Customer Reviews

The Tomb of Horrors (Greyhawk Classics)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have to admit that I don't read too much shared fiction, but there was a double hook with Tomb of Horrors--Keith is a friend, and I wrote a game product related to this title. Truth to tell, I wanted to write this book. So you see, Keith already had a few marks against him before I picked it up.

So I read through the first scene. Oh my god, can they publish this stuff? Apparently, they can. The author is a nice guy, but horror sleeps below his placid surface. If you've ever wanted to know what it felt like to be crucified, this book is for you. This scene sets the tone for the antagonist, and does so spectacularly well.

Then we meet the protagonist, Kaerion, in the next chapter. A down-on-his-luck swordsman washing away his sorrows in drink? Yes, but it turns out he has a lot to wash away. He was once a paladin, now fallen, whose holy sword continually torments him with the memory of what he once was. No matter how he tries to dispose of the holy blade, it always reappears. This is great stuff.

So, the book begins to shape up. Two groups have designs on the legendary Tomb of Horrors. One group evil, one good. Each has a fair way to go before they reach the doorstep of the ancient tomb. But that's where the horror truly begins. More importantly for me, it is also where we discover if Kaerion can finally achieve redemption.

The story of redemption and salvation, told well, never gets old and this story is told very well. Though some have described it as generic and formulaic, I believe it actually achieves greater success because it does use common elements so effectively. This is a classic tale retold well in a D&D novel, using the "Tomb of Horrors" as scene and metaphor. Both similar and distinctive from the journey of man into a dark region of the world and, by metaphor, into himself (akin but not equal, of course, to Conrad's "Heart of Darkness"). The main character is deeply troubled and flawed but not beyond all hope. And the finding of salvation, ultimately, through his own power to call out for help and succor--and not by the initiative of supreme powers or faceless forces--recalls and reinforces the power of the individual over his or her environment. Classic storytelling and classic Greyhawk.

First I have to say that no matter what you thought of the book you should not reveal major happenings in your review. People read these reviews to get a good idea of whether or not they would like to read the book, not have the whole story revealed especially those characters who DIE. sheish.

Anyway, I totally agree with the reviewer named Bruce R Cordell that this book was very well written. You can see the depth in the characters, espically the protagonist. This book does something that I have not seen in many other books and that is convey believable emotions especially when it comes to loosing one's faith.

To anyone who is just not sure, I say take a chance and pick this book up it will be well worth the time you spend reading it.

I'd actually give it about 4 1/2 stars, but that's not an option. Awesome book, though! Very easy read, and keeps you wanting to keep reading and reading to get thru it. I like the ending as well, but i feel a little bit like they're building up for a sequel. It needs more, and left some things unfinished and unanswered. I actually like the books "White Plume Mountain", "Descent Into The Depths", and "Queen Of The Demonweb" (all by Paul Kidd), but this one came in a very close 2nd to that series. I highly recommend getting a copy and checking it out yourself. :>

This is the first and only D&D book that fully captures the feeling of living a D&D module. The only thing I cannot fathom is why the Greyhawk series is so hard to find at most book stores. The inferior R.A. Salvatore books are everywhere. This book is very faithful to the D7D module yet still manages to tell it's own story. The dialog gets stiff at times and the plot "twists" are not very twisty, but the pace is snappy and you actually want to see what happens to the characters. The Forgotten Realms books are simply a series of battles.

Realistically, this book rates about 3.5 stars, better by far than Emerson's two Grayhawk books, not as good as Paul Kidd's trilogy. The two main characters, the elvish ranger and the fallen paladin, are among the most compelling in the Grayhawk books. Similar to Kidd's Justicar, they deserve to have their own stories written about them outside of the Grayhawk series. Well fleshed out. The rest of the supporting cast is also well-written, and the author allows them plenty of time to get aquainted and to interact, which is vital to make the characters interesting. Unfortunately, as other reviewer have already pointed out, this long lead time allows little time for the actual dungeon adventure, and even though I had never played that particular module, I could tell that lots of things were being left out. But I think that is a common problem in all these Grayhawk books: obviously a page limit (word count) was given and some authors handled it better than others. Keith Strohm rises to the challenge relatively well here, delivering a story with compelling characters in interesting circumstances. The ending feels a bit rushed, but was overall satisfying. I think there is big potential here for a sequel or two here, similar to the works of Paul Kidd. The fate of several foes and at least one companion remains unresolved at the end of the book, lending to its "rushed" feeling.

