Master of Devils

Pathfinder Tales #5

by Dave Gross

Journey to the East

On a mysterious errand for the Pathfinder Society, Count Varian Jeggare and his hellspawn bodyguard Radovan journey to the distant land of Tian Xia, on the far side of the world. When disaster forces him to take shelter in a warrior monastery, "Brother" Jeggare finds himself competing with the disciples of Dragon Temple as he unravels a royal mystery. Meanwhile, Radovan—trapped in the body of a devil and held hostage by the legendary Quivering Palm attack—must serve a twisted master by defeating the land’s deadliest champions and learning the secret of slaying an immortal foe. Together with an unlikely army of beasts and spirits, the two companions must take the lead in an ancient conflict that will carry them through an exotic land, all the way to the Gates of Heaven and Hell and a final confrontation with the nefarious Master of Devils!

From fan-favorite author Dave Gross comes a new fantastical adventure set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Gaming, Audiobook, Games, Science Fiction Fantasy, Dragons

399 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Dave Gross is the author of ten novels, notably the adventures of Radovan and the Count, including Prince of Wolves, Master of Devils, Queen of Thorns, and King of Chaos. Formerly the editor of such magazines as Dragon, Star Wars Insider, and Amazing Stories, Dave has also written novels for the Forgotten Realms and Iron Kingdoms settings. For more tales of Radovan and the Count, including free short stories, check out http://paizo.com/pathfinder/tales.

For more on Dave's current and upcoming projects and events, go to .

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which Count Varian Jeggare and Radovan enter the 36th Chamber of Shaolin and/or meet the One-Armed Swordsman.

In this book, our heroes find themselves in Tian Xia, Golarion's Not-China, sent on a mission by the Pathfinder Society. Naturally, complications ensue ... As in the first book (Prince of Wolves), the story is told in alternating first-person chapters switching between the perspectives of Radovan and the Count. (And another narrator whose identity I'd just as soon not disclose here.) In this case, I found it much easier to keep track of the different perspectives -- possibly because this time around I knew in advance about the alternating PoVs, or possibly because they find themselves in very different circumstances, or because this time the two (well, three) voices are more distinct. Or possibly some combination of all of the above. Regardless, this was a lot of fun -- kind of a mix of Pathfinder tie-in and Shaw Brothers film.

[Gdaybloke · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Crossposted from Lost Hemisphere)

It’s been awhile since I wrote my last review of one of Dave Gross’ novels; life being what it is, I’ve only just recently been able to finish Master Of Devils, the second of Dave’s Pathfinder novels, but given that I was a little… verbose in my review of Prince Of Wolves, I thought it only fair that I ramble for a bit on Master as well. Again, courtesy warning, I make no promises about spoilers.

As a quick recap of my thoughts from the previous review:
• Dave Gross’ ability to flip back and forth between the voices of his two protagonists is awesome.
• After reading Prince I found myself liking the crude, brash Radovan, and thinking Varian was a bit of a git.
• As much as I enjoyed it, the reader needs familiarity with the Pathfinder setting/world to sink into Prince.

So, enter Master Of Devils.

I had originally thought I’d be much better off stepping into Master, having had at least a basic introduction to the Pathfinder universe through Prince, but no. Right out of the gate Gross throws me for a loop by setting the entire novel in a Fantasy Asian setting. None of the standard tweaks on European fantasy settings, instead we get Shao-Lin style monasteries, Kami, and chop-socky action that seems like it would lend itself, or indeed be at home in, any subtitled 1980’s Hong Kong cinema action flick. Perhaps I was more open to the setting than I had been with Prince, but if I was to say that Master had a weakness, it’s that the setting is so chock full of Fantasy Asian tropes that in parts the story has a degree of predictability. Once Radovan and Varian are separated and we’re given a basic introduction to their current circumstances, it’s not a very large leap of storytelling logic at all to figure out what’s going to happen to them in the last chapters of the story - their respective parties are going to end up in direct conflict.

