The Spell of the Black Dagger (Ethshar, #6) by Lawrence Watt-Evans

The Spell of the Black Dagger (Ethshar, #6) Reviews

• 
  Jennifer Chin

  Kind of fun, especially if you like Watt-Evans, but I found the end to be well, a little unsatisfying, and I didn't really like any of the characters, even the ones that were supposed to be likeable.
• 
  Dominique

  3.5 stars
• 
  Coralee Hicks

  I first read Book 6 of the Ethshar series in 1993 when it was first issued. I wondered if it stood the test of time. It does. Part of the reason is Lawrence Watt-Evans was spoofing the tropes of fantasy that were prevalent 25 years ago. In this book, a villain is the protagonist. Not quite Richard III, but still a lot of fun.
  
  Tabaea the Thief tends to blame the world for her fate. She is now too old to apprentice with someone, and too unwilling to relocate to find her destiny elsewhere. She breaks into a wizard's home with the intent of robbing (what else would a thief do?). Instead she witnesses the beginning of a powerful spell that fascinates her. She returns each night hoping to gain enough knowledge to perform the magic herself. Satisfied that she knows enough, she performs the ritual. She thought she was creating an athame. She didn't. Instead she created something so powerful, she could become Empress of the entire World.
  
  How the wizards, the other magicians, the and the Nobility strive to defeat Tabaea is told in a funny fast paced story. This is a quick read that would be suitable for YA and Adult fantasy readers.
  
• 
  Brian Ejike

  This one dipped into the urban-PI stuff for a bit. I guess everyone dabbles eventually, if their series gets long enough -- not that I mind terribly.
  
  I'd've liked to see exactly how the Wizards made the logical (or divinatory) leap from "she maybe overheard some apprentice lectures" to "she created a corrupted athame capable of all this shit never seen before". One can obviously guess some of those steps, but it's not at all clear-cut. I feel it's an important part of the process that led to the eventual resolution here, enough that it shouldn't have been casually skipped.
  
  There was also a bit of unexpected foolishness in the leadership, especially where people stopped talking to each other for whatever reason.
  
  Otherwise, it was all good. Moving on.
• 
  D.L. Morrese

  A young thief breaks into a wizard's house, overhears a spell that she believes will allow her to become a wizard herself, attempts to cast it, and doesn't entirely succeed. Neither does she entirely fail, although the spell doesn't do what it's supposed to do. But it does do something. Something quite unpleasant, really.
  
  Set in the same world as the other Ethsar fantasy stories, with some characters from those returning for supporting role, this is an engaging light fantasy. None of the characters are actually admirable, or even overly likable, but there is a clever plot, fairly believable motivations, and a bit of real world relevance.
• 
  Howard Brazee

  You don't need to read any other books in the Ethshar universe to read this book.
  
  A poor thief eavesdrops on wizards (This world has lots of different types of magicians) and makes a magic dagger for herself. But this is somehow different and very powerful.
  
  A member of the royal household is the head investigator and has to resolve this threat while the rest of the royal family flee. She has to work with various types of magicians, their guilds, and their secrets.
• 
  Tin Wee

  I've always enjoyed the titles in the Ethshar series and this one is no different. A common thief comes across the secret to making an athame, and botches the spell while attempting it, gifting her with a dagger that steals the power of whatever it kills. The power gets to her head, leading to an unexpected coup, and an exciting attempt to depose her with very unexpected results. A compact and light read, perfect for a weekend.
• 
  Marian Perera

  One of the things I enjoy about Lawrence Watt-Evans’s Ethshar novels is that the main characters are so ordinary. On the rare occasions that they have inherent magic, it tends to be either so basic it’s not of much help, or it has such a significant flaw it becomes a problem in and of itself.
  
  In The Spell of the Black Dagger, Lady Sarai, the Minister of Investigations of Ethshar of the Sands, is one of those people who lack any talent in magic. Desperate low-life Tabaea the Thief is another. And although they start out worlds apart in every way, their paths cross in a clash that will involve every kind of magic… and shake the city to its foundations.
  
  It all begins when Tabaea sneaks into a wizard’s house and spies on him as he teaches his apprentice how to make an athame, the magical dagger which every wizard carries. Tabaea gets the bright idea of listening in on the entire process and making her own athame. Being a wizard (albeit one lacking Guild authorization) has got to be easier than stealing for a living.
  
  Except she gets something wrong. The dagger turns black, and doesn’t give her any magic powers of her own, much to her despair.
  
  What it does do, though, is something she discovers much later. When she kills someone with it, she gains their power — whether that person is a wizard or a warlock (capable of flight and telekinesis) or a witch (able to sense when someone is lying).
  
  Watt-Evans’s characters never behave as though they’ve read the script, so Tabaea kills a theurgist and a demonologist as well, to see if she gains their specialized knowledge. That doesn’t work, but the string of unusual murders catches Lady Sarai’s attention, and as the Minister of Investigations, she sets out to find the killer. Meanwhile, the Wizards’ Guild is after Tabaea as well, to avenge the wizard she murdered.
  
