Tag: David Cook

The cover of Realms of Magic. On the left is Khelben Arunsun, a black-haired, black-bearded man holding a black staff. In the middle is Elminster, a white-bearded old man in red robes and a big red hat. On the right is some young man carrying a bunch of scrolls and a book.

Realms of Magic

June 27, 2021 By Candlekeep Janitor

“Another year, another anthology! This year’s theme is ‘wizards and magic,’ and it must be quite the well of inspiration indeed, because there are no fewer than seventeen stories this time around plus a prologue and epilogue.”

The cover of King Pinch. A black-haired swordsman holds a glowing goblet in one hand. At his feet lies the corpse of a tonsured monk. A city is visible through a window.

King Pinch

November 23, 2020 By Candlekeep Janitor

“Pinch makes a fantastic anti-hero protagonist, as morally grey, vicious in a fight, and good at ferreting out plots as any Dashiell Hammett detective.”

The cover of Realms of Infamy. In the background, a dragon flies amongst rock spires. In the middle, a black-hooded man with a glowing staff and eyes looks menacing. In the foreground is a fancy-dressed man brandishing a sword.

Realms of Infamy

October 4, 2020 By Candlekeep Janitor

“TSR has finally gotten around to employing several new authors to write Realms material. Do these newcomers bring a fresh set of voices to familiar material, or are they just new line cooks churning out the same old dishes?”

The cover of Soldiers of Ice. A woman in furs with a bow and a gnome in spiked armor stand over a gnoll corpse. They're in a clearing in a snow-covered forest.

Soldiers of Ice

February 8, 2020 By Candlekeep Janitor

“If this is the Harpers’ general level of competence, it’s hard to imagine why the Zhentarim don’t run the world yet.”

The cover of Realms of Valor. In the background is Elminster, a white-bearded old man smoking a large pipe. In the middle ground is Arilyn, a half-elf with black curly hair, standing dramatically on a rock gazing into the distance. In the foreground is Drizzt, a hooded dark elf holding two scimitars crossed in front of his chest.

Realms of Valor

July 7, 2019 By Candlekeep Janitor

“The nice thing about a mixed bag like this is that even when you suffer through a badly-written story, you know it’s going to be short and you’ll probably get to a better one soon. Beats slogging through a bad 300-page novel, that’s for sure.”

The cover of Horselords. In the background is a portrait of Yamun Kahan, a Mongol-looking man with strong cheekbones and a thin moustache. He's wearing a furred helmet and staring at the camera intensely. In the foreground is Koja, a tonsured priest on a horse, talking to a mounted cavalryman. On the right is Eke Bayalun, a woman holding a staff and dressed in furs staring off into the distance.

Horselords

July 10, 2018 By Candlekeep Janitor

“I appreciate Cook’s nuanced portrayal of the Tuigan: they’re dirty, brutal, and barbaric, but also clever, well-organized, and surprisingly sophisticated in some respects. It’s a much more realistic and complex depiction of a culture than the Mazticans, who seemed to be strictly divided into cartoonishly evil nobles and virtuous noble savages.”