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Braided Path #3
The Ascendancy Veil
The war that is destroying the ancient Empire of Saramyr is reaching its apocalyptic conclusion. The Weavers have stepped from the shadows and seized control, the capital is a haunted nightmare, and the land is ridden by pestilence. Terrifying demons, immune to all but magic, have been unleashed on the cities and the armies of the resistance movement. And the Aberrant hordes are seemingly without end. As the final madness of the Weavers takes hold, their tactics become ever more crazed and bloody, with thousands dying on both sides. Someone must stop the Weavers—someone must discover what lies at the bottom of the cavernous pits that they have dug across Saramyr.
464 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2005
7 people are currently reading
475 people want to read
About the author
Chris Wooding
79 books2,191 followersChris Wooding grew up in a small town in Leicestershire, where not much of anything happened. So he started to write novels. He was sixteen when he completed his first. He had an agent by eighteen. By nineteen he had signed his first book deal. When he left university he began to write full-time, and he has been doing it professionally all his adult life.
Now thirty-nine, Chris has written over twenty books, which have been translated into twenty languages, won various awards and been published around the world. He writes for film and television, and has several projects in development.
Chris has travelled extensively round the world, having backpacked all over Europe and North America, Scandinavia, South East Asia, Japan and South Africa. He also lived in Madrid for a time. When he wasn’t travelling on his own, he spent his twenties touring with bands and seeing the UK and Europe from the back of a van.
He also learned not so long ago that his family tree can be traced back to John Milton, author of Paradise Lost, which has no bearing on him whatsoever but it’s kind of interesting anyway.
Chris lives in London.
Now thirty-nine, Chris has written over twenty books, which have been translated into twenty languages, won various awards and been published around the world. He writes for film and television, and has several projects in development.
Chris has travelled extensively round the world, having backpacked all over Europe and North America, Scandinavia, South East Asia, Japan and South Africa. He also lived in Madrid for a time. When he wasn’t travelling on his own, he spent his twenties touring with bands and seeing the UK and Europe from the back of a van.
He also learned not so long ago that his family tree can be traced back to John Milton, author of Paradise Lost, which has no bearing on him whatsoever but it’s kind of interesting anyway.
Chris lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
February 7, 2024
Hace 4 años las fuerzas del Imperio, la Libera Dramach y la Red Order empezaron una guerra abierta contra los Weavers. Ahora, uno de los lados ha tomado ventaja…
Tras la caída de Juraka y la aparición de los Feya-kori (criaturas nunca antes vistas) se decide que un grupo formado por Kaiku tu Makaima, phaeca y Nomoru deben investigar el sitio del que provienen: Axekami, la capital de Saramyr. Pero el lugar ha cambiado, la gente se siente derrotada, los templos han sido destruidos y los dioses prohibidos y hay Feya-kori gigantes.
Santo señor, esos demonios gigantes.
...No, definitivamente no me asustan. Yo soy valiente, maldición.
No, mi miedo no aumentó cuando atravesaron los muros de Zila, que "habían contenido a los enemigos del Imperio durante mil años o más", no.
Avun tu Koli está ayudando a los Weavers con su lucha. Él cree que, una vez que las fuerzas opositoras hayan sido vencidas y el continente conquistado, ellos ya no necesitarán witchstones, por lo que la plaga se podrá contener y el miasma desaparecerá, porque ya no será necesario crear Feya-kori… o eso le ha dicho el Weave-lord Kakre.
Lamentablemente para El Lord Protector, hay cosas sobre su esposa que ignora…
Lucia tu Erinima ha perdido tanto, siente que han muerto tantos por ella y está cambiando, lo que francamente la aterra. Kaiku le dice que puede elegir, que puede ser lo que quiera ser, mas Lucia no lo cree. Así que, pensando que ha de ser el arma que se requiere, la salvadora que se desea, se propone atraer al espíritu más antiguo y poderoso hacia su bando para poder enfrentar a los Feya-kori… sin embargo, el Bosque de Xu está lleno de peligros y, según el Xhiang Xhi, la amenaza para el mundo es peor de lo que El espíritu de Alskain Mar llegó a saber.
Y el precio que el Xhiang Xhi pide a cambio de ayudar es muy, muy alto…
Tras la caída de Juraka y la aparición de los Feya-kori (criaturas nunca antes vistas) se decide que un grupo formado por Kaiku tu Makaima, phaeca y Nomoru deben investigar el sitio del que provienen: Axekami, la capital de Saramyr. Pero el lugar ha cambiado, la gente se siente derrotada, los templos han sido destruidos y los dioses prohibidos y hay Feya-kori gigantes.
Santo señor, esos demonios gigantes.
...No, definitivamente no me asustan. Yo soy valiente, maldición.
No, mi miedo no aumentó cuando atravesaron los muros de Zila, que "habían contenido a los enemigos del Imperio durante mil años o más", no.
Avun tu Koli está ayudando a los Weavers con su lucha. Él cree que, una vez que las fuerzas opositoras hayan sido vencidas y el continente conquistado, ellos ya no necesitarán witchstones, por lo que la plaga se podrá contener y el miasma desaparecerá, porque ya no será necesario crear Feya-kori… o eso le ha dicho el Weave-lord Kakre.
Lamentablemente para El Lord Protector, hay cosas sobre su esposa que ignora…
Lucia tu Erinima ha perdido tanto, siente que han muerto tantos por ella y está cambiando, lo que francamente la aterra. Kaiku le dice que puede elegir, que puede ser lo que quiera ser, mas Lucia no lo cree. Así que, pensando que ha de ser el arma que se requiere, la salvadora que se desea, se propone atraer al espíritu más antiguo y poderoso hacia su bando para poder enfrentar a los Feya-kori… sin embargo, el Bosque de Xu está lleno de peligros y, según el Xhiang Xhi, la amenaza para el mundo es peor de lo que El espíritu de Alskain Mar llegó a saber.
Y el precio que el Xhiang Xhi pide a cambio de ayudar es muy, muy alto…
September 6, 2016
Definitely the best book in the series and you can't complain too much if the series finishes with the strongest of the trilogy can you.
Overall, it was a pretty good story, I think the second book put me at risk of stalling starting book three as it lost my interest for a while. The Ascendancy veil is pretty much non stop action the whole way through with all of the characters stories converging to give a pretty decent ending that I was happy with. Your main characters were already pretty well developed and whilst I thought Lucia had the most potential to develop further into something really interesting, I was somewhat disappointed with the way the character was written in this book.
After reading Ketty Jay series before this, I can really see how well Woodings writing has developed.
Overall, it was a pretty good story, I think the second book put me at risk of stalling starting book three as it lost my interest for a while. The Ascendancy veil is pretty much non stop action the whole way through with all of the characters stories converging to give a pretty decent ending that I was happy with. Your main characters were already pretty well developed and whilst I thought Lucia had the most potential to develop further into something really interesting, I was somewhat disappointed with the way the character was written in this book.
After reading Ketty Jay series before this, I can really see how well Woodings writing has developed.
December 10, 2011
I have to confess to some disappointment with this, the final part of the 'Braided Path' trilogy. The first two were terrific, with great world-building, a brilliant magic system and a suitably apocalyptic threat to be dealt with, and if some of the characters were not all that interesting, it hardly mattered. But this book, despite a resounding climax and some nifty tying up of numerous plot threads, felt - just meh.
As usual, Wooding dumps us right into the middle of the action, without a moment to catch our breath. Not a writer to ease the reader gently into the story. He's very good, however, at scattering gentle hints as a reminder of the previous two books. The story picks up roughly four years after the last book ended, deep into a war between the Weavers (those who can manipulate the underlying 'weave' of the world, something like another dimension) and the remnants of the Empire. Both sides have their Aberrants on hand, twisted evil creatures fighting for the Weavers, and humans with unusual powers, once secret, but now openly supporting the Empire.
