Queen of Thorns

Pathfinder Tales #11

by Dave Gross

Secret of the Elves

In the deep forests of Kyonin, elves live among their own kind, far from the prying eyes of other races. Few of impure blood are allowed beyond the nation’s borders, and thus it’s a great honor for the half-elven Count Varian Jeggare and his hellspawn bodyguard Radovan to be allowed inside. Yet all is not well in the elven kingdom: demons stir in its depths, and an intricate web of politics seems destined to catch the two travelers in its snares. In the course of tracking down a missing druid, Varian and a team of eccentric elven adventurers will be forced to delve into dark secrets lost for generations—including the mystery of Varian’s own past.

From fan favorite Dave Gross, author of Prince of Wolves and Master of Devils, comes a fantastical new adventure set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Gaming, Audiobook, Role Playing Games, Science Fiction Fantasy, Media Tie In

432 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2012

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

[Αταλάντη Ευριπίδου · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear Mr. Gross,

what started off in my mind as a review ended up to be a letter addressed to you because, after three books, I felt the need to thank you personally. Taking the time to appropriately fangirl at this point, I literally squealed with delight when I saw you had liked my review of "Master of Devils"; thank you so much for taking the time to read what your fans think of your work. So, in the hopes you might read this as well, I decided to adress you directly this time.
I have really struggled to be objective with your Jeggare & Radovan novels, I have struggled to find something wrong with them but the truth is I can't be objective. From the very first moment these characters felt close to my heart and, three books later, I consider them to be my friends. I love both of them equally and you, sir, have done an outstanding job of making them real to me. These past days, I often caught myself laughing out loud or sharing a joke from your books, talking about Radovan and the Count as if they'd been actual persons and I'd been in all those adventures with them. I am a voracious reader yet it has been a long...long time since last I'd been so emotionally invested in a book's characters. Thank you for that.
As for "Queen of Thorns", well, thank you for that too. I read the book in two days -and that was merely because I had to do other stuff as well, otherwise I wouldn't have put it down for the world. Once again, the secondary characters were marvelous, different from the ones in your previous novels and having their unique, distinctive voices. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of their subplots as well. Oparal and the unicorn! Such a sweet, beautiful story. Caladrel and the Prince! I must admit, my heart sunk at that. Fim! I truly loved that gnome of yours! And Kemeili! The realization near the ending and her relationship with Radovan were brilliant. As for Radovan's story, that was a huge twist and I like how each book adds to what we know of his background. I noticed that this was more action-packed than the previous two novels and it also had a more prominent RPG-ish feeling about it. I truly enjoyed seeing how our two heroes interacted within a party of adventurers and I welcomed the change from "Prince of Wolves" and "Master of Devils". And though I loved those books just as much as "Queen of Thorns", I love the fact that you always seem willing to try out new things even more. You keep the reader interested and alert as we never know what to expect from you -except that it'll be something good. The elven politics added yet another layer in the story, another thing for which I am grateful; you seem to expect as much of your readers as your readers expect of you, you urge us to be intelligent, to consider possibilities and plots and, having been fed up with brainless fantasy, I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate that. And the descriptions...the descriptions were breathtaking. Starting this third book and having read a little bit of the summary on the back cover, I was extremely curious to see what you'd do with a completely fictional setting such as the Elven society. Because your great grasp of individual culture had been one of the many reasons I'd come to feel so passionately about "Prince of Wolves" and "Master of Devils", I was wondering if you'd do equal justice to the Elven culture. Once more, you delivered.
I truly hope your imagination gives us more Jeggare & Radovan stories. I would also like to see you publish something other than RPG based stories at some point because I have come to have great faith in your talent and I'd be very interested to see what sort of fantasy setting you would create if given absolute freedom. The truth is, I only read "Prince of Wolves" because I wanted to get a better grasp of Golarion, since we're starting a Pathfinder campaign, but I got so much more than just your average RPG tie-in. I only pity the poor friends I'll be forcing to read your books.
Thank you for Radovan and the Count and thank you for the great adventures. Please, please, please, keep writing!

