Scan barcode
A review by drew1013
Sonata Volume 1: Valley of the Gods by Brian Haberlin, David Hine
2.0
Sonata took me quite a long time to finish, mainly because it suffers from a major flaw that is never remedied: nothing feels real or unique. Characters, technology, motivations, world building… every element of the story has the feel of homework that was done at the last minute to avoid another F.
The design of the skeleton gods is pretty cool, and they are by far the most intriguing part of the story. However, they don’t get much attention, as we focus instead on cardboard characters moving around the plot board.
In fact, as I was reading this I had the distinct feeling that I was reading someone’s homebrew Dungeons & Dragons campaign. The events and world building in Sonata would probably suffice for a tabletop RPG with friends, where these things are happening to you and your buddies. But in written form, the lack of innate drama, stakes, and emotional investment really stand out.
The design of the skeleton gods is pretty cool, and they are by far the most intriguing part of the story. However, they don’t get much attention, as we focus instead on cardboard characters moving around the plot board.
In fact, as I was reading this I had the distinct feeling that I was reading someone’s homebrew Dungeons & Dragons campaign. The events and world building in Sonata would probably suffice for a tabletop RPG with friends, where these things are happening to you and your buddies. But in written form, the lack of innate drama, stakes, and emotional investment really stand out.