This is a cynical product, designed to have readers fall in love with Dungeons and Dragons and get a session together, to try and have an adventure as good as this one.

And boy does it ever succeed.

We have a standard array of party members, with differing philosophies, coming together as an adventuring party to take down a tangible threat. There is a tricky halfling, a tamed barbarian, a gruff dwarf, and an aloof dark elf. They deal with a variety of prejudices, and work together to stop a mysterious crystal palace that has sprung up out of nowhere and threatens the lives of themselves and ungrateful townsfolk. It ends on a cliffhanger that leads into the next "campaign".

The book drags on a bit at times, as when it's not action, it's a lot of brooding angst on the dark elf's part at being completely ostracized. But the commentary never reaches a deeper level other than "boy, I sure am tired of being held accountable for all of drowkind when I've done nothing close to what they're accused of".