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Pathfinder Tales #10
Blood of the City
Heroes for Hire
Luma is a cobblestone druid, a canny fighter and spellcaster who can read the chaos of Magnimar's city streets like a scholar reads books. Together, she and her siblings in the powerful Derexhi family form one of the most infamous and effective mercenary companies in the city, solving problems for the city's wealthy elite. Yet despite being the oldest child, Luma gets little respect—perhaps due to her half-elven heritage. When a job gone wrong lands Luma in the fearsome prison called the Hells, it's only the start of Luma's problems. For a new web of bloody power politics is growing in Magnimar, and it may be that those Luma trusts most have become her deadliest enemies...
From visionary game designer and author Robin D. Laws comes a new urban fantasy adventure of murder, betrayal, and political intrigue set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
Luma is a cobblestone druid, a canny fighter and spellcaster who can read the chaos of Magnimar's city streets like a scholar reads books. Together, she and her siblings in the powerful Derexhi family form one of the most infamous and effective mercenary companies in the city, solving problems for the city's wealthy elite. Yet despite being the oldest child, Luma gets little respect—perhaps due to her half-elven heritage. When a job gone wrong lands Luma in the fearsome prison called the Hells, it's only the start of Luma's problems. For a new web of bloody power politics is growing in Magnimar, and it may be that those Luma trusts most have become her deadliest enemies...
From visionary game designer and author Robin D. Laws comes a new urban fantasy adventure of murder, betrayal, and political intrigue set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2012
17 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
About the author
Robin D. Laws
146 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 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 25, 2018
I worried about picking this one up. On the one hand, I really like Robin D. Laws, though that's mostly from his podcast. On the other, I have a deep suspicion of game tie-ins, even if I really like the game (in this case, Pathfinder). Fortunately for me, it turns out that Laws really is a good writer and not merely fun to listen to talking about stuff.
I picked this one up because it takes place in the city of Magnimar--which is the current location in our family game (I'm running Rise of the Runelords for Melissa and the kids) and I wanted to get a better handle on the feel of that city, at least as interpreted through the eyes of a talented writer. I have to say, this was a win and a half because the main character, Luma, is a street druid and is thus explicitly and deeply tied into the character of the city.
In addition to being great background for our family game, it was an excellent story on its own. while you can't get away from the essential Pathfinder feel of it (nor should you expect to), Laws turned that into an integral part of the story and it was made stronger for it. It helped that Luma is an engaging character as an outcast in her own family even as she tries to fit in as part of her family's top mercenary squad. Her personal story was moving and I liked seeing her come into her own as she began asserting herself both with her family as well as with others she has to deal with as part of her duties. Oh, and the ending was deeply satisfying.
So here is a novel that works both as part of the Pathfinder universe and as an outstanding story on its own. I'll definitely be looking up more of Robin's work, in or out of other roleplaying tie-ins.
I picked this one up because it takes place in the city of Magnimar--which is the current location in our family game (I'm running Rise of the Runelords for Melissa and the kids) and I wanted to get a better handle on the feel of that city, at least as interpreted through the eyes of a talented writer. I have to say, this was a win and a half because the main character, Luma, is a street druid and is thus explicitly and deeply tied into the character of the city.
In addition to being great background for our family game, it was an excellent story on its own. while you can't get away from the essential Pathfinder feel of it (nor should you expect to), Laws turned that into an integral part of the story and it was made stronger for it. It helped that Luma is an engaging character as an outcast in her own family even as she tries to fit in as part of her family's top mercenary squad. Her personal story was moving and I liked seeing her come into her own as she began asserting herself both with her family as well as with others she has to deal with as part of her duties. Oh, and the ending was deeply satisfying.
So here is a novel that works both as part of the Pathfinder universe and as an outstanding story on its own. I'll definitely be looking up more of Robin's work, in or out of other roleplaying tie-ins.
