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Pathfinder Tales #36
Reaper's Eye
Let Sleeping Gods Lie
Daryus Gaunt used to be a crusader, battling to protect civilization from the demons of the Worldwound, before a battlefield mutiny forced him to flee or be executed. Pathfinder Shiera Tristane is an adventuring scholar obsessed with making the next big archaeological discovery. When a talking weasel reveals that a sinister witch is close to uncovering a long-lost temple deep within the Worldwound, the two adventurers are drawn into the demon-haunted lands in order to stop him from releasing an ancient evil. Now both fame and redemption may be at hand... if they can survive.
From New York Times bestselling author Richard A. Knaak comes a novel of exploration, betrayal, and deadly magic, set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
Daryus Gaunt used to be a crusader, battling to protect civilization from the demons of the Worldwound, before a battlefield mutiny forced him to flee or be executed. Pathfinder Shiera Tristane is an adventuring scholar obsessed with making the next big archaeological discovery. When a talking weasel reveals that a sinister witch is close to uncovering a long-lost temple deep within the Worldwound, the two adventurers are drawn into the demon-haunted lands in order to stop him from releasing an ancient evil. Now both fame and redemption may be at hand... if they can survive.
From New York Times bestselling author Richard A. Knaak comes a novel of exploration, betrayal, and deadly magic, set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
368 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2016
3 people are currently reading
423 people want to read
About the author
Richard A. Knaak
283 books1,478 followersRichard A. Knaak is the bestselling author of Dragonlance novels, the Dragonrealm and Black City Saint series (his own creations), six novels for Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo series, and six works in the Warcraft universe. He has also written several non-series fantasy books.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 6, 2017
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/01/06/...
Over the years I’ve had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Richard A. Knaak. No stranger to his tie-in fiction, I have tried most of his novels for the World of Warcraft franchise, a couple of which were pretty solid, but just as many have been utter disappointments. But still, I was intrigued when I first learned about Reaper’s Eye. While the Pathfinder Tales series comprises the official stories based on the Pathfinder RPG, I also think authors might be less restricted when it comes to exploring their own characters, settings, and aspects of the various peoples and cultures in this world—which often leads to more interesting storytelling compared to other books based on a media property.
Reaper’s Eye follows a team of adventurers on a quest to a lost temple to stop an ancient threat from being released. One of our main characters is Daryus Gaunt, a former crusader who deserted his unit after disagreeing with a battlefield decision. He has been on the run ever since, constantly keeping an eye over his shoulder lest his past catch up with him. However, old habits die hard, and one night he finds himself charging into the thick of battle in response to a cry for help, only to discover later that the victim he rescued is a strange talking weasel named Toy. Taking the little animal at face value, Daryus takes it home and listens to Toy’s disturbing tale of an evil witch with a scheme to unleash disaster upon the world.
Meanwhile, our other protagonist Shiera Tristane is an ambitious archaeologist working on a plan to win herself the glory she feels she deserves. Her hopes are finally answered when she uncovers a mysterious artifact marked with some curious symbols, but translating them only brings more questions. She is soon commissioned to go on an expedition to find out more, and one of her first tasks is to find a bodyguard for the journey, which is how Shiera ends up hiring Daryus. Desperate to get out of the city, Daryus isn’t too interested in the specifics of the mission, happy enough to collect his fee and take himself and Toy onto the road.
Perhaps having several Pathfinder Tales novels under my belt now has made me a lot pickier about them, but Reaper’s Eye was probably one of the weaker ones I’ve read. It also didn’t help that this one followed the incredible Shy Knives by Sam Sykes, which is bar none the best Pathfinder book I’ve read thus far. Knaak’s characters simply didn’t capture my attention the same way. Daryus and Shiera were decent characters, but neither of them achieved greatness as both their backstories and personalities were relatively uninspired. The protagonists’ motivations were also hardly explored, so we only get the surface-level understanding of why they’re doing the things they claim are important to them. Ditto for the villain. In fact, the only one that really interested me was Toy, and let’s just say there’s something seriously wrong when your most engaging character is a talking weasel.
To Knaak’s credit though, he’s incredibly skilled when it comes to writing action scenes, which are good enough to carry the story. The plot itself isn’t overly complex, but it works for providing simple popcorn entertainment. Now also might be a good time for me to clarify that I don’t think this is a bad book—it is fun and it delivers what I think the audience expects—but it’s clear that the newer, better, and more inspiring crop of tie-in novels that have been released in recent years are leaving books like Reaper’s Eye behind. The bar has been raised, and readers like me are expecting a lot more now.
Simply put, if you’ve never read anything in the Pathfinder Tales sequence, this isn’t bad, but compared to some of the other really good ones I’ve read, it falls only in the mediocre range. In sum, I would recommend reading Reaper’s Eye if you’re a fan of the series or the author, but probably not if you’re new to the world of Pathfinder fiction and are curious to pick up your first Pathfinder Tales novel. Since most of the books are written as standalones, you aren’t going to be limited to any kind of strict reading order, and in my opinion there are better ones out there that will make a better and more enjoyable starting point.
Over the years I’ve had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Richard A. Knaak. No stranger to his tie-in fiction, I have tried most of his novels for the World of Warcraft franchise, a couple of which were pretty solid, but just as many have been utter disappointments. But still, I was intrigued when I first learned about Reaper’s Eye. While the Pathfinder Tales series comprises the official stories based on the Pathfinder RPG, I also think authors might be less restricted when it comes to exploring their own characters, settings, and aspects of the various peoples and cultures in this world—which often leads to more interesting storytelling compared to other books based on a media property.
Reaper’s Eye follows a team of adventurers on a quest to a lost temple to stop an ancient threat from being released. One of our main characters is Daryus Gaunt, a former crusader who deserted his unit after disagreeing with a battlefield decision. He has been on the run ever since, constantly keeping an eye over his shoulder lest his past catch up with him. However, old habits die hard, and one night he finds himself charging into the thick of battle in response to a cry for help, only to discover later that the victim he rescued is a strange talking weasel named Toy. Taking the little animal at face value, Daryus takes it home and listens to Toy’s disturbing tale of an evil witch with a scheme to unleash disaster upon the world.
Meanwhile, our other protagonist Shiera Tristane is an ambitious archaeologist working on a plan to win herself the glory she feels she deserves. Her hopes are finally answered when she uncovers a mysterious artifact marked with some curious symbols, but translating them only brings more questions. She is soon commissioned to go on an expedition to find out more, and one of her first tasks is to find a bodyguard for the journey, which is how Shiera ends up hiring Daryus. Desperate to get out of the city, Daryus isn’t too interested in the specifics of the mission, happy enough to collect his fee and take himself and Toy onto the road.
Perhaps having several Pathfinder Tales novels under my belt now has made me a lot pickier about them, but Reaper’s Eye was probably one of the weaker ones I’ve read. It also didn’t help that this one followed the incredible Shy Knives by Sam Sykes, which is bar none the best Pathfinder book I’ve read thus far. Knaak’s characters simply didn’t capture my attention the same way. Daryus and Shiera were decent characters, but neither of them achieved greatness as both their backstories and personalities were relatively uninspired. The protagonists’ motivations were also hardly explored, so we only get the surface-level understanding of why they’re doing the things they claim are important to them. Ditto for the villain. In fact, the only one that really interested me was Toy, and let’s just say there’s something seriously wrong when your most engaging character is a talking weasel.
To Knaak’s credit though, he’s incredibly skilled when it comes to writing action scenes, which are good enough to carry the story. The plot itself isn’t overly complex, but it works for providing simple popcorn entertainment. Now also might be a good time for me to clarify that I don’t think this is a bad book—it is fun and it delivers what I think the audience expects—but it’s clear that the newer, better, and more inspiring crop of tie-in novels that have been released in recent years are leaving books like Reaper’s Eye behind. The bar has been raised, and readers like me are expecting a lot more now.