Honestly, I don’t have a big problem with this. In a world of movie teaser trailers and constant remakes of both historical events and older films, knowing how it’s all going to end isn’t hugely significant; rather, I’m more interested in how the story is told. What sort of growth do we see in characters and relationships, what little twists and tweaks do we get to experience along the way towards the inevitable conclusion. Counterbalancing the predictability of the conclusion with well-crafted prose and development is the key. This is something Dave Gross has proven adept at.

Count Varian Jeggare is, as mentioned, a character that I wasn’t particularly drawn towards when compared to his bodyguard Radovan, after reading Prince of Wolves. I’d found the Count to border on foppish arrogance, and to be honest, he still packs a fair bit of that in Master Of Devils, but it’s countered by the humility of his situation. He’s forced to pose as a supplicant asking admission to a monastery which, this being straight out of a pre-English-speaking Jackie Chan movie, focuses is less on monastic faith and more on kicking the snot out of each other. Varian is a capable swordsman, but proceeds to relinquish the aforementioned snot to each and every one of his opponents, securing his position as holding the lowest standing among the lowest ranked monks.

This established, it’s not long before we see more of the Varian we met in Prince Of Wolves. Much as in the former novel, Varian’s arc is pregnant with intrigue and mystery as a member of the royal court arrives for an extended stay at the monastery along with a eunuch you just *know* is up to no good, clandestine meetings between movers and shakers aren’t quite as clandestine as the participants thought, and there’s an assassination attempt on the life of a poor girl who can’t carry a tune in a bucket (possibly my favourite of the Princess’ characteristics).

I think Varian’s character is redeemed somewhat for me in this book, which is amusing given that in discussions with the author after my last review he had wondered if my opinion of Varian would change after reading Master Of Devils. Maybe it’s just the sadistic sod in me, but the tale of Varian’s endurance as he spends a full year with the initiates, not daring to reveal his true nature, peeling vegetables and having to skip training to attend to household chores, went a long way towards humanizing the character. There was less of a snobbish “We have people to do that sort of thing…” about him. Granted, he had no real choice but to play the role of the untitled plebeian, but it was a role I enjoyed him in. I’ll be interested to see if his year at the monastery had more of an effect on him than just teaching him martial arts, when I move onto the next book in the series.

While Varian spent his year in the monastery, Radovan toured the length and breadth of Tian Xia after being locked in his devil form by a self-obsessed one-armed wandering “hero”, Burning Cloud Devil. It’s just a name, he’s not actually hellspawn like Radovan… but he is convinced that Radovan is the key to revenge against the dragon that killed his wife and took his arm. The premise here seemed a little forced to me, in the same manner as it might happen in an actual tabletop RPG where the DM is railroading the player character(s) into a particular campaign. Burning Cloud Devil turns up, sees Radovan in his devil form, does some voodoo, tells Radovan “You’re stuck in Devil form now, unless you sign this contract and agree to learn my uber technique and kill the dragon for me”.

I get that Radovan is muddled with grief for his mistakenly-presumed-dead employer, but the seeming ease in which Burning Cloud Devil gets Radovan to sign on for a year-long commitment to study under a guy who’s clearly a fruit loop, in a country where he doesn’t even speak the language, required some significant suspension of disbelief for me (as appropriate as it is to suspend disbelief over a plot point when you’re already suspending it for a fantasy setting). Nothing of the character from Prince Of Wolves suggested, to me at least, that he’d be so readily submissive, even if Burning Cloud Devil had the form-lock trump card.

Still, once we’re over that hurdle, Radovan’s story is – much like it was in Prince of Wolves – where you get most of the action scenes. Varian’s hot on the trail of mystery and intrigue, Radovan’s punching things in the face, and that’s how we like it. Dave Gross leads us on a merry journey across the land as Burning Cloud Devil seeks out challenger after challenger against which to test his pupil, upping the stakes and choosing more and more dangerous foes, ranging from a tree-leaping sociopath with a penchant for decapitation to deadly seamstresses, a bipartisan paladin and a family of snake folk. While I’m not immediately a fan of how Radovan ended up with his mentor, each of the conflicts in Master Of Devils is engaging, detailed just enough to paint the picture in my mind’s eye while not distracting from choreography and wire-fu worthy of Hong Kong’s cinema’s finest.

Now we come to the third iron that Dave Gross has thrown into the fire. Master Of Devils expands upon the two-arc formula of Prince Of Wolves by including a third arc, following Varian’s wolfhound Arnisant. Separated from Radovan and Varian early on, Arnisant is thwarted by supernatural wards when he tries to follow his master, and instead seeks the assistance of a reincarnated judge in the body of a cricket, who uses Arnisant’s not inconsiderable physical presence to help him round up a small army of spirits and creatures of folklore, in order to combat Burning Cloud Devil and stop him achieving his ultimate goal.

Arnisant’s tale was a difficult one for me to get into. This is not a reflection of the author’s ability or lack thereof to convincingly write a story from the perspective of a canine, but that I was more engaged in Radovan and Varian’s tales. As with Tad Williams’ Otherland series, I found myself reading through one story arc merely as a stepping stone to the arcs that I was more interested in. This made it difficult to enjoy Arnisant’s arc on its own merits. That said, the gathered kami had among their ranks personalities that were, frankly, wonderful. I very much enjoyed the portrayal of the spider maiden and the noxious goblin, though the Hopper was just plain weird. Honk!

So to wrap it up…

I came into Prince Of Wolves unfamiliar with Pathfinder, and found myself wrapped up in a visceral tale drawing on gothic horror elements. I stepped into Master Of Devils expecting - based purely on the title, granted, I made a point of avoiding synopses – more of the same with some significant exploration into Radovan’s hellish lineage; instead I found a romp through an Asian Fantasy setting with pretty much everything one could want from such an environment. Warrior monks! Weird spirit creatures! Dudes flying on clouds! Wire-fu! Court intrigue! Little bits of yellow paper flying everywhere! More than anything else, Master Of Devils is an adventure.

Master Of Devils was not at all what I was expecting when I opened the cover, and I have absolutely no problem with this. The question is, what does Mr Gross have in store for me next…

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. It took me a while to read and I think it was because I read it slower to absorb all that was truly going on. Some great twists that I didn't expect and a climactic finish that I couldn't put down.

[Joel Flank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dave Gross hit another home run with Master of Devils. This next full length novel adventure of Radovan and Count Jeggare takes things to a whole new level. The book sends them to another continent, where they must not only deal with the challenges before them, but with an entirely different culture, deriving from a very different fantasy tradition than the western fantasy roots that they are used to.

This is true not only for them, but for most readers (myself included. While I know some of the basics of Asian fantasy and mythology, I'm unfamiliar with most of the details. That being said, Master of Devils did a wonderful job of taking the unfamiliar, and making it both accessible and exciting. By having the main characters be fish out of water as well, it allowed them to voice some of the common reactions that a reader more familiar with western fantasy would. When Radovan realizes that his mentor/companion Burning Cloud Devil's use of the word "heroes" doesn't match the definition he's used to, he says so, just like the reader does. It's like having a guide to the land of Tian Xia who is learning about it and confused by it along with the reader, but has to make sense of it to get along. Master of Devils seems to hit all of the main tropes I'm familiar with, from hopping undead, courtly intrigue, acrobatic martial arts using many exotic weapon (monk's spade for the win!), nature spirits, supernatural martial arts powers with poetic names, and more.

Also, Dave again does an exemplary job of staying true to the game mechanics of the RPG, without them being intrusive to the story, and seeming to simply be a natural part of the world. For game based fiction, this is a huge plus, and really helps add to the verisimilitude of the world and game, both in the novel and when playing the RPG.

This novel also sees the continued use of the alternating POV characters each chapter, like its predecessor, Prince of Wolves. While some are put off by that, for me, it allows a more intimate view of the main characters, and gives the reader twice the insight as to the situation they're in. Also, in this book, a new 3rd POV character is presented, which was a great surprise, and is now my new favorite character. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but Dave nailed the POV perfectly - I kept wanting to speed through the Radovan and Jeggare chapters to hurry to every 5th chapter for more of this character and their adventures. While I do like the different POV chapters, the one thing that is missing is having more time when Radovan and Jeggare are working together. They spend almost the entire book separated. I hope the next book (there will be a next one, right?) has more time with them together, but alternating the POV, since they make such an interesting team, with very different perspectives and approaches to life.

Strongly recommended!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, this book was awesome. It really hit all the right notes for me. The novel is split into three stories from the very beginning that all tie together in the end. I loved each of the stories.

Alright, so we have the same characters from the first book, and that is great because those two really had strong voices and were good foils to one another, but- Wait, they are separated again?! (Never split the party!) It isn't so bad, though.

One third of the book is basically a love letter to kung-fu action movies/jidaigeki films (with love sent to Journey to the West, as well). Radovan is stuck in his demonic form and forced to fight bizarre enemies as a wanderer. Awesome. He's forced to do some things he doesn't really want to do, and once again his is under the misconception that Varian is dead (more on that later).

Varian is once again in a position where there is mystery afoot, while at the same time exploring some of the culture of the region (which is basically just magic China, and they talk about having visited magic Japan, as well). He takes a level in monk and gets some weapon training, as well as learning some new tricks for his magic. This has some of the court intrigue that one could find in something like Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

and finally, (I really feel like this is spoilers because I was so pleasantly surprised the first time around, so skip to the last paragraph if you don't want a PoV character spoiler)

the Dog from the first book is the third PoV character. His chapters are some of my favorites. Each one reads a bit like a folktale about some kind of spirit or weird critter. The book really used the first dog chapter to lampshade the "OH NO! THE BOSS IS DEAD" moment from earlier, too, with the dog being, like, "Well, this isn't my master at all! He's obviously elsewhere."

All told, this book was a great read for me specifically because I really like Eastern folk-tales as well as kung-fu movies and mystery/politics/intrigue. I'd recommend reading the first book with these characters first, just to get a connection with them (and because that book is pretty darn good, too.), but it isn't really necessary. Any relevant information is shared in this book. Awesome, fun, again a pleasant surprise for me. This Dave Gross fellow sure knows how to make this fantasy fan happy.

[Seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great follow up to Prince of Wolves. Again the story is engaging and the characters fun to read. It was hard to put it down. I will admit though that the ending was a bit lacking, and again the heroes seem to gain only a partial victory. I also was suprised that story seemed to fallow the previouses plot device of seperating the characters with them thinking each other is dead.

In addition to the Count and Radovan, Arnestant the dog also gets to narorate a few chapters. At first it is comical, and I imagined the voice of the dog from Up. However, his character develops quite well and the ways he describes his actions are inovative in the way they seem to fit a dog's mind. He even seems to have had a little love interest of his own.

There were some things that did annoy me with this book. As I mentioned above it seems to pull the same trick as the first in seperating the characters. Radovan's slow path into darkness then epiphany as he meets the Monkey King was great character developement. However, he seems to almost toss it aside while letting Burning Cloud Devil slaughter the guards and summon demons at the mountain. Jade Tiger's plan also seems a bit contrieved. It is unclear why Jade Tiger needed the Count or anyone else when the plan seemed to be working well without aid.

Over all a great book that keeps you wanting more. It has some lacking elements, but I cannot wait for the next pathfinder novel featuring Radovan and the Count.

[Αταλάντη Ευριπίδου · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel was sort of amazing. First of all, the only other fantasy novel I've read based on medieval China has been "Under Heaven" by my very beloved Guy Gavriel Kay. I've always wondered why RPG based novels seem to always take place in a fantacised medieval Europe and completely ignore anything even remotely different or oriental. So, the setting was a welcomed surprise for me. Once more, Dave Gross surpassed himself by adding all these delightful, colorful details which made the world appear realistic and exciting. Jeggare and Radovan remain an amazing duo and the addition of Arnisant's narrative was absolutely brilliant. Both heroes had some intense psychological turmoils to deal with and the ending was appropriately heart-breaking. There were also a couple of twists that I hadn't seen coming and that last battle and the scene that followed were epic. An amazing novel, overall, and I can't wait to jump straight into "Queen of Thorns".

