Rating: 
Summary: Wouldn't appeal to most fantasy fans or BG game players
Review: It neither works as good fantasy fiction for the casual fantasy enthusiast, nor does it utilize the pre-existing environments/story/characters in Bioware's BG game to large-enough degree to satisfy those that played the game (and yes I played, completed and enjoyed Baldur's Gate immensely).My main criticism with the book is that the writer attempted to appeal to both general fantasy readers and players of BG and ended up watering down the story so that neither could appreciate it. In other words, I can't see non-BG players appreciating the sketchiness/flat/ vague/generallness of the way the story is laid out, yet BG players might feel alienated because the writer doesn't stick to the game's story/history enough. The writer tries to place Abdel in so many situations that you feel like the book is a collection of sketches rather than a cohesive whole... Which seque-ways into The story seems more like a sketch/outline than a fully fleshed-out epic. It quickly jumps from one scene to the next with few transistions. It's almost like the author was saying "I had to keep the story within a specific number of pages, yet I assume you all played the game. Thus, I can skip a few chapters/story devices and you'll be able to follow along easily." Some characters/plot-lines are developed and then quickly disposed of or never fleshed out. Why should we care that Sarevok was replacing his own men with Dopplegangers? We never get to see the ramifications of this either way. Why should we care that Xan took so long coming back from the Bandit camp? It builds up to Abdel and Jaheira having to raid the camp to see what happened to their friend when all of a sudden Xan appears and is okay. Whew! That's less fun and adventure for the reader to enjoy. Only 100 pages left to go. I was left thinking/feeling that Baldur's Gate could have been much more. In the end, just about every character in the story dies (Gorion, Sarevok, Xan, Khalid, Montaron, Xzar, Tamoko, Scar, Eltan... makes me wonder how Yeslick got off so lucky) and I was not left caring one way or the other. Still I can respect/appreciate the attempt to bring a computer game into the novel format.
Rating:
Summary: I've never wasted so much time or money in my life.
Review: I can't beleive I bought this book. I'm an AD&D fan to the core, and I've played the game, and loved it. So when I saw the book, I snatched it up with glee. Now I wish I could return it. I didn't even get halfway through the book before I put it down for something more interesting. The only reason I read THAT much of the book was in hopes that it would get better, well, guess what kids, it doesn't. Don't bother.
Rating:
Summary: How much the novel Baldur's Gate suxs
Review: I think the novel is not worth your money. The plot made no sense and kills off almost all the other players in the game except the main Abdel and Jahira. They killed Kaliid<cryes>
Rating:
Summary: Cereal boxes are more entertaining
Review: A larger eyesore at the price of $ I have not seen (or read). Truly, this is one of the most dismal books I have had the misfortune to read in a long time. Im not sure what game this author is refering to, but it surely isnt Baldurs Gate. TSR and the Forgotten Realms license should be ashamed of itself to corrupt its license by publishing this accursed book, out the window it goes.
Rating: 
Summary: So It's Not Classic Literature...
Review: Baldur's Gate is not going to replace the Dark Elf Trilogy on your bookshelf. But it is entertaining for a while, and watching the characters develop is interesting enough. I would place it about even with the Star Wars X-Wing novels. Cheap, pure entertainment for those times when one just doesn't want to think too much.
Rating:
Summary: Have any of you 5 star givers read any OTHER books?
Review: Baldur's Gate was my favorite game of all time, I played constantly. I've been into AD&D since the late 70s. I've read tons of SF and Fantasy books (I have over 200 currently in my possession, many of which I;ve read more than once) I read all of Baldur's Gate since I liked the game so much. The story was vaguely interesting, but the presentation was dismal. The characters and events weren't close enough to the game, whose story was epic and characters quite deep, especially for a PC game. The book took too much liberty with "poetic license," one which should be revoked.
Rating:
Summary: baldurs gate review
Review: this book was ok as far as fantasy is concerned..a lot of hack and slashing
Rating:
Summary: Absolute Drek... I'd rate it lower if I could...
Review: I've read many of the AD&D novels prior to this one. I liked the game and the article in Dragon Magazine interested me enough to pick up this novel even though I'm hesitant to pick up anything based on a computer game (anyone remember the Doom novels?). This sets new standards for the word "suck". I got to within three chapters of the end of the book before I couldn't take it anymore. Don't buy this book unless you need it for burning in your furnace or your pet parakeet desperately needs liner for his cage.
Rating: 
Summary: True to the game, thats all that matters
Review: Ok, i see all these people dissing the book because its not "bright" and "heroic", but, did you people even finish the book??I didnt finish it yet, im on chapter 8, and its the greatest thing ive ever read. IF you played the game thru, and noticed every little nuance the game had, you will love this book, because it is 99.5% similar to the game. It takes alot for me to read in front of the computer, but this book is that interesting. I dont really like to read novels unless i have to either.All im saying is, dont be so quick to diss this book, because its your own fault if you didnt play the game, or else you wouldve enjoyed the book more.
Rating: 
Summary: A fun book that doesn't deserve all the bashing!
Review: I will never understand why people take this so seriously that they could hate a fun, light little book like this so much. I had a ball reading Baldur's Gate. Yeah, the author was stuuck with a "story" that was passingly interesting in the computer game, but I think he did a good job making the most of it. What no one here seems to have noticed is the book's sense of humor. It actually pokes fun at the computer gamne's lame story at times and even the "about the author" in the end shows that he was in it for fun. If you buy a book like this thinking it's going to change your life, you're in trouble anyway. If you like fast-paced hack-and-slash sword & sorcery, you WILL like this book, even if the experience doesn't stack up to this supposedly oh so best of all computer games. Or you can miss out on the fun because some wannabe writer tells you his unpublished materpice is so much better. Get a life!
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