As a book whose plot takes place in the campaign setting of a popular roleplaying game (Pathfinder RPG), published under the imprint of the company responsible for the game (Paizo), it should come as no surprise that Plague of Shadows is not art, or even excellent entertainment. Like many such books, in a category of fiction I tend to call "professional fanfic", it stumbles at times over the clumsy limitations of compatibility with game rules that were clearly never well thought out in terms of how they would affect prose.

Despite its limitations, it is an engaging read, moved by a mostly well-crafted yarn, enriched by effective use of commonly powerful themes -- redemption, the bittersweet passions of star-crossed lovers, finding strength in misfortune, coming of age, and even an example of the ". . . and the adventure continues" style of ending, to name but a few such tropes that somehow never come across as trite or hackneyed.

It is really a high-value three stars ("liked it", according to the Goodreads rating system), but not quite so high-value that I could justify giving it four stars ("really liked it"), in part because of the story's flaws (I found myself caught halfway between a groan and a laugh the first time a bard started strumming a lute in the middle of combat). ( )

The writing was excellent, and the plot twists actually surprised me. The only faults I found with the novel had nothing to do with the writing, but are faults with the genre - largely, I don't like healing magic. I think it takes away from the peril. Imagine if John McClain had access to healing potions in the Die Hard movies. (This is also why I don't allow clerics in my personal DnD or Pathfinder games).

However, I thought Howard Jones did a superb job within the constraints of a genre that is not always conducive to effective story-telling. I much prefer his Dabir and Asim stories with their more subtle forms of magic, but again that is a genre preference and really not a criticism of the writing itself.

This novel was MUCH better than most DnD-type world novels where uber-magic typically steals the thunder from characters (leaving them all too often mere archetypes), and that is a credit to Howard Jones' writing. His characters were interesting, and I liked how he wove the past into the present to show characters with conflicting motivations and desires.

The biggest weakness of the novel was the presence of too much healing magic, but (again) that is an expected artifact of the genre, and not a problem with the writing itself. Howard did great with what he had to work with. If he had dispensed with magical clerics and healing magic, he'd have had to explain why his Pathfinder novel doesn't fit in with the Pathfinder game mechanics. ( )

Jones has a real talent for fantasy novels that both conform and undermine cliche at the same time. A Plague of Shadows continues this trend, being on a the one hand a very typical D&D "campaign" novel, and on the other undermining that discourse. It makes for a nice read as the overall shape is pleasingly familiar, but peppered with suprises and twists at the same time.

Elyana is set to recover an ancient crown to save her ex-lover and local lord. Unfortunately, retrieving it is going to take her through the revolutionary and dangerous republic of Galt - where she's a wanted elf - not to mention the shadow magic involved with it all.

Jones is very good at balancing pace with story. Elyana is a fully fleshed out character - as are all the others - capable of thinking outside and around the parameters of the "Quest". It's also nice to see a diversity of ages and races come into play as well.

Indeed this diversity is reflected throughout the novel. Jones takes conventional characters - the high-faluting elf, the dark magician - and gives them a bit of depth in ways that subvert the cliches. It's fun in the sense that you can almost feel him winking, but it also give the story a richness and emotional resonance it would otherwise totally lack.

Coupled with a plot that roars along to satisfying climax, this is the perfect holiday read, or in my case: read when you have a newborn baby. ( )

Good adventuring with a nice angle, as someone else noted, "what happens when elves get too old for this s*&^?" A blend of D&D adventuring with tones of Jirel of Jory and the western, Unforgiven. The payoffs here are setup through characters, hard truths and exposed lies. I look forward to Jones next entry in the Pathfinder universe, and I need to check out some of the other authors and novels of this world. ( )