So, this book is 1 page cover, 1 page credits... hell, I'll never be an Endzeitgeist :/
OK so here it is, the campaign setting sourcebook on the "Grimm Fairy Tale Russia with Witches, Dancing Huts and a Truckload of Fey" region of Irrisen. (Incidentally, if you're looking for the less magical analogue of medieval Slavic lands, you should be looking for Brevoy. Now shoo, before the Witch sees you.)
Campaign setting books from Paizo are usually of the stellar writing quality (seriously, I'm hard pressed to find one I didn't enjoy) occasionally marred by some oddities such as cartography or lack of statblocks.
The writer here is Mike Shel who did prove his chops with Isles of the Shackles, which was unlucky enough to suffer a letdown or two in the maps department.
Fortunately, this one doesn't. There's plentiful of excellent cartography, both regional and city level. We also get a complete gazetteer of Irrisien, city statblocks, plot hooks and new monsters. The writing is vivid and captures the Icy Realm of Dark Fey feel perfectly. There are oodles of adventure ideas and intriguing locales which coupled with a solid amount of cold hard maps and statblocks makes this book a joy for any GM. Some of the slavic names can be real tongue twisters for our dear Anglo-Saxon readers but I'm sure they can deal with names such as "Chrzaszcz" (just kidding, this one doesn't turn up. But I wish it would).
The layout is nicely ... blue. I really like the shade. It would perhaps make me feel chilly if it wasn't for -15 Celcius we have over here as I write these words so I think it's time to quit while I'm ahead and my fingers aren't frozen yet. Hey, where' my vodka bottle?
Great book, you won't be disappointed! Five frozen fingers of approval from a Slav here.
This cute lil' book has all the stuff a player actually needs and none of any useless filler.
It has rules for animalcomp/familiar magic item slots, something that's pretty much done for the first time in 3e publication history.
It has the oft-requested "hound master"-like cavalier archetype, among two others.
It has an another no-brainer: new animal tricks. Beware of Bomber Bat Squadrons!
It has a complete list of all familiars printed insofar. (Wish there was an animal companions list too).
It has animal gear and prices of animals. And a picture of Droogami-Battlecat style. Cute!
It has animal feats (we're still in Nobrainerland and happy to see more of natives) and ANIMAL ARCHETYPES now that wasn't obvious but it's turbo cool.
It has the oft-requested 2 pages on awakened animals.
It has spells and magic items, surprise!
It has 4 new animalcomps (llama. panda. walrus. moose. HELLO INTERNET!)
It has 5 new familiars. But seriously, it's all about platypuses.
It has also a neat list of animal associated with major Golarion deities.
While this book is perhaps the least Golarion-sey of Player Companions, this does not alter the fact that it's perhaps the most useful and thoughtful one. 32 pages of pure victory and win. And platypuses. Seriously, can you play a caster and NOT have a platypus familiar?
Aasimars in the setting? Check.
Society, culture? Check.
Class roles? Check.
Heritages? Check.
Variant abilities? Check.
Random Aasimar Appearance Generation Table? Check.
Feats, traits, spells? Check.
An extremely well written companion. It mirrors the Tiefling one, and that's GREAT. Wohoo. Here's to hoping that more "Blood of ..." books use this approach!
So, after some meandering and one missed opportunity (Blood of the Night...) Player Companions are back on track. This book gives you pretty much everything you need to know about PCs that hail from Golarion's far north. Both the major nationalities and minor groups are covered, there are gazetteers on each of the three major northern nations (Irrisen, Linnorm Kings, Mammoth Lords), roles, feats, archetypes and the usual stuff. Plus bons stuff for Reign of Winter AP.
This book is great quality. Both the writing, the art and the layout are top notch. There's certainly a lot of love, talent and skill here. That's what the 3 stars are for.
However, this book is also disjointed and aimless. Much like Orcs of Golarion, it spends pages and pages talking about something that's not really happening at gaming tables: people playing vampires in D&D. It's also talking quite a bit about something that happens, but very rarely: vampire hunters.
Finally, there's something that's happening: people playing Dhampirs. Angsty brooding spawn of undead who try to shake off their dark heritage and pave a way of antiheroes! Hell yeah! Now that's what people wanted, and this book gives them just a few bits of that. Compared to the full-on disclosure in Blood of Fiends/Angels, Dhampir players can and will feel treated short and cold (cheap pun very much intended) here.
Paizo, the format is great. The layout is sexy. But you're selling oranges to lemon fans here.
