has read the previous two. While I rate the story on a high side, I would say characters were not growing as much as in the previous books, but then there was a LOT that needed to be covered in this one. While this is true, I feel that the focus was more on the game and repercussions of the game between the goddesses, and as such the book definately delivered. Rating: - Welcome to Forgotten Realms 4th EditionThere is no doubt that writers of Forgotten Realms 4th edition needed some new player races and this book just ushered one in. Smedman is the one of the best writers of the Drow out there. She has nicely tied up a lot of unfinished history of the Drow which was a huge task but she pulled it off. All three books were very well written and enjoyable. Lisa Smedman now ranks up there with Thomas M. Reid and Richard Baker. Rating:  - Major change has come to the realms and the drow...Change can be good and bad. When it's done properly, it's a wonderful thing. When it's handled incorrectly, it can totally ruin something, be it a television show, a book series, a game series, what have you. Lisa Smedman, one of the more prolific authors for Wizards of the Coast has been given the task of brining about profound change to the Drow of the Forgotten Realms RPG and novel setting. It's a daunting task, there is no doubt about it, and her work will be met with both praise and wrath. What brings this up? The third and final book in the Lady Penitent trilogy - Ascendancy of the Last. Like the first and second novel in the trilogy that saw Drow pantheon change dramatically, this one has even greater repercussions than either of the first two books. I can't give any spoilers away, as that is my policy when it comes to whatever I review. Besides anything I give away in this review would really spoil it for the potential reader. All I can say is this - change has come in a realm shattering manner to the Forgotten Realms. When you consider that Wizards of the Coast, as of writing this review has had the 4th edition of the venerable Dungeons and Dragons game just released, it's not a big surprise that these changes have come around. I can't vouch for the game, as I haven't purchased it and I doubt that I will, but scuttlebutt from the internet has that the entire magic portion of the game has changed dramatically from the previous editions. I remember when the various editions came about, that the novels that were written at the time reflected the changes that occurred in each edition. So, it goes without saying that this must be the case with this trilogy... the changes in the novel are reflections of what has changed in the game and the campaign setting as well. Now, back to the review... I can easily state that this novel was probably the bloodiest of all three books. The body count was extremely high, and no one was spared the sword, be it the lowliest supporting character on up. Mysteries and fates are revealed at last. What has happened to some venerable characters from this trilogy and even from previous books is revealed as well. As I said before, this final book in the trilogy has major repercussions for the Realms. Of course the question has to be raised... how will this affect future novels and game products? Only time will be able to answer that question. Well, and the head honchos at Wizards of the Coast. How will these changes be met by the fans of the game and novels? That too remains to be seen. I personally can say that I found the change to be a little disturbing. When you are familiar with something, and it's comfortable to you, any change will be unsettling. You might be asking if I liked the changes that took place... Yes, and no. Again, I can't go into details without spoiling it for any would be readers. But, again, as I mentioned before, one of the most beloved villain races in the realms has undergone drastic change, as anyone who has read the first two novels will attest to. This one takes the change right to the edge and pushes it over. Did I enjoy the book? Yes, I did. To me, it was far more entertaining to read than the second novel, and I had to say that I liked it pretty much on par with the first novel. Kudos' to Lisa Smedman. She was handed a difficult task (or maybe she made the proposal to Wizards of the Coast and they liked what she had to offer) and she brought these drastic changes to one of the most venerable campaign settings in role playing history. I can see mixed reaction to this from the fans towards her. But this is something she must have known would happen when she sat down and began work on this trilogy. 4 out of 5 Rating:  - I really wanted to like this book...Ascendancy of the Last by Lisa Smedman is the third, and final, book in The Lady Penitent trilogy. The first two books are; Sacrifice of the Widow (Forgotten Realms: The Lady Penitent, Book 1) and Storm of the Dead (Forgotten Realms: The Lady Penitent, Book 2). Before I get into this review, I feel the need to say I have been a Smedman fan for some time now. With her first Forgotten Realms novel; Heirs of Prophecy: Sembia: Gateway to the Realms, Book V (Gateway to Sembia), I was interested in her writing. Then she wrote a novel in the War of the Spider Queen series, Extinction (Forgotten Realms: R.A. Salvatore's War of the Spider, Book 4), which I also enjoyed. She then wrote the House of Serpents trilogy; Venom's Taste (Forgotten Realms: House of Serpents, Book 1), Viper's Kiss: House of Serpents, Book II (Forgotten Realms: House of Serpents), and Vanity's Brood: House of Serpents, Book III (House of Serpents). So, after reading all those novels it is hard for me to write the following review. The plot of this book is much like the plot of book two, in that it largely feels like several sub-plots woven together to create a novel. As with book two I still have the feeling that this novel could have been written as a couple short