In the foreboding north, the demonic hordes of the magic-twisted hellscape known as the Worldwound encroach upon the southern kingdoms of Golarion. Their latest escalation embroils a preternaturally handsome and coolly charismatic swindler named Gad, who decides to assemble a team of thieves, cutthroats, and con-men to take the fight into the demon lands and strike directly at the fiendish leader responsible for the latest raids—the demon Yath, the Shimmering Putrescence. Can Gad hold his team together long enough to pull off the ultimate con, or will trouble from within his own organization lead to an untimely end for them all?
From gaming legend and popular author Robin D. Laws comes a fantastic new adventure of swords and sorcery, set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
415-page mass market paperback
ISBN–13: 978-1-60125-327-9
ePub ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-334-7
The Worldwound Gambit is also available as a digital edition on the following sites:
This is the most mature of the Pathfinder Tales thus far (written December 2011). It has been described as Ocean's Eleven in the Abyss (Hell), and this is an accurate description. I would add that there are distinct moments that are reminiscent of the film “Aliens.” It does have the most sexually explicit scene of the Pathfinder Tales so far, but nothing that you wouldn't see in a PG-13 film (that was trying to skirt just shy of R). The biggest complaint from reviewers on this book is that it is written in the present tense. I felt that this enhanced the story, but some found it distracting. Under the MPAA system, I rate the book a PG-13 almost R.
While I didn't HATE the book, or the use of the present tense, there was little I loved or liked about it. Few of the characters called to me in any way. Gad was okay, the rest were either bland, cliche, or unrealistically extreme. The whole plot was a bit of a reach, too. On the plus side, there were a few scenes that did work for me. I thought the whole first chapter was great. And (I'll try to be spoiler free) the scene late in the book with the halfling and the trap was really interesting. Unfortunately, the few scenes I enjoyed couldn't save the novel as a whole. While I finished the book, I can't say I was very satisfied after doing so.
This is an enjoyable tale that just doesn't deserve the hate it's getting. I frankly am amazed that the non-traditional choice of tense (this is happening in other novels, people. Get out more often.) is alone to blame. To say that the characters are shallow is just misleading. Shallow compared to Henry James, sure, but not shallow for the genre at all. While I'm tempted to give it 5 stars just to undo some of the extreme (and in at least one case, clearly unfair) reviews, I will give it an honest four. Which, I hope I don't need to remind people, is a good rating. Give Laws' Gambit a chance, reader, and set off on a rompy heist that stays abyssal incursion.
The present tense writing style is like reading stage directions. The characters are two dimensional at best, and the overall plot is corney, but it really was the writing style that kept pulling me out of the story. I made it through about half of the book before I finally gave up.
This is my second favourite after the Prince of Wolves. After a rather standard fare of Plague of Shadows and Winter Witch that had their brighter moments and duller ones as well the Worldwound Gambit is a fantasy Great Heist. The characters are rather likeable (Hendregan is after some time a first really fun magician to have around), but the book isn't as much about them as about the action. The book has a more cinematic feeling than the previous ones and makes you want to see the action yourself and the grotesque landscapes of Worldwound and...
"In the foreboding north, the demonic hordes of the magic-twisted hellscape known as the Worldwound encroach upon the southern/northern kingdoms of Golarion." (?)
"In the foreboding north, the demonic hordes of the magic-twisted hellscape known as the Worldwound encroach upon the southern/northern kingdoms of Golarion." (?)
Southern as in the nations south of it... from the Worldwound, most of Avistan is to the south.
"In the foreboding north, the demonic hordes of the magic-twisted hellscape known as the Worldwound encroach upon the southern/northern kingdoms of Golarion." (?)
Southern as in the nations south of it... from the Worldwound, most of Avistan is to the south.
I am not very keen on the book series, but this sounds really interesting. Could also be a nice hollywood movie. :)
Especially because the book is from RD Laws, a great writer and rpg designer. ("Feng Shui" and the bible for the serious roleplayer "Robins Laws of Good Gamemastering")
We've already had Varian Jeggare and Radovan's first story set in Cheliax, plus an entire AP there, plus support articles, plus a companion, plus connections to it in other APs and stories, plus it's impact upon Varian and Radovan in the first Pathfinder Tales novel...
I'm a little worn out with Cheliax stuff by now, I feel that I know more about Cheliax than I do about any other part of Golarion except Varisia.
I would rather hear about somewhere that gets less coverage. Absalom, Galt, Geb, Brevoy, Numeria, Osirion, Molthune, Isger...
What I'd really like to see is a book set in Taldor.
Pathfinder Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber
GeraintElberion wrote:
Chris Ballard wrote:
When will we get a book set in Cheliax?
We've already had Varian Jeggare and Radovan's first story set in Cheliax, plus an entire AP there, plus support articles, plus a companion, plus connections to it in other APs and stories, plus it's impact upon Varian and Radovan in the first Pathfinder Tales novel...
