deiseach
Kai Lord
Champion of the Sommerswerd
Posts: 170
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Post by deiseach on Apr 20, 2004 16:17:14 GMT
I've come to the conclusion that I'm the only one who reads the books to read the books, not play the game. Fire On The Water gets pounded by everyone, but the voyage of the callow youth into the unknown, surrounded by potential friends and enemies but totally unable to distinguish between the two, is a joy to read. Granted, the notorious Magic Spear clanger detracts from the experience, but I still find it to be the most evocative of the Kai books
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Post by Relenoir on Apr 20, 2004 16:55:14 GMT
You know, that's a great point...the whole intrigue thing with who's out to kill you, along with the fact that through most of the book Helghasts are still beyond your abilities to deal with does make it a great story in and of itself. I still prefer Shadow on the Sand though, just because it has so many different positions you are put into, and fighting Haakon is very freaking cool! Can't wait to get to the point of reading it in "Book of the Magnakai."
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Post by outspaced on Apr 20, 2004 19:30:51 GMT
Personally, I never saw FotW in those terms. For me, it's the worst of the Kai series; perhaps of the entire Lone Wolf series. I found it linear, pedestrian, and lacking in flair. Even the death-hulk battle at the end seemed . . . uninspired. Tired. I can forgive this since it was Dever's second book, and he improved and excelled in leaps and bounds. It's also the book in which you find the Sommerswerd (w00t!). But my own personal favourite, Chasm of Doom, is far more interesting, both in pacing and in plot.
You start not knowing what's going on. The ghostly encounter on the Ruanon Pike. The Asajir Players. The forest. The mines. The enemy lines. Captain D'val. The battle. The escape. Barraka. So many memorable encounters that, rather than having the disjointed feeling of FotW, are all connected and flow at a cracking pace. FotW always seems to get bogged down, to my mind.
Anyhoo, that's my take on matters.
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Post by Banedon on Apr 20, 2004 20:39:46 GMT
I've come to the conclusion that I'm the only one who reads the books to read the books, not play the game. You mean you just make your way through the sections without paying attenton to stats and inventory?
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jimy
Kai Lord
Posts: 27
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Post by jimy on Apr 21, 2004 5:50:50 GMT
i actually thought fire on the water was good. yes it is linear, and a little buggy, but the fact that your whole country really relies on you, seems to make it better in my eyes
chasm of doom is excellent. i always tried to find a way to keep all of my border rangers intact, but, they just kept on dying. shadow on the sand, is also great
i have to say my favs are fire on the water and chasm of doom, simply because they are 2 of the first ones i owned, and ive read them the most
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Post by KaiLord on Apr 21, 2004 6:20:31 GMT
I've done that before, though after I had played the books a few times. I had even thought about writing out the story based on the sections when I was (a lot) younger, but that's already been done.
Still, I think it might be kind of fun....I'll put it as Thing To Do #78 on my queue.
KL
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deiseach
Kai Lord
Champion of the Sommerswerd
Posts: 170
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Post by deiseach on Apr 21, 2004 17:04:45 GMT
You mean you just make your way through the sections without paying attenton to stats and inventory? Well, yes, the first time round anyway. I had the attention span of a gnat back in my youth - it's not improved much, to be honest - so I went for the quick fix. When I saw The Dungeons of Torgar in a bookshop, I raced straight to Section 350 thinking it would feature the climax of the war with the Darklords! Served me right that I was left disappointed The second time around ,when I bought the books for myself rather than borrowing them off a friend, I played them correctly. But even then I shrugged my shoulders after being mown down by Zakhan Kimah for the umpteenth time and moved on. When I say I read them for the story, I mean that the loss of items here and there doesn't bother me, except for the Sommerswerd which is Lone Wolf's mascot. The outrage I've seen online over the inability to keep the backpack in Castle Death has always left me bemused. So you lose a few meals and some Laumspur. You found the Lorestone, let's get going to the Danarg!
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Post by Sarra on Apr 21, 2004 21:42:47 GMT
Hey guys, I'm new to the forum so what's up? Anyways, I have always loved [glow=green,2,300]Lone Wolf[/glow] and I always will. Oh yeah.
Okay back on topic...my favorite book was hands down Shadow on the Sand. Because out of the Kai Series it above all others has the best replay ability. You can go through it several times and it will be different each time.
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Post by Peregrine on May 31, 2004 13:54:24 GMT
Chasm of Doom, easily. Such an atmospheric story - for me it epitomises the concept of experiencing a cracking good story as the main character. From the start, setting out with your own troop of rangers... let me go off on a tangent here and let me say I love scenes in the LW books where it feels like you're working or fighting alongside others rather than the one hero taking on the world. I'd love to have seen the original Kai warriors in battle together! Anyway. From that start, through the revelation of the tale on the deadly quest to Ruanon, it's an excellent story. Reaching Ruanon itself is one of my favourite action sequences in the books, and then going on to Maaken feels like it's drawing out that high point. The end seems a little hurried, as someone else said (Ruanon really is the climax of the story), but I don't mind greatly. And is it just me, or does the story seem to mention " fair Madelon" quite a few times? I got the impression our young hero might be rather taken with his damsel in distress... I should add that my favourite scene, for some inexplicable reason, is when you meet the Baron and you have the Scroll. I have this mental scene with the two reciting the words, and it gives me chills every time.
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Post by The Wytch-King on May 31, 2004 21:26:51 GMT
And is it just me, or does the story seem to mention " fair Madelon" quite a few times? I got the impression our young hero might be rather taken with his damsel in distress... Hmm, didn't notice anything like that myself, but then again, I played the German edition - maybe it got lost in translation ... To be sure, I never even had a real clue as to how old that lass is! Sometimes I got the impression that she was no more than a teenager, and a low-level one at that ... The Wytch-King
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Post by Peregrine on Jun 1, 2004 5:26:19 GMT
I got the impression that the "fair royal maid" was somewhat older than that - old enough for our 19-year old hero anyway. Perhaps it's some nuance of the words... or as I said, maybe it's just me.
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Post by Black Cat on Jun 1, 2004 14:24:33 GMT
My favorite Kai book: Shadow on the Sand because it is the climax of the Kai series. You get to fight a Darklord for the first time in the series, the book is longer than the others (400 sections), you meet for the first time Banedon (if you didn't meet him in Flight from the Dark) and you discover the sky ship with the crew of dwarfs that will help you so many times in the other missions. Also, you see Zakhan Kimah for the first time. So, there's a lot of firsts in this book that will be back in further books. I like that. Also, the descriptions of the land of Vassagonia make feel like I am there in the desert with LW fighting a bunch of villains. A great book.
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Post by Martinus on Jun 1, 2004 17:33:01 GMT
My favourites are The Caverns of Kalte, because it was one of the first LW books I played and because I liked the whole polar setting and the mysterious tunnels in Ikaya, and Shadows on the Sand, for the same reasons as listed by the preceding speaker. I'm currently reading The Book of the Magnakai as well, and it is great. I'm glad the Legends went as far as they did, although I would have been happier if they had continued at least as far as the end of the Magnakai books.
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Post by WaitingOnPassword on Aug 1, 2004 22:38:40 GMT
Fire On The Water. Much as the frozen wastelands of Kalte hold an appeal to others, the wild and untempered nature of Ragadorn holds an appeal to me. The idea of ducking and diving from alley to alley, looking to avoid taking a dagger in the back, is exciting. This is also my favorite Kai book because, for me, it is the one that most gets across the feeling that you are on a vital quest, and that you are running for you life from forces coming at you from all directions.
Flight From The Dark was too basic for my liking, even if I can understand why it was simple. The Caverns Of Kalte was ok, but I feel it lacked that something that really grabbed me. The Chasm Of Doom was good, and it had much of the chase element that made FOTW appeal to me, but I wasn't keen on having to drag around a troupe of rangers, even if commanding them was a nice change of pace. Shadow On The Sand was a strong book, and it had that great claustrophobic elements I enjoy, but it seemed a little lame in some way. I can't explain it really, but it just lacked a certain punch.
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Post by Vassagonian on Aug 4, 2004 9:38:53 GMT
Shadow on the sand, of course ;D ,the only Kai series on so called "my homeland".To bad I can only slay the oh-so-hated ruler Zakhan Kimah in book 9.
Well,at least I manage to sneak out his palace and go for Oede Herb.(Yes!). I enjoy being fugitive in the horrible sewer rather than be taken into custody.
The rest of the books are quite interesting.I agree with Tim that book 4 is the weakest.
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