This is going to be an odd review not because I am going to write strange stuff but due to the genre this book belongs to. It's not an adventure, a rules supplement or a role playing rules system... it's an anthology of short stories and poems. On the other hand, inside the 94 pages of this book there is some obvious role playing gamer-interest material incorporating in horror or fantasy stuff, so "The New Death And Others" is a product I have to review in Beasts & Dwellers blog nevertheless. I am not going to criticize the talent of the writer, but the inspiration this book may offer to the role players. And personally, as a Dungeon Master, I think that James Hutchings pleasantly surprised me.
"The New Death And Others" has some great ideas inside. Mr. Hutchings has an extremely creative mind and passion for writing. I fell in love with his poems based on well-known stories like "Under the Pyramids" (H. P. Lovecraft) or "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" (Robert E. Howard), but ever the shortest stories like "The God and the Poor" (it's just 16 lines!) offer an enjoyable reading. Some of the stories will make you smile with their humorous approach and others will give you a grimace. Some tales are light and some others more serious. And that's the strongest point of this book: variety! Everyone shall find something for his likings in "The New Death And Others".
In the pdf version I own the text is clear, the formatting does nicely its job and there are links for every story for fast switching. The cover illustration is magnificent and incorporates the main characteristics of the book: a taste of macabre and a lot of humor.
I have enjoyed reading this book. I fell in love with the twist endings and the strange characters. Make yourself a present and get it for just $0.99 from Amazon or Smashwords... it should cost more for what it is offering!
(Special thanks goes to the writer, James Hutchings, for sending me a copy of his great work.)
