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Review Summary: "Porky here called you Master Volo." (p. 48) |
Date: 2008-06-27 |
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Details: Once Around the Realms is based on (if not outright plagiarized) Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days. Why, I have no idea!
The book describes Volothamp Geddarm's travels as he, escorted by his companions, journeys across the Realms meeting new, and often familiar, characters.
Once Around the Realms takes the reader to several different destinations across the Realms, including Faerun, the Hordelands, Kara-Tur, and Maztica, though the regions' rich history, and that feeling of excitement and adventure is pretty much missing/absent from this book.
Volothamp Geddarm, the renowned traveler and author is forced through the use of magic to undertake the task of having to travel around Toril dropping magical jewels along the way (!), and yet what we encounter is beyond what any of us could have imagined due to the sheer lameness of the plot, making the book one of the worst Forgotten Realms novels to-date.
It is indeed a rare occasion when a weak Forgotten Realms novel gets published: namely The Night Parade, Soldiers of Ice, Murder in Cormyr, and Murder in Halruaa.
Specifically:
1) The poor style of writing resulting in some pretty tedious reading and in great difficulty in concentrating and staying focused. It really does very little to keep the readers' interest. Badly written, it fails on all levels. Basing the story on the novel Around the World in Eighty Days was just a bad idea resulting in a major flop.
2) There is a big part of the book missing as Volo is in and out of all these different locations unrealistically fast (and safe) even for a magical world.
3) Passepout simply does not belong in this book. He seems totally out of place. Enough already with the always starving sex addict who always gets turned down (and all the while his parents are rotting away in a Baldur's Gate prison). It's not funny or interesting. A different character would have been much better if only the plot was any good. The rest of the characters are also very weak.
4) Brian Thomsen' moronic choice of vocabulary e.g. "`Amen,' said Volo" (p. 97) I had no idea that Judeo-Christianity had infiltrated the Realms. Similarly, a Tethyrian mercenary that talks like a teenager using the word `whatever' (p.231) or a native of Maztika saying "I took this baby out for a spin" (p.235) or a dwarf that uses the word `neat' (p.123)! Are you kidding?
5) The encounter at Myth Drannor (pp.45-56) was not realistic as there was no real sense of danger conveyed to the reader; the party entered and left too easily with no sign of undead, Baatezu, or Tanar'ri.
6) The silly coincidences and ridiculous encounters like the farcical escape from Aleekhan's camp with the tribe's four best/fastest stallions and the hostage... or Storm Silverhand taking the pair into her home (p.63)?... or the ridiculous rescue by Drizzt Do'Urden in the middle of the ocean (pp.244-245)! REALLY!!!
7) Brian Thomsen choosing and using annoying silly names throughout the book. WHY??? Is there a shortage of names? The `Minnow' (p.122) and `seven castaways' (p.123) in an uncalled reference to Gilligan's Island (!), `Aleekhan' as opposed to `Ali Khan' (p.160), the pathetic `Reeta-hayworth' and `Khan' artist jokes on p.164, `Amistad's Bounty' and `Balding Quaestor' (p. 99), and of course `Ffogg' (p.121).
8) Who is Eo???
9) Unintelligent jokes (with connotations) like "It's not healthy to drink the water in Faerun." (p.235)
10) Drizzt Do'Urden (of all people) opening up to Volo: on p.249 he speaks about his past regarding his home city of Menzoberranzan and on p.250 he says "I can never truly go home again," while making reference to his "it was only Guenhwyvar" (p.250)
Brian Thomsen should at least have read a Forgotten Realms novel before attempting to write one, or he at least should have had the decency to turn down the offer for lack of knowledge or ability to do so. However, since he did end up writing it, how and why was this book allowed to hit the printing press and then the stores? Thomsen dishonoured himself, he dishonoured TSR, but most importantly he dishonoured the readers/fans of the Forgotten Realms who count on these novels for their enjoyment and entertainment. From the weak plot, to the bad writing, to the ridiculous choice of names for the characters, to the jokes that fall flat, to the great lack of knowledge regarding Toril, the book fails miserably!
In short, Once Around the Realms could have been and should have been a fine a addition to Forgotten Realms literature. Instead, the book is offensive to Dungeons & Dragons and a parody of the Forgotten Realms setting. 1.5 Stars
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Review Summary: This is a FUN book, read it as such |
Date: 2002-07-22 |
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Details: I suppose it would be inevitable given the nature of the Realms and some of its writers that an attempt would be made at such a parody. The Forgotten Realms has more than its share of jokers compared to Greyhawk, only recently "lightened up" by Paul Kidd, or Dragonlance (okay, you can't take kenders seriously, but they aren't really funny if they weren't kenders, if you know what I mean.) From Danilo Thann by Elaine Cunningham, to Giogi Wyvernspur & Olive Ruskettle created by Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb, to the various cast of the short-lived comic series - crew of the Realm Master, centaur heroes of Waterdeep and of course, Maskar Wands, the Forgotten Realms has somehow a strong element Wodehouse humour which fitted right in amidst the Elminsters, the Zhentarims and Cyrics. It was only a matter of time before someone in TSR thought of "Around the world in 80 days" and the realms was the perfect setting for it; since it had the undisputable candidate who was just perfect for the job: Volothamp Geddarm, author of Lonely Planet of Toril. The fact there was already published an Atlas for the Forgotten Realms was probably an added bonus. It must have been a difficult choice of places and people to include, but I suppose the author must have done all right not to get killed by other authors for not including their respective pet characters - no, I'm not mentioning who were left out. Anyway, the story needed a premise, or to put it another way, the author needed a good reason to send Volo around the world. In the absence of the Reform Club in the realms (I suppose the Stalwart Club would do too, but they did not really have a readily recognisable character with such inclinations), the author had Volo goaded into the challenge by Khelben. Of course, a Passpout had to be included, and since the name was so recognisable, Brian Thomsen didn't bother to play around with it very much. Together, the intrepid travellers, or at least, one intrepid traveller and his reluctant sidekick (notice Passpout didn't change very much), sought to cover the world ASAP. Which was not soon enough for Volo when he discovered the pact he made somehow interfered with his magical abilities. Always the veteran traveller, Volo though sought out every opportunity to hasten his journey, always on the look out for alternative modes of transport. Along the way, besides picking up a couple of fellow travellers, they encounter a variety of characters from the realms (such as Drizzt) and out of the realms; i.e., characters from other fictions reprising their cameo roles. What was fun for people who read widely was spotting these characters, like spotting "Where's Wally?". Read it and see if you can find characters from Les Miserables (Victor Hugo), Count of Monte Cristor (Alexander Dumas), Around the world in 80 days (Jules Verne if course, gotta pay a tribute to him who inspired this book), and others. Oh, of course, like the journey of Phileas Fogg, there is something *sinister* involved as well, you know, just to add a little more fun into it. |
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Review Summary: good or bad |
Date: 2001-12-04 |
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Details: I know that most people dont like how Brian M. Thomsen wights or how his chapters are but the main thing that most inportint is the main point of the story. iam just saying that dont pay that much time worrieing about the bad things and just injoy the book.I gave Once Around the Realms an 4 stars because I thought that this book was well wreiten and has a great ending. the only thing that I regrete is that the book hade to end. |
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Review Summary: Great Guide To Forgotten Realms |
Date: 2001-11-21 |
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Details: You can always have a map of a place in Forgotten Realms, but you can't compare it to this book. Once around the realms tells a tale of great journeys and also gives you inside info on the places and people located in FR. Travel with the Great Volo and the Famous Passepout from Waterdeep to Kara-Tun and back. It's great fun to read even if you all ready now everything about FR. |
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Review Summary: Just read the review |
Date: 2000-08-07 |
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Details: This novel was not meant to be a serious work. Something that could be compared to Chaucer, or Shakespeare. The other reviewers seem to have missed that. Its light, full of bad puns and terrible jokes. A pleasent diversion from more serious titles, Once Around the Realms accomplishes its objective to simply be fun. |
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out of 13 Reviews