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book Pathfinder Varian Jeggare, Radovan and their dog Arnisant travel to Tian xia to witness a mystical event, but due to all kinds off happenings, they all end up on one side of that event.
this story feels like a typical eastern movie with travelling heroes fighting against eachother to prove they are the best, with monktraining in a monastary, with all kinds of ghosts, kami, oni and other eastern legends.

The book is ok, but it isn't as gripping as the first pathfinder book Dave gross wrote. the story is to simillar and some of the tropes are a bit to familiar.

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Half-elf noble Jeggare and his hellspawn bodyguard Radovan go to fantasy China. Book two in the series, but can definitely stand alone. Lots of cool kung fu fighting combined with magic--even purchasing clothes occasions a fight scene. I especially loved that Arnisant the wolfhound got his own plotline. Some interesting hints about Radovan's infernal nature that I hope we'll find out more of in the next book.

[Mphecker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first Jeggare and Radovan novel, and while I enjoyed this one, it didn't really entertain me as much as Prince of Wolves. I think that I was thrown off by the names of the characters from Tien, like Judge Fang. The ending was satisfying, at least, and I hope Gross writes more novels with these two characters (three, counting Arnisant).

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another decent story set in the Pathfinder world.

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably my favorite of the Pathfinder books so far.

[Dan]

A very cool and surprising ending...

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads like a wuxia film complete with wire-fu. Borrows elements from both Chinese and Japanese mythology, a refreshing change from Euro-centric fantasy. Somewhat lacking in character development.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever book, and only slightly predictable.

I did enjoy the chapters that were from an unexpected POV. Can't remember reading something like that before.

[Shannon Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book but frustrating in many places as it lost much of the joy of the other books featuring this cast of characters. And if you haven’t read other stories with these characters you would be even more lost. Also feels like it is a transitional novel setting things up for future stories. Still enjoyable but not great.

[ik.ben.henri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually pretty decent for a novel based on a tabletop game.

[Chris Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Master of Devils, by Dave Gross, long time successful game designer and author of Pathfinder Tales novels, has come up with another winner. This tale follows his two old favorite characters, Count Varian Jeggare and his devoted, if somewhat acerbic and downright inflammatory (especially when he’s on fire) bodyguard, Radovan in a romp through the Pathfinder world of Golarion’s far-eastern flavored realm of Tian Xia.
The action and intrigue never stop in this story. From the opening scene—You gotta love a novel that opens up with the phrase “Run for it!”—to the twists and turns of the end, you will be on the edge of your chair. It reminds me of every wonderful Chinese martial arts movie I have ever seen and loved. Gross builds the tale as a web of double edged lies and deceptions happing to both of the characters independently that really works beautifully. By the time you are halfway through, it is something you can’t put down, waiting for the next twist of the knife, the next unwilling act of slaughter prompted by careful falsehoods and paper thin promises. The pace is a steady ramp up from the get-go, and by the ending, you will be frothing at the mouth for the crescendo.
Another trait that makes Gross a top-notch RPG author is his ability to weave setting into the story to a level that the fans of this world feel that they are truly there. Gaming and gaming worlds are obviously this author’s stock and trade, and once again, he weaves a flawless tapestry that is so integral to the story, never onerous description, but rich and enveloping, you will fall in love with the world as much as the characters.
Without spoilers, I will let you know that there are already more tales with these two characters, so don’t expect either of them to die…maybe… This is fantasy, after all. Dave Gross has just released a new Jeggare/Radovan novel with Paizo, Queen of Thorns, and with the success and popularity of his work so far, I am sure there will be more. Additionally, you can read free web-fiction stories based in the world of Golarion by Dave Gross and some of Paizo’s other fine authors (past, present and future) on their Pathfinder Tales Web Fiction Page: paizo.com - Pathfinder® / Pathfinder Tales / Web Fiction .
Full disclosure: I am friends with Dave Gross, which may have biased this review…whether positively, is another question.
Fuller disclosure: I have a Pathfinder Tales novel coming out in April of 2013. Falling in love with RPG gaming, fiction and specifically Paizo’s setting of Golarion may have influenced my review, and certainly pushed me to approach Paizo for the opportunity to write for them. Therefore, my opinion of this novel line may be influenced by that love. That said, I believe you would enjoy this and other Pathfinder Tales stories without ever having played the RPG. Give the free web-fiction a read, and find out for yourself.

