Toronto author revisits characters from his previous Eberron trilogy in this first book of the Legacy of Dhakaan, The Doom of Kings.
In the savage nation of Darguun, Lhesh Haruuc, the hobgoblin who rules, is growing old. Upon his death the kingdom he forged will tear itself apart, while the other nations of Khorvaire will watch with relief as the goblin peoples descend once more into anarchy. But what is more dangerous: a ruler-less goblin, or one directed by the firm hand of a mighty general?
Geth, the reluctant shifter hero of Bassingthwaite's Dragon Below trilogy, finds a summons to the court of Lhesh Haruuc, ruler of the goblin nation of Darguun, can be difficult to ignore. Unless he is able to find some relic of the goblin's ancient glory to unite them in the future, the land that Lhesh built may not survive his death. Along with his friends--the Dragonmarked Ashi and the hobgoblin dirge singer Ekhaas--Geth is soon embroiled in the vigourous politics of banditry and betrayal that plague Darguun.
Bassingthwaite skillfully balances the high adventure common to the Dungeons and Dragons novels with some tender and believable character moments. The grief over a lost sword-brother is given equal weight to intense battles, as is Ashi's frustration at the regimentation of her life amongst the Dragonmarked House of Deneith. My favourite touch however, was that rarity of rarities, a non-human culture that felt true without borrowing slavishly from an existing or ancient people of our own world. I'm very excited that there will be two more novels with which the author can showcase his goblin peoples.
You needn't have read Bassingthwaite's Dragon Below trilogy to enjoy this novel. While some of the trilogy's heroes reappear in The Doom of Kings, the previous adventures are referenced succinctly enough that you can enjoy the new story on its own merits. Indeed, The Doom of Kings is also an excellent starting point for a fantasy reader unfamiliar with Eberron and the other worlds of Dungeons and Dragons.
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