October 2015
PATHFINDER TALES: BEYOND THE POOL OF STARS. Howard Andrew Jones. TOR.
Cover art courtesy of Tor.
Howard Andrew Jones is renowned for his ability to blend fantasy with adventure in building works of fiction with a bite. And Pathfinder Tales: Beyond the Pool of Stars is no exception. Set in the realm of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Tales tells the story of Mirian Raas. Raaas is a salvager who employs magic to find sunken ships in Sargava. As we make contact with the characters, Jones does a brilliant job at accelerating the plot at just the right pace. In turn, Pathfinder Tales quickly takes on can’t-put-it-down status when Raas’ father dies and she is called on to assume control of his last assignment: diving into the deep jungle to help a village of lizard people take back the treasures of their ancestors. But not only the lizard people want these artifacts; so does the government that dismisses Raas and her lineage. It’s an entertaining and layered book to say the least, but what sets Pathfinder Tales apart from run-of-the-mill fantastical dramas is found in the way Jones is able to bring his story a universal meaning: forcing his readers to examine themselves and their own prejudices in relation to the world at large in this tale of outsiders who finally win one.
Also Worth A Look
THE NEW HUNGER. Isaac Marion. Atria.
Cover art courtesy of Atria.
This serves as the prequel to Marion’s zombie love story Warm Bodies, and readers will immediately fall victim to this fascinating world of the walking corpse. Marion’s ability to develop characters with real meat on their bones leaves a lasting impression. In sum, this is Night of the Living Dead good.
NAUGHTIER THAN NICE. Eric Jerome Dickey. Dutton.
Cover art courtesy of Dutton.
Due for release on October 27, Dickey grabs the reader at page one and does not let go. Naughtier Than Nice continues the story of the McBroom sisters, and it simply sizzles: raw and sensual, smoky and hedonistic. This book is about the secrets we keep and the lies we tell ourselves so it feels alright.
Electric Review 