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.
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