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The Freedom Phalanx
Despair stalks the streets of Paragon City. Five decades after Statesman and his allies first formed the Freedom Phalanx, that legendary group of heroes is no more and power-mad villains stand poised on the brink of ultimate victory. The fledgling hero Positron has a plan to stop them: rebuild the Freedom Phalanx. But the world's mightiest championsStatesman, Sister Psyche, Synapse, and Manticoreno longer see the point of battling alongside others, not when they have their own private wars to wage and personal demons to conquer. For Positron to forge a new Freedom Phalanx and save Paragon City from the schemes of the dreaded Tyranny Legion, he must first save the heroes from their greatest enemiesthemselves.
394 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 30, 2006
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About the author
Robin D. Laws
149 books195 followersWriter and game designer Robin D. Laws brought you such roleplaying games as Ashen Stars, The Esoterrorists, The Dying Earth, Heroquest and Feng Shui. He is the author of seven novels, most recently The Worldwound Gambit from Paizo. For Robin's much-praised works of gaming history and analysis, see Hamlet's Hit Points, Robin's Laws of Game Mastering and 40 Years of Gen Con.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 28, 2019
Once upon a time, there was a fantastic online MMORPG called City of Heroes. The fact that it was shut down years ago and still has groups dedicated to it should tell you a lot about how much it was loved and what a great community it had.
This is the story behind five of the major NPC's who help you and give you quests as the game goes on. Ray Keyes created powered armor and took the name Positron. He knew that his beloved Paragon City was in a downward spiral, and wanted to make a difference. But even his best friend Steve, the reluctant, part-time speedster with electrical powers Synapse, wasn't too wild about the idea. Ray keeps trying, contacting Manticore, a legacy hero who took up his father's bow, Sister Psyche, a powerful mentalist, and Statesman, legendary immortal powerhouse. They all turned him down.
Ray has to deal with what he learns about the city, the villains behind the scenes, and even the mayoral election. Can he overcome the odds, get some help, and rout the bad guys? It's an uphill struggle that doesn't look good.
This is the story behind five of the major NPC's who help you and give you quests as the game goes on. Ray Keyes created powered armor and took the name Positron. He knew that his beloved Paragon City was in a downward spiral, and wanted to make a difference. But even his best friend Steve, the reluctant, part-time speedster with electrical powers Synapse, wasn't too wild about the idea. Ray keeps trying, contacting Manticore, a legacy hero who took up his father's bow, Sister Psyche, a powerful mentalist, and Statesman, legendary immortal powerhouse. They all turned him down.
Ray has to deal with what he learns about the city, the villains behind the scenes, and even the mayoral election. Can he overcome the odds, get some help, and rout the bad guys? It's an uphill struggle that doesn't look good.
September 22, 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐ So, much like the first book of this series, this read won't be for everyone... however, my love for CoH and its lore makes this a good read. We get the backstories of Sister Psyche, Positron, Synapse, and Manticore in this one, as well as learning more about Statesman and Lord Recluse's relationship.
The writing isn't spectacular, but the nostalgia is there, and that was enough to propel me through and be excited about the story. Sadly, there wasn't a third book written after this to complete the trilogy. :(!
59/100 2021 Reads
The writing isn't spectacular, but the nostalgia is there, and that was enough to propel me through and be excited about the story. Sadly, there wasn't a third book written after this to complete the trilogy. :(!
59/100 2021 Reads
September 21, 2019
A nice read, especially now that CoH is back online, bringing more background to the game's main NPCs and worldbuilding.
Not necessarily recommended for anyone not playing the game, but definitely for those who do.
Not necessarily recommended for anyone not playing the game, but definitely for those who do.
November 10, 2011
(Original review Jun 2006)
The next CoH novel, "The Freedom Phalanx," even though by a different author than the previous installment, "The Web of Arachnos" (Robin Laws vs Robert Weinberg) suffers from many of the same problems — cliches, uninvolving characters, etc. — of its predecessor, but without the pulp charm.
Set in the late 80s, it details the reformation of the FP by Positron and Synapse. The original FP has fallen apart over time as its members have squabbled and died off, leaving the heroes of Paragon disorganized and listless, and the life of the city increasinly chaotic, corrupt, and crime-ridden,
ho-hum.
The majority of the interest in something like this should come from learning more about the “signature characters” and the city of Paragon. As to the first, we do, but nothing there really grabs — Positron is smart and earnest, Synapse doesn’t want to be a hero, Manticore is an anti-social vigilante, Statesman is filled with “all my loved ones will die around me as I live eternally” ennui, and Sister Psyche is truly screwed up. Ho, and again, hum.
That’s about the depth of the characterization, which can be surpassed by 90% of the novels (and 75% of the comic books, and 40% of the CoX character logs) out there.
And as to Paragon City itself — the book seems riddled with what are either fundamental mistakes (the gleaming corporate towers of Skyway City?) or reflect a pre-Rikti world that has radically changed since then. Hard to tell, and hard to care.
It’s not that it’s a bad book. It’s just not all that good of one. Suitable for light-fluff reading in an airport or something like that. Any of the locals who want to borrow (after that glowing recommendation) are welcome to.
The next CoH novel, "The Freedom Phalanx," even though by a different author than the previous installment, "The Web of Arachnos" (Robin Laws vs Robert Weinberg) suffers from many of the same problems — cliches, uninvolving characters, etc. — of its predecessor, but without the pulp charm.
Set in the late 80s, it details the reformation of the FP by Positron and Synapse. The original FP has fallen apart over time as its members have squabbled and died off, leaving the heroes of Paragon disorganized and listless, and the life of the city increasinly chaotic, corrupt, and crime-ridden,
ho-hum.
The majority of the interest in something like this should come from learning more about the “signature characters” and the city of Paragon. As to the first, we do, but nothing there really grabs — Positron is smart and earnest, Synapse doesn’t want to be a hero, Manticore is an anti-social vigilante, Statesman is filled with “all my loved ones will die around me as I live eternally” ennui, and Sister Psyche is truly screwed up. Ho, and again, hum.
That’s about the depth of the characterization, which can be surpassed by 90% of the novels (and 75% of the comic books, and 40% of the CoX character logs) out there.
And as to Paragon City itself — the book seems riddled with what are either fundamental mistakes (the gleaming corporate towers of Skyway City?) or reflect a pre-Rikti world that has radically changed since then. Hard to tell, and hard to care.
It’s not that it’s a bad book. It’s just not all that good of one. Suitable for light-fluff reading in an airport or something like that. Any of the locals who want to borrow (after that glowing recommendation) are welcome to.
April 6, 2011
In good conscience I can only give The Freedom Phalanx three stars, but that's significantly more than I would have expected to give it when I first picked it up. A novel which mainly exists to flesh out the backstory of the world in which a derivative superhero massively-multiplayer online roleplaying game takes place has the deck stacked against it from the get-go. But it ended up being a fun read and even surprisingly nuanced in places. Still not something I would recommend for anyone but the hardest of hardcore comics geeks and/or City of Heroes players, but I fall into both of those categories and I liked it.
I actually liked it enough to ramble on about it at length on my blog, if you're looking for further info: Parenthetical Asides.
I actually liked it enough to ramble on about it at length on my blog, if you're looking for further info: Parenthetical Asides.
February 13, 2026
3.5. A companion piece to the City of Heroes MMORPG—now permanently shut down—this book is the second and final installment in a planned trilogy that never saw completion due to low sales.
It’s packed with all the clichés, tropes, and camp that define the superhero genre, so if that’s your thing, you’ll likely enjoy it. However, it does feel long, compacted, and overly wordy at times.
Not a read I’d universally recommend, but for those who find themselves instantly intrigued by the cover—or for longtime fans of the game’s lore—this could be well worth the dive.
It’s packed with all the clichés, tropes, and camp that define the superhero genre, so if that’s your thing, you’ll likely enjoy it. However, it does feel long, compacted, and overly wordy at times.
Not a read I’d universally recommend, but for those who find themselves instantly intrigued by the cover—or for longtime fans of the game’s lore—this could be well worth the dive.
August 11, 2011
Although it didn't adhere strictly to the CoH lore, it was a fun read and went by pretty fast. Had a clunky start, tho.
January 14, 2014
Interesting super hero story. It was good, if slightly campy.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews