Who Would Like This Book:
If you love sprawling fantasy worlds with a dash of danger, clever survival, and a heroine who is all brains and grit, "Pathfinder's Way" is a winner. The worldbuilding is top-notch - think post-apocalyptic wilds, mysterious monsters, and tribal politics. Shea, the main character (think Mulan in a fantasy setting), is strong, independent, and incredibly skilled, making her journey one of hard-won respect and found family. There's a satisfying slow-burn romance and plenty of action and political intrigue, perfect for fans of strong, flawed heroines, enemies-to-lovers tension, and immersive settings.
Who May Not Like This Book:
If you're looking for swoony, non-toxic romances or hate slow builds, this might not be your kind of adventure. Some readers didn’t click with the later-stage romance, finding it underdeveloped or lacking chemistry due to the leads' long separation. There are also complaints about the male lead's behavior, editing issues, and a few felt let down by the way the story handled conquest and moral ambiguity. If problematic power dynamics or messy world details bother you, this might not be your favorite fantasy.
About:
'Pathfinder's Way' in the series 'The Broken Lands' by T.A. White follows the story of Shea, a talented Pathfinder in a complex and dangerous world. Shea is posted to a village where she faces sexism and mistrust from the elders, leading to a series of events that bring her in contact with Fallon, the Trateri Warlord. Their tumultuous courtship unfolds against the backdrop of a society divided between different factions and facing various challenges, including battles, betrayals, and personal struggles. intricately weaves together elements of adventure, romance, and world-building, gradually revealing the layers of the characters and the unique setting created by the author.
Author T.A. White skillfully crafts a narrative that delves into Shea's character development, her interactions with Fallon, and the overarching conflicts within the world of 'The Broken Lands'. The story unfolds with a blend of action-packed sequences, intriguing world-building, and a slow-burn romance between the strong-willed Shea and the warlord Fallon. The writing style of the book is praised for its ability to gradually unveil the complexities of the characters, the dynamics between different factions, and the underlying themes of loyalty, courage, and personal growth.
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Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of betrayal, toxic relationships, and moral ambiguities associated with wartime scenarios.
Has Romance?
While there is romance present, it is more of a subplot compared to the overarching narrative.
From The Publisher:
The Trateri are about to learn a vital lesson of the Broken Lands. Deep in the remote expanse where anything can happen, it pays to be on a pathfinder's good side.
Nobody ventures beyond their village. Nobody sane that is. Monstrous creatures and deadly mysteries wait out here. Lucky for the people she serves, Shea's not exactly sane. As a pathfinder, it's her job to face what others fear and find the safest route through the wilderness. It's not an easy job, but she's the best at what she does.
When the people she serves betray her into servitude to the Trateri, a barbarian horde sweeping through the Lowlands intent on conquest, Shea relies on her wits and skill to escape, disguising herself as a boy to hide from the Warlord, a man as dangerous as he is compelling.
After being mistaken as a Trateri scout during her escape, Shea finds herself forced to choose between the life she led and the possibilities of a new one. Her decision might mean the difference between life or death. For danger looms on the horizon and a partnership with the Warlord may be the only thing preventing the destruction of everything she holds dear.
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Ratings (58)
Incredible (12) | |
Loved It (21) | |
Liked It (12) | |
It Was OK (6) | |
Did Not Like (3) | |
Hated It (4) |
Reader Stats (112):
Read It (59) | |
Want To Read (32) | |
Did Not Finish (5) | |
Not Interested (16) |
3 comment(s)
I liked the FMC's competence but I felt like the story was sort of meandering and going nowhere.
The forced proximity, captive and escape plot, plus the protagonist fighting her feelings for this alpha male was really fun and memorable.
There's a lot about this book that I liked, but I really struggled with Fallon. Nothing in this book, until the veeeeeerry end, sold whatever feelings Shea had for him. He treats her like his slave - one that he's going to abuse until she agrees to become his whore. It was so off-putting that I nearly quit at several points.
I don't particularly like him or his people - with the exception of Shea's friends - nor their casual cruelty. But the last 10% was solid, to me, and marked a bit of a turning point. So I'm going to read on and see where it goes.
****3.5****
Re-read Dec 2023
This series is a favorite, though I struggle a bit with the first book. This is fantasy romance, barbarian style - warlord/alpha MMC that begins by bulldozing the FMC quite a bit. The FMC is a very 3-dimensional badass, complete with flaws. She's used to expecting the worst from people, and has a long history of it (alluded to in this first book, but we get more detail later).
There are a lot of series that start out this way that I struggle with, but adore once we're over that first hurdle. Books where it is hard for me to justify because the guy is pretty toxic at first. There are two things that make it tolerable for me:
1 - it's fiction, so I can forgive stuff I wouldn't IRL as long as they don't cross any unforgivable lines (like, rape = immediate DNF for me)
2 - making some allowances for his culture. Fallon (the MMC) is a warlord in a culture of nomadic tribal people, which are organized into clans. The clans often war with each other, and so their "marriage" tradition (in quotes because they call it something else, but it amounts to the same thing - a beloved equal partner) is kidnapping your chosen mate from their clan and slowly winning their trust and loyalty. To be fair, that's not uncommon in highlander books either - it's kind of a common trope in clan-type medieval style books. And if you look at it from that perspective, Fallon's actions become a bit more understandable. He never hurts her - it isn't about hurting her, and in fact because the point is to win the trust of their chosen partner, the abduction is the beginning of a slow wooing and abuse would utterly undercut that. So I can live with it when that needle is carefully thread, as it is here.
Anyway, YMMV of course, but this series is a favorite for me.
What can you read after
Pathfinder's Way?
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