The Longing Ring

EarthDawn novels #1

by Christopher Kubasik

J'role, a young man cursed by a terrifying burden, joins forces with an ork named Garlthik, and together they try to elude powerful enemies and hold to a magical ring

Genres: Fantasy, Novels, Fiction, Gaming

314 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Charles Lupo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the fact that it took me something like 2 years to reread this book, I really do live the Earthdawn world. It never really got a fair shot.

This particular book is fairly slow moving. The plot drags on and feels like the author was given a list of people/locales to make sure to introduce the reader to the Earthdawn universe. We didn't need to visit the Bloodwood AND Throal AND the Serpent River AND Parlainth.

Since I already own the 6 books in the series, I'll keep reading them. Hopefully book 2 will go a little faster.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a fantasy nut, you're going to enjoy this. It's not amazing, not particularly inspired, but it's a pleasant little stroll through a made up world. It's very fast paced, and easy to pick up for 20 minutes at a time. The setting is definitely the highlight.

[Troy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's pretty average for RPG fiction. The main antagonist was defeated too quickly, and it started to feel more like a travelogue more than a story at some points. Despite that, I still really enjoy the world of Earthdawn, and this took me on a little tour of it.

[Francisco Becerra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an early child of 90’s fantasy, more in league with dark fantasy tropes than with heroic one. The main character is different abled (mute) and it shows through the book. There is hope and treason aplenty. And there is RPG narrative structure theoughout the book: focus on some scenes, others passed along quite rapidly. The book also is a big tour through the setting, and a lot of important characters appear without reason or importante, just to showing off. But you can grasp all the setting’s beauty in one read. So, this stands halfway between a good RPG novel, but too much on the RPG than good novel side.

[Sherimander · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book I've wanted to read for a very long time, as a fan of Earthdawn. I liked it, it greatly discribed the universe, the magic, and the main characters are well thought and written. But I'm not sure it can pass to readers who don't know the RPG.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the Shadowrun world, Earthdawn takes fantasy in a different and more sinister direction. Instead of a near future, however, there is an ancient past where magic is a way of life. The dark grittiness that one would expect from the Shadowrun setting remains, and it can be hard to say who is truly virtuous.

[Fantastisk Fiktion · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Andrenalin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one book of a really good triology.
What I like at the Erathdawn world is the behaivour of the demons.
This triology describes the demons in the art of the Earthdawm manner.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay book that was obviously written when the world and rules of Earthdawn were still in development.