August 11, 2016
I read this mainly because my husband really liked it and because the book is set in the same area our family Pathfinder game is set in. It turns out that the same quality determined our ratings; he liked that you could see the RPG characteristics in every action, and I really didn't. I disliked being pulled out of the story thinking "oh, Laws is describing the effect, but I know that's just how the fireball spell is described in the manual; he's not being creative, someone else was creative on his behalf, years ago." And the main character and her family--it was such an interesting idea, having an adventuring party that's all siblings, but that didn't stop me mentally ticking off "fighter, rogue, mage, cleric, monk, druid" as they were each introduced. I think most of the people who read this book will be players of Pathfinder, but I actually think it might be more interesting to readers of straight-up action fantasy who don't know anything about the system. It's a well-plotted novel with good description and interesting characters.
Laws' description and development of the main character Luma, who is a cobblestone druid (a druid who is connected to the life of a city rather than that of the natural world) is really well done, and although I worked out most of the plot twists in advance, that is more because I'm super suspicious than that Laws let anything slip. All in all, an enjoyable Sunday afternoon read.
Laws' description and development of the main character Luma, who is a cobblestone druid (a druid who is connected to the life of a city rather than that of the natural world) is really well done, and although I worked out most of the plot twists in advance, that is more because I'm super suspicious than that Laws let anything slip. All in all, an enjoyable Sunday afternoon read.
November 20, 2012
Laws has come up with another winner with this new Pathfinder Tales novel. Without giving too much away, the main character goes through such a drastic evolution that it hits the reader like a thunderbolt. Character is king in this awesome story of a different kind of Druid (RPG Druid, mind you), one that is attuned not to nature, but to the living, breathing heartbeat and song of a city. His descriptions of the link between this young woman and the city, how she draws power from it, is enthralling. He really brings both the city and the character to life.
This is one Pathfinder Tales novel that, though not really necessary, would benefit the reader to have some knowledge of Paizo's RPG world of Golarion. Not geographic knowledge, but political knowledge. There is a LOT going on here that might fly over your head if you have no idea what powers are in play, but having said that, I still think Blood of the City would be an enjoyable read for non-gamers. And who knows, it might turn you on to a whole new and very fun world of adventure.
Looking forward to more from Robin D. Laws!
This is one Pathfinder Tales novel that, though not really necessary, would benefit the reader to have some knowledge of Paizo's RPG world of Golarion. Not geographic knowledge, but political knowledge. There is a LOT going on here that might fly over your head if you have no idea what powers are in play, but having said that, I still think Blood of the City would be an enjoyable read for non-gamers. And who knows, it might turn you on to a whole new and very fun world of adventure.
Looking forward to more from Robin D. Laws!
December 30, 2012
A solid, if not spectacular, book set in the Pathfinder world of Golarion. Laws does a great job of bringing a game 'Class', the cobblestone Druid, to life in the half-elf Luma Derexhi. You are drawn into her world of treachery and revenge however I do feel that I was not engaged as much as I should have been. I was surprised at the change in direction halfway through though I never felt the hatred burning in Luma chest for the wrongs done against her. I guess I was looking a deeper emotional involvement but instead got a fantasy romp through a familiar fantasy world and left feeling that I had learnt little more than I could have reading the rules for a cobblestone Druid.
June 4, 2013
Te Pathfinder line is top notch. I enjoyed this book, and it's surprising ending that leaves me wanting more!
October 21, 2012
This is the most recent of the Pathfinder Tales books. Set in the city of Magnimar, it chronicles the adventures of the half-elf Luma Derexhi in the city of Magnimar. Luma is the bastard child of Randred Derexhi and his first (obviously elven) wife. Luma works as a mercenary with a group of her brothers and sisters to fight crime and collect rewards. And to complete jobs and collect rewards. Well, she works with them until one day they turn on her and try to kill her. Then, she is forced to gather together her own band of misfits and try to right the wrongs herself.
