Skyrim Book Reviews, Titles Beginning with L

Well, I haven't reviewed all of the titles beginning with L, but here are a few I wrote way back in September. Then I got busy with schoolwork and work-work, and I didn't have time for recreational reading. And now that I have a little time between semesters, I'm finding myself wanting to read other things.

So even though I didn't even make it halfway through the alphabet, I'm ceasing this Skyrim book review project. If anyone has actually been reading these, I'm sorry to abandon you midstream, but I hope you've enjoyed reading these.

Here are the last few I completed:

Lady Benoch's Words and Philosophy.

I think when you find this book in the game, it is only titled Words and Philosophy. The lady in question was a warrior of renown, and this book was the summary of three interviews with her conducted by the anonymous author. The text could have benefited from some careful editing. There were multiple tense-shifts, which are one of my pet peeves. (For example, one quotation is marked with "she said" and the next with "she says," when they are quoting the same interview.) However, the stories told by Lady Benoch were rather entertaining, especially her recounting of her first face-to-face kill, so the book is worth reading.

Three stars.

--

The Last King of the Ayleids, by Herminia Cinna.

This history text is on the dry and dull side, unfortunately. It's a general overview of the decline of Ayleid power in Cyrodiil during and after the time of Alessia. Only the last paragraph mentions "the last king," and then with so little detail that the reader can not even imagine his role in the battle linked to his name.

Two stars.

--

The Last Scabbard of Akrash, by Tabar Vunqidh.

A blacksmith receives daily visits from a veiled lady. An unknown vigilante dispatches slave-traders. The suspense and mystery may not be strong, but the story is engaging and well-written, with clear and vivid descriptions. It's the details, and the nice way the author brings the tale full circle with no loose ends, that makes this great.

Four stars.

--

The Legendary City of Sancre Tor, by Matera Chapel.

Sancre Tor was Alessia's holy city, which was apparently poorly situated for defense, as it was repeatedly conquered by various enemies. It's a decent overview of the history of this city, but a little on the boring side.

Two stars.

--

The Legendary Scourge.

A disjointed fragment tells of a mace named Scourge, an ebony weapon of Malacath. This seems like it ought to be part of a larger work, and it does not stand well on its own. It does harbor a few nicely turned phrases, though.

Two stars.

--

The Legend of Red Eagle, by Tredayn Dren, Archivist of Winterhold.

This book provides more information about Red Eagle than the player would learn just through completing that subquest. It's also one of the relatively few stories about the native people who lived in Skyrim before the Nords took over. So even though it's just a brief overview, roughly on par with an encyclopedia entry, it's a nice supplement to the game.

Three stars.

--

The Legend of the Krately House, by Baloth-Kul.

This ghost story is presented in script format, requiring a two-story set. The stage directions--especially the lighting directions--create a vivid, spooky ambiance. The sense of suspense holds until the end. I would pay real-life money to see this performed live on stage. Too bad it's so short (well, long for a Skyrim book, but short for a play) that it would be cost-prohibitive to produce.

Five stars.

--

Light Armor Forging, by Revus Sarvani.

I expected this to be as bad as Heavy Armor Forging--it certainly started off just as poorly, seasoned with a smattering of grammar errors. However, this text surprised me with an interesting little story about how the crafting of Elven armor came to be known to non-Elves, which actually made this book worth reading beyond the skill point it awards.

Two and a half stars.

--

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 ScrollsPages, or download the Dovahkiin Gutenberg. 

Skyrim Book Reviews, Titles Beginning with K

Keepers of the Razor: Current Descendants of the Inner Circle.

This book has some useful information if you're doing the Daedric quest to restore Mehrune's Razor. If you're not doing this quest, however, the book isn't worth the time to read. It really is just a list of non-player characters in possession of the various fragments of the weapon. The text does not stand alone.

Two stars.

--

Killing--Before You're Killed, by Eduardo Corvus.

Some game-related battle tactics for melee fighting. Nothing but contempt is given with regards to magic, and nothing whatsoever is given with regards to archery. The advice on using bladed weapons is applicable within the game-world, but probably not in real life. This is the kind of book you open so you can collect the skill point, but you gain little from the actual reading of it.

Two stars.

--

A Kiss, Sweet Mother.

Another quest-related tome, this time for the Dark Brotherhood quest. This very brief text instructs the reader on the sacrificial ritual for summoning the Dark Brotherhood. It is creepy, but offers little substance.

Two stars.

--

The Knights of the Nine, by Karoline of Solitude.

This book can be summarized as, "The Knights of the Nine were awesome. Then they fell from grace and weren't awesome anymore. Then everyone forgot about them." What the book lacks is any particular description of what the Knights of the Nine actually did in order to be held in high regard during their heyday. In other words, the author never explained why the reader should care about the Knights.

One star.

--

Kolb & the Dragon: An Adventure for Nord Boys.

It's a choose-your-own-adventure-style book! Each page sets the scene, with a list of different pages you could turn to next depending on the choice you make. I loved this style of interactive adventure tale when I was a kid, so reading this book was like having a huge corner slice of birthday cake with extra buttercream frosting. The epub version doesn't work so well, even though the compiler was careful to preserve page numbers. However, reading this book in-game was delightful. I had to go through it multiple times, choosing different paths so I could see all the endings. It's a very short and simple tale, of course, but that doesn't lessen the delight. Props to the game developers for even thinking to include a book like this.

Five stars.

--

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 ScrollsPages, or download the Dovahkiin Gutenberg.

Skyrim Book Reviews, Titles Beginning with I and J

I haven't played Skyrim in months. I was craving the wasteland, and made a fresh tour through Fallout 3, and now I'm back in New Vegas. But, after reading quite a lot of nonfiction for work and school, I'm back to reading the Books of Skyrim on my Nook.

Ice and Chitin, by Pletius Spatec.

