I reviewed the .pdf. For disclosure, I have played in the setting with Jack and also spent considerable effort adapting his previous Gothic Fantasy setting, World Between, to another game system. I'm mentioned in the book briefly as a player. Here are my thoughts about this book!

The rule for a good campfire is also good for a setting book; close enough for warmth, space enough to breathe. Jack Shear nailed down enough relative location information and suggestions beyond the edge of the map for those flavors to matter, but left a lot of vagueness all through the book for each game table to operate free of constricting canon.

He also provided the skeletal structure to support the GM. In addition to all the squirmy wet flavor bits, there are lines and joints and load-bearing anchor points that give direction for how to get in and started, with names and places and themes presented together.

There are cities, and they are focused to be gameable. There are factions, and individuals, and suggestions of threats and rewards. This setting is inspirational and functional right out of the box.

I could pick this book up, select a location and a prefab idea or two of things to do in it, grab a random NPC or two, maybe a faction for background menace. Add a monster or two. Jack's work aligns really well with the needs of the GM running the game in this book.

Jack Shear has my hearty congratulations on making a fine setting book that can proudly serve in the OSR, Indie territory, D&D, or (best of all) the wild space in between.

These rules look both friendly and comprehensive. They are tight without being strained. The races, classes, and magic abilities and descriptions fire the imagination so you want to try them out.

A hallmark of the system is that it explains enough to clarify its intent, but it stops well short of being verbose. Frequent subheadings and colored text for important key phrases helps find things quickly. The author is aware of how the whole page fits together, and also how the concepts in the entire document string together.

There are small evocative pictures sprinkled through the text, as landmarks and as evocative inspiration.

Sections start with a framing essay, as if to say “This is a way to think about what we are going to talk about next. Not just the rules alone, but also why they exist, and what they are intended to manage.” A great example of this is explaining how to play before making characters. Another great example is explaining the levels of choice and the granularity of play, before getting into combat (and other rules.)

The magic uses fresh, exciting, and original spells that I would love to see at my game table.

This game manages to tread the same ground as other games before it, without a hint of acrimony, competition, or comparison. I sense love and delight in this work, not defensiveness or jealousy. The author wants to share the best campaign practices and “what if” revisions to give the reader the best experience at the game table. A combination of good writing, big enough font size, and careful ordering of information makes a very readable book.

The author concludes by saying he is not striving to be the perfect example, but rather a skilled coach who can give others what they need to run great games. I think he has done a fantastic job of doing just that.

These collections continue to improve! This volume is marked by recurring use of a cliff as a border, so the caves could be arranged near one another or stacked on top of each other. Also, there is even more experimentation and flexibility with different heights within a single level, adding descriptive interest.

the caves are more complex in some cases, which is a great help in making an interesting adventure site. A mix of worked stone areas and natural cavern areas suggests opportunistic masonry in existing caves, bringing a further element of mystery and wonder as characters move through the dark and find evidence of occupation on a grander scale than they would expect. Hidden tombs and shrines are a real feature in this set.

Sometimes it is the little things that make a difference--like having doorknobs noted on the doors so when the players ask where the hinges are and which way the door opens, you've got a better chance of being consistent with your answer.

Each large map also has a smaller version with some key questions on the back. Filling in key locations, treasures, wandering monsters, and so on can fit on the sheet with the map. It takes some of the intimidation out of stocking a map for a newcomer, and adds a nice twist for those used to working with maps.

Check this package of maps out! They are useful and inspirational.

This fantastic pocket mod adventure has a lot of great elements. Some areas are finished construction, some are not. There are imaginative foes, and a well-developed overall reason to go into the citadel. Not only are there multiple levels, there's a sketchy suggestion of how to handle the area around the citadel as well.

This is a well-developed example of how to do an adventure on a piece of paper, to be portable and charming and engaging. Good work!