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Dangerous Journeys #3
Death in Delhi
Setne Inhetep, the Pharaoh's most resourceful magistrate, teams up with the Amazon warrior Rachelle to recover the Crowned Jewels, which have been stolen. Original.
287 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 3, 2013
WHile not quite as dynamic as The Anubis Murders, it's a fun romp through Aerth.
February 15, 2016
The 3rd and final book of the adventures of Setne Inhetep, Magician-Priest-Detective in Gygax's fantasy world. Very good fantasy novel, I was pleasantly surprised. Good fast read with nice plot and characters. Very recommended
October 17, 2021
The third book of the trilogy unfortunately is not up to the previous two. Tha adventure itself is interesting and well written but literally half of the book is about is about the protagonists travelling to Delhi as Gygax didn’t had enough ideas to fill a book.
September 22, 2018
Old Gary was really better suited for game books...
I hadn't expected the world--just a pulpy adventure--but this simply fails to deliver.
In context, having tie-ins to Gygax's "Dangerous Journeys" RPG seems like a no-brainer. It's a perfect opportunity to introduce a new world, with new characters, systems, and premises (all by the co-creator of the world's most venerable role-playing game), but it doesn't follow through. The world as-is proves inhospitable to inquisitive readers, being a vague alternative earth with ill-defined magic governing far too many enticing scenarios.
But I get ahead of myself. The opening of this book shows promise, but it's quickly marred by issues the book fails to shrug. Though Gygax has a well-documented passion for eloquence, wit and wordplay, little is on display here. Prose is limp, characters uncooked, action flavourless--a recipe for mediocrity.
Ultimately, the biggest faults of the book are its over-reliance on languid romantic chemistry and a cadaverous plot structure. Pacing is totally shot; it takes well over half the book to accomplish what amounts to an irrelevant road trip.
Worse yet, one of the few moments of genuine intrigue and excitement on said trip is undermined by the "heka" system of Aerth--itself an ill-defined system of regional powers and deities, with enchantments for many an occasion. But these tricks play unfunny tricks upon the narrative, and rob the latter half of any tension as well. The rules are not interesting or articulate enough to enrapture a reader, nor constructed in such as a way as to produce any "aha!" moments. Indeed, the story begins at an immodest shuffle and never picks up.
Many side characters and subplots are picked up and carelessly dropped, generally presenting similar characters with similarly-parsimonious proceedings.
This is all furthened by a suspicious overconfidence in a politically-inclined "whodunit?" scenario that never takes off until the final few pages. One may be inclined to believe Gygax wrote such a tie-in book in a rush, as I do. The latter half of the book sways between mystery and pulpy adventure, and yet it seems content to find every excuse to avoid engaging any action.
This undermines the "chemistry" presented in our heroes: Tall-Majestic-Wizard-Priest and Amazon-Who-Wizard-Admires-Despite-Never-Doing-Anything. I suspect Gygax drew a lot of inspiration for their banter and relationship from his own, and though I admire the earnestness to which their relationship is presented it doesn't produce a compelling thread or conclusion. Little happens; everything is where it is and as it was.
I had gone into this one hoping for a schlocky, quick look into the later stages of Gygax's prolific fantasy output. And while I suppose I received as much, I'm still disappointed. One to avoid.
I hadn't expected the world--just a pulpy adventure--but this simply fails to deliver.
In context, having tie-ins to Gygax's "Dangerous Journeys" RPG seems like a no-brainer. It's a perfect opportunity to introduce a new world, with new characters, systems, and premises (all by the co-creator of the world's most venerable role-playing game), but it doesn't follow through. The world as-is proves inhospitable to inquisitive readers, being a vague alternative earth with ill-defined magic governing far too many enticing scenarios.
But I get ahead of myself. The opening of this book shows promise, but it's quickly marred by issues the book fails to shrug. Though Gygax has a well-documented passion for eloquence, wit and wordplay, little is on display here. Prose is limp, characters uncooked, action flavourless--a recipe for mediocrity.
Ultimately, the biggest faults of the book are its over-reliance on languid romantic chemistry and a cadaverous plot structure. Pacing is totally shot; it takes well over half the book to accomplish what amounts to an irrelevant road trip.
Worse yet, one of the few moments of genuine intrigue and excitement on said trip is undermined by the "heka" system of Aerth--itself an ill-defined system of regional powers and deities, with enchantments for many an occasion. But these tricks play unfunny tricks upon the narrative, and rob the latter half of any tension as well. The rules are not interesting or articulate enough to enrapture a reader, nor constructed in such as a way as to produce any "aha!" moments. Indeed, the story begins at an immodest shuffle and never picks up.
Many side characters and subplots are picked up and carelessly dropped, generally presenting similar characters with similarly-parsimonious proceedings.
This is all furthened by a suspicious overconfidence in a politically-inclined "whodunit?" scenario that never takes off until the final few pages. One may be inclined to believe Gygax wrote such a tie-in book in a rush, as I do. The latter half of the book sways between mystery and pulpy adventure, and yet it seems content to find every excuse to avoid engaging any action.
This undermines the "chemistry" presented in our heroes: Tall-Majestic-Wizard-Priest and Amazon-Who-Wizard-Admires-Despite-Never-Doing-Anything. I suspect Gygax drew a lot of inspiration for their banter and relationship from his own, and though I admire the earnestness to which their relationship is presented it doesn't produce a compelling thread or conclusion. Little happens; everything is where it is and as it was.
I had gone into this one hoping for a schlocky, quick look into the later stages of Gygax's prolific fantasy output. And while I suppose I received as much, I'm still disappointed. One to avoid.
December 26, 2019
Not my cup of tea. Both main characters feel like they are supposed to be a fantasy amalgamation of Sherlock Holmes/Doctor Watson and Nick & Nora Charles, while being high-level multiclass characters who are too good at just about everything they need to do.
The story is pretty generic and the character interplay/romance between the supermage/cleric hero and his sidekick/bodyguard/lover not all too convincing.
Okay, but ultimately not too interesting.
The story is pretty generic and the character interplay/romance between the supermage/cleric hero and his sidekick/bodyguard/lover not all too convincing.
Okay, but ultimately not too interesting.
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May 5, 2009Death in Delhi (Planet Stories) by Gary Gygax (no date)
January 31, 2017
I wanted so badly to enjoy this, but it's just not good.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews