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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: 8596868" data-attributes="member: 16069"><p><strong>#153 Twilight Falling by Paul S Kemp (Erevis Cale 1) </strong></p><p><strong>Read 2/4/22 to 6/4/22</strong></p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]154907[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>So, here's the thing- I'm still not sure what I thought of this one.</p><p></p><p>It's a game/book of two halves (at least two, excuse the bad maths). The start up in Selgaunt is all groovy, I love this grim (Dark) place, I keep imagining some WFRP style town with crazy rich burgomeisters, den's of drugs and despair, and threat and adventure around every corner. I equally like Cale, Jak (spelled Jack, once or twice) and Riven, although the latter's turn to the good-ish side is rather peremptory, but... forgiven, let's get on.</p><p></p><p>I was equally on board with the events, Vraggen and his gang- what are they made of, there's something very not good about these folk. They're too high level for our trio from the outset.</p><p></p><p>Love'd the plot- Fane of Shadow to arrive, crystal star map encased in a glass bauble to tell the time, and then... it somehow fell apart, or else I fell out of love with it.</p><p></p><p>But just to make clear, I liked (a lot) the places and people we get to go and meet- Starmantle, the gnoll pack (fabulous) et al, it was just the plot that got me foxed. I'll explain.</p><p></p><p>Cale hands over the second half of the star map clock to the big bad for but a second- the two pieces magically join together, and... the big bad spills it- and Cale reclaims it. How then do the bad guys get the answer, I don't know if I missed a line, or else just misinterpreted something but seemingly after this brief encounter the bad guys know the time the Fane is going to appear (they already know where). I must have missed something, and I went back several times to try and spot my error, but... I just don't know how the bad guys got ahead of our trio.</p><p></p><p>Next up, the deus ex machina to end all, the bad guys [MAJOR SPOILER] are Slaad, or at least some of them are- read it and find out. Our trio are with their gnoll friends in the swamp, one of the bad guy Slaadi turns up and... take down. Thirty seconds and five pages later and all three of our heroes (let me write that again- HEROES) are on the floor and en route to the ever-after, more-or-less.</p><p></p><p>Then...</p><p></p><p>THEN...</p><p></p><p>Get this.</p><p></p><p>One of Riven's mates turns up (with a friend- actually another SLAAD!) and swings the fight to the light.</p><p></p><p>He also saves Cale, Riven threatens to kill him if he doesn't. When did Riven fall in love with Cale? Later the same fellow saves Jak.</p><p></p><p>Without him...</p><p></p><p>So, a) deus ex machina, as above; and b) why would the second secret agent Slaad help out- except just to serve the plot (see deus ex machina, again).</p><p></p><p>So, I spent quite a while head-scratching with this one, because it appeared early in the piece that our guys were out of their depth, and then skip forward another hundred and fifty pages and... confirmed, they're way out of their depth.</p><p></p><p>The saving grace being the big bad guy is also about to have his pants pulled down.</p><p></p><p>Therefore, it's either all just set up for what comes next, particularly because miracle #2 will involve how our heroic trio manage to survive the end of this one.</p><p></p><p>This is probs the most likely explanation.</p><p></p><p>Or else, the author just thought that the big bad's failure would outshine the fact that our guys are getting taken to the -ing cleaners. Jak is pretty much terrified for the entire second half of the read, I genuinely felt sorry for the little fellow. A kinder Cale would have sent him home, he's like 3rd level PC in a 10th level adventure; extending the analogy Riven and Cale are approx. 7th level, they have a fighting chance.</p><p></p><p>Oh, and at the end Cale has lost an arm, I'd imagine that needs to grow back, somehow...</p><p></p><p>Psionics are good.</p><p></p><p>But again, not sure if I liked it- still.</p><p></p><p>Stay safe and well.</p><p></p><p>Cheers goonalan.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Goonalan, post: 8596868, member: 16069"] [B]#153 Twilight Falling by Paul S Kemp (Erevis Cale 1) Read 2/4/22 to 6/4/22[/B] [ATTACH type="full" width="191px"]154907[/ATTACH] So, here's the thing- I'm still not sure what I thought of this one. It's a game/book of two halves (at least two, excuse the bad maths). The start up in Selgaunt is all groovy, I love this grim (Dark) place, I keep imagining some WFRP style town with crazy rich burgomeisters, den's of drugs and despair, and threat and adventure around every corner. I equally like Cale, Jak (spelled Jack, once or twice) and Riven, although the latter's turn to the good-ish side is rather peremptory, but... forgiven, let's get on. I was equally on board with the events, Vraggen and his gang- what are they made of, there's something very not good about these folk. They're too high level for our trio from the outset. Love'd the plot- Fane of Shadow to arrive, crystal star map encased in a glass bauble to tell the time, and then... it somehow fell apart, or else I fell out of love with it. But just to make clear, I liked (a lot) the places and people we get to go and meet- Starmantle, the gnoll pack (fabulous) et al, it was just the plot that got me foxed. I'll explain. Cale hands over the second half of the star map clock to the big bad for but a second- the two pieces magically join together, and... the big bad spills it- and Cale reclaims it. How then do the bad guys get the answer, I don't know if I missed a line, or else just misinterpreted something but seemingly after this brief encounter the bad guys know the time the Fane is going to appear (they already know where). I must have missed something, and I went back several times to try and spot my error, but... I just don't know how the bad guys got ahead of our trio. Next up, the deus ex machina to end all, the bad guys [MAJOR SPOILER] are Slaad, or at least some of them are- read it and find out. Our trio are with their gnoll friends in the swamp, one of the bad guy Slaadi turns up and... take down. Thirty seconds and five pages later and all three of our heroes (let me write that again- HEROES) are on the floor and en route to the ever-after, more-or-less. Then... THEN... Get this. One of Riven's mates turns up (with a friend- actually another SLAAD!) and swings the fight to the light. He also saves Cale, Riven threatens to kill him if he doesn't. When did Riven fall in love with Cale? Later the same fellow saves Jak. Without him... So, a) deus ex machina, as above; and b) why would the second secret agent Slaad help out- except just to serve the plot (see deus ex machina, again). So, I spent quite a while head-scratching with this one, because it appeared early in the piece that our guys were out of their depth, and then skip forward another hundred and fifty pages and... confirmed, they're way out of their depth. The saving grace being the big bad guy is also about to have his pants pulled down. Therefore, it's either all just set up for what comes next, particularly because miracle #2 will involve how our heroic trio manage to survive the end of this one. This is probs the most likely explanation. Or else, the author just thought that the big bad's failure would outshine the fact that our guys are getting taken to the -ing cleaners. Jak is pretty much terrified for the entire second half of the read, I genuinely felt sorry for the little fellow. A kinder Cale would have sent him home, he's like 3rd level PC in a 10th level adventure; extending the analogy Riven and Cale are approx. 7th level, they have a fighting chance. Oh, and at the end Cale has lost an arm, I'd imagine that needs to grow back, somehow... Psionics are good. But again, not sure if I liked it- still. Stay safe and well. Cheers goonalan. [/QUOTE]
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