Tomes of Other Realms: Tales of Ravenloft

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: Tales of Ravenloft
Author: edited by Brian Thomsen
Publisher: TSR, Inc.
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1994

There is more to the dark realms of Ravenloft than simply lands of evil ruled by powerful beings steeped in wickedness. For those darklords are not the only powers abroad in the land, though they might certainly be the strongest. For example, there is Jezra Wagner in Barovia, called the Ice Queen, whose neverending desire to be warm once more drains the life from the mortals she embraces. There is the White Friar of Estrangia, whose outward purity and piety hides the monster inside. And there are other forces abroad, such as Ivan Dragonov, whose lycanthropy-tainted blood gives him an added weapon against evil, though it may ultimately be his downfall. And there is the horrific spell of the Gathering Cloth, within whose folds dwell the spirits of wrong-doers. And there is more, just as there is more to the realm of Ravenloft than simply a land filled with evil.

Tales of Ravenloft is a collection of short stories that further expand the lore of Ravenloft. While I don't usually enjoy reading short stories, I admit to liking these. Rather than deal with a lengthy quest against the evil of the land, the reader can enjoy short incidents in the long histories of the dark realms. And while at times one might hope for a longer story, these are just perfect at their current lengths.

Out of the entire collection as it stands, I most like "The Vanished Ones", "Cold, Hard Silver", and "The Weaver's Pride." The first story, by Chet Williamson (who wrote Mordenheim), follows the warrior the necromancers called on for help against Adam, Mordenheim's monster. We get to see the barbarian with the tainted blood fight with both his lycanthropic curse and that of another, different werecreature. The second story, by Juanita Coulson, is about the tormented Jezra Wagner. I think I enjoyed it most because there are other powerful forces of justice (chaotic though they might be) at work even in Strahd von Zarovich's oppressed Barovia. The last story, by Elaine Bergstrom, provides a history to the existence of the Gathering Cloth (first seen in Tapestry of Dark Souls), namely its weaving and the first souls caught within its folds. Excellent stories all, but these stand out most clearly.

Tales of Ravenloft is just the thing to read if you enjoy reading about the dark domains but have a limited attention span and want to read the whole story in one sitting. But it's also the perfect thing to read if you want to further explore the realms of Ravenloft. So for whatever reason, sit back and enjoy!

Rating: Thumbs up! Stories delving into dark domains you've never even heard of, here to terrorize your dreams!

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