[Jukka Särkijärvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Originally posted at http://nitessine.wordpress.com/2011/1...)

I got around to reading another Pathfinder novel. Dave Gross’s Master of Devils is a standalone sequel to Prince of Wolves, and like that novel ties in thematically with the Carrion Crown Adventure Path, so does this with the new Jade Regent Adventure Path, though the connections are a bit more tenuous. Whereas Carrion Crown and Prince of Wolves both take place in the same principality, Master of Devils and Jade Regent are only on the same continent of Tian Xia. Jade Regent heads into the Japan-inspired Minkai, while Master of Devils tells the story of Venture-Captain Varian Jeggare and his bodyguard Radovan as they try to survive the not-China of Quain.

The story goes much along the same lines as Prince of Wolves – Varian and Radovan get separated and each thinks the other is dead. Radovan wanders around the countryside at the behest of a sorcerer named Burning Cloud Devil, challenging local heroes to kung-fu duels, while Varian is confined to a monastery where he solves a mystery while being taught martial arts. There’s also a third viewpoint character, who was an interesting surprise, but perhaps insufficiently compelling as a character to support an entire branch of narrative on their own. Dave Gross has essentially written up a kung-fu film, and a lot of page count is dedicated to the characters beating each other up in the style of Shaw Brothers, Jackie Chan and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

I was not overly fond of this novel. Though Gross can write a catchy narrative, it still felt perhaps a hundred pages too long (clocking in at about 400 pages). Additionally, the novel only barely avoids the trope of white guys going to the foreign land to beat the locals at their own game, and I can feel the hot breath of Eddie Saïd at the back of my neck as I’m writing this. The orientalism is strong in this one. While there’s always the “it’s not really China” defence, it rings a bit hollow. At the same time, the setting fails to feel properly foreign or exotic even through the eyes of the outsider main characters. Ustalav was brought to life much more vividly.

The book was not bad, as such. For all the faults in the setting and the plot, Gross can still write good prose and his characters, especially Varian Jeggare, remained interesting. The story iteself was a bit of a disappointment, and I felt that Radovan’s later chapters could have used more characterization and less kung-fu. As it stands, they got repetitive and the reader was given insufficient insight into what was going on within the characters’ head.

So, light entertainment. Unfortunately not much in here for Game Masters, but if you’re going to run a game in the Quain area of Tian Xia, you can probably get some use out of it.

[Amber Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dave Gross's Radovan and Jeggare make a clever, exciting, and above all endearing team. Splitting the pair up in Master of Devils gives us twice as much action and allows us to explore even more of Tian Xia, the fantastical Far East of Golarion. If you've read the first novel featuring these heroes, Prince of Wolves, you'll be familiar with the character but not the setting. And what a setting it is.

Dave Gross's love for wuxia movies shines through in this novel. His commitment to (but not reliance on) source material infuses Tian Xia with a flavor both familiar and exotic. Here we see mysterious kung fu masters, powerful samurai, beautiful princesses, and clever spirit creatures, but all woven together with Gross's fresh writing and wry humor to make a seamless addition to the world of Golarion.

