RogerBW's Blog

2022 comic fantasy. Frinzil the sorcery student suddenly has to pay for several years of tuition. Obviously the way to do this is to go adventuring.

This is very clearly RPG-derived fantasy. The chapters are called things like "Attack of Opportunity" and "Saving Throw", people evidently have something like character classes, and there's a gallimaufry of sapient races and monsters even in the small area where the book takes place.

Lizardfolk had ruled the Conquered Lands during the Fourteenth Age, and although there was a common misconception that they were related to tortoise mages, the two were completely different species. Lizardfolk didn't have protective shells, for starters, or deep connections with an ancient, primordial evil that should never have intersected with the fabric of our reality. So those were two important differences right there.

Not at all my usual sort of thing. But I enjoyed Youngmark's piece in Swords, Sorcery, & Self-Rescuing Damsels so I thought I'd give this a try. And it's very rough in places, but it has a sense of fun that carried me through. (It helps that it's not trying to be imitation Terry Pratchett or Tom Holt.)

There's a found-family (each with their own problems). There are perils and arrests and escapes. There's precious little progress on the actual quest that's the nominal objective, so don't go in expecting that and you won't be frustrated; this book is much more about the moment to moment survival and small triumphs.

"Well, how do people usually escape from gladiatorial arenas?" Sprig asked. "To be clear, this isn't that thing where I already know the answer and I'm trying to get you to say it out loud. I'm genuinely asking."

I enjoyed it at least enough to look for the sequel.