Ghostwalker is Erik Scott de Bie’s first foray into the Forgotten Realms with a full length novel, and the second book in the stand alone series titled The Fighters. His first official writing was a short story published earlier in 2005 in the anthology Realms of the Dragon II.

My first inclination was to try to compare Mr. de Bie with some of the current fantasy authors on the shelves today; however, I will not do so as I think that is unfair to him. One novel does not a writer make, and I think he should be allowed to make his own path in the genre. This is just what he did with this novel.

To start, this book is darker than most Forgotten Realms books. In fact I may even say it has pushed the envelope of Wizards of the Coast’s policy to keep books under the PG-13 rating. This novel is right at the cusp of that rating in my opinion.

From the opening scene to the last scene of the book de Bie dares you to try and put the book down. The frantic pace of this novel is such that every page must be read, and read now. There is very little down time. Unlike some novels out there today where authors add fluff to make the book longer, de Bie makes sure that everyone of his words means something and has an end goal in mind.

The plot is well thought out and well constructed. The main driving force behind this novel is a gritty tale of vengeance and what someone will go through to get tat revenge. There are also a few subplot sprinkled throughout the story, but if I was to talk about them here they would turn into spoilers – so I will pass. I will say the subplots add to the novels overall appeal and adds to the intrigue of this book. Mr. de Bie also does a very good job at giving the reader just enough information to let them think they know what is going on, then snatching it away and replacing it with something different than first thought shocking the reader. I have read too many fantasy novels that have a very linear plot, this book certainly does not follow that path. I liken this plot between a good murder/mystery and a playoff hockey game. Action packed pace that makes you think along the way.

Being a new author I was unsure just how much consideration Mr. de Bie would have for character development in this novel. I was not disappointed in the least. The character development in this novel is fantastic. From the start to the finish of this novel, de Bie never lets character development take a back seat. Several characters have such large developments that merely saying it never took a back seat does not seem to do it justice, yet if I explained there would be spoilers- so I am forced to leave it at that.

Those of you that read a lot of my reviews know I try to end each review with either recommending the book or not. I am very pleased to have had a chance to read this book so I recommend it without hesitation. If you are new to the Forgotten Realms setting you can read this and not feel lost in the least. If you are a long-time reader of the Realms Mr. de Bie throws out some very good lines to keep you grounded and creates a chuckle every now and then. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who want to read a fast paced tale of intrigue and revenge.