Stolen Lands takes the Sandbox type of game, and it's very essence seeps into the book itself.

Which is a mixed blessing. The adventure itself doesn't have a great story per se, but the various encounters can end up being far more entertaining than what a tight story might have been. The Brevoy article is superb, the short story is funny in a Monty Python kind of way and the monsters are somewhat interesting. And the hexploration article works.

However, the layout is very annoying. XP/rewards are all over the place, and often hidden in big block of text in another place. The hexploration article only have "sortof" rules that feels lacking (perhaps it was cut a bit?) for being useful outside the module except for travel times. In other words, be awake when reading and keep post it notes on hand. Which feels a bit weird, since layout in these books tends to be good.

Great AP for a team who need freedom : many things to do, very nice plots, interesting NPC, many opportunities for roleplay and a perfect start to take the mood of a future realm.
The last area is a true pool of possibilities. A must have, one of the best AP ever !

Like I said, a great start to a seemingly epic campaign. However, the nature of any sand box game requires the GM to put a bit more work into running it than a typical AP. That being said, if you are willing to put in that extra effort into your prep, then this could be an amazing and memorable AP to run.

I do wish there was a bit more detail on weather unique to Brevoy and the Stolen Lands. Nonetheless... a great start.

A fun, but not perfect story of exploring the wild edges of the map. The narrative suffers a bit due to the sandbox nature but the challenges are spot on and the goals clear. Its easily adapted to any region where bandits lurk on the fringes of civilization, and I recommend it for most playgroups.

I really struggled to get into this one. I have picked up every issue since number one and for the most part they have all been spot on. This whole series has just not quite done it.( I did my review after all 6 parts were released for fairness sake.) the writing is good the maps and illustrations top notch but the story didn't grab me and my players. The whole sandbox thing seemed cool and I would like to see it done again. Like I said I wanted to like this more.

You can read the full review on my blog here.

For those players who have never had the chance to play in a sandbox campaign this is a great example. A wide open map and adventure that has a beginning and end but allows the DM great latitude in bringing things together at his own pace.

The sense of wonder that this AP has instilled in my older players reminds me why it's still fun to play this great game!

While the sandbox idea is great too much seems to be coming in future ishs and is frustrating to try to allow for while running this. IMHO

I have had my PDF & now my hard copy for over a week now. So far, everything I have read for this AP is just awesome. The story line, as well as the setting, are some of the best I have seen from Paizo. This AP is also one that I feel that could be ported to another campaign world a lot easier than any of the previous ones, if one was so inclined to do.

The only reason this is a 4 star rating is due to the PDF. The PDF does not have bookmarks. Bookmarked PDFs are the main reason to want the PDF. Makes it easier as a GM to run an adventure with bookmarks. That is especially with the sandbox nature of this AP. The PCs will be all over the place in the story, so I feel that Paizo really needs to update the PDF with some bookmarks.

[Paizo notes: Both the single-file and one-file-per-chapter versions of the PDF do contain bookmarks, and lots of 'em. I've contacted the reviewer.]

The problem was with my Adobe Reader. After reinstalling it now shows the bookmarks. Adjusting this to 5 stars.

BTW, great customer service, too.