peter_xxx's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of the better pathfinder books.
In the first part of this story we follow Isiem, a young magician, during his training to be a wizard/priest for zon-kuthon, the god of pain, in Nidal. In the second part we follow him on a mission in a frontier town where he is trying to get out from under the control of Nidal.
The story of a young boy with exceptional talents who can't adjust to the evil society he grows up in, and flees to some frontier seems very familiar in roleplay tie in fiction (kuchDrizztkuch) But still I feel like this is very good book for several reasons.
First of all the whole second part feels like a western, which is something I always like. Another very good feature of this book is that you if you are familiar with the pathfinder rpg you can totally tell what spells the wizards in here are using. And even though the spells are all lifted directly from the pathfinder rules, the descriptions of the spells, and the effects are very creatively written. I found myself thinking 'I would like to play a game with Liane Merciel as gamemaster' or 'I should try to do this in my next game as well'. And that is a very good thing to have when you have just written a roleplay game tie in novel.
In the first part of this story we follow Isiem, a young magician, during his training to be a wizard/priest for zon-kuthon, the god of pain, in Nidal. In the second part we follow him on a mission in a frontier town where he is trying to get out from under the control of Nidal.
The story of a young boy with exceptional talents who can't adjust to the evil society he grows up in, and flees to some frontier seems very familiar in roleplay tie in fiction (kuchDrizztkuch) But still I feel like this is very good book for several reasons.
First of all the whole second part feels like a western, which is something I always like. Another very good feature of this book is that you if you are familiar with the pathfinder rpg you can totally tell what spells the wizards in here are using. And even though the spells are all lifted directly from the pathfinder rules, the descriptions of the spells, and the effects are very creatively written. I found myself thinking 'I would like to play a game with Liane Merciel as gamemaster' or 'I should try to do this in my next game as well'. And that is a very good thing to have when you have just written a roleplay game tie in novel.
peter_xxx's review against another edition
4.0
In my review of [a:Liane Merciel|3170417|Liane Merciel|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1321300916p2/3170417.jpg]'s previous pathfinder book [b:Nightglass|14345467|Nightglass (Pathfinder Tales)|Liane Merciel|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1355055043s/14345467.jpg|19987386] I mentioned that I really like her descriptions and mood settings within the pathfinder framework. In this book that is even more evident. In this book an expedition is set up into the secret lab of some ancient wizard/ sorceress. What follows is a tale of horror and desperation where her good descriptions and great setting design really pays off.
eaterofworlds's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
beholderess's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Torture
felecia's review against another edition
3.0
Lots of interesting information about Nidal & Zon-Kuthon. Loved reading about Strix culture. Dusk Hall reminds me of a severely twisted Hogwarts. Interesting story.
kazmx's review against another edition
4.0
The book is divided in two separate parts in which Isiem's story is told, a boy with a gift for shadow magic in the dark nation of Nidal. The first half of the book is a very unique read. It tells the story of Isiem's youth. Mostly focusing on the arduous journey that started the day he was taken from his family to be trained as a shadow wizard in service of the one of Golarion's most despicable Gods. While Isiem is talented enough to survive and thrive on his training, it's his struggle to do so without being corrupted by his ordeal that makes this a compelling read.
Isiem is not what one would call a hero, and even calling him a good guy might be pushing it, but considering the place where he lives and what he has to go through, not falling into the "evil" category is quite a feat. An enjoyable protagonist, even if not one we can look up to. This is ultimately a story about a journey of growth and moral resilience in a world taken by darkness.
The second part has a few nice touches, it is set years after Isiem graduated from his shadow caller training. Now he's sent on a diplomatic mission to aid agents of Chelliax in exploring a silver mine that stands on territory claimed by the native Strix tribes... Who may not be the monsters they are taken for. The relation between him and Kirii, the daughter of the leader of the tribe, is one of the most memorable things the book has to offer.
This novel is actually pretty deep. Despite all of the action in it, a lot of it is about Isiem's inner journey. I like the questions the author raised: Does it really matter the loyalty to one's nation, tribe, or land? Can people ever truly atone for the evil they do? Ought one's morals and principles be sacrificed in order to survive? Is that ever justifiable?
Isiem is not what one would call a hero, and even calling him a good guy might be pushing it, but considering the place where he lives and what he has to go through, not falling into the "evil" category is quite a feat. An enjoyable protagonist, even if not one we can look up to. This is ultimately a story about a journey of growth and moral resilience in a world taken by darkness.
The second part has a few nice touches, it is set years after Isiem graduated from his shadow caller training. Now he's sent on a diplomatic mission to aid agents of Chelliax in exploring a silver mine that stands on territory claimed by the native Strix tribes... Who may not be the monsters they are taken for. The relation between him and Kirii, the daughter of the leader of the tribe, is one of the most memorable things the book has to offer.
This novel is actually pretty deep. Despite all of the action in it, a lot of it is about Isiem's inner journey. I like the questions the author raised: Does it really matter the loyalty to one's nation, tribe, or land? Can people ever truly atone for the evil they do? Ought one's morals and principles be sacrificed in order to survive? Is that ever justifiable?
vittorioseg's review against another edition
1.0
While it was well done and for what I see, both the setting and the characters were faithful to the setting, I simply couldn't get drawn to the thematic and it was my own fault. I simply not in the mood for the horror/coming of age amalgamationg that it tried to make.
Sorry.
Sorry.
More...