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Dungeons & Dragons Iconic Series #4
City of Fire
The fourth novel based on the new edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game.
In the sands of a great desert, a once-heroic paladin has turned to evil and enlisted an army of gnolls to help retrieve a powerful relic, reputed to be kept in the vaults of the City of Fire. If they find it, the world will never again be at peace.
Can a party of four stop an army of hundreds?
In the sands of a great desert, a once-heroic paladin has turned to evil and enlisted an army of gnolls to help retrieve a powerful relic, reputed to be kept in the vaults of the City of Fire. If they find it, the world will never again be at peace.
Can a party of four stop an army of hundreds?
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
8 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
T.H. Lain
16 books9 followersT.H. Lain was a collective pseudonym used by nine separate authors writing under Wizards of the Coast's Dungeons & Dragons novels imprint.
According to Peter Archer, WotC's Director of Publishing, the decision to credit the Dungeons & Dragons novels to just one author was made to ensure they would be shelved together, as well as to spark a certain measure of curiosity and speculation as to T.H. Lain's identity. However, it was already obvious to many from the stylistic differences between volumes that Lain's output was the work of many authors rather than one.
In December 2003, WotC formally announced the nine authors whose work was published under the T.H. Lain name.
According to Peter Archer, WotC's Director of Publishing, the decision to credit the Dungeons & Dragons novels to just one author was made to ensure they would be shelved together, as well as to spark a certain measure of curiosity and speculation as to T.H. Lain's identity. However, it was already obvious to many from the stylistic differences between volumes that Lain's output was the work of many authors rather than one.
In December 2003, WotC formally announced the nine authors whose work was published under the T.H. Lain name.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 25, 2012
4 stars? Ok little high here because this novel can't be compare with other classic or big hit 4 stars
So why? Simply because I like hit and it was the best of the books wrote by the authors under T.H. Lain. It got all what a 180 pages book should have: Good action, live character and quick plot no longer than a few days.
It's like a classic D&D session, they start with a contract chasing raiding orcs and finished in another plane. Characters let the action speak for them self: the ranger acts like one, not just easy cliche like so many short stories who give description inside the rule book.
Character are not really mighty, they're afraid of orcs and gnolls (in most books heroes are always against 10 gnolls to be challenged). They even ambushed them something you don't see often in D&D books
Another good point are magical items, I hate when they appears from nowhere in short novel and become the main reason the heroes beat the villain. Yes, they gain some items but they don't break the flow of the story... accept one that make sure the story will continue in another book :)
So nothing mind blasting or to remember all your life, simply a good 180 pages for a quick easy read.
Hard to get something like deep for this size you keep that in mind if you think to read this.
So why? Simply because I like hit and it was the best of the books wrote by the authors under T.H. Lain. It got all what a 180 pages book should have: Good action, live character and quick plot no longer than a few days.
It's like a classic D&D session, they start with a contract chasing raiding orcs and finished in another plane. Characters let the action speak for them self: the ranger acts like one, not just easy cliche like so many short stories who give description inside the rule book.
Character are not really mighty, they're afraid of orcs and gnolls (in most books heroes are always against 10 gnolls to be challenged). They even ambushed them something you don't see often in D&D books
Another good point are magical items, I hate when they appears from nowhere in short novel and become the main reason the heroes beat the villain. Yes, they gain some items but they don't break the flow of the story... accept one that make sure the story will continue in another book :)
So nothing mind blasting or to remember all your life, simply a good 180 pages for a quick easy read.
Hard to get something like deep for this size you keep that in mind if you think to read this.
September 18, 2016
This book had potential, but ended up dissapointing. Maybe im just a tough critic, but i didnt feel anything for the people that died. In a few pages there was talk of women in the nude, this propably to entice the young minds (or old) and imagination of the readers. It wasnt a bad book but it wasnt great either.
October 1, 2023
Based on the main characters from the D&D Third Edition Handbook, this book features the half-orc barbarian Krusk, the human fighter Regdar, and the human paladin Alhandra. A fairly standard adventure with some interesting spots and a hint of romance (maybe?).
August 2, 2020
A fun little read.
October 9, 2024
Interestingly enough, the book tries to be mechanically similar to D&D 3e, and after a quick approximation of experience, if we assume the party to be level 4 at the start, the encounters they experience would net them 5th level by the end of the book. The book also references magic items and specific spells in the narrative so you can follow along and estimate the effectiveness of the party.
A quick and short little novel, fun enough by itself, but even more fun for this sort of read-through as well.
A quick and short little novel, fun enough by itself, but even more fun for this sort of read-through as well.
December 19, 2022
Another in Lain' series of short novels based in the D&D universe, A
desperate race to deny access to evil by closing the way to the city of fire.Watch the race and see what good is up against, I like how Pains books can be finished in a night or two of reading,and how he doesn't disappoint in the action part either.
desperate race to deny access to evil by closing the way to the city of fire.Watch the race and see what good is up against, I like how Pains books can be finished in a night or two of reading,and how he doesn't disappoint in the action part either.
January 20, 2020
The best one in the series so far. I love that 2 characters from the first book come back for this one. I thought the 10 of these books were all independent of one another, but i was completely wrong. they have all been connected in very subtle ways.
May 19, 2020
best of the series
June 25, 2021
Sometimes you just want a quick little adventure, instead of a sweeping epic. That's what this is. It's my candy,and better than the others in this series I've read.
November 16, 2015
Regdar and Naull return to the pages of Dungeon & Dragons (see The Savage Caves) in City of Fire. I liked the fact that some characters that were introduced a couple of books back have returned for another stint. As for some of the new characters, at first I thought . . . maybe . . .Alhandra was the evil paladin. I was wrong, and I was glad as I enjoyed her character and wanted her to remain on the side of good.
As for the half-orc, Krusk, I found that I also enjoyed this new character. He is the kind of the strong-silent type who carries a big axe and doesn't mix words with action. Ya gotta love that. City of Fire also introduces gnolls, which I have known about for many years, but have never seen in a book. It was interesting to get to know another race from the realm of fantasy a little more intimately.
Overall, City of Fire moves along at a good pace and is an great edition to the Dungeon & Dragons series. I look forward to my next D&D book.
I rated this book an 8 out of 10.
As for the half-orc, Krusk, I found that I also enjoyed this new character. He is the kind of the strong-silent type who carries a big axe and doesn't mix words with action. Ya gotta love that. City of Fire also introduces gnolls, which I have known about for many years, but have never seen in a book. It was interesting to get to know another race from the realm of fantasy a little more intimately.
Overall, City of Fire moves along at a good pace and is an great edition to the Dungeon & Dragons series. I look forward to my next D&D book.
I rated this book an 8 out of 10.
January 28, 2012
I really enjoyed this adventure set within the realm of Dungeons and Dragons. The characters were well-developed for such a short novel. Getting inside of the head of the wizard Naull was interesting, particularly in light of her final destiny. The Paladin was noble and good, as a Paladin should be. I particularly liked the Half-Orc Krusk. From the opening pages when he is introduced I found him an interesting character. And finally, the two gnolls, who hunt our brave protaganists, are developed in such a way that I actually rooted for them a bit during the final battle. For such a short book, that's quite a lot of characters to care about.
March 15, 2021
City of Fire by T. H. Lain written in 2001. It was one of several small books printed by the writer. This book is a small adventure pick up from a game play. It was satisfactory. Nothing exceptional in any way. Easily forgotten.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews