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Greyhawk Classics #5
Queen of the Demonweb Pits
Revisiting classic adventures has been extremely successful. "Queen of the Demonweb Pits" was one of the most popular adventures ever created for the Dungeons & Dragons game. This novelization appeals to those who have played through the adventure, as well as to those who have an interest in drow elves--one of the most popular races in the game.
310 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 20, 2019
Kidd's interpretation of the original material feels especially bombastic and freewheeling. The character concepts are especially outlandish and personalities are especially outsized, and he draws in quite a bit of weird kink between the interspecies romances and the need for "perfect butt" Escalla to go naked for a good portion of the time. It's quite a thing for an author of tie-in series fiction to go right for the broad comedy when his peers seem to go for the grim and dour.
I don't think that he quite lands on everything he tries: the tone whipsaws between the comic aspects/personalities and the fact that the demon hordes are in fact committing atrocities and that Lolth herself is one way craaaazeee violent lady. There's a manic aspect to the running gags--"Trust me, I'm a fairy!"--that only starts to grate with repetition, and I don't know how the characters are supposed to tolerate Polk's personality problems outside of a secret, shallow grave.
Like the previous Greyhawk Classics line, Kidd has the impossible task of taking an elaborate and historied setting--a location where the inhabitants sit around waiting for the player characters to show up--and has to fabricate events and motives. The result in this case is not bad because it implies the preceding events of Descent into the Depths of the Earth and a pre-made motive for Lolth to get involved. But there is, of course, a certain point where the protagonists find themselves inside the Demonweb Pits of the title and from then on it is "Dungeon Crawl Ahoy!" with great fidelity to the source material, meaning replicating traps and side-ventures and call outs.
Curiously, Kidd took a throwaway character from the module, a "Type V demon"--marilith, although that word is never used--who is the secretary / hostess of the mechanical spider palace, and expanded this into the tanar'ri secretary, Morag, the breakout character of the entire story. How do you plot against someone to whom you cannot lie and must obey totally?
I don't think that he quite lands on everything he tries: the tone whipsaws between the comic aspects/personalities and the fact that the demon hordes are in fact committing atrocities and that Lolth herself is one way craaaazeee violent lady. There's a manic aspect to the running gags--"Trust me, I'm a fairy!"--that only starts to grate with repetition, and I don't know how the characters are supposed to tolerate Polk's personality problems outside of a secret, shallow grave.
Like the previous Greyhawk Classics line, Kidd has the impossible task of taking an elaborate and historied setting--a location where the inhabitants sit around waiting for the player characters to show up--and has to fabricate events and motives. The result in this case is not bad because it implies the preceding events of Descent into the Depths of the Earth and a pre-made motive for Lolth to get involved. But there is, of course, a certain point where the protagonists find themselves inside the Demonweb Pits of the title and from then on it is "Dungeon Crawl Ahoy!" with great fidelity to the source material, meaning replicating traps and side-ventures and call outs.
Curiously, Kidd took a throwaway character from the module, a "Type V demon"--marilith, although that word is never used--who is the secretary / hostess of the mechanical spider palace, and expanded this into the tanar'ri secretary, Morag, the breakout character of the entire story. How do you plot against someone to whom you cannot lie and must obey totally?
January 19, 2014
Read this some years back, and it says something about how forgettable it is that I only now recalled it after someone posted about the author in a Facebook group. While I do enjoy Lolth and the Drow, the party of adventurers was bizarre and just weird. I might have enjoyed it more if I had read any of the 5 books previous to it, but this was a very bad jumping-on point. Plus, most of the characters are annoying enough that I don't think I really want to go through 5 more books of these guys. Especially that stupid sex-crazed fairy. It says something when the most likeable character is someone's talking cloak made out of a skinned hellhound.
Doubt if I'll read anything else by this author. Most authors have one chance to impress me and if they blow it, there's too many other good authors out there to waste time with them. It wasn't Jane Eyre-bad, but it was pretty lame.
Doubt if I'll read anything else by this author. Most authors have one chance to impress me and if they blow it, there's too many other good authors out there to waste time with them. It wasn't Jane Eyre-bad, but it was pretty lame.
September 22, 2012
The tone of this book is cartoony and I don't think it works at all.
October 20, 2022
An epic romp through the planes. Still a very eclectic group. No one touches the fairy. Grease on a god.
March 14, 2012
This is the second novel-length adaptation of a classic D&D module I've read and I wasn't too impressed with it. Q1 was a module for a party in the level range of 10 - 14 and it was an adventure that was epic in scope, leading one on a journey through the Abyss to the lair of Lolth, goddess of the drow.
