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The Esfah Sagas #1
Rise & Fall of the Obsidian Grotto
A devious elder monster allies with the lava elves of the Obsidian Grotto. She promises to provide an elven general with arcane weapons to throw down their dwarven enemies, and also the support of a black magic wielding cult hidden within the Nhur-Gale Forest. General Shedakor assumes that any bargain with such a dark creature would extract a high cost... but can he afford to pay it? Meanwhile, on the far side of Esfah. An elven hero from the northern coasts embarks on a mission to protect his home from the goblins of Brackishomme swamp. But Davian Whisperwynd is prone to rash vows and the gods will not release the adventurer from a promise to lay down his an oath that complicates things when he promises a beautiful enchanter that he will retrieve an item from the lair of the Death god himself. Neither knows it, but the gods of fate have interlinked their destinies.
In the mid 1990s there was one fantasy RPG that ruled them D&D, of which Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and many other books and gaming worlds were a part of. It's publisher, TSR, created another gaming world that won Game of the Year in 1995. That world was Esfah.
In eons past, when time was young and creation malleable, the four powers of Nature - earth, air, fire, and water - the children of Nature, gods in their own rights, brought forth two races of beings to care for their fledgling world of Esfah, created by the all-father, Tarvenehl. One race, the Selumari or coral elves, was created to husband the fluid forces of air and water. The other race, the Vagha, a dwarvish race, embodied the stability of earth and the tempering power of fire. Together, these two peoples worked to nurture their infant world into something glorious and beautiful... but then another god revealed Death...
In the mid 1990s there was one fantasy RPG that ruled them D&D, of which Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and many other books and gaming worlds were a part of. It's publisher, TSR, created another gaming world that won Game of the Year in 1995. That world was Esfah.
In eons past, when time was young and creation malleable, the four powers of Nature - earth, air, fire, and water - the children of Nature, gods in their own rights, brought forth two races of beings to care for their fledgling world of Esfah, created by the all-father, Tarvenehl. One race, the Selumari or coral elves, was created to husband the fluid forces of air and water. The other race, the Vagha, a dwarvish race, embodied the stability of earth and the tempering power of fire. Together, these two peoples worked to nurture their infant world into something glorious and beautiful... but then another god revealed Death...
- GenresFantasy
268 pages, Paperback
Published May 24, 2020
About the author
Christopher D. Schmitz
134 books254 followersChristopher D Schmitz is the author of fiction and nonfiction as well as a regular blogger.
Following completion of his first fantasy novel in the early 2000s he began working on lots of short fiction in order to refine his craft and went on to publish many pieces from 1,000-15,000 words in a variety of genres and outlets as writing exercises. Putting fiction away for a while, he pursued post-graduate work where he received a new appreciation for nonfiction, wrote Why Your Pastor Left, and then returned to his love for fiction, writing several new books.
Schmitz attained a Biblical Studies degree and a Youth Ministry minor from Trinity Bible College in 2003 and went on to gain a Masters of Arts in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 2014.
Other: he is generally known as a decent guitarist and played/sang in a rock band for several years. Schmitz is also an ungraded bagpipe player and has been known to pop up in random places and play them--sometimes while dressed as a pirate... because normal is boring.
Following completion of his first fantasy novel in the early 2000s he began working on lots of short fiction in order to refine his craft and went on to publish many pieces from 1,000-15,000 words in a variety of genres and outlets as writing exercises. Putting fiction away for a while, he pursued post-graduate work where he received a new appreciation for nonfiction, wrote Why Your Pastor Left, and then returned to his love for fiction, writing several new books.
Schmitz attained a Biblical Studies degree and a Youth Ministry minor from Trinity Bible College in 2003 and went on to gain a Masters of Arts in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 2014.
Other: he is generally known as a decent guitarist and played/sang in a rock band for several years. Schmitz is also an ungraded bagpipe player and has been known to pop up in random places and play them--sometimes while dressed as a pirate... because normal is boring.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 27, 2021
Rise and Fall of the Obsidian Grotto blends the Dragondice game with an action-packed storyline. I enjoyed this and was reminded of my love for the game. Sadly I feel that those unfamiliar with the game may be turned off rather than dragged into the game. I felt this was a bit of a fan service, where those outside the fandom may have a harder time.
The story itself blends a bit of the old with some new. There are some loose ends from a previous series that get attention, so readers without that past knowledge may also struggle. We have an action-packed fantasy saga that's geared towards a very specific group of readers.
The story itself blends a bit of the old with some new. There are some loose ends from a previous series that get attention, so readers without that past knowledge may also struggle. We have an action-packed fantasy saga that's geared towards a very specific group of readers.
July 15, 2020
This novel is based on the game Dragon Dice and ties into the game so well, bringing the world to life!
The story itself is fantastic and had me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens next. It was amazing seeing the different characters' motives and faults, and how that drove the flow and pace of the story. Chris also added so many creative and fitting elements of how the gods and the beings in the world interact and conflict with each other.
He also does a fantastic job of setting up just enough background story in almost a mini-story kind of way and weaves some of the background stories throughout the book.
Great author. Fantastic fictional universe. Incredible story!
The story itself is fantastic and had me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens next. It was amazing seeing the different characters' motives and faults, and how that drove the flow and pace of the story. Chris also added so many creative and fitting elements of how the gods and the beings in the world interact and conflict with each other.
He also does a fantastic job of setting up just enough background story in almost a mini-story kind of way and weaves some of the background stories throughout the book.
Great author. Fantastic fictional universe. Incredible story!
July 2, 2024
Overall there was a ton of action happening in this book. I listened to it so that might be my issue but it was hard for me to keep one person to another straight and I also would become confused about the regions and races from time to time. There were several times I thought it was from the perspective of one character to later realize it was someone else. That aside it was interesting and the fights were epic! I may have to go back and try to find an ebook version at some point, see if I have better luck.
March 31, 2021
An AWESOME book set on a forgotten sadly...game played with dragondice...the world and lore are incredible in depth the histories the wars and races I highly recommend this to fantasy readers to rediscover this rich universe
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews