For those of you who may have missed by "book reports" on The City of Tower, The Shattered Land and The Gates of Night, I was less than thrilled them. It seems that whoever was Keith's editor on the books knew less about the English language than a first grader. All three books were rife with spelling, grammatical and editorial errors. To the point where these errors interrupted the story. I vividly recall a point in one of the books where an entire paragraph was repeated. If I were Mr. Baker, I'd be embarassed to have my name on those three books. The story was largely lost due to the technical problems within them.
Of course, I'm not him, but I can't imagine how Wizards of the Coast could publish such a series. I can only hope that if the series ever merits a second printing, that they spend some time cleaning it up. Perhaps, then, the story might shine through, and make for a better read.
James Wyatt's Storm Dragon, though, was nearly flawless. And, I have to say that I'm really looking forward to the second book in the series, Dragon Forge. The only issue I have at the moment is that it's only available in hardback.
You see, I ride the light rail network on my daily commute to work. The trains can be rather crowded, and holding a relatively heavy hardback book in such an environment can make it difficult to enjoy the story. And, since paperback editions usually follow their hardback editions by at least six months, it may be some time before I see a commuter-friendly edition. I *may* have to break down and buy the hardback, and simply read it at home, in my spare time.
One thing I've noticed about the Eberron-based novels I've read so far, though, is that they don't spend much time in Xen'drik. And, in the time they do spend there, accounts of any time the characters spend in Stormreach don't quite mesh with what I would consider to be canon for the realm, in what Turbine has created for DDO. After all, Turbine has to obtain permission from Wizards of the Coast to implement the various aspects of DDO. So, it stands to reason that much of what we see in DDO should be considered canon with respect to the way the novels interact with Xen'drik and Stormreach.
That got me to thinking...
Perhaps I should write a novel for the Eberron setting. One that's based in Stormreach, and spends the majority of the story on the continent of Xen'drik, rather than simply using it as a pit-stop on the way to Khorvaire or Sarlona, or some other destination. I mean, Xen'drik is a fantastic destination in and of itself.
Sure, it'd be nice to be able to visit Sharn, and maybe some of the other locations in Khorvaire, but those locations are already well covered by the majority of the published Campaign Setting and its associated works. But, there's more than enough to Xen'drik to tell an entire story, and then some.
So, I decided that I'd try my hand at penning a novel.
And, I've decided that, not only should it start in Stormreach, and cover a decent portion of Xen'drik, but it should reveal a fair bit about the city that Turbine has created under the guidelines established by Wizards of the Coast. Enough that it shows people who've visited Stormreach inside of DDO some things they recognize, and that might even bring some folks into Stormreach who've never visited before. Something they can read about, and then, if they decide to log in, that they might find familiar once they arrive.
Of course, the story isn't simply an advertising scheme for DDO, but the elements Turbine has created are far easier for the casual player to wrap their brains around than some of the information published in the series of books that describe the campaign setting.
So, I think it would be fun to see references to some of the areas of the city, and some portions of the continent that Turbine has created, and for the characters in the story to interact, even if on a limited basis, with some of the NPCs players can find within the game. It might make the game a little more interesting for some of the players.
And for some of the folks who have yet to give DDO a try.
So, be forewarned that, as I wander into the waters of fictional writing, I may not be posting as many entries to my blog as you may be accustomed to. In fact, since I've already begun the process, you've probably already noticed a decline.
Don't worry, I won't give it up. Afterall, there're still plenty of tales to tell...
Such as a recounting of the impromptu Dragon raid several of us attended on Friday evening.
Which, incidentally, netted Factotum the Ring of the Silver Concord...
It's a great item for a Cleric, I think. Sure, it'd be nice for a Sorcerer, too, but considering the many Charisma based skills Factotum is able to use, I think he'll find it to be rather handy.
But, I've droned on long enough for this entry. I'll have to tell you about the runs a little later. In the mean time, I have some writing to do...
Keep it fun!
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