The Knights of Myth Drannor: Book Three- The Sword Never Sleeps by Ed Greenwood

After their recent heroism and debacle in Cormyr, The Knights are being hurried out of the Kingdom by the Royal Wizard, Vangerdahast. Partly out of pragmatism- he fears that the Knights will become beloved of King Azoun and hang around to cause more chaos that he will have to right, and partly out of nepotism- he wants no one around who is more beloved of the royals than he.

The Knights do not go without compensation, however. One of their own, Doust Sulwood, Priest of Tymora, has been gifted with the Pendant of Ashaba and will become Lord of Shadowdale. However, getting there is going to be a task in and of itself. With Vangerdahast's warning to get them gone from Cormyr still ringing in their ears, the Knights attempt to carry out his wishes, only to find themselves harried in battle practically every step of the way.

Old enemies, new enemies, and forces within the War Wizards themselves keep throwing the Knights into Peril, from the disembodies undead ghosts known as Old Ghost and his former companion Horandoun, to Manshoon, head of the Zhentilar to a group of crazy undead creatures known as Liches, imprisoned in an inescapable hole for the good of the Realm of Cormyr, the Knights struggle to keep themselves alive as they fight the many organizations, families and people that imperil them and their mission to Shadowdale. But with only one wizard in their party, Jhessail Silvertree, how can they even begin to fight against the wizardly might arrayed against them? Can even Vangerdahast save them when he is embroiled in the troubles with the War Wizards, and the Obarkyrs, the royal family? Will he be able to deal with Princess Alusair Nacacia and her desire for independence, autonomy and adventure?

This was an interesting, if somewhat repetitive book to read. It reads like this: the Knights travel and are attacked. They manage to overcome their attackers, but barely, and then wind up in worse straits, which they try to escape by travelling on. Lather, rinse, repeat until the end of the book, when they manage to be teleported near Shadowdale. And you know, I enjoyed the book, but the ending made me ask, "Couldn't this just have been done earlier and saved all the trouble they encountered over the course of the book?"

And the answer is... of course it could have! But then they wouldn't have been as experienced or strong in battle as they are at the end of the book. It also enables them to turn a few people who considered them as foes at the beginning of the book, to be friends by the end.

Of course, other things go on as well. Many War Wizards are slain, either by foes or machinations of their fellow wizards, during the book, and many Zhentarim are slain as well by the actions of Horaundoun and Old Ghost, in the form of the Sword that Never Sleeps, a sword constructed and enspelled by the Zhents with many spells of slaying and flight and sharpness. But the title also refers to the swords of Heroes, which never sleep when Evil is about.

So, a good book, if a repetitive one, and one that leaves you with the feeling of "Was this book really necessary?" at the end. Despite that, I want to read more, and will eagerly look forward to the next book.