I’ll admit, I was surprised to read the announcement from Tor and Paizo back in February, that Tor would become the publisher for the popular Pathfinder Tales line of novels. But it certainly makes business sense — Tor is the biggest publisher in the genre, and has unprecedented distribution and marketing muscle, and this allows Paizo to focus on the creative side of things.

The books have shifted to a new format (trade paperback), and will be available for the Kindle for the first time, but nothing else appears to have changed. The line remains in the capable hands of its longtime editor, James L. Sutter.

The first title under the new arrangement, Lord of Runes by Dave Gross, arrives next week. Here’s a snippet from the press release:

Since its launch in 2008, the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game has topped RPG sales charts for several years running, and has grown to become one of the most important and best-loved tabletop RPGs in the world. In 2010, the Pathfinder Tales novel line was launched by the game’s publisher, Paizo, and has included more than 20 exciting fantasy novels by Tim Pratt, Michael A. Stackpole, Ed Greenwood, James L. Sutter, Howard Andrew Jones, Liane Merciel, and others. Since then, Pathfinder has been translated into five languages, has released a widely popular card game, and has inspired computer games, comic books, audio drama, gaming figurines, and toys.

Now Tor Books and Paizo are pleased to announced a publishing venture with Tor releasing a new and original novel set in the Pathfinder universe: Pathfinder Tales: Lord of Runes by bestselling author Dave Gross. Lord of Runes sees the return of the Sherlockian aristocrat and Pathfinder Varian Jeggare and his hellspawn bodyguard and sidekick, Radovan, for their fifth standalone novel. When Varian is bequeathed a dangerous magical book by an old colleague, he and Radovan are pulled into a mystery and set on the path of a powerful necromancer seeking to become the new avatar of an ancient and sinister demigod — one of the legendary Runelords. But in saving the world, will Varian and Radovan lose their souls?

We’ve covered many Pathfinder Tales releases over the last few years, including:

My Overly Conscious Love for Pathfinder by Gabe Dybing
GenCon 2014 – Part 3: Pathfinder, Pathfinder, and More Pathfinder by Andrew Zimmerman Jones
Author Spotlight on James Sutter by Howard Andrew Jones
Fantasy Metaphysics with Pathfinder Tales: The Redemption Engine by Andrew Zimmerman Jones
Review of Pathfinder Tales: Stalking the Beast by Howard Andrew Jones by Nick Ozment
The Finest Sword & Sorcery: Announcing the Winners of the Stalking the Beast Contest
Read a Free Pathfinder Tales Story from Howard Andrew Jones
New Treasures: Pathfinder Tales: Stalking the Beast by Howard Andrew Jones
An Introduction to King of Chaos by Dave Gross
Read an Excerpt from Pathfinder Tales: King of Chaos by Dave Gross
SF Signal on Liar’s Blade: “Fafhrd-and-Grey-Mouser-style Sword and Sorcery”
Read an Excerpt from Pathfinder Tales: Queen of Thorns by Dave Gross
Pathfinder Tales: Death’s Heretic by James L. Sutter by Andrew Zimmerman Jones
Black Gate Interviews James L. Sutter, Part One by Bill Ward
Black Gate Interviews James L. Sutter, Part Two by Bill Ward
Bill Ward’s four-part story “The Box” begins at Pathfinder Tales
A Review of Master of Devils by Dave Gross by Bill Ward
Black Gate Interviews Dave Gross, Part One by Bill Ward
Black Gate Interviews Dave Gross, Part Two by Bill Ward
Behind the Plague of Shadows
Pathfinder Tales: “The Walkers from the Crypt” by Howard Andrew Jones
Howard Andrew Jones’ Plague of Shadows Now on Sale
Paizo Announces Pathfinder Tales

Pathfinder Tales: Lord of Runes will be published by Tor Books on June 2, 2015. It is 375 pages, priced at $14.99 in trade paperback and $9.99 for the digital edition. The cover art is by Alberto Dal Lago.

See all of our coverage of upcoming releases here.