Tag: Role-Playing Game

R. A. Salvatore – The Dragon’s Dagger | Review

Title: The Dragon’s Dagger

Author: R. A. Salvatore

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 316

Rating: 8/10

 

R. A. Salvatore - The Dragon's Dagger

R. A. Salvatore – The Dragon’s Dagger

 

I was a big fan of this trilogyThe Spearwielder Trilogy by R. A. Salvatore, a best-selling fantasy author who’s also known for writing the Forgotten Realms series of books based upon the Baldur’s Gate series of computer games, which were in turn based on the Dungeons & Dragons role playing game. Because of this, I’m predisposed to like this book, to a certain extent. That said, my expectations were high after The Woods Out Back, the first book in this series, and whilst The Dragon’s Dagger didn’t necessarily disappoint, there were times at which it seemed to struggle.

As far as the story goes, regular guy Gary Leger is summoned back to the magical world of Faerie to take up his place as the spearwielder of legend. Unfortunately, the spearwielder of legend needs to take on a dragon. Still, he has the usual cast of characters at his side – wisecracking leprechaun Mickey McMickey and the elvish Kelsenellenelvial Gil-Ravardy, for example. It’s been a fair old while since I read this book, but I can still remember how to spell Kelsey’s full name. That’s writers for you.

With this series, I ended up feeling as though it started strong with the first book, which was one of my favourite pieces of fantasy escapism when I was growing up, but that it then lost some of its magic with each of the successive books. I would recommend The Dragon’s Dagger, but only to someone who’s already read The Woods Out Back and who enjoyed it. The thing with Salvatore is that he’s so prolific that perhaps he lost interest part of the way through – there’s a risk that you, as the reader, might feel the same way too. Either way, I thought it was pretty good!

 

R. A. Salvatore

R. A. Salvatore

 

Click here to buy The Dragon’s Dagger.


David “Zeb” Cook – Baldur’s Gate Manual | Review

Title: Baldur’s Gate Manual

Author: David “Zeb” Cook

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 160

Rating: 8/10

 

David "Zeb" Cook - Baldur's Gate Manual

David “Zeb” Cook – Baldur’s Gate Manual

 

Well, I can honestly say that when I started this blog, I never thought that I’d be reviewing the instruction manual to a game. That said, I just couldn’t help it – it’s a work of art in itself, a booklet that’s simultaneously a manual of how to play Baldur’s Gate (and its add-on pack, Tales of the Sword Coast) and a historical report on the lands, the races, the wars and the warriors who have shaped the Forgotten Realms.

Baldur’s Gate is a great RPG game, one that set a new standard for generations of gamers and which is memorable for computerising the Dungeons and Dragons rulebook. This then, the instruction manual, has set a new standard of its own. If you’ve ever played the game, then read the manual – no point reading it though, if you haven’t.

 

David "Zeb" Cook

David “Zeb” Cook

 

Click here to buy Baldur’s Gate Manual.