[Matthew Le Sacksee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say, compared to 'Prince of Wolves' and 'Master of Devils' this book blows both of them out of the water. While 'Prince of Wolves' was a pseudo-Sherlock tale and the 'Master of Devils' your typical adventure into a foreign land, the 'Queen of Thorns' is a rather personal tale for the main character, the half-elf Chelaxian noble, Varian Jeggare.

Despite this, however, Dave Gross has not neglected the other main character, Varian's tiefling bodyguard and (though the two wouldn't admit it to each other) friend, Radovan. Radovan is still rather shaken from the events of the previous book and in 'Queen of Thorns', we get to experience how he tries to overcome his trauma by anchoring himself to Varian and making sure that his employer survives this next expedition.

Like the previous books, the chapters alternate between first-person perspectives of Varian and Radovan though sadly, Arni the dog doesn't get a perspective this time (though he's still unbearably adorable and helpful to both characters).

Readers might remember that previously, Varian owned a splendid carriage, which was apparently a family heirloom from a father he has never met in his life, that was destroyed in a horrible accident. This spurs our main characters on a journey to the elf land of Kyonin, where the carriage was made, to have it repaired but instead, Varian stumbles onto clues about his long-lost father and gets involved in an expedition into the demon-frought lands in search of him.

What I like most about this book is that Dave Gross has decided to let both of his characters stick together for once. In the first two books, both characters were separated for a long duration, allowing Gross to provide readers with varying perspectives of what they're going through, and Gross did it masterfully in 'Masters of Devils' with the addition of Arni's story, giving readers a rich perspective into the lands of Tian Xia and its mythologies.

This time, Radovan and Varian mostly stick together in this particular expedition, with a bunch of new characters, and readers are finally able to savour the interactions between the two men and they try to keep each other alive. As usual, Gross changes his writing style between the two characters' perspectives, with very cultured language for Varian and the casual, and sometimes crude, narration by Radovan which is very effective in immersing the readers into their characters.

'The Queen of Thorns' is a rather light-toned book with plenty of laughs and humorous descriptions, from time to time, which I truly enjoy due to my experience with Sandy Mitchell's Ciaphas Cain series. The pseudo-Sherlock theme is still mildly present here, but the book is still primarily dominated by the action (which are pleasing to read) and the interpersonal interactions between the various characters in this book. There is, of course, a revelation and a plot twist by the end but it's rather obvious and an attentive reader might have seen it coming. Nonetheless, it serves it purposes to provide readers this wonderful new adventure with Varian and Radovan.

I highly recommend this book, not only to D&D fans, but to any sword and sorcery buff. It took me two days of power-reading to finish this book because it was extremely immersive and hard to put down.

[Amy Braun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know next to nothing about Pathfinder and its characters, so I read this as an old school epic fantasy adventure filled with all my favourite tropes. It was exactly what I wanted it to be, and was a great listen.

I can't comment too much on the world building since this is part of a larger enterprise, but I can say that it was filled with enough creatures and lore that I was never confused, and nothing felt out of place. The magic and action scenes were tons of fun and kept the story moving as a great clip.

Most of the side characters were archetypes that didn't get as much exploration, but I really enjoyed the banter and camaraderie between Varian and Radavan. They had a great bromance that carried them through wild adventures, and I would be interested in knowing more about them if I got the chance.

Great for fans of Pathfinder and readers looking for a classic quest fantasy that's easy and fun to read!

[Chadwick Ginther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I could read about Radovan and Varian forever.

[Troy Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Count Jeggare and Radovan are in full bloom as their parallel journeys of self-discovery are revealed in this fantastic romp into the sylvan heart of elven lands -- a dark forest that only grudgingly reveals its own secrets in a mass of tangles, twisting vines, a heritage of half-truths and the elvish knack for misdirection.

Dave Gross, the most prolific of the Pathfinder Tales novelists, has brought his two characters a long way since they were initially conceived as fantasy analogs of Holmes and Watson in a novella for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Setting. Now in their third novel, the characters have grown beyond that simple and inadequate description.

In this novel, Jeggare, the intellectual investigator, seeks the origin of his beloved red carriage, the only gift he received from a father who abandoned him as an infant. Radovan, his lusty bodyguard, is getting comfortable with his own skin, literally, as he comes to grips with his own diabolical heritage.

This genre of brand fiction -- which ties into the roleplaying game -- requires a supporting cast to assist the main characters on their quest, and Gross provides an intriguing fellowship, whose rich interplay is the most rewarding part of the story.

Among the company is a gnome who has lost his lust for life, yet remains the only living link to the origin of the carriage; a forest warden, perhaps the greatest ranger of the realm; and a temple priestess with a barb-wire personality and inquisitive nature -- aspects Jeggare and Radovan both find alluring in their own ways.

The most sympathetic supporting character is the maiden paladin Oparal. Though pure of heart, she is foreign born and her low status in elven society has left emotional wounds that leave her questioning her self worth. Even when circumstances provide her a chance to be rewarded for her fidelity, these old wounds test her courage and her heart. (Of all the characters, Oparal is most deserving of a followup story; if not a full novel, then perhaps a short story or a novella).

The dynamic of this adventuring party is handled well. There are no moments -- of the sort found in lesser efforts -- when the prejudices and conflicts of the characters are magically washed away. Gross' strength for setting up a reveal in the book's climax makes use of the characters individual traits to provide a more satisfying -- and realistic -- conclusion to the quest.

Like the other Jeggare and Radovan tales, their point of view is told in alternating chapters. It's a storytelling technique I appreciate, especially that it's rare enough given the genre. Radovan is the sword and Jeggare the sorcery. And they both see their adventures quite differently. And Gross makes that POV work for him right up to the last page.

I recommend Queen of Thorns as a fun read, a rousing adventure tale, and another chance to see Jeggare and Radovan in action.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queen of Thorns is a surprising departure from the norm for what I typically call "professional fanfic" -- novels within settings created for other media without simply being a novelization of the works in other media. Examples include film (e.g. Star Wars novels) and, as in this case, roleplaying games. Such professional fanfic novels litter the shelves in the science fiction sections of bookstores. While many people will talk about some of them being good and others bad, the truth of the matter is that when set side-by-side with novels of the not-fanfic variety they are overwhelmingly mediocre at best, and quite often simply bad. What makes this novel so distinctive is that it is one of only a handful "professional fanfic" novels I have encountered that is good enough to stand on its own. It does not simply overcome the handicaps of that general type of novel, but seems to erase them entirely and rise above the majority of decent novels in general.

The author's talent for evocative description without belaboring the details of a scene, his ability to infuse his narrative characters with distinctive and hilarious wit, and (best of all) his skillful obscuring of the mechanics of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game on which the story is based and in whose default setting it takes place rather than falling into the trap of bludgeoning the reader with its origins in immersion-breaking game mechanics, are all significant contributors to my enjoyment of the book. Even the last line of the novel is well-chosen and leaves me with a sense of satisfaction that is rarely achieved in other novels. Out of the four Pathfinder books I have read so far -- all four gifted to me by another roleplaying gamer who decided to give up Pathfinder RPG and move out of state, this being the last of them I have read and (I believed) surely the last Pathfinder novel I would read -- this is by far the best, and I am inspired to seek out more works by this author to see if his storycrafting holds up in further novels.

I believe he has written two other Pathfinder novels, at least, and judging by some of the references to the characters' pasts I suspect at least one of them details some of their earlier experiences. I plan to see if that is the case and, if so, perhaps read them as well.

In short: This book is not Great Literature, it is not Deeply Meaningful, it is not Art, and it is not Life-Altering. It is not even particularly insightful. It is, however, well-crafted storytelling supported by engaging characterization, and I found it highly entertaining. It is about as good as a book can be without being any of the things I just said it isn't, which is to say it's a really good read.

[Niel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book. Lots of action ,great characters, and strong story line.
This story follows the tale of a half elf half human and his devil spawn bodyguard. They are on there way to find the person who created a red carriage that need repair, and as they search for that person they travel through a great forest and are attacked by creatures.
The story line was slow to start off but picked up with all the wonder in this world. The details and places in this book really engaged me as I read. I was able to be drawn into this book and not feel as if I was missing crucial parts because I have not played the video game. The setting of the book in the forest was great it allowed for more ideas to be utilized and more creatures to be used.
The main characters in this novel were Jeggare and Radovan. These two together are great, the differences from each make them fun to read and more realistic too. Jeggare is the smart, studied of the two who can use magic and has a special sword called the "Shadowless Sword". Radovan is reckless and a ladies man; he is the bronze of the two and I have to say more engaging since he does fun crazy things, although I am not saying Jeggare isn't a fun read he is just different. The other main character were fun and mysterious and just as much fun to read about with all of their own abilities and secret agendas.
The action of a the story was quite good and fast paced. It went from one fight to a discovery to another problem our pace of wonder. To keep the novel interesting there was some mystery involved with horde attacks and the four other characters of the novel, so I was keep guessing and engaged in the novel while I read it.
Great book recommended to anyone who likes fantasy novels.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, another Pathfinder Tales book detailing the adventures of Radovan and Varian Jeggare. This time, our intrepid heroes are in Kyonin, the elven country (still mostly wild and unknown since the elves abandoned it during earthfall and only recently--in elven terms--returned), in order to have Varian's red coach--given to him by his elf father--repaired. (It was somewhat destroyed in the last adventure they had.) The quickly meet the gnome Fimbulthicket who worked with Varian's father and before you can say "enchanted forest," the boys are off on a quest to find the missing elf. They are joined by three other elves--Oparal, a Forlorn (elf raised outside of Kyonin) paladin agent of the Queen of Kyonin; Kemeili, a priestess of Callistria; and Caladrel, a ranger agent of the Prince of Kyonin. Their travels and the results of them make for a very interesting story.

Once again, Dave Gross has crafted a fine story. I enjoy his storytelling, and even though he says he has trouble doing them, his action scenes are very tight. And, he includes good doses of levity that are good counterpoints to the aggression. The characters are are complex with understandable motives. There were enough twists in the story that you could not see the end coming from a long way off, and I appreciate that. I probably enjoyed this book mostly because I enjoy the characters (me and about half the Paizo world, it seems). But, that, too, has to be laid at the feet of the writer. So, what do you say? Give the Count and the Hellspawn a chance. The way this story ended, I'm betting the next one is a doosie!

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen of Thorns relates the further adventures of Count Varian Jeggare and Radovan. Fans of the pair will find a number of mysteries about their histories further explored in this book, with the beginnings of more to come. I can't wait. Dave Gross has written an intriguing, fun, and action-packed fantasy novel, and brings some new views and depictions of some of the traditional staples of fantasy: elves, paladins and... well, that's a spoiler, but definitely look for the eponymous Queen of Thorns. The book was so interesting that I had to finish it in one sitting.

Paizo editor James Sutter and author Matt Forbeck each have very interesting blog posts about tie-in fiction. Among the subjects they discuss is the historical stigma associated with such fiction. Don't let that turn you away. It's a great tie-in novel, and it's a great novel, period. Golarion has many interesting locations due to its design, and if you're a Pathfinder fan, you'll find a lot to like and a lot you can use in your games. Whether you are or are not, you'll find an excellent, well-written story. As always, Mr. Gross brings us compelling characters and first-rate writing, and I find the book a wonderful addition to the high-quality Pathfinder Tales line. I hope to read much more of Varian and Radovan in years to come.

And the last line is priceless. ^_^

[Amber Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest adventure featuring Radovan and Jeggare is possibly the best one yet. The setting--the ancient, mysterious, yet whimsical elven nation of Kyonin--is unlike either of the first two novels and allows the reader to see more of Jeggare's history. Dave Gross has gone beyond traditional fantasy elves and added a touch of A Midsummer Night's Dream for a quirky, ethereal feel.

This book also features some engaging new characters, including the paladin Oparal, the gnome Fimbulthicket, the not-so-coy Kemeili, and Radovan's red leather jacket. Like the main characters, the supporting cast is fun and dynamic. They all have individual motivations and agendas that pump up the drama during Radovan and Jeggare's journey into the depths of Kyonin.

Fans of the Pathfinder world will love this latest venture into Golarion, but Dave Gross artfully adds enough exposition to keep new readers grounded without boring returning readers. A clever and enjoyable novel.

[Joel Flank · Rating 5 out of 5]

The continuing adventures of Varian and Radovan continue, this time as they journey to the elven realm of Kyonin to get Varian's family heirloom carraige repaired. Of course, the duo are unable to travel to exotic lands without getting entangled in mysteries of the past and conspiracies of the current day. Along the way, they have to deal with spiteful and capricious elves, rabid demons, and a hidden power deep in the elven forrest. The alternating point of view chapters between Varian and Radovan provide a deeper insight into their characters, and a varied outlook on the other characters. Both are exceeding entertaining narrators, as Dave Gross provides another excellent dive into the world of Golarion with great attention to detail for both the lore of the world, and keeping within and building upon the Pathfinder RPG system rules. I'm also happy to say that this time around Varian and Radovan spend the entire book together, rather than having separate but interlinked stories.

[Chris Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This, the third of Dave Gross' Pathfinder Tales novels, is another feather in his literary cap. Great plot, wonderful characters and nice twists. What more could you ask for?

Without spoiling anything, Queen of Thorns is a walk in the woods that is no walk in the park. The forests of the elf kingdom of Kyonin are dangerous and a plague of demons threatens to raze the kingdom to it's roots. They find many things they did not expect, including powerful allies, more powerful enemies, and even more powerful and more dangerous abilities that none thought they had, even in their darkest nightmares.

All good, but to truly appreciate this one, you really should read Prince of Wolves, and Master of Devils first. You won't be sorry.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Gross has proven more than apt in balancing good storytelling with recognizable game mechanics. Even better is his grasp of (Pathfinder game world) Golarion as a sort of character in itself, rather than just a place in which some adventures happen to occur. And I love that he plays the long game, allowing mysteries to unravel episodically, over the course of multiple titles. I recommend his work as most excellent.

[Violette Malan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first foray into the Pathfinder Series of books and it definitely won't be my last. The setting is complex in a believable and interesting way, and the pace is hectic enough that you're reluctant to put the book down. Looking forward to reading more

[Scott Carmody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third (I guess fourth) of the series. It was a lot of fun seeing the elves of the Pathfinder world. I also enjoyed that the author allowed the two main characters to work together in this book, instead of being separated.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of the Jeagre/Radovan novels. Could not put it down. Thank you, Mr. Gross

[Dave Walls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far and away the best of the Pathfinder Tales so far. Dave Gross has been their best contributor, and he really gave us a great book here.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced adventure with loads of the stuff you want to see in a settings-based fantasy. An entertaining read, with Radovan and Jeggare both developing in "interesting" ways.

[Taskuhecate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It's the third in the adventure of Count Varian Jeggare and Radovan, but the first I read with them - and it didn't hurt it at all to read it out of order. I immediately went and read Prince of Wolves after finishing this one.

The character interactions are interesting, and the dual POVs provide a good change up every chapter that keeps you on your toes - and both the Count and Radovan have very different and distinct voices that makes it interesting no matter which one is narrating.

Honestly, I can't recommend it enough. It's a great easy fantasy read that had me ugly-snort laughing quite often and gasping in surprise, I even whimpered during one scene.

Like all the Pathfinder Tales, you don't have to know a thing about the RPG to enjoy the books!

[Lorewarden]

I enjoyed this entry into the Pathfinder series, the third focusing on Dave Gross' characters Varian Jeggare and Radovan. Like the previous two, the narrative switches points of view between characters every chapter, and each is written in a completely different style that highlights how that character acts and sees the world. Although this is the third novel with these characters, it is a standalone adventure and can be enjoyed without having read the previous two There are some callbacks to the previous adventures to reward readers who have already read them, but they are not critical to the story. This novel really dives deep into the backgrounds of Varian and Radovan, fleshing them out even more than the previous two novels.

[Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is Dave Gross's third entry in the Pathfinder Tales lineup featuring the duo of Count Varian Jeggare and his bodyguard Radovan. Like the preceding works, Prince of Wolves and Master of Devils, it is told in a rotating POV between the two protagonists. And like all the books in the Pathfinder Tales series, the novel is a lore-dump adventure story set in the world of Golarion, the setting of the Pathfinder tabletop role-playing game and cousin to Dungeons & Dragons.

This one sees Varian Jeggare taking his totaled ride (a fancy carriage) back to the dealership for some bodywork. The catch is that the crafter of this carriage is deep in the heart of Kyonin, an Elvish enclave. And in fantasy fiction, we all know that an Elvish enclave does not suffer visitors who are not Elves. To drive that trope home, we set the tableau that Jeggare himself is half-elf and Radovan is zero elf (he is a "hellspawn" which is Pathfinderese for tiefling, a more or less human character with a touch of the infernal in their heritage). There is also Oparal, who despite being full-elf was not raised among the elves, so we get to see Elvish bigotry on three levels throughout this book.

A gnome character also plays a large role in this novel. Fantasy gnomes, at least the D&D-derived ones, tend to be comic relief and little differentiated from other small folk like Hobbit-alikes or Dwarves. In Golarion, though, gnomes are distinguished by their remarkable craving for novelty and new experiences. Their appearance is bright and colorful and they basically live as long as they're having fun. The gnome in Queen of Thorns hasn't had much fun lately and we meet him towards the end of his life -- his bleaching -- where all the vibrancy and dynamism seems to be gone from him.

So -- Varian wants his carriage fixed, brings it to the Elves, hijinks and exploration ensues. Demons are fought. Invisible cities are discovered. Giant organic mecha suits are played with. Families are reunited. Radovan gets it on. We see how the Elves work.

[Glenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was good but juvenile locker room humor is getting way out of hand. Seriously it was somewhat funny in the last two novels when used sparingly but this book was just ridiculous. Don’t need to read about Radovan’s genitalia every few pages. It really took away from the story. Think I’ll take a rest from reading Dave Gross’ Pathfinder novels for a bit.

[Alyssa Malinoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite of the 5 in the series, this is the best setting and cast. While the first has the better romance, this one has the more heartfelt story and was overall more touching. You could tell the author enjoyed writing this one.

[Tim Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. I always enjoy the Count Jeggare and Radovan novels.

[Victoria Zigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent addition to this series, and a fantastic read in general, especially for fans of the Pathfinder roleplaying system.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final battle was a bit much in my opinion, but otherwise a fairly good read with humorous sections throughout.

[Kendra Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always loved elves, even though they can be arrogant and xenophobic (and the elves of Pathfinder are no exception). Thus, I was excited to read Queen of Thorns. I am still fairly new to the Pathfinder setting, having been a long-time resident of Forgotten Realms.

I am not a huge fan of Calistria (I prefer the Seldarine from FR), and I wish she wasn’t a favored goddess among the elves. What I did like however, was that elven society doesn’t seem to care much about the gender of a lover (I am always looking for books with inclusiveness). Half-elves are looked down upon, though that doesn’t stop elves from having romantic relationships with humans. While the racial choice of lover can be frowned upon, or at least regarded with skepticism, the gender doesn’t seem to be. We first get a hint of this in the beginning at the Midsummer Masquerade. Varian notes that the masks and the gender mingling would be viewed as “scandalous” in Chelix. Varial is also bisexual, and while this doesn’t mean all elves are, there is no mention of his “preferences” being abnormal. He and Fimbulthicket (who I thought was rather charming, in a cute, gnome sort of way) may just be friends, but I at least, got the impression they were more than that.

Based on the summary, I initially thought more of it was going to take place within the elven city, but such is not the case. I wanted to learn more about the elves. While there are certainly lore bits, it wasn’t what I was expecting. Still, the adventure was exciting.

Radovan’s witty comments made me laugh, as usual, though I am starting to tire of his womanizing ways. Even though hellspawn are viewed with derision throughout Golarian, many women seem willing to sleep with him. In Queen of Thorns, we learn more about his fiendish heritage, and the more we learn, the more plot points open up for future tales. While the previous Varian and Radovan books seem fairly self-contained, this one leaves an opening for future events and stories.

And finally, as a dog lover, I must say, I adore Arnisant.

[R.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third in the series of books by Dave Gross, Queen of Thorns follows Count Jeggare and Radovan into the Elven Kingdoms to locate the creator of the Red Carriage, a wonderful and beautiful carriage of Elven design that was shattered in the first book of this series, The Prince of Wolves. A mundane quest rapidly turns dangerous, as the Pathfinders are targeted by forces within and without the Elven Court, and must travel with a strange set of companions in search of a fabled city.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed this series of books, even though I don't play Pathfinder. The setting is marvelously detailed, deep, and rich, and Dave has a way of making characters fly off the page and into your imagination. The descriptions are beautiful, and the settings fantastic. Dave also has an excellent ability to differentiate between his two POV characters (who both speak in the first person) through language and word choices such that the reader never has to refer back to the beginning of a chapter to see who is speaking. In fact, once you are familiar with the characters, you can open the book to any page and within a paragraph or two you will know who is speaking. If you think this is easy, that is only because Dave makes it look that way; try it yourself and you will find this to be a very difficult skill indeed.

Reading the first two books in this series is not necessary, but recommended. The Prince of Wolves is the first of the series, and Master of Devils is the second. Both are excellent, as well.

[Michael T Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm really surprised that I loved this book so much. So here's the weird thing: Book 1, Prince of Wolves, is one of my favorite adventure books ever; then Book 2, Master of Devils, was just deplorable, in my opinion. Soooo dull. I had to put it down pretty quickly. What's weird here is that not only does Gross return to form and deliver an extremely interesting and personal tale of Count Jeggare & his erstwhile companion, Radovan, but it mostly draws on the events of book two! Like, they reference them every five pages. And while it didn't make me want to go back & read book two, I was baffled how Gross managed to right the series while also not deploying everything from the dull follow-up to PoW (I was a little sad that PoW got very little love in here, however ... with the reveals about Radovan's history/future, I felt like it could have done with some more mentions, but oh well).

So this book, we get to find out more about Jeggare's history. We get a good amount of elven politicking (not my thing, but it's there), a dragon, some insight into Pathfinder gnomes (the Bleaching!), some interaction with artifacts littered about the land ... just a LOT of fun stuff. I'll admit, Act III was a little dull to me, and it finally got to the point where I wasn't sure who was responsible for what, BUT I'll forgive the book that because I enjoyed everything leading up to it so much.

Just extremely fun.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I promised myself to buy and read all the pathfinder tales. And even though i can't keep up reading wise, I'm still trying my best to do this. The latest novel in this project that I read was Queen of Thorns by Dave Gross. This is already his third pathfinder novel, and all three of them are about Varian Jeggare, his bodyguard Radovan and their dog Arnisant.

I assume that everybody here knows that pathfinder is a role playing game, and that these books are tales from that world.

In this book the threesome find themselves in Kyonin to track down the creator of a coach that is in dire need of reparations. The creator of this coach seems to be wandering around the land so a search party is send out to find him. And from there on the story unfolds.

The previous two Varian and Radovan books were pretty good, but this one is better. Dave Gross seems to have really found his way with these characters, the story is very nice, the book feels actually like the role play game (and that is what these books need to portray) and the writing is also fun. In fact off all the pathfinder tales i read so far, this is one of the best.