stories and accomplish the same thing. There is still the prelude and coda about a save game between some of the gods which is still mildly interesting. The subplot of a group of drow trying to remove themselves from a certain magic is resolved, somewhat. There is yet another shift in the pantheon of the Forgotten Realms. There are a couple other sub-plots included, but to be totally honest, they don't have that high of interest level for me. In terms of a Forgotten Realms book, they were below average and just flat and uninteresting. As with book two, the characters in this novel are largely carried over from book one. While this does have its benefits; such as not needing to go into excessive descriptions and such. The book suffers from too many characters. It is hard to become invested in a character when their face time in the novel is limited and inconsistent. I was still disappointed in the lack of explanation about the Nightshadows and Protectors. There is also a lack of true character development in this novel, or the series for that matter. Certainly there are a variety of things that happen in this novel, such as characters getting killed and what have you (don't worry no names, I won't spoil anything). But, in terms of actual character development, this book is lacking. The characters that I had an interest in during the first novel have slowly developed into nothing more than characters dragged along by a below average plot. A few criticisms about this novel: 1 - As I mentioned above, the lack of any true character development. Aside from the character Halisstra, the rest of the characters have little to no development. What could have been a great opportunity for great characters was anything but that. 2 - The substandard plot. Again, this book and trilogy could have been so much better. In fact I thought the first book was a great start and then the next two books were just disappointing. I am still of the firm belief that this entire trilogy would have been better served as a series of short stories. 3 - For some reason, maybe because of the characters and plot, this book seemed to really drag on, and was very plodding. Normally, Ms. Smedman's prose is flowing and her pacing is very good. I never got that feeling with this book. It felt rushed and choppy. Some thing positive about this book: 1 - I guess it furthers the push to 4th Edition with what occurs in the pantheon. It is mildly interesting to read about what transpires in this area and how it occurs. But, this can not carry the novel and it shows. As I said before, I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy. The second and third books almost seem like they were written by a different author. Maybe this is because Ms. Smedman had to rush to get them done in time for the launch of 4th Edition. I don't know. What I do know is this is not Ms. Smedman's best work and it is somewhat distressing to have to rate it like this. Long time fans of the Forgotten Realms are somewhat obligated to read this novel (and trilogy) because of what happens and the changes it does to the Realms. However, casual fantasy fans, or fans that do not care too much about knowing everything that happens in the Realms may be better served to avoid this series. I can't in good conscience recommend this novel to any but the most hard core Realms fans. I truly wish I could have liked this book, but alas we don't always get what we wish for. Rating: - An excellent closure to the trilogy.I've been a fan of the Drow since I was first introduced to them. R.A. Salvatore did an amazing job fleshing out the workings of the race, and in doing so created many "standards" by which any book involving them should be considered. Of course, these were expanded upon by numerous authors in the War of the Spider Queen series, and every author in that series proved to be not only familiar with the essence of Drow nature, their writing styles contributed greatly to the growing lore regarding the Drow race. For me, the WotSQ series was well put together, but none of the authors stood out in my eyes. Lisa Smedman has stepped beyond her "one of the six authors" status with this entire series, culminating with this book, Ascendancy of the Last. Readers of the first two books may have ideas about what will be within, but they'll be shocked by the full contents of this book. The book continues the plot lines outlined in the second book: the god's divine "sava game" (an excellent, if slightly overused metaphor made literal) continues, now involving the final deity worshiped by the Drow: Ghaunadaur, the Ancient Evil. The trials and activities of Q'arlynd, Cavatina, and others, as well as a new character (T'lar, the rather psychotic looking shaven-headed female on the cover). Following all of the characters at once results in a bit of jumpiness here and there, but it all flows well enough to not be disruptive in reading. Without delving into the plots established within, all I can say is that Ascendancy of the Last does an excellent job stabilizing the Drow / Dark Elf race, and ties up every loose end nicely. As another reviewer suggested, this seems to be WotC's way of "dumbing down" their upcoming 4th edition rule set. I felt similarly after reading the first book. However, this knowledge did not diminish the enjoyment that I received in finishing a very well-written series. A different reviewer suggested a "cliffhanger" ending, which is hardly the case. The lives of the primary mortal players are played out, their "end game" is well set-up, and as for the divines... well, all I can say is that a literal situation was likely the basis for almost every metaphor in existence; remove a literal viewpoint when completing the book, and life goes on exactly as expected. All in all, a very good end to a very good trilogy, and highly recommended.
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