Preview of The Goblin Tower Summary:

The protagonist Jorian in The Goblin Tower is a typical de Camp swordand-sorcery hero. He is tall, strong, and handsome; he is also worldly and suspicious of strangers. His caution is tempered by his good heart and outgoing personality. Among his faults are talking too much, falling too easily in love with women, and fear. This last quality makes him an appealing character because most people would be terrified in the life-threatening situations that Jorian often finds himself in.

Courage without fear would make Jorian seem noble, perhaps, but he would be remote, even austere. His fear and weaknesses make him someone with whom readers can share an adventure; readers can empathize with his will to survive.

Other characters are charming stereotypes. Most do not stay around long enough to become wearisome, although there are so many that they are hard to keep track of. For instance, there...