Starring: Stewart Alexander, Trevor Littledale, Ian Brooker, and Kerry Skinner, with Louise Faulkner, John Green, Richard Katz, Imogen Church, Kate Brown and Sean Connolly

Written by: David Bryher (from a story by Nicolas Logue), Directed by John Ainsworth

In which something is rotten in the city of Korvosa, and a random act of kindness proves that no good deed goes unpunished…

Despite being the second-oldest Pathfinder Adventure Path (only Rise of the Runelords predates it), Curse of the Crimson Throne has become unexpectedly relevant both in the US and the UK with its plotline of an unexpected – and extremely unpopular – new leader’s ascension sparking widespread protests and rioting.

Grief-stricken at the passing of King Eobard, Queen Ileosa (Brown) is convinced that his death was anything but natural, and will stop at nothing to see her husband’s murderer captured and brought to justice. But when this leads to the identification of a convenient suspect – information extracted through torture – the Queen’s four champions start having doubts about the suspect’s guilt and their part in capturing said individual.

For once, Valeros, Harsk, Ezren and Merisiel are in the right place at the wrong time, waiting in Korvosa for Kyra (a cleric and close friend of Merisiel’s) to make contact with them after her cryptic message brought them to the city. Naturally, nothing goes according to plan…

Taking place in a city teeming with many clearly-drawn characters that can’t simply be killed like many a monster in previous Pathfinder Legends stories, Edge of Anarchy plays to audio’s strengths. Since rash homicide would have swift and deadly consequences for them, the heroes must tread lightly and battle with their wits and diplomatic skills rather than brute strength and magical firepower. Impressively, the question of why they should even get involved in the city’s problems is actually addressed; by the story’s end, an abstract conundrum has become a personal issue for all of them.

Some previous Pathfinder installments have started off strongly, but then meandered off the path before regaining focus. Hopefully by concentrating on court intrigue and careful investigations, Curse of the Crimson Throne won’t fall victim to this unfortunate tendency.

Verdict: A promising start to another Adventure Path, populated with well-delineated characters played by capable actors amidst a meticulously-constructed urban soundscape. 8/10

John S. Hall