Tagged: the path of the fallen

Blog Tour: The Path of the Fallen by Dan O’Brien

As a side note, those of you who want to see my review of The Path of the Fallen can do so here.  I loved the book so much that when Dan O’Brien contacted me to ask if I’d be interested in the tour, I agreed to help out!

Welcome to the sixth day of The Path of the Fallen blog tour. It will run until July 8th and will feature excerpts, new author interviews each day, character interviews, and a casting call by the author. But first, here is the obligatory blurb about the novel to settle you into this sprawling fantasy world:
Set against the backdrop of the tundra and a world desperate for hope, the journey of a young man, E’Malkai, will come to define a realm that has been broken by an evil that does not sleep. A bitter betrayal, and the inception of a war that will consume the world, forces E’Malkai to confront the past and undertake a pilgrimage that is his birthright. Follow him on his journey and be transformed. 
An interview with the characters from The Path of the Fallen:
As I sit down at my computer, I am struck by the eerie presence of someone behind me. Leaving behind the blinking cursor, I realize that the cast of my latest novel, The Path of the Fallen, are standing behind me. E’Malkai, sullen and burdened by the weight of the pilgrimage he has undertaken, stands behind the immovable figure of his Umordoc guardian, Elcites. Arms crossed over his chest, his gaze unsettles me despite how much time I have spent in his company whilst writing The Path of the Fallen. Arile, proud hunter of the north, leans against his spear and inspects the wall with a carefree look upon his face. Fe’rein, shrouded in the darkness that complements him so well, seethes with a dark mix of irritation and confidence. Continue reading →

Spotlight: The Path of the Fallen by Dan O’Brien

Spotlight is my weekly Saturday feature in which I highlight a book I really enjoyed or am eagerly awaiting.  This week I want to draw attention to a book that was excellent despite being slightly outside my comfort zone: The Path of the Fallen by Dan O’Brien.

The Path of the Fallen by Dan O'Brien

Set against the backdrop of the tundra and a world desperate for hope, the journey of a young man, E’Malkai, will come to define a realm that has been broken by an evil that does not sleep.  A bitter betrayal, and the inception of a war that will consume the world, forces E’Malkai to confront the past and undertake a pilgrimage that is his by birthright.  Follow him on his journey and be transformed.

As you’ve probably noticed, while I read a lot of fantasy, not much of it would be considered epic fantasy.  And certainly none of it would be classified as epic fantasy/science fiction crossover.  That’s why I considered The Path of the Fallen out of my comfort zone.  It took me a while to get used to the unusual names like E’Malkai and the background of Dan O’Brien’s strange world, but once I did I really enjoyed his book.

Dan O’Brien’s world was well thought out and was a compelling mixture of typical epic fantasy tropes like swords and huge battles but also of science fiction elements like spaceships and lasers.  Truly, it’s the best of both genres.  The best part?  The reason for the mixture actually makes sense when you look at the history of the world.  However, the best part of The Path of the Fallen is the characters.  E’Malkai isn’t your typical angsty coming-of-age protagonist and *gasp* behaves maturely most of the time because this is more of an adult novel.  Fe’rein (the villain) isn’t as fleshed-out as I would have liked him to be, but he does make for a great antagonist.

I’d definitely recommend The Path of the Fallen to anyone who enjoys fantasy or science fiction.

The Path of the Fallen by Dan O’Brien

The Path of the Fallen by Dan O'Brien(Cover picture courtesy of a page on ASMSG Author’s Books that does not exist anymore.)

Set against the backdrop of the tundra and a world desperate for hope, the journey of a young man, E’Malkai, will come to define a realm that has been broken by an evil that does not sleep.  A bitter betrayal, and the inception of a war that will consume the world, forces E’Malkai to confront the past and undertake a pilgrimage that is his by birthright.  Follow him on his journey and be transformed.

[Full disclosure: Dan O’Brien sent me a print copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

After not reading epic fantasy for a very, very long time, I had a hard time getting into The Path of the Fallen, even if it’s a mixture of science fiction and fantasy.  Still, as the pieces of the narrative fell together and we got a bigger picture of E’Malkai’s world, I began to really get into the book.

The Path of the Fallen is, quite simply, not a book for everyone.  Avid readers of epic fantasy will love it for its unique ideas and the combination of technology and magic.  However, if you don’t read fantasy as a rule, it’s probably best to read some so you can keep up with all of the names, the rich history and the complicated plot.  I personally had a hard time keeping track of all of the names in the beginning because they all seemed to have apostrophes in them or were unpronounceable (although the main characters have reasonable names).  But once you get into the book and learn the personalities of the characters, the names won’t distract you at all.

What I liked most about The Path of the Fallen was the fact that there was technology in an epic fantasy novel.  This is not your regular swords-and-dragons epic fantasy, oh no!  Dan O’Brien has crafted a new world based on both technology and magic and it blends well together.  What explanation does he have for this interesting mix?  A very good one that makes complete sense in the context of the book, as it turns out.  Although there’s not much science, per se, I would still classify this as a fantasy/sci-fi crossover novel.

E’Malkai is actually a hero I can identify with.  No, he doesn’t experience a lot of Young Hero Angst, but he does deal with inner struggles as well as his outer struggles.  He’s sympathetic because he really does try to do the right thing, even at a cost to himself.  The villain, Fe’rein is not your stereotypical black-wearing, mustache-twirling fiend, but he’ll never be among my list of best villains either.  Still, he does have depth and a believable backstory, so I’ll give Dan O’Brien props for that.  And for keeping track of all the plot lines and mostly tying them up without going for the cliché completely happy ending.

I give this book 4/5 stars.

Amazon     Barnes and Noble