[Pirengle]

I was scooping up a few textbooks for school at Amazon and found a used copy of BG1 for $0.95. (Turns out that the person selling it had the book at such a low price to get a little extra cash from postage. All the person did was shove the book in a manila envelope, taped it, and sent it. But that is neither here nor there.) I spent about an hour reading the book, and here is my synopsis as a BG fan and an english/creative writing major.

(BIG SPOILER WARNING! Do NOT read any further if you haven't finished playing the game! Since the book IS based off the computer game, and I'm going to be dissecting the book, I'm going to give a LOT of the plot away.)

(ANOTHER BIG SPOILER WARNING! I'm about to dissect this book. If you were ever planning to read this book, don't read the rest of this post.)

You have been warned. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

PIRENGLE'S REVIEW
--Overall, this book could've been better if the author had actually tried writing it. My biggest complaints against the book were the use of cliches and the nondescriptive storytelling. Cliches slaughter stories like a pack of ogre magi. But it was the lack of description that bugged me the most. The author frequently said "so and so character felt such and such emotion" or "this is what the character wanted to do in this particular situation." It would've been a heckuva lot more descriptive and telling about the character to SHOW how he/she would have reacted in that situation, or a physical display of emotion, or something.
--I hated the main character. The description set him out, in my mind, like Conan the Barbarian. Also, as you learn in the first chapter, he's a mercenary (sellsword) who comes and goes from Candlekeep. First strike against him right there--not staying true to the game.
--In fact, the beginning of the book and the Prologue are not related to each other at all. Gorion dies, but not at the hands of Sarevok. No ambushes inside Candlekeep. No sign of Imoen.
--The author had a horrible, HORRIBLE habit of starting chapters in unfamiliar places. The worst example of this is about 1/4 of the way into the book, when the main character and (small) party are walking through a wood at the end of the chapter, and at the beginning of the next, the main character's in a fistfight in Beregost about something. It's a jump that doesn't quite work.
--Jaheira, Khalid, Xzar, and Montaron are in the story. They're identified as Harper and Zhentarim, respectively. The characterizations are WAY off. I knew that Jaheira was going to end up with the lead character from the moment Abdel (the main character), Monty, and Xzar met up with them at the Friendly Arms (sic). Khalid wasn't timid, but wasn't really there, either. It seemed like when he showed the first true sign of personality, he was killed off. And Xzar wasn't crazy enough. Monty had his greedy streak, but wasn't as thirsty for blood as he was in the book.
--The only other NPCs mentioned are Xan and Yeslick. The party (by this time, Khalid, Jaheira, and Abdel) find Xan in the mine, just as usual, but Xan's more chaotic good/neutral good than lawful neutral. He's also not as pessimistic as he is in the game. Also, Xan really doesn't serve a purpose. He gets killed outside of the spider lair. Was comic relief until then. Yeslick, on the other hand, gets a tiny flashback, then points Abdel and Jaheira to Baldur's Gate. And that's it. No more NPCs.
--Speaking of the lair, it's still there. Centeol is a creature to be pitied instead of a baddie to kill, however.
--Amnish turns into "Amnian." Gets VERY annoying once the party is in Baldur's Gate.
--Book doesn't mention: Chapter 3 (except a brief mention of Tranzig), any of the subquests (not even the Gnoll fortress), the basilisks, the wyverns, the ankhegs, the whole pain-in-the-arse Umberlee thing, the Duchal inauguration, Eltan's sickness (he's outright killed), Koveras, or Winski Petorate.
--The whole deal with Angelo pisses me off. In the game, he's a bad guy. In the book, he's a good guy. What's up with that?! Also, Tazok meets his death long before the end, and Semaj is nowhere to be found.
--We get some background information, like how Scar got his nickname and how Yeslick got imprisoned in the mines. But this book is 70% focused on the main character and 30% focused on other characters. Shouldn't this story be from Abdel's viewpoint?
--There ARE good parts. The reader learns that Sarevok is the bad guy by at least chapter three, and establishes his relationship with Tamoko and gives reasons why she'd want to help the party in the game. These are, IMO, the best parts in the book. I think that the author had some subconscious connection to Sarevok, or really liked the character, and focused on him. I couldn't get enough of the evil Sarevok and the trapped Tamoko.
--Best line in the whole book: "If I ask you the same question a third time, doppelganger, you'd best hope the answer is written on the inside of your brain, because if it isn't and I've ripped your head off for no good reason...I shall be disappointed." Said by Sarevok (who else) on page 182.

Summary: .95 was an okay price for this book. Don't pay a cent more.