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Thorn of Breland #2
Son of Khyber
While on another perilous mission, agent Thorn uncovers valuable information about the leader of a criminal organization—and herself.
Nyrielle “Thorn” Tam is sent to investigate a criminal organization and assassin’s guild—the House of Tarkanan—from which she must gather information on their leader. The mysterious Son of Khyber may be hard to track down, but as Thorn infiltrates this gang of criminals with special powers, she finds that she may have more in common with them than she thought.
When her orders and experience contradict each other, Thorn turns to the Son of Kyber for guidance—and discovers that she is uncertain about where her own loyalties lie. As she questions her past and her own training, Thorn may uncover more about herself than she ever thought possible.
Nyrielle “Thorn” Tam is sent to investigate a criminal organization and assassin’s guild—the House of Tarkanan—from which she must gather information on their leader. The mysterious Son of Khyber may be hard to track down, but as Thorn infiltrates this gang of criminals with special powers, she finds that she may have more in common with them than she thought.
When her orders and experience contradict each other, Thorn turns to the Son of Kyber for guidance—and discovers that she is uncertain about where her own loyalties lie. As she questions her past and her own training, Thorn may uncover more about herself than she ever thought possible.
274 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2009
18 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
Keith Baker
73 books190 followersI've been interested in games since I first fell under the sinister influence of the Dungeons & Dragons boxed set, back in sixth grade. Over the last few decades I have managed to turn gaming from a hobby into a career. Here is a list of the highlights of my life as a game designer. If you have any questions, let me know!
From 1994-2002, I fell into the computer games industry. My first job was with Magnet Interactive Studios, in Washington DC. Sadly, Magnet never managed to hit the big time as a game developer. I worked on a number of projects during my stay at Magnet; for a time I was lead designer on a game called BLUESTAR, a position that was held at other times by such roleplaying luminaries as Ken Rolston and Zeb Cook. However, the only work that ever saw the light of day was some level design on the abstract arcade game Icebreaker.
Magnet began a slow implosion in 1996, and along with a number of other people I went to work for a Colorado company called VR1. I started as lead designer on VR-1 Crossroads, a text-based MUD centered on warring conspiracies – The X-Files meets Illuminati, with a world of dreams thrown in for good measure. When VR1 decided to move away from text games, I started work on a graphical MMORPG based on the pulp serials. After a few twists and turns, the project ended up being known as Lost Continents. But early in 2002 I decided that I'd had enough of the computer games industry and left VR1 to focus on writing. Then in June of 2002, Wizards of the Coast announced their Fantasy Setting Search, and I thought: What about pulp fantasy? And the rest is history. . .
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
From 1994-2002, I fell into the computer games industry. My first job was with Magnet Interactive Studios, in Washington DC. Sadly, Magnet never managed to hit the big time as a game developer. I worked on a number of projects during my stay at Magnet; for a time I was lead designer on a game called BLUESTAR, a position that was held at other times by such roleplaying luminaries as Ken Rolston and Zeb Cook. However, the only work that ever saw the light of day was some level design on the abstract arcade game Icebreaker.
Magnet began a slow implosion in 1996, and along with a number of other people I went to work for a Colorado company called VR1. I started as lead designer on VR-1 Crossroads, a text-based MUD centered on warring conspiracies – The X-Files meets Illuminati, with a world of dreams thrown in for good measure. When VR1 decided to move away from text games, I started work on a graphical MMORPG based on the pulp serials. After a few twists and turns, the project ended up being known as Lost Continents. But early in 2002 I decided that I'd had enough of the computer games industry and left VR1 to focus on writing. Then in June of 2002, Wizards of the Coast announced their Fantasy Setting Search, and I thought: What about pulp fantasy? And the rest is history. . .
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 2, 2017
I generally enjoy D&D novels. They may not be the apex of literature, but they are fun adventures that (usually) do not pretend to be something else. On the other hand, they are forced to walk a thin line, since they become pretty lame (and lazy) when they directly reference game mechanics (such as the Drizz't books beyond Sea of Swords). I believe that so far, the "Thorn of Breland" series and Eberron creator Keith Baker have achieved this particular act of balance.