Simply put, if you’ve never read anything in the Pathfinder Tales sequence, this isn’t bad, but compared to some of the other really good ones I’ve read, it falls only in the mediocre range. In sum, I would recommend reading Reaper’s Eye if you’re a fan of the series or the author, but probably not if you’re new to the world of Pathfinder fiction and are curious to pick up your first Pathfinder Tales novel. Since most of the books are written as standalones, you aren’t going to be limited to any kind of strict reading order, and in my opinion there are better ones out there that will make a better and more enjoyable starting point.
February 14, 2019
I received a copy of Reaper's Eye from Pan Macmillan Australia to review.
I did a short review of this book in the Canberra Weekly:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/02/14/...
Originally reviewed back in March 2017, I have re-published this review on my blog as part of my Throwback Thursday series.
For other interesting reviews, visit my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
I did a short review of this book in the Canberra Weekly:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2019/02/14/...
Originally reviewed back in March 2017, I have re-published this review on my blog as part of my Throwback Thursday series.
For other interesting reviews, visit my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
April 30, 2024
2,5 stars actually. This is a story about a rumored hidden demonic temple in the worldwound and the people looking for it. This book reads very much like a dungeons and dragons adventure. There was even a clever twist on the end. But for a pathfinder story this book is a bit to generic. There is nothing specific Pathfinder about this. Even the Worldwound is downplayed.
But Richard A Knaak is a competent writer and the book was enjoyable enough. But nothing more then that.
But Richard A Knaak is a competent writer and the book was enjoyable enough. But nothing more then that.
December 18, 2016
one of the weaker pathfinder novels i've read. the characters were not engaging at all. would've been two stars, except 1) talking weasel and 2) last few pages pleased me. (grrr, shy knives! why? why couldn't they have ridden off to adventures together?)
December 7, 2024
Reaper’s Eye is not as good as Knaak’s Dragonlance work, which was disappointing. The plot of this book moves forward by random occurrences and coincidental events. The results of that makes it seem as if the main characters are stumbling through the adventure instead of figuring things out. When a character, such as the Pathfinder, does discover something it just sort of happens. It’s like she rolled a Nat 20. In fact, the entire book reads like notes from a DM’s campaign journal. Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just not what I expected from Knaak. Once I started treating the book as a dramatized game night session I began to enjoy it more.
My biggest grievance with the book is the use of ‘tell’ over ‘show.’ Anything of importance to the plot was reiterated straightforwardly in the narrative so the reader never has to think much about the characters' dialogue or actions. Because of this, none of the surprise twists were at all surprising.
The book is not as horrible as my review makes it seem. If you’re looking for an easy read that has a TTRPG feel and is full of action then this is it.
My biggest grievance with the book is the use of ‘tell’ over ‘show.’ Anything of importance to the plot was reiterated straightforwardly in the narrative so the reader never has to think much about the characters' dialogue or actions. Because of this, none of the surprise twists were at all surprising.
The book is not as horrible as my review makes it seem. If you’re looking for an easy read that has a TTRPG feel and is full of action then this is it.
August 1, 2017
Ah, paycheck fiction.
Knaak, perhaps best know for his work in the Dragonlance and Dragonrealm settings, produces a story that doesn't really fit in with how Paizo developed Golarion. This reads as something more akin to the setting of The Janus Mak or if Dragonrealm were more like a D&D setting.
I had a problem with Knaak not be able to describe the "pitborn" as anything other than pitborn. There was also 'the swords coming down' which evoked nothing as an image or explained anything. This clearly was not a work of passion, but it could have used a better investment from the author.
Knaak, perhaps best know for his work in the Dragonlance and Dragonrealm settings, produces a story that doesn't really fit in with how Paizo developed Golarion. This reads as something more akin to the setting of The Janus Mak or if Dragonrealm were more like a D&D setting.
I had a problem with Knaak not be able to describe the "pitborn" as anything other than pitborn. There was also 'the swords coming down' which evoked nothing as an image or explained anything. This clearly was not a work of passion, but it could have used a better investment from the author.
ugh
January 23, 2024DNF - PG 34
Why?
This book was picked up on a whim at my local library when m local library had none of the books I was looking for. I know Knaak's work in WoW and found it at least mostly entertaining. This book has two super boring introductory chapters for our protagonists, followed by a chapter for who appears to be the villain followed by what appears to be the 'meeting' chapter but I find both our main characters so boring that I don't care about seeing them meet.
And, honestly, flipping through the book, it appears that the level of dialogue is much, much lower than my preference. So, yeah. Probably shouldn't just randomly grab books...
Why?
This book was picked up on a whim at my local library when m local library had none of the books I was looking for. I know Knaak's work in WoW and found it at least mostly entertaining. This book has two super boring introductory chapters for our protagonists, followed by a chapter for who appears to be the villain followed by what appears to be the 'meeting' chapter but I find both our main characters so boring that I don't care about seeing them meet.
And, honestly, flipping through the book, it appears that the level of dialogue is much, much lower than my preference. So, yeah. Probably shouldn't just randomly grab books...
October 29, 2017
It's weird, this book does everything those how-to-write-fantasy books say you should do, but it falls kinda flat. The finale was pretty exciting, but a large piece in the middle was a check-your-watch affair. Maybe it was the three points of view. That got tiresome after a while. Once you start to really get into a character's situation, you have to go to another character's, and then a third. It's like twenty pages before you get back to the first protagonist.
June 29, 2021
A fairly standard, run of the mill, fantasy trope. I was expecting something along the lines of the Forgotten Realms novels, and that's exactly what I got. A fun adventure, but nothing new or notable. This was my first Pathfinder Tales novel and I plan on collecting and reading the rest. So, if you like this king of stuff, you will enjoy it. If fantasy is not your thing, you will probably be bored sooner rather than later.
June 1, 2017
A great story. After some of the more annoying books I've been reading, the reaper's eye comes off the pages like magic. The characters make sense, the story stays busy and interesting throughout, and it was fast to get through.
The book made me late several times as I needed to get through just the next piece of it.
The book made me late several times as I needed to get through just the next piece of it.
October 5, 2018
Published at TheQwillery.com
Richard A. Knaak’s Reaper’s Eye is pure action candy. It gives you a high while reading and you go from page to page, but in the end there’s just not a lot there. Is this a bad thing? I’m in the camp that not all books need to leave you weeping and staring off into the evening wondering if you’ll ever be the same again. Sometimes you just want to be entertained, laugh and forget the boring aspects of daily life, and this is where Reaper’s Eye lands perfectly.
I’ve read Knaak many times before and he knows what he’s doing in crafting a story with plenty of opportunities for action. In this one, we have Daryus Gaunt, a crusader on the run with his talking weasel Toy, and Shiera Tristane, an archaeologist who finds an old mysterious artifact that leads them on a adventure to stop a witch from unleashing the ultimate evil. The villain is a very standard villain in that he has an ego and wants to watch the world burn. Like I said, nothing new here plot-wise and frankly the characters don’t stand out as anything new either.
However, this small band of adventurers find themselves in plenty of entertaining and funny situations as they go about saving the world. Toy, the talking weasel, was by far the most fun part of the story, and frankly, I’d love to see him star in his own novel. I’d read that any day of the week.
Now, if you want to read something new, or experience something you’ve never read before, this is not for you. In fact, if you want characters with depth and multiple motivations, to help you learn something new about yourself, you won’t find it here. What you will find, if you allow it to and don’t expect an award nominee, is fun entertainment. There is minor violence and little to no language and adult situations, so it’s appropriate for teens and adults. Reaper’s Eye is your perfect go to escapism fantasy fiction.
Richard A. Knaak’s Reaper’s Eye is pure action candy. It gives you a high while reading and you go from page to page, but in the end there’s just not a lot there. Is this a bad thing? I’m in the camp that not all books need to leave you weeping and staring off into the evening wondering if you’ll ever be the same again. Sometimes you just want to be entertained, laugh and forget the boring aspects of daily life, and this is where Reaper’s Eye lands perfectly.
I’ve read Knaak many times before and he knows what he’s doing in crafting a story with plenty of opportunities for action. In this one, we have Daryus Gaunt, a crusader on the run with his talking weasel Toy, and Shiera Tristane, an archaeologist who finds an old mysterious artifact that leads them on a adventure to stop a witch from unleashing the ultimate evil. The villain is a very standard villain in that he has an ego and wants to watch the world burn. Like I said, nothing new here plot-wise and frankly the characters don’t stand out as anything new either.
However, this small band of adventurers find themselves in plenty of entertaining and funny situations as they go about saving the world. Toy, the talking weasel, was by far the most fun part of the story, and frankly, I’d love to see him star in his own novel. I’d read that any day of the week.
Now, if you want to read something new, or experience something you’ve never read before, this is not for you. In fact, if you want characters with depth and multiple motivations, to help you learn something new about yourself, you won’t find it here. What you will find, if you allow it to and don’t expect an award nominee, is fun entertainment. There is minor violence and little to no language and adult situations, so it’s appropriate for teens and adults. Reaper’s Eye is your perfect go to escapism fantasy fiction.
November 21, 2017
A good fantasy adventure. The main characters are compelling and you constantly want to know what happens next.
July 15, 2018
run-of the-mill pathfinder story, not bad, but nothing to set it apart from the other stories is this series
March 8, 2022
Very much enjoyed this. Much better I feel with knowledge of the pathfinder world
January 4, 2024
It was a fun story, kept me invested till the very end and with the cliff hanger of the adventure to be. Left me wanting more.
January 16, 2017
Another journey into the Worldwound. The story had some interesting twists and was a decent read.
February 17, 2017
[Summary from Amazon]: Daryus Gaunt used to be a crusader, before a questionable battlefield decision forced him to desert his unit. Pathfinder Shiera Tristane is an adventuring scholar obsessed with gaining the recognition she feels was stolen from her. When both are contacted by a sinister talking weasel and warned of a witch about to release a magical threat long trapped beneath an ancient temple, the two have no choice but to venture into the demon-haunted Worldwound in order to stop the disaster. Yet there’s more to the situation than either realizes, and neither fame nor redemption will matter unless they can first survive.
Likes:
- Interesting plot line that offers the reader action & adventure and takes them on a unique journey through text.
- The novel includes a smart, and strong female lead character (or co-lead character) that proves she can accomplish whatever she sets her mind to.
-Daryus's code of honor, no matter the situation and no matter who is being unfairly punished.
-Grigor Dolch is a villain that the reader knows from the beginning is going to be a "bad guy". He is so egotistical, and self-absorbed with accomplishing his own ventures that it's hard not to admire a character like that being created.
-Even after reading the novel, I am still not sure what to make of Toy, the weasel that befriends Daryus in order to accomplish his own goals. I feel like the reader builds a love/hate relationship with the weasel because he's helpful throughout the novel, but also flees during horrible times and manipulates the characters in order to move closer to his own goals.
- The reader meets easily one of the LEAST demonic demons I think I've ever read about.
Dislikes:
- Meeting the LEAST demonic demon I have ever read about! The novel kind of builds up 'the Reaper' to be something terrible and horrendous but once he is actually uncovered he's a bit less than impressive in the sense of scary and demonic.
- I don't really understand some of the travelers' or the crusaders' motivation for venturing into the Worldwound. They know that it's a demon-blighted land and their are gruesome creatures that survive there so why explore it in order to try to destroy some of the beings that live there? I would just put more effort into maintaining the border so that little to none of them can make it into the city.
- Harricka's tunnel vision about capturing Daryus when there were other, bigger fish to fry throughout the novel.
- Toy the weasel ... is an ABSOLUTE WEASEL!
- Grigor Dolch is such an egotistical, and self-absorbed villain that it's difficult not to dislike him for everything he stands for.
- The ending was a bit of a disappointment after the 300 page build-up throughout the novel of the unveiling of the Reaper's Eye.
The Pathfinder Tales series is a worthwhile series to explore as a reader because the authors provide unique plot lines with characters that have some thought behind them and the Reaper's Eye is no different! Definitely recommend the novel for those that are looking for a novel that breaks away from sappy romances and pointless, actionless plot lines.
Likes:
- Interesting plot line that offers the reader action & adventure and takes them on a unique journey through text.
- The novel includes a smart, and strong female lead character (or co-lead character) that proves she can accomplish whatever she sets her mind to.
-Daryus's code of honor, no matter the situation and no matter who is being unfairly punished.
-Grigor Dolch is a villain that the reader knows from the beginning is going to be a "bad guy". He is so egotistical, and self-absorbed with accomplishing his own ventures that it's hard not to admire a character like that being created.
-Even after reading the novel, I am still not sure what to make of Toy, the weasel that befriends Daryus in order to accomplish his own goals. I feel like the reader builds a love/hate relationship with the weasel because he's helpful throughout the novel, but also flees during horrible times and manipulates the characters in order to move closer to his own goals.
- The reader meets easily one of the LEAST demonic demons I think I've ever read about.
Dislikes:
- Meeting the LEAST demonic demon I have ever read about! The novel kind of builds up 'the Reaper' to be something terrible and horrendous but once he is actually uncovered he's a bit less than impressive in the sense of scary and demonic.
- I don't really understand some of the travelers' or the crusaders' motivation for venturing into the Worldwound. They know that it's a demon-blighted land and their are gruesome creatures that survive there so why explore it in order to try to destroy some of the beings that live there? I would just put more effort into maintaining the border so that little to none of them can make it into the city.
- Harricka's tunnel vision about capturing Daryus when there were other, bigger fish to fry throughout the novel.
- Toy the weasel ... is an ABSOLUTE WEASEL!
- Grigor Dolch is such an egotistical, and self-absorbed villain that it's difficult not to dislike him for everything he stands for.
- The ending was a bit of a disappointment after the 300 page build-up throughout the novel of the unveiling of the Reaper's Eye.
The Pathfinder Tales series is a worthwhile series to explore as a reader because the authors provide unique plot lines with characters that have some thought behind them and the Reaper's Eye is no different! Definitely recommend the novel for those that are looking for a novel that breaks away from sappy romances and pointless, actionless plot lines.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2017
I dug (see what I did there) the archaeological theme this book took on. Reminded me of an Indiana Jones adventure. I also like Harrika staying true to her mission to bring in her former comrade for justice. I felt that the ploy of not killing Toy because of reason x got a little redundant after a while. And the final battle got a little confusing with the action and where the characters were. Still a great read.
February 22, 2017
I'm a big fan of Paizo's world and game and have enjoyed most of their Pathfinder Tales novels for the color they give to Paizo's shared world. This read very much as the beginning of a series with these characters so while I enjoyed it as some light entertainment I reserve judgement until the series (I assume) is finished. It is good but many characters aren't explored in great depth and are fairly simple. But the setting is rich and the characters interesting if ultimately not fully finished.
January 4, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Basically D&D and Indiana Jones if they had a baby. I have an affinity for pulp novels and this pushed a lot of the right buttons for me. It probably helped I picked this up at the Dollar Store too. I went into this blind knowing nothing about Pathfinder save that it's a spin-off of D&D. There's a nice little glossary in the back to help you with in-universe terms and some cool maps that gave the book more than the usual flare for this type of tie-in novel. Don't rush out and buy it but if you stumble across it for cheap/free, give it a go. It's a pretty by the numbers fantasy/adventure/action novel but it's still an enjoyable read. I'll be reading more of Mr. Knaaks books.
Want to read
December 9, 2016I heard about this book thanks to the weekly B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy mailbag thing Joel Cunningham does on YouTube. He said it has a talking weasel in it! And I was all, "talking weasel?! Must...add...to...TBR. ... Wait, what was the title again?"
So I watched this week's video again and found out that this is the book!
:-)
So I watched this week's video again and found out that this is the book!
:-)
March 1, 2023
One of those readings that you cannot tell if you liked or not.
I liked the very beginning, the very end and the villain backstory. Nonetheless I found very boring all the chapters written in his point of view!
The exploration of the final ruins was also painfully long in my opinion.
I liked the very beginning, the very end and the villain backstory. Nonetheless I found very boring all the chapters written in his point of view!
The exploration of the final ruins was also painfully long in my opinion.
February 15, 2025
Not a book that changed my life, but it’s everything I want in a fantasy adventure
April 16, 2017
Reaper's Eye tells the story of Daryus Gaunt, a former crusader against the demon invasion in the Worldwound, when he meets a talking weasel with an agenda of its own, which draws him into a plot to unearth a long buried secret. Daryus is stalked not only by the weasel's former master, a powerful witch looking to break a deal with a demon, but also by his former crusader allies who now consider him a criminal and fugitive....except all of that really isn't what the book is about. That's how the book is marketed, but in fact, Daryus' employer, the Pathfinder Shiera is actually the larger character and protagonist of the book. It's her story to unearth a lost temple city and discover what was hidden at such great lengths, all the while evading the plots of the witch to manipulate her quest and steal the hidden power once she does all of the hard work.
While the witch has a name, he's not a very memorable villain, despite having many point of view chapters which in no way enhance the book. I'm fine with books with multiple POV characters, and in fact in general love that narrative style, but in this case, having the bad guy's point of view detracts from the book. First, he's not very interesting - he wants power because...he's a bad guy who always wants more power. He's also incredibly dense about his plans being unrealistic. Finally, as a villain who is generally pulling strings from behind the scenes, showing what he's up to actually detracts from the surprise and mystery of what's going on. Hearing about him solely from the point of view of his former familiar would have been far better.
Finally, while the actual plot of discovering a lost temple city is passably entertaining, nothing about it is closely tied to the Pathfinder universe, despite being set there, and nothing about the search itself stands out from other similar adventure stories. Generally I've liked Richard Knaak's works in the past, but this book is a bit of a misstep. I much prefer his original works to this, as well as his older game tie in fiction set in the Dragonlance world.
While the witch has a name, he's not a very memorable villain, despite having many point of view chapters which in no way enhance the book. I'm fine with books with multiple POV characters, and in fact in general love that narrative style, but in this case, having the bad guy's point of view detracts from the book. First, he's not very interesting - he wants power because...he's a bad guy who always wants more power. He's also incredibly dense about his plans being unrealistic. Finally, as a villain who is generally pulling strings from behind the scenes, showing what he's up to actually detracts from the surprise and mystery of what's going on. Hearing about him solely from the point of view of his former familiar would have been far better.
Finally, while the actual plot of discovering a lost temple city is passably entertaining, nothing about it is closely tied to the Pathfinder universe, despite being set there, and nothing about the search itself stands out from other similar adventure stories. Generally I've liked Richard Knaak's works in the past, but this book is a bit of a misstep. I much prefer his original works to this, as well as his older game tie in fiction set in the Dragonlance world.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews