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RawMessiah |
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Post subject: 'Blood Bowl' Novel, what's your review of it?
 Posted: Sep 21, 2005 - 02:16 AM
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Joined: Apr 18, 2005
Posts: 92
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*Maybe people (fanatics) who haven't read the book yet SHOULD NOT read this topic..
Hello all Blood Bowl fanatics!
I'd like to hear what fellow readers have to say about the new 'Blood Bowl' Novel by Matt Forbeck. I think it was a really interesting book not only having games in it but also a lot more that goes around Blood Bowl.
I will give the book a 9/10 and I am eagerly waiting for the next novel to come around!!
PS. In the last game, did the Hackers receive twice or is it only my bad reading that tells me they did?? |
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KarlLagerbottom |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 21, 2005 - 06:59 AM
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Joined: May 25, 2004
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A 9 out of 10? I guess within the confines of Blood Bowl literature only...but even then I think thats high. Heck...I have read better writing on this Forum, and no one got paid to write it! 
Sorry...best I can do is 4 out of 10.
Just my two cents....enjoy.
-Rob |
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Karl Lagerbottom - Dwarf Blocker of Renown
NAF Member #5236
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Paul |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 21, 2005 - 10:54 PM
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Joined: Feb 18, 2005
Canada
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Well, I guess I've gotta go somewhers in the middle of you two for my grade, in fact, exactly between you two.
I give it a 7/10.
It was a decent book, but from a blood bowl standpoint it was a little lacking. Some more game action might have been nice, and it seemed like it just flew through the year. One chapter they're playing in the Chaos Cup, the next, its the Blood Bowl.
The writting wasn't that great, but I've seen worse. The names were a little too cliched for me, (well, the Hackers thing pissed me off, cause that was my faculty hockey team when I was in University* http://torch.cs.dal.ca/~seaboyer/hockey/index.php, and Carve/Farve??? come on? Yea, its funny, but I've seen plenty of people have done this and done a better job.)
I will admit that the book did have me, I finished it in about a week, staying up really late one night to do so, and I will pick up a sequel if one comes about. I hope that they choose to focus more on in-game action, with a little less off-ice, err, off-pitch story. I think you can have a good plot based off of different on-field opponents than a few reoccuring off-field characters.
I did like how they chose to put it ahead of the "current" blood bowl storyline. If the book was dominated by Griff Obberwald, Morg 'n Thorg and Varag Ghoul-Chewer I would have been upset.
Another plus, I found the actual in game description really good, (you probably know this based off of the number of times that I've said 'put in more in game action' by now.) I also thought the Hacker team themselves were interesting. I loved the back-story and I know it is something that I'd love to see more of in Blood Bowl leagues. Hopefully the next book will get into some of the other players a little more. They needed more than Dunk, the Ogre and the evil guy (read the book a few months ago, can't remember names and I don't have it handy)
Well, those were my thoughts.
* Why did the hacker thing really bug me, cause I was planning on bringing my Jersey to the DeathBowl to wear for luck, and now I know I'm going to get people asking if its from the book. But thats just me, I can get worked up about little things like that.  |
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RawMessiah |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 22, 2005 - 02:07 AM
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Joined: Apr 18, 2005
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Well I gave a 9/10 because I thought the book was rather interesting and I read it in about 5dayz or so, so I think I must have liked it. It's true that the tournaments came rather quick but I think the write (Matt) wanted to present as many as he could in his book.
I hope the sequel will have a little more playing (too) and maybe, hopefully, it won't all include Dunk and the Ogre. In the book it sometimes seemed too easy for them to score a TD.
Again: did anyone read it (too) that the Hackers received twice during their last game? |
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Khaine |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 22, 2005 - 11:05 AM
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Joined: Sep 06, 2003
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I would like to precusor this by saying that I have never given a 10/10 on a book or even an 8/10 so on my scale it might as well be 1-7. This being said...
I'd have to go with Karl on this one. Although I'd give it a 3/10. When I pick up a book called Blood Bowl, I don't expect it to be about one small part of an aspect of the game. I want an overview maybe even more then two or three WHOLE plays in the entire book. If I want to read about some tramp who screws sports stars, I'll pickup a tabloid. I want to hear about incredible plays made and huge rewards had. The BEST part of the book was the non-bloodbowl related "introduction" story where you meet both the main charachter and his future agent. I do however dig the halfling agent <not using names as I don't know what the legality is>, he is imaginitive and creative, but the other main charachter is bipolar at best. He's a Wuss, then 2 seconds latrer he's a diety, his abillities flip flop more then anything I have ever seen. Siongle handedly downs a chimera with a spear throw then gets his butt kicked by everything under the son. This Novel has inspired me to want to give it a whack. Although I think this book is a great effort, and will be worth every second of effort reading it IF it spawns other potential writers to take a go at describing their own leagues or teams.