The Thorn books read like spy novels, albeit in a fantasy world. There are layers of intrigue, both political and cosmic, while even the main character remains unsure of her own nature. I love the fact that as a rule, spells are described when being cast and not quoted from the PHB, as well as the method for disarming magical wards.
This trilogy also connects with characters from the Dreaming Dark series, but it's been so long that I did not notice right up until the end.
All in all, a fun read.
The Thorn books read like spy novels, albeit in a fantasy world. There are layers of intrigue, both political and cosmic, while even the main character remains unsure of her own nature. I love the fact that as a rule, spells are described when being cast and not quoted from the PHB, as well as the method for disarming magical wards.
This trilogy also connects with characters from the Dreaming Dark series, but it's been so long that I did not notice right up until the end.
All in all, a fun read.
December 6, 2022
Fun story.
January 12, 2025
I am glad that this is my first book finished of the year, as it is definitely off to a great start. I have minor gripes with it - a relatively cool twist that I honestly didn't foresee, but I enjoyed as I made sense of it, barely had more than a paragraph dedicated to it. It could have been a lot more gratifying if the ending just had a few more pages going on and that was one of the plot elements that got expanded a little there. Realizing how my one gripe really boils down to "wish it was longer" I can't really take off a star, can I?
Aside from that, this book basically boils down to "X-men in Eberron" and oh my god, that is cool as hell. As someone who has also been read their share of X comic runs, I can also say that it actually does a fair bit better in realizing the best about that premise and frankly does better than some of them. It also gives me more of the "wish it was longer" mood because of how unique it was and how I would have indeed loved to see it expanded, but I can't deny how giddy I am to see what is going to be the new unusual lorebuilding that I will get to see in the third book. So far it has been S tier worldbuilding in the first two books in plot themes that really you don't see that often, so all this book has left me with is dire hope of him sticking the landing with the third.
Aside from that, this book basically boils down to "X-men in Eberron" and oh my god, that is cool as hell. As someone who has also been read their share of X comic runs, I can also say that it actually does a fair bit better in realizing the best about that premise and frankly does better than some of them. It also gives me more of the "wish it was longer" mood because of how unique it was and how I would have indeed loved to see it expanded, but I can't deny how giddy I am to see what is going to be the new unusual lorebuilding that I will get to see in the third book. So far it has been S tier worldbuilding in the first two books in plot themes that really you don't see that often, so all this book has left me with is dire hope of him sticking the landing with the third.
June 7, 2018
Another fun read. Mysteries hinted at in the first book come to head leading Thorn into the third and final book.
I still wish these books were more fleshed out as there's been some great ideas presented. In this one the dark cult turns out to have some good reasons or motivations for their actions, even if they ultimately prove evil in deed. I love the nuanced look at what other books or stories would just paint as evil.
I still wish these books were more fleshed out as there's been some great ideas presented. In this one the dark cult turns out to have some good reasons or motivations for their actions, even if they ultimately prove evil in deed. I love the nuanced look at what other books or stories would just paint as evil.
January 20, 2021
Still the best series in the Eberron setting. A female, fantasy-world James Bond is perfect for the post-war tensions of Eberron. Having Thorn infiltrate a dragonmarked house/terrorist cell was a classic spy trope that made for a fun plot.
Bringing in characters from another Keith Baker series was interesting but I'm not sure it really paid off or added much to the story. The plot with Thorns dragonshards developed in a very cool way and I'm looking forward to seeing how it finishes.
Bringing in characters from another Keith Baker series was interesting but I'm not sure it really paid off or added much to the story. The plot with Thorns dragonshards developed in a very cool way and I'm looking forward to seeing how it finishes.
January 4, 2020
Why the hell did WotC allowed someone to use their IP to write a book that's actually good? Isn't that illegal or something?
May 11, 2023
Exactly what I signed up for. This book is written for the Eberron setting fandom, and has all the trappings of a good D&D adventure. The plot draws heavily upon the established details of the setting, which is great for nerds like me who are already familiar with those details, though probably not ideal for someone who, understandably, has never heard of this niche fantasy world. The book was full of game inspiration, and I often highlighted sections that I could imagine as part of a D&D game with my friends. While the previous book escalated too quickly and unexpectedly toward the end, this second installment was nicely paced with fun intrigue. Looking forward to checking out the third!