Set in the time of Tiber Septum, this tale of a daring escape from an enemy army lacks the strong sense of suspense that could have made it truly great. However, it is still a decent story, and competently written. From the title, you might have expected Falmer or Charrus to be a factor, but it actually refers to the scavenged chitin armor that the main characters wear as they flee across the icy landscape.

Three stars.

--

Immortal Blood, by Anonymous.

You find a copy of this book in just about every vampire nest in the entire game. It's capably written and enjoyable, and offers the origin story of Morvarth, whose lair the player may find near the town of Morthal. It's certainly not necessary to read this book to enjoy the quest that starts in Morthal, but it does make the game world richer.

Three and a half stars.

--

Incident at Necrom, by Jonquilla Bothe.

This tale about four adventurers taking on an enclave of vampires suffers from mediocre writing and awkward sentences. It's a shame, because the story is good, and the illusionist is a memorable character.

Three stars.

--

Interviews with Tapestrists, Volume Eighteen: Cherim's Heart of Anequina, by Livillus Perus, Professor at the Imperial University. (Note: the display title of this book when you find it in the game is just Cherim's Heart of Anequina.)

Sounds boring, right? An interview with a weaver of tapestries? Yet Cherim was a warrior in his younger days, and the tapestry named Heart of Anequina depicts a battle. The description of the tapestry is so vivid that the reader can clearly envision the battle scene. The discussion of light versus heavy armor was also quite interesting. This book was a delightful surprise.

Four stars.

--

Invocation of Azura, by Sigillah Parate.

A Dunmer priestess of Azura describes her religious journey. She started off following her family's worship of Molag Bal, lost her faith and moved on to Boethiah, and then on to Nocturnal, and finally found her faith again in Azura. This short book gives a glimpse into the practices of four Daedric Princes and their worshipers.

Three and a half stars.

--

Journal of Gallus Desidenius.

This journal describes Gallus's pursuit of Mercer Frey. The text mentions characters contemporary with the game, such as Karliah and Maul, so I gather that this is tied in with the Thieves Guild questline, which I've never played through. As I lack the game context, I can only judge the book on its literary merit. The author did a nice job of making this seem like a real journal. There is a sense of temporal disconnect between each paragraph, so that even without any dates or other notation of time lapse, the reader can infer that each entry was written on a different day.

Three stars.

--

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 ScrollsPages, or download the Dovahkiin Gutenberg. 

Skyrim Book Reviews, Titles Beginning with H

Hallgerd's Tale, by Tavi Dromio.

Here is another two-layered story. The frame story features three guys chatting about their favorite warriors, and the nested story is the tale told by one of them. Although the setting is completely undefined, from the tone of their banter, I picture these young men hanging around in an alehouse. They seem kind of like frat boys. Do they have beer and pizza in Skyrim? Maybe they're downing mead and sweet rolls.

Because the nested story is presented entirely within Hallgerd's dialogue, it is frequently interrupted with commentary by his two buddies. The tale of a warrior who could move faster in heavy armor than out of it is a bit on the ridiculous side, not to mention rather bawdy, but it is quite entertaining. If you like tall tales spiritedly told, don't miss this one.

Four stars.

--

Hanging Gardens of the Wasten Coridae.These are presented as fragments of an old Dwemer book. Most are not even complete sentences. The phrases are nicely turned, but too disconnected to give a clear impression of anything.

One and a half stars.

--

Harvesting Frostbite Spider Venom.

This seems more like a letter than a book, as the unidentified author is clearly addressing a specific individual he or she has recruited to collect frostbite venom. It's casual, but informative, and it includes a lovely drawing of a frostbite spider biting a warrior's head off.

Three stars.

--

Heavy Armor Forging, by Sven Two-Hammers.

Collect this book for the smithing skill point, but don't bother reading it. It's just a list of what types of ingots are needed to craft various types of armor. It's well written, but terribly dull. If you really want to read about smithing, read Forge, Hammer, and Anvil.

One star.

--

Herbalist's Guide to Skyrim, by Agneta Falia.

Here's a rarity in Skyrim: a book filled with full-color illustrations. These well-done drawings of various alchemy ingredients are accompanied by narrative descriptions of their properties. So you could learn a handful of alchemy recipes from this text. For being both beautiful and practical, this book gets . . .

Five stars.

--

Herbane's Bestiary.

There are three unnumbered volumes in this set: The Ice Wraiths, Dwarven Automatons, and Hagravens. Herbane seems to be a big game hunter. When he hears a tale of a fearsome beast, he is compelled to seek it out and kill it. Though he seems a braggart, he has the mettle to match his mouth. These texts are reasonably informative, as tips useful for gameplay are mixed with some interesting lore. However, awkward sentences, lack of apostrophes in possessives, and a misspelling of Herbane's own name (Herebanes) detract.

Three and a half stars.

--

The Holds of Skyrim: A Field Officer's Guide.

These brief, uninspired descriptions of the nine holds and their capitols add no information that you wouldn't learn from even the most cursory playthrough of the game.

One star.

--

The Hope of the Redoran, by Turiul Nirith.

This might have been an interesting story in the hands of a writer with the ability to create suspense and craft action scenes. Unfortunately, the tale falls flat. What little action is shown is muddled with awkward sentences, and the climactic fight scene is glossed over with, "The less said about the end of the battle, the better," which I took to mean, "I didn't feel like writing this scene."

Two stars.

--

The Horror of Castle Xyr: A One Act Play, by Baloth-Kul.

This tale is told in script format, which is a refreshing change from narrative prose. Despite the fact that the gruesome horrors chiefly occur off stage and are relayed through dialogue, this is a rather enjoyable tale. One passage gave me a genuine chill, and there is a nice twist to the plot.

Four and a half stars.

--

How Orsinium Passed to the Orcs, by Menyna Gsost.

Overall, this is an enjoyable story about a duel between a Breton and an Orc over ownership of a large parcel of land. The focus is more upon the preparation for the duel than the duel itself. There are a few minor grammatical errors, one strange lore error (namely, the Breton refers to Orcish armor as "beastly steel," but anyone who has played the game knows that Orcish armor is made of orichalcum), and a couple of questionable aspects of the plot (which I won't spoil here). Even so, the story is entertaining.

