Roll For Initiative With ‘Epic Quests’: An Adult RPG Coloring Book
Listen, we all have to have hobbies. When I’m not holed up in my dungeon writing like my life depends on it, I enjoy entering into epic quests with my friends in one of our many TTRG games. I also love to color, and I have since I was a young child. Coloring has always been one of those activities that is not only enjoyable but also helps calm my mind when everything feels overwhelming. So when approached about reviewing Epic Quests: The RPG Fan’s Coloring Book of Dungeons, Dragons, Monsters, and More, I couldn’t say yes quickly enough.
Who wouldn’t love to blend two of their most beloved after-school activities? Honestly, my first thought I had as I held this coloring book in my hand was, “Why hasn’t someone thought of this before?” There’s an untapped market among nerds, clearly, as this is something that doesn’t feel like a want but an absolute need.
Epic Quests: The RPG Fan’s Coloring Book of Dungeons, Dragons, Monsters, and More is not just any coloring book but an invitation to roll for initiative and begin your next adventure! So now is the perfect time to pick up your sword, or in this case, your colored pencils or crayons, and open Epic Quests for a new perspective on your favorite hobby!
[Note: While I’m reviewing this book independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Simon & Schuster for the purpose of this review.]
Epic Quests is not your average adult coloring book
I’ve purchased or received plenty of adult coloring books over the years, and I won’t lie, more times than not, I end up reverting to children’s coloring books for various reasons. More often than not, it feels like publishers of adult coloring books believe older people are looking for more detailed pictures than their younger counterparts.
What this means is that the areas become smaller, making it more difficult to stay within the lines. To achieve the “perfect” picture, you always need either pencils sharpened to within an inch of their lives or fine-tipped markers that can sometimes bleed through the page.
As someone who prefers crayons, the challenge is even more difficult with adult coloring books, as there never seems to be enough room to be precise; especially as the crayons dull. However, from the very first page of Epic Quests, you can tell this coloring book is different from anything else on the market.
For those who have played Dungeons & Dragons before, it feels like opening your beloved rulebook or monster manual, ready to explore a world full of danger, magic, and unforgettable characters. The artwork captures a fantasy world ripe with wonder and possibilities, and as you flip through the 38 hand-drawn illustrations by Sanjay Charlton, you can feel the excitement building. These pieces are extremely detailed, but not in a way that feels restrictive for coloring; rather, they enhance the colors you bring to the sheet.
As TTRG players know, the world of D&D is vast, containing just about anything you can possibly imagine, and Epic Quests embraces it all within its pages. Looking for an imposing bear towering over a formidable fighter? There’s a page for you. Perhaps you want to color a beautiful fairy sitting next to a potion bottle? This coloring book has you covered. Truly, from bards to dragons, from knights to dragons, Sanjay Charlton has thought and designed anything you could possibly think of, from Dungeons & Dragons in this book.
Each illustration feels like a snapshot from a campaign we’ve all participated in at one point or another. One that could have gone in a thousand different directions, which enriches the coloring experience even more. You become immersed in a fantasy world with each stroke of a pencil, which speaks to the depth the illustrator put into his designs.
The practicality of this TTRG coloring book
So, besides the incredibly detailed work of Charlton, how does Epic Quests set itself apart from the rest of the adult coloring books on the market? The biggest win in my book is that Epic Quests strikes a perfect balance between incredible details and accessibility to actually coloring, which should be the most important aspect of an adult coloring book.
The lines in each illustration are bold and clear, making the pages friendly for colorists of different skill levels, but there’s still plenty of intricate detail for those who love to spend time shading armor, scales, stonework, and magical effects. One example that immediately jumped out at me was the tree branches and trunks in quite a few pictures. With detailed lines to showcase the bark, the space itself is large enough to accommodate larger-tipped utensils, such as crayons.
I didn’t feel ostracized for my appreciation of crayons, which, in my opinion, is a mark of a good adult coloring book. Regardless of what you wanted to use, you could add as much color as you wanted with whatever you wanted. That’s the key to bridging gaps between those who are more experienced at coloring and those who are just looking for something relaxing to do.
Much like many other adult coloring books I’ve done, the pictures are on a single side rather than using the book’s pages, which again makes sense. If you want to remove the picture to display, you don’t have to worry about missing out on another opportunity for coloring. As well, the paper itself is high quality and on the thicker side of normal, meaning that regardless of what I used, such as pencils, pens, markers, or crayons, I did not experience bleed-through to the back of the page.
Final thoughts on Epic Quests: The RPG Fan’s Coloring Book of Dungeons, Dragons, Monsters, and More
Overall, this adult coloring book is impressive in every way possible. I’m someone who’s difficult to please when it comes to adult coloring books, because most of the time they feel like a chore rather than a relaxing or enjoyable activity. Instead, this adult coloring book is accessible to all. No matter what you want to use, or if you’re looking to turn Charlton’s art into a vividly colored masterpiece, Epic Quest is the perfect way to celebrate your love for TTRG’s and enter a fantasy world in a whole new way.
Epic Quests: The RPG Fan’s Coloring Book of Dungeons, Dragons, Monsters, and More from Sanjay Charlton is available to buy now!
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