December 7, 2023
I love the story and Thorn is a great protagonist, but I think this was an antoclimactic Way to end Daine's story (thr one from thr previous trilogy, not thr one introduced in this one).
January 11, 2015
The second book in the Thorn of Breland series picks up the next adventure of secret agent Thorn, one of the Dark Lanterns of Breland. Set in Eberron, and written by the setting's creator, Keith Baker, it once again delves into one of the adventure seeds from the setting which had not been largely addressed beyond the basic references in the setting books for the game. This time, Thorn is sent to investigate the thief/assassin's guild known as House Tarkanan. Unlike a typical guild, this group has a core political agenda of rights for those who develop aberrant dragonmarks, and are persecuted by the twelve great dragonmarked houses (like a fantasy version of a global megacorporation) for being dangerous to the established order, as their magical marks don't fit the patterns the houses have established, and "cause those with them to go mad".
Thorn is sent to investigate a new leader of the Tarkanans, the titular Son of Khyber, who seems to be moving the group towards more dangerous acts that could destabilize the kingdom, rather than as just another petty crime group. As she infiltrates the group and gains access to it's inner circle, her loyalties are put to the test, as her own nature is questioned - is she like the Tarkanans and some sort of magical outcast? Is she really doing the work of the kingdom of Breland, or has her agency, the Dark Lanterns succumbed to influence of the Twelve Houses to do their dirty work for them. The seeds from the first book about whatever strangeness is going on in her psyche is a far more prevalent plot point in this book, and seems to be set up as the meta-plot that binds each of the books in the trilogy together.
Overall, the book was enjoyable, but seemed a bit forced - it becomes more and more clear that her handlers in the Dark Lanterns know far more about what's going on with Thorn than they've told her, and things are set up where she simply can't address them, which seems contrived. Once assigned her mission, despite her doubts about it on several fronts, she seems to have no way to find out information, except what she's told by the target of her mission, and the cryptic dreams she has. I'd expect a skilled agent to have contacts in a major city, or be able to track down wizards, psions, sages, or others to independently figure out what's going on.
Also, while the book does illuminate the House Tarkanan and how it fits into the overall Eberron setting far better than any other Eberron game product or book to date, it's ended without really advancing their plotline, and feels like more should happen with them.....but the final book of the series doesn't seem to be about them at all, so this plot ends on a somewhat unsatisfactory note.
Thorn is sent to investigate a new leader of the Tarkanans, the titular Son of Khyber, who seems to be moving the group towards more dangerous acts that could destabilize the kingdom, rather than as just another petty crime group. As she infiltrates the group and gains access to it's inner circle, her loyalties are put to the test, as her own nature is questioned - is she like the Tarkanans and some sort of magical outcast? Is she really doing the work of the kingdom of Breland, or has her agency, the Dark Lanterns succumbed to influence of the Twelve Houses to do their dirty work for them. The seeds from the first book about whatever strangeness is going on in her psyche is a far more prevalent plot point in this book, and seems to be set up as the meta-plot that binds each of the books in the trilogy together.
Overall, the book was enjoyable, but seemed a bit forced - it becomes more and more clear that her handlers in the Dark Lanterns know far more about what's going on with Thorn than they've told her, and things are set up where she simply can't address them, which seems contrived. Once assigned her mission, despite her doubts about it on several fronts, she seems to have no way to find out information, except what she's told by the target of her mission, and the cryptic dreams she has. I'd expect a skilled agent to have contacts in a major city, or be able to track down wizards, psions, sages, or others to independently figure out what's going on.
Also, while the book does illuminate the House Tarkanan and how it fits into the overall Eberron setting far better than any other Eberron game product or book to date, it's ended without really advancing their plotline, and feels like more should happen with them.....but the final book of the series doesn't seem to be about them at all, so this plot ends on a somewhat unsatisfactory note.
