Customer Reviews

Wishbringer (Infocom)

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Wishbringer is one of the Infocom books, loosely based on the Infocom games. Ignore that; it won't affect your enjoyment of the book.

The story is about a scam-artist who must save a Jeckyl-and-Hyde community, with the aid of some magical, but not entirely reliable or discreet, companions. Not as good as The Ballad of Wuntvor or the Ebenezum Trilogy, but an enjoyable light read.

I read the book cause I'm a infocom game fan. The book is excellent once you get into it. Some parts are down right hilarious, others are filled to the brim with puns. So arm yourself with you Acme Kitchen Wonder, put on your Magic Glasses, and prepare to run from the Boot Patrol (just read the book already)

Infocom and Gardner were a perfect pairing. I've yet to play Infocom's Wishbringer, so I can't compare the game and book directly, but it's clear from the start that C.S. Gardner took the game's world and made it his own, allowing the book to escape the 'adaptation' stigma.

As a child I was a huge fan of Gardner's Ballad of Wuntvor series and Robert Aspirin's Myth series, as well as the Infocom games and their stellar writing, so Wishbringer was an easy buy for me. I recall reading it in only a few nights, unable to put it down. Recently, my wife and I rediscovered the book while going through a box of old memories. We read it together, once again in record time. Surprisingly, it still held it's appeal for an adult audience.

It's a lighthearted page-turner, very much in the style of Gardner and Aspirin's earlier works. Aspirin excells at writing cliffhangers that keep you coming back for more. The story is silly, eccentric, peopled with an odd assortment of creatures with kooky senses of priority. The book features a likable protagonists, an ocassionally likable love interest, and a cast of creatures with no business co-existing in the same world yet do so with ease. At times it can be repetitive and even childish, but remember that it's aimed at kids. There were a few situation which (for the time it was written) seemed a bit too sexual for a kids book. And there are plenty of bits designed to entertain adults as well.

On the whole it was a fun, original ride. I always wished there'd been a sequel, and it's a shame there were only a couple books in this game adaptation series.

This book is based on the Infocom game of the same name. The author brings this fantasy world to life! The author's writing style is somewhat humorous and has a touch of romance. Very good light read!