Shortly after surviving, against overwhelming odds, their epic quest in first book, battlemage Daxx and his crew (dual-wielding sword-dancer Qrysta, heavily-armed Orc Grell and sneakthief Oller, with his mutt companion Little Guy) are off on their next adventure. A mysterious ghost ship arrives, carrying a cryptic message for them. Setting sail full of good intentions, they are soon embroiled in the eternal struggle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. If they are to find a way out of an impossible situation, each must complete a separate mission in a realm where nowhere is safe for them.
New Rock, New Realm by Richard Sparks is the sequel to New Rock, New Role. It was published on November 26, 2024 by CAEZIK SF and Fantasy.
I read the first book in this series and was glad to have the opportunity to read this one as well. Like the first, this one clocks in at around 500 pages so there is a lot more adventures and exploits for the fans to savor. As with the first book, the author again draws upon elements from the gaming world when crafting the encounters, puzzles and challenges.
I noticed that when the party splits for some solo missions that the narration style changes from first-person (Daxx) to third-person for the rest of the core quartet. The change did not jump out to me right away, but once I realized what had happened it stood out to me. As the story shifts around to different paths, the reader needs to be conscious of where they are. This a good chunk of the book.
I was amused when the main characters were discussing the types of quests, plots and stories early on in the book. While very meta, it works with this whole concept of "gamers now in a game-like reality". I also appreciated the group addressing the decisions and ramifications from the end of the last novel. Synergy and consequences are important aspects of serialized adventures.
For those that enjoyed the first novel, they will appreciate Sparks' return to the cast.
Cover artwork courtesy of Christina P. Myrvold.
More details of Richard Sparks' fantasy novels can be found at richardsparks.com.
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