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I'm reading the Forgotten Realms Novels- #202 The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson (Dungeons 2)
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<blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 8019079" data-attributes="member: 16069"><p><strong>#078 The Mage in the Iron Mask by Brian Thomsen (Nobles 4) </strong></p><p><strong>Read 18/6/20 to 21/6/20</strong></p><p></p><p>[ATTACH]123125[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Book 4, and I'll be honest- I was expecting to dislike but, no... not really, and here's why.</p><p></p><p>So, you know the story- we all know the story, Dumas or D'Artagnan- or else you've read/seen some other version; so there's nothing (much) new here, save for the setting and the players. The setting is good, or at least I thought so- I've never been to Mulmaster before and now I don't wanna, but I do want to send my PCs there- it's a tough city (the City of Danger) with a fair amount of secret police, factions et al. The High Blade and his Thay Wizard (Princess) wife are both suitably nasty; he's the tie-the-fair-maiden-to-the-railway-track-while-twirling-moustache, while she's a bad-to-the-bone Elvira (but y'know- bald with the Thay tats) who dresses half vamp, all vixen.</p><p></p><p>There's some fun to be had here, and the amount of page-time this pair gets, well... until Blind Honor arrives then they are the central characters. At times I forgot that Volo and Passepout were even in this, good- I dislike the Toril expert's acting friend and the traveller himself can be a little awkward- what's he for? Other than getting his check mark on the register there's really no reason- except as glue, that either of this pair are in the story.</p><p></p><p>The hero? Oh, yeah- I remember him- ex-Wizard guy- Rassen... something, dyll? I think that's the one, well... he's a lump of clay too- he's alright, but he's having a very bad day, so- he's forgiven. Besides the story is mostly happening to him- rather than making choices he's being passed around, and harried.</p><p></p><p>But you don't notice this, well- not really, because it fair zips by- the chapters are (mostly until we get to Blind Honor) just a collection of this happens here, he says this to her, she says this to him- Mr. Thomsen doesn't hang around, and he's almost always pointing forward- moving the plot and the story along. So, a chapter buzzes by and we get to dip and taste five or six other simultaneous stories- all pointing towards the climax, there's no time to harrumph, we're moving fast.</p><p></p><p>Don't get me wrong- some of the explanation, much of the action, and nearly all of the finale are... very easy to read, and a bit paper thin, but- it just keeps rumbling on, relentless.</p><p></p><p>Mr. Thomsen also has a thing for letting the real world trip/drip into his fantasy- Oil of Oleigh for some guy who's name sounds like psoriasis, and every now and then a similar overlap between our world and Faerun, tbh it must be hard not to do this all the time- I know as a DM I have been guilty. So, forgiven and mostly forgotten- are we supposed to laugh at this? As I say, move on.</p><p></p><p>To recap- some daft character who get very little page time, some good characters particularly Blind Honor (but also the villains) who get plenty of page time, a nice setting- some good action, and always (except for the Blind Honor bit) pressing on- racing to the conclusion.</p><p></p><p>In truth it got a little harder to believe as it went on, but by then... I wanted to know the end.</p><p></p><p>Happily ever after, well... sorta, although the totalitarian regime still seems to be the government style of choice- particularly with McKern and Honor in the wings.</p><p></p><p>Just for info, all I want from these books is to either learn something new (mostly I'm interested in the world we play in- Toril) or else to be hooked into the story. Short of that I'd settle for a few good characters- who will later turn up as NPCs in my game (or similar). This one then, is just above the bar- it works.</p><p></p><p>For me.</p><p></p><p>Read.</p><p></p><p>Stay safe.</p><p></p><p>Cheers goonalan.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Goonalan, post: 8019079, member: 16069"] [B]#078 The Mage in the Iron Mask by Brian Thomsen (Nobles 4) Read 18/6/20 to 21/6/20[/B] [ATTACH]123125[/ATTACH] Book 4, and I'll be honest- I was expecting to dislike but, no... not really, and here's why. So, you know the story- we all know the story, Dumas or D'Artagnan- or else you've read/seen some other version; so there's nothing (much) new here, save for the setting and the players. The setting is good, or at least I thought so- I've never been to Mulmaster before and now I don't wanna, but I do want to send my PCs there- it's a tough city (the City of Danger) with a fair amount of secret police, factions et al. The High Blade and his Thay Wizard (Princess) wife are both suitably nasty; he's the tie-the-fair-maiden-to-the-railway-track-while-twirling-moustache, while she's a bad-to-the-bone Elvira (but y'know- bald with the Thay tats) who dresses half vamp, all vixen. There's some fun to be had here, and the amount of page-time this pair gets, well... until Blind Honor arrives then they are the central characters. At times I forgot that Volo and Passepout were even in this, good- I dislike the Toril expert's acting friend and the traveller himself can be a little awkward- what's he for? Other than getting his check mark on the register there's really no reason- except as glue, that either of this pair are in the story. The hero? Oh, yeah- I remember him- ex-Wizard guy- Rassen... something, dyll? I think that's the one, well... he's a lump of clay too- he's alright, but he's having a very bad day, so- he's forgiven. Besides the story is mostly happening to him- rather than making choices he's being passed around, and harried. But you don't notice this, well- not really, because it fair zips by- the chapters are (mostly until we get to Blind Honor) just a collection of this happens here, he says this to her, she says this to him- Mr. Thomsen doesn't hang around, and he's almost always pointing forward- moving the plot and the story along. So, a chapter buzzes by and we get to dip and taste five or six other simultaneous stories- all pointing towards the climax, there's no time to harrumph, we're moving fast. Don't get me wrong- some of the explanation, much of the action, and nearly all of the finale are... very easy to read, and a bit paper thin, but- it just keeps rumbling on, relentless. Mr. Thomsen also has a thing for letting the real world trip/drip into his fantasy- Oil of Oleigh for some guy who's name sounds like psoriasis, and every now and then a similar overlap between our world and Faerun, tbh it must be hard not to do this all the time- I know as a DM I have been guilty. So, forgiven and mostly forgotten- are we supposed to laugh at this? As I say, move on. To recap- some daft character who get very little page time, some good characters particularly Blind Honor (but also the villains) who get plenty of page time, a nice setting- some good action, and always (except for the Blind Honor bit) pressing on- racing to the conclusion. In truth it got a little harder to believe as it went on, but by then... I wanted to know the end. Happily ever after, well... sorta, although the totalitarian regime still seems to be the government style of choice- particularly with McKern and Honor in the wings. Just for info, all I want from these books is to either learn something new (mostly I'm interested in the world we play in- Toril) or else to be hooked into the story. Short of that I'd settle for a few good characters- who will later turn up as NPCs in my game (or similar). This one then, is just above the bar- it works. For me. Read. Stay safe. Cheers goonalan. [/QUOTE]
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I'm reading the Forgotten Realms Novels- #202 The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson (Dungeons 2)
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