Following "King of the Dead," Gene DeWeese's second novel for Ravenloft continues the story of Azalin's unlife and his attempts to escape from Ravenloft. It's a fast read that clears up some things about Ravenloft, but also muddies a few of the laws of the demi-plane.
Usually gaming fiction appeals to me about as much as an audit. The plots are generally unoriginal and the characters are completely two dimensional. On top of that, the writing is often below the passing level for a high school english class. "Lord of the Necropolis" had it's share of shallow characters, but the writing stood out over every other piece of gaming fiction I've yet read. The pace was fast and the structure, while fragmented, read better than the linear plots so common to the genre.
The plot covers some of the events that caused the Grand Conjunction to result as it did. Following that, the story takes the reader through Azalin's alteration of Darkon and the situation that brought it about. Throughout the book, Azalin is consistently drawn as a tortured, albeit evil, soul. The nature of his power is projected against the lich's helplessness. Such an introspective look at a character in gaming fiction is refreshing.
For die-hard RL fans, "LotN" will raise eyebrows. A Darklord wandering through space and time is only a fraction of the purists' nightmare that the book is. The biggest shocker is in the near-delineation of the Dark Powers of Ravenloft. No longer are they dark and mysterious. Basically, it's advisable to read the novel because it's a fun read and it takes place in a setting you like. Treat it as though it's a work of fiction found on the shelves of one of Il Aluk's many shops. Otherwise, you might be let down by a genuinely fun book.
Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)
