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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sherlock Holmes meets Ancient Egypt.,
By
This review is from: The Anubis Murders (Planet Stories Library) (Paperback)
This is the first book in Paizo Publishing's Planet Stories line. I think it is great. I've long been a fan of mystery and fantasy fiction. This novel pulls both together along with a heavy dose of Egyptian mythology.
The novel is written by Gary Gygax, co-creator of the Dungeons and Dragons Roleplaying game. The novel itself is not set in the D&D universe; rather a world like ours with countries' names changed slightly to add a familiar, yet different feel. The plot is that influential mages and rulers throughout the world are being systematically targeted by a mysterious cult that seems to be connected somehow to Anubis. Setne Inhetep, a cross between Sherlock Holmes and an Ancient Egyptian priest, is called off of vacation to investigate these magical deaths. Will he succeed in his mission? Buy the book and find out! While it is not going to win any awards for the most literary book I have ever read, I do feel it is a good read for both casual and frequent fantasy readers. This book is just pure fun. I have read over 60 books this year, and this is probably the most enjoyable one I have read. Gygax wrote a few other books with Inhetep as the protagonist. They are The Samarkand Solution and Death in Delhi. The Samarkand Solution is set to come out in the Planet Stories line in March 2008. Hope this is helpful to you.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Jhaeman's Review,
By
This review is from: The Anubis Murders (Planet Stories Library) (Paperback)
First off, great cover art by Andrew Hou! It immediately gives the impression that, although the novel is written by D&D creator Gary Gygax, The Anubis Murders isn't set in the generic medieval Europe that is so common to fantasy novels.
Second, interesting protagonists. Magister Setne Inhetep, a worshipper of the Aegyptian god Thoth, specializes in solving mysteries and catching criminals. He's depicted very similar to Sherlock Holmes, actually, down to identifying people's occupations by merely glancing at their hands or disguising himself as street riff-raff to infiltrate nefarious organizations. He's aided in crime-solving by Rachelle, officially his slave, but actually his body-guard and adventuring companion. Third, a good mystery. High-level leaders, kings, and sorcerors are threatened with death unless they turn over power to a mysterious Master of Jackals. When they refuse, they're soon found murdered in ways that are seemingly impossible. Who is the Master of Jackals and what ties all of the murders together? Fourth, middling execution. Gygax is certainly competent as a fantasy writer, and sometimes very good--the opening chapter is quite atmospheric, for example. As a mystery writer, however, he's unfortunately below average. The Master of Jackals is revealed to be a character never before seen, and the way Inhetep solves the mystery doesn't seem particularly plausible to me. In other words, this is not the type of whodunnit that can be solved in advance by a careful reader, because the solution comes from way out of left field. A good introduction by Erik Mona speculates that perhaps Gygax thought that the mere mention of the villain's name (taken from real-world Finnish mythology) would be enough to make readers gasp with excitement. If so, he thought wrong. Overall, not great but not terrible--and a good example that writing a solid mystery novel is harder than it appears.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Solid and enjoyable,
This review is from: The Anubis Murders (Planet Stories Library) (Paperback)
The Anubis Murders is a fun read that is a good kick-off to the Planet Stories line. I quite enjoyed the book.The Good The characters are distinctive and the protagonists are interesting and engaging. I especially liked the rapport between them, and there was never a dull moment when they were featured. The plot moves along at a nice pace and the action is well-written. The Bad The only thing that was a bit out of place was the ending, which, without spoiling it, leaves a little room for improvement. Suffice to say, it's clear that this book was not meant to competely stand alone, as there is certainly unfinished business. The Very Bad If you are new to Gary Gygax's novels, and/or if you intend to read his "Gord the Rogue" series, then skip the introduction by Erik Mona. For some reason, Mona makes the very questionable decision to throw out a pretty major spoiler for both the novel and the Gord-The-Rogue series. Again, I enjoyed the novel and look forward to more great stories in the line.
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