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I'll go ahead and get things started since I finished reading the first three sections.  As I said, this is my first time delving into the Dark Sun setting, so I was immediately taken by the stark difference between Dark Sun and the other campaign settings - the monsters, the weapons, the magic, and the social structure - are all new and different.  Some of this (the weapon names and monsters) can be difficult to envision without the campaign guide, and I would imagine this novel might be hard to get into at first without any background about what is going on in the world of Dark Sun.

Still, I think Jeff Mariotte has done a good job writing a compelling story so far.  The first part of the novel with the soldiers wandering in the sand storm and finding the lost city is a good glimpse of what it's like to live on Athas - a constant struggle for survival.  I hope Avra somehow made it and we see him again. (I thought maybe Jeff should have named Avra and Aric differently because those names are a little too close.)

Aric, the sword maker, seems like he's going to be the main character, and I was glad that things didn't work out right away with him and Rieve, the noble's daughter.  It seemed a little too coincidental that he was going to get to be her sword teacher, so it was a good twist to have her mother step in and then show her fiance who she is clearly enthralled with (and doesn't seem to be a bad guy).  This creates a confusing situation for Aric, which is good writing.

The last section introduces us to Nibenay and his Templars which are another interesting construct of the setting.  The Templars seem like Drow priestesses in many ways - both seductive and yearning for power, constantly caught up in internal politics.  I wonder if Wizards has put some thought into how females are portrayed in Dark Sun for 4th edition.  I know one of the goals with 4th edition was to create more equality in the game and a better vision of females as heroes too, so I wonder if a strong female hero will emerge in this novel (maybe Rieve?), one with clothes on. (Not that I mind naked priestesses, but something about it seems very 80s fantasy.)

I just finished the first three sections.  I want to start off by saying I’m very excited!  

First a little perspective.  This is my first Dark Sun novel.  I only recently became exposed to Dark Sun while playing in Season 2 of Dungeons & Dragons Encounters.  I picked up a copy of the Dark Sun Campaign Guide and have been reading/skimming it to learn more about Dark Sun.  To help folks out, I posted some information about Dark Sun in another thread.  I think readers will find the story more interesting if they read the background information I posted. 

I immediately fell in love with the story in City Under the Sand.  The first section set the stage for the cruel and violent life that is routine on Athas.  The second section introduced us to a very likable character name Aric.  And the third section gives us a glimpse into the life of a sorcerer-king.  The reader can see how the discovery of Akranhot, Aric’s special ability with metal, and the sorcerer king’s desire for metal will come most likely fold together into an exciting plot.  Dado already gave a nice writeup on the various plot points developing, so I’ll try to add something different.

 My favorite scene was the sorcerer-king Nibenay giving three options to the merchant listing his grievances.  Nibenay told the merchant to either (a) go kill the person causing him problems or, (b) move his business to an area with better security and higher taxes or, (c) pack up his wares and be out of the city before dawn.  I simply loved that scene.  It paints a really cool picture of how life in Nibenay must be.  (Side note – Nibenay is the name of the city and the name of the ruling sorcerer-king.) 

I can’t wait to see how the story develops.  I was kind of unsure of whether I’d like a story set in Dark Sun, but so far I’m absolutely loving it. 

Dado – great job getting this discussion started.  I hope a couple more people will join up, too.        

Nov 7, 2010 -- 1:58PM, Hizaira wrote:

Nov 2, 2010 -- 4:03PM, gold_piece wrote:

Well I just started reading the story this morning.  I’m (literally) 4 pages in, at the end of chapter 1.  I like it so far.  Plenty of action and a gritty feeling.  A caravan attacked by raiders?  Sure, it’s a little formulaic.  But most good stories are.  I’ll post more as I read, but I probably won’t read other posts until I’m finished with the section to avoid spoilers.

So  was the story gritty by the standard definition or due to the amount of sand...  sorry couldnt help myself...

Both, of course!

I agree, gold_piece, that the scene with Nibenay shows a lot about the government and a sort of harsh classical King Solomon type law.  I'm also impressed with Jeff Mariotte's story so far - I think the novel is going to be very good if the beginning is any sign.  

Hizaira - welcome!  I hope we can pick up a few more readers.  Remember - people can come in late and catch up, even several weeks into the discussion.  This is how I got involved with the last book, so it's perfectly OK.