Rating: 
Summary: A Brilliant novel and I don't even roleplay much
Review: I am a person who does'nt roleplay often and I have'nt played much D&D either.I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its many twists and turns. The unusual,loveable characters which also made me laugh particularly Escalla the Fairy and Polk the teamster. The introduction of all the characters was very well done and no matter how distant the Justicar is you can't help but like him. I can't wait to read the second book but I'm sure I'll enjoy ot as much as White Plume Mountain. Keep the books rolling Paul one day you'll be as famous as Stephen King . Read Paul's other books as well they are all brillant and so is he .
Rating:
Summary: An excellent novel!
Review: I bought this book just over a month ago, and since then, I've reread it 4 times! The character combination of the Justicar, Escalla, Cinders and Polk is perfect! This novel is definitely at the top of my reading list for good.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining Novel on It's Own
Review: I don't play any role-playing type games, although I have read several of D&D's novels, mostly in the Forgotten Realms series. Having said that, I must say this is the best adventure novel from D&D, and one of the most entertaining fantasy novels I've read in a long time. The ironic thing is, White Plume Mountain almost seems to be a satire of D&D, if not an outright parody of it. The characters of the Justicar and Polk, are especially earnest, while the author is showing us that he doesn't take them too seriously and neither should we. And the real strength of the book is the characters' interplay. There's a real sense of fun here, while also poking fun at the wholesale manslaughter present in many sword-and-sorcery type novels. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Novel on It's Own
Review: I don't play any role-playing type games, although I have read several of D&D's novels, mostly in the Forgotten Realms series. Having said that, I must say this is the best adventure novel from D&D, and one of the most entertaining fantasy novels I've read in a long time. The ironic thing is, White Plume Mountain almost seems to be a satire of D&D, if not an outright parody of it. The characters of the Justicar and Polk, are especially earnest, while the author is showing us that he doesn't take them too seriously and neither should we. And the real strength of the book is the characters' interplay. There's a real sense of fun here, while also poking fun at the wholesale manslaughter present in many sword-and-sorcery type novels. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.
Rating:
Summary: great book, not terribly "pure" though
Review: I thought this book might be a "pure" telling of an adventure into White Plume Mountain, as in the original AD&D module. Winds up that no, this is 30 years later, AFTER whomever has defeated Keraptis in the module. Still, it incorporates many elements from the original module that leave one feeling nostaligic for the old adventuring days. The prominent use of anachronisms is pretty annoying, as is Escalla's use of terms like "J-man" and such when referring to Justicar - obviously incorporations of modern slang. That's great for Disney movies trying to hook the kiddies in, not so great for AD&D novels trying to hook the hardcore fantasy geeks like me in. Still, the flaws were few and the kudos are many. I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading more of the Greyhawk series.
Rating:
Summary: Newsflash! Greyhawk book actually a good read...
Review: I was dubious of another Greyhawk book after "Against The Giants", but this has proven a worthy purchase. Kidd's style is light, packed with action, wit and... it works! The characters of the Justicar and Escalla are excellent. You get a great sense of their personalities, far more so than most books in the D&D genre. The supporting characters are also particularly well fleshed out (Polk the Teamster, with his adventuring "wisdom" is a delight). It's not often I'll laugh out loud when reading, but it happenned a couple of times during this book, a testament to Kidds' style and handing of the characters. It's not all humor however, some great dungeon-crawling is mixed in and overall the blend of action and humour results in a book that is well worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: Newsflash! Greyhawk book actually a good read...
Review: I was dubious of another Greyhawk book after "Against The Giants", but this has proven a worthy purchase. Kidd's style is light, packed with action, wit and... it works! The characters of the Justicar and Escalla are excellent. You get a great sense of their personalities, far more so than most books in the D&D genre. The supporting characters are also particularly well fleshed out (Polk the Teamster, with his adventuring "wisdom" is a delight). It's not often I'll laugh out loud when reading, but it happenned a couple of times during this book, a testament to Kidds' style and handing of the characters. It's not all humor however, some great dungeon-crawling is mixed in and overall the blend of action and humour results in a book that is well worth a read.
Rating: 
Summary: Nostalgia and mush
Review: I was terribly excited to pick up a novelization of one of my favorite AD&D adventures from once upon a time. Aside from the nostalgia of being reminded of the excitement and fun you had when you originally played this adventure there is nothing notable about this book. The characters are flat and underdeveloped stock archetypes with no surprises at all for an experienced reader. The moody loner who is feared by the world and responds by withdrawing into his own little hostile mind. The quirky and troublesome female who is at first a burden to our hero, but who eventually shows him how to love. It's a sad comment on the quality of character development and storyline when you discover that a sentient fur coat is the most interesting element of the entire book.
So, if you've been away from role-playing for a long while and would like to take a little nostalgic trip down memory lane this book will serve that purpose. But if you're looking for some good fantasy, keep searching.
Rating:
Summary: Nostalgia and mush
Review: I was terribly excited to pick up a novelization of one of my favorite AD&D adventures from once upon a time. Aside from the nostalgia of being reminded of the excitement and fun you had when you originally played this adventure there is nothing notable about this book. The characters are flat and underdeveloped stock archetypes with no surprises at all for an experienced reader. The moody loner who is feared by the world and responds by withdrawing into his own little hostile mind. The quirky and troublesome female who is at first a burden to our hero, but who eventually shows him how to love. It's a sad comment on the quality of character development and storyline when you discover that a sentient fur coat is the most interesting element of the entire book.
So, if you've been away from role-playing for a long while and would like to take a little nostalgic trip down memory lane this book will serve that purpose. But if you're looking for some good fantasy, keep searching.
Rating:
Summary: A funny, well-written adventure
Review: If you are looking for a serious novel of dark, gritty deeds and a tome to study in scholarly fashion for additional Greyhawk lore - well, this isn't your book. Not to say it's not quite enjoyable. The best word to describe White Plume Mountain is, well - funny. I can hear your sharp intake of breath as visions of WG7 and Rose Estes flood your mind. But it's not like that, really - it actually is funny. The first main character are a ranger called "the Justicar". He dresses all in black, shaves his head, has a big sword with the hilt carved like a wolf skull, and takes everything reeeeal seriously. He has with him another character, a sentient hell hound pelt named Cinders. It's intelligent and can breathe fire - in fact, it's pretty much like a hell hound but of better disposition and a lot more floppy. He meets up with a pixie wizardess named Escalla, who has attitude to burn, and their adventure takes them eventually to the fabled White Plume Mountain! The book is well written. It's like a novelization of an actual AD&D character party. The author doesn't bother to change the names of spells or monsters, but treats them with a light hand. (At one point, Escalla lists out her spells to the Justicar, which are all fireballs and magic missiles and the like, and then asks "Do you think I'm too combat heavy?") The combat scenes are better done than any previous Greyhawk novel - for some reason, you can always count off the rounds in combat, especially in Gygax's novels and Against the Giants. These combat scenes are intese but still touched with the light humor throughout - for example, the Justicar is fighting an erinyes who exclaims "I'll get you and your little dog too!" (referring to Cinders of course). My favorite part was when the Justicar and Escalla are saddled with a whole "party" of priests and wizards and so on when they are sent to White Plume Mountain. The group is travelling on foot and is burdened by their heavy loads - the Justicar makes them dump all their gear out, and they are all carrying iron spikes, silver mirrors, lanterns, 50' coils of rope, and 10' poles. "What in the world do you need with a ten foot pole?" asks Escalla. They make them leave the bulk of it behind. The book manages to be engaging and fun without stepping over the line into parody or absurdity.
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