I wasn’t sure on how to approach Death’s Heretic. I had heard nothing but good things about it, but I’ve been burned by gaming fiction before and for ten bucks I wasn’t sure I was going to take the plunge. Well after reading it I’m kicking myself for not picking it up earlier, and if the rest of the Pathfinder books are half as good I might as well have my check direct deposited to Paizo.
Death’s Heretic does as fine a job capturing the spirit of Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler as any noir yarn spun. The language is crisp and the story moves right on along. This isn’t a heavy read by any means, yet it still captures something that many gaming fiction novels miss and that is a deep sense of pathos. Even in the first few pages of the book as the hero encounters ghouls there are moments where the character shows a deep seated sense of conscience without it becoming overblown, slogging angst. I was blown away at times that especially for a first book Mr. Sutter certainly showed an insight into the human condition that should be applauded.
Overall a well written, fast paced book that scratches that lazy afternoon reading itch. The book shows Golarion and the planes beyond it as one worth exploring and that Paizo has a winner in its stable of writers in James Sutter. Here’s to hoping that he’s already at work on the sequel.
