Confessions of a Part-time Sorceress: A Girl's Guide to the D&D Game (Dungeons & Dragons) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Most Dungeons & Dragons game players are men, yet storytelling and roleplaying come so naturally to women. So where are all the female gamers? The answer is - everywhere!

Confessions of a Part-time Sorceress is a smart, humorous examination of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game from a female gamer's point of view. The book delves into the myths and realities of gamer stereotypes. It explains how to build a character for a D&D game, how to shop for gear, how to play, and how to find the perfect gaming group, all the while exploring the things that make the D&D game a rewarding and recurring social experience for both men and women.

About the Author

SHELLY MAZZANOBLE has written short stories and essays for The Seattle Times, Carve, Whetstone, Skirt! and SomeOtherMagazine.com. Her plays have been produced in Seattle and New York City. When not over-editing her collection of short stories, she enjoys watching HGTV, walking dogs, and designing clothes for D&D minis. She lives in Seattle.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (September 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786947268
• ISBN-13: 978-0786947263
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #127,107 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun!, September 20, 2007

By	M. Cloutier (Cambridge, ma United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Are you a woman who's never played Dungeons & Dragons but has always been curious about it? Do you have a friend/husband/boyfriend who plays, and who has maybe invited you to play, but you were intimidated by the stereotypes about nerds and geeks, or thought it would to be too hard, or have too many rules, or take too much time? Well if so, Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress is the book for you.

Author Shelly Mazzanoble writes from the point of view of an extremely (even hyper-) girly young woman who loves to shop, watch soaps and get mani-pedis- and who also loves participating in the ongoing campaigns of Astrid the elf and her band of adventurers. She wants to convince women that D&D isn't all about smelly geeks in a basement casting arcane spells and speaking with cheesy British accents while dressed in chainmaille and Ren Faire outfits. Her thesis is that it's just about groups of friends coming together on a regular basis for a fun, wholesome activity that fires the imagination, fosters social skills and helps participants gain confidence.

Okay.

Let me just say up front that I am exactly the sort of person towards whom this book is aimed. My husband is an avid D&D player, as have been many of my male friends throughout my life. I always thought it was a boy thing- a little seedy, a little smelly, and just a little weird. I was in college before I knew any women who played, and they weren't, uhm, people I could relate to. So I just thought, this isn't for me, and put it aside. So when this book came along I thought, okay, let's see if this woman can sell me on D&D. Cause if she can sell me, she can sell anyone.

Most of the book consists of a girly primer on the basics of D&D. She writes about spells, points, character sheets and dice; she includes cute illustrations and quizzes, and even some recipes of suggested appetizers to serve at your own D&D party. The tone is light and breezy, and peppered with pop-culture and fashion references, and the dominant color is pink. It's cute. It's informative. I liked it when she talked about her own story of how she came to play and how she seems like someone I can relate to. Even though the stereotypes aren't the whole story, there is still a lot of truth to them and they do put people like me off the game. I mean, most of the reason I've rejected the idea of playing is that I think I just wouldn't fit in in most groups. But maybe I'm wrong.

As far as actual game-play, the rules and regs aren't as intimidating or as difficult as I thought. And I like the idea that it's not competitive. I like Mazzanoble's tone and style, and I think the information is presented in a way that's easy to understand. Her "I'm an outsider who became an insider" approach helps, too. And there's lots of humor and silliness, too. I love the little features like "Top Ten Spells Every Woman Should Know", quizzes, cute recipes and the appendix with a sample character sheet. All in all a fun little read. Did she sell me on playing D&D? Well, let's just say I'm not as hostile to the idea as I used to be. And every once in a while I catch myself checking out dice...

15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Little Book, November 18, 2007

By	J. Huss (S.D. California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I suggested that my girlfriend check read this book after she went kinda cross-eyed when I was trying to explain D&D to her. She read through the whole thing and now has a much better understanding of the game, and that is the basic point - Guys, if you are having trouble explaining D&D to your wife/girlfriend etc. this is a really nice book to have them read. It might not get them to play, but at least they will better understand your hobby afterward.

The book is written in a light-hearted tone that really carries the reader along. There is a lot of humor and it is interesting to see a "girly-girl's" take on the game. There are plenty of stereotypes in the book that make it easy to draw analogies between a girl's world and D&D. And while most girls are not likely chic as this one is, most could likely understand the world that she is describing.

Also, this book is also for women who have never played the game before and really don't have much of a clue as to what it is about. If you already play the game, then this book is not going to be much more than a quick, fun, light-hearted read that doesn't take itself too seriously.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars These tired stereotypes make me want to 20-sided die, February 25, 2008

By	Jane Vincent (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

Wow. I guess this book is perfect for anyone who wishes the Player's Handbook was more like US Weekly. Shelly Mazzanoble puts SO much effort into girling it up in this book that it frequently made me question whether she is actually a real life "she" at all, or a sloppily created Wizards of the Coast character. Or, caricature, rather, who can't get through a page without relating some aspect of the game to shoe shopping. There's nothing wrong with being girly, thinking about clothes, or buying shoes, but focusing on these as the ONLY way women could relate to and understand D&D is frankly insulting.
I guess what disappoints me is that on the surface this seemed like an effort by Wizards of the Coast to reach out to lady gamers and potential lady gamers, but the book attempts this by appealing to a superficial, insipid, apparel-oriented nature. Don't they know there's a vast pool of girl nerds in the world who would love to play D&D for the adventure, the camaraderie, and the chance to be creative and imaginative, rather than just as another excuse to think about shopping?