But this is a good read, and former (and current) D&Ders and fantasy fans alike should enjoy its twists and turns. I highly recommend it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If nothing else, the author impressed me with his very acute portrayal of the emotional spirits of all his characters. Few are the books nowadays where all their characters are believable, distinct and sympathizable. The wonder it is that in TOMB OF HORRORS, Strohm makes every character real and with feeling. Even minor characters are given names and significance, giving them space to be real in the story.

Strohm's protagonists are first-class representations of their stereotype - the agonized fallen paladin; the Legolas-like elf, the witty, pretty bard; the old, frisson-laden mage; the stately, stern cleric - let's just say that their personalities are not original, and yet Strohm breathes life into them. Each has different dimensions in their personalities, capable of opposite ends of emotions, just like real people. They speak like real people, and Strohm takes care to enter into the minds of each character when they are in focus. This authorial trait is oddly rare, even in some of the most popular fantasy writers of today.

TOMB OF HORRORS, in other words, is not so much about the tomb, but really a novel of characters and characterization. Don't read this book thinking you are about to embark on a physical, action adventure. You should be reading this to follow the story of its lead character - whose fate, though predictable, is resolved with enough originality such that I kept wanting to turn the page to see how he gets through his spiritual predicament, and how he ultimately redeems himself, and of course saves the day...

Yes, certainly there are a few loose ends by the end of the book, and one can see how the story can be lengthened. But this is all forgotten considering Strohm's spectacular conclusion which somehow avoids the worst clichés. I am impressed with the way he resolves the characters' plots. It would be fascinating to learn more about each of them, perhaps in a prequel, perhaps in a sequel.

Having played the original TSR "Tomb of Horrors" Module this book caught my eye right away, despite reading it in 2004. I am glad to say I was not disappointed in my purchase. I found it to have a compelling plot, to be faithful to the Greyhawk theme, and to have one hell of a final chapter. The last chapter was just fantastic, in my humble opinion. The author took the time to think out why the characters are doing what they are doing, despite the obvious danger, and managed to add some depth to all the characters. My only regret is that Wizards of the Coast does not take the time to expand on the Greyhawk line to make other such novels. I am now looking forward to reading other books from this publisher including the "Forgotten Realms" line and other Greyhawk novels. It truly was a great read, and a much needed diversion. Enjoy!

After reading and really enjoying "Against the Giants," I thought I'd give this literary adaptation of another classic Greyhawk adventure module a shot. Ugh. It would have been a much more engaging read if the actual Tomb of Horrors played a larger role here. Instead, we have several hundred pages following the journey of about as generic a collection of adventurers as could be wished for. The protagonist's NON-STOP whining and pining for lost innocence is the central plot device for nearly the entire 300 pages, only to resolved abruptly right before the end.

Nothing overtly terrible or offensive here, just a cookie-cutter innocence-lost-and-regained yarn with two-dimensional characters and a villain that should be twirling his fingers around a black handle-bar mustache.

Not to belabor the point here, but avoid this one: the writing's amateurish, the plot is generic and predictable, and the Tomb of Horrors itself might as well be any other random backdrop for the melodramas of these unsympathetic and forgettable characters

Having read many of the Dragonlance and Forgotten Realm books (I own over 100 combined), I have to say Keith Strohm's "Tomb of Horrors" is a definite must read. Since this was his first full novel published, you can not ask for a better start to a writers career. I know some are saying blah blah, it was so boring and just bad, but those of us who love to actually read and imagine what is going on in the books we read will find this fullfilling in the least.