Three stars.

--

A Hypothetical Treachery: A One Act Play, by Anthil Morvir.

The script format works well for this story, as it is more dialogue than action. Four adventurers find a treasure, and no one wants to share. After a betrayal, only two are left standing. The treasure is heavy enough that neither can carry it alone, so they cooperate in transporting it. As they walk, however, they have a "hypothetical" conversation about the particular strategies each might use to betray the other. It is a game of wits, and the reader's uncertainty about which of these two devious battlemages will emerge as the victor elevates the suspense.

Four and a half stars.

--

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.

Skyrim Book Reviews, Titles Beginning with G

Galerion the Mystic, by Asgrim Kolsgreg.

This is the tale of a peasant who trained with the Psijics and became the first Archmagister of the Mages Guild. Born into a social strata where literacy was forbidden, he fled his master's estate as a child, later to be found, half dead, by a group of troubadours who recognized his intelligence and sent him to Artaeum for schooling. It's a reasonably interesting tale, told in an unremarkable style. It might have benefited from more detail.

Three stars.

--

A Game at Dinner, by an Anonymous Spy.

Prince Helseth, son of Barenziah, has more than a few spies in his court. At a banquet, he attempts to suss them out with poison. The story is presented as a letter written by a surviving spy to his employer. Although the story is predictable, it manages to be fairly entertaining.

Three and a half stars.

--

A Gentleman's Guide to Whiterun, by Mikael the Bard.

This is probably the skeeviest book in the game, written by Mikael, that bard you can beat up for harrassing Carlotta. He lists most of the women in Whiterun--contemporary with the time of the game, so these are characters the player will encounter--along with his opinions on their physical charms and bed-ability. It's functionally a catalog for promiscuous men. Eew.

Two stars.

--

Ghosts in the Storm, by Adonato Leotelli.

The author, while traveling with a Khajiit caravan, was beset by creatures unnamed, but described so well that the reader can readily identify them as Falmer. Given the author's mention of Ri'saad, the Khajiit leader, it is apparent that this is a recent text, reasonably contemporary with the game. It is well written, with nicely detailed descriptions.

Four stars.

--

Glories and Laments Among the Ayleid Ruins, by Alexandre Hetrard.

This text is rich with lush descriptions of scenery. It's more or less a travelogue or explorer's guide, but it also touches on ancient High Elf religion. There isn't much to it, but what is there is nicely written.

Four stars.

--

The Gold Ribbon of Merit, by Ampyrian Brum.

Two young men, who had been friends as boys, have a reunion. The braggart, prideful of his awards, offers an archery lesson to his quiet friend, who is perhaps not so unskilled as his modest demeanor suggests. This tale was predictable, and not nearly as satisfying as The Black Arrow, but it was enjoyable.

Three and a half stars.

--

Great Harbingers of the Companions.

This is a history of the Companions, who are, in effect, the warriors guild of Skyrim. While the writing is not stellar, the brief biographies are interesting. Unfortunately, non-Nords, particularly elves, seemed to have short tenures as Harbinger, with sad endings. The same can be said of the one woman Harbinger mentioned. It is apparent that Nord chauvinism is not new to Skyrim, or to the Companions.

Three stars.

--

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.

Skyrim Book Reviews, Titles Beginning with F

Fall from Glory, by Nithilis Lidari.

The very concept of this book is critically flawed. The author talks about the decline of the Thieves Guild, and then admits to having infiltrated the guild to find out why, promising to publish a second volume when the secret is learned. If you're going to infiltrate a criminal organization, you don't publish a book saying, "Hey, I've infiltrated this criminal organization," before your investigation is complete. This is called blowing your cover. It's also tantamount to telling every guard in every hold, "Hey, I've been engaging in criminal activity. Come arrest me."

One star.

--

The Fall of Saarthal, by Heseph Chirirnis, Mages Guild Scholar assigned to Imperial Archaeologist Sentius Floronius.

An underworked assistant pursues his own sideline of research. He is either passive-aggressive, or he has astonishingly low self-esteem. Even as he flatters the archaeologist he works for, it is clear that his own research focuses on the big picture of how Saarthal was destroyed and rebuilt, while his boss's research focuses on the minutia of the bathing habits of the people who had lived there. Actually, I consider both the historical big picture and the small cultural details of day-to-day life in ancient times to be interesting and valuable paths of research. Together, they can paint a comprehensive portrait of the culture and times. However, it seems that this assistant and his boss are unlikely to ever collaborate in any meaningful way.

Three stars.

--

Fall of the Snow Prince: an account of the Battle of the Moesring as transcribed by Lokheim, chronicler to the chieftan Ingjaldr White-Eye.

This beautifully-written account gave me a strong, almost cinematic visual impression of the last great battle between the Nords and the Elves in the time of Ysgramor. This truly has an epic feel, in the classical sense of the word, both in the cadence of the story telling and in the narrative flow of the tale. This also offers a rare glimpse of the Snow Elves, who degenerated into the Falmer after this defeat, when they were still glorious.

Five stars.

--

The Falmer: A Study, by Ursa Uthrax.

This text references Fall of the Snow Prince, and I would recommend you read them back-to-back. Together, they are like bookends on the history of the Falmer: then and now. Uthrax claims to have personally visited Blackreach, and this book represents the summary of his what he learned about the history of the snow elves who survived the Battle of the Moesring, how they sought refuge with the Dwemer, only to be blinded and enslaved, and how the toxic fungus they consumed underground warped their bodies into the Falmer of present times. This work reads less like a textbook and more like a primary source document, and it greatly enriches the game world by elevating Falmer above mere monsters.

Five stars.

--

Father of the Niben, translated and with commentary by Florin Jaliil.

