The Lost Tale of Sir Larpsalot: A Review

by Robert Davies | Dec 14, 2020 | Fiction, Larp Featured articles, Reviews | 0 comments

Lost Tale of Sir Larpsalot – a review

It’s time to sit down with a good book. The Lost Tale of Sir Larpsalot by David Michael Williams is a young adult novel that is suitable for all; especially larpers.

So let’s start with the premise of the book five teenage tabletop roleplayers create their own LARP. It exists to let them play out their tabletop game. Things then take a turn for serious (and humorous) when the group get transported to an actual fantasy world.

The Tone of the book

It’s serious when it needs to be, but it is also very funny. Humour is everywhere. It’s full of observations, comments and banter that if they don’t make you laugh out loud will still give you a little smile. This is a fun read. That’s the plain and simple truth of this tale. Reading it was a genuine pleasure.

The Larp Elements

I should really title this the role-playing elements. First off every chapter gives a definition of role-playing / larping term. Each one is correct and then cuts to the chase with the quick comment that gets to the truth of it (often with a laugh_, These are deftly handled and get to the point without ever feeling like a lecture or pointless filler. If someone had never played an RPG or LARP before these would help.

Larp and fantasy references pervade the entire book. The characters very much see their world through the filter of games they have played and books they have read. They explain things that are real in this story with plenty of fictional references. I think I know people just like this.

When the story gets into action elements we see the kind attempts at planning, talking and internal dialogue that we so often see in RPGs. This feels like larpers in a new world, and not a fantasy story dressed up with LARP elements to fit in.

Also, the larp as played by the characters is very much there own creation. It may not match your ideas, but I do see elements of building a larp in isolation here. So to me, it makes sense.

The Characters

We cannot talk about something that is LARP related without the characters.

Our focus is on five roleplaying friends. Like actual larpers they are all very different people. They have their differences, they respond in their own unique manners. These could have easily been teen stereotypes and there are some stereotypical references but this still stand out as characters and people.

When we get to their characters all members of the "good company", a band of adventurers that have been . I was concerned here that we would see the worst of D&D tropes. I didn’t get that feeling at all. Like everything in this book it references things we all , yet it also maintains its own identity.