Book I in the epic fantasy series The Silvan Saga. A fearless young warrior with a shrouded past. An implacable traitor to the throne. The path towards a destiny only a god foresaw.Fel’annár is a young immortal, embarking on his first patrol into the Deep Forest as a novice warrior.Half-Silvan, half-Alpine, he battles the enemy from without, and the prejudice from within. But he learns more than … from within. But he learns more than just warfare when an arcane power begins to emerge, one he cannot control.
While friendships are forged, and allies strive to protect him in secret, a destiny unfolds, one that is tied to a past he knows nothing about. For others though, it is only a matter of time before the truth is revealed and the danger becomes real.
Lord of the Rings, Final Fantasy and a touch of Terry Brook’s Shannara. If you love high fantasy worlds with compelling characters on a dangerous mission, you can’t miss Path of a Novice, the first instalment in the international best-selling epic fantasy series, The Silvan Saga.
Genres
- Epic fantasy
- High fantasy
- Sword and sorcery
- Coming of age
- Military fantasy
more
“She called him Fel’annar, Green Sun, immortal child with the heart of a Silvan and the face of an Alpine”
4.5 stars. From the beginning, we know this is a story about a legend … and this legend is Fel’annar, Green Sun. The author introduces us to a lush world of forests and elves in which two different cultures exist; those that are suppressed, the Silvan – and those that are the suppressors, the Alpines. And the heart of it all: a half-breed, an abandoned son without a father – one who aspires to be a Silvan captain in a world built for Alpines.
Overall, a very interesting premise and one that, for the most part, delivers. As this is a debut novel, it is natural that there a few small issues. The writing, while excellent, feels slightly unrefined. Keeping in mind that it is a debut novel, it is extremely impressive, but it does interrupt the flow of the book just a little. However, you can see from the first book alone, merely from the beginning to the end, that the flow of the writing improves. Additionally, by the second book, I could find absolutely no issue with it. Quite the opposite actually – the writing was beautiful.
However, I would have liked to see more of Fel’annar’s childhood and how he came to be so talented. In this way, it would have been more understandable that he is possessed of such talent.
I also wanted to hear about his childhood. It is implied that it was rough through statements such as when Turion says “It must not have been easy – your childhood.” and through Fel’annar’s own reluctance to speak of it. Given that this book is epic fantasy, I was expecting the book to start at an earlier age so that we could find out what drove him to very hard to train and self-teach until he became the formidable warrior described. By starting later, I feel that this may have been lost a little – the reasons are touched on, but not experienced. It makes the book feel a little rushed.
My one and final issue is simply that the main character feels a little too powerful and perfect given his lack of experience compared to those far older than him. I hope to see this develop further in coming novels.
Other than that, the world-building is more than adequate – there is political intrigue, mystery and a fascinating world to explore. I loved the way the story was told – it was the creation of a legend to be told for millennia. The characters are highly likable – particularly Lainon – and I would recommend this novel to all my friends. Despite the first novel being extremely good, the second book (which I have read) is definitely an improvement which just goes to show that the author has much further to go from an already highly promising start. At the very least, this series can only get better from here .
Once you you read one of her books you can’t stop.one of my favorite authors
I read Path of a Novice several months ago, and was immediately drawn into the story, the characters, and the world they live in.
I love that Path of a Novice is written with a style that is more reminiscent of Tolkien than many of the more modern fantasy stories. There is a level of detail that paints each scene on a canvas, while the story itself grabs hold of you and refuses to let go. The point of view changes help the reader become more invested in characters that are important to the continuing story, but who might otherwise be overlooked or sidelined. Having that glimpse into the larger political and social background adds gravity to what might otherwise come across as a simple coming-of-age story.
Path of a Novice is a compelling start to the series, and I look forward to reading and listening to the rest of the story!
The author managed to create worlds that are both realistic and magical. Highly recommended.
A great book here that was a page turner from the start given the compelling prose. The world is unfolded as the story progresses without being forced or using information dumps. The reader is drawn in through the characters who are bright buttons and believable. The second book is on order.