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Pathfinder Tales: Queen of Thorns

4.30/5 (based on 26 ratings)
Pathfinder Tales: Queen of Thorns
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Secrets of the Elves

In the deep forests of Kyonin, elves live among their own kind, far from the prying eyes of other races. Few of impure blood are allowed beyond the nation’s borders, and thus it’s a great honor for the half-elven Count Varian Jeggare and his hellspawn bodyguard Radovan to be allowed inside. Yet all is not well in the elven kingdom: demons stir in its depths, and an intricate web of politics seems destined to catch the two travelers in its snares. In the course of tracking down a missing druid, Varian and a team of eccentric elven adventurers will be forced to delve into dark secrets lost for generations—including the mystery of Varian’s own past.

From fan favorite Dave Gross, author of Prince of Wolves and Master of Devils, comes a fantastical new adventure set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

400-page mass market paperback
ISBN–13: 978-1-60125-463-4
ePub ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-464-1

Queen of Thorns is also available as a digital edition on the following sites:

Queen of Thorns is sanctioned for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Its Chronicle Sheet and additional are a free download (193 KB zip/PDF).

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How I learned to love elves

4/5 —

Queen of Thorns is the third book featuring the adventures of Count Jegarre and his partner and bodyguard the hell-spawned Radovan. The first (Prince of Wolves) and second (Master of Devils) each could be considered quasi-parallel stories to help flesh-out the setting of a corresponding adventure path – Prince of Wolves takes place in Ustalav alongside Carrion Crown; while Master of Devils is loosely paired up with the Jade Regent campaign. Queen of Thorns, on the other hand, could be considered a stand-alone piece of fiction in the sense that author Dave Gross is not obviously tied to an ulterior motive, but gets to enjoy telling a story for the sake of the story.

In a way there is a parallel to his other books: not only do the titles form the same Title-of-Noun structure, but again Jegarre and Radovan explore a land alien to them. And, it must be said, alien to the reader: the story takes place in the homeland of the elves, Kyonin. Elves in the Pathfinder setting are quite different to the way they have become mainstream in popular culture (thanks to the Lord of the Rings movies) – where the Tolkienesque elf is akin to Nietsche’s Übermensch, the Pathfinder elves are a lot less human and a lot more fey. Unlike gnomes they do not share an actual fey lineage, but they do have a natural propensity to capricious chaotic-neutralness, much like humans naturally lean toward lawful-neutralness.

Dave Gross is, to me, a master at crafting foreign lands in a way that is both believable and understandable. In the same way that Ustalav and Quain in the previous books come to life with a wealth of cultural and historical details, so too does the land of the elves become a colourful and richly detailed setting as the words tumble through the novel. What makes this outstanding is the subtlety that Dave Gross employs in his work – at no point is the cultural dissemination obvious or like a lecture. But after a while, the reader naturally begins to think and see along the lines of the natives.

This is particularly true when it comes to understanding and appreciating the ways that are natural for the “true” elves: that is to say, ones that are born and raised in Kyonin. Elves from the outside, and particularly half-breed elves like Count Jegarre, are generally treated with considerable disdain – the best a non-Kyonin purebred elf can hope for is to be permitted to stay in an isolated town within Kyonin. On the one hand it can seem cruel and arbitrary, but there are many reasons that become evident – other than just raw discrimination: as a rule, foreign elves are entirely differently acclimatized and even to them the culture and ways of Kyonin elves can be daunting and strange. For example, whereas the nobility in Ustalav is marked by protocol and intrigue, the opening act of Queen of Thorns depicts a frolicking and playful mass orgy that even the queen partakes in disguised as a servant girl.

The story and particularly the people in it are strongly characterized, with opportunity for everybody to shine in their own way. The intensity and difference of Kyonin elves when compared to foreigners (including foreign elves) stands-out in the interaction of characters. The story starts with Jegarre’s desire to have his only parental keepsake, a stately red carriage, repaired. The original fate of the vehicle was told in the first book, Prince of Wolves, where the carriage suffered an unfortunate destruction. The nature of the vehicle is such that only its creator would be capable of restoring it – hence Jegarre’s efforts to track down this man in Kyonin. The difficulty in locating the creator is the impetus in the story for visiting many locations; which allows the story to make the nation of elves come to life in all its wild, untamed splendor and strangeness.

Pathfinder fiction has, by and large, been purposefully limited in terms of the scope – meaning that the caretakers of the setting do not want it to get too out-of-hand with events that require the world itself to change and adapt. The first customer for the setting is the Player, and he should be able to be the change in the world, rather than the Reader, who can read about the changes in the world. That said, Dave Gross uses various tricks to stretch the limits of what can and cannot be done – and in doing so expands the depth of the world in ways that aren’t necessarily obvious. But, in Queen of Thorns, I think he created the most obvious and the most prominent and meaningful impact to the Pathfinder setting, Golarion. I can only assume that Dave Gross beat and James Jacobs in a no-holds-barred game of knivesies and earned the right to stretch the setting a bit.

