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mxmorganic's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
abigcoffeedragon's review against another edition
4.0
This is a good read and a good beginning to the world of Eberron - I agree with most others that this seems to have a tinge of the Players Guide sprinkled throughout, but, considering that this was written by one of the major sources for Eberron, I would expect no less - moving on to tale #2 and hoping for more story and more character development
jemaseg's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
honniker's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
If you already know about Eberron, this is an interesting book. I'm not sure I would recommend it as an introduction to that world however. There were also a few typos that were kind of annoying and there were some weird plot moments. So it was an okay read. I have book two so will probably continue with this one especially since there are some loose ends.
morcabre's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
the_valencia's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
manwithanagenda's review
adventurous
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? Yes
3.0
'The City of Towers' takes place in a land that has just concluded a devastating hundred years war. The main characters are all refugees of a country that was swallowed up in an as-yet-unknown dark magic fallout. Sharn, the titular city, is the metropolis of the only kingdom among the combatants to offer sanctuary to the few survivors. Captain Daine, his friend Jode the halfling healer, the warforged (think sentient robot) Pierce are escorting their comrade Lei back to the city to reunite with her fiancee. There are dark forces at work however, and soon the four companions are in the center of a deep intrigue, shut-out from their expected welcome, with monsters stalking them in the streets.
I've been seeking a palate-cleanser, but I never imagined that I would dive back into a dungeons and dragons inspired novel. Quite a lot of time was spent in middle school in Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms novels with little to show for it. Wandering through one of my favorite used book stores, I saw this sitting on a rack. Seeing as how Keith Baker was the creator of the Eberron setting, I figured I could break the ice on reading something not so manuel-y and get a quick dose of fantasy, too.
This being the flagship novel of Baker's baby, there's a lot of exposition with a thick appendix on top that covers the world of Eberron, its religion, calender and government as well as a glossary of terms, characters and places. But it still comes off a lot better than other media tie-ins I've read in the past. There was little eye-rolling, halfling tropes aside, and the characters and story were compelling. I'm glad to have the sequel on-hand. I don't know how normies would take it, but it worked for me, and got me excited about setting a campaign in Eberron in the future.
The Dreaming Dark
Next: 'The Shattered Land'
I've been seeking a palate-cleanser, but I never imagined that I would dive back into a dungeons and dragons inspired novel. Quite a lot of time was spent in middle school in Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms novels with little to show for it. Wandering through one of my favorite used book stores, I saw this sitting on a rack. Seeing as how Keith Baker was the creator of the Eberron setting, I figured I could break the ice on reading something not so manuel-y and get a quick dose of fantasy, too.
This being the flagship novel of Baker's baby, there's a lot of exposition with a thick appendix on top that covers the world of Eberron, its religion, calender and government as well as a glossary of terms, characters and places. But it still comes off a lot better than other media tie-ins I've read in the past. There was little eye-rolling, halfling tropes aside, and the characters and story were compelling. I'm glad to have the sequel on-hand. I don't know how normies would take it, but it worked for me, and got me excited about setting a campaign in Eberron in the future.
The Dreaming Dark
Next: 'The Shattered Land'
jasonabbott's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
dozens's review
3.0
That was pretty fun!
My copy had some grammatical errors in it that really broke my immersion.
At a couple points the Eberron parts felt bolted on to a generic sword & sorcery fantasy.
The who conclusion was super exciting. Ended on a couple of cliffhangers and with a couple loose threads that are, I'm sure, meant to draw the reader into the next book of the series, which is bait that I'm not going to take at this moment.
Killing off the most likable of the main characters (rather unceremoniously at that) was a pretty bold move.
My copy had some grammatical errors in it that really broke my immersion.
At a couple points the Eberron parts felt bolted on to a generic sword & sorcery fantasy.
The who conclusion was super exciting. Ended on a couple of cliffhangers and with a couple loose threads that are, I'm sure, meant to draw the reader into the next book of the series, which is bait that I'm not going to take at this moment.
Killing off the most likable of the main characters (rather unceremoniously at that) was a pretty bold move.