When murdered sinners fail to show up in Hell, it's up to Salim Ghadafar, an atheist warrior forced to solve problems for the goddess of death, to track down the missing souls. In order to do so, Salim will need to descend into the anarchic city of Kaer Maga, following a trail that ranges from Hell's iron cities to the gates of Heaven itself. Along the way, he'll be aided by a host of otherworldly creatures, a streetwise teenager, and two warriors of the mysterious Iridian Fold. But when the missing souls are the scum of the earth, and the victims devils themselves, can anyone really be trusted?
From acclaimed author James L. Sutter comes a sequel to Death's Heretic, ranked #3 on Barnes & Noble's Best Fantasy Releases of 2011!
400-page mass market paperback
ISBN–13: 978-1-60125-618-8
ePub ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-619-5
The Redemption Engine is also available as a digital edition on the following sites:
I don't even know how to begin heaping The Redemption Engine with all of the effusive praise it deserves. I've read a lot of the Pathfinder Tales novels, and this one is among the very best. James Sutter knows his way around Golarion, and he's picked one of its most flavourful components (the city of Kaer Maga) as the starting point for this awesome adventure. Sutter's writing just pops with excitement, humor, and intelligence, and he's created an original plot to drive the story. Even the way he describes things familiar to gamers, like channelling energy, has so much verve to it (while still being faithful to the RPG) that one can't help but admire the talent that went into the novel. I'd definitely recommend this one to Pathfinder fans, but also to fantasy readers in general (there's even a helpful glossary to explain setting terms).
SPOILERS
Salim Ghadafar, atheist priest of Pharasma (it makes sense!) is back for another adventure, having previously appeared in Sutter's excellent novel, Death's Heretic. Forced to serve the goddess of death due to choices made in his past, Salim is called in to investigate a great story hook: the souls of 53 murder victims have not turned up in the Boneyard (the afterlife) like they were supposed to. So where are they? Or, perhaps more to the point, who has them? Salim's investigation covers the memorable streets of Kaer Maga, the City of Silence below, the heights of Heaven above, and even a detour to Hell. It's all handled extremely well, and I particularly appreciate how a place that may seem dull like Heaven becomes a fascinating place for story-telling. Angels may not be what you expect! And the ending is genuinely exciting. This is one of those books to read, and then pick up again a few months later to re-read. It's really that good.
A great follow-up to Death's Heretic, and in my opinion, an improvement on what was already a pretty good book. Great cast of characters, a mystery, twists, action, and wonderful visits to Kaer Maga and some of the Outer Planes. Plus, some welcome character development for Salim. It would have bothered me a little if he stayed too static over the course of the 2 books.
The only thing I didn't care for was the interaction w/ the Aeons, but that's only b/c I think they're a rare misfire in Paizo's otherwise great collection of planar races. Conceptually, I find them ridiculous. But that's not the author's fault (unless he's responsible for them, I guess). The editing was not too bad. Like pretty much every other book in this line, there's always room for improvement.
If the Tales line ever continues, I hope it includes another book w/ Salim. This was one of my all-time favorites in the line.
Having been a long-time reader of Forgotten Realms, I have recently delved into the world of Pathfinder. I enjoyed the first book in the Salim series, Death’s Heretic, and this one was even better. I love seeing the different planes, and the theological debates. Salim is a flawed but fascinating character. I’m not a religious person, but I don’t really understand the Rahadoumi (sp?) philosophy. Paying tribute to the gods doesn’t mean you have to be yoked to them. They would rather spend eternity in the atheist graveyard than in a true afterlife, all for the sake of pride? It doesn’t make sense to me, but it adds to Salim’s character. In The Redemption Engine, we see him continue to grow.
Aside from Salim, my favorite characters in this book would have to be Roshad and Bors. I loved the idea of the Iridian Fold, and the inclusivity of this book (I hope to read more like it). Their love for each other was palpable, and it was refreshing to see.
And of course, there were the angels. Being a fan of angels, I enjoyed seeing the Pathfinder’s take on them, and the idea of “redeemed devils” is something that comes into play in my own writing. Aruzethiel was an interesting character, and I wish he had been featured more prominently.
All in all, a great read, and I hope to read more about Salim’s adventures in the future.
Well, it's been a while since I read this and posted my review, but a recent discussion about the book with a friend prompted something I didn't notice before but felt needed bringing up, so I've edited my commentary. Hopefully a bit of criticism won't hurt too much in an otherwise-stellar product, and will go toward making whatever might come next all the better. =)
