Dungeon Party

A tabletop role-playing group faces its greatest foe yet when a former member seeks revenge for his character’s death in this slow-paced, slice-of-life novel. Gastil (Gray Matters) explores the drama of a Dungeon Lords group led by the reclusive 30-something Alan Crandall, splicing the group’s interpersonal politics with their in-game adventures in the fictional Mythos. After Alan kills off the character played by narcissistic and unkempt Randall Keller, Randall quits the group and plots to ruin their chances at a Dungeon Lords tournament. Meanwhile, Alan recruits the group’s first female members, Maya Washington and Brianna Langdon, to replace Randall; the pair breathe fresh life into the world of Mythos and make the group a major contender in the tournament. But Randall’s plan jeopardizes both goodwill within the gaming community and the health of the players. While Gastil successfully captures the feeling of long gaming sessions and explores the diverse world of tabletop gaming, the lengthy in-game passages lack specificity and have little impact on the real-world plot or characters, dragging down the pace. Veteran Dungeons and Dragons players will enjoy the premise, but long for more excitement. [em](Nov.) [/em]