As with all game guides most of the information contained within its pages has already been published, dissected and analyzed on any number of flavors of fan sites. But you can take this anywhere, a point in its favor.

In terms of quality the book has the typical feel of a BradyGames publication. The pages are thin enough to feel as if it has been slightly glossy recycled junk mail paper, yet it has a comforting weight to it. The book itself can be rolled like a newspaper and I found it necessary to use some of the CE toys cluttering my desk to wedge it open as it had the annoying tendency to flop closed when I left it open.

It covers terminology, character roles, maps, lots of tables and a beginner’s in­troduction. As a beginning – moderately experienced player I found the overviews of the capital cities to be sketchy but enjoyed reading the lore and history sections. The regional maps list all the NPCs and mobs found in given areas. They then go on about the factions, races and classes and cover all those topics in finer detail along with a variety of other topics.

The writing itself is clear, concise and is aimed at an almost snippet based reading style. It is just long enough to read through a section while you're on Gryphon back.

If you've spent any length of time actually playing the game and visiting fan sites this book would be largely wasted on you unless you purchased it from a collector's per­spective. As a newcomer though, it will give you a useful introduction into the game. If you have the money to spare I'd consider this a reasonable addition to your gaming library.

But flip through it in the shop first.