Well, my PlayStation 3 has succumbed to the infamous Yellow Light of Death. Dead, dead, deadsky. My Skyrim disc is trapped inside, so I will have to disassemble the machine to rescue my disc. (Before you say, "but that will void the warranty," I'll just mention that I bought the PS3 used and so I have no warranty.) My save files are, of course, toast. Nothing survives the YLOD. Rest in peace, Sekhmet the Khajiit Warrior Librarian, Level 51, and Wemi the Dwemer-Obsessed Argonian Mage, Level 32.
For now, reading the Dovahkiin Gutenberg on my Nook will have to satisfy my Skyrim cravings.
On to the latest batch of reviews . . .
The Battle of Red Mountain and the Rise and Fall of the Tribunal
This is an interesting history of how the Chimer became the Dunmer, and how the Dwemer came to vanish from the face of Nirn. It is presented a transcript of a historic speech by Vivec (a familiar name in Skyrim, and one of the main characters of the 2920 series), with commentary added by an unknown scribe. It provides a fair amount of worthwhile backstory in a decently readable package. It's not one I'd go back to re-read often, but it's worthwhile.
Three stars.
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The Battle of Sancre Tor
This is a brief account of one of the great victories of Talos, aka Tiber Septim. It reads like a textbook, albeit a decently well-written one. It's the kind of story that would have done nicely if expanded into a multi-volume epic like 2920 or The Real Barenziah, but as it is, it's not the most dynamic telling. It's enjoyable enough, though, even as is.
Three stars.
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The Bear of Markath: The Crimes of Ulfric Stormcloak, by Arrianus Arius, Imperial Scholar
The title and author's affiliation make the bias of this text readily apparent. The primary aim is to cast a shadow over anything positive the reader may have heard about Ulfric Stormcloak, and generally to make the Forsworn seem like they weren't really all that bad. The secondary aim is a sort of apology, presumably directed at the Aldmeri Dominion and their allies, for the Empire having granted Ulfric's people permission to worship Talos, in violation of the treaty between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion. In the end, this book comes across as a "CYA" move on behalf of the Empire.
Two and a half stars.
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Beggar Prince: The Story of Wheedle and his Gifts from the Daedric Lord Namira
Ah, here's the kind of story that reminds me of why I'm reading all of these Skyrim books. It is the kind of tale that should be told around a roaring campfire or in an alehouse. It is a cautionary tale against making deals with demons--er, Daedra. It is also the story of how a blessing can turn out to be a curse, and a curse can turn out to be a blessing.
Four and a half stars.
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Biography of Barenziah, see here.
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Biography of the Wolf Queen, see here.
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The Black Arrow, by Gorgic Guine
This two-volume set is a delight, a lovely tale of cruelty rewarded with rogue justice, with a little mystery on the side and an ending satisfying both in terms of content and storytelling technique. My only quibble is a reference to "a single black bolt of ebony," meaning the arrow for which the story is titled. Bows shoot arrows. Crossbows shoot bolts. Since the weapon in question was not a crossbow, referring to the missile as a bolt is an error. But that's a minor flaw in an otherwise highly engaging story.
Four and a half stars. Would have been five if it had said "shaft of ebony" instead of "bolt."
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The Black Arts On Trial, by Hannibal Traven, Archmagister of the Arcane University, Imperial City
Another veiled critique of academia, in the vein of The Alduin/Akatosh Dichotomy. This is a well-handled debate over the merits versus the impropriety of the study of necromancy. The arguments and counter-arguments swing back and forth very smoothly, making this an enjoyable and interesting read.
Four stars.
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The Black Star: An Achievement of Magic over Daedra, by Malyn Varen, Master Enchanter
I have little to say about this short text, as it is merely an informational supplement to one of the game's quests. If you're doing The Black Star quest, you'll want to read The Black Star book. If not, probably not. It doesn't really have a story; it's the journal of a coherent, articulate madman.
Two stars.
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Boethiah's Glory
I'm not certain, but at 88 words this might be the shortest book in the game. Those 88 words are creepy in the extreme. This is one of the few books I've come across in the game that has a unique picture on the cover, and so it looks great laying on a table in your in-game house. It's worth acquiring just for that, even if you have no intention of doing the Bothiah's Calling quest.
