Customer Reviews

Crypt of the Moaning Diamond: The Dungeons

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Crypt of the Moaning Diamond is the fourth book of the Forgotten Realms' stand alone series called The Dungeons; Depths of Madness, The Howling Delve, and Stardeep being the other three. In this book, Rosemary Jones tells an adventurous story about a little group of mercenaries called the Seigebreakers, whose good natured interest lies in tearing down fortifications.

In this novel, a force of orcs and hobgoblins has taken control of the city Tsurlagol, a city that has been built and rebuilt so many times the local history has lost count. Beseeched by Tsurlagol, the nearby king of Procampur has begun a campaign to aid their neighbor and take back the city. The king hires the Seigebreakers to find a way into the city that the Procampur army can use to rout the goblinkin.

Ivy, the leader of the mercenary band, develops a plan to bring down a wall by digging beneath and collapsing it. Her band of mercenaries consists of a half orc warrioress, a Genasi mage (a half water elemental), a Teifling rogue (a devil spawn), a dwarf, and dog named Wiggles. Their plot to take down the wall involves using the Genasi's gift with water magic by flooding the foundation to weaken it. To do this the mage draws water from a nearby underground river and diverts it using her magic. Overseeing the mercenary's work is a Procampur knight who seems to be the paragon of polite society.

Due to the nature of their plan, the ground of the dig site collapses sending the Seigebreakers and knight into the river below. After breaking free of the water and regrouping they find themselves stranded underground with a river fast rising around them and no way to control it. They soon discover that Tsurlagol's history isn't gone, just hidden deep beneath the current city.

Rosemary Jones' tale is more fun adventure than dark horror, as I was assuming the story would be. She still weaves an action filled, exciting story around great dialogue. Interspersed are some comedic moments and several gripping scenes where the characters get into bad to worse situations.

The story was great fun to read. Her mastery of good dialogue is wonderful and is kind of a breath of fresh air. This is definitely a high fantasy, dungeon crawl and does not falter in its delivery. She keeps the story moving between fast and faster as the characters are stuck in a dilemma that presents very little options. Each character has their own little personalities that make for compelling depth and allows the reader to find the one character they identify with.

Negative comments regarding this story are very few. The first being I expected more of a horrific story with very dark undertones. Not so, but I got over it quickly and enjoyed the book after easily getting into the story. The second being that it ended in a manner much different than I expected, like it just suddenly let go of the tension building desperation it gathered. The ending itself was entertaining and even though it was sort of anticlimactic in their escape from the dungeon, Rosemary Jones still told a fantastic story.

I'd recommend this to those who want an easy and fun read and enjoy the more adventure, sword and sorcery type tales. A keeper to be sure, just don't expect to be brought into a scary, dark tale of deadly survival. Entertaining!

Crypt of the Moaning Diamond by Rosemary Jones in the forth and final book in a series of stand alone novels collectively called The Dungeons. The books in this series are; Depths of Madness: The Dungeons by Erik Scott de Bie, The Howling Delve: The Dungeons (Forgotten Realms)by Jaleigh Johnson, and Stardeep: The Dungeons by Bruce Cordell. This is Ms. Jones' first novel for Wizards of the Coast, though she has published short stories in the past. I have said in past reviews, I really appreciate Wizards of the Coast publishing these stand alone novels to give new authors a chance to hone their craft. I also appreciate that by reading stand alone novels, I do not have to have a wide base of previously read books to understand these novels. That is especially true with this book.

The plot of this book is somewhat linear. In that a group, the Siegebreakers, are hired to bring down a wall of a town to allow it to be retaken. A turn of events find the group in a long forgotten dungeon. The majority of the novel follows he group as they make their way though the dungeon and what they encounter in that dungeon. As one would expect, they encounter a variety of monsters, and situations. There is a little depth to the story, but for the most part this novel reads like a gaming session put on paper. For the most part, that works for the novel, however, at the same time it feels a little forced. I think the way the book started I was expecting a little deeper plot, but once I finished the plot was mostly surface plot lines and, quite honestly, a plot that when all is said and done feels recycled. However, that does not mean I was not entertained by this novel, just that it felt as though I have read this plot line before. I was hoping for something fresher and more innovative.

