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Spells, Swords, & Stealth #4
Siege Tactics
Putting the Grand Quest behind them, the party rides onward in search of answers. Between one member’s unexpected new condition and the mysteries of the Bridge, their only hope appears to be gaining entrance to Lumal, said to hold the greatest collection of knowledge in all the kingdoms.
But when a curious path appears in a seemingly uninhabited forest, the party finds themselves in a place set apart from the kingdoms, and the world at large: a hidden hamlet, filled by unusual people, all of whom have long histories of their own.
Soon sealed inside the town by unseen forces, the former NPCs will have to uncover what brought them there --and who is keeping them trapped-- while there’s still time to fight back. Because something more is brewing, something involving the very gods themselves. With unknown enemies to the front and supposed allies at their rear, the party will need more than their usual tricks if they hope to see the outside world once more.
But when a curious path appears in a seemingly uninhabited forest, the party finds themselves in a place set apart from the kingdoms, and the world at large: a hidden hamlet, filled by unusual people, all of whom have long histories of their own.
Soon sealed inside the town by unseen forces, the former NPCs will have to uncover what brought them there --and who is keeping them trapped-- while there’s still time to fight back. Because something more is brewing, something involving the very gods themselves. With unknown enemies to the front and supposed allies at their rear, the party will need more than their usual tricks if they hope to see the outside world once more.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 18, 2018
387 people are currently reading
1313 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
January 4, 2019
Review of NPCs
Review of Split the Party
Review of Going Rogue
Spells, Swords, & Stealth continues to be such a warm, comfortable pleasure for me. It is a series that strikes so many of my areas of interest (fantasy, meta-text, genre savvy characters, great world building, DnD/RPGs) that I can't help but love every moment of reading it. And Hayes continues to put further compelling and interesting stories, well beyond the initial conceit that got things started in NPCs.
In this installment we get a further exploration of how the "real world" impacts the peoples of the "RPG world", more diabolical divine machinations, and continued development both of the world and the characters. A longer term plot arc begins to come into focus as the NPCs become more skilled and their divine nemesis makes a power move that threatens to upset the world itself. All in all, more of the same which is great for me since I love this series and need the next book NOW.
Also: Mr. Peppers continues to be the awesomest magical boar in all of literature.
Review of Split the Party
Review of Going Rogue
Spells, Swords, & Stealth continues to be such a warm, comfortable pleasure for me. It is a series that strikes so many of my areas of interest (fantasy, meta-text, genre savvy characters, great world building, DnD/RPGs) that I can't help but love every moment of reading it. And Hayes continues to put further compelling and interesting stories, well beyond the initial conceit that got things started in NPCs.
In this installment we get a further exploration of how the "real world" impacts the peoples of the "RPG world", more diabolical divine machinations, and continued development both of the world and the characters. A longer term plot arc begins to come into focus as the NPCs become more skilled and their divine nemesis makes a power move that threatens to upset the world itself. All in all, more of the same which is great for me since I love this series and need the next book NOW.
Also: Mr. Peppers continues to be the awesomest magical boar in all of literature.
February 24, 2019
Executive Summary: I found this one a bit slow in places, but it finished strong. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the last one. 3.5 Stars.
Audiobook: Roger Wayne does another quality job. His normal reading voice is clear and he reads with good tempo. Plus he does a few voices that gives the audio version that little extra something I've come to expect. I can tell just from the voices which character is talking and that makes for a more enjoyable listen.
Full Review
This series continues to be a lot of fun. The last book was probably my favorite of the series so far because it focused so much on Rogues, which has always been my favorite type of character to roleplay.
This one focuses more on Paladins, which I generally dislike. Paladins have a tendency to do what is right no matter what the consequences are and that kind of thinking has just never sat well with me. I guess I'm just a lot more Chaotic Good than Lawful Good.
The mystery tying the two main stories of the series continues to be interesting, but we learned very little new in this volume. I would have liked more with that regard. Things did get set up nicely for the next book, so maybe we'll finally get some more answers then.
Overall this continues to be a fun series, but I hope he's going somewhere with it and not simply meandering around on a neverending role playing campaign. For now I'm still on board with picking up the next book just as soon as it's available.
Audiobook: Roger Wayne does another quality job. His normal reading voice is clear and he reads with good tempo. Plus he does a few voices that gives the audio version that little extra something I've come to expect. I can tell just from the voices which character is talking and that makes for a more enjoyable listen.
Full Review
This series continues to be a lot of fun. The last book was probably my favorite of the series so far because it focused so much on Rogues, which has always been my favorite type of character to roleplay.
This one focuses more on Paladins, which I generally dislike. Paladins have a tendency to do what is right no matter what the consequences are and that kind of thinking has just never sat well with me. I guess I'm just a lot more Chaotic Good than Lawful Good.
The mystery tying the two main stories of the series continues to be interesting, but we learned very little new in this volume. I would have liked more with that regard. Things did get set up nicely for the next book, so maybe we'll finally get some more answers then.
Overall this continues to be a fun series, but I hope he's going somewhere with it and not simply meandering around on a neverending role playing campaign. For now I'm still on board with picking up the next book just as soon as it's available.
January 8, 2019
I like this book, I mean really like it, and that's why it is such a disappointment to me.
This book, the whole series actually, is so close to a book I could truly love that it is somehow worse than just being 'meh.'
It's an interesting concept, a fresh take on a beat to death genre.
It has compelling and well-developed characters that you can really identify with.
The plot and pacing are consistently solid; very rarely do you feel a lull in interest.
It manages to be surprising without being unbelievable and never feels horribly predictable.
But the dialogue, dear fucking lord the dialogue...
And this is a gripe I have with other Drew Hayes books and a lot of sci-fi, fantasy and other "nerd" genre books.
Two things kill this book and they are both the dialogue.
First, there is the issue that nobody, ever, anywhere talks as much, or as well as the characters in this book. Everything they say, in every situation, is a detailed statement that manages to include their feeling and motivations; even in the middle of battles or wildly emotional situations. It's like they live in a world where nobody is at a loss for words and everyone thinks every statement out before speaking.
Which ties to the second issue. All that awkwardly detailed conversation is because 110% of the exposition in this book comes from the characters spelling literally everything out, in mind-numbing detail via their dialogue. Come on dude, hold some shit back so we have to think about stuff ourselves; or at least have some internal dialogue or something.
Still, in spite of the dialogue, a solid read and I still recommend it, just be prepared for So. Much. Talking.
This book, the whole series actually, is so close to a book I could truly love that it is somehow worse than just being 'meh.'
It's an interesting concept, a fresh take on a beat to death genre.
It has compelling and well-developed characters that you can really identify with.
The plot and pacing are consistently solid; very rarely do you feel a lull in interest.
It manages to be surprising without being unbelievable and never feels horribly predictable.
But the dialogue, dear fucking lord the dialogue...
And this is a gripe I have with other Drew Hayes books and a lot of sci-fi, fantasy and other "nerd" genre books.
Two things kill this book and they are both the dialogue.
First, there is the issue that nobody, ever, anywhere talks as much, or as well as the characters in this book. Everything they say, in every situation, is a detailed statement that manages to include their feeling and motivations; even in the middle of battles or wildly emotional situations. It's like they live in a world where nobody is at a loss for words and everyone thinks every statement out before speaking.
Which ties to the second issue. All that awkwardly detailed conversation is because 110% of the exposition in this book comes from the characters spelling literally everything out, in mind-numbing detail via their dialogue. Come on dude, hold some shit back so we have to think about stuff ourselves; or at least have some internal dialogue or something.
Still, in spite of the dialogue, a solid read and I still recommend it, just be prepared for So. Much. Talking.
March 10, 2019
Fourth in the series . . .
I have always (well not always, there's that one series . . .) seemed to like books that are in whatever genre this falls into. Gaming? Real life mixed with fantasy? Liked it since Larry Niven's Dreampark series from . . . um, the 1980s? or was it the 1990s? But I've never really been that good at finding these kinds of books. Nor talking about them after I've read them.
Right, so - the story is told through multiple point of views, but more importantly, from two story-lines (technically, I suppose, I should say three, since 'the evil side', also gets POV attention, but that's mostly linked to one or the other story-lines). Hmm, there's a lot more than two story-lines. Me not word good.
There's two groups of adventurers who are followed in this book. One group is in what I assume is a contemporary USA setting - playing a Dungeons & Dragons like game (while knowing something is seriously weird about the 'game' they are playing, and that magic is real); while the other group are in a fantasy setting, which is as real to them as the other setting. The 'USA - gamers' group is 'playing' in the other group's real homeland. Being that this is the fourth book in the series - both know that, but they didn't when the series started.
Right, so - this was a neat fun book and I hope I do not have to wait too long for the next in the series.
Rating: 4.85
March 10 2019
I have always (well not always, there's that one series . . .) seemed to like books that are in whatever genre this falls into. Gaming? Real life mixed with fantasy? Liked it since Larry Niven's Dreampark series from . . . um, the 1980s? or was it the 1990s? But I've never really been that good at finding these kinds of books. Nor talking about them after I've read them.
Right, so - the story is told through multiple point of views, but more importantly, from two story-lines (technically, I suppose, I should say three, since 'the evil side', also gets POV attention, but that's mostly linked to one or the other story-lines). Hmm, there's a lot more than two story-lines. Me not word good.
There's two groups of adventurers who are followed in this book. One group is in what I assume is a contemporary USA setting - playing a Dungeons & Dragons like game (while knowing something is seriously weird about the 'game' they are playing, and that magic is real); while the other group are in a fantasy setting, which is as real to them as the other setting. The 'USA - gamers' group is 'playing' in the other group's real homeland. Being that this is the fourth book in the series - both know that, but they didn't when the series started.
Right, so - this was a neat fun book and I hope I do not have to wait too long for the next in the series.
Rating: 4.85
March 10 2019
April 29, 2020
Nice entertaining and different fantasy book. good plot and nice character growth and interaction. Any gaming person will enjoy these books. Recommended
March 17, 2020
Well, nuts. This is the last book in the "NPCs" series, and I was enjoying it so much. Drew Hayes is busy with his "Fred the Vampire Accountant" thing and I just can't get into it. Vampires, you know.
He left things open ended after "Siege Tactics," so there could be more coming up for my favorite tabletop rp gamers and in game adventurers come to life.
This latest book almost wrapped things up, while opening up a few new conundrums, including leaving a dead soul trapped in the wrong afterlife. Never a good outcome.
As usual, I enjoyed the Audible version skillfully read by Roger Wayne. His pseudo-British accents leave a lot to be desired, but as they are fantasy land Brit, I give him a pass. He does great gnomes and girly characters.
He left things open ended after "Siege Tactics," so there could be more coming up for my favorite tabletop rp gamers and in game adventurers come to life.
This latest book almost wrapped things up, while opening up a few new conundrums, including leaving a dead soul trapped in the wrong afterlife. Never a good outcome.
As usual, I enjoyed the Audible version skillfully read by Roger Wayne. His pseudo-British accents leave a lot to be desired, but as they are fantasy land Brit, I give him a pass. He does great gnomes and girly characters.
December 18, 2018
I love this series!
What happens when NPC's become actual player characters? What happens when players become part of the actual game?
These are still questions being answered in this installment of the Spells, Swords and Stealth series.
I devoured this book the moment it hit my Kindle. This series is written in a smart, but easy to follow along way, and honestly, Drew Hayes can't write them fast enough for me.
What happens when NPC's become actual player characters? What happens when players become part of the actual game?
These are still questions being answered in this installment of the Spells, Swords and Stealth series.
I devoured this book the moment it hit my Kindle. This series is written in a smart, but easy to follow along way, and honestly, Drew Hayes can't write them fast enough for me.
January 6, 2019
This series was recommended to me by someone on a gamer site I participated in and am so happy he did.
I love this series and this addition just increased my love. I play rpg video games and I always wanted to do D & D but none of my friends did.
This series checks all my happy buttons. The characters, the story and the visual images it puts in my head. The whole idea of worlds connected, NPC's having a life after the dice are put down and choices in the (some special) games have consequences. I love it.
I've read almost every book Drew Hayes has written, soon I'll have read them all and hopefully he'll keep them coming.
I love this series and this addition just increased my love. I play rpg video games and I always wanted to do D & D but none of my friends did.
This series checks all my happy buttons. The characters, the story and the visual images it puts in my head. The whole idea of worlds connected, NPC's having a life after the dice are put down and choices in the (some special) games have consequences. I love it.
I've read almost every book Drew Hayes has written, soon I'll have read them all and hopefully he'll keep them coming.
November 14, 2019
I'm greatly enjoying this series. I will admit that if you are a gamer you may have a special enjoyment here, but I think most fantasy lovers will find these joining their favorites list.
This book follows the path set early on in the series and takes a humorous turn concerning something many of us (long term gamers) may have thought about. Taking the view that "the" game world here is an alternate reality and the people with which it is...well...peopled real or alive we take a look at another interesting thought.
Please note that spoilers are actually spoilers.
That is
I can recommend it/them, enjoy...but do by all means (I recommend) start the story from the beginning. I highly recommend beginning with the first volume: NPCs.
This book follows the path set early on in the series and takes a humorous turn concerning something many of us (long term gamers) may have thought about. Taking the view that "the" game world here is an alternate reality and the people with which it is...well...peopled real or alive we take a look at another interesting thought.
Please note that spoilers are actually spoilers.
