Review: A Fun Journey
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 6, 2014
Thaddeus White asked me to read "Journey to Altmortis" for review. It's about a pair of siblings tracking family heirlooms to the dead city of Altmortis. I will examine plot, characters, and polish and then assign a grade.PLOTThere’s a realistic aspect. For instance, Altmortis is a Kurhland city which means it is deep inside a bitterly cold country that is currently in winter. The party has to buy warmer clothes and one of their party, a dwarf, has to make do with furs wrapped around his feet inside his boots because even the local children have bigger feet than he does.Then there's the fantastic aspect. One obstacle the party must overcome is the Blutwald, a cursed forest where trees and soil eat people.They also encounter a village of human-like demons which brings to mind the classic Always Chaotic Evil humanoid races like orcs or goblins.The ending is great. It's just the kind of ending I like to see. The results of the campaign, no loose ends, but there is a surprise waiting there. It was an emotional experience and a twist on a theme the book developed through its whole length.Now comes the part of the review where I list the things I disliked. There are three in total; a curious break in the realism at one point, a minor deus ex machina, and something about a villain.CHARACTERSCharacters are good. The opening scenes provide lots of detail for characters; physical traits, nationality, personality traits, etc. There's so much I was confused at first. Cultural posturing is put to good use here. As the Dennish and Felarian and Kuhrland people take potshots at each other's culture, both that culture and themselves are developed but in a way that feels like showing instead of telling.POLISHI didn't see anything major in terms of spelling or grammar problems, but I do have something to say about pacing. There are sideplots that have nothing to do with the main plot and take place in different locations. I think “why is this here”?Trickster Eric Novels gives "Journey to Altmortis" an A.This is a free review request. All I received in exchange for this review was a free copy of the book.