Tomes of Other Realms: The Hag's Contract

Tomes of Other Realms

Welcome to the lands of swords and sorcery, where people live and die by the sword and only the bravest of souls stand between the common folk and the forces of darkness. Join me as I wander different planes and hear the stories of their greatest defenders and the sagas of their worthiest warriors.

W A R N I N G !

This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.

That said, on to the review!

Title: The Hag's Contract
Author: John Betancourt
Publisher: TSR, Inc.
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1996

For the people of Grabentod, piracy and raiding are their only means of surviving, for the land can scarcely support the number of people living there. For the people of Muden, mercantilism and trade are their primary means of surviving, so a land of pirates is certain to be a hostile enemy. When the merchants of Muden kidnap and imprison Grabentod's king, however, they set in motion a horrible chain of events that must inevitably attract the attention of the evil forces firmly entrenched in that land. For with the king gone, human hungers run rampant as various factions vie for control of the throne. When one faction--that of the king's loyal regent--attempts once again to ransom their king, their only option is to trust in a wizard's power and make every attempt to rescue a captive from the awnsheghlien who rules the domain: the Hag!

The Hag's Contract is the third in the unfortunately limited Birthright series of books. It's a little hard to sympathize over much with any of the characters since they're all rather mercenary, but I'd guess that my interest lies more with the visiting wizard, Candabraxis, who has a mission to fulfill in Grabentod...even if he doesn't yet know what it is. He seems to be a reasonably likeable character, though he does occassionally have lapses in his humility and modesty. But he does seem to care about most people he meets, going to extra lengths to ensure the safety of Captain Terrill Evann and his rescue mission, the regent Lan Harlmut's life and presence on the throne, and the people of the castle.

One chapter I especially enjoyed was the one where Evann was lured from his men by a spirit and eventually returned to his men with a specific mission to fulfill. That he didn't show overmuch terror when confrotned by a ghost and dozens of skeletons is testimony both to his bravery and his honor. I know, strange thing to be saying about a pirate, but it's still true. He didn't have to promise to bury those skeletons, or force his men to assist, but he did keep his promise and did request the assistance of his men.

While vastly different from Greatheart, The Hag's Contract is still a book worth reading. You get to see all manner of plotting and scheming and double-crossing and deception imaginable. I'm just sorry there aren't more Birthright books to make such activities possible again!

Rating: Thumbs up! In a realm where the awnsheghlien are the premiere powers in the world, can anyone hope to outwit the Hag?

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