Once Around the Realms (Forgotten Realms)

Rating:
Summary: A review on Once Around the Realms
Review: Athough all Volo's stories tend to be really good to read this one hasn't got the same luck... At a first glance it may look like a good idea, to have a book in which such a charismatic character goes around the map of Faerun, but the book does not take this great chance to show the realm to its readers, and the travel itself gets extremely superficial... To make things worse this story is quite tiresome, as its plot develops quite slowly... If you like Volo, VERY MUCH, then you should buy, otherwise I wouldn't suggest it...

Rating:
Summary: Once bitten....
Review: I enjoy the Forgotten Realms, but I suggest to all who also like the realms, avoid this book! Volo has been used in a series of roleplaying aids to help us get to know the realms, and those books have been very successful - they are well written and useful - and weren't written by Brian Thomsen.

Brian steals other people's characters and other people's plots (this could've been called "80 days around the realms") and drags the readers through a series of chance encounters with almost every character ever written about in the realms.

I wish I hadn't finished it, but I wanted to see if the novel had any redeeming features. No, I didn't find any.

Brian, if you are going to inflict us with your writing, at least try to be original!

Rating:
Summary: good or bad
Review: I know that most people dont like how Brian M. Thomsen wights or how his chapters are but the main thing that most inportint is the main point of the story. iam just saying that dont pay that much time worrieing about the bad things and just injoy the book.I gave Once Around the Realms an 4 stars because I thought that this book was well wreiten and has a great ending. the only thing that I regrete is that the book hade to end.

Rating:
Summary: This is a FUN book, read it as such
Review: I suppose it would be inevitable given the nature of the Realms and some of its writers that an attempt would be made at such a parody. The Forgotten Realms has more than its share of jokers compared to Greyhawk, only recently "lightened up" by Paul Kidd, or Dragonlance (okay, you can't take kenders seriously, but they aren't really funny if they weren't kenders, if you know what I mean.) From Danilo Thann by Elaine Cunningham, to Giogi Wyvernspur & Olive Ruskettle created by Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb, to the various cast of the short-lived comic series - crew of the Realm Master, centaur heroes of Waterdeep and of course, Maskar Wands, the Forgotten Realms has somehow a strong element Wodehouse humour which fitted right in amidst the Elminsters, the Zhentarims and Cyrics.

It was only a matter of time before someone in TSR thought of "Around the world in 80 days" and the realms was the perfect setting for it; since it had the undisputable candidate who was just perfect for the job: Volothamp Geddarm, author of Lonely Planet of Toril. The fact there was already published an Atlas for the Forgotten Realms was probably an added bonus.

It must have been a difficult choice of places and people to include, but I suppose the author must have done all right not to get killed by other authors for not including their respective pet characters - no, I'm not mentioning who were left out.

Anyway, the story needed a premise, or to put it another way, the author needed a good reason to send Volo around the world. In the absence of the Reform Club in the realms (I suppose the Stalwart Club would do too, but they did not really have a readily recognisable character with such inclinations), the author had Volo goaded into the challenge by Khelben.

Of course, a Passpout had to be included, and since the name was so recognisable, Brian Thomsen didn't bother to play around with it very much. Together, the intrepid travellers, or at least, one intrepid traveller and his reluctant sidekick (notice Passpout didn't change very much), sought to cover the world ASAP. Which was not soon enough for Volo when he discovered the pact he made somehow interfered with his magical abilities.

Always the veteran traveller, Volo though sought out every opportunity to hasten his journey, always on the look out for alternative modes of transport.

Along the way, besides picking up a couple of fellow travellers, they encounter a variety of characters from the realms (such as Drizzt) and out of the realms; i.e., characters from other fictions reprising their cameo roles. What was fun for people who read widely was spotting these characters, like spotting "Where's Wally?". Read it and see if you can find characters from Les Miserables (Victor Hugo), Count of Monte Cristor (Alexander Dumas), Around the world in 80 days (Jules Verne if course, gotta pay a tribute to him who inspired this book), and others.

Oh, of course, like the journey of Phileas Fogg, there is something *sinister* involved as well, you know, just to add a little more fun into it.

Rating:
Summary: This is a FUN book, read it as such
Review: I suppose it would be inevitable given the nature of the Realms and some of its writers that an attempt would be made at such a parody. The Forgotten Realms has more than its share of jokers compared to Greyhawk, only recently "lightened up" by Paul Kidd, or Dragonlance (okay, you can't take kenders seriously, but they aren't really funny if they weren't kenders, if you know what I mean.) From Danilo Thann by Elaine Cunningham, to Giogi Wyvernspur & Olive Ruskettle created by Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb, to the various cast of the short-lived comic series - crew of the Realm Master, centaur heroes of Waterdeep and of course, Maskar Wands, the Forgotten Realms has somehow a strong element Wodehouse humour which fitted right in amidst the Elminsters, the Zhentarims and Cyrics.

It was only a matter of time before someone in TSR thought of "Around the world in 80 days" and the realms was the perfect setting for it; since it had the undisputable candidate who was just perfect for the job: Volothamp Geddarm, author of Lonely Planet of Toril. The fact there was already published an Atlas for the Forgotten Realms was probably an added bonus.

It must have been a difficult choice of places and people to include, but I suppose the author must have done all right not to get killed by other authors for not including their respective pet characters - no, I'm not mentioning who were left out.

Anyway, the story needed a premise, or to put it another way, the author needed a good reason to send Volo around the world. In the absence of the Reform Club in the realms (I suppose the Stalwart Club would do too, but they did not really have a readily recognisable character with such inclinations), the author had Volo goaded into the challenge by Khelben.

Of course, a Passpout had to be included, and since the name was so recognisable, Brian Thomsen didn't bother to play around with it very much. Together, the intrepid travellers, or at least, one intrepid traveller and his reluctant sidekick (notice Passpout didn't change very much), sought to cover the world ASAP. Which was not soon enough for Volo when he discovered the pact he made somehow interfered with his magical abilities.

Always the veteran traveller, Volo though sought out every opportunity to hasten his journey, always on the look out for alternative modes of transport.

Along the way, besides picking up a couple of fellow travellers, they encounter a variety of characters from the realms (such as Drizzt) and out of the realms; i.e., characters from other fictions reprising their cameo roles. What was fun for people who read widely was spotting these characters, like spotting "Where's Wally?". Read it and see if you can find characters from Les Miserables (Victor Hugo), Count of Monte Cristor (Alexander Dumas), Around the world in 80 days (Jules Verne if course, gotta pay a tribute to him who inspired this book), and others.

Oh, of course, like the journey of Phileas Fogg, there is something *sinister* involved as well, you know, just to add a little more fun into it.

Rating:
Summary: Ha! You call this a novel?!
Review: NONONONONO! You cannot, let me repeat NOT! make a bestseller fantasy novel by taking all the popular characters and settings of Faerun, putting them into a cauldron, closing your eyes, stirring energetically and preying. What comes out is this: A brief look at the "world" by a know-it-all Volo and a miserable Passepout. This story is so ridiculous, I won't even go into it! Mr. Thomson, no offense, but if you want to seriously sell some books you will either have to a) Have a good name and reputation even though your writing stinks (like Ed Greenwood)

b) Or be a really good writer, weave fascinating plots in fascinating settings and be able to give your your story and your characters heart! (like Elaine Cunningham)

Till then, how about becoming a chef and selling your delicious Realms stew?

Divination

Rating:
Summary: Paperback bound bathroom tissue!
Review: The book starts out OK. Volo gets stuck with a lazy travelling companion and he is thrown into a world tour adventure that promises all kinds of action in the different cultures and climates of Toril. But although the adventurers travel through all sorts of places the author moves too fast and does a poor job of using the rich variety of cultures that we all know FR has. The author then tries to keep the reader interested throwing at him many well known FR heroes to help out Volo and his friends.

Volo himslef is well depicted in the book. But the travelling companions were not a good supporting cast. The special appearences by the FR heroes leave an even worse impression.

Rating:
Summary: Great Guide To Forgotten Realms
Review: This isn't just one of the worst Forgotten Realms books , it's one of the Worst books period! That was money and time that I will never get back. I'm surprised Mr. Thomsen hasn't been sued for plagiarism. This is a total disgrace. Stealing "Around the word in 80 days" and attempting some pathetic intergration with the campaign guide. I'm not sure if it's just the writers ineptitude or the publisher trying to swindle us. In either case they both should be ashamed of themselves. I only wish Amazon would let me rate this in the negatives. I'd give it - 10 stars. Save your self some pain and skip this garbage.

Rating:
Summary: Great Guide To Forgotten Realms
Review: You can always have a map of a place in Forgotten Realms, but you can't compare it to this book. Once around the realms tells a tale of great journeys and also gives you inside info on the places and people located in FR. Travel with the Great Volo and the Famous Passepout from Waterdeep to Kara-Tun and back.

It's great fun to read even if you all ready now everything about FR.