Three and a half stars.
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The Book of Daedra
If, like me, you have trouble keeping all those pesky Daedric Princes straight, this is the book for you. It's like a Who's Who list, or perhaps a field guide. Either way, it's a handy reference tome to have around.
Four stars.
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The Book of the Dragonborn, by Prior Emelene Madrine, Order of Talos, Weynon Priory
You find this book during the opening sequence of the game, in the torturer's room. Pick it up and hang on to it until your character can afford to buy a house, because with the unique cover, this book makes a cool decoration.
As for the content of the book, it's informative and provides a lot of useful background information on the gameworld, and what it means for your player-character to be dragonborn. The prophecy at the end is interesting, and I am certain that it will be important to the plot by the end of the game. (I don't know, because I never finished the game. I enjoyed tromping all over Skyrim, exploring caves and keeps, and scrupulously avoiding anything that might trigger the progression of the main plotline. Whenever I get a new PS3, I'll be starting over with a new character, so I expect it will be a long, long time before I see the end of the game.) It seems to me that this book serves a useful function in the game, but doesn't stand alone outside of the context of the game.
Three stars.
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Bravil: Daughter of the Niben, by Sathyr Longleat
This is a narrative of the history of the town of Bravil, a particular statue there, and the woman who became the town's legendary Lucky Old Lady. It's the kind of thing one might read in a travel guide. It's actually quite interesting and well written. Not essential reading, but worthwhile and enjoyable.
Three and a half stars.
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Breathing Water, by Haliel Myrm
This is a great story horribly marred by one recurring error, and that is the frequent and consistent use of breath as a verb. Breath is a noun. The verb is breathe. One may breathe and one may take a breath. Every time I ran across the phrase "to breath water" I wanted to take a red pen to my screen (which of course would have damaged the screen horribly).
If you can get past that error, the tale told is actually quite good. It is engaging and clever, with a nice zinger at the end. I do recommend reading it.
Three stars. (Would have been four if someone had simply corrected breath to breathe.)
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A Brief History of the Empire, by Stronach k'Thojj III, Imperial Historian
This four-volume set is as advertized, a history textbook about the Empire from its founding by Tiber Septim until the reign of Uriel Septim VII. That means it is a few centuries out of date, as far as the current events in Skyrim are concerned. If you are interested in the history of the gameworld, do read this text. It's your best one-stop-shopping place for all of the Pelagiuses, Uriels, and other Imperial rulers. If you're having trouble keeping them straight, and if you care enough to want to, this is your essential text.
That said, it is written like a textbook. It is well edited and coherent, but deathly boring. Although it covers several exciting historical events, it does so in that history-textbook way of glossing over the interesting stuff in favor of bombarding the reader with names and dates. I'm sure that's exactly what the author (the real author, not Stronach k'Thojj III) intended: to create the textbook that schoolchildren all over the Empire would be forced to read and despise.
Two and a half stars.
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The Brothers of Darkness, by Pellarne Assi
This brief history text provides a little background on the Dark Brotherhood's ascent (or descent, if you prefer) from obscure cult to untouchable assassins guild. There's really not much to say about this book. It's decently written, but not especially exciting. If you're playing an assassin, you might find it interesting. If you're not, you might not.
Two and a half stars.
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The Buying Game, by Ababael Timsar-Dadisun
This is general advice on buying, selling, and negotiating prices, much of which can't actually be used in gameplay because trade happens automatically based on your speech skill. However, it is very interesting, and it highlights some of the cultural differences between the races in Skyrim. It's a short book, but worth reading.
Three stars.
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Note: I am not connected to Bethesda in any way, and no one asked me to do these reviews. I am doing this purely for my own fun, as time allows. I don't have an agenda, other than the joy of reading and writing. If I panned your favorite Skyrim book, sorry. If I gave five stars to one you thought was awful, also sorry. These are my opinions and mine alone. You're entitled to your own.
Read these books within the game Skyrim, on The Elder Scrolls Wiki or on the Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages, or download the Dovahkiin Gutenberg.
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