Death and a D20 by Lonny Foran: Reviewed by Chris Preiman
So, I am trying something a little different today with this review series. I’ll be looking at a short story rather than a full novel. There is just something about short stories that I love. The freedom of telling a story that may not have a full novel in it, the ability to experiment with concepts and styles and, most of all, the ability to tell a short digestible nugget of fiction can be as impactful as a much longer story. That is where Death and a D20 comes in.
When Death comes for Andrew’s soul Death offers a deal. If Andrew can beat
Death in a game of Andrew’s choosing, Death will allow him to live. But, if he cannot, “there are worse things than death.” And this is how Andrew ends up running a Dungeons & Dragons game for the Grim Reaper himself.
Death and a D20 took me on a journey that I was not expecting, but one I think I needed to go on right now. The bittersweet and darkly humorous, sometimes simply absurd, tone was a balm for a mind and soul weighed down by more reality than I could handle
Death’s early cheating and over competitiveness gradually transitioning into genuine excitement for the story coupled with the anticipation of what would come next was something of a reminder of my first experience with Dungeons & Dragons. It reminded me why I take so much joy in shepherding new players into and through the game myself. Watching him join the regular game with Andrew’s friends was amazing. Watching Death take part in that rarest but most wondrous of D&D events was the perfect ending to a campaign and filled me with emotions that, even now, I struggle to express adequately. Forgive me for saying it, but if you’ve ever taken a tour behind the DM’s screen you know what I am talking about. That is not to say that if you are not a Dungeons & Dragons geek you won’t enjoy this story, but you probably won’t have the complex knot of emotions that the story left with me. You will, however, still have a great story full of humor and friendship that will leave a smile on your face and a tear in your eye.
I can recommend Death and a D20 to anyone who enjoys role-playing games, stories of friendships and time together, or anyone with a little sense of adventure and twenty minutes to kill.
Five out of Five stars
If you want to get your own copy of Death and a D20, it is free at the time of writing, you can do that Here and there is a wonderful narrated version on YouTube, Part 1 is here, Part 2 is here, Part 3 is here.
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