Lure of the Basilisk - Lawrence Watt-Evans Book Review

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Review Summary

Garth, an Overman of the Far North, is directed by an oracle to the town of Skelleth to speak with the Forgotten King, a decrepit, ancient wizard, who can help him achieve his desire for eternal fame. The king tells Garth that to win fame, he must capture and show to the Forgotten King the first living thing he finds in the crypts of Mormoreth.

Garth journeys to Mormoreth on his warbeast Koros, and on the way there is waylaid by bandits, who he defeats in battle and from whom he gains magical treasures that will help him defeat the wizard Shang, whom the bandits tell him is the ruler of the citty of Mormoreth. At the gates of Mormoreth, he meets Shang, who tells him that he may pass, but must not bring the creature, a deadly basilisk, outside the gates.

Garth journeys to the crypts, and through his ingenuity captures the basilisk, which he brings back to Skelleth, but unfortunately, the baron wants the basilisk for himself, and thus Garth attempts to recapture it.
Steve Arthur, Resident Scholar

Detailed literary breakdown of Lure of the Basilisk

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%

Tone of book - cynical or dry-wit
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - roaming fantasy world, battling hostile monsters
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male Alien
Profession/status: - warrior/knight
Age: - long lived adults
Eccentric: Yes - eccentric - obsessed - wild
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - magical being
Age: - 60's-90's
Profession/status: - mage/magician
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can cast all sorts of spells
Eccentric: Yes - obsessed
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - healthy but a geeky weakling

Setting
Terrain - Mountains
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Most similar books to Lure of the Basilisk
Dark Moon by David Gemmell
The Mapping of Markesh by Paul Tonks
The Wizard by Gene Wolfe
New Spring by Robert Jordan
The Lair of Bones by David Farland

Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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