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In the original Forgotten Realms boxed set, Evermeet is a somewhat mysterious place off the map, where the elves have slowly been retreating to as their continental holdings fall. It’s impossible not to compare with Tolkien at that point, with the elves going over the sea to the West.

However, it’s not really meant to be that mystical of a place. Magical yes, but still a part of the Realms. And this novel explores its history in a format similar to Spock’s World. Major incidents in its history are presented, culminating in a major invasion of the island in the present time, which serves as the main framing story. It starts with the earliest history of the elvish pantheon, and then the arrival of elves in Abir-Toril, and a couple other things before even getting to the creation of Evermeet.

So, this is really broad sweep of history, with chapters being separated by centuries if not longer. The impressive bit is that each section feeds into and informs the ‘present’ framing story. That starts fairly simple, and then layers in complications as the novel goes along, and gains a lot of interest because of it, though it starts reaching past what is easy to keep track of on a ‘casual reading’ level.

I do feel the ending went for a cop-out. A bit more willingness for a permanent change was called for, though at the same time, things do change, and it opens the door to some interesting possibilities. As a last note, I do wish more time had been spent getting to know Evermeet as a unified place. There a few pieces you get familiar with, but never a feel for just how big it is, or overall geography. At least in the Kindle version, there’s no map.