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vortimer's review against another edition
3.0
Pretty primitive and by the numbers, but enjoyable nonetheless. Could have done with a lot fewer descriptions of characters' physiques.
danny_phantom57's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
trashqwean's review
4.0
I was gifted this book when I was in the 5th grade by my favorite cousin. I was instantly drawn to it due to it's cover. I read it that same month and I recall enjoying it quite a bit, but I think that was mostly due to the fact that it's easy to digest and the story isn't too complex. But what does one really expect from a high-fantasy novel based on a video game? I just recently finished a re-read of this last month and while it was definitely more childish for me now, I still had a fun time reading it.
theshadowplay's review
4.0
Nostalgia maybe, but I still like this book. The characters are a bit of wish-fulfillment, being super-brawn and super-awesome, but they had decent personalities. Some of the resolutions are a bit too deus ex machina But it breezed along and reminded me of times spent around a D&D table.
Spoiler
In one case literally.platanus's review
4.0
Four stars not because it's such a great book, but because it was a good classic fantasy adventure book. In other words it was fun and met the Expectations pretty well.
goblin_town's review
4.0
A fun read that brought back memories of first edition AD&D and how things used to be. To me, that's a good thing. I enjoyed my doglike kobold, my piglike orcs and my problems wiped out by sword or by spell.
As an old time player of the SSI gold box set, which is seeing a re-emergence, I enjoyed adventuring in the confines and outskirts of New Phlan. It hit the nostalgia spot going through those adventures again with these characters. It makes me want to play those old games again.
It's a call back to a simpler time, and if that is a good thing to you as well, you may enjoy it too. Come adventurer, free New Phlan, adventures await!
As an old time player of the SSI gold box set, which is seeing a re-emergence, I enjoyed adventuring in the confines and outskirts of New Phlan. It hit the nostalgia spot going through those adventures again with these characters. It makes me want to play those old games again.
It's a call back to a simpler time, and if that is a good thing to you as well, you may enjoy it too. Come adventurer, free New Phlan, adventures await!
shumphrey's review
4.0
I've returned to this book for the third time and I still love it because it is the closest thing to reading a (good) D&D campaign I've come across. Our heroes grow in power and personality through the book and face a variety of threats, linked together but feeling separate at the same time. There are a few pacing issues with some of the interpersonal relationships, but those can be forgiven.
Maybe this time, I will actually continue reading the other books in this series.
Maybe this time, I will actually continue reading the other books in this series.
max343's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
raechel's review
adventurous
fast-paced
3.0
Another day, another Forgotten Realms series.
This book is... not bad. It's very classic D&D in that we have a party of heroes and they get sent off on little adventures by a sort of patron (who has ulterior motives). We see a bit of backstory and individual motives for each hero, and they all get chances to shine throughout the story.
What I find weird is that there's a serious focus on... buff-ness. Like to the point that it kind of felt like a fetish. Shal the mage starts out not-buff, but we get a scene where she accidentally wishes herself buff and then a description about how her clothes can't contain her new curvaceous body and then she accidentally teleports herself in the middle of a busy town so now oh no! everyone can see her big buff body barely covered by her scraps of cloth.
Tarl the cleric is a buff dude who's totally ready to Master the Sword (which is not a euphemism at all you guys), and proves himself by standing in the middle of a circle of sweaty, shirtless, scarred buff dudes and wielding his sword against the buffest of them. Clerics of Tyr don't even use swords.
Finally, we get Ren, who is the buffest of the buff ranger-clerics (because he wanted to multiclass). He's haunted by the memories of his dead girlfriend and everyone else is haunted by how big and buff he is. When we meet him, he has some flirtatious banter with a table of buff swordwomen who are all dressed in (of course) body-hugging chainmail.
Anyway, these three bodybuilders meet up and have weird sexual tension that never blossoms into a thruple because this was written in the late 80s. Instead we get some little mini-adventures and some good interaction between the party members except when the author just gets really horny for buff people. Like, this book isn't smutty, but it is horny.