This book also features a new viewpoint, that of the adorable and increasingly clever wolfhound Arnisant. If you've read and enjoyed Prince of Wolves you will love this sequel, and if you've never read Pathfinder fiction before you'll still be able to sink into and enjoy the incredible story Gross has woven here.

[Riki · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever want to read a Chinese-style fantasy story with a mix of the usual D&D/medieval fantasy story, this is by far the best book out there.

I grew up on Chinese kung fu movies, and I've pretty much stayed away from them now that I'm older. I'm not sure what it is, but the newer movies lacked the heart that the older movies have, but of course it could be just because I'm looking at those old movies with fond memories. Whatever the case may be, whenever I try the new movies, they're just lacking. So I tried books. Among others, I've read the first book of The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham, and I also read Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson which I love, and while those were wonderful books, none of them brought back memories of those amazing kung fu flicks like this book did.

This has a great combination of action like a kung fu blockbuster movie of old, high fantasy, and even a bit of romantic intrigue. I can't recommend this enough if you're looking for a different type of fun fantasy, and also to kung fu fans who want to read that type of story with a mixture of D&D type of fantasy.

[Bram Slaats · Rating 3 out of 5]

We already arrived at the fifth installment of the pathfinder tales. This is also the second installment in the Jeggare and Radovan novels. I must say that this story threw me for a loop in the beginning.

I had a bit trouble getting the entire back story about the mission and why they were there. Having said that I liked how the story turned out. Yes the first two story arcs were a bit predictable and yes most of us knew what to expect in the second to last chapter. However I liked how Jeggare developed throughout this novel and how he is taught to be more humble.

The third story arc was a complete surprise to me and while a bit confusing definitively a good one to add into the story.

I give this 3.5 out of 5 stars

[Ned Leffingwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was nervous when I started this book as it is written in the first person. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the chapters switch between the viewpoint of three characters, and one of them is a dog. The book is set in the world of the Pathfinder role playing game. This particular tale takes place in a fantasy version of China. There is a lot of kung fu and animal spirits. I enjoyed the book mainly because it did not take itself too seriously. Recommended for Pathfinder GMs who want inspiration for a kung fu campaign.

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the plot at the end, but I don't think it was written very well. (Slight spoilers below)

It starts the same as the 1st one w/the 2 characters being separated and at least one believing the other dead. If you like fight scenes you'll enjoy the book as that's what 2/3 of it is. Otherwise not much plot development until the end when everything happens at once; I wish some things happened sooner as they would've had more impact. Being told from 3 POVs hurts the flow as well, though I certainly enjoyed the 3rd that was added compared to the 1st book.

[Pastor2112 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Pathfinder Tale featuring Count Varian Jeggare and his hellspawn bodyguard Radovan. They are very much like a fantasy version of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. This was a fast-paced, nicely-told tale. The protaganists are split for most of the book but their separate tales come together nicely in the final act. One of the most enjoyable features was reading the chapters from the perspective of Arnisant, their dog companion.

[Sunknight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read.Done in alternating viewpoints from three perspectives, it is a tale based on good old fashion eastern fantasy. I especially liked the dog's point of view which was more fantastical.Ive enjoyed all of David Gross' books with these characters in the Pathfinder setting. I'm an avid player and DM of the game and find these novels help to flesh out the world my fellow players and I are creating in our game time.

[John Drawdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very creative and likable characters. The plot is solid as well. I have a couple of things that prevent a 5 star rating. First, the rehashing of the separation of the two main characters even though it is necessary for the plot. Most annoying, however, is the silliness of the kami and Arnisant. That part could have been totally deleted with no affect on the book. There a still a couple of loose ends regarding minor characters in the end that bothered me, too. Overall still a good read.

[Seth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book and makes great use of Pathfinder's campaign setting. It reads like an old cheap martial arts movie and was very entertaining. Predictable at times, but worth it if you're fan of fantasy or enjoy the Pathfinder Role-Playing Game.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 250 pages are a pleasure, but as Gross ties his narratives together toward the end it falls apart into a messy, forced tale.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, with a surprising choice of viewpoints.