That is
I can recommend it/them, enjoy...but do by all means (I recommend) start the story from the beginning. I highly recommend beginning with the first volume: NPCs.
March 31, 2020
2.5
Really struggled with how to rate this book. I like the author's ideas, especially the Bridge and the town of retired adventurers, and some of the characters (Thistle especially). I think it's a clever and entertaining premise for a book. But the writing is just not what I would consider good. A drinking game for this book and the previous books in the series would be to take a drink every time he uses the word "albeit". You'd be dead long before you ever got through the first book. There are a few words he uses way too much that are really noticeable in the audiobook ("save for" is another one that comes to mind). Honestly, I struggled a lot to get through this one and I was dreading finishing it because I just didn't enjoy it. I'd like to know how the series ends, but I won't be continuing because of the writing. Another complaint about this book in particular was the pacing. I don't enjoy combat scenes that span multiple chapters, and this author so often overexplains and tells, not shows. I think it's a fun series for people who played RPGs growing up, but I wish he'd wrapped it up with this book. The novelty kind of wore off and I wanted a conclusion that I now won't get.
Really struggled with how to rate this book. I like the author's ideas, especially the Bridge and the town of retired adventurers, and some of the characters (Thistle especially). I think it's a clever and entertaining premise for a book. But the writing is just not what I would consider good. A drinking game for this book and the previous books in the series would be to take a drink every time he uses the word "albeit". You'd be dead long before you ever got through the first book. There are a few words he uses way too much that are really noticeable in the audiobook ("save for" is another one that comes to mind). Honestly, I struggled a lot to get through this one and I was dreading finishing it because I just didn't enjoy it. I'd like to know how the series ends, but I won't be continuing because of the writing. Another complaint about this book in particular was the pacing. I don't enjoy combat scenes that span multiple chapters, and this author so often overexplains and tells, not shows. I think it's a fun series for people who played RPGs growing up, but I wish he'd wrapped it up with this book. The novelty kind of wore off and I wanted a conclusion that I now won't get.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2020
I am still invested in the characters, the world and the overarching storyline. There was a lot of new info in this volume, and a huge end fight. But there was less forward momentum, which I missed. Also we saw less of the people who play the game, most of their parts were seen from their characters inside the game world... So while this was an interesting addition, it fell short of the last book (for me). It felt very much like a set up for the next (and maybe final?) one.
January 8, 2019
Book 4 of Spells, Swords, & Stealth and not really a stand-alone. Spoilers for earlier volumes ahead.
In our world, Russell gets a summons and goes to get another module. He has a choice and picks one to the city of Lumal.
In the RPGverse, the intrepid band of adventurers is headed toward Lumal. Except they get diverted by a mysterious path, and a mysterious village.
Parallel storylines occur -- the party of PCs oscillating between gameworld and players, and thne other party of course entirely in the world --connected mostly by the knowledge of what has gone before. It involve players who are reluctant to interact with NPCs based on the last game, instruction in mana, uncomfortable moments about summoning, a golden roc's feathers, several attacks, burying dead bandits, a guard using a paladin's weak points to keep him from a hopeless battle, Kalzidar's evil plans, and more.
In our world, Russell gets a summons and goes to get another module. He has a choice and picks one to the city of Lumal.
In the RPGverse, the intrepid band of adventurers is headed toward Lumal. Except they get diverted by a mysterious path, and a mysterious village.
Parallel storylines occur -- the party of PCs oscillating between gameworld and players, and thne other party of course entirely in the world --connected mostly by the knowledge of what has gone before. It involve players who are reluctant to interact with NPCs based on the last game, instruction in mana, uncomfortable moments about summoning, a golden roc's feathers, several attacks, burying dead bandits, a guard using a paladin's weak points to keep him from a hopeless battle, Kalzidar's evil plans, and more.
January 7, 2020
Notes:
Based on the book, I am going to bet that there will be more in this series coming out.
Based on the book, I am going to bet that there will be more in this series coming out.
March 19, 2019
Call it 2.5 stars. I don't know if I'd call this the weakest book in this series or if my tolerance for the author's writing style has waned. A minor caveat, I listened to the Audible version of this book so I didn't really have the option of skimming the uninteresting bits.
I love the concept, the setting, the characters and the plot. I really enjoy how the narrator conveyed the different characters. What drove me nuts was all the meta-textual stuff constantly explaining what was going on, and the fact that there was almost no dialog between the characters where we didn't also get a paragraph about what they were thinking while they were talking. It really killed the momentum of the story and utterly sucked the tension and suspense out of the action scenes. This book seems like a classic example of the why authors should "show not tell".
For a typical (non-spoilery) example, there's a scene where the rogue needs to sneak up and jump on the back of a monster while another character keeps it distracted. This is supposed to a suspenseful scene, will he make it? Will the other character survive being the distraction? Will the sneak attack work? Will this end the fight? It turns into almost 10 minutes of over-descriptive and internal monologue narration at the end of which, I really didn't care what happened so long as we could move on with the story.
The series is ongoing and I'd like to find out how it goes but I'm not going to rush out for the next book. I think I have to forget the pain of this one first. Maybe I can find a cliff-notes version that'll be more suspenseful.
I love the concept, the setting, the characters and the plot. I really enjoy how the narrator conveyed the different characters. What drove me nuts was all the meta-textual stuff constantly explaining what was going on, and the fact that there was almost no dialog between the characters where we didn't also get a paragraph about what they were thinking while they were talking. It really killed the momentum of the story and utterly sucked the tension and suspense out of the action scenes. This book seems like a classic example of the why authors should "show not tell".
For a typical (non-spoilery) example, there's a scene where the rogue needs to sneak up and jump on the back of a monster while another character keeps it distracted. This is supposed to a suspenseful scene, will he make it? Will the other character survive being the distraction? Will the sneak attack work? Will this end the fight? It turns into almost 10 minutes of over-descriptive and internal monologue narration at the end of which, I really didn't care what happened so long as we could move on with the story.
The series is ongoing and I'd like to find out how it goes but I'm not going to rush out for the next book. I think I have to forget the pain of this one first. Maybe I can find a cliff-notes version that'll be more suspenseful.
September 16, 2019
Update from my re-read: 9.16.19
So, I've finally finished my re-read of this series. I had to increase my star rating to 5 stars as I really, really enjoyed myself. I still feel this story is a lot slower but it was fun.
The majority of the action in the book takes place towards the end but there is a very long action scene to make up for the lack of them prior. I simply adored I'm also hoping that
I am still not a fan of the Madroia aspect - again - but I am incredibly excited to see what happens next.
_____________________________
3.5 stars rounded up
Ok. This one was a bit slow. I was expecting more from the Mitch angle...maybe it will circle back around.
I wasn't a fan - at all - of the Madroia (sp?) angle But maybe Hayes can redeem it.
Looking forward to more.
Also, I'm in the process of trying other LitRPG works...and thus far this series sets the bar. I may have done myself a disservice in reading this series first. O_O Now I'm left with what's left... :-(
So, I've finally finished my re-read of this series. I had to increase my star rating to 5 stars as I really, really enjoyed myself. I still feel this story is a lot slower but it was fun.
The majority of the action in the book takes place towards the end but there is a very long action scene to make up for the lack of them prior. I simply adored I'm also hoping that
I am still not a fan of the Madroia aspect - again - but I am incredibly excited to see what happens next.
_____________________________
3.5 stars rounded up
Ok. This one was a bit slow. I was expecting more from the Mitch angle...maybe it will circle back around.
I wasn't a fan - at all - of the Madroia (sp?) angle But maybe Hayes can redeem it.
Looking forward to more.
Also, I'm in the process of trying other LitRPG works...and thus far this series sets the bar. I may have done myself a disservice in reading this series first. O_O Now I'm left with what's left... :-(
December 24, 2018
Another great installment in the Spells, Swords, & Stealth series. I really liked this one, even though it was a bit of a change of pace. There was still plenty of fighting, and the last 25% or so of the book was action packed. However, the majority of the book focused a lot on world building and character development, which I really liked. The arc of one character has been building up for a long time, and I really enjoyed where it went.
Drew Hayes took a Dungeons and Dragons inspired world and has now completely made it his own. We still get some looks into people in the real world, but the majority of the focus is on our favorite NPCs. As we get deeper into each book, the world is more fleshed out and feels less like a Dungeons and Dragons inspired litRPG and more like a classic high fantasy. This series started out as a fun look at NPCs (non player characters) in a Dungeons and Dragons type of world, but has grown to the point where the NPCs feel like real people in a high fantasy world that just happens to connect with ours through a tabletop RPG.
Overall, this was a great book that left me wanting more in this world with these characters. I'm sure there are more coming, because some things were left unresolved and Drew Hayes is great about wrapping things up definitively. Now I will impatiently wait for the next installment, and hopefully more after that.
Drew Hayes took a Dungeons and Dragons inspired world and has now completely made it his own. We still get some looks into people in the real world, but the majority of the focus is on our favorite NPCs. As we get deeper into each book, the world is more fleshed out and feels less like a Dungeons and Dragons inspired litRPG and more like a classic high fantasy. This series started out as a fun look at NPCs (non player characters) in a Dungeons and Dragons type of world, but has grown to the point where the NPCs feel like real people in a high fantasy world that just happens to connect with ours through a tabletop RPG.
Overall, this was a great book that left me wanting more in this world with these characters. I'm sure there are more coming, because some things were left unresolved and Drew Hayes is great about wrapping things up definitively. Now I will impatiently wait for the next installment, and hopefully more after that.
January 31, 2019
This is one of my favorite series.
I liked the idea of the town full of ex-adventurers, and we got a lot of important info. That said, I didn't really like this book and I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it. Things happened, but with the party staying in one place and being on the defensive it seemed reeeeally slow. And the dialogue... 80% of the exposition happened in conversations between characters, which made it seem unnatural and forced. It kinda reminded me of the villain's speech at the end of a movie, where he tells you all about his plans, but here it was all the time. Everything was over-explained to death and at times it seemed like I was being thought a lesson at school.
I hope the next one has a bit more of the explanations in an inner monologue or something. I think it'll help a lot.
I liked the idea of the town full of ex-adventurers, and we got a lot of important info. That said, I didn't really like this book and I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it. Things happened, but with the party staying in one place and being on the defensive it seemed reeeeally slow. And the dialogue... 80% of the exposition happened in conversations between characters, which made it seem unnatural and forced. It kinda reminded me of the villain's speech at the end of a movie, where he tells you all about his plans, but here it was all the time. Everything was over-explained to death and at times it seemed like I was being thought a lesson at school.
I hope the next one has a bit more of the explanations in an inner monologue or something. I think it'll help a lot.
May 25, 2021
I'm so glad I just happened to find this series on Libby via the Ohio Digital Library because it's just so much fun. I can't believe it's finally all over (my original loan expired and I had to get back in line to listen to the second half of the story). I'll miss these characters and their world that's for sure. It's been quite a ride and this finale was a great send off. I can't wait to try more from Drew Hayes and Roger Wayne, the narrator of this series, in the future.
December 21, 2018
The series actually gets better!
Such a fantastic and refreshing series from the start, Hayes clearly had begun seriously fleshing out his world and his writing! Well worth the read but don't make too many plans once you start!
Such a fantastic and refreshing series from the start, Hayes clearly had begun seriously fleshing out his world and his writing! Well worth the read but don't make too many plans once you start!
September 3, 2019
The series continues to head down new paths and explore more the bridge between worlds. If you've gotten this far into the series, definitely pick this one up and continue with it. It continues with interesting character development and with interesting new discoveries and reveals.
December 20, 2018
Gripping and Interesting Adventure
This book is full of interesting characters and innovative tactics. The adventure feels real and draws you in to each of their individual stories.
This book is full of interesting characters and innovative tactics. The adventure feels real and draws you in to each of their individual stories.
March 27, 2023
This series just keeps getting better and better! That ending was diabolical in the best way possible!
March 4, 2025
Yes please more now
March 9, 2019
Gaaahhhh!! I need more!
I get so sucked in..don't sleep, eat or even want to go to work. Amazing storytelling! When is the next one?!
I get so sucked in..don't sleep, eat or even want to go to work. Amazing storytelling! When is the next one?!
May 1, 2023
Fantastic, as expected!
February 12, 2019
This is a very enjoyable installment to this series. We are definitely seeing a lot of series arc plot material at this point, but we still also get to wrap up the book plot without cliffhangers. I love the character development in this volume especially -- it seems that the more we learn about these characters, the more I like them. (Also, it does help that the Jerk Gamers from book one are barely present in this latest installment. They were an important part of the early books, but I'm glad that we appear to be done with them now.)
And now I just have to wait for book five...
And now I just have to wait for book five...
December 31, 2018
Book #4 in the "Spells, Swords and Stealth" series. This is one of my two favorite on-going fantasy series. This one a bit wordy for my taste. A bit too much careful, considered, rational decision making in the heat of battle. The goody-goody Paladins are a tad tiring, as well. The underlying plot of this series is excellent, however and my gripes are maybe petty. I'd like to see a clever, funny gamer in the mix...they're all so serious.
January 14, 2021
Siege Tactics
Author: Drew Hayes
Release: January 28, 2019
Date Read: 11/12/2020 - 11/16/2020
Reader: Roger Wayne
Genre: Fantasy
Overall Rating: 7 (out of 10)
Genre Rating: 8 (out of 10)
Number 4 in the Spells, Swords, & Stealth series, I found this story entertaining, but to some extent it felt sort of like a filler story as well, it didn’t have a terribly strong resolution, and left a lot of threads open, waiting for resolution. The characters do have growth, and we learn more about them, particularly the “NPC’s,” but the gamers storyline feels kind of like a “bolt on,” and their actions don’t really advance the story very much, although it seems pretty clear that they will have more of a part to play in future stories. I think the problem I have with it is that it expands the world and the story so much that there will be plenty of threads that I fear will be wrapped up without a particularly satisfying conclusion. Still, that might be the whole point of the thing, and spinoff series might come out of the main story. That does run the risk of losing interest in the main story though. The villain of the story (a Priestess whose name I don’t recall, and may have actually been nameless) doesn’t come across as particularly fleshed out, and it would have been nice if she had more depth. She is a lackey of course, and the real villain (Calzedor, the evil god) is doing his evil god plan, although not much of that is really revealed either.
Spoiler Time
The story just felt scattered. I did like some of the revelations, the idea of the “echoes” which was a town of former uber adventurers was cool, and there were fun and interesting bits that advanced the characters to some extent, but for the most part there was too much going on , and the only “NPC” adventurers that gets much dialog is thistle, followed somewhat by the Knight Timmescor who becomes a Paladin. We get another god like figure that encourages Timmescor into becoming a Paladin, but why that entity is there, much less what its motivations are remain something of a blank slate. There are just a whole lot of threads going on, and the action happens, but doesn’t really feel all that satisfying. Probably because a lot of what happens is really just a prelude to various “plots.” Fritz has a scheme. The evil god has a Scheme. Calzador has a scheme. Thistle has a scheme (or at least a new quest, since he wants to kill a god by the end of the story). The spirit of Thistle’s dead wife was stolen from her afterlife in the realm of the God of the Gnomes pulls in the God of the Gnomes to the story, but it also adds another story line that it would be sad to avoid, in that I hope Thistle’s wife can react to her kidnapping as more than a damsel in distress.
I also find it odd that no one found Mr. Peppers as very important. For a summoned creature to become a permanent ally should seem at least interesting to the sort of characters Timmescorn meets. I’m still not clear on what the deal is supposed to be with Mr. Peppers, and I think it’s a curiosity that isn’t going to be explored. There were a few small comments about Mr. Peppers, particularly the uber mage in Adventurer Town that was trying to figure out the anti-scrying issues with the party and detected that it was centered on Mr. Peppers, but then dismissed it as clearly some sort of misdirection that they would get around eventually. They never did though.
I was basically entertained and interested, and did like Timmescorn’s transition to a Paladin, but a lot of what did happen didn’t feel like it added to character growth very much, or to world building either. Still, I will be looking for the next installment, and I hope things can get a little tightened up.
Author: Drew Hayes
Release: January 28, 2019
Date Read: 11/12/2020 - 11/16/2020
Reader: Roger Wayne
Genre: Fantasy
Overall Rating: 7 (out of 10)
Genre Rating: 8 (out of 10)
Number 4 in the Spells, Swords, & Stealth series, I found this story entertaining, but to some extent it felt sort of like a filler story as well, it didn’t have a terribly strong resolution, and left a lot of threads open, waiting for resolution. The characters do have growth, and we learn more about them, particularly the “NPC’s,” but the gamers storyline feels kind of like a “bolt on,” and their actions don’t really advance the story very much, although it seems pretty clear that they will have more of a part to play in future stories. I think the problem I have with it is that it expands the world and the story so much that there will be plenty of threads that I fear will be wrapped up without a particularly satisfying conclusion. Still, that might be the whole point of the thing, and spinoff series might come out of the main story. That does run the risk of losing interest in the main story though. The villain of the story (a Priestess whose name I don’t recall, and may have actually been nameless) doesn’t come across as particularly fleshed out, and it would have been nice if she had more depth. She is a lackey of course, and the real villain (Calzedor, the evil god) is doing his evil god plan, although not much of that is really revealed either.
Spoiler Time
The story just felt scattered. I did like some of the revelations, the idea of the “echoes” which was a town of former uber adventurers was cool, and there were fun and interesting bits that advanced the characters to some extent, but for the most part there was too much going on , and the only “NPC” adventurers that gets much dialog is thistle, followed somewhat by the Knight Timmescor who becomes a Paladin. We get another god like figure that encourages Timmescor into becoming a Paladin, but why that entity is there, much less what its motivations are remain something of a blank slate. There are just a whole lot of threads going on, and the action happens, but doesn’t really feel all that satisfying. Probably because a lot of what happens is really just a prelude to various “plots.” Fritz has a scheme. The evil god has a Scheme. Calzador has a scheme. Thistle has a scheme (or at least a new quest, since he wants to kill a god by the end of the story). The spirit of Thistle’s dead wife was stolen from her afterlife in the realm of the God of the Gnomes pulls in the God of the Gnomes to the story, but it also adds another story line that it would be sad to avoid, in that I hope Thistle’s wife can react to her kidnapping as more than a damsel in distress.
I also find it odd that no one found Mr. Peppers as very important. For a summoned creature to become a permanent ally should seem at least interesting to the sort of characters Timmescorn meets. I’m still not clear on what the deal is supposed to be with Mr. Peppers, and I think it’s a curiosity that isn’t going to be explored. There were a few small comments about Mr. Peppers, particularly the uber mage in Adventurer Town that was trying to figure out the anti-scrying issues with the party and detected that it was centered on Mr. Peppers, but then dismissed it as clearly some sort of misdirection that they would get around eventually. They never did though.
I was basically entertained and interested, and did like Timmescorn’s transition to a Paladin, but a lot of what did happen didn’t feel like it added to character growth very much, or to world building either. Still, I will be looking for the next installment, and I hope things can get a little tightened up.
September 27, 2024
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Siege Tactics is the fourth book in the Spells, Swords and Stealth series by Drew Hayes. With the Grand Quest concluded the party decides it's time to seek better answers to the mystery of the Bridge and to try to understand Gabrielle's new.... condition. The party sets off for Lumal, a city said to hold the most knowledge in the kingdom.
This is another good, if long, entry in the series. Through an unexpected circumstance, the characters both do and don't achieve their goal. It seems that each book focuses on a specific character in particular and it was nice to see Timiscore's advancement. I'm sure that will have an impact on the party's future. I also feel for Thistle. I'm very curious to see how Thistle's new motivation will interact with where Timiscore ended up. I also like just how much real life is intertwining with the game world now.
What's odd about this story is that while I like what the characters have uncovered, for all the action they go through it doesn't feel like things moved forward as much as I'd have thought it would.
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Initial thoughts: This is another good, if long, entry into the story. I like what the characters have uncovered yet for all the action it doesn't feel like things moved forward as much as I'd have thought it would. I'm really impressed with Timiscore's advancement though! I'm interested to see how his new role pairs with Thistle's especially considering Thistle's new... motivation.
Siege Tactics is the fourth book in the Spells, Swords and Stealth series by Drew Hayes. With the Grand Quest concluded the party decides it's time to seek better answers to the mystery of the Bridge and to try to understand Gabrielle's new.... condition. The party sets off for Lumal, a city said to hold the most knowledge in the kingdom.
This is another good, if long, entry in the series. Through an unexpected circumstance, the characters both do and don't achieve their goal. It seems that each book focuses on a specific character in particular and it was nice to see Timiscore's advancement. I'm sure that will have an impact on the party's future. I also feel for Thistle. I'm very curious to see how Thistle's new motivation will interact with where Timiscore ended up. I also like just how much real life is intertwining with the game world now.
What's odd about this story is that while I like what the characters have uncovered, for all the action they go through it doesn't feel like things moved forward as much as I'd have thought it would.
-------------
Initial thoughts: This is another good, if long, entry into the story. I like what the characters have uncovered yet for all the action it doesn't feel like things moved forward as much as I'd have thought it would. I'm really impressed with Timiscore's advancement though! I'm interested to see how his new role pairs with Thistle's especially considering Thistle's new... motivation.
June 16, 2020
"And, for what it's worth, as someone who's already had to grapple with the same quesions you have, remember that how you got here doesn't really matter. Parents, magic, divine creation, none of it means a damn once you exist. We're not defined by where we come from; we're defined by what we make of the lives we have."
2 stars
This delivered in every aspect I criticised about the last three books (stakes not being high enough, characters always succeding,...), but the pace was excrutiatingly slow and I'm quite honestly surprised that it only took me 2 weeks to get through this. At this point, even the overarching plot isn't enough for me to carry on with the series.
NPCs: 4.5 stars
Split the Party: 4 stars
Going Rogue: 3 stars
2 stars
This delivered in every aspect I criticised about the last three books (stakes not being high enough, characters always succeding,...), but the pace was excrutiatingly slow and I'm quite honestly surprised that it only took me 2 weeks to get through this. At this point, even the overarching plot isn't enough for me to carry on with the series.
NPCs: 4.5 stars
Split the Party: 4 stars
Going Rogue: 3 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews