Customer Reviews

The Verdant Passage: Prism Pentad, Book 1

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well I just finished the book and I have to admit I had fun with it. There were times when I felt the story dragged a bit but in the end it was a good read. However with that said I do need to point out that this is a Dark Sun book, if you're not a D&D fan or a Dark Sun fan you may not enjoy this book nearly as much. The story is strong though the characters are a bit weak. I don't mean that they are bad characters but sadly the author dosn't give us much insight into thier personal motives or their histories. We don't know their personal fears, dreams, asperations or well anything beyond the fact that they are on a mission and they will do what it takes to complete it. Agis is the main character for this book in my opinion and is the most flushed out character of them all but sadly he dosn't shine very bright because we only get minimal details of what's going on in his head at the time. The book reads like a movie and though thats not bad on a personal note I expect more from the characters in the books I read. I want to feel their humanity (or lack of it) not just see it.

So if you're a Dark Sun fan, or a fan of D&D and the books that go with it then this is deffenatly something to read. If you're just a plane fantasy fan then I assure you there are many other books to read that will give you a similar feel. I will say this though, the world of Athas is well painted in the book and the creatures that inhabit it are a nice break from your cookie cutter versions, Dwarves are bald and hate hair (in most other books they love their beards), elves are back ally thugs not your normal helpful and mystical types. So there is a lot of fun stuff in the book, I can only hope book 2 gives me more insight on how the characters feel, where they came from and where they want to go... thats the thing characters should want things, afterall if they are human (or human like) then they should have personal desires.

If you are considering reading this book, you should be aware that it is set in the Dark Sun D&D campaign setting. If you don't even know what that means, you should look it up before proceedind. If you know wat Dark Sun is and you enjoy it, buy away!

Despite all the complaints of this series, this is a solid book. It isn't perfect and we probably could have used a little more time with each of the characters but it paints a wonderful picture of the world. To me, that was the important part. I wanted this book to help me flesh out what it is like to actually live on Athas and it did that very well.

Mr. Denning has created a wonderful world for us to dig into in Dark Sun - and this is it's flagship novel. Here the plight of the people of Tyr (slaves, Veiled Alliance, gladiators) is told in wonderful detail, set in this world of ruinous magic and desert. What a great setting! The plot really keeps you going here - wondering what will happen to the protagonists, and about what the evil King Kalak is planning. It is a roller coaster of a ride! There are several memorable characters, and more than a few loose ends are left, but this is of course for the following four books in the series. Can't wait to read the next one!

It is a great book. It helps you get a feeling of what the world of darksun really is.

This book I had originally borrowed from a friend and read when I was young, due to the upcoming release of Dark Sun Campaign Setting from WOTC I decided to buy it and read it again, well I guess it is meant for a slightly younger audience as the character depths are not as I had remembered and although the story is nice and you really do get a nice picture of the world and the life on Athas (you actually envision very easily the climate and the cities and the hardship) but as I said some things are just left to imagination. Not enough motives or too simple.
Still nice to read this book again