Legends of the Dark Crystal : The Garthim Wars

Volume 1

My main question about this book is why? Why even write it? If you know anything about The Dark Crystal, you know that Jen and Kira were the last two Gelfling left. Period. At least according to the film.

So, then, you automatically know that every single Gelfing in this Garthim Wars series is going to die. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts. No matter how courageous or innovative their fight, ultimately they will fail and all fall to the enemy.

So why do such a downer series anyhow? That's one thing I can't figure out.

So, as to the story. Lahr, a male Gelfing, comes from a village wiped out by the Garthim. Sound familiar?

Neffti is a female Gelfling that comes from a village wiped out by the Garthim. Again, sound familiar?

They warn another group of Gelfling that the Garthim will soon attack their settlement, and they manage to devise a defense of sorts and are able to destroy some of the attackers. Then, Lahr and Neffti decide they will go to the castle to free the Gelfling that have been caught.

So, a male and a female Gelfling go to the castle by themselves. Sound familiar?

So, in addition to being a book that is rather depressing, when one considers what will ultimately happen to all the Gelfling characters in the book, you also have a book that is way too close to the movie itself in basic plot.

A very disappointing work.

Volume 2

Lahr and Neffi are two Gelfling who have survived attacks of the Garthim (just as Jen and Kira would do in the future.) The two plans to stage a raid on the Crystal Castle and rescue captured Gelfling. After that there is a very interesting section dealing with intrigues among the Skeksis who are vying for power any way they can get it. The use of captured Gelfling for 'Gelfling essense' is also covered.

Lahr and Neffi get closer to the castle. Meanwhile Aughra is in her lab and says it will all end in tragedy.

Just like in The Dark Crystal, a male and a female Gelfling get to the castle and end up going down into a chasm. The only difference is Neffi makes Lahr a set of wings rather than carrying him down. Again, just like in the film the Chamberlain finds them in the tunnel.

Then, just like in the movie, there is another challenge. The only difference is that it's a trial by fire rather than a trial by stone. The Gelfling get away, but barely. Yet we already know what happened to them all, and that is they were all destroyed, ultimately, by the Skeksis because the movie established that Jen and Kira were the only two left.

There's also an artist's gallery and a lot of ads for other books.

Main index page

Dark Crystal main index page

Legends of the Dark Crystal : The Garthim Wars

Volume 1

My main question about this book is why? Why even write it? If you know anything about The Dark Crystal, you know that Jen and Kira were the last two Gelfling left. Period. At least according to the film.

So, then, you automatically know that every single Gelfing in this Garthim Wars series is going to die. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts. No matter how courageous or innovative their fight, ultimately they will fail and all fall to the enemy.

So why do such a downer series anyhow? That's one thing I can't figure out.

So, as to the story. Lahr, a male Gelfing, comes from a village wiped out by the Garthim. Sound familiar?

Neffti is a female Gelfling that comes from a village wiped out by the Garthim. Again, sound familiar?

They warn another group of Gelfling that the Garthim will soon attack their settlement, and they manage to devise a defense of sorts and are able to destroy some of the attackers. Then, Lahr and Neffti decide they will go to the castle to free the Gelfling that have been caught.

So, a male and a female Gelfling go to the castle by themselves. Sound familiar?

So, in addition to being a book that is rather depressing, when one considers what will ultimately happen to all the Gelfling characters in the book, you also have a book that is way too close to the movie itself in basic plot.

A very disappointing work.

Volume 2

Lahr and Neffi get closer to the castle. Meanwhile Aughra is in her lab and says it will all end in tragedy.

Just like in The Dark Crystal, a male and a female Gelfling get to the castle and end up going down into a chasm. The only difference is Neffi makes Lahr a set of wings rather than carrying him down. Again, just like in the film the Chamberlain finds them in the tunnel.

There's also an artist's gallery and a lot of ads for other books. Main index page Dark Crystal main index page

There's also an artist's gallery and a lot of ads for other books.

Main index page

Dark Crystal main index page