Series: Gord, the Rogue #1
So we get the first official Greyahwk novel, after the quite experimental novel that was Quag Keep. This is also the first novel by the creator of D&D, Gary Gygax... and it is kind of a mixed bag. It starts well, with Gord, the rogue being a nicely developed character, rising through the ranks of the Beggar's Guild and so on. But soon enough it starts showing some problems, such as the lack of any significant female characters, there's this half-elven lady that he saves (again not the most original thing) but what you might have thought would become and interesting relationship where the female character had some agency, just disappears, he goes to jail, she marries someone else, done.
Actually this is in the tradition of plenty of sword and sorcery style writing, you know, from like the 30s, even Robert E. Howard had stronger women in Conan stories. So yeah, in this volume at least women are just things for Gord to save or feel bad when they die or marry someone else. This isn't what happens with other male characters, who become his actual companions. I am sure this will change in further installments of the series, at least I hope so. Oh yeah, and everybody's white,
Another gripe I have with it is the fact that after Gord leaves the city of Greyhawk the story gets a bit too dispersed. It just feels like an adaptation of a gaming module, which it is.
TL;DR: 4/10 Below average.
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