I found this to be an engaging story, written in a style that drew me in and kept me interested. If this is going to be a continuing series of stories (and, nowadays, which stories are truly stand-alone stories?), the group could have been much worse.
I found this to be an engaging story, written in a style that drew me in and kept me interested. If this is going to be a continuing series of stories (and, nowadays, which stories are truly stand-alone stories?), the group could have been much worse.
August 31, 2013
Another solid entry in the Pathfinder Tales series. This time around, Robin Laws tells the story of Luma, a bastard child of the Derexhi family of Magnimar. They make their fortune by providing mercenaries and guards to others, with the top crew made up of the capable scions of the house. Things take a turn for the worse for Luma when politics enter her life, and she finds her old friends and haunts at risk. She must find new allies to restore her good name...and save her life.
It's a fun read, with the protaganist in an interesting role, an urban druid, which I haven't seen done before in fiction, and it breathed life into the concept. Also a great tour of the city of Magnimar from the Pathfinder game, much more lively than a sourcebook listing things, as interesting as the sourcebooks are.
It's a fun read, with the protaganist in an interesting role, an urban druid, which I haven't seen done before in fiction, and it breathed life into the concept. Also a great tour of the city of Magnimar from the Pathfinder game, much more lively than a sourcebook listing things, as interesting as the sourcebooks are.
January 26, 2018
I like gaming fantasy books BUT they have to be good. Sounds like a fairly reasonable criteria right? Yes but so many of them aren't. Good that is. This is definitely one of the good ones, in fact I would say it is one of the best. It only didn't get 5 stars not because of Robin Laws' writing, it is great. Just the right depth and description required and wonderful characters and that plot? Just when I'm liking the book and think it's going one way. WTF? There is a twist and it turns into a completely different plot. No, the 4 stars comes from the production from Paizo, a few misspelled words that should have been caught by the most rudimentary of editorial assisting and some words that weren't misspelled but were missing letters altogether. I expect better of Paizo over that.
April 17, 2014
A fun story of betrayal and revenge set in the city of Magnimar. Robin D Laws does interessting things here with the pathfinder archetypes.
As all these pathfinder tales this also takes place in the world of Golorian. More specific in the city of Magnimar in Varisia. The fun thing is that I have had several pc's hang around Magnimar in the last years of gaming. So it is very strange to read about places and people in a book when you already interacted with them in a roleplay game.
This is a fun book with good characters and a contained story. Altough i think i have read about this fire mage before.
As all these pathfinder tales this also takes place in the world of Golorian. More specific in the city of Magnimar in Varisia. The fun thing is that I have had several pc's hang around Magnimar in the last years of gaming. So it is very strange to read about places and people in a book when you already interacted with them in a roleplay game.
This is a fun book with good characters and a contained story. Altough i think i have read about this fire mage before.
September 22, 2015
I adored "The Worldwound Gambit" by Laws, so I was very excited to read "Blood in the City." Unfortunately this book didn't interest me as much as TWG did, but it's still a solid book. I found it to be slower paced than TWG and the abundance of characters made it somewhat less engaging to me. Still, I thought the characters were well-drawn, especially if you're familiar with Golarion and the Pathfinder universe. The plot, especially the dramatic tragedy that befalls Luma halfway through the book, was intricate and compelling. The book simply wasn't up my alley the way TWG was.
May 12, 2013
I felt like this novel had a lot of jerky starts and stops, with dragging points and random action scenes. The book picked up more in the second half, but the end result was an average fantasy novel plot with an intriguing protagonist. The depiction of the cobblestone Druid was well done, and I hope to see more of her in future novels.
February 9, 2016
I'm usually a little leery when it comes to game fiction. This book was extremely well written for the genre, in that someone not familiar with Pathfinder could get at least some pleasure out of it, I think. I noticed only a single discrepancy with the rules of the game, otherwise, very well done. I look forward to reading more by the author.
September 28, 2016
Next in the Pathfinder Tales series, this is the tale of an Urban Druid in the city of Magnimar. Interesting class in a very interesting background works out for a really good story. Plus, the plot went somewhere entirely different then where I thought it was going to go, which is unfortunately so rare that it was a pleasant surprise. Enjoyed this one quite a lot.
August 29, 2012
A decent Pathfinder book. It was a little distracting with how clearly the classes from the game were used with most of the characters.
November 2, 2012
I dug it.
September 22, 2015
I enjoyed this book. The writing was well done. The characters are great. I wish it was longer.
October 31, 2016
A fun read though the number of character were at times confusing .
February 8, 2025
In Blood of the City, Robin D. Laws tells a tale of urban fantasy set in the world of the Pathfinder tabletop role-playing game. This is not "urban fantasy" in the usual sense; Pathfinder takes place in the fictional world of Golarion, a pastiche of fantasy tropes that offer players their choice in themes and setting just by placing the action at a particular place on the map. So it is for authors, too, of the tie-in series of Pathfinder Tales, of which this is the tenth entry.
In the city of Magnimar, cobblestone druid Luma finds herself at odds with her family and present company and through misadventure ends up on a vengeance quest along side a motley crew of companions. Sure, we've heard it before, but have we heard it with an insane fire-obsessed sorcerer, a dwarf cleric, a fish-out-of-water barbarian, and a gnome poet? Yes, actually, I suppose we probably have.
One thing I do like about the Pathfinder books so far is they don't aim for continuity or to apply some kind of metaplot the way some RPG-tie-in novels do; they're standalone stories in a fantasy world and they deliver what that promises. Swords, sorcery, weird stuff, etc.
Blood of the City doesn't have its protagonist at the center of any world-shaping events. Luma is a city druid, which is the opposite of the typical "druid" trope -- she's tapped into the hustle and bustle of the city itself, and her magic dwindles if she goes into the wilderness. This is why it's "urban fantasy" -- there are no dungeons or dragons, or mystical ruins guarded by eldritch beasts, or a ring to throw into a volcano. It's Luma doing her Kill Bill routine on them's what's crossed her.
That there are city politics involved is the nominal driving force behind what's happened to Luma in the first act, left for dead by her own family and fellow mercenary agents, but we don't really get to know or even care about the why's until the climax of the book, at which point it barely feels like there's anything at stake at all beyond Luma's acute need to balance her own books.
Laws has a prose style that sometimes feels at odds with the subject matter -- long sentences, sometimes clunky, not a whole lot of characterization for what's really a character-driven story -- but when he writes the handful of action scenes they're well-choreographed and satisfying.
In the city of Magnimar, cobblestone druid Luma finds herself at odds with her family and present company and through misadventure ends up on a vengeance quest along side a motley crew of companions. Sure, we've heard it before, but have we heard it with an insane fire-obsessed sorcerer, a dwarf cleric, a fish-out-of-water barbarian, and a gnome poet? Yes, actually, I suppose we probably have.
One thing I do like about the Pathfinder books so far is they don't aim for continuity or to apply some kind of metaplot the way some RPG-tie-in novels do; they're standalone stories in a fantasy world and they deliver what that promises. Swords, sorcery, weird stuff, etc.
Blood of the City doesn't have its protagonist at the center of any world-shaping events. Luma is a city druid, which is the opposite of the typical "druid" trope -- she's tapped into the hustle and bustle of the city itself, and her magic dwindles if she goes into the wilderness. This is why it's "urban fantasy" -- there are no dungeons or dragons, or mystical ruins guarded by eldritch beasts, or a ring to throw into a volcano. It's Luma doing her Kill Bill routine on them's what's crossed her.
That there are city politics involved is the nominal driving force behind what's happened to Luma in the first act, left for dead by her own family and fellow mercenary agents, but we don't really get to know or even care about the why's until the climax of the book, at which point it barely feels like there's anything at stake at all beyond Luma's acute need to balance her own books.
Laws has a prose style that sometimes feels at odds with the subject matter -- long sentences, sometimes clunky, not a whole lot of characterization for what's really a character-driven story -- but when he writes the handful of action scenes they're well-choreographed and satisfying.
August 16, 2023
A surprisingly good book about a TTRGP world. Meaning not just that it's a decent fantasy novel in general (it is, if a bit run of the mill), what's surprisingly is how well it translates the idea of a role-playing game character into narrative form. For example, from time to time the main character discovers she has new abilities. If you're an RPG player, you think "oh, she just leveled up" - but while in a game, that usually feels kind of sudden ("suddenly, my character knows how to fly? Sure, okay, cool") in the book it's treated really organically - each time the character figures out a new power, it's handled organically, and makes good narrative sense why she would. Very well done.
I don't play Pathfinder (though I play many other TTRPGs) and the world was intriguing enough that I looked up bits of it afterwards, which is it's own recommendation!
I don't play Pathfinder (though I play many other TTRPGs) and the world was intriguing enough that I looked up bits of it afterwards, which is it's own recommendation!
February 26, 2018
There are few books that genuinely throw me with a plot twist that I did not in any way expect and don't immediately make sense to me right after they happen. This is actually the only book that I can recall off the top of my head whose plot has surprised me as much as it did the way it did. I read it in two 6-hour sessions this weekend, practically could not put it down. I doff my hat to you, Mr. Laws.
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April 20, 2025This was an entertaining and ambitious novel with a big cast of characters that tried to do a lot within the limited space of a 350 page Pathfinder novel. I enjoyed it, but I do think it deserved a lot more space and time because it was a good premise of politics and familial betrayal that got downright brutal at times. I enjoyed the concept of a "cobblestone druid" which was entirely new to me until I read this novel.
August 17, 2020
I really liked Laws's interpretation of a "city druid", and the basic plot was solid, but the characters were very thin and archetypical. The pacing also seemed a bit wonky. There's a lot of build up and then suddenly it's the climax and then there's a *bunch* of exposition before a curiously-toned final scene.
October 3, 2023
Robin D. Laws is a fine writer, and he can stretch quite a bit even within the constraints of game-derived content. All the better, then, that the Pathfinder setting allows for a lot of stretching. This is a grim and bloody tale of betrayal and vengeance, of familial backstabbing and rampaging golems and a louche gnome poet-swordsman, so, yeah, good stuff.
June 6, 2018
One of my favorites of the Pathfinder Tales. The story is fun, fast-paced, and a little cliche, but one thing that set it alart for me was one of the most gruesome scenes I've ever read in a book and they don't look away. Literally a jaw dropping moment for me.
September 29, 2023
I enjoyed most of this book. The writing was a lot better than I expected for a one off pathfinder book. I enjoyed it.
There were some editing errors, and typos. As the book drew to a close, I felt characters were making gratuitous leaps of logic just to tie off loose ends.
There were some editing errors, and typos. As the book drew to a close, I felt characters were making gratuitous leaps of logic just to tie off loose ends.
June 9, 2019
Fun redemption story, well-written and with a few good twists.
February 19, 2020
Very useful if you're a Pathfinder DM. Will read some more of these.
October 7, 2024
2nd half the book felt rushed.
October 21, 2024
Straight forward city-based fantasy. Solid characters, setting, drama, action but nothing to make it stand out
July 12, 2019
This book was boring. Why was it boring? Because all the characters were flat, at least in the second half of the novel.
You see, this book is the Golarion version of Kill Bill, with our protagonist betrayed by their family (is not a spoiler, the back of the book tells you directly about it) in which our character goes from timid to the stereotypical hard woman bend on revenge and that's the problem, it's stereotypical in the worst sense of the word. You know how her personality is, what her actions are going to be, how is she going to respond to the situation because it's the same textbook direction you had seen a thousand times, yet it has not a single shred of emotion, of interest.
