Tomes of Other Realms: Pool of Radiance

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: Pool of Radiance
Author: James M. Ward & Jane Cooper Hong
Publisher: TSR, Inc.
Format: Paperback
Copyright Date: 1989

After being devastated by dragons, the city of Phlan made a slow, unsteady recovery. In an effort to aid it, Tarl and his fellow clerics of Tyr are bearing a holy relic to the city. Before they arrive, however, great and terrible evil erupts around them, decimating their numbers and stealing away the hammer. Tarl soon finds himself joining with two others in an effort to free the city from the evil that overshadows it: Ren, the thief and ranger whose magical blades hide a great power; and the sorceress, Shal, whose supply of magical items supports her less-than-masterful abilities. All three have cause to hate the force directing the evil; all three have reason to see it destroyed once and for all. But before they can do that, they must recover the Hammer of Tyr from the undead that stole it, and to do that, they must first learn more of whom they fight. Can they do it before the evil that encompasses Phlan--both without and within--brings about their deaths, and with them the end of the city?

Pool of Radiance is the first of three books following the lives of Shal Bal, Tarl Desanea, and Ren o' the Blade. It chronicles their first meeting and the development of their firm friendship, built upon mutual need, respect, and appreciation for the support and assistance each offers the others during good times and bad. If there are ever friends you want beside you, then these three are them.

Ignoring for the moment that this is a Forgotten Realms novel, this could well stand on its own among non-aligned fantasy novels. Just rename everything and there you'd have it. Yet, I think that its very connection to the TSR adventure gaming series adds to its appeal and draw. For one thing, many of the conventions in the novel are readily accesible to long-time players and readers, and even for those not interested in the role-playing game the book requires little in the way of basic groundwork and orientation. The authors have done a good job of creating a work that stands alone and freely that can either remain dependent on or independent of the game. Take your pick. Me, I prefer the novel, if only because all of my friends are too busy nowadays to indulge themselves.

Pool of Radiance has everything a TSR fan could want, from dungeons and dragons to wizards and warriors. There are shambling undead for horror fans, and all the conspiracy and intrigue a fan of suspense fiction could want. So why not give it a try?

Rating: Thumbs up! With magic and menace mixing with monsters and mysteries, mastering the magical mythos of Forgotten Realms is easy!

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