The characters in this novel do a great deal to carry the book. Characters such as Ivy, Mumchance, and Saval really add a great deal to the overall feel of the book. Ivy seems to be a very well developed character and I would be very interested to read further books, or short stories about her. The character of Kid, didn't really connect with me. I won't spoil who, or what he is, but his parts in the story did not seem right to me. I just had a hard time when he was a featured part of the scene. There are really two villains in this novel, one gets considerably more `face-time' than the other. Archlis is one of the two main villains and is written very well. He has just enough arrogance/power to make him a threat, but some of his actions speak to other things. I enjoyed his character quite a bit. I think the characters that stole scenes, at least in my opinion, were a pair of bugbears. Just an interesting view of bugbears and added something different to the story. As I said earlier, I think the characters in this book kept the novel from becoming lackluster. For the most part the characters kept me interested in what was going to happen, and I can easily see myself picking up another book if I knew Ivy would be in it.

I do have a couple criticisms with this book though. One, which I already talked about, was the plot seeming to be recycled - like I have read it before. The plot itself didn't leave me wanting more. It was simply average. The second main criticism is that there are several times in this book that Ms. Jones writes humorous scenes. However, then those scenes appear, they seem to drag on and on. In a book such as this I think humor should be used very sparingly and in short spurts - maybe one liners or something. Yet, the humor in this book seemed forced and placed wrong. One humorous scene was more than enough, but there are several in this book.

As I said above, the characters are very good. I enjoyed reading about the vast majority of them. I appreciated Ms. Jones giving each character a unique voice. It made them stand out more to me as individuals. Ms. Jones' prose is very easy to read, it is not overly flowery. She shows the reader what she wants and moves on. While there are a few places I would have liked just a little more description, I understand this is her first novel and I see a lot of good things in her future. She obviously has talent as a writer and I for one am looking forward to reading more books by her.

Overall, this is a hard book for me to rate. If I could, I would rate is a 3.5 - however, since that's not an option I will rate it at a 3. Not because it's a bad book, that is certainly not the case. I just don't think it quite measures up to what I believe a 4 Star book should be. Fans of the Forgotten Realms will certainly find enjoyable elements in this book and I would recommend it to them for sure. Fans of the fantasy genre looking for a nice paced read should think about picking this novel up as well. While this is an average Forgotten Realms book, I think it is still worth the read and will be suggesting it to a few people for sure.

This is not your typical DnD setting book. Far too often it seems like the authors of these books put use the (once) TSR/(now) WotC logo as a crutch for sloppy and weak texts.

Ms. Jones nicely avoids that trap and provides a very entertaining tale that blends both action and whimsy. At times the pace did flag somewhat and the tension that was supposed to be generated with the rising water disappeared halfway through the novel. However several cleverly written scenes and fresh takes on standard (even repetitive) ideas more than compensated. In just one example, it other hands the use of 'monster poetry' is just careworn and hackneyed, but under Ms. Jones capable quill it was a rather snappy. I found myself both smiling and rolling my eyes (in a good way) at it. In fact I found myself laughing several times during the second half of the book and now have a completely unique way to deal a rust monster should one ever show up in a game.

In retrospect, learning of the author's opera writing background seems to fit the story very well - faint echoes of an enjoyment of Gilbert and Sullivan seems to stir in the quirky-yet-strangely-consistent characters.

It was disappointing to find out that this was her first novel as I was hoping to pick up a few other fantasy works by her. I guess I'll have to just keep my eye open for what she puts forth in the future.

