Stackpole, a veteran of the fantasy franchise world, has written an engaging, though not amazing, entry into the pathfinder franchise. The Crusader Road picks up some bonus points for its protagonists and familial focus - which is a welcome change to your average fantasy novel.

Lady Tyressa Vishov has banished to Echo Woods, faced with the dim prospect of building a new township. Along with her introverted son and pining teenaged daughter, she must win over the locals, and avoid the many threats of the Wood.

I enjoyed this book, as I expected I would. Stackpole knows the fundamentals of novel writing, and the setting - whilst not the most febrile in the Pathfinder universe - is still enjoyable.

What really struck me though was how unusual it is to have a fantasy novel where a mother is one of the main characters, and family considerations are a prime motivator throughout the book. In sword and sorcery novels in particular, we're used to lone heroes striding through a hostile world, encumbered only by loot and regrets.

The change worked for me, and I love the idea of having adventures with your family, not in spite of them.