Reviewed
by: ?wazithinkin
Genre: Epic
Fantasy/ Coming of Age
Approximate
word count: 160,000 to 165,000
Availability
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Author:
“J. Leigh wrote her first novel at the tender age of
eleven, delving deep into the extensive fantasy world she entitled Way Walkers.
Since then, she has never really left, though occasionally does emerge to enjoy
the company of friends, family, horror movies and the ever-popular sushi
dinner.
She currently lives in southern New Jersey with a
chow-chow, several cats and fictional cast of hundreds.
Leigh's published works include a choose-your-own-type
interactive novel Way Walkers: University
1 and 2 with Choice of Games.”
Learn more at her website, author blog, or find out the
latest about Way Walkers on Facebook.
Description:
“Twelve Ways create a thousand tangled paths.
Hatched from an egg but unable to shift into dragon form,
Jathen is a Moot among the Tazu. His rightful throne is forbidden him because
of his transformative handicap, and neither his culture nor his religion offer
acceptance of his perceived flaws.
Driven by wounded anger, Jathen strikes out across the
vast world beyond Tazu borders, desperate to find a place where he feels
accepted and whole. Though he travels with the most trusted of companions,
sabotage and conspiracy soon strike his quest. Jathen and his allies must
struggle against man and magic alike, at the mercy of forces beyond their ken.
As Jathen presses on, his questions of belonging are
surrounded by more of identity, loyalty, and betrayal. Where will the path of
his destiny lead, and will he follow or fall? “
Appraisal:
Ms. Leigh’s world building in this story was taken to epic proportions
and is expertly handled. Tangled Paths is
the first book and seems to be Jathen’s story as it begins with his atypical
hatching. Here we are introduced to his Tazu race as well as some of the
hierarchy of this one species. As Jathen grows older and his world view expands
so does our knowledge of their entire world. Jathen is of royal birth, but due
to his birth defect, and the prejudices surrounding it, he may never rule. So
he sets out to seek his true destiny with an elder Clan charms maker where he
finds himself being chased by a destiny that was way more than he was seeking.
Jathen’s quest turned into an adventure of a lifetime that will be
enjoyed by adventure seekers, conspiracy theorists, and mystery lovers who revel
in highly detailed histories. The characters were all well developed and I grew
to care about many of them. However their tangled paths were all a bit
overwhelming for me. There are twelve different races in this world as well as
twelve different spiritual paths (Ways) to follow (Walk) in life, along with
varying levels of magical Abilities
and Talents. Ms. Leigh has included a
glossary of terms, races, people, children, and ways at the end of the book
that was helpful.
As Jathen discovers hidden secrets from the past and when some truths
are finally revealed all hell breaks loose with devastating results. It is not
surprising that he is left with more questions than answers at the end of this
story. One of the most pressing is what is this nontraditional Talent of his? It
was interesting to watch Jathen’s journey as it unfolded, Ms. Leigh has
constructed an elaborate detailed plot and his quest is far from over.
FYI:
This novel contains adult language.
Format/Typo
Issues:
No significant errors.
Rating:
**** Four stars
4 comments:
Excellent review. I agree about the world being a tad confusing at times, but overall I quite enjoyed it. The bad thing about an ebook is having the glossary at the end. I prefer to flip back and forth in a 'real' book when there are terms to refer to.
Thanks for your comment, AVR. Ms. Leigh has built quite a fantasy world for her story.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read it! ^_^
Thanks for dropping in and commenting, Ms. Leigh.
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