I'm a little worn out with Cheliax stuff by now, I feel that I know more about Cheliax than I do about any other part of Golarion except Varisia.
I would rather hear about somewhere that gets less coverage. Absalom, Galt, Geb, Brevoy, Numeria, Osirion, Molthune, Isger...
What I'd really like to see is a book set in Taldor.
You might want to look at the product description for the previous book...
I've updated the cover image, which now uses the finished artwork. (There might be some additional tweaking of the layout before it goes to press, so while it uses the final *artwork*, it may or may not be the actual final cover.)
I've got a quick question for the guys in charge: have you already sold the translation rights for the Tales line, somewhere in the world? What about Italy?
thanks,
S
PS OK I'll admit it... I'm a (micro) publisher and I'm thinking about it
We are working on the framework of licensing translated versions of the Pathfinder Tales novels presently. Serious parties should inquire with Jeff Alvarez, who coordinates our foreign language licenses. You can email him at jeff.alvarez@paizo.com.
Well I am about half way through the book so far. I like it all and all, but something about it just seemed... different. It took me awhile to realize what that is. Now I think I know. It reads a lot like a campaign, on how they are played out. The pacing changes speed from time to time and different things fade to black and jump forward. Not a bad style just different is all.
I do really like that it is a party aspect though. I do hope we see more such books from paizo in the future.
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Dark_Mistress wrote:
Well I am about half way through the book so far. I like it all and all, but something about it just seemed... different. It took me awhile to realize what that is. Now I think I know. It reads a lot like a campaign, on how they are played out. The pacing changes speed from time to time and different things fade to black and jump forward. Not a bad style just different is all.
I do really like that it is a party aspect though. I do hope we see more such books from paizo in the future.
I had the same issue with the previous book. Like Dark Mistress said, not a bad style, but different. I'm working through the current Silverburg Planet Stories book (as if my real work was that easy) and looking forward to reading this new offering.
Well I am about half way through the book so far. I like it all and all, but something about it just seemed... different. It took me awhile to realize what that is. Now I think I know. It reads a lot like a campaign, on how they are played out. The pacing changes speed from time to time and different things fade to black and jump forward. Not a bad style just different is all.
I do really like that it is a party aspect though. I do hope we see more such books from paizo in the future.
I'll definitely be giving this one a look, though I'll admit to being somewhat put off by what I've been hearing about it being written in present tense. I'm sure the story is great, but that particular style (if the current web fiction by the same author is any indication) is rather jarring to me.
I have started reading this book and I have to say that I don't know how it got past an editors desk. It reads like it was written by a junior high student.
I have started reading this book and I have to say that I don't know how it got past an editors desk. It reads like it was written by a junior high student.
When I saw that James Sutter had allowed Robin D. Laws to write The Worldwound Gambit in present tense, I did a dance of joy.
Robin expresses why freedom of style makes a difference in an excellent guest post at my blog. Please take a look post your thoughts there, here, or anywhere.
Don't forget to check out the links to Robin's various upcoming projects and his regular blog. A more erudite and useful site on gaming and narrative you will rarely find.
When I saw that James Sutter had allowed Robin D. Laws to write The Worldwound Gambit in present tense, I did a dance of joy.
I should have written, "When I saw Robin had written the book in present tense." I knew James was open to all kinds of stylistic choices from the very start. "Hell's Pawns" is in present tense, and I briefly considered that for Prince of Wolves but soon realized what worked for Radovan's voice wasn't so good for Varian's.
What's important is that you choose the style for the story and the characters.
When I saw that James Sutter had allowed Robin D. Laws to write The Worldwound Gambit in present tense, I did a dance of joy.
I should have written, "When I saw Robin had written the book in present tense." I knew James was open to all kinds of stylistic choices from the very start. "Hell's Pawns" is in present tense, and I briefly considered that for Prince of Wolves but soon realized what worked for Radovan's voice wasn't so good for Varian's.
What's important is that you choose the style for the story and the characters.
Huh...I strangely don't remember noticing that Hell's Pawns was written in present tense when I read it, so I guess the style isn't as jarring as I thought it would be. Especially since Hells Pawns is my favorite Pathfinder AP serial to date :)
I have finished the book!! Okay, I finished it a couple weeks ago. Once I got into the flow of it I really enjoyed it! Now I need to get my butt in gear and write a review for it...
I concur with Dave. I appreciate the time and talent Paris put into that review.
Wow. Thanks, guys!
Dave, I'm sorry I haven't gotten around to reviewing Prince of Wolves. At this point, my intention is to review both it and Master of Devils in sequential posts. Thanks to your readings at PaizoCon, I've already got a head start on the first 5 chapters, so I'll probably make quick work of Master of Devils once it hits my subscription downloads. ;-)