For half-elven Pathfinder Varian Jeggare and his devil-blooded bodyguard Radovan, things are rarely as they seem. Yet not even the notorious crime-solving duo is prepared for what they find when a search for a missing Pathfinder takes them into the gothic and mist-shrouded mountains of Ustalav. Beset on all sides by noble intrigue, mysterious locals, and the deadly creatures of the night, Varian and Radovan must use both sword and spell to track the strange rumors to their source and uncover a secret of unimaginable proportions, aided in their quest by a pack of sinister werewolves and a mysterious mute priestess. But it'll take more than merely solving the mystery to finish this job. For shadowy figures have taken note of the pair's investigations, and the forces of darkness are set on making sure neither man gets out of Ustalav alive...
From fan-favorite author Dave Gross comes a new fantastical mystery set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
300-page mass market paperback
ISBN–13: 978-1-60125-287-6
ePub ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-331-6
Prince of Wolves is also available as a digital edition on the following sites:
Well-crafted prose supporting a solid story. Would recommend to a friend looking for a fun diversion. Picked up the third book in the series at the FLGS based on the strength of this (I was not really a fan of Winter Witch).
Spoiler:
The "Prince of Wolves" bit seems a bit forced, as does the novel's alternating POV structure.
This book was a great read, and has pushed me further into the realm of Golarion! I had little knowledge of the setting, but after reading this I can't wait to dive deeper in.
The two main characters are pretty interesting and provide interesting interactions with one another. I can't wait to read more from Dave Gross!
A good solid read for fantasy fans. The author's choice of alternating first-person narrative, while initially distracting, proves to add a great element to the overall tale. At times the text strayed read more like a history lesson or needless exposition; these instances were brief, and later proved more essential to the overall plot.
Wonderfully avoiding so many of modern fantasy cliches I found the primary themes of the story fresh and inviting. Oddly enough, the main characters are the least original in a purely archetypal sense, but nonetheless they are entertaining and left me yearning for more.
I look forward to more, hopefully MANY more, stories featuring these characters. I can easily see myself enjoying the tales of their exploits for years to come.
This book was actually gifted to me by a dear friend of mine who knows of my love affair with reading. I had never read Pathfinder Tales before as I had been busy with every Forgotten Realms book ever written by R.A. Salvatore. So, I decided that my relationship with Drizzt would be put on a hiatus while I explored the possibilities with other characters. I must say I have grown as a person and nothing is more valuable than experiencing other people, which, in turn, will only strengthen my relationship with Drizzt, right?
The crucial factor in writing a great fantasy novel is having absolutely lovable characters. I always gauge this by whether or not I would want to play a character like that in a game. Mr. Gross knows this. The juxtaposition between Varian and Radovan is wonderful. Mr. Gross created a very dynamic duo of two contradicting personalities that just really jumped off the page for me. The clear switch of voice and tone from one character to another is just the mark of a great fantasy writer who knows the importance of not staying static. There was an evolution there that just kept the story feeling organic and alive with a sense of realism.
The book is just very well written and very entertaining. I am excited to read more from Mr. Gross because he has talent as a writer.
I enjoyed the book as it expands my knowledge of the Golarion. Both main characters were fleshed out although the jumping back and forth between them took some getting used to but the author did a great job of distinguishing between the too with their style of speech that it ran together well.
I want more from Arnisant! I loved the attention and character development he got in Master of Devils and was sad to see him back in an ancillary role during Queen of Thorns.
BTW, have you seen this contest? An Arnisant entry would be very interesting.
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Deidre Tiriel wrote:
Is there ever going to be a PFS chronicle for Prince of Wolves? It's the only Pathfinder Tales without one, as far as I can tell.
I am rereading Prince of Wolves. Well, I'm rereading the entire Varian Jeggare/ Radovan series, and I'm currently in Prince of Wolves.
I really enjoy the way that Dave Gross writes Radovan. Some of what I like is embodied in this line that I just encountered:
"Despite their frightening appearances, not a one of [the villagers] tried to bury me alive or set me on fire. That made them my favorite villagers in all of Ustalav, so far."
I am re-listening to this on Audible. Superb book with my only complaint, that the future books fixes, is that each chapter don't start with the PoV of the moment and you have to sus it out in the text itself.
9.5/10
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