March 27, 2013
Supingo que todo freekie de D&D tiene su ambientación favorita y aunque he jugado en varias de ellas, la mia es sin duda Eberron. En parte porque la he visto nacer y evolucionar, sin tener que preocuparme por mil suplementos y novelas que hubieran sido publicadas durante decadas, pero sobretodo tambien por el tono y los temas que se desarrollan en la ambientacion.
He ido leyendo novelas de Eberron de manera eventual y por lo general me suelen dejar con un buen sabor de boca. Pero aparte de alguno de los suplementoa originales, no habia leido nada de Keith Baker hasta que lei Queen of Stone. Y me gusto mucho. Un personaje muy interesante y un planteamiento muy original, ambientandolo en una de las regiones mas curiosas de la ambientación.
En esta ocasion volvemos a retomar a la protagonista,Thorn, y vamos aprendiendo mas del misterio que la rodea. Pero la trama no acompaña igual. La historia es más sencilla y directa, y Sharn, una ciudad tambien muy interesante, apenas es mostrada. Se descubren elementos interesantes, si, pero no cobra la misma vida que cobro Doraam en la primera novela.
En definitiva estas novelas tienen tres elementos que las hacen interesantes. Trama, personaje y ambientación.... y en este caso solo uno de ellos destaca lo bastante como para tenerlo en cuenta...
Es entretenida, pero no me ha gustado tanto como la primera.
Veremos que tal concluye con el siguiente libro...
He ido leyendo novelas de Eberron de manera eventual y por lo general me suelen dejar con un buen sabor de boca. Pero aparte de alguno de los suplementoa originales, no habia leido nada de Keith Baker hasta que lei Queen of Stone. Y me gusto mucho. Un personaje muy interesante y un planteamiento muy original, ambientandolo en una de las regiones mas curiosas de la ambientación.
En esta ocasion volvemos a retomar a la protagonista,Thorn, y vamos aprendiendo mas del misterio que la rodea. Pero la trama no acompaña igual. La historia es más sencilla y directa, y Sharn, una ciudad tambien muy interesante, apenas es mostrada. Se descubren elementos interesantes, si, pero no cobra la misma vida que cobro Doraam en la primera novela.
En definitiva estas novelas tienen tres elementos que las hacen interesantes. Trama, personaje y ambientación.... y en este caso solo uno de ellos destaca lo bastante como para tenerlo en cuenta...
Es entretenida, pero no me ha gustado tanto como la primera.
Veremos que tal concluye con el siguiente libro...
May 5, 2010
This was not good.
I bought it because I wanted a standalone example of Keith Baker's fiction since he created the Eberron franchise for D&D but the other books were trilogies or done by different authors. This reads like a direct adaptation of a D&D adventure, complete with cheesy genre tropes, subpar characterization, hamfisted style, and twists that make no sense unless you're intimately familiar with the world and the characters there.
I'm glad I read it though, because now I know that Keith Baker, like me, is a worldbuilder more than a storyteller. I, too, have a hard time with good intrigue but love seeing it done and trying to replicate it.
I bought it because I wanted a standalone example of Keith Baker's fiction since he created the Eberron franchise for D&D but the other books were trilogies or done by different authors. This reads like a direct adaptation of a D&D adventure, complete with cheesy genre tropes, subpar characterization, hamfisted style, and twists that make no sense unless you're intimately familiar with the world and the characters there.
I'm glad I read it though, because now I know that Keith Baker, like me, is a worldbuilder more than a storyteller. I, too, have a hard time with good intrigue but love seeing it done and trying to replicate it.
December 31, 2013
Another great book for the trilogy. Thorn really is an interesting character. Finding out more about Drego when he shows up as well closes a bit more of the first book. Now I just have to find the third one. Wish I had been hooked on Eberron books when they first appeared. The world seems to be fresh and well thought out. There is nothing wrong with the other DnD worlds, but it is nice to read about something else that actually holds secrets. I think this is what a lot of the DnD books actually need. Maybe a shot in the arm by different authors, and take a chance with things.
February 16, 2013
Editing would have made this sequel more enjoyable!
April 9, 2013
Not bad. Predictable and not deep, but a light, fun read.
August 18, 2018
[REVIEW TO COME LATER UPON RE-READING.]
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews