The Last Garrison: A Dungeons & Dragons Novel

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

The Last Garrison: A Dungeons & Dragons Novel

2.86 of 5 stars 2.86 · rating details · 21 ratings · 9 reviews

Bringing the world of Dungeons & Dragons® alive for gamers and fans, Matthew Beard has written a novel that will appeal to a broad range of fantasy readers: it is epic sword and sorcery with equal measure style and substance.

From the Paperback edition.

Paperback, 320 pages

Published December 6th 2011 by Wizards of the Coast

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 38)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Apr 28, 2012 John Ottinger rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sometimes, pure escapism is all I ask from a book. When The Last Garrison by Matthew Beard arrived at my doorstep, I knew this was what I needed as a brain break from the difficult texts I was reading for my MA degree courses. So I set to reading it in my few spare moments. One the one hand, I was pleased the book asked little of my over-weary brain. On the other, I was able to see how the straightforward story may disenchant a reader in a day and age when Game of Thrones is the bestselling fant...more

like · see review

Jan 27, 2012 Rob rated it 1 of 5 stars

The Last Garrison is author Matthew Beard's first published novel and it shows, the plot is predictable and the characters range from generic to painful.

At the start of the book we're introduced to Nergei, one of the worst protagonists i've ever read. Nergei is so painfully awkward and self doubting that i found myself groaning and rushing through any section he was featured in. I would have honestly rather had the obnoxiously cliche bully, Kohel for a primary character.

The actual plot of the bo...more

like · see review

Jan 26, 2012 Nicholas rated it 4 of 5 stars

Overall this novel by Mr. Beard was very enjoyable. At times it was a page turner but I did feel it fell short with some character development.

Through the coarse of reading I found myself wondering if there would be additional novels to delve into some of the stories eluded to by the characters as well as a continuation of what happened in Haven after the resolution beyond what the epilogue explored. I felt left hanging at the end, wanting to know more of Nergei and Luzhon growth and possible re...more

like · see review

Dec 21, 2011 Edward Pease rated it 5 of 5 stars

Readers of other novels in the Dungeons and Dragons line will find another excellent author to follow in Wizards of the Coast's growing catalog of excellent authors. Matthew follows the standard format of the genre well and yet manages to keep the story and the characters interesting. My only complaint would be that they cast of characters might have been too large for Matthew to handle and develop adequately, but the most important characters are well fleshed out and provide excellent hooks for...more Readers of other novels in the Dungeons and Dragons line will find another excellent author to follow in Wizards of the Coast's growing catalog of excellent authors. Matthew follows the standard format of the genre well and yet manages to keep the story and the characters interesting. My only complaint would be that they cast of characters might have been too large for Matthew to handle and develop adequately, but the most important characters are well fleshed out and provide excellent hooks for future novels.

If you have never read a book of this genre, I think that you will find an interesting and exciting entrance to the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons.

Set in the world of Nerath, the novel follows an unlikely band of heroes on their quest to protect the remote mountain village of Haven from Kenku marauders, ravenlike humanoids.

After the Kenku make themselves known by attacking some villagers, the decision is made by the village council to send a small group of villagers, comprised mostly of teenagers, to find mercenaries in “the city.” There they find an aging, former captain of the fallen, human empire of Nerath, who agrees to help them in finding more warriors to free Haven from the winged threat.

The plot will be very familiar to readers of other books in the genre, young inexperienced characters are paired to find help, discover older washed-up heroes/mentors in unexpected forms, discover more unexpected allies, fight original threat, discover additional previously hidden threats, book ends with the potential of further novels. It is a format that Wizards of the Coast (the book's publisher) is great at especially in the Dungeons and Dragons game line. This book follows the format while providing enough character development and plot twists to keep the reader interested.

The characters were a mixed bag though. Many readers will easily identify with the main character, Nergei, a young apprentice/servant of the village's powerful warlock protector. Nergei doesn't have the talents or skills others in the village value and being isolated in the Warlock's tower has caused him to have low self-esteem. He feels powerless and inconsequential to the village around him, even though he fantasizes of a better future with Luzhon, a beautiful, young, and strong girl, who is outside of Nergei's social status. While many of the characters are developed well, we are often told about the characters' back stories and drives rather than shown. This method of development was necessary with the huge cast of characters, as the “adventuring party” ranges from four to fifteen, but leaves a lot to be desired.

The novel is pretty good. It wasn't a break-out best seller type of novel, but I suspect that Matthew will only improve as an author and story teller. The action is well-written and kept me turning pages, staying up far too late several nights. I kept wanting to know how the heroes and the village would fare.
(less)

like · see review

Jan 02, 2012 Matthew rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is Matthew Beard’s first (published) novel and it shows a bit in the writing early on, but as the novel progresses, there are many details and plot surprises that make this a worthwhile read. The beginning of this novel shows the most growing pains for the new author, with some clunky writing as the story gets going. The book doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be, feeling like a YA fantasy book in parts, but tossing in some R-rated bits and pieces that might not be appropriate for younge...more This is Matthew Beard’s first (published) novel and it shows a bit in the writing early on, but as the novel progresses, there are many details and plot surprises that make this a worthwhile read. The beginning of this novel shows the most growing pains for the new author, with some clunky writing as the story gets going. The book doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be, feeling like a YA fantasy book in parts, but tossing in some R-rated bits and pieces that might not be appropriate for younger readers. I think the intent is for this to be an adult fantasy, but perhaps with broader appeal to teen readers.

The main character, Nergei, is a dumpy warlock’s apprentice who stumbles through much of the novel focused on his infatuation with a pretty young lady from the village. To me, the character seems to stereotyped – we’ve seen this character many times before in fantasy (think Samwell Tarly from George R. R. Martin) – and the cast of minor characters that come on scene after the first 100 pages or so are far more interesting. The story really picks up some steam at this point, after Nergei and a contingent from his village are forced to enlist the help of a group of adventurers from a nearby city. This group does seem like your typical D&D party at first (human fighter, dwarf cleric, elf archer, elf wizard, human monk), but they each have interesting histories that are developed over the course of the novel that make them different and interesting. In fact, one of the greatest strengths of this book is that is veers away from a focus on one main character (Nergei) and spends time developing much of the cast before the end.

A literary agent once said to me, “all that matter in a new fantasy are the details,” and this book does a good job of having just enough different that it’s an interesting read for both D&D fans and people who might want an introduction to the D&D core world. You’ve got Kenku (bird people), Goliaths, assassins of the Raven Queen, and the Old Stargazer – a starpact warlock who is finally close to paying his due to the extraterrestrial forces that have granted him his power his entire life.

I was disappointed at first that the book did not connect in any obvious way to the other D&D core world novels. I feel like some effort could have been made on this end, and even the city they visit is kept intentionally generic so it’s difficult to place this adventure on a map of the world. Still, I was surprised by the additions and connections to the old empire of Nerath at the end of the book, so there are bits of history here for those interested in that type of thing.

The print in this novel is fairly large and it’s a quick read, so if you’re looking for something to read on a plane or over the weekend, this is your book. It’s a fun adventure with enough interesting details to satisfy fans that have read a lot of D&D novels (like myself), but a good introduction to those who haven’t.(less)

like · see review

Dec 21, 2011 Stefan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had a lot of fun reading The Last Garrison. It is a great introduction to Dungeons and Dragons novels and requires no previous knowledge of the game or setting.

The descriptions and imagery were very good, I had no problem visualizing the scenes in perfect detail. Some scenes were so well done that I could actually see and feel the action. A few of the characters really stood out, particularly Nergei, Luzhon, and Sten. I felt a sense of attachment to these characters, Nergei and Luzhon especia...more

like · see review

Mar 10, 2013 David Peak rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first D&D novel I've ever read so I didn't really know what to expect. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the level of writing on display here as well as the grim subject matter and overall maturity of the storytelling.

A recent play-through of Dragon Age Origins inspired me to seek out some fantasy lit. Something about the author's name (seriously, how awesome is the name Beard?) and the cover art drew me to The Last Garrison. The concept is a good one--small mountain v...more

like · see review

May 24, 2012 Taylor rated it 2 of 5 stars

Overall the book was pretty good but I felt it took too long to move the story forward. The story ideas were good and I enjoyed the unique ideas with this. However, I really felt like I was talking to a gamer about how cool their game was. The characters felt a little flat and did not offer much development.

The story was long in the early stages and felt rushed at the end. I would have liked to have had more character development especially for the main character.

like · see review

Feb 20, 2012 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars

Starting off, I have to say that The Last Garrison was a fun, enjoyable read. While it ended up taking me longer to get through, than a book of this size normally would have, the times I was able to crack it open, I often found myself putting in one last chapter. Matt does a solid job setting the mood, and setting to the story. It did not take over description (commonly found in many other writings) to get a visual of Haven, its community, and the challenge that faced them. I liked the pacing an...more Starting off, I have to say that The Last Garrison was a fun, enjoyable read. While it ended up taking me longer to get through, than a book of this size normally would have, the times I was able to crack it open, I often found myself putting in one last chapter. Matt does a solid job setting the mood, and setting to the story. It did not take over description (commonly found in many other writings) to get a visual of Haven, its community, and the challenge that faced them. I liked the pacing and writing style of this story. Often times I find myself winding down at night looking for an easy, “mindless” adventure read that I can be brought along on. Often times in the past, I find myself getting stuck up in over-narrated combat scenes, or long winded descriptions of a local, and found that the scene flow, both in battle, and character dialog in this novel to be a smooth read.
From the stand point of being a player of the game, there was a larger number of characters for the book size, but I felt the characters that needed to be fleshed out, were given enough detail to do so. This may be a different story for those not familiar with the game, or a first time reader of the novels who may not make the connections, may be looking for more back story on some of the lesser “Heroes” of the novel. Removal of a few characters or the addition of a few pages may have given the opportunity to dig deeper in to some of the classes presented for those unfamiliar with the game.

My only big complaint with the book would be getting the opportunity to find out more on Nergei and Luzhon. The story to me personally, had me focused from the beginning on Nergei, growing as a character. I hope down the line that there is an opportunity to revisit them, without it, this part of the original story feels a bit “unfinished”. While we are left with the option to dream up what may have come to be, the time spent growing with them on this adventure makes me want to see what else Matthew may or may not have had in store for them. It almost makes this feel like the end to a table top game where we may not ever know what happens to him.
What I liked:

• Pacing & writing, it was a nice easy read. Enough was given to keep the story flowing. No scenes were overly drawn out.
• Any questions I may have had during the read were all answered by the end of the book
(The mystery of “The Old Star Gazer” and his lack of appearance throughout most of the book coming together.).
• The “avenger” type villain character. The end of the book had me going back to rethink what would have happened has things gone differently for him.

Things to improve on:
• My main gripe would be seeing where the evolvement of Nergei leads him in the future. The story wraps things up for Haven, but not for him, which could have been addressed in an epilogue (now hopefully in another novel or short story collection in the future).

If you want a quick, enjoyable read, I would recommend checking out “The Last Garrison”.

(less)

like · see review

Apr 03, 2013 David Winston marked it as to-read

Nov 28, 2012 Tony White added it

Nov 17, 2012 Jared Judd marked it as to-read

Apr 05, 2013 Adam Maksa added it

Oct 17, 2012 Jayson Summers added it

Oct 01, 2012 Jayson added it

Sep 25, 2012 Jeffrey Pfaller rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sep 22, 2012 Andrew is currently reading it

Sep 09, 2012 Robert Blezard marked it as to-read

Jun 21, 2012 Derek Goodman rated it 2 of 5 stars

Jun 16, 2012 Andrew Miller marked it as to-read

Jun 09, 2012 Alton rated it 1 of 5 stars

May 04, 2012 Stefan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Apr 19, 2012 Loopychicken marked it as to-read

Aug 10, 2012 Levi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 02, 2012 Alan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 02, 2012 Rumo2197 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, forgotten-realms

Mar 28, 2012 Jacob marked it as to-read

Apr 03, 2012 Morgue Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 14, 2012 Dan Wickett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mar 01, 2012 Dean rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dd, fantasy

« previous 1 2 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

Genres

Dungeons And Dragons > Forgotten Realms

2 users

Fantasy

2 users

See top shelves...

Books by Matthew Beard

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About The Last Garrison...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: The Last Garrison: A Dungeons & Dragons Novel
avg rating	preview: The Last Garrison: A Dungeons & Dragons Novel Goodreads rating: 2.86 (21 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12055440-the-last-garrison?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333579348l/12055440.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12055440-the-last-garrison?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Last Garrison: A Dungeons & Dragons Novel by Matthew Beard[/url]

The Last Garrison: A Dungeons & Dragons Novel

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Genres

Books by Matthew Beard

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Last Garrison...

new topic
Discuss This Book