I purchased this book yesterday, and it was a good surprise. I expected it to be good, but did not expect it to be great. This book is like Haunts, but a lot darker, more polished, with story opportunities. Wraith is a hard game to storytell, and this book really gave me ideas for stories related to the Skinlands. The text was great, editing was ok (there were a few typos, but nothing that compromised the books quality), the art was good, formatting was ok. I will definitely keep tabs on the author.
There are five scenarios in the book:
Hotel Mercurial was ok, reminded me a little of the hotel from the Shining, with the creep factor a little higher in. Blackmail, twisted minds, dirty deeds, this is a Haunt, and where whatever kind of sick deeds could have happened.
Family Secrets was a sick, sick scenario, that just delivers what I always thought wraith was about. A close, personal story with a whole lot of tragedy. This was my favorite, perfect for a story with few players.
Cruelest Cuts is a great mystery story, ripe with potential to end in something like Shutter Island, Identity, or one of those movies with a great ending. This one was also very good.
An Artist's Muse in my least favorite scenario. Although it delivers great history, the types of stories I could envision just weren't my cup of tea. However, there was something novel here - someone who, in life, was evil, and did not go to Oblivion. It was an interesting character.
The Blue Man was good, but not what I look for in a Wraith story. I was on the lookout for things related to the living, and this story does not deliver the proximity I look for in a Wraith story. I liked, however, the maddening aspects of the story. Gave me a lot of good ideas.
Good work!
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