The characters in Kidd's novel engage in a somewhat similar journey within the context of the Greyhawk setting (which was not, as I recall, especially well fleshed-out at the time the original modules were published). Kidd uses a motley crew of creatures as his protagonists, which is part of the problem. If you're expecting a group of typical adventurers including clerics, mages, thieves, and fighters of several races, you'll be surprised to encounter a ranger, his "apprentice", a talking badger, a sentient hell-hound hide, a fairy, a gymnosphinx and a fancy holy sword. This weird group of heroes manages, through the course of the adventure, to foil not just one but two gods (and to destroy one of them, while laying waste to the home plane of the other). The book has a deliberately (I say this because the final chapter is entitled "A Particularly Happy Ending") absurdly-happy ending. Some of the characters, intended to be quirky and endearing, instead tend to grate on one's nerves (Escalla in particular).
The book does include allusions to some of the iconic traps of the adventure, such as the room with demons on floating columns 100' high and the demonweb itself but other things are oddly absent or greatly reduced in significance (the yochlol are relegated to a few brief sentences). Few of the obstacles seem to pose much of a challenge to a collection of characters who seem as though they'd have a hard time fighting their way out of a paper bag. On the whole this is a fairly disappointing re-imagining of the tale of the module; while I would expect that the story would require a certain amount of padding because modules represent an outline of a story told collectively by a group of people, this feels like a completely different and not terribly good story.
The characters in Kidd's novel engage in a somewhat similar journey within the context of the Greyhawk setting (which was not, as I recall, especially well fleshed-out at the time the original modules were published). Kidd uses a motley crew of creatures as his protagonists, which is part of the problem. If you're expecting a group of typical adventurers including clerics, mages, thieves, and fighters of several races, you'll be surprised to encounter a ranger, his "apprentice", a talking badger, a sentient hell-hound hide, a fairy, a gymnosphinx and a fancy holy sword. This weird group of heroes manages, through the course of the adventure, to foil not just one but two gods (and to destroy one of them, while laying waste to the home plane of the other). The book has a deliberately (I say this because the final chapter is entitled "A Particularly Happy Ending") absurdly-happy ending. Some of the characters, intended to be quirky and endearing, instead tend to grate on one's nerves (Escalla in particular).
The book does include allusions to some of the iconic traps of the adventure, such as the room with demons on floating columns 100' high and the demonweb itself but other things are oddly absent or greatly reduced in significance (the yochlol are relegated to a few brief sentences). Few of the obstacles seem to pose much of a challenge to a collection of characters who seem as though they'd have a hard time fighting their way out of a paper bag. On the whole this is a fairly disappointing re-imagining of the tale of the module; while I would expect that the story would require a certain amount of padding because modules represent an outline of a story told collectively by a group of people, this feels like a completely different and not terribly good story.
July 18, 2018
Queen of the Demonweb Pits is the fifth of seven novels set in the Greyhawk D&D setting and the third (and final) to follow the adventures of The Justicar, Escalla the Faerie and the rest of their odd bunch of heroes. This book picks up shortly after "Descent into the Depths of the Earth" and is the story about Loth's desire for revenge and how the band of heroes are forced to confront the Spider Queen once and for all.
Like the other books in the series this is a novelization of a famous D&D Module of the same name. Like the others the dungeon crawl part of the adventure follows the flow of the module and evokes memories of late night D&D sessions. Of the Greyhawk novels the ones with the Justicar are my favorites. The books have an nice blend of story telling without being overly serious.
Like the other books in the series this is a novelization of a famous D&D Module of the same name. Like the others the dungeon crawl part of the adventure follows the flow of the module and evokes memories of late night D&D sessions. Of the Greyhawk novels the ones with the Justicar are my favorites. The books have an nice blend of story telling without being overly serious.
February 17, 2021
Another crazy adventure featuring Jus' and Escala with old and new pals. I enjoyed this one but not as much as the first two. The details of the adventure seemed to be driven by comedy alone and some of the jokes might be getting a bit tired.
It's still a fun romp and I am disappointed that this is the last novel featuring these unlikely heroes.
It's still a fun romp and I am disappointed that this is the last novel featuring these unlikely heroes.
February 19, 2023
I'm very happy that this is the end of these characters. The OCD completionist in me made me finish these books.
Is the story good? It's okay. Are the characters interesting? Some, yes. Overall, is Kidd a good writer? Sure. Likely much better than myself. But why is the fairy always naked? Why is every attractive woman in a thong? Why is Lolth acting like a childish Karen instead of a freaking Goddess? If Escala can cast polymorph so readily, why the hell is Polk still a badger?! I could go on and on with this, but I'll digress.
Look, back in the late 90's, when I was in my early 20's, I would have eaten this up and thought it was solid gold. Now it just feels really dated to me. The first book with these characters wasn't bad, everything I complained about above just made me roll my eyes and move on. This is now the third book and it all makes me cringe. Maybe this is something you will really like, and if so, good on you. But it's not for me and I'm glad it's over.
Final thought: if Kidd got paid by the word, he made bank off of, "No one touches the fairy," "hoopey," and, "Trust me, I'm a fairy."
Is the story good? It's okay. Are the characters interesting? Some, yes. Overall, is Kidd a good writer? Sure. Likely much better than myself. But why is the fairy always naked? Why is every attractive woman in a thong? Why is Lolth acting like a childish Karen instead of a freaking Goddess? If Escala can cast polymorph so readily, why the hell is Polk still a badger?! I could go on and on with this, but I'll digress.
Look, back in the late 90's, when I was in my early 20's, I would have eaten this up and thought it was solid gold. Now it just feels really dated to me. The first book with these characters wasn't bad, everything I complained about above just made me roll my eyes and move on. This is now the third book and it all makes me cringe. Maybe this is something you will really like, and if so, good on you. But it's not for me and I'm glad it's over.
Final thought: if Kidd got paid by the word, he made bank off of, "No one touches the fairy," "hoopey," and, "Trust me, I'm a fairy."
March 30, 2022
Another fun romp through OSR D&D world. Kidd has a perfect tone for an old-school D&D campaign. There is not much depth, and the character catch-phrases begin to get annoying but that is also of the essence that was D&D. This was my least favorite of this trilogy with these characters but it was still a good time.
June 15, 2024
Okay, this one was a bit much. Just pushed past the 2 star, "it was okay" boundary.
Too much wise-cracking. Who knew Lolth was a stand up comedian?
At least it was a quick read, so not a huge waste of time.
Had a few fun moments, but overall not very good.
I have one more Greyhawk novel to read, then I can put this series to bed.
Too much wise-cracking. Who knew Lolth was a stand up comedian?
At least it was a quick read, so not a huge waste of time.
Had a few fun moments, but overall not very good.
I have one more Greyhawk novel to read, then I can put this series to bed.
August 7, 2024
The final book in the trilogy about the Justicar and the Faerie was good fun. The characters are all "leveled up" now and eventually take on Lolth, although the first half of the book is the setup. It felt like a satisfactory conclusion and left me interested in looking at Kidd's other works. If you've run the D&D module, you'll see some familiar sights.
October 10, 2018
Listened to this on Audible audiobook - another in the series based on classic D&D modules. This story was not as engaging as the previous ones in the series, but it was still enjoyable - recommended if you enjoyed the others in the series!
September 21, 2025
Nonstop well-written action and enjoyable main party camaraderie and banter. Amazing performance by Bernard Setaro Clark, the voice actor, who really brings the characters to life. An exciting fun romp that's surprisingly well thought out at times but also doesn't mind being a little juvenile.
March 25, 2018
Most D&D books are good mainly for nostalgia. Queen of the Demonweb Pits is quite good, actually, both entertaining and quick moving. I will look for more of Kidd's books.
November 6, 2022
Paul Kidd hit hard with his characterization of The Justicar, Escala, Enid, Henry, Polk. Bernard Sataro Clarke's Audio version makes it so enjoyable you sit in your car to finish a chapter.
July 8, 2024
Absolutely loved it.
June 2, 2025
I enjoyed the eccentric characters and silly humor. I see how it's not for everyone, but I love that the book doesn't take itself too seriously.
July 24, 2015
Well, this was definitely my least favorite of the "Justicar" series in the module-to-novel books. Although better than the stinky "Keep on the Borderlands", this just didn't keep well enough to the module.
Continuing on from "Descent into the Depths of the Earth" but adding a LOT of what I hated about that book, and really losing the whole train of the GDQ modules, this was 177 pages (out of 310) before our "party" got to the Abyss. What a load of CRAP! And they didn't get there the way you are supposed to from the module, which makes this all the worse.
Blech and double blech about the whole stupid "Vampire Pool" and its role in defeating Lolth.
All in all, this BARELY scrapes a 3 star...I may return and drop it to 2.
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I'm putting this footer on all 7 of my reviews of "Greyhawk Classics", for consistency.
Note that I read them them in LEVEL ORDER, not publication order. I wanted an overall review of the series of 8 in one spot, so here ya go:
1) (6th published) Keep on the Borderlands - Levels 1-3 : 2 stars
2) (4th published) The Temple of Elemental Evil - Levels 1-3 : 3 stars
3) (2nd published) White Plume Mountain - Levels 5-10 : 4 stars
4) (1st published) Against the Giants - Levels 8-12 : 3 stars
5) (3rd published) Descent into the Depths of the Earth - Levels 9-14 : 4 stars
6) (5th published) Queen of the Demonweb Pits - Levels 10-14 : 3 stars
7) (7th published) Tomb of Horrors - Levels 10-14 : 3 stars
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Continuing on from "Descent into the Depths of the Earth" but adding a LOT of what I hated about that book, and really losing the whole train of the GDQ modules, this was 177 pages (out of 310) before our "party" got to the Abyss. What a load of CRAP! And they didn't get there the way you are supposed to from the module, which makes this all the worse.
Blech and double blech about the whole stupid "Vampire Pool" and its role in defeating Lolth.
All in all, this BARELY scrapes a 3 star...I may return and drop it to 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm putting this footer on all 7 of my reviews of "Greyhawk Classics", for consistency.
Note that I read them them in LEVEL ORDER, not publication order. I wanted an overall review of the series of 8 in one spot, so here ya go:
1) (6th published) Keep on the Borderlands - Levels 1-3 : 2 stars
2) (4th published) The Temple of Elemental Evil - Levels 1-3 : 3 stars
3) (2nd published) White Plume Mountain - Levels 5-10 : 4 stars
4) (1st published) Against the Giants - Levels 8-12 : 3 stars
5) (3rd published) Descent into the Depths of the Earth - Levels 9-14 : 4 stars
6) (5th published) Queen of the Demonweb Pits - Levels 10-14 : 3 stars
7) (7th published) Tomb of Horrors - Levels 10-14 : 3 stars
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June 8, 2022
A fun trip down memory lane with tough, yet loveable characters who kick butt and take names.
The thing that keeps this from being a five star read were craft related. The editing left a bit to be desired...there were a LOT of instances of overused adjectives (Does one really need to use vast and behemoth so many times on one page?), and several instances where the end of a sentence repeated the beginning.
Overall, though, I recommend this series to lovers of classic DnD.
The thing that keeps this from being a five star read were craft related. The editing left a bit to be desired...there were a LOT of instances of overused adjectives (Does one really need to use vast and behemoth so many times on one page?), and several instances where the end of a sentence repeated the beginning.
Overall, though, I recommend this series to lovers of classic DnD.
January 7, 2014
Czytałem tę książkę jeszcze jako Mistrz Podziemi, a Mistrzowie Podziemi z ciekawskim okiem przyglądają się tego typu pozycjom.
Znajome realia, znajome potwory, gadające miecze i barwna drużyna, szlachtująca wszystko na swojej drodze, a w między czasie kupa dobrych przygód.
Jest to książka lekka i zaskakująco przyjemna, stanowiąca fajny zbiór inspiracji do sesji D&D.
Znajome realia, znajome potwory, gadające miecze i barwna drużyna, szlachtująca wszystko na swojej drodze, a w między czasie kupa dobrych przygód.
Jest to książka lekka i zaskakująco przyjemna, stanowiąca fajny zbiór inspiracji do sesji D&D.
August 14, 2013
A really fun adventure, this book continues the adventures of the Justicar and his merry band through other planes while they chase after Lolth, all the while being hunted by old acquaintances. A wonderful final chapter to their stories.
June 6, 2007
A book with action, adventure mystery and a great sense of humour. Every thing you need in a book right here.
September 11, 2011
This was another excelent Paul Kidd adaptation of an early D&D adventure.
April 16, 2017
Having found these hidden gems this year on Audible, I have really come to appreciate the Justicar, Escalla, (sp) - and the menagerie of folks as part of this group. all of the chemistry is there, with the underlining love that has blossomed between some of the characters. I definitely didn't mind that at all.
I felt that the description of the Demonweb Pits was 'off' - certainly from my memory of the module. I could be wrong however. What I really didn't like was the audible (and story) representation of Lolth and the Fairies sister... Frankly, I think those characters brought the rating down to 4 for me.
Overall, a great series, much recommended for D&D enthusiasts and folks who like whacky adventurers.
I felt that the description of the Demonweb Pits was 'off' - certainly from my memory of the module. I could be wrong however. What I really didn't like was the audible (and story) representation of Lolth and the Fairies sister... Frankly, I think those characters brought the rating down to 4 for me.
Overall, a great series, much recommended for D&D enthusiasts and folks who like whacky adventurers.
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