Infernal Sorceress (Trade Paperback)

Infernal Sorceress was Gary Gygax's final novel, and it sat unpublished in his files for almost fifteen years before Planet Stories got a hold of it. Set in Gygax's world of Aerth (the setting for his Dangerous Journeys RPG), the novel introduces two new characters: thief/swordsmen named Ferret & Raker. After being framed for murder, Ferret & Raker become pawns in a political power struggle involving fake royal regalia and have to keep one step ahead of the authorities while discovering the true villains involved.

TSR refused to publish the novel on the grounds that it was a swipe of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, and one can definitely see the inspiration. On its own merit, the novel is passable but unremarkable sword-and-sorcery. Neither the characters, dialogue, or plot are particularly memorable. One can definitely imagine having a lot of fun playing through the adventure in a role-playing game, but as a standalone novel, it simply falls flat. I think Gygax's other novels set in the same world, involving an arcane detective named Magister Setne Inhetep, had much more interesting characters and portrayal of magic (even if Gygax was a poor mystery writer).

Nobody who wasn't overenthusiastic would claim that E. Gary Gygax was a great writer when it came to fiction, but he could tell a heck of a story, and my own affection for the setting of this tale sharply inclines me in its favor. I would normally be inclined to give this book 4 stars ...

... but Erik Mona's introduction ruins it. According to a letter from Mr. Gygax, he submitted this to TSR Books only to have it rejected by a sneering author as a rip off of Fritz Leiber, condemning it (and its world) to the waste-basket of history. Terrible, isn't it?

And then you read the dialogue.

"'Great,' muttered Raker. 'Just f---in' splendid!'"

If Mr. Gygax submitted such a profanity-strewn manuscript to TSR in the early 90s, he could not seriously have expected its publication. It almost suggests someone who was trying to burn his bridges! And claims that he was rejected take the tone of one trying to build up one's myth of the lone genius brought down by lesser minds even in his dying days.

Sad, really. It's a pretty good book.

I purchased a copy of this yesterday at my FLGS, and I am still going through it in detail, but my initial impression is of a pair of larger-than-life protagonists snared in a web of complex political intrigue. It feels that it shouldn't work as a story, but the writing is sufficiently good that so far it does anyway.

This review will be updated later, but four stars for now.

Update (Tuesday, 20th April, 2010):
It gets a bit wordy at times, with at least one rather long piece of description of what a castle looks like as the two main characters enter it (there are several castles for them to be described entering, by various means), and some rather convoluted conversations. Nevertheless the two main protagonists do by and large carry the story successfully, there is the political intrigue mystery going on, and an engaging villainess who sort of disappears from the screen in a slightly disappointing manner; maybe she was originally intended to be back in a later book, but sadly that is unlikely to be coming now...
Some rough edges, but definitely worth four stars.

Being rather fond of the short-lived Dangerous Journeys game, it was quite magical to see it come to life as a pair of rogues attempted to save their own skins and puzzle out a rather thin plot against a nation to whom they owed no loyalty. The plot and the villains were a bit lacking, but the setting and characterisation of both the 'heroes' and the ordinary people they met along the way more than made up for it.

So despite Gygax's protestations that his book was nothing like Leiber's famuos duo I couldn't help but think of Fafhrd and the Mouser the entire time I was reading it. That, and what 1e Monster Manual artwork of ferretfolk would look like.
Not that, that is entirely a bad thing. Planet Stories gives us another novel of Aerth based around Gygax's briefly lived Dangerous Journeys RPG.
His duo of swordsman, Ferret and Raker are, despite the shadow of Leiber, an amusing pair. Their banter and rivalries give colour and it is always nice to have adventurers be adventurers. That is rakish, uncouth, not entirely honourable and rather self-serving. These guys aren't out to defeat some dark lord. Do the job, get the reward, exact revenge and move on.
Gygax paces the novel well. Neva, the villain is certainly the book's weakpoint as she serves as a poor foil and comes across as pretty two dimensional.
Gygax's spanish influenced setting gives the book some needed novelty though beyond name dropping and a few touches Gygax doesn't use it to its full extent. And alas there is no spanish swordsman called Inigo looking for a six fingered man.
Overall a light enjoyable read of sword swinging with some derring-do and a dash of intrigue. It's still a cut well above most rpg fiction.