This book ended up surprising me I enjoyed it a lot more then I thought I would, the last couple of Forgotten Realms I've read have been so-so. The book is a stand alone and doesn't assume the reader has any knowledge of the Realms. It centers around a group of mercenaries that specialize in sapping walls and the like rather then actual pitched battle with enemy armies. As the book opens a they've been brought in to help bring a quick end to a siege that's started to drag on. Without giving away too much of the plot they end up discovering ruins the city was built on while digging and have to make their way through them trying to find a way to bring down the walls. All and all the plot was good it wasn't anything new but it was paced well I didn't find myself skipping ahead as I tend to do. My favorite part about the plot was the fact that it was so low key the main characters weren't unstoppable heroes single-handedly winning the war and they weren't on some epic quest that would radically alter the world. They were a small (albeit important) part of a larger army fighting a in relatively minor conflict and to me this was a welcome change from a lot of fantasy novels today.

The main strength of this novel though was definitely the characters they really end up making the novel. The main is Ivy the nominal leader of the Siegebreaker mercenaries and most of the novel follows her occasionally going to others when important to the plot. I found her to be one of the more enjoyable characters I've read lately particular in her interaction with the other characters. For the most part all the conversations and relationships felt real whether it was her easy camaraderie with Mumchance a dwarf with whom she's worked the last ten years or tweaking over proper Sanval the army officer watching over their progress. I can't think of anybody who I was supposed to like that I ended up finding annoying although I thought a few of the other members of the group could have been fleshed out a little more, occasionally it seems like they're making inside jokes the reader doesn't know about. Hopefully at some later point the author will write another novel or short story about them.

All in all it was a great start for a new author and exactly what I wanted a good fun read.

I think it's a fair comparison. I've read The Howling Delve and Stardeep and liked them both. There is a whole new cast of characters which the author introduces surprisingly well as their features and characteristics are folded into the story. There are a few new beasts and villains and the author does well to describe some of our old favorite beasts and well as the new ones. I got a visual a couple of times that just made me want to read even more to see how they were dispatched..if they were. Probably the first time I actually dreamed about a Forgotten Realms story since the last book I read from Kemp, so I'm looking forward to reading more of her work.

"Crypt of the Moaning Diamond: The Dungeons" is Rosemary Jones' debut novel; however, it's not the first book I read by this diverse author.

As you would expect from the title, this story falls within the fantasy realm. But, it includes some nice diversities, including a fun plot with plenty of action and humor mixed in. I think this is a nice read for the entire family.

"Crypt" is a diamond that won't leave you moaning!

The author does a great job of balancing character development with just the right amount of action and classic Dungeons & Dragons style dungeon crawling. I always give extra credit to a D&D novel that gives me the feeling that I could be playing one of the characters in a tabletop campaign, and this book does not disappoint in that department. After all, if I wanted straight fantasy I would not be buying a Forgotten Realms D&D novel. I want a touch of D&D in these books, and Rosemary delivers.

Often I'll get discouraged by some aspect of a Forgotten Realms book (those that get bogged down in excessive character development, endless streams of faceless characters with similar-sounding names, or too many sequels) and find my interest waning, but Rosemary Jones kept me hooked! She has a real knack for balancing character development with a fast-paced story.

I also own Neversfall and the Depths of Madness, and I found this book to be a superior read, though Depths of Madness is also a good book in its own right. Just a matter of taste, I guess.

The first thing I did after finishing this book in record time was to look for more from this author. It seems I'm in luck as "City of the Dead" is set for release next year (2009). Now I'll just have to wait half a year for it...!

Crypt of the moaning diamond is a dungeons & dragons/rpg novel set in the Forgotten Realms setting.
The characters are good if a little typical and the author creates a a great sense of fun adventure. And I particularly liked the bugbear poetry.
The story is ok, however the writing isn't strong. I found some of the action scenes a little hard to follow. However it is also the author first book.
If you like rpg novels you'll probably think this is ok, fun read. And if you wanted to start playing D&D reading CotMD gives you some idea whats its like.If your a realms fan, theres no lore here, so you'll probably not like it. If your a fantasy junkie, and feel like a fun change from all those epics, i'd recommend it.
For a first novel its a descent book. And i'll certainly buy more of her books.

Crypt of the Moaning Diamond by Rosemary Jones

Crypt of the Moaning Diamond is the final book in The Dungeons series of stand-alone novels. The series contains three other entries, which are written by different authors. Since each novel is a stand-alone novel, you can read the series out-of-order and should be able to pick them up without any prior knowledge. The Dungeons series is set in the Forgotten Realms setting of Dungeons and Dragons. The other novels in this series are Depths of Madness by Erik Scott de Bie, The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson, and Stardeep by Bruce R. Cordell. This is Rosemary Jones' first full-length novel set in the Forgotten Realms. Her second is part of the Ed Greenwood Presents Waterdeep titled City of the Dead. She has written a few short stories for various anthologies as well as co-authoring Encyclopedia of Collectible Children's Books. Crypt of the Moaning Diamond was released December 2007 and published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

A siege has befallen the city of Tsurlagol and the it's up to the noble-minded knights of Procampur to take the city back. The ruler of Procampur has tasked a group of mercenaries conveniently named the Siegebreakers to break the siege. The Siegebreakers have a simple plan. After discovering that one of Tsurlagol's walls are weakened, they will dig under the wall and flood the tunnels, causing the wall to collapse. At least it sounds simple. The digging is taking longer than the Thultyrl, the ruler of Procampur, would like and is constantly asking Ivy, the 'commander' of the Siegebreakers, for updates. After one such meeting, Ivy is accompanied by a Procampur officer named Sanval to check out how the progress of the dig is coming along. However, she finds her companions lounging about. After berating them, the group heads into the tunnel, only to have it collapse under their feet. Ivy finds herself in the river that they were planning to use to topple the wall, but easily swims to shore where she finds Sanval and her friends; an old dwarf named Mumchance, a half-genasi water elementalist named Gunderal, a half-orc warrior named Zuzzara, and an odd tiefling-esque thief named Kid. Trapped underground, the group discover ruins of a buried Tsurlagol. They must find their way out of the ruins before the water rises too high and drowns them all. However, there are more dangers lurking in the ancient ruins aside from the rising water level.

Criticisms:
1) Slow. The biggest issue that Crypt of the Moaning Diamond has is the snail-like pace of the story. Quite frankly, this story is boring. The first half of the novel felt like it was dragged out for almost no reason. Nothing seemed to be happening. There were things going on, but they took forever to really develop into anything. By the time something developed, all interest was lost. Everything seemed to happen so slowly. Dialogue was needlessly drawn out as well. The pace does pick up around the halfway point, but it barely picks up. Every scene feels like it goes on and on, without ever having an ending. Dialogue felt like it was needlessly repeated, actions seemed to take forever, and descriptions felt long-winded. At least, that's what it felt like while reading through the book. The worst part of this is that I felt myself falling asleep after a page. Crypt of the Moaning Diamond was slow to the point of being boring.
2) Characters. The other big issue that Crypt of the Moaning Diamond has is that the characters are extremely bland and uninteresting. No one really stood out and I barely remember anyone's name five minutes after putting the book down. The best way to describe the characters would just be in a word or two. Let's look at Ivy, the leader of the Siegebreakers, for example. Ivy had really one defining trait. She wore dirty and mismatched armor. That's it. Everything else about her was generic to the point of annoyance. Sanval is the opposite of Ivy. He was clean and well-kept. Oh, and he had a horribly long list of last names. Kid seemed to be the most unusual of the bunch, but never really amounted to anything other than a tracker with a unique build. Mumchance was a generic dwarf with a soft spot for stray animals. That's all. The only interesting thing about Gunderal and Zuzzara, the two half-humans, is that they are half-sisters. Also, Gunderal likes being pretty. Zuzzara is tall. Later in the story we are introduced to Archlis, a mage who is looking for something in the ruins of Tsurlagol. That's pretty much his character right there. All in all, the characters weren't complex, lacked any real depth, and were as generic as possible.
3) Simple. Crypt of the Moaning Diamond has a very straightforward and simple premise, a group of adventurer's find themselves trapped underground and must find a way out or die. Simple, right? There are times that a premise like this can work really well. This is a time when it falls flat. It never really felt like the Siegebreakers were in any trouble from anything they encountered. The rising water seemed to be little more than a minor issue. In fact, it was only present at the beginning of the novel and at the end. The creatures that the group face seemed to go down with ease and never felt dangerous. In order to really make a premise like this work, there needed to be a feeling of danger.

Praises:
1) Humor. Crypt of the Moaning Diamond was surprisingly funny. In fact, the book almost comes off as a parody of Dungeons and Dragons novels. There was also a lot humor that was actually funny. Some of the banter between the characters had me chuckling. There were quite a few humorous situations that put a smile on my face as well. Some of the humor didn't work and came off as cheesy or weak. But I do have to say that it was funny a story and vastly different from the previous novels in The Dungeons series. Instead of taking a dark storyline, we have a humorous romp through a dungeon.
2) Dungeon. Crypt of the Moaning Diamond does do a great job at making you feel like you are in a dungeon. Having the majority of the story take place underground really made you feel like you were underground. There were some great moments that helped the feeling of being in a dungeon as well. Having branching tunnels, sound carrying around, and not being able to see you hand in front of your face. These things really added to that dungeon feeling. There were a few times when I felt a little claustrophobic as well. Crypt of the Moaning Diamond did a great job at making you feel like you were in a dungeon.

Side Notes:
1) Wiggles. Am I the only one that could not stand the dog?
2) Bugbear Brothers. The Bugbear brothers were probably the most interesting characters because they were very unusual. I really wished that more time was spent on them.
3) Cover Art. Crypt of the Moaning Diamond has some good cover art. It's not the best, but it still works. The muted color scheme doesn't seem all that muted, with the yellows and greens. The green water, in particular, really does catch your eye. The scene itself is also interesting. You have Ivy looking like she's about to drown and some sort of hand is about to grab her. It shows a lot of action going on. However, it seems like her body is really distorted, more so than it would be underwater like that. The sword on her waist seems to really be the focus of the scene, rather than Ivy. It looks bold and in your face, and it shouldn't. Overall, the cover art is pretty good and will catch your eye.

Overall: 2/5
Final Thoughts:
Crypt of the Moaning Diamond can be summed up in one word; boring. The story meanders along at a snail's pace and nothing seems to happen. It felt like it took five minutes to just read a page at some points. There were more than a few times that I found myself falling asleep. Also, the characters aren't that interesting. They are just generic, bland, and not very unique. After reading this story, you'll probably forget them. Also, the story had a simple premise done wrong. I never felt like the group was in trouble and you almost need that in a story like this. Thankfully, it's a pretty funny story and that wasn't something I was expecting. Having the previous three books be darker stories, I assumed that this one would be dark as well. It wasn't and I'm happy it wasn't. There were times when Crypt of the Moaning Diamond felt like it was a parody, and that was interesting. Also, this is the first book in the series that really felt like it took place in a dungeon, and I liked that. The atmosphere had that dungeonesque feel to it that the others didn't have. Overall, I can't recommend Crypt of the Moaning Diamond. It would be a good book for someone starting out reading Dungeons and Dragons novels, but it's a little too boring to keep you interested.

Unlike the other stories in the Dungeons series, Crypt of the Moaning Diamond is humorous rather than serious. In fact, it reminds me a lot of Jim C. Hines' Goblin Quest in that way. The humor is different though. Where Hines chose a strange character and made him into a hero, thereby providing humor at the ridiculousness of the situation, Jones' humor is more relational. Ivy and Sanval (the Procampurian gentleman) flirt with each other, albeit unconsciously. Since Ivy chooses to be pragmatic and dresses comfortably, whereas Sanval is all spit and polish with a strong sense of honor, the attraction of polar opposites provides great humor. The two sisters in the Siegebreakers fight like family always does, yet step to the plate when the protection of each other is needed. And then there is Wiggles, the bone loving white ball of fluff, who sees undead as a snack. Add to that love poetry writing bugbears ("a good thump-thump beat is necessary" apparently) and you can't help but snicker each time you turn the page.

Jones understands narrative, and knows how to make a story interesting, skills she seems to have refined as a writer of opera. I think Rosemary Jones is an excellent addition to the cadre of Wizards of the Coast writers, and I hope she continues to write stories like Crypt of the Moaning Diamond for the Forgotten Realms.