Customer Reviews

The Doom of Kings: Legacy of Dhakaan, Book 1

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let me preface this by saying that I found Bassingthwaite's previous trilogy just ok. The characters were decent and the plot interesting, but the writing, especially the dialogue, as others have stated, were not ideal.

Doom of Kings is head-and-shoulders above those books, so if you liked them, and I did (just not as much as some other Eberron novels), you will likely love this book.

I was particularly interested in this book from the outset because Darguun and the goblin culture are an area of Eberron that Wizards has avoided fleshing out previously, and I have been hoping that quality material would come out eventually for it; to my mind, a whole sourcebook on Eberron goblins would not be too little, though I know it won't happen. Anyway, I had been eagerly awaiting this book because of its focus, and I was most certainly not disappointed.

The author treats the Dhakaani culture with the respect it deserves and gives interesting details of language, cuisine and etiquette that are certainly useable in an Eberron campaign. Also, goblin shadowdancers. Nice. Need I say more?

The Doom of Kings by Don Bassingthwaite is the first novel in the trilogy Legacy of Dhakaan set in the world of Eberron. Mr. Bassingthwaite recently completed his first Eberron trilogy The Dragon Below; The Binding Stone (The Dragon Below, Book 1), The Grieving Tree: The Dragon Below, Book 2 (The Dragon Below), and The Killing Song: The Dragon Below, Book 3 (The Dragon Below). Readers of my reviews may remember that I was somewhat critical of Mr. Bassingthwaite's Dragon Blow trilogy, however for the most part he held my interest with that trilogy so I decided to give this book a go. Here are my thoughts on the novel.

The plot of this book seems somewhat traditional at first. In so much as it focuses on a king wanting to further unite his people and set up a succession once he passes away. What makes this book interesting is that it focuses on goblins; you know hose commonly only used as fodder goblins. I was a little apprehensive about goblins being main characters, however, let me be the first to say it worked. In fact it worked very well. The culture of goblins is explored in a very tasteful way, giving readers some insight into them as a race and expanding on the fact that they are not mindless fodder that they can be civilized and have goals and dreams. The main plot focused on Lhesh Haruuc wanting to keep the empire he created whole. There is also a subtle mix of political intrigue. This is an aspect I was not really expecting to find in the novel, so its presence was surprising but fitting in with the overall story. I would love to say more about the plot, but I think if I did there would be spoilers, so please forgive my vagueness.

The characters are simply fantastic. A few of the character resurface from the Dragon Below trilogy; Geth, Ashi, and Ekhaas. However, they are written in such a way that readers need not have read the Dragon Below trilogy to understand this book, granted it may help in a few minor instances but it is by no means necessary. There are several new characters introduced as well such as Haruuc, Vanni, Tariic, and Chetiin. The mix of established characters with new characters is nearly flawless. These characters are by no means one-dimensional, in fact most (if not all) have faults that cause them to make decisions that may not be the best given their situations. However, these faults and individual motivations make them much more real. The emotions the characters show is a wide range as well, whether it's Ashi's rage or Haruuc sorrow, they are written in a way that the reader can't help but feel for them.

Some minor criticisms with this novel:

1 - There were a few spots in the book where the language choice made me stutter and have to re-read a sentence or two. It didn't affect the flow too much but it was there, and it could just have been me to maybe others won't experience that.

2 - Some of the dialogue seemed a little forced to me. Now, here's the caveat of that though. It wasn't in the high emotion scenes it occurred in the transition scenes for me so it wasn't a huge deal more of a gnat flying by your ear once and awhile.

Some positives about this novel:

1 - The little things! My favorite parts of this book are how Mr. Bassingthwaite shows goblin emotion. Let me preface this by saying I have a dog who's ears stick up so I understand the emotion that can be shown by ears. In this book the goblins do that very thing. Ears twitching, ears flat against their head etc. It seemed so real and easy to relate to. I loved it.

2 - The untraditional nature of the book. I like the fact that this book is about goblins, even though I was unsure at the start. Goblins have long been written about in terms of fodder and just filler. It's nice to see them getting attention and showing another side.

3 - The flow, pacing, and prose of this novel. Where I was critical in other books by Mr. Bassingthwaite, I need to be equally as commending for this book. It flows almost seamlessly and the pacing is right on target. I don't recall there being a slow moment in this book. It was more the author daring the reader to put down the book.

In the past couple of years I have become a fan of the Eberron setting more and more. The Inquisitives series solidified my love for the world. This books allows me to remember why this world is special. Fans of the Eberron setting really need to pick this novel up. People who are considering reading novels set in this world should consider this one being one of the books they read first. I am eagerly looking forward to where this series goes in books two and three. A fantastic start to the trilogy!

I have just finished the trilogy, so this is a bit of a retrospective review. I picked up all three books this summer and have gobbled them up. I read a lot of fantasy and stay away from a lot of the world oriented series such as Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance. I know there are good authors, but they seem more strained and not as polished as other works. This Legacy of Dhakaan series is fantastic! Each book does stand somewhat alone in that they are fairly complete and the author does a good job of re-calling events from the previous book.

The main characters in this book definitely have a past which must be defined in the Dragon Below series (which I did not read, yet). The sense of gobinkind (Dar), shifters and humans are well written such that each is distinct and not just humans who look different. I did read the book Orcs and hated every minute of it, but this series develops goblin culture (in Eberron, at least) with a history, food types, and a deep language. I admire the author's work on a goblin language and enjoyed the smattering throughout. It was not overwhelming and with constant use it gave a sense of the culture that is pervasive.

The writing is heads above much of the banal fantasy written today. This is not high brow literature, but well more than much of the high school level writing on the shelves. The sentences are more than five words and the intrigue and plot development is good. This first book sets a good tone to the series and does a good job of introducing the setting, the issues, and the characters.

I enjoyed the work and highly recommend it to fantasy fans and of course DnD fans.

Don Bassingthwaite has crafted a very descriptive and entertaining adventure in the Goblin Nation of Darguun.
You can fully enjoy this book without reading the "Dragon Below" Trilogy.

Story
Darguun, a nation of Goblins, Hobgoblins, and Bugbears is on the verge of tearing itself apart. Their ruler, Lhesh Haruue, sends a group of adventurers on a quest to recover a powerful ancient artifact to keep his country together. It's a quest book, but what sets it apart are the setting and cultures of Darguun.

World
The Goblin Nation, the Goblin People, and the Goblin Culture are explained in great detail. Goblins are typically fodder for low level adventurers, but in this book, they're depicted as warriors with a fair amount of honor. The Goblin history is explained in detail and it's very interesting. Once their customs and culture are explained, you actually start to appreciate and respect the little guys. I don't know if I'll ever think of Goblins the same again, actually... I can honestly say that this book has cured my Goblin racism. Go figure.

Writing Style
The book starts off a bit slow and feels a little disjointed. But once the adventure begins, it's great. The environmental descriptions and deep settings are the highlights of the book. This is what you're looking for if you want background information on a campaign setting. The dialogue is mostly good, but there are a few rough spots.

Characters
Some of the characters were featured in the Dragon Below Trilogy. I can't really say who they are because if I do, you'll know who survives the Dragon Below Trilogy. But if you enjoyed that Trilogy, then you're in luck! I would say all of the characters are good most of the time. There are a few rough spots where some things feel a bit forced, but this is a minor criticism. You get a good sense of 'the party' and they all do their part on the quest.

Action
If you like high fantasy action with spells, swords, tactics, and creatures, then you're in luck. The action is exciting and flows really well.

Maturity
Aside from some hacked monster limbs, this book is pretty tame. No foul language, no sex, no torture, or gore... It's good for teens and young adults.

Overall
This is a very interesting book because it opens your eyes to the Goblin Culture and really gives you a sense of how Darguun operates. The adventure itself is entertaining and the characters have their moments.

Buy it if you've ever been curious about Goblins, Darguun, or want information on an Eberron Campaign setting.
Buy it if you want a good quest book through interesting places punctuated by good action scenes.
Buy it if you're a collector of the Wizards of the Coast Books. This is definitely one of the better ones.
Avoid it if you don't care about Goblins or can't get behind them as heroic characters.

A good read...Don Bassingthwaite is becoming a favorite of mine...more political intrigue and less action than i'd prefer, but a good read none the less...I suggest reading his first trilogy, The Dragon Below, if you want to familiarize yourself with some of the characters...plus it was an excellent read!

This book brings back several characters -- Geth, the shifter, Ashi, the
barbarian, and others from previous Eberron novels. The story is a fairly entertaining solid read. Not high literature, but it keeps the pages turning.