'Forgotten Realms' is a collaborative work spread through several volumes and times. In this instalment of the medieval dark fantasy series, battle must be joined once more. A woman going into labour is having difficulties, when she is whisked through time to seventy years in her future, where the child is saved at the expense of the mother, but only a midwife prevents the baby from being killed by superstitious people as they believe a shadow will hang over him.

THE GODBORN then takes up the story as vicious winged beings called devils or fiends attack Riven and Magadon, two friends who haven't seen each other in a long time. Riven knows the truth about the shadowed baby, who is now thirty. But they fight for their lives, and this is only the start, as the ominous stirrings of war are creeping over their lands. Soon farm people are fleeing peril and soldiers are patrolling the dangerous plains. Gerak, a former soldier, straps on his sword and longbow to hunt for food for his beloved wife Elle, soon to give birth. Minstrels, wandering friars and pedlars used to come by his house, but nobody has travelled the roads in months.

As with any story involving devouring demons and evil forces, there is violence and nastiness to overcome, and a new reader may be hampered by not knowing the names and histories of the long-lived characters and lands. However the jump ahead in time does give some kind of fresh start and many characters are new. The demons may be of varieties with names like veserab and malebranche, and Riven fears that they are being summoned by the man who has come forward through time; if you don't like nasty battles you should look for a lighter fantasy.

Despite people having siphoned off powers and abilities from the gods, and all the serried ranks of demons, there is a lot of normal humanity in this story, which keeps us reading. Fans of the 'Forgotten Realms' series will enjoy THE GODBORN by Paul S Kemp and The Companions by RA Salvatore, another new release in the series.