In closing, Queen of Thorns is the triumphant return of Jegarre and Radovan. The reader is in the fortunate position to enjoy remarkable revelations on both characters – and I suspect that the next book (that Dave Gross hinted will take place in the demon-infested Worldwound) will shed even more light on Radovan’s mysterious existence. Queen of Thorns is thoroughly enjoyable, consistent in style and narration to its predecessors and equally engrossing. I encourage prospective readers to start sooner, rather than later!

Great fiction born of a fantasy role-playing game

5/5 —

Dave Gross has proven more than apt in balancing good storytelling with recognizable game mechanics. Even better is his grasp of (Pathfinder game world) Golarion as a sort of character in itself, rather than just a place in which some adventures happen to occur. And I love that he plays the long game, allowing mysteries to unravel episodically, over the course of multiple titles. I recommend his work as most excellent.

Loved it

5/5 —

Really enjoyed it. I have loved all the Varian/Radovan books so far and this was no exception. I can't wait for the next one.

One of the best stories written.

5/5 —

Queen of Thorns is absolutely fantastic. I loved Prince of Wolves-it was a great tale in a land that I adored. In PoW and Master of Devils, Radvoan And Varian got splitted up, and thay had to deal alone in times of crisis. Queen of Thorns puts them together, and throws in more classical characters, like Oparal and Fimbulthicket. It describes the elven forest-nation of Kyonin better than any sourcebook. It references to the complex politics of the elves in a fashion of Second Darkness (especialy Memory of Darkness) AND with all that going on, manages to tell something new about the pasts of the main couple, fulfilling the information the reader has received before.

Spoiler:
Radovan in hell-part was my favourite. Radovan is very cool and complex character, and after the way he's been mourning for his actions in MoD, it was cruel thing to trhow him in hell. But when the story unfolded, I undesrstanded the "plot" behind Radovan's heritage-and I was in awe. After two books, Dave Gross managed to make Radovan one of the most memorable character ever. And the way the devils acted gives me lots of inspiration as a GM how to play this word-twisting fiends. For this, I thank you.
I Deeply recommend reading this book, but only after reading the first two in order. When you see the unveiling plot, and you can call back to the events in former books-the joy is overwhelming. That, if anything, is a mark of a great writer.

I thank you, Dave Gross!

Another excellent installment!

5/5 —

The Varian and Radovan books just keep getting better and better! Add in the wonderful Golarion lore and once again Dave Gross has another win with Queen of Thorns. I look anxiously look forward to the next novel with this pair!

My full review is available at The Iron Tavern:

Queen of Thorns Review

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Dark Archive Contributor
Kajehase wrote:
Fimbulthicket... Long-winded with a hard to get through personality?

A valiant guess, but no, not quite what I was going for. It'll make sense after you've read a few chapters.

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8

I hope there's at least one gnome/Arnisant conversation.

Preferably with "Hi there!"

As long as it don't end with Arnisant going om-nom-nom!
Dark Archive

Would love to see this dragon as a reaper mini
Dark Archive Contributor
Mazlith wrote:
Would love to see this dragon as a reaper mini

That is an outstanding dragon image.

Curious will this one be set before or after the events with the prince of wolves? If after I wonder the following. I.e will Varian have developed his scroll magic further? What will Radovan's relationship be like with Varian since Varian has come to see him more as his friend than his bodyguard? Will any of the characters beside the main two from POW make an appearance? Like Azra?
Sovereign Court
Pharier wrote:
Curious will this one be set before or after the events with the prince of wolves? If after I wonder the following. I.e will Varian have developed his scroll magic further? What will Radovan's relationship be like with Varian since Varian has come to see him more as his friend than his bodyguard? Will any of the characters beside the main two from POW make an appearance? Like Azra?

Have you read Master of Devils?

Varian and Radovan are the most storied characters on Golarion, so far I think the list below is everything. It is also in my best guess at chronological order.

Hell's Pawns
The Lost Pathfinder
Prince of Wolves
A Lesson in Taxonomy
A Passage to Absalom
Husks
Master of Devils
Dark Archive Contributor
Pharier wrote:
Curious will this one be set before or after the events with the prince of wolves? If after I wonder the following. I.e will Varian have developed his scroll magic further? What will Radovan's relationship be like with Varian since Varian has come to see him more as his friend than his bodyguard? Will any of the characters beside the main two from POW make an appearance? Like Azra?

Queen of Thorns takes place over a year and a half after the events of Prince of Wolves. Master of Devils occurred over the course of about a year between these stories.

Yes, there have been some changes to Varian's understanding and use of his riffle scrolls, but most of that comes to light in Master of Devils. What he faces in Queen of Thorns is a much more personal challenge. That said, the end of the new book involves big, big magic, and that's all I can tell you without being a big, big spoiler.

Yes, Varian and Radovan's relationship has evolved. More importantly, they're together for almost the entire story, unlike in the previous two books. (Since you asked this question, I'd encourage you to check out Master of Devils, since you seem especially primed to dig what happens by the end of that one.)

Azra does not appear in this novel, although she's "present" in the thoughts of those who do. Apart from the boys, the only character from Prince of Wolves who appears in the flesh in this one is Arnisant.

For a taste of Queen of Thorns, keep an eye on the web fiction page, where James Sutter is preparing to post the first chapter in which you see the book's "adventuring party" assemble and take on their first fight together. I hear the inimitable Eric Belisle will paint one of the characters. Eric's the genius who made this insanely perfect image of Count Jeggare, so I'm excited to see his new creation.
Dark Archive Contributor
2 people marked this as a favorite.
GeraintElberion wrote:
Pharier wrote:
Curious will this one be set before or after the events with the prince of wolves? If after I wonder the following. I.e will Varian have developed his scroll magic further? What will Radovan's relationship be like with Varian since Varian has come to see him more as his friend than his bodyguard? Will any of the characters beside the main two from POW make an appearance? Like Azra?

Have you read Master of Devils?

Varian and Radovan are the most storied characters on Golarion, so far I think the list below is everything. It is also in my best guess at chronological order.

Hell's Pawns
The Lost Pathfinder
Prince of Wolves
A Lesson in Taxonomy
A Passage to Absalom
Husks
Master of Devils

That's a good reading order, although chronologically "Taxonomy" comes first. Don't read it first, though.

Speaking of "Taxonomy," now would be a very good time to catch up on that one before October's web fiction prequel to Queen of Thorns. The story stands alone, but you'll get a smile if you've read "Taxonomy" and Master of Devils.
Sovereign Court
6 people marked this as a favorite.

Dave Gross = best thing to happen to Pathfinder Tales
Liberty's Edge

Love Radovan and Jeggare but I haven't read the non novels. I am certainly about to now.
Dark Archive Contributor

Laschoni, of the non-novels, I recommend "Husks." Since the boys are together the whole time, and it's full of action and intrigue, it's the nearest in style to Queen of Thorns.

For completely different reasons, I encourage everyone to (re)read "A Lesson in Taxonomy."
Contributor
1 person marked this as a favorite.

I love Radovan and Jeggare, but this is my favorite story yet. In addition to being a well-told, deftly paced fantasy adventure, it's...fun. That's not something that can rightly be said about a lot of fantasy books.

IMO, if you liked the first two books, you've going to love this one.
Sovereign Court
Elaine Cunningham wrote:

I love Radovan and Jeggare, but this is my favorite story yet. In addition to being a well-told, deftly paced fantasy adventure, it's...fun. That's not something that can rightly be said about a lot of fantasy books.

IMO, if you liked the first two books, you've going to love this one.

I completely agree, and think I sais something similar about the first book: Gross writes fantasy books which are witty without being spoofs or satires. That is a copasetic gift for which we should all be grateful.

Dark Archive

You've done it again! Great read.

Argh! One more day for the ebook version! Can't wait to read it at work.
Silver Crusade

Woot! Mine just shipped! Digging in now!

I'm back, boys!

Mine too shipped few hours ago, can't wait; pity it'll took about a week to get to me.
Dark Archive Contributor
Gandal wrote:
Mine too shipped few hours ago, can't wait; pity it'll took about a week to get to me.

Keep an eye on the Paizo Blog tomorrow. Something tells me you might be able to get a big head start on reading the novel this week. A big one.

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I laughed out loud at

Spoiler:
"you winsome, you lose some"

I am so ashamed. :)
Dark Archive Contributor
2 people marked this as a favorite.
mordion wrote:

I laughed out loud at ** spoiler omitted **

I am so ashamed. :)

When more than one person laughs at that point, I know the reading is going well.

Dark Archive Vendor - Fantasiapelit Tampere

Oh my god, I'm almost at the end, chapter 19 or something, and it has been amazing! Best Varian/Radovan book yet! Amazing characters and bold decisions about the past of the main characters! Like the one reviewer said, you just made the elfs cool again! I'm going to write longer post when I have finished the book. Thank you Dave for the best fantasy novel of the last few decades!
Dark Archive Contributor
Rosgakori wrote:
Oh my god, I'm almost at the end, chapter 19 or something, and it has been amazing! Best Varian/Radovan book yet! Amazing characters and bold decisions about the past of the main characters! Like the one reviewer said, you just made the elfs cool again! I'm going to write longer post when I have finished the book. Thank you Dave for the best fantasy novel of the last few decades!

If you feel the same way after finishing the book, I look forward to the review, especially if you write it in Finnish so I can play with Google translator some more.

Dark Archive Contributor

The many nice things readers are posting on my various sites give me a warm glow.

If you have a few minutes to post a review at amazon.com, that'd be an especially good boost while everyone is still doing their holiday shopping. The same is true for all the Pathfinder Tales novels, not just Queen of Thorns. Even if you've posted your review elsewhere, taking the time to put it up at Amazon helps reach a lot of eyes that might not have seen Pathfinder Tales before.

As the Geek Squad told me while describing their feedback form, "We like five stars!"
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