N19: Quag Keep by Andre Norton

Book Review!

N19: Quag Keep by Andre Norton

In 1976 Andre Norton played in a game of Dungeons and Dragons with Gary Gygax, after which she wrote the novel Quag Keep (published in 1978). The book includes characters involved in a version of the Greyhawk setting, on the world of Oerth. Thus, in a way, the inclusion of this author and text in “Appendix N” exists as a somewhat self-serving entry. When I found out about this book and read it years ago I experienced one of the greatest disappointments of my life. I kid you not; I expected this tale to reveal information about Gygax’s original campaign, but instead I found a story with little plot movement, weak dialogue, and 4th-wall breaking meta-items that caused me to shake my head in disapproval.

The Good

*This book provides a small glimpse into a version of the 1976 Greyhawk campaign, but not much of one.

The Bad

*My least favorite fantasy trope serves as the primary concept here: people from the modern setting ended up on a fantasy world.

*Some of the dialogue sounded atrocious.

*I disliked the plot so much that I literally forced myself to finish the book.

D&D Connections & Inspirations

*The book includes locations from Oerth, but never says anything of worth about them.

*Monsters, wizards, and magic items exist in the story.

Overall

With no offense to Andre Norton, I give the work a 1/10 rating; Norton wrote other literature that stands out as much better than this strange meta-RPG novel.