Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
I'm reading the Forgotten Realms Novels- #202 The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson (Dungeons 2)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 8939169" data-attributes="member: 16069"><p><strong>#180 Ghostwalker by Eric Scott de Bie (Fighters 2) </strong></p><p><strong>Read 11/2/23 to 12/2/23</strong></p><p></p><p>[ATTACH=full]275677[/ATTACH]</p><p></p><p>Now that's more like it.</p><p></p><p>Erik Scott De Bie is a writer, and a bit of a magpie too- he seems to have borrowed the better side of Greenwood, the realms come alive here- the characters act and sound like they're from somewhere very different, and yet somewhere we want to visit. </p><p></p><p>The characters, and in particular the leading ladies here (for good and bad), are heroic- spirited, strong, steadfast- and capable of choosing their own path, particularly when the going gets really rough and the only choice left is how to end it all.</p><p></p><p>We have a comic turn from Bars and Derst, a weasel and a lush but both Knights in Silver; they're various skits and japes, or else gag track commentaries to the unfolding action are, well... some of them are daft, others mildly (or badly) just comic enough to leave the reader lolling.</p><p></p><p>Arya, the female lead, could have carried this story on her own- or at least is worthy of one of her own. I do so like it when folk have to struggle and strain in order to finally figure out what someone, anyone, is worth. Arya, in truth, doesn't put a foot wrong through the entire piece- just great.</p><p></p><p>But then there's the Walker, and oh my word- he's a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, wearing a spectral conundrum jumpsuit- what is he? He's great... of course, and (only) just the right side of super-powered to make him D&D enough to want to play (or steal for your campaign) and again it's not just the action hijinks, it's the fact that he has to make good his debt- to kill his killers and then pay the price. Furthermore it;s the fact that all of the time this stuff- his secret/s are tearing him apart.</p><p></p><p>Everyone has a secret here, and everyone (who matters) is secretly in agony, and so even the villains have edges- and you find yourself (at times) empathizing, or else sympathizing, with some terrible wretches here.</p><p></p><p>There's a lot of black and white- inside all of the villains and heroes alike.</p><p></p><p>It's just so well written in places, it has the human touch- and that's a stretch with some of this here fantasy fiction I've been plodding through. The language use, the slow burn... it's great, just easy to read- nicely constructed (but see later) and as dispiriting as it is uplifting.</p><p></p><p>And if we have a super-hero good guy then we're going to need some super villains, and here's the pack (or at least a few of them)-</p><p></p><p>A monstrosity, an abomination- the worst aspect of D&D, Lord Singer Dharan Greyt, a bard who just wants to be loved...</p><p></p><p>Then there's his lad- Meris, who starts out being a sexist berk but very swiftly ramps it up to full scenery chewing Ramsay Snow (nee Bolton) from GoT. He's a bad lad, a real bad bad boy.</p><p></p><p>There's an invisible wizard because, well... everything is better with an invisible wizard.</p><p></p><p>But worst of all SPOILER is Walker's mentor, who turns out to be... but read it yourself, it's a cracker</p><p></p><p>In fact, this is a film- a rip-roaring (when it gets going) blockbuster GoT/LotR meets Deadwood, and with a dead fellow playing the part of the hero alongside Brienne of Tarth.</p><p></p><p>That's part of the problem, not a great big problem you understand, but here it is- it is so twisty-turny, there are so many hidden revelations- everyone we meet (more or less) has got a story to tell and each of these new stories/revelations will ultimately change the reader's thinking. I knew who the bad people were from about page 12 (most of them) but was somehow still trying to figure my way through the maze of who did what to whom, and when, in the last fifty pages.</p><p></p><p>I was right about the bad guys, but there were so many plot points you start to think this could break one of several ways, and suddenly your unsure as to who, really, is getting shafted. Who the big bad really is- the daper aging bard, Greyt? Meris? Or someone else.</p><p></p><p>And the climaxes, if you'll forgive the expression- they just keep on coming.</p><p></p><p>Mr De Bie it seems has come up with 23 variants of the actual ending, and being so enamored with his own genius he's decided to give the reader a glimpse of the 22 runner's up before getting to the winner.</p><p></p><p>Like a film does, a great big spectacular/blockbuster film. Hit after hit, wow after wow.</p><p></p><p>Don't get me wrong, it's still great, it just flops about a bit at the end (actually crash-bang-wallop races around a bit at the end) delivering denouement after denouement, some of which are breath-taking, some of which are heart-breaking, and some of which we could have possibly done without.</p><p></p><p>It's a bobby dazzler, as they say this side of the pond.</p><p></p><p>Well worth a read.</p><p></p><p>I've read the next one already too, I'm on a week off work- I had surgery last Saturday and now I'm resting up.</p><p></p><p>Stay safe and well you lovely people.</p><p></p><p>Cheers Paul</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Goonalan, post: 8939169, member: 16069"] [B]#180 Ghostwalker by Eric Scott de Bie (Fighters 2) Read 11/2/23 to 12/2/23[/B] [ATTACH type="full" width="182px"]275677[/ATTACH] Now that's more like it. Erik Scott De Bie is a writer, and a bit of a magpie too- he seems to have borrowed the better side of Greenwood, the realms come alive here- the characters act and sound like they're from somewhere very different, and yet somewhere we want to visit. The characters, and in particular the leading ladies here (for good and bad), are heroic- spirited, strong, steadfast- and capable of choosing their own path, particularly when the going gets really rough and the only choice left is how to end it all. We have a comic turn from Bars and Derst, a weasel and a lush but both Knights in Silver; they're various skits and japes, or else gag track commentaries to the unfolding action are, well... some of them are daft, others mildly (or badly) just comic enough to leave the reader lolling. Arya, the female lead, could have carried this story on her own- or at least is worthy of one of her own. I do so like it when folk have to struggle and strain in order to finally figure out what someone, anyone, is worth. Arya, in truth, doesn't put a foot wrong through the entire piece- just great. But then there's the Walker, and oh my word- he's a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, wearing a spectral conundrum jumpsuit- what is he? He's great... of course, and (only) just the right side of super-powered to make him D&D enough to want to play (or steal for your campaign) and again it's not just the action hijinks, it's the fact that he has to make good his debt- to kill his killers and then pay the price. Furthermore it;s the fact that all of the time this stuff- his secret/s are tearing him apart. Everyone has a secret here, and everyone (who matters) is secretly in agony, and so even the villains have edges- and you find yourself (at times) empathizing, or else sympathizing, with some terrible wretches here. There's a lot of black and white- inside all of the villains and heroes alike. It's just so well written in places, it has the human touch- and that's a stretch with some of this here fantasy fiction I've been plodding through. The language use, the slow burn... it's great, just easy to read- nicely constructed (but see later) and as dispiriting as it is uplifting. And if we have a super-hero good guy then we're going to need some super villains, and here's the pack (or at least a few of them)- A monstrosity, an abomination- the worst aspect of D&D, Lord Singer Dharan Greyt, a bard who just wants to be loved... Then there's his lad- Meris, who starts out being a sexist berk but very swiftly ramps it up to full scenery chewing Ramsay Snow (nee Bolton) from GoT. He's a bad lad, a real bad bad boy. There's an invisible wizard because, well... everything is better with an invisible wizard. But worst of all SPOILER is Walker's mentor, who turns out to be... but read it yourself, it's a cracker In fact, this is a film- a rip-roaring (when it gets going) blockbuster GoT/LotR meets Deadwood, and with a dead fellow playing the part of the hero alongside Brienne of Tarth. That's part of the problem, not a great big problem you understand, but here it is- it is so twisty-turny, there are so many hidden revelations- everyone we meet (more or less) has got a story to tell and each of these new stories/revelations will ultimately change the reader's thinking. I knew who the bad people were from about page 12 (most of them) but was somehow still trying to figure my way through the maze of who did what to whom, and when, in the last fifty pages. I was right about the bad guys, but there were so many plot points you start to think this could break one of several ways, and suddenly your unsure as to who, really, is getting shafted. Who the big bad really is- the daper aging bard, Greyt? Meris? Or someone else. And the climaxes, if you'll forgive the expression- they just keep on coming. Mr De Bie it seems has come up with 23 variants of the actual ending, and being so enamored with his own genius he's decided to give the reader a glimpse of the 22 runner's up before getting to the winner. Like a film does, a great big spectacular/blockbuster film. Hit after hit, wow after wow. Don't get me wrong, it's still great, it just flops about a bit at the end (actually crash-bang-wallop races around a bit at the end) delivering denouement after denouement, some of which are breath-taking, some of which are heart-breaking, and some of which we could have possibly done without. It's a bobby dazzler, as they say this side of the pond. Well worth a read. I've read the next one already too, I'm on a week off work- I had surgery last Saturday and now I'm resting up. Stay safe and well you lovely people. Cheers Paul [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
I'm reading the Forgotten Realms Novels- #202 The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson (Dungeons 2)
Top