The Path of Flames

The Path of Flames begins with a bang, introducing us to Asho, a sympathetic character from the start, as he’s thrust into a raging battle for the first time. Seemed like it would be a little predictable after the beginning, but was I ever wrong about that.

I think the greatest compliment I can pay this book is that it is written by someone who can write for the long game. Do not expect everything to be tied up nicely with bows or explained in the pages of this first book (though the book’s immediate plot is not left hanging). I think the reason this threw me for such a loop is that on the whole, I’m used to fantasy being a bit on the predictable side, where it’ll have its twists but the progression is always there (see: Hero of a Thousand Faces).

What set this one apart is that I found myself getting frustrated by the characters, but actually appreciating that. These people are flawed, they do the right things for the wrong reasons much of the time, and that doesn’t just magically change by the end of this book. Tucker wrote this in such a way that their growth isn’t done or even well on its way by the end of the first book; you see shades of what these characters can be, so when they stumble, as maddening as it can be, the reason why is more than acceptable – it’s admirable. The fact that I picked this up after the entire series is done may be giving me a different perspective on this; I’m not sure how I’d be perceiving it if I was coming into it when no sequels were yet released.

The Path of Flames has quite the cast, each with their own wounds, outlooks, desires, and flaws. It’s interesting to get the story from multiple POVs, all painting a picture of how most of their wounds were the result of one man’s hubris, arrogance, and – there’s no reason to put it otherwise – evil. This is why I say they do the right things for the wrong reasons; most of them are motivated by vengeance, and every time it seems like one of them is going to overcome that and become a more “typical hero,” they usually take a step back, lending a deep and respectable realism to their growth (or potential for it). It’s an indirect image of how the effects of abuse branch out and touch many lives; and it gives us hope that all of them will eventually overcome the hurt, reach their potential, and even become heroes on a national scale, not just within their family or fiefdom.

Though all of the characters have their bright points (and dark spots), three in particular stood out for me in this work: Audsley the magister, Ser Wyland, and Tharok.

– Audsley because on top of being an upbeat, loyal, and forthright man, he is willing to risk personal harm or even death to protect those he loves despite having zero experience with fighting, much less large-scale combat. Throw in the fact that he’s far from your typical “book cover hero” (and this is funny to say since he’s on the cover of #4), being overweight and badly nearsighted, and he breaks molds nicely.

– Tharok is compelling for, among other reasons, the fact that his storyline doesn’t directly intersect with the others yet; he is presented from the ground up just like our protagonists, which is not something you typically get to see of your antagonists in a way that shows why they’re doing what they’re doing. He gets just as much character development as our protagonists, and he also has the distinction of being the reason we get to see one of the most breathtaking descriptions in the entire book.

– Ser Wyland was what I would call your “prototypical knight”: good, wise, honest, brave, a heck of a fighter without being bloodthirsty or vicious. Yet he’s not without his flaws, just like our other protagonists. Born and raised within the Ascendancy religion, he doesn’t even realize when his beliefs and the corresponding words cut people to the quick sometimes. And then sometimes, he’s not even apologetic about it when he realizes they have. So even the noble and upstanding man has his moments where his goodness flees in the face of some arbitrary belief, when 99% of the time the man will lay his life on the line for those very same people. So in Ser Wyland, we see even the “perfect knight” is far from being a perfect man – and it makes him more real, more believable, and lets us root for him, too, to grow and change over the course of the series.

I’m sure I don’t have to say that I highly recommend this book if you’ve read this far. It’s a thinking book, as much as it’s full of action, adventure, intrigue, and tension. It’ll hit all your usual fantasy ticklish spots, but as you read between the lines, there’s a lot beneath the surface of this one. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if different people will find themselves more attracted to certain characters who share many of their traits and flaws.

Like I said, a thinking person’s book. And very much worthy of a full 5 stars.

This whole series of 5 books is awesome. Great characters that make you care about them.

Path of Flames is the first book in the Chronicles of the Black Gate series and starts things off with a devastating battle which changes the fate of a downtrodden squire. The tale is one of forbidden magic and knights-not the chivalrous, gallant type you might have in mind; these guys would hack your face off as soon as argue. In fact, the whole world is quite bleak and violent, though not without moments of humour and hope. The story follows multiple POVs and Tucker does a great job at giving each character their own voice and interesting agenda. The Ascendency religion that is at the centre of the world’s belief system is very credible and gives insight into the way people think and why they act as they do. A few tropes aside, this is very enjoyable and great start to the series.

I was a little concerned by the first few chapters that this would be a gritty slog the whole way through, but Tucker surprised me with a world that’s full of magic, mystery, and yes, grit. By the end of the book I was very interested in the worldbuilding, as well as what journeys these characters would go on. You can tell from a few chapters in that this is meant to be a multi-book epic, so Tucker is free to spread out some of the mysteries, while still giving us a lot of action and new things to ponder in this book. Looking forward to the rest

This series is fantastic! Complex world-building, great characters, and fascinating magical creatures. This is a must read!