And even after giving it a 3/10 and not particularly liking the writing sytle, I would still encourage people to purchase this book. If for no better reason then some people like dry writing and some people like wacky off the wall writing and somewhere in between the writing in this book will make people clap together their dorrito stained forearms in delight. |
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Rune_Master |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 22, 2005 - 02:45 PM
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Joined: Apr 02, 2005
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I just finished the book last night. And I'd have to give it about a 5/10.
 SPOILER ALERT
A few things annoyed me:
1. The lack of action - I know it's the first book of at least two with Dead Ball coming in Dec., so I understand the need to establish a backstory for Dunk. But the lack of descibed action during games was disappointing. I think the fight with Skragger at the end lasted longer in pages than the Blood Bowl!
2. Overuse of clever name changes - OK, to make things fluffy, we had Killer Genuine Draft, Bloodweiser, and whatever the Heinekin beer was. But enough is enough! I really think the writer tried too hard to be clever. Everything didn't need a clever modern counterpart. I mean, Perry and Mippin getting crushed by a Treeman? Was his name Beardtree? And where were Sodo and Framwise?
3. Abhorrent Editing - All through the book, but especially towards the end, the editing was horrible. Dirk was referenced in a conversation when he wasn't there, I think Dirk scored for the Hackers once, the Reavers were referred to as Hackers, horrible. It seemed like they were just dying to get this book to print, damn the continuity!
A few good things:
1. Backstory - While we still don't know what caused the fall of the Hoffnung family (book 2?), we got to read about Dunk and Slick which was entertaining. BTW, are Chimera's existant in WFB? Just wondering.
2. Clever name changes - OK, I know I am contradicting myself here, but while the overuse of the name changes did annoy me, I did like that they were done. The "GW"'s from Wolf Sports, "Cavre" the star player, etc...
3. Short Chapters - I like being able to read 5-10 pages and finish a chapter. As opposed to 20-30 pages, if I stop in the middle, it throws me off starting back up. (Silly, I know, just looking for a third good thing! LOL!)
So, I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. There is definitely room for improvement, but it's a good glimpse into the Blood Bowl world. Tell your Blood Bowl friends to read it, they'll "get it" and enjoy the book. But don't recommend to someone who hasn't played, I doubt they'd get into it. |
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Babs |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 24, 2005 - 09:15 PM
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Ex-Rulz Committee
Joined: Feb 17, 2003
Australia
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I have to say that I would have loved the synopsis. The plot of the book was exactly what I would have liked in the book. The whole fantasy cliche angle was fine, but after that, the book is really let down by the writing style.
For a start, the book sends almost no time about 'on pitch' action, most of the book is focused on what happens elsewhere. This bugged me as the book is about Blood Bowl.
Secondly, and probably more importantly, the actual writing is terrible! The descriptions of people and emotions were just primary school like. I could have written better without any revisions! Seriously, the book really suffered from cliches, brief and poor descriptions of things, and even had typos! I think I would have preferred the synopsis written by someone with some more ability! I've seen better writing in match reports, written by people on this board!
So I'd give it maybe 3 out of 10. The three is that the actual plot isn't that terrible, just the way it's written is. |
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=-) Babs
Washed up old has been.
Ex-official GW Blood Bowl Rules Committee member
Ex-NAF Tournament Organiser, Australasia
Co-Author of the Feudball first novel.
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KarlLagerbottom |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 25, 2005 - 03:52 PM
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Babs wrote:
...the actual writing is terrible! The descriptions of people and emotions were just primary school like. I could have written better without any revisions! Seriously, the book really suffered from cliches, brief and poor descriptions of things, and even had typos! I think I would have preferred the synopsis written by someone with some more ability! I've seen better writing in match reports, written by people on this board!
So I'd give it maybe 3 out of 10. The three is that the actual plot isn't that terrible, just the way it's written is.
That is the biggest problem I had as well. I think that all of the other problems that I had stemmed from the poor writing. Upon reading the book I assumed that GW grabbed some kid out of college to write this on the cheap...but when I met the 40-something writer of this book at GenCon this year, I just had to shake my head. I know that age does equate talent or skill, but I could almost understand the weak writing if it was someone's first time out. However, given that this guy has supposedly been around and has some sort of association with Wizards of the Coast or some-such company....all I have to say is that this guy should have been embarrassed to cash the check from GW. Furthermore, Jervis should have been embarassed to sign it. I can't imagine that they would have let him write another unless he initially signed a 2-book deal.
This book is HACK...pure and simple. I can't imagine that he did much revising, or that anyone from Black Library did any editing...anyone who did needs to look-up the word continuity in the dictionary. I can't believe that anyone who worked on this book thinks that this is a quality product.
Anyway...there is my rant.
-RobO
(Insulted by the book. Is this what GW thinks of us?)
EDIT: For anyone who wonders why this response has a bit more of a bitter tone...I was holding back because I didn't want to ruin the book for anyone who might enjoy it. But now that I see that I am not alone in this, and that there are others that feel similarly, we might as well have a "real" discussion about it. |
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Karl Lagerbottom - Dwarf Blocker of Renown
NAF Member #5236
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KarlLagerbottom |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 25, 2005 - 03:58 PM
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RawMessiah wrote:
Again: did anyone read it (too) that the Hackers received twice during their last game?
Sorry...by that point I wasn't reading it closely enough to have caught this...I was just trying to plow my way through so I can say I finished it.
-RobO |
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Karl Lagerbottom - Dwarf Blocker of Renown
NAF Member #5236
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Deathwing |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 25, 2005 - 07:18 PM
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Former President
Joined: Feb 10, 2003
England
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My thoughts pasted from elsewhere: Just finished. Not a literary masterpiece but quite fun, look forward to the next one. The Bloodhound Gang reference amused me.
Each to their own, but I was expecting bad Terry Pratchett rather than Tolkien anyway, so as a throwaway pulp fiction tome it was ok (read it in a day, made me laugh a coupla times). The whole premise of Blood Bowl is really kind of ludicrous anyway, the whole fluff thing was always full of bad puns.. (Darkside Cowboys, Orcland Raiders, Nuffle.. Nuffle Amorical Football *cough*).
In short, enjoyed it for what it was, but then I was never anxiously awaiting something special. |
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KarlLagerbottom |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 25, 2005 - 09:39 PM
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Yep...keeping things in perspective is a wonderful thing. I guess maybe I just expected too much. I guess they are not going to waste Dan Abnett's time writing on Blood Bowl...it just got to the point where I wanted to throw-up at the bad plays on words. By the time that Perry and Mippin showed up I was at the "dry heave" point.
Anyway...if this is what they are going to produce for Blood Bowl...why not make it a comic book, or quarterly graphic novel. I would find a Groo-esque blood bowl comic alot more entertaining then a series of one-liners where the punch line is just a few switched letters in NFL player's names.
Anyway...I guess that's all the time I have.
Thank you and good night!
-Rob |
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Karl Lagerbottom - Dwarf Blocker of Renown
NAF Member #5236
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Paul |
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Post subject:
Posted: Sep 25, 2005 - 10:31 PM
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Joined: Feb 18, 2005
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Did anyone else notice that they counted TD Passes as TDs for the Throwers? I know this is done in the NFL/CFl, but its what makes Throwers crappy in Blood Bowl, they get 1 SPP for a completion to the guy in the end zone (and how often is the reciever actually in the end zone?)
That was one of the things that really bugged me. Its like the guy hasn't even played BB before.
I said I liked the book, but after reading all the negitive posts, I think I was just hoping it was better than I thought. I didn't mind it, but it definatly wasn't the best thing I've ever read, but I thought the good points stood out. I might reread it one of these days, just to see if it gets better the second time (I doubt it, but...)
Quote: .if this is what they are going to produce for Blood Bowl...why not make it a comic book, or quarterly graphic nove
that would be much cooler, but really, a 2 book deal for some nobody author is alot cheeper for GW to spend their money on than the staff it would take to write a comic. From the looks of the editing, the editor was MS Offices Spell Checker.
The Puns were too much in this. Yea, they've had this kinda fluff for a while, the Darkside Cowboys, Orcland Raiders etc those are ok and have been around for ever, but the author didn't need to keep trying to reinvent new ones each chapter. |
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