There's this entire subplot about Shal wearing a ring of three wishes and she wastes two of them literally the first day she gets the ring. And then she makes another wish that I thought was going to reveal that her master had been brought back from the dead.... but that never happens. The author just doesn't realize he had her make a third wish and instead she gets use of her third wish as a deus ex machina at the end of the novel.
The book could have been planned out better, there's a lot of side characters who are introduced very suddenly and then killed in the same chapter or are given no real explanation to the reader or the heroes until an info dump near the end.
Not a bad way to start a trilogy, as I've certainly read worse. But I do hope it improves.
This book is... not bad. It's very classic D&D in that we have a party of heroes and they get sent off on little adventures by a sort of patron (who has ulterior motives). We see a bit of backstory and individual motives for each hero, and they all get chances to shine throughout the story.
What I find weird is that there's a serious focus on... buff-ness. Like to the point that it kind of felt like a fetish. Shal the mage starts out not-buff, but we get a scene where she accidentally wishes herself buff and then a description about how her clothes can't contain her new curvaceous body and then she accidentally teleports herself in the middle of a busy town so now oh no! everyone can see her big buff body barely covered by her scraps of cloth.
Tarl the cleric is a buff dude who's totally ready to Master the Sword (which is not a euphemism at all you guys), and proves himself by standing in the middle of a circle of sweaty, shirtless, scarred buff dudes and wielding his sword against the buffest of them. Clerics of Tyr don't even use swords.
Finally, we get Ren, who is the buffest of the buff ranger-clerics (because he wanted to multiclass). He's haunted by the memories of his dead girlfriend and everyone else is haunted by how big and buff he is. When we meet him, he has some flirtatious banter with a table of buff swordwomen who are all dressed in (of course) body-hugging chainmail.
Anyway, these three bodybuilders meet up and have weird sexual tension that never blossoms into a thruple because this was written in the late 80s. Instead we get some little mini-adventures and some good interaction between the party members except when the author just gets really horny for buff people. Like, this book isn't smutty, but it is horny.
There's this entire subplot about Shal wearing a ring of three wishes and she wastes two of them literally the first day she gets the ring. And then she makes another wish that I thought was going to reveal that her master had been brought back from the dead.... but that never happens. The author just doesn't realize he had her make a third wish and instead she gets use of her third wish as a deus ex machina at the end of the novel.
The book could have been planned out better, there's a lot of side characters who are introduced very suddenly and then killed in the same chapter or are given no real explanation to the reader or the heroes until an info dump near the end.
Not a bad way to start a trilogy, as I've certainly read worse. But I do hope it improves.
dark_reader's review
3.0
After the amateur prose and triple-slog of reading the first Avatar trilogy in the Forgotten Realms line of novels, Pool of Radiance, which followed in publication order (if not in story chronology, as the god Bane was mentioned although he was replaced in the Avatar triology), was a refreshing bit of guilty pleasure.
Pool of Radiance is, simply put, fun! The heroes are hunky (even the females...) and likeable, although perhaps overpowered given their youth and supposed inexperience. The storyline is episodic, rather like a D&D campaign, in which they venture to various locations on mini-adventures, guided by a patron and with a grander overall goal. Each character receives multiple chances to shine. Early characterization is endearing. Again, simply fun! Definitely skews towards young adult readers.
I must indicate that I have no experience of the video game of the same name, and I am not sure if this is meant as a novelization of the game or simply as a tie-in to the product, regardless it was an enjoyable light (very) fantasy read.
Pool of Radiance is, simply put, fun! The heroes are hunky (even the females...) and likeable, although perhaps overpowered given their youth and supposed inexperience. The storyline is episodic, rather like a D&D campaign, in which they venture to various locations on mini-adventures, guided by a patron and with a grander overall goal. Each character receives multiple chances to shine. Early characterization is endearing. Again, simply fun! Definitely skews towards young adult readers.
I must indicate that I have no experience of the video game of the same name, and I am not sure if this is meant as a novelization of the game or simply as a tie-in to the product, regardless it was an enjoyable light (very) fantasy read.