The Griffin or the Agate

     Okay, okay, stop me if this sounds familiar. One of the 'little people,' a man of small stature living a quiet life in a safe haven, suddenly falls into adventure with a bunch of dwarves. The dwarves, who are all rough and grumbly on the outside but just sweetness and sunshine underneath, give him the cold shoulder until he proves himself useful and saves their lives. He wins over a second group of dwarves the same way, saving them from baddies such as giant spiders and goblins. Oh, and a dragon, too, an intelligent fire-breather. And our little hero, who used to look down on thieves, discovers that he makes a pretty fine burglar before going home and writing a book about his adventures.
     Bilbo? Do they have lawyers in the Shire?
     The Rover is the new release from Mel Odom, and somehow it manages to rise above the uninspired, unoriginal plot to deliver an interesting tale. Edgewick Lamplighter, nicknamed Wick, is shanghaied from his life as a low-level librarian and thrust into a world he's only read about, filled with pirates and slavery, death and heroism, riches found and secrets uncovered. Odom is adept keeping the action moving through action and background stories supplied by Wick, which helps to offset the lack of depth given to the supporting characters. The Rover has the feel of a role-playing adventure, which seems feasible as some of Odom's earlier works were set in the AD&D Forgotten Realms universe. Odom would make a great Gamemaster - Wick is put through numerous trials and tests, confronted with traps, puzzles and situations that challenge his mind much more than his strength and fighting prowess, or lack thereof. However, it's difficult to care much about the majority of his new friends, some of whom are less substancial and detailed than the paper the book is written on. There's also something not quite right with the book's ending: it feels rushed, as if Odom reached a point where he realized that he had enough material for two books, not just one, and wrapped this one up post-haste.
     Odom's credits, including the Forgotten Realms books, also list novelizations for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Perhaps he feels most comfortable writing within the confines of someone else's visions. If so, it's most unfortunate because The Rover indicates that Odom has the potential to lay words down with skill. Next time, maybe, he'll present the reader with a more realized vision - one of his own.  §

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