Certainty

Pathfinder Tales

by Liane Merciel

Faith is the greatest battle. To fallen paladin Ederras, right and wrong aren't as clear as they once were, and even the forces of good seem tainted by sin. Lost and broken, the formerly righteous warrior joins up with the crusaders of Mendev, the last bastion of civilization fighting desperately against the demonic tides of the Worldwound. There he plans to rediscover his faith—or die trying. Yet even on the edge of total destruction, humanity's base nature runs rampant, leading any crusader to wonder: is there anything left worth fighting for?

From rising star author Liane Merciel comes a tale of battle both physical and ideological, set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder campaign setting.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction

28 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 8, 2010

About the author

Liane Merciel's novels include Pathfinder Tales: Hellknight and Nightglass, Dragon Age: Last Flight, and The River Kings' Road. She has written for game companies including Pathfinder, Dungeons & Dragons, and Warhammer's Black Library. She lives and works in Philadelphia.

Reviews

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't just good. It is one of the best I've ever read. I had the pleasure of getting this short story as a way of experimenting with different authors to see if their other work was worth looking into. Having Marc Vietor as the narrator was also a massive boon. At first I was so excited to hear his voice again after a long and happy relationship listening to his Croaker in Glen Cook's Black Company. Then I realized the writing actually lived up to the performance.
This isn't always the case. Often great books are weakened by poor recordings or narrators, and on the flip side there are many narrators who are let down by the words they read. Some can make a bad story passable, but not everything can be saved.
That's why this is such a miracle find. I'd actually really love to read the story myself in addition to listening. It's like vietnam fantasy into hell, Pathfinder edition. A fallen paladin, so much that calls my name.
I can't spend much more time on this review, I have Hellknight waiting for me (a Liane Merciel novel!).
Miss Merciel, you have me deeply impressed and I look forward to delving deeper into your works. Thank you.

[AoC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever wandered what happens to a fallen paladin after the fact? Well, Certainty offers a certain take on the subject and damn if it's not compelling enough to read in a single sitting. Pretty straightforward as stories go, but I think that focused nature of the work only helps in story delivery as our former paladin decides to go to the Worldwound, place in the north where demons perpetual do battle on mortals and only convicts or those out of luck go to as means of staying alive, in the effort to make amends for some earlier, unknown event that made him lose his faith. This is Pathfinder so it helps to be familiar with some geographical terminology involved yet even without such knowledge this is absolutely worth reading. Good way to end your short story leaving me wanting for more.

[Ashish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly decent stand-alone tale, reads as a chapter in a larger tale but vastly entertaining and a brilliant example of quick, fast world-building a complex universe with clear, distinct, empathizable characters. The D&D aspect helps, but works very well on it's own as well.

[Tomasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would work better as a longer tale, I think, to let us get to know the protagonists better. As it is, they don't have enough room for the reader to become invested. On the other hand, the descriptions are very vivid, thumbs up for that.

[Taskuhecate · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't my favorite by Liane Merciel (who is one of my favorite author, but it was an interesting look at Edarras. Worth a read if you've read Hellknight.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Pathfinder setting. I wish this was longer, I want more!!

[Tammie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

There's some good description in this short story but I have a hard time sometimes with stories that are based on role playing games. I felt like I was reading a story of a role playing adventure. The different characters where there to perform their roles as needed. I don't really know how else to explain it other than it has a different feel to it from a regular fantasy novel based on a world that has nothing to do with a game. I also thought this story was a little depressing.

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[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There aren't many old paladins." The first sentence sets a good tone for this short story.