I enjoyed reading the first Dragon Age book, which was The Stolen Throne. It did a great job of beginning to introduce the background which eventually would lead to the Dragon Age: Origins game. The characters were well-developed, and felt like they belonged in the book. However, I did not get the same vibe from The Calling.
The term “The Calling” refers to the fact that, when a Grey Warden ages enough, he/she journey to the Deep Roads so that they can die valiantly fighting darkspawn. In the book, a Grey Warden goes off on his Calling. However, his sister (who is also a Grey Warden) has a vision in that her brother did not die, and instead was captured, which is an odd thing for darkspawn. So a group of Grey Wardens (including the rookie Grey Warden Duncan, who makes an appearance in Dragon Age: Origins) approach King Maric and ask him to guide them through the Deep Roads. Thus, the book follows the adventure of Maric, Duncan, and several other Grey Wardens as they journey through the Deep Roads in search of the imprisoned darkspawn.