The most interesting part of our heroine (and for my life, I can't remember the name of the character, that's how little she make an impact on me) before the betrayal. When she was capable yet insecure because of her sibling's attitudes, when she struggled in this incredible introspection of a strong warrior and detective that is cold on the battlefield but you can see how much it hurts that she can't find a healthy relationship with her siblings and love sometimes can cut more deeply than swords. It was so cathartic when she, in a respectful yet unyielding manner put a stop to the rank abuse of his older brother by stating that she was a professional and she will be treated as such. I was cheering for her and for a moment I forgot about the previous betrayal because it was so good.
Then she got betrayed and it went downhill.
The problem, the true great problem of the second half is that no one acts or do anything besides that "the plot demands it". Why did the gnome decide to help her for her revenge? The plot. Why the dwarf came along? The plot. Why did she recruit the pyromaniac? The plot. Why the ball? The Plot. Why the hell knights? The plot. Why did his siblings betray her and wanted to kill the mayor and make it pro-korvosa? The plot. There is no depth, there is no characterization, there is no logic but that of "the plot demands it" and all explanations sound like weak excuses that only tell you what happened, not why and it's so convoluted that came out as silly.
But the worst it's how boring the death scenes are. Seriously, all the death scenes and more than half of the battles were "he/she/it is dead". As in "the sword ran through him, letting his body fall to the ground" in what I think it was supposed to be gritty realism but it read like a shopping list. A character is burned alive and the description is "she burned to a husk" and it was promptly forgotten, even when said the character was one of the main antagonists.
In a sentence, you could describe this as "empowering female character #2" and get all the emotional baggage the history can give you.
It was honestly I waste of time as far as reading went.
You see, this book is the Golarion version of Kill Bill, with our protagonist betrayed by their family (is not a spoiler, the back of the book tells you directly about it) in which our character goes from timid to the stereotypical hard woman bend on revenge and that's the problem, it's stereotypical in the worst sense of the word. You know how her personality is, what her actions are going to be, how is she going to respond to the situation because it's the same textbook direction you had seen a thousand times, yet it has not a single shred of emotion, of interest.
The most interesting part of our heroine (and for my life, I can't remember the name of the character, that's how little she make an impact on me) before the betrayal. When she was capable yet insecure because of her sibling's attitudes, when she struggled in this incredible introspection of a strong warrior and detective that is cold on the battlefield but you can see how much it hurts that she can't find a healthy relationship with her siblings and love sometimes can cut more deeply than swords. It was so cathartic when she, in a respectful yet unyielding manner put a stop to the rank abuse of his older brother by stating that she was a professional and she will be treated as such. I was cheering for her and for a moment I forgot about the previous betrayal because it was so good.
Then she got betrayed and it went downhill.
The problem, the true great problem of the second half is that no one acts or do anything besides that "the plot demands it". Why did the gnome decide to help her for her revenge? The plot. Why the dwarf came along? The plot. Why did she recruit the pyromaniac? The plot. Why the ball? The Plot. Why the hell knights? The plot. Why did his siblings betray her and wanted to kill the mayor and make it pro-korvosa? The plot. There is no depth, there is no characterization, there is no logic but that of "the plot demands it" and all explanations sound like weak excuses that only tell you what happened, not why and it's so convoluted that came out as silly.
But the worst it's how boring the death scenes are. Seriously, all the death scenes and more than half of the battles were "he/she/it is dead". As in "the sword ran through him, letting his body fall to the ground" in what I think it was supposed to be gritty realism but it read like a shopping list. A character is burned alive and the description is "she burned to a husk" and it was promptly forgotten, even when said the character was one of the main antagonists.
In a sentence, you could describe this as "empowering female character #2" and get all the emotional baggage the history can give you.
It was honestly I waste of time as far as reading went.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews