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Pathfinder Tales #31
Pirate's Prophecy
Hell on the High Seas!
Captain Torius Vin has given up the pirate life in order to bring freedom to others. Along with his loyal crew and Celeste, the ship's snake-bodied navigator and Torius's one true love, the captain of the Stargazer uses a lifetime of piratical tricks to capture slave galleys and set the prisoners free. But when the crew's old friend and secret agent Vreva Jhafe uncovers rumors of a terrifying new magical weapon in devil-ruled Cheliax—one capable of wiping the abolitionist nation of Andoran off the map—will even their combined forces be enough to stop a navy backed by Hell itself?
From award-winning novelist Chris A. Jackson comes a tale of magic, mayhem, and nautical adventure, set in the vibrant world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
Captain Torius Vin has given up the pirate life in order to bring freedom to others. Along with his loyal crew and Celeste, the ship's snake-bodied navigator and Torius's one true love, the captain of the Stargazer uses a lifetime of piratical tricks to capture slave galleys and set the prisoners free. But when the crew's old friend and secret agent Vreva Jhafe uncovers rumors of a terrifying new magical weapon in devil-ruled Cheliax—one capable of wiping the abolitionist nation of Andoran off the map—will even their combined forces be enough to stop a navy backed by Hell itself?
From award-winning novelist Chris A. Jackson comes a tale of magic, mayhem, and nautical adventure, set in the vibrant world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
368 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2016
2 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
Chris A. Jackson
90 books192 followersFrom the sea to the stars, Chris A. Jackson’s stories take you to the far reaches of the imagination. Raised on the back deck of a fishing boat and trained as a marine biologist, he became sidetracked by a career in biomedical research, but regained his heart and soul in 2009 when he and his wife Anne left the dock aboard the 45-foot sailboat Mr Mac to cruise the Caribbean and write fulltime.
With his nautical background, writing sea stories seemed inevitable for Chris. His acclaimed Scimitar Seas nautical fantasies won three consecutive Gold Medals in the ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards. His Pathfinders Tales from Paizo Publishing combine high-seas combat and romance set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Not to be outdone, Privateer Press released Blood & Iron, a swashbuckling novella set in the Iron Kingdoms.
Chris’ repertoire also includes the award-winning and Kindle best-selling Weapon of Flesh Series, the contemporary urban fantasy Dragon Dreams, as well as additional fantasy novels, the humorous sci fi Cheese Runners trilogy of novellas, and numerous short stories.
To learn more, please visit jaxbooks.com.
With his nautical background, writing sea stories seemed inevitable for Chris. His acclaimed Scimitar Seas nautical fantasies won three consecutive Gold Medals in the ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards. His Pathfinders Tales from Paizo Publishing combine high-seas combat and romance set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Not to be outdone, Privateer Press released Blood & Iron, a swashbuckling novella set in the Iron Kingdoms.
Chris’ repertoire also includes the award-winning and Kindle best-selling Weapon of Flesh Series, the contemporary urban fantasy Dragon Dreams, as well as additional fantasy novels, the humorous sci fi Cheese Runners trilogy of novellas, and numerous short stories.
To learn more, please visit jaxbooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 12, 2019
before starting to write this review, I had a quick look back to my reviews of the previous two books in this series. And it seems that the upward trend that I spotted between book one and book two is only continued here. Again we have a pathfinder tale centered around ships, pirates, spying and the slave trade. I enjoyed my self immensely while reading this book, and if I would have been able to give half stars this would be a 3.5 star book.
There where two thoughts that popped into my head a few times while reading this. One was: I really like the way the roleplay mechanics are translated to prose. I loved the way the relation between a sorceress and her familiar was described, as well as the descriptions of the spells and spell effects. The second thought was: If someone wants to create a Pathfinder tv show, I think these stories would be perfect for it since they are the exact right mixture of action, sexiness, drama and tension, character interaction, pathfinder world building (or exposure) and RPG feel.
I heard that two more novels are already written, but are waiting to be published. Paizo I would suggest to put them on the schedule because we want more of this.
There where two thoughts that popped into my head a few times while reading this. One was: I really like the way the roleplay mechanics are translated to prose. I loved the way the relation between a sorceress and her familiar was described, as well as the descriptions of the spells and spell effects. The second thought was: If someone wants to create a Pathfinder tv show, I think these stories would be perfect for it since they are the exact right mixture of action, sexiness, drama and tension, character interaction, pathfinder world building (or exposure) and RPG feel.
I heard that two more novels are already written, but are waiting to be published. Paizo I would suggest to put them on the schedule because we want more of this.
October 10, 2022
TLDR: If you like Pirates and Fantasy novels this is the book for you.
A fantastic conclusion to the Trilogy that leaves you wanting book 4 (no plans to my knowledge).
I met Chris at Gencon in the Writers Alley before Covid and bought a book a year. He finally returned and I bought the 3rd. I have also read his Shadowrun short fiction and novella. That said I am a huge fan of his. So the review is probably biased.
The book starts by catching us up on what has happened and quickly throws us into a world of High Sails and Espionage. A world I had not experienced, but Chris blends them perfectly.
He switches perspectives between the protagonists and keeps the story moving along at a good pace.
I enjoy the crew and how easy they are to remember. Often with a cast this large it can be easy to confuse who is who, but each of them is distinct enough that you will know who Lacy Jane and Windy Kate are or why Grogul is the Bosun and not the 1st mate, which is Thillion.
At this point calling the Stargazers Pirates is inaccurate, but as is common in any Age of Sails book our Heroes are actually Privateers. They sell for a country that opposes Slavery and Demons, but are hard pressed and out numbered.
My only complaint is that they use Ballistae instead of Cannons. I know that they are in a fantasy world and Pathfinder like many others probably doesn't embrace black powder, but it takes a bit of getting used to. That said he makes the best of it and exchanges the heads with alchemical compounds and makes them into giant Fire, Frost and Glue Bombs, which is kind of fun and brings new opportunities for ship to ship combat and boarding actions. Along those lines they have to deal with mages and magic.
This book focuses more on Vreva and Celeste. I enjoyed seeing them in the spot light. Especially how much Vreva has changed and become arguably the most well rounded and developed character of the entire series. Is she the Cordelia Chase of the Pirate's series?
A fantastic conclusion to the Trilogy that leaves you wanting book 4 (no plans to my knowledge).
I met Chris at Gencon in the Writers Alley before Covid and bought a book a year. He finally returned and I bought the 3rd. I have also read his Shadowrun short fiction and novella. That said I am a huge fan of his. So the review is probably biased.
The book starts by catching us up on what has happened and quickly throws us into a world of High Sails and Espionage. A world I had not experienced, but Chris blends them perfectly.
He switches perspectives between the protagonists and keeps the story moving along at a good pace.
I enjoy the crew and how easy they are to remember. Often with a cast this large it can be easy to confuse who is who, but each of them is distinct enough that you will know who Lacy Jane and Windy Kate are or why Grogul is the Bosun and not the 1st mate, which is Thillion.
At this point calling the Stargazers Pirates is inaccurate, but as is common in any Age of Sails book our Heroes are actually Privateers. They sell for a country that opposes Slavery and Demons, but are hard pressed and out numbered.
My only complaint is that they use Ballistae instead of Cannons. I know that they are in a fantasy world and Pathfinder like many others probably doesn't embrace black powder, but it takes a bit of getting used to. That said he makes the best of it and exchanges the heads with alchemical compounds and makes them into giant Fire, Frost and Glue Bombs, which is kind of fun and brings new opportunities for ship to ship combat and boarding actions. Along those lines they have to deal with mages and magic.
This book focuses more on Vreva and Celeste. I enjoyed seeing them in the spot light. Especially how much Vreva has changed and become arguably the most well rounded and developed character of the entire series. Is she the Cordelia Chase of the Pirate's series?
October 12, 2018
If you're like me, then you always love a good pirate story. Thankfully, Pirates' Prophesy is exactly that. Pirates' Prophesy, by Chris A. Jackson, is a story about Captain Torius, Celeste, Grogul, and more of the people on the Stargazer. This crew get's into many situations where it is hard to escape from, and they manage to get past almost every one of them with sheer luck and skill. One of the common antagonists, Harbormaster Cothos gets in the way a lot of the time. I liked this story because, not only is it a story about pirates, which is my favorite kind, but it also tells a good tale about each character's relationships with each other overall.
March 16, 2023
This book gives a good conclusion to the Pirate trilogy.
Pirate's Prophecy may not be the best book I've read but this is simply subjective due to my interests: I don't care about ship navigation and I don't even know nautical jargon in my native language, which gave me some issue during the reading of this English book. This is the why it has three stars for me, while I rated the others two with 5 stars.
Pirate's Prophecy may not be the best book I've read but this is simply subjective due to my interests: I don't care about ship navigation and I don't even know nautical jargon in my native language, which gave me some issue during the reading of this English book. This is the why it has three stars for me, while I rated the others two with 5 stars.
September 29, 2019
Listened on Scribd. Third in the trilogy and in my personal opinion the best also.
June 23, 2022
Fun story. The best of the trilogy for sure.
June 29, 2023
The final book of the Stargazer crew from Pathfinder Tales. Another quite good read.
November 16, 2017
Previously published at TheQwilery.com
Pirate’s Prophecy is Chris A. Jackson’s third book in the Pathfinder series. Unfortunately, I could tell I was missing a lot of back history with the characters in the book. I felt like I was having dinner with my wife’s old high school friends—unable to laugh at their inside jokes or understand what’s not being said as much as what is being said. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy myself. The food was still good and the company friendly. Alright I’ve played out this analogy.
Jackson’s a skilled writer and it shows by the fact that I knew I was missing things but I didn’t mind that much as the characters were entertaining and the story and plot kept me interested. It’s hard to mess up a pirate adventure. Add in some subterfuge and you’ve got a winner idea in my book.
The pirate crew of the Stargazer were all engaging. The main characters in this book are: Captain Torius Vin, who struggles with his old life of simple piracy and his new found life of acting as a spy and saboteur; Celeste, the Captain’s love interest who is a Naga (mythical snake with a human head) and suffers from time loss while stargazing; and Vreva Jhafae a female spy who tries to discover what dangerous weapon is about to be unleashed on her nation.
If that doesn’t grab your interest you’ll be pleased to know that Jackson is a master at description and keeps the flow of the story moving. You feel like you’re on the deck of the Stargazer or in the seedy docks of Ostenso. Your heart races in combat and worry regarding whether or not Vreva Jhafae will be be caught.
Pirate’s Prophecy is a Nautical adventure with plenty of nail-biting moments. You’ll find it hard to put down. I will say there are definitely some things you’ll feel like you’re missing as this is the third book with these characters, but if you’re not the type to be put off by that, I would recommend giving it a read—or go buy the first two books. I’d recommend this book for Young Adults and Adults as there is minor violence and adult situations. Perfect for fantasy lovers, nautical adventurers and fans of spy craft.
Pirate’s Prophecy is Chris A. Jackson’s third book in the Pathfinder series. Unfortunately, I could tell I was missing a lot of back history with the characters in the book. I felt like I was having dinner with my wife’s old high school friends—unable to laugh at their inside jokes or understand what’s not being said as much as what is being said. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy myself. The food was still good and the company friendly. Alright I’ve played out this analogy.
Jackson’s a skilled writer and it shows by the fact that I knew I was missing things but I didn’t mind that much as the characters were entertaining and the story and plot kept me interested. It’s hard to mess up a pirate adventure. Add in some subterfuge and you’ve got a winner idea in my book.
The pirate crew of the Stargazer were all engaging. The main characters in this book are: Captain Torius Vin, who struggles with his old life of simple piracy and his new found life of acting as a spy and saboteur; Celeste, the Captain’s love interest who is a Naga (mythical snake with a human head) and suffers from time loss while stargazing; and Vreva Jhafae a female spy who tries to discover what dangerous weapon is about to be unleashed on her nation.
If that doesn’t grab your interest you’ll be pleased to know that Jackson is a master at description and keeps the flow of the story moving. You feel like you’re on the deck of the Stargazer or in the seedy docks of Ostenso. Your heart races in combat and worry regarding whether or not Vreva Jhafae will be be caught.
Pirate’s Prophecy is a Nautical adventure with plenty of nail-biting moments. You’ll find it hard to put down. I will say there are definitely some things you’ll feel like you’re missing as this is the third book with these characters, but if you’re not the type to be put off by that, I would recommend giving it a read—or go buy the first two books. I’d recommend this book for Young Adults and Adults as there is minor violence and adult situations. Perfect for fantasy lovers, nautical adventurers and fans of spy craft.
February 17, 2017
Another novel set in the world of Golarion and one of the Pathfinder Tales novels, this story follows Captain Torius Vin as he works as a spy for the nation of Andoran, freeing slaves from other countries, most notably Cheliax. This is the third story featuring Captain Vin and the crew of the Stargazer. In it, our protagonists find themselves embroiled in a mystery of immense consequences. Admiral Ronnel of the Chelaxian fleet has sailed into the port of Ostenso and has let slip that he is in charge of an incredibly powerful secret weapon. A weapon he is determined to put to use against Andoran. It is up to Vin and his intrepid crew to figure out what the weapon is and shut it down. Unfortunately, the weapon turns out to be a child, Yami, which sets off all sorts of moral quandries in the crew. In the meantime, the ship’s navigator, Celeste (a lunar naga--think giant snake with a human head; don’t ask, it’s fantasy...), is dealing with her own issues. Turns out she is being smiled upon by the goddess Pharasma, a goddess she does not even worship. How the crew figures out and solves the problem makes for an interesting read.
This was a nice story, featuring good characterization. Some things felt a bit forced and/or heavy handed. One character, Vreva, underwent a number of surgical procedures to disguise herself so people would not recognize her (for a very complicated reason, her appearance would be noticed, so drastic measures had to be taken). And, the resolution of what to do with the child weapon seemed a bit like deus ex machina. But, overall, it was a fun read.
This was a nice story, featuring good characterization. Some things felt a bit forced and/or heavy handed. One character, Vreva, underwent a number of surgical procedures to disguise herself so people would not recognize her (for a very complicated reason, her appearance would be noticed, so drastic measures had to be taken). And, the resolution of what to do with the child weapon seemed a bit like deus ex machina. But, overall, it was a fun read.
February 14, 2016
Ah, it's great to see the old crew again! All those characters I loved from Pirate's Honor and Pirate's Promise are back, and the stakes have risen again. The detail and danger are ramped up in this, with the world actually becoming a little smaller while the problem grows larger. The action is much more contained in this novel than in the previous ones, but it didn't leave me feeling claustrophobic. Trapped, maybe, but I think that's also how the crew feels, so that was spot on.
I'm not sure I liked this book as well as the previous two, though. It was good, yes, and the plot was fantastic (this is Chris Jackson we're talking about, after all), but I think maybe the crew has grown too comfortable for me to read, or maybe I also missed the piracy, the freedom they had before. I couldn't (and still can't) quite pinpoint exactly what the drawback was for me on this book. It wasn't serious, but it was there.
Don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot was excellent, the writing was beautifully crafted, and it's a good book. But there was just something I couldn't identify that was off for me. That's actually left me in a bit of a pickle. I try not to let my ratings of previous books of series affect how I rate later ones, but I can't help but compare this to the previous two books. Was this a good book? Sure! Did it have the same effect on me that the other two did? I'm afraid not, even though I frustratingly don't know why!
I'm not sure I liked this book as well as the previous two, though. It was good, yes, and the plot was fantastic (this is Chris Jackson we're talking about, after all), but I think maybe the crew has grown too comfortable for me to read, or maybe I also missed the piracy, the freedom they had before. I couldn't (and still can't) quite pinpoint exactly what the drawback was for me on this book. It wasn't serious, but it was there.
Don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot was excellent, the writing was beautifully crafted, and it's a good book. But there was just something I couldn't identify that was off for me. That's actually left me in a bit of a pickle. I try not to let my ratings of previous books of series affect how I rate later ones, but I can't help but compare this to the previous two books. Was this a good book? Sure! Did it have the same effect on me that the other two did? I'm afraid not, even though I frustratingly don't know why!
March 24, 2016
This is the third installment in the Pathfinder Tales series that was written by Chris Jackson - it is a real pleasure to get to visit these characters again with this book. The Tales series has featured a number of very good authors, but Jackson's three books stand out to me for their strong and varied characters and the battle descriptions, particularly fighting at sea. Each of the three has been a real page-turner; this one was a great read while on spring break. Fingers crossed there will be a fourth "Pirate's" adventure!
January 24, 2016
One of the better sets of ongoing characters in the Pathfinder series.
February 14, 2016
Just a good swashbuckling tale
March 18, 2016
Another fantastic tale from Mr. Jackson!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews