Pathfinder Tales on iTunes

I should mention more often that the Pathfinder Tales novels are available via iTunes. If you prefer Kindle, I understand it's a cinch to translate the files to that format.

Here is as good a place as any to start, especially if you like gothic mysteries. Or perhaps you would prefer something more Asian-influenced? Of course, you could always start at the beginning.

All of the Pathfinder Tales novels and many of the Pathfinder Journals and web fiction are available via iTunes. Check 'em out.

John Carter of Mars

The second trailer for Disney's John Carter has made me cautiously optimistic about the upcoming film. The cast list alone is reassuring.

The trailer also reminds me of the criticism of James Cameron's Avatar, which positions a human hero as savior of a (superficially) savage indigenous population. Perhaps I'm sensitive to this issue since a few readers leveled it against Master of Devils. I can't deny that's a reasonable take-away even though I, as an earnest fan of wuxia films, saw it differently while writing the book. All I need to do to emphasize with those critics is to remember my negative reaction to Tom Cruise's role in The Last Samurai.

It occurred to me while watching John Carter leap tall monsters in a single bound, that his situation (and to a lesser extent Jake Sully's) is the same as that of Kal-El of Krypton. The difference is that Superman is the alien, and all humans are the benighted natives.

Usually the inversion of a cliché bores me, but this one seems useful in examining what we find objectionable about the outsider as hero. It raises hackles when that outsider comes from the dominant demographic. Yet except for his Kryptonian powers, Kal-El is the epitome of a straight male European hero (unless you agree that he's more of a benign golem).

Is the only difference then that the natives are the local majority "us" rather than the local minority "them"? That feels like it might be the crux of the issue.

I don't have any answers to suggest, but I'm curious as to your thoughts.

New Master of Devils Interview

Michael Tresca asks me a few questions about Master of Devils and Prince of Wolves.

Check out Michael's new book, Well of Stars.

Edmonton Signing: Master of Devils

This Saturday at Audrey's Books, I'm reading from Master of Devils and signing both that book, Winter Witch (Elaine says hi!), and Prince of Wolves. Come join us. If you make a good impression, you can join us for a pint afterward.

Black Gate Review: Master of Devils

The estimable Bill Ward weighs in on Master of Devils. Mild spoilers.


Movie recommendations are still on hold while I catch up on matters of immigration and writing.

Master of Devils Chat: August 29

Join us on Monday, August 29, at 9:00 ET (6:00 PT) for an inquisition on the matter of Master of Devils, the latest Pathfinder Tales release. We'll probably also end up discussing Prince of Wolves and the other Radovan & the Count stories.

To join the chat, point your browser to chat.dmtools.org, choose a screen name, and type /join PFTales.

Weekend Update

I've chosen this week's wuxia recommendation, but I haven't made time to re-screen it since returning from Indianapolis. By the end of the week, I hope to catch up.

Until then, check out the latest Master of Devils interview, this time with Alana Joli of Flames Rising, one of the first sites to review Prince of Wolves last year. Soon they'll also post an essay in which I recommend a few more wuxia films.

Also, the Amazon release date has been sorted out, and are now shipping Master of Devils. The first review has gone up. There are more reviews (including one stinker) at Paizo and a few other sites.

Finally, for those attending When Words Collide in Calgary this weekend, I'll participate in one panel and, if the schedule is corrected, read a few chapters from Master of Devils on Sunday. If you want an extemporaneous reading before that time, the venue is "Bar" and the cost is "cocktail." Also, the fine folks from The Sentry Box will definitely have the new book as well as some of the older ones for sale in the dealer's room.

Interview at Seekers of Secrets

Jeffrey Tadlock at Seekers of Secrets asked me some great questions about Master of Devils and my other Pathfinder Tales stories. If you enjoy the interview or have questions of your own, please leave them a comment.

Interview at Black Gate

Bill Ward at Black Gate asked some good questions about Master of Devils. Check out the first part of his interview here. Part two goes up next Saturday at noon, and word on the street is that a review goes up the Saturday after.

The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk

In North America, this Jet Li vehicle is known in a slightly different edit as The Legend. Released just two years after Li established himself as the iconic folk hero Wong Fei-hung, the movie winks at its star's previous role. Confronted by the police, Sai Yuk adopts the classic Wong Fei-hung fighting posture and declares his name is, “Wong …” with a suspenseful pause before he concludes, “… Jing” (prolific writer-director of The Evil Cult, another Jet Li film from 1993). That moment sets a playful tone, but only after a much darker introduction.

The framing story concerns a search for a list of names of members of the Red Flower Society, dedicated to overthrowing the Ching dynasty. The imperial agent (Vincent Zhao, aka Chiu Man-cheuk, who later replaces Jet Li for two of the Wong Fei Hung films) demonstrates such cool brutality that there’s no question he’s a Very Bad Guy. Yet after his brief introduction, Zhao vanishes for over an hour while the film shifts back to action comedy.

The dubiously reformed thug Tiger Liu schemes to win over public opinion by marrying off his daughter, Ting Ting (Michelle Reis), to the man who defeats Liu’s wife (Sibelle Hu) in single combat. Liu’s wife is an excellent fighter, swiftly dispatching the local hopefuls. While he does not know the identity of Liu’s daughter, Sai Yuk has already met the irresistible Ting Ting at a local athletic competition, but he throws the match upon mistaking a homely servant for the bride. Upon learning of Sai Yuk’s disgraceful loss, his mother (Josephine Siau) disguises herself as brother “Tai Yuk” to redeem the Fong family honor. Wacky gender-confused hijinks ensue.

One of the film's most enjoyable relationships is that between Sai Yuk and his mother, who defend each other against Sai Yuk's authoritarian father. While the father's corporal punishment of son and wife alike should paint him as a brute, Madame Fong’s helpless passion for her husband’s poetry—and the fact that she’s a powerful fighter while he is a helpless noncombatant—takes the edge off of a dynamic that would otherwise seem like unforgivable domestic abuse.

Even when the imperial agent returns in search of Sai Yuk's father, who turns out to be an important member of the Red Flower Society, the action remains madcap until the first mortal casualties. Only then does the tone darken for a final act full of revenge and rescue. Director Corey Yuen provides plenty of breathless wire-assisted action while somehow marrying the humor and violence into a seamless whole.

Some action fans prefer the less tonally varied sequel, especially Jet Li’s insane blindfolded-with-eight-katanas fight scene, but I love this screwball original slightly more.

While I can't think of any direct lifts of character types, The Legend of Fong Sai Yuk is one of many films that encouraged me to include both a few scenes of broad comedy as well as several powerful female fighters in Master of Devils. Now that I think about it, Josephine Siau and Sibelle Hu would be perfect as the Silk Sisters from Chapter Eleven.

Zu Warriors of the Magic Mountain (1983)

The previous few movies I recommended are relatively new and thus hard to find in North America. Thus, this week we turn to Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain, which you can find on DVD practically anywhere. This is the film that not only established Tsui Hark’s reputation but also influenced American filmmakers like John Carpenter (Big Trouble in Little China) and Sam Raimi (Evil Dead).

Not to be mistaken for the CGI-muddled 2001 remake, this action-comedy-horror-romance-satire introduced wuxia fantasy to many of us western fans. If you aren’t braced for its breakneck speed and everything-including-the-kitchen-sink approach, it can seem overwhelming with its quick shifts in tone and genre. But if you’re in the right mood, preferably late at night with a group of friends and a case of cold beer, Zu is hard to beat for sheer fun.

In response to American blockbusters like Star Wars, Hark fills the screen with special effects. Only instead of laser beams, his characters shoot bolts of magic energy or entangle their foes with long, prehensile eyebrows. The effects include a rough approximation of lightsabers and Sith lightning, for what it’s worth, but it’s when Zu doesn’t resemble its American influence that it’s the most fun.

You needn’t know anything about Chinese history to understand the satire of war in the brief first act. Acrobatic Blue Army scout Ti (Yuen Biao) flees a death sentence for agreeing with both of his generals because they disagree with each other. He blunders into a Red Army soldier (Sammo Hung), but they soon find themselves allied against forces of four more armies: Orange, Green, Yellow, and Teal. Ti cries, “What a colorful war!”

Escaping the fray, Ti falls down a cliff that turns out to be the proverbial rabbit hole. He enters the world of the Magic Mountain. There he encounters a swordsman who wields black and white magic swords, whom he begs to accept him as an apprentice to fight the evil in the world. They soon meet a mystical monk and his young apprentice. The proud and jaded veterans squabble, leaving the altruistic young men to form the friendship that allows them to cooperate against a powerful Blood Demon. Only the moon mirror of a venerable warrior known as Longbrows (also Sammo Hung) can hold the monster at bay, and that only for 49 days. Before that time is up, the heroes must find another pair of magic swords (green and purple this time), the only weapons that can slay the Blood Demon.

Along with the haunted jars containing black-flag ghosts, evil cultists, cymbal-wielding monks, and animated skulls, our heroes face slow-acting poison, shape-changing adversaries, flying statues, and deadly blood crows. What follows is just about the closest thing to a fantasy roleplaying campaign you’ll ever see on screen, but be prepared for me to say similar things about other movies I'll recommend soon. Much of the story takes place in what can only be described as a vast dungeon complex, leaving only when the group must seek magical healing from the beauteous Countess (Brigitte Lin) in her temple among the clouds. Naturally, one of the Countess’s beautiful acolytes joins the smitten young men for the third act, which culminates in a day-glow spectacle of matte effects worthy of a 1970s Saturday-morning children’s TV program.

Despite the sometimes silly visuals and the confused deus ex machina of the finale, the fun up to that point is more than worth the journey as long as you can withstand the whiplash of a wild ride.

While I can't think of a specific scene that informed a chapter of Master of Devils, Zu's "everything all the time" approach absolutely influenced my choice of showing different tones of adventure through the eyes of three different point-of-view characters, including moments of horror, romance, humor, and in virtually every chapter a heaping dose of action. Even so, after screening Zu again, how I wish I'd made room for Longbrows!

14 Blades

Donnie Yen is Qinglong (Green Dragon), the foremost member of the Jinyi Wei, a secret police force serving the emperor. Brutally selected and trained from childhood, they are the Emperor's elite warrior-assassins. Dispatched to recover a list of traitors, Qinglong discovers he has been used by the chief eunuch in a scheme to gain the imperial seal, which the traitor intends to use in support of an usurping prince.


Betrayed by his fellow Jinyi Wei, Qinglong goes rogue. When he encounters the Justice Escort Agency, the movie opens up. Qinglong develops a glancing romance with the chief's daughter, Qiao Hua, portrayed by my Chinese girlfriend, Zhao Wei. You might remember her as the cute tomboy in So Close or as the cute tomboy in Warriors of Heaven and Earth or the cute tomboy in Red Cliff.... But she's very good at that role, and the scenes including her breathe life into an initially gloomy tale.

The film's title refers to a box of 14 bladed weapons, each of which serves a different formal purpose. Seeing the box in action is fun, but perhaps not quite as clever as all the build-up would make you hope. Still, for those who like to cross the streams and mix a little steampunk into their wuxia, there's a lot of fun here.

The movie pits several worthy adversaries against Donnie Yen's hero. Sammo Hung is ominous as Prince Qing in an all-too-brief role. Kate Tsui wields a whip-blade and employs a pretty evasion/striptease trick as the assassin Tuo Tuo. Wu Chun is sufficiently boy-band pretty to play second fiddle to Yen as Judge, leader of the Heaven Eagles.

Another of the film's virtues is its use of rival factions banding together for a common purpose. There aren't many surprises, though. When Judge picks a fight with Qinglong, you just know they're going to end up on the same side. And if you don't anticipate the tragic ending, it's only because you love Zhao Wei too much to see her heart broken. Predictable as the story may be, the events unfold with elan.


It might not reach the heights of Detective Dee or Reign of Assassins, but 14 Blades is another film I wish I'd seen before finishing Master of Devils. It probably won't appeal broadly outside fans of the genre, but it's full of exciting action scenes and enough inspiration for a GM to create months of Tian Xia adventures.

Master of Devils: First Five Chapters

Several ace reporters at PaizoCon recorded the panels, including my reading of Master of Devils and a snippet of "Husks," the fiction accompanying the Jade Regent Adventure Path. No need to fear spoilers if you listen in order.

Part 1 includes Chapters 1 and 2, as well as the beginning of "Husks."

Part 2 includes Chapters 3-5, the latter of which introduces the third POV character in the novel, no longer a secret. You'll need to let it load for a few minutes if you want to fast-forward to the reading, but you might enjoy the seminars preceding it.



Thanks to Know Direction and Chronicles Podcast Productions for making these recordings available. And check out the glorious cover painting (copyright Paizo Publishing) by the supremely talented Lucas Graciano.

Reign of Assassins

Initially reluctant to star in a demanding physical role so long after what seemed to be the height of her career in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Michelle Yeoh eventually gave in to a script with characters as rich as its fight scenes. In Reign of Assassins, Yeoh proves she still has what it takes both as a dramatic actress and as an action star.

The Chinese title of Reign of Assassins is Jianyu, Jianghu, translating literally as "Swords and Rain, Rivers and Lakes." "Jianghu" is the poetic term for the martial arts underworld, roughly analogous to the world of superheroes in western fiction. It's the realm of wushu masters, shapechangers, and magicians. It's where the player characters in Pathfinder's Tian Xia setting live, and if I'd found the film a few months earlier, it would have been a tremendous inspiration for Master of Devils.

Reign of Assassins begins with a fight for control of a prophet's mortal remains, said to grant its possessor ultimate mastery. When the Dark Stone gang murder the prime minister for the mummy, their top assassin, Drizzle, steals away with half of the corpse. After encountering a monk who shows her the fatal flaw in her swordsmanship, Drizzle has a change of heart and leaves the martial arts world to begin her life again, complete with a new name and face, the latter courtesy of a master surgeon whose tools include bone-devouring insects.

Free of her former colleagues, Zeng hides her ill-gotten wealth and lives as a simple cloth merchant. Despite the tireless efforts of her match-making market neighbor, Zeng falls in love with a poor messenger, Ah-sheng. They live happily together until caught up in a bank robbery. To save her husband's life, Zeng reveals her skill, drawing the attention of the Dark Stone assassins.

The Wheel King is the gang's whispering leader, possessed of extraordinary knowledge and deadly sword skill. He has replaced the treacherous Drizzle with Turquoise, a courtesan whose charms are as deadly as her blade. The other top assassins include a noodle-loving master of darts and a magician capable of disappearing up a rope to the clouds and setting his swords aflame.

The final act is full of so many revelations and betrayals that I don't dare describe it further. The action is top-notch, in part because of the consultations of the legendary John Woo, credited as co-director. Korean writer/director Su Chau-bin deserves credit both for a thrilling story and for wrangling a multi-national cast, not all of whom spoke Mandarin.

That cast includes the sensational Jung Woo-sung (The Good, the Bad, and the Weird, Musa, and The Restless, the latter two of which I'll describe in later posts) as Zeng's husband, the excellent Kelly Lin (Sparrow, Mad Detective) as pre-reconstruction Drizzle, and the sublime Wang Xueqi (Bodyguards & Assassins, Warriors of Heaven and Earth) as the Wheel King.


Like Detective Dee, Reign of Assassins is not a reinvention of the genre but a loving revival of the best sort of wuxia films from the late 80s and 90s. The action choreography puts to shame the CGI of recent films, and the script and direction strike a perfect balance between outrageous action and human melodrama, with some sweet character-based humor at all the right moments. One of the film's best qualities is the depth of its antagonists, each of whom enjoys some measure of sympathy and even tragedy.

In his director's commentary for his famous film, Ang Lee apologizes to Chinese audiences for the relatively slow start to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, in which he grounds western audiences in the conventions of jianghu before unleashing the wire work. Had he made his movie without regard for culture clash, we might have seen something closer to Reign of Assassins, which is every bit as admirable but even more thrilling for fans of action and fantasy.