  That’s when they find out the Black Dagger negates any spells cast at her. Oh, and each time she kills someone she gains that person’s life, meaning a sword-thrust to the heart will stop her in her tracks for a moment or two until she recovers and strikes back — with more power than any wizard has ever had. What happens when her newfound power goes to her head, how the magicians of Ethshar join forces to stop her and what Lady Sarai does to reach her first… well, better not spoil it for anyone.
  
  I enjoyed this book thoroughly and would recommend it to any readers in the mood for great worldbuilding, realistic characters and a solid story.
• 
  Allen McDonnell

  Back to Ethshar
  
  This novel is a bit different than the earlier ones in some ways, but alike in others. The first novel gives a general back ground of the setting as a whole. The second explores what life is like in the Small Kingdoms. The third gives another perspective on the small kingdoms with the rise of the Vondish Empire. The fourth gives a bit about traveling up the Great River to Sardiron and mentions its features. The fifth explores the Great Road though the northern set of small kingdoms from Ethshar of the Spices to Shan on the Desert. Here in the sixth novel for the first time we are exploring Ethshar of the Sands, the capital of the middle of the Hegemony of the Three Ethshar's. Like most of the earlier novels the main characters are in their teens to mid twenties in age and learning who they are. The protagonist in this volume, Tabia the Thief, comes into great power but lacks the self restraint and wisdom to exploit it fully leading to a series of unfortunate events. Her Antagonist, Lady Sarie Minister of Investigation is in effect the chief f detectives for Ethshar of the Sands trying to discover who Tabea is and bring her to justice.
  *spoilers below this point*
  
  I really like this novel and picture how things could have turned out differently if only Tabea had been a bit wiser. Even knowing what repercussions would probably come of her decision to seek vengeance she went through with her first capital crime and it was ultimately her downfall leading to a second, third and ultimately dozens. No matter who you are that path can only lead to destruction, sooner or later.
• 
  Kris McClanahan

  Reviews Of Unusual Size
  
  Re: Tabaea the thief just planned on stealing a few valuable trinkets when she broke into the house on Wizard Street but when she stumbles across a wizard teaching his apprentice the secret spells to create an athame, the wizard's magic dagger, she decides to watch and later, make her own. But she botches something in the spell and ends up with a dagger of black steel that will change her life forever and may even result in her becoming empress!
  
  Outstanding: Tabaea is an exquisite character, both simple and sympathetic and twisted. The black dagger is a weapon that rates up there with some of the best enchanted weapons in fantasy. The way the palace is treated and Tabaea's plans for the realm rings true to life and was a kick to read.
  
  Unacceptable: Some of the bickering amongst the magicians got old.
  
  Summary: This novel is told a bit differently than Watt-Evans' other novels and differently than most fantasy novels as well, with the bulk of the book centering around the investigation of the black dagger. The story takes some bold twists and has a strong ending. I hadn't read it in quite a few years and had forgotten how much I enjoyed it.
  
  5/5
  
  Notes: This is the sixth Ethshar novel.
  
• 
  Melanti

  This series is my current favorite frivolous series. I love how the protagonists are almost always perfectly normal (or just barely talented) people who do one little thing wrong and then are immediately in over their heads. Rooting for the underdog is mandatory.
  
  And in this installment, when the left turn into trouble happens, the underdog that you've been rooting for becomes the indisputable villain of the novel. Since I didn't care much for the authority figures, I kept rooting for her anyway even though a tragic end seemed inevitable - if from nothing else, then from overuse of magic...
  
  Then, all the cameo appearances of previous main characters started and I had no idea who to cheer on. Should you cheer on the current underdog and hope she gets away with it, or do you cheer on your favorite underdogs from previous novels? I really wanted BOTH sides to win!
  
  This is so much darker than the rest of the series, but I still loved it anyway.
• 
  Curtiss

  This is one the Magic of Ethshar series of books. I recorded most of them, including this one, in 50-55 minute installments for my local Golden Hours radio service for blind or reading-impaired listeners. I also made CD copies for myself.
  
  My favorite book in the series is The Missenchanted Sword, closely followed by The Blood of a Dragon.
• 
  K. Axel

  This is one of the longest Ethshar books that Watt-Evans have ever created (I think), and thats certainly how it feels...long. Its not bad, mind you, its very much like the other Ethshar books, filled with magic, action and great worldbuilding.
  
  If you love Ethshar, then you'll love this book too... however, a little predictable!
• 
  Kevin Driskill

  I love how Lawrence expands on each aspect of the story with each book. This book fills in details of earlier stories that make the entire series richer and more wonderful. Old heroes make fresh appearances and old mysteries are solved. This is another must bread in the series.
• 
  Jeffrey

  Much better than the earlier Watt-Evans books.
• 
  Jason

  6/14/08
• 
  Lynn Calvin

  Fictionwise multiformat ebook
• 
  Vader

  5 star - Perfect
  4 star - i would recommend
  3 star - good
  2 star - struggled to complete
  1 star - could not finish