This is an interesting academic text. As the title implies, four surviving fragments of an ancient epic poem are presented in translation with extensive commentary by the translator. The fragments tell of the voyage of the Niben and the failed mission to find the lost Aldmer homeland of Old Ehlnofey. Along the way the crew encounters groups that may or may not be the ancient Orcs/Orsimer, the ancestors of the Khajiit, and a group of feathered people otherwise lost to history. The scholarly analysis of the fragments is detailed, with multiple interpretations presented. This is one of the more readable accounts of ancient Tamriel history.

Four stars.

--

Feyfolken, by Waughin Jarth.


This three-volume set features a story within a story. In the frame story, the Great Sage teaches lessons to his two students. In the nested story, a mute scribe purchases an enchanted quill. However, the quill is possessed by the soul of a daedra, and it has a mind of its own. There are a couple of typos marring an otherwise well-written narrative, including one misspelling of the main character's name. Both stories wandered a bit, and neither strongly held my interest, which makes me wonder if this was one of Waughin Jarth's earlier works, before he got good, or one of his later works, after he was burned out.

Three stars.

--

The Final Lesson, by Aegrothius Goth.

Despite having a different author, this story features the same Great Sage with the same two students from Feyfolken, and the writing style is very similar. Perhaps Aegrothius Goth and Waughin Jarth are the same person.

This is another story within a story. The Great Sage tells his students that it is time for them to leave their apprenticeship, but they don't want to go. So he tells the tale of a sage from ages past, who had two students. One of these students of old went out into the world and found his own way, and the other stayed with their master. Those two students met again as old men, where they discovered how differently their lives had turned out. It's not a bad tale, but not particularly dynamic.

Three stars.

--

Fire and Darkness: The Brotherhoods of Death, by Ynir Gorming.

This is a tale of two assassins guilds, the Dark Brotherhood and its predecessor the Morag Tong. It contains much history and speculation about the two organizations, and so will likely be of interest to those playing assassin characters. The mediocre writing, spangled with grammatical and punctuation errors, rather put me off.

Two stars.

--

The Firmament, by Ffoulke.

It's the Tamriel astrology handbook! What's your sign, baby? This text is an interesting piece of game lore, describing the thirteen constellations and the personalities typical of people born under their signs. The only thing that bugs me is the Serpent constellation, which "wanders about in the sky." Constellations don't wander. The "wandering stars" of the ancient world were what we today know as planets. Based on my admittedly rudimentary knowledge of astrophysics, I would have to say that the movements of several planets together would not maintain a coherent constellation-like formation. Of course, if you want to make a big enough mental stretch, you could imagine that the technologically-advanced Dwemer had a space program, and that the Serpent is actually a collection of satellites that orbit in formation. But that's certainly quite a divergence from the actual game lore. Back to The Firmament--it's a fun little book. Fluffy and not essential reading, but charming nonetheless.

Three and a half stars, mostly because it made me speculate about the possibility of space-faring Dwemer.

--

The Firsthold Revolt, by Maveus Cie.

A fictionalization of pseudo-historical events, this tale tells of a battle of wits between two women, played large with armies as their pawns. The queen, a daughter of Barenziah, rightfully commands the royal forces. The king's concubine colludes with the revolutionaries. The ending, while predictable, was satisfying. The writing is not strong, but it is adequate. Overall, a decent read.

Three stars.

--

The Five Songs of King Wulfharth.

The title is misleading, as these tales are not presented as songs. They read like the kind of first-rush-of-inspiration notes an author might scrawl on the back of an envelope or whatever other scrap of paper might be at hand, had such notes been published without any revision or editing. Some parts are in past tense, others in present. Furthermore, the writing seems disjointed, incomplete and unpolished. There might be a good story there, if someone were to take the time to write it. The only positive takeaway I have from this text is that I now know who Ysmir is.

One and a half stars.

--

Flight from the Thalmor.

Perhaps the errors and misused words can be excused, as this is presented as the diary of a fugitive who anticipates that his death is near at hand. The author is purported to be a bard, and this does not require any suspension of disbelief, because the writing displays a certain natural talent for wordsmithing. The types of errors I saw are of the sort that even good writers make, and then clean up during editing. The tenor and tone of the writing are consistent, and in a very few pages do a fine job of conveying the personality of the condemned man.

Three and a half stars.

--

Forge, Hammer and Anvil, by Adolphus Eritius.

Terrible grammar and poor spelling are completely in-concept for this text, which was dictated by an illiterate blacksmith to some unknown assistant, who added his own parenthetical commentary, some of it quite insulting toward his master. Even though this is mainly a catalog of what types of ingots are required for creating particular types of weapons and armor, this brief text bubbles with character and humor. The prefatory and concluding scholarly commentary are superfluous, but not detracting. Call to mind your favorite cranky-old-man voice when reading this book.

Four stars.

--

Fragment: On Artaeum, by Taurice il-Anselma.

This is a brief piece on the Psijic Order of mages and Isle of Artaeum, where they live. The island vanished from the world for five hundred years, and the Psijics offered no explanation to the world or to the author of this book. The text is well crafted and capably written, but it failed to hold my interest. Read this if you'd like to know more about the Psijics than you see in the game.

Three stars.

--

Frontier, Conquest and Accommodation: A Social History of Cyrodiil, University of Gwylim Press 3E 344.

This text describes the spread of humans across Tamriel. In most areas, humans and elves learned to coexist peacefully, but in Skyrim, humans pushed the elves back through military conquest. Although the writing is not particularly inspired, this book does provide some nice background to illuminate the racial tensions apparent in the game.

Three and a half stars.

--

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.

Skyrim Book Reviews, Titles Beginning with E

Effects of the Elder Scrolls, by Justinius Poluhnius.

Here is a bit a lore about the Elder Scrolls for which the game series is named. The author describes the terrible fate that befalls a person who reads an Elder Scroll without preparation, and then describes the different, but also terrible, fate that befalls one who undergoes years of preparation prior to reading. The disciplines followed by the Cult of the Ancestor Moth are explained.

I must confess: Skyrim is the only Elder Scrolls game I've played, and I have never finished it. Whenever I get to level 50 or so, I start a new character and try a different play style. But I've never finished the main plot, I've never even started the civil war plotline, and I've never actually encountered an Elder Scroll, so I have no experiential knowledge to verify or refute the accuracy of the content of this book. However, the text of Effects of the Elder Scrolls is well-written and informative, and the book serves to flesh out the game world in a very satisfactory way.

Four stars.

--

Eslaf Erol, by Reven.

You won't find a book titled Eslaf Erol in the game, but the name of the main character serves as a series title for the four books: Beggar, Thief, Warrior, and King. This story about five siblings with unpronounceable names is absurd. Even the opening paragraph contains multiple physical impossibilities. It was all too ludicrous for my tastes, but I grew used to the style, and I eventually embraced the ridiculous and enjoyed the story for what it was. As you might guess from the titles of the four books, they follow the progression of Eslaf's life, from birth through poverty to eventual kingship. While Beggar, Thief, and King are aptly named, Warrior seems a bit of a stretch, as he never weilds a weapon, but only cowers behind a shield.

It's hard to rate this series, because you'll either love it or hate it, and I don't perceive much room for ambivalence. I really can't decide if it's stupid or funny, or stupid-funny.

Two stars OR four stars. In this case, they do not average to three.

--

The Exodus, by Waughin Jarth.

After reading The Argonian Account and A Dance in Fire, I've become a bona fide Waughin Jarth fan. The Exodus, however, is not one of his better works. A husband and wife journey far in the hopes of finding someone who can save the life of their sickly daughter, and they find a small enclave of cheerful, friendly mages living in the middle of an expansive graveyard. The writing bursts with lush and vivid descriptions. However, unusual for Jarth's work, there is one glaring tense shift, they type of error that should have been cleaned up in editing. The worst error, however, is a matter of dramatic timing. A particular piece of information was revealed to the reader at the midpoint of the story. Had it been saved until the last page, the ending of the tale would have had more punch.

Three stars.

--

Experimentation in the Physicalities of the Werewolf, by Reman Crex.

A sociopath describes in detail the horrifying techniques by which he tortures captured werewolves to death and documents them for science. It's well-written and enriches the game world, but it is one of the darkest, most disturbing things I have yet encountered in Skyrim. Your mileage may vary.

Three and a half stars.

--

An Explorer's Guide to Skyrim, by Marcius Carvain, Viscount Bruma.

Many books in Skyrim do something when you open them--increase one of your skills or launch a quest. This one adds a location to your map. Unlike every other book I've encountered, though, this isn't a single-use bonus. Open this book multiple times, and you'll receive multiple map markers. You can add every single one of the Stones of Fate to your map if you have the patience to sit there and keep opening and closing the book for a couple of minutes.

The actual text of this travelogue is better than I expected. An Imperial with a generally low opinion of the people of Skyrim, but a high opinion of the landscape, describes four locations with lovely detail.

Four stars.

--

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.

Skyrim Book Reviews, Titles Beginning with D

A Dance in Fire, by Waughin Jarth.

Another well-written multi-volume set by Waughin Jarth featuring the adventures of the hapless clerk Decumus Scotti. This story is a prequel to The Argonian Account. Poor Scotti has just been laid off from his job, in favor of a younger man with a winning smile, and he makes his way to Valenwood in the hopes of securing a lucrative contract to entice his former employer to rehire him. However, Scotti's bad luck never fails him, and just as he arrives, Valenwood erupts in war, with the Khajiit attacking on one side and the Altmeri on the other.

This rollicking tale rarely stops to take a breath, as Scotti is plagued by monsters, magic, cannibalism, and chaos. The reader learns quite a lot about the Bosmer and Khajiit, in the most fun way possible. The seven volumes of this set have continuity, so read them in order.

Five stars.

--

Darkest Darkness, by Anonymous.

This text provides some background information about various Daedra, their internal ranks and allegiances, and their relation to the Dunmer. It's not written in a particularly exciting manner, but it offers enough information beyond what one sees in the game to remain interesting. Read it if you're really interested in Daedra; skip it if you're not.

Two and a half stars.

--

The Death Blow of Abernanit, with Explains by the sage Geocrates Varnus.

The faux-archaic style of this epic poem makes for difficult reading. It was difficult to follow, despite the slow pacing. A holy warrior battles a Daedra-worshipper purported to be undefeatable, and defeats him. It wasn't terrible, but it didn't hold my interest.

Two stars.

--

The Death of a Wanderer.

An anonymous author records the end-of-life thoughts of an old Argonian adventurer. The Argonian was in possession of one of the claw-shaped keys from one of the many Draugr-infested Nord barrows. There wasn't a lot of substance to this story, but it was well written, with many nicely-turned phrases. An answer is offered to the question many players may have about these claws: "Why even have a combination if you're going to write it on the key?"

Three stars.

--

De Rerum Dirennis, by Vorian Direnni.

An Altmer from one of the great families, himself of little achievement, talks about a particular ancestor of his, renowned for turning alchemy into a science. This ancestor defeated a vampire and then went on to develop the first practical invisibility potion. A large and hostile force repeatedly attacked his village, eventually taking him prisoner. His clever use of alchemy was the key to his salvation. This story would have been better without the first couple of pages, but if you can get past the overly-long and dull intro, the main story is decent.

Three stars.

--

Report of the Imperial Commission on the Disaster at Ionith, by Lord Pottreid, Chairman.

Okay, I know this title begins with R, but it appears in the D section of the Dovahkiin Gutenberg, presumably filed on the word Disaster. I'm going to review it now because I absolutely do not want to reread it once I reach the Rs. This report possesses the dreaded combination of long plus boring. I fell asleep multiple times, and I was well-rested and alert when I started reading. My pervasive thought was, "How many pages are left? Will this ever end?" The historical events described should have been interesting, but this was written in the dryest, most overblown style possible.

One star.

--

The Doors of Oblivion, by Seif-ij Hidja.

Of course, my strongest in-game impression of this book came from finding a skeleton that would yield a copy of this book with every single search. I kept clicking on the skeleton until I had enough copies of the book to reach my encumbrance limit, and then hauled them off to town to sell.

Lucrative glitch aside, this book is actually quite interesting. In fact, it's probably the most interesting textbook about Daedra that I've read yet. An apprentice remained in this plane of existence while his master traveled into Oblivion. The two maintained psychic contact, and the apprentice transcribed the master's running commentary on his exploration of the Daedric lands. It's rather long, but well worth the read.

Four stars.

--

The Dragon Break Reexamined, by Fal Droon.

This is an interesting exploration of how the use of different calendars with different methods of measuring years can result in distortions of the historical record. This is a very short piece, and rather like an article from an academic journal.

Three stars.

--

Dragon Language: Myth No More, by Hela Thrice-Versed.

This book more than makes up for its scattering of typos by presenting passages of the dragon's language in its original form (marks similar to cuneiform), romanizing them, and then translating them into English (or whatever Tamrielian language that English is supposed to represent). The inscriptions are taken from word walls, and this book goes a long way toward explaining what the walls are and why they exist, which makes them truly meaningful, instead of just places to go to pick up new shouts. That alone makes this book a must-read. The Dovahkiin Gutenberg does not show the dragon language, so to see it, you will need to find an in-game copy of the book or look at the Elder Scrolls Wiki.

Four and a half stars.

--

The Dragon War, by Torhal Bjorik.

This book talks about ancient history, back in Ysgramor's day, telling of how the dragons ruled "as god-kings over men," and of how men rebelled against the dragons and their priests. This text provides only the most cursory overview of the war, and that chapter of history probably deserved a longer and more detailed treatment. Even so, this was an interesting little book.

Three and a half stars.

--

A Dream of Sovngarde, by Skardan Free-Winter.

Written by a Nord warrior on the eve of one of the most significant battles of the Great War, this text describes a vision of the afterlife sought by Nord warriors who die with honor in battle. Skardan dreamed himself in the company of great Nord heroes, and he sought council from Ysgramor himself. Upon waking, he related his dream to the other Nords, raising their morale and whipping them into a battle-frenzy as they rushed toward their deaths.

Three stars.

--

The Dreamstride, the Mysterious Alchemists of Vaermina.

This book is cool simply for being the largest and most impressive book I've yet seen in the game, and for having awesome cover art. This is definitely one to leave lying on or near your alchemy bench, to serve as home decor.

The content of this book serves simply to explain how the potion Vaermina's Torpor works, just before you have to use that potion as part of the Waking Nightmare quest. Treat this book as an instruction manual if you are doing that quest.

Three stars.

--

The Dunmer of Skyrim, by Athal Sarys.

The Dunmer author apparently read a travelogue written by Nords and thought that Skyrim would be a nice place to live. After emigrating from Morrowind, he discovered that the Nords were not at all hospitable toward his people. A victim of racism, he responded with a virulently racist screed of his own, proclaiming that the Dunmer ("higher beings") will eventually rise up and slaughter all Nords ("white-skinned, jaundice-haired apes"). He doesn't come across as threatening so much as angry and impotent. All he's doing by publishing this is reinforcing the bad opinion many Nords have of Dunmer.

Two stars.

--

Dwarves: The Lost Race of Tamriel, by Calcelmo, Scholar of Markarth.

This three-volume set uses a lot of words to say that little is known about the Dwemer, and to obliquely attempt to discredit all other Dwemer scholarship. Calcelmo, a character you can interact with in the game, is just as condescending, arrogant, and pompous in print as in conversation. In that aspect, these books are very successful in fleshing out Calcelmo's character. But don't expect them to tell you anything especially useful about the Dwemer, despite Calcelmo's self-reported expertice.

Two and a half stars.

--

Dwemer History and Culture: A Scholar's Review of the Dwemer Essays Written by Marobar Sul, by Hasphat Antabolis.

(Alternate title from the Dovahkiin Gutenberg: Collected Essays on Dwemer History and Culture, Chapter 1: Marobar Sul and the Trivialization of the Dwemer in Popular Culture.)

This text is so similar in tone, style, and content to the uncredited publisher's notes at the end of each volume of the Ancient Tales of the Dwemer that at first I thought it was merely a compilation of those notes, but upon comparing them, I can verify that the text is actually different. It is probably safe to assume that Hasphat Antabolis is the author of the publisher's notes in Ancient Tales. If you are hardcore into the Dwemer, Dwemer History and Culture is a must read. If you're ambivalent toward Dwemer history, you can probably skip this book.

Despite the "Chapter 1" label, there appears to be only one volume of this series.

Three stars.

--

Dwemer Inquiries: Their Architecture and Civilization, by Thelwe Ghelein, Scholar.

Now this is the three-volume set to read if you actually do want to learn something about the Dwemer. Even if the author strays into speculation on occasion, this text demonstrates more real scholarly inquiry than Calcelmo's work. It's quite interesting, and it's written in an engaging style. Beware if you're reading from the Dovahkiin Gutenberg as I mostly do--the second and third volumes are missing part of the text. Read this particular series in-game or on one of the wikis.

Three and a half stars.

--

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.

Skyrim Book Reviews, Titles Beginning with C

The Cabin in the Woods, Volume II, as told by Mogen Son of Molag

Despite the title, there is no Volume I to be found in Skyrim. This had the potential to be an excellent ghost story. Instead, passive writing, awkward sentences, punctuation errors, and a derth of description make this tale fall flat.

Two stars.

--

The Cake and the Diamond, by Athyn Muendil

This story is told in first person, and does an excellent job of staying in the point-of-view character's head. He is part of a group of thieves in possession of a magnificent diamond. An old alchemist offers to trade them some invisibility potions, in the form of cakes, in exchange for some small fragments of the diamond. They agree to her proposition in order to get the potions, never intending to part with the gem. But she has a scheme of her own. This tale was delightful in every way.

Four and a half stars.

--

Cats of Skyrim, a report by Aldetuile

I love cats, but this is just about the most useless book I've encountered thus far. This book could have been an opportunity for the game developers to provide a little supplemental information about sabrecats, perhaps something about their territorial behavior, mating habits, or even the average number of cubs in a litter. Instead, this report tells absolutely nothing that wouldn't be obvious from your first encounter with one. And as sabrecats are more common in Skyrim than copies of this book, it is a safe bet that the player will have killed dozens of them before reading the book.

One star.

--

Chance's Folly, by Zylmoc Golge

Ah, now here's a worthy story, both intriguing and clever. A thief known as Chance recruits a madman to be her muscle on a particularly risky tomb raid. But as they progress, some of the madman's nonsensical ramblings begin to seem prophetic. Does he know things he shouldn't? Or is it just a coincidence? A wealth of subtle details enrich the texture of this short tale.

Five stars.

--

The Charwich-Koniinge Letters.

This four-volume set represents an exchange between two men who are seeking Azura's Star in different locations. Overall, the writing style is quite good, however there are a few glaring errors, such as improperly conjugated verbs, incorrect words, and one sentence so broken as to be incomprehensible. (Note: I am not referring to the part of the story where the quality of writing deteriorates for a plot-related reason, but to other areas of the story where such errors are glaring because they contrast so strongly with the otherwise good writing.)

In spite of these few technical errors, the tale is actually quite good. It is another one that you should read as a single story. Don't read the volumes out of order, or you'll miss out on the delightful switchbacks in the plot. For the first part of the first volume, I felt like I was reading a bad horror story, the kind where you yell at the characters. "Don't go to the cemetery at night! Listen to the townspeople's warnings!" But the story quickly departed from genre stereotypes, and turned into something quite wonderful. I won't say any more, because I do not wish to ruin the surprise.

Four stars. (Yes, even with the technical errors.)

--

Charrus Pie: A Recipe

This book was written by a character you'll likely meet in the game--Nils, the guy who chops firewood for the inn in Windhelm. The writing captures his voice and personality perfectly. The text contains not just a simple recipe, but also tips for hunting charrus, glimpses of Nils' life, and a few disparaging comments about Imperials and Bretons. It's not especially helpful in terms of advice you can actually use in the game, and it certainly doesn't tell anything resembling a story, but it made me laugh several times during it's few short pages. A delightful little book that would make a nice addition to the kitchen area of any of the houses in the game.

Four stars.

--

Children of the Sky

This is a brief overview of the legends and mythology of the Nords, told by someone who is clearly not a Nord. Some of it seems to match up to Nord beliefs as revealed through character interactions in the game, but other parts seem to be out of left field. (I certainly haven't encountered a rope woven from the severed tongues of enemies anywhere in the game so far.) Perhaps these things were true at some point in history, or perhaps they are misunderstandings recorded by someone who hear things second- or third-hand. It kind of reads like an outdated encyclopedia entry about a third-world country.

Two and a half stars.

--

A Children's Anuad: The Anuad Paraphrased

This is the origin story for the world of Nirn. The myth is reasonably interesting, but not dynamic in the telling. The weak, flat writing render the tale unmemorable. Read it if you want to know how Mer and Men came to be, but it's not as enthralling as it ought to have been.

Three stars.

--

The Chronicles of the Holy Brothers of Marukh, Volume IV, or, The Cleansing of the Fane

This is presented as the only surviving fragment of an ancient tale, so although it is labeled volume four, there are no other volumes to find. It is very brief, providing only the most cursory overview of what could have been a very exciting story about an infestation of devils upon the land. Except for the appropriately archaic language, it reads like a tenth-page newspaper article.

Two stars.

--

Chronicles of Nchuleft

This history piece on the Dwemer describes some rivalries and plots among and against several Dwemer nobles. It lacks the cultural context that could have made it comprehensible. Whenever Bluthanch became angry at the other nobles, I couldn't quite understand why she was upset. They had a meeting and didn't invite her? Why is this considered treason? More information is needed to make the story meaningful. As it was, I found it confusing.

Two stars.

--

The City of Stone: A Sellsword's Guide to Markarth, by Amanda Alleia, Mercenary

The title pretty well says it all. A world-weary, sarcastic mercenary explains a few basic rules for navigating Markarth, both in the literal sense of navigating the steep cliffs and in the figurative sense of knowing who to talk to (that is, those who might offer employment) and who not to talk to (that is, whoever will cause you trouble with no reward). There really isn't much advice that the player couldn't easily figure out independently, but it's a reasonably fun read. However, the use of honorific "Ms." in a pseudo-medieval fantasy setting seems terribly anachronistic and out of place to me, particularly given that term's 20th-century origins.

Three stars.

--

The Code of Malacath: A Sellsword's Guide to the Orc Strongholds, by Amanda Alleia, Mercenary

"Ms. Alleia," as she calls herself, turns her attention to Orcs, explaining the code they live by, and how strict adherence to the code makes Orcs from strongholds different from "city Orcs." She doesn't really describe the strongholds themselves in any particular detail, and she implies that she's never actually been inside one, instead having gained all of her information from listening to drunk Orcs rant. Again, it's nonessential reading, imparting nothing the player wouldn't learn on their own, but Alleia's voice is entertaining.

Three stars.

--

Commentaries on the Mysterium Xarxes, by Mankar Camoran

I presume this four-volume set is meant to be an aid to a quest that I have not yet encountered in the game, as the text speaks of four keys to be found. I can't speak to the usefulness of the text to the quest, but it's not the most enjoyable read. The text contains the semi-coherent ravings of a cult leader. After a few pages, all I saw was "blah, blah, blah," with the occasional bit of implied incest or cannibalism rousing me to disgust. If you like listening to madmen and zealots rant in public spaces, you'll love these books. The author refers to a source book called Mysterium Xarxes, but I don't think it can be found in Skyrim.

Two stars.

--

Complete Catalogue of Enchantments for Armor, by Yvonne Bienne, Synod researcher

And

Complete Catalogue of Enchantments for Weaponry, by Yvonne Bienne, Synod researcher

I'm reviewing these two together because there is really little to distinguish them. Open these books to collect you skill points in the game, but there's really no good reason to actually read them. The text is bland and uninspired, and pocked with a few grammatical errors. They provide no information beyond what you can learn by experience in the game.

One star.

--

A Concise Account of the Great War Between the Empire and the Aldmeri Dominion, by Legate Justianus Quintus

It's very textbookish, but more enjoyable than A Brief History of the Empire. Perhaps that's because it deals with more recent historical events, namely the war that ended with the White-Gold Concordat, which in turn caused the civil war that features in the main plotline of Skyrim. The player encounters many characters who fought in the war described in A Concise Account, and so perhaps for that reason, the information it imparts seems directly relevant to the choices the player makes. The writing is respectably decent, if a bit dry. I was especially pleased to learn about the Redguard and Khajiit roles in the war. I had previously thought both groups were disinterested outsiders as far as the conflict between the Stormcloaks and the Empire went, but now I understand how they fit into the political structure of the gameworld. This book enriched the Skyrim experience for me.

Three and a half stars.

--

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.

Skyrim Book Reviews, Ancient Tales of the Dwemer

It has come to my attention that I missed the Ancient Tales of the Dwemer when I reviewed the titles beginning with A. For some reason, in the Dovahkiin Gutenberg they are listed under T for Tales instead of A for Ancient.

There are seven volumes of Ancient Tales of the Dwemer that you can find in Skyrim, although gaps in the numbering imply that more exist.

Although they differ widely in storytelling style and quality of writing, one thing they all have in common is that they are purported to have been recorded by Marobar Sul, and each of them includes a publisher's note analyzing Marobar Sul's scholarship, or rather lack thereof, and whether or not the tale presented was actually Dwemer in origin. The majority of them are determined to have been from other cultures, and that Marobar Sul slapped some Dwemer-sounding names on the characters.

This scholarly analysis of each text makes the set so much more interesting than each volume might have been individually. If you read all seven books together, the unnamed editor's seven notes together tell their own kind of story about Marobar Sul's shenanigans. Because these publisher's notes provide a unifying thread for these seven otherwise loosely-related books, the set as a whole merits it's own rating.

Four stars for the "complete" set (seven volumes, numbered 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, and 10). Ratings for individual volumes follow.

--

Ancient Tales of the Dwemer, Part I: The Ransom of Zarek, by Marobar Sul

This is an interesting tale told indirectly, as a son relates his escape to his mother. Of course, there can be no suspense in a story told this way, because the reader already knows the son is home safe. However, curiosity about how he managed to get away from his captors keeps the reader's interest.

The jarring use of thy and thou as one might see in formal, archaic language, when the rest of the dialogue was modern and somewhat variable in formality, grated on my nerves. However, the boy's method of escape was reasonably clever.

Two and a half stars.

--

Ancient Tales of the Dwemer, Part II, by Marobar Sul

This is the only book in the set that lacks a unique title. If I were to give it one, it might be The Woodsman and the Hist, or perhaps, The Argonan's Revenge. The publisher's note refers to the source tale as "The Seed." Despite its inclusion in the Dwemer series, this story prominently features Argonian lore and culture. An old Argonian woman wins the friendship of a young Dwemer (probably actually Dunmer) girl, and gives her a seed to plant. The story is engaging and well-written. It flows smoothly and reaches a satisfying conclusion, which I shan't spoil for you.

Four and a half stars.

--

Ancient Tales of the Dwemer, Part III: The Importance of Where, by Marobar Sul

While each of the Ancient Tales is told in a distinctive voice, this one has perhaps the most unique flavor. It is the tale of a warrior who must contend with a priest and a healer who attempt to steal the credit for his deeds. The writing has a particular cadence, which makes it seem very much like an ancient epic handed down through an oral tradition, and the story is clever, involving a delightful play on words.

Five stars.

--

Ancient Tales of the Dwemer, Part V: The Song of the Alchemists, by Marobar Sul

This story is told in a painful, sing-song rhyme. The meter is inconsistent, and many of the rhymes are contorted. The tale is of a contest between two alchemists to brew an invisibility potion, and the conclusion did not strike me as nearly so clever as it tried to present itself. The saving grace is the publisher's commentary, which slams the poem hard.

Two and a half stars.

--

Ancient Tales of the Dwemer, Part VI: Chimarvamidium, by Marobar Sul

This is the first of the Ancient Tales that might actually represent Dwemer culture accurately. It also prominently features the Chimer, who were the ancestors of the Dunmer. The plot is a variation on the story of the Trojan Horse, and thus familiar and predictable. The writer was inconsistent with tenses, a clumsy error that could have been fixed with better proofreading. Nonetheless, this was overall an enjoyable story.

Three stars.

--

Ancient Tales of the Dwemer, Part IX: Azura and the Box, by Marobar Sul
Another actual Dwemer tale, this one also featuring a Chimer and a Daedra. This is a tale of how a mortal tricked a goddess, with consequences implied but unshown. It presents science and skepticism in opposition to faith. The writing is decent, but unmemorable. This is another story made better by the publisher's commentary at the end, where the Dunmer and Aldmeri versions of the story.

Three stars.

--

Ancient Tales of the Dwemer, Part X: The Dowry, by Marobar Sul

This is the story of a wealthy father who establishes stringent conditions to be met by any suitors who might pursue his daughter, and the clever suitor who bests those challenges through trickery. The writing is solid, if unremarkable. It's not the most original story, but it is an enjoyable read.

Three stars.

--

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.

Skyrim Book Reviews, Titles Beginning with B

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.

--

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.

--

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.

--

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.

--

Biography of Barenziah, see here.

--

Biography of the Wolf Queen, see here.

--

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."

--

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.

--

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.

--

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.

--

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.