The Scorpion

The only TSR series I am familiar with is the Dragonlance series, a great run of books but a series that has more poor entry's than good ones. I thought that this book, the first in the 'Legends of the 5 Rings' would be a weakly written money grab. Instead, it's a deep and fantastically written novel that opens up a beautiful new world for the reader.The first book, 'Scorpion' does a great job of painting this new world. The series is pure fantasy, but with a more asian influence which is greatly appreciated. Noble samurai, stalking ninja and dejected ronin all share space with dragons and magic, and it's a refreshing change from the more western influenced fantasy that populates most of the bookshelves.Great characters also prop up the story. What was appealing about the book was that there were no one-dimensional 'good' or 'evil' characters, just men and women who had their own perspectives. This poses an intriguing problem for the reader, as the fun of cheering the hero and booing the villain becomes an ambiguous task. It all depends on whose motivations you agree with most, and this vague morality made the story all the more enjoyable.Definately a great read, and at 300 pages proves a slim, quick read that'll introduce you to a bold new world. Highly recomended.

as a big L5R CCG fan, i basically allready knew the storyline behind the SCC. but the way it is laid out in this book, and also, the way the book adds to the personalities well, personality i think is a great addition. kachiko and the scorpions are just how they should be, and many of the other major personalities are much more fleshed out in the book then they are in the card game. it adds a distinct flavor to it, and the storyline itself is quite good. i can't wait until they do the day of thunder book, that one should be even better.

I have been a fan of the L5R world for a few years now. I expected the books to be a decent story but not have the excitement the is in the actual game. I was wrong. The first book in this series pulls you in from the first page and just doesn't let you go. I would recommend this book to anybody who is at all interested in reading a story good enough for legend. I can't wait to see the other novels. The Clan War story arc will make for a great novel series....

This is definetely one of the best books I've read in a long time.The author did a great job with character developement and plot. Although I dont play the card game this book caught my interest a long time ago(when i saw the advirtisements for it in other books) and am glad to say it was worth the wait. The story is great and also the backround for it is also great because its different involoving eastern mythology instead of western mythology. Eastern mythology is interesting and this book had a lot of it. The book was also a great start off for what i hope will be a great series. I would highly recommend this book for anyone is into the fantasy genre. I hope the other books in the series will be as great at this one.

As some readers already know, The Scorpion is based on the storyline from the popular Legend of the Five Rings card game. Of course, this doesn't in any way mean that people who have never heard of L5R won't enjoy this book - quite the opposite, in fact. In order to really explain to you how much I enjoyed this book, I'll have to blather a bit. Bear with me, please.I play the aforementioned card game (a little) and the role-playing game based on it (avidly). I've spent a small fortune in money and time hunting down information about the very same story and characters revealed in "The Scorpion". I've read every preview, every snippet of spoilers. (And yes, I probably ought to get a life, but my local bookstore doesn't stock them...) When I picked up this book, I knew almost exactly what would happen, who would be involved, and how it would all end.And still, I couldn't put the book down. That's how good it is. Every word, every scene rang true. Now, other fans of L5R will probably want to know how the book relates to previously released info. The answer is, very well. There are places where Mr. Sullivan has deviated from 'official' info, but in my opinion these differences don't hurt (and sometimes even enhance) the final result. I think that's quite enough blabbing from me. Go read this book.Linda Larsson