I've noted in reviews of the first two parts that Wooding's world-building is absolutely awesome. Everything is here - races, cultures, belief systems, flora and fauna, weather, languages, architecture, even the cutlery - all worked out to the last detail. It makes the average fantasy sort-of-medieval backdrop with peasants and castles seem incredibly dull by comparison. The magic is pretty damn good too. I was a little concerned that Kaiku, whose development has been the focus of the story, has now turned into some kind of River-esque 'I can kill you with my brain' superhero. And that would be very boring. But not to worry, because the Weavers have come up with something even more powerful, something that even Kaiku and her friends can't deal with. And we are beginning to find out about the strange and capricious spirits who also inhabit Saramyr.
The story builds through crisis after crisis and, as in the previous books, it seems that the main characters can't put their noses out of the door without some life-threatening encounter, and every one hyped to the max, and filled with foul monsters and dismembered corpses and all sorts of horrors. You know what? It gets a bit repetitive after a while. And even the relatively quiet moments are full of angst. There always seems to be one character or another over-analysing. I got a little jaded with it.
The characters have acquired some depth (well, over three books they have history, so it's inevitable), but none of them are really particularly likeable or emotionally engaging. Frankly, I just don't care whether they live or die, for the most part. Tsata is the most interesting, by a long way, with an honourable mention for Mishani's mother. Oh, and perhaps Lucia too. But Kaiku has turned into something of a selfish cow. Having being rescued from certain death by others numerous times, and trained to use her powers by the Red Order, she now starts agonising about - well, everything. She turns against the Red Order, she encourages Lucia to think of herself first (bit late for that), and she is horrible to Tsata. And yet she is nice to the one person who treated her abominably.
The problem for me is that this book is so dismal. All the things I loved about the first two - the weird flora and fauna, the etiquette, the elegant lifestyle and rituals of the Empire - all that is effectively gone, and the story staggers from one horrendous battle of monsters to another. It's like Frodo and Sam endlessly trekking through Mordor, really depressing stuff. Actually, it's worse, because there is so much gore and blood and spilled entrails and limbs chopped off, each monster more hideous and unbeatable than the last. And although everything that happen is completely logical, and feels as if the whole story was worked out from day one, there was no emotional resonance to it, in the end. Three stars.
As usual, Wooding dumps us right into the middle of the action, without a moment to catch our breath. Not a writer to ease the reader gently into the story. He's very good, however, at scattering gentle hints as a reminder of the previous two books. The story picks up roughly four years after the last book ended, deep into a war between the Weavers (those who can manipulate the underlying 'weave' of the world, something like another dimension) and the remnants of the Empire. Both sides have their Aberrants on hand, twisted evil creatures fighting for the Weavers, and humans with unusual powers, once secret, but now openly supporting the Empire.
I've noted in reviews of the first two parts that Wooding's world-building is absolutely awesome. Everything is here - races, cultures, belief systems, flora and fauna, weather, languages, architecture, even the cutlery - all worked out to the last detail. It makes the average fantasy sort-of-medieval backdrop with peasants and castles seem incredibly dull by comparison. The magic is pretty damn good too. I was a little concerned that Kaiku, whose development has been the focus of the story, has now turned into some kind of River-esque 'I can kill you with my brain' superhero. And that would be very boring. But not to worry, because the Weavers have come up with something even more powerful, something that even Kaiku and her friends can't deal with. And we are beginning to find out about the strange and capricious spirits who also inhabit Saramyr.
The story builds through crisis after crisis and, as in the previous books, it seems that the main characters can't put their noses out of the door without some life-threatening encounter, and every one hyped to the max, and filled with foul monsters and dismembered corpses and all sorts of horrors. You know what? It gets a bit repetitive after a while. And even the relatively quiet moments are full of angst. There always seems to be one character or another over-analysing. I got a little jaded with it.
The characters have acquired some depth (well, over three books they have history, so it's inevitable), but none of them are really particularly likeable or emotionally engaging. Frankly, I just don't care whether they live or die, for the most part. Tsata is the most interesting, by a long way, with an honourable mention for Mishani's mother. Oh, and perhaps Lucia too. But Kaiku has turned into something of a selfish cow. Having being rescued from certain death by others numerous times, and trained to use her powers by the Red Order, she now starts agonising about - well, everything. She turns against the Red Order, she encourages Lucia to think of herself first (bit late for that), and she is horrible to Tsata. And yet she is nice to the one person who treated her abominably.
The problem for me is that this book is so dismal. All the things I loved about the first two - the weird flora and fauna, the etiquette, the elegant lifestyle and rituals of the Empire - all that is effectively gone, and the story staggers from one horrendous battle of monsters to another. It's like Frodo and Sam endlessly trekking through Mordor, really depressing stuff. Actually, it's worse, because there is so much gore and blood and spilled entrails and limbs chopped off, each monster more hideous and unbeatable than the last. And although everything that happen is completely logical, and feels as if the whole story was worked out from day one, there was no emotional resonance to it, in the end. Three stars.
November 4, 2011
The conclusion to a very unique fantasy series. I will post my thoughts on the series as a whole.
The Braided Path is a very unique epic fantasy series. It is set in a world with a feudal Japan feel where true magic is only a few hundred years old, so society is being transformed in ways that it still doesn't understand(an industrial revolution type of change).
It is also the most cleverly disguised superhero story I can think of. At the start we have the Weavers, who have discovered a way to craft mask's giving them access to a magic link. With it comes instant communication, as well as the ability to hurt through the link. The trade off seems to be a growing insanity. At the start we learn that there are also "abherents" being born at alarming rates. The Weavers are killing them at birth for the good of society, but of course some get through, and many of them have a unique sort of magic of their own(each seem to have their own change, making me think of x-men mutants).
The story through the whole series is fast past and very enjoyable. Loose ends were wrapped up, twists were believable, and the magic system works in the world. The world building is unique, as even the ecology differs from our own. I fell in love with some of the secondary characters(Asari especially), but the female lead left me cold at times.
If you are looking for a fantasy series away from the medieval landscape, without a trope of the month flavor, give this series a try. It is a fairly quick read, but I found it very satisfying.
The Braided Path is a very unique epic fantasy series. It is set in a world with a feudal Japan feel where true magic is only a few hundred years old, so society is being transformed in ways that it still doesn't understand(an industrial revolution type of change).
It is also the most cleverly disguised superhero story I can think of. At the start we have the Weavers, who have discovered a way to craft mask's giving them access to a magic link. With it comes instant communication, as well as the ability to hurt through the link. The trade off seems to be a growing insanity. At the start we learn that there are also "abherents" being born at alarming rates. The Weavers are killing them at birth for the good of society, but of course some get through, and many of them have a unique sort of magic of their own(each seem to have their own change, making me think of x-men mutants).
The story through the whole series is fast past and very enjoyable. Loose ends were wrapped up, twists were believable, and the magic system works in the world. The world building is unique, as even the ecology differs from our own. I fell in love with some of the secondary characters(Asari especially), but the female lead left me cold at times.
If you are looking for a fantasy series away from the medieval landscape, without a trope of the month flavor, give this series a try. It is a fairly quick read, but I found it very satisfying.
April 26, 2017
Wow! That is all....
June 25, 2024
Book three of the Braided Path trilogy was a fast paced action packed adventure that proved to be my favorite of the whole series. I typically don't love when a book is almost nothing but action, but in this case, it really worked for me. I wouldn't say the previous two books had pacing issues, but the pacing in this one was much more consistent and it made 400 pages fly by easily.
The magic system really grew on me as well, as we saw Kaiku and the other Aberrants evolve into exceptional fighters. Many of the battles in this one felt fresh, simply due to the wide variety of enemies our main cast faced. I think that is my biggest takeaway from this series, and that it did feel fresh, which was especially surprising considering this was written 20 years ago.
Many of the themes that Wooding brings up in this series seem to be themes that publishers look for today. Ultimately, this series is about a group of people who are fighting oppression that they face simply for being born as they are. This can be tied to todays world in a variety of ways, and while mamy authors are encorporating this into their present stories, I am impressed again that these books are over 20 years old.
Writing wise, Wooding did improve as the series went on, but it'd be unfair to expect the prose to read at the same level of his never series. There was a fair share of weirdly worded sentences and phrases that I found awkward, but overall, I did enjoy the writing.
The main fault of this book isn't exactly something that happened in this book, but mainly it stems from something that the who series lacks and that is character development. I often struggled differentiating between all the side characters as many read the same. I definitely thing this series could have used a strong focus on making each character feel more original, and I came into this one hoping it would be remedied in the finale. Seeing that this book was all action, that was not the case.
Anyways, I really enjoyed my time with this trilogy. The world felt similar to The Sword of Kaigen, and it read like an "Asian inspired grimdark fantasy."
The magic system really grew on me as well, as we saw Kaiku and the other Aberrants evolve into exceptional fighters. Many of the battles in this one felt fresh, simply due to the wide variety of enemies our main cast faced. I think that is my biggest takeaway from this series, and that it did feel fresh, which was especially surprising considering this was written 20 years ago.
Many of the themes that Wooding brings up in this series seem to be themes that publishers look for today. Ultimately, this series is about a group of people who are fighting oppression that they face simply for being born as they are. This can be tied to todays world in a variety of ways, and while mamy authors are encorporating this into their present stories, I am impressed again that these books are over 20 years old.
Writing wise, Wooding did improve as the series went on, but it'd be unfair to expect the prose to read at the same level of his never series. There was a fair share of weirdly worded sentences and phrases that I found awkward, but overall, I did enjoy the writing.
The main fault of this book isn't exactly something that happened in this book, but mainly it stems from something that the who series lacks and that is character development. I often struggled differentiating between all the side characters as many read the same. I definitely thing this series could have used a strong focus on making each character feel more original, and I came into this one hoping it would be remedied in the finale. Seeing that this book was all action, that was not the case.
Anyways, I really enjoyed my time with this trilogy. The world felt similar to The Sword of Kaigen, and it read like an "Asian inspired grimdark fantasy."
November 15, 2024
Chris Woodings "Weber Trilogie" ist Fantasy ohne Klischees mit einem unverbrauchten Setting. Die Welt enthält asiatische Einflüsse und hebt sich wunderbar vom Fantasy Einheitsbrei ab.
Wooding schafft über drei Bücher eine spannende Handlung mit glaubhaften Charakteren zu verbinden. Das Pacing ist flott und am Ende jedes Kapitels kommt ein Cliffhanger.
Insgesamt ist die "Weber Trilogie" eher für Erwachsene Leser geeignet. Wooding spart nicht mit Blut und Sex.
Wirklich sehr gute Fantasy, welche kaum bekannt ist. Absolute Empfehlung.
Wooding schafft über drei Bücher eine spannende Handlung mit glaubhaften Charakteren zu verbinden. Das Pacing ist flott und am Ende jedes Kapitels kommt ein Cliffhanger.
Insgesamt ist die "Weber Trilogie" eher für Erwachsene Leser geeignet. Wooding spart nicht mit Blut und Sex.
Wirklich sehr gute Fantasy, welche kaum bekannt ist. Absolute Empfehlung.
July 20, 2013
Kinda blown away by Chris Wooding's Braided Path trilogy. I'm always impressed by how these guys manage to pull these things together in such a coherent way over a series of books. Things set up in book 1 come full circle to be paid off in book 3, or however many there are. It can't be easy - the books are separated by years and while you're writing book 3, book 1 and 2 have already been published and now you have no choice but to stick to what you've written about before. Always impressed by that.
Take Richard Morgan's The Steel Remains and The Cold Commands - with book 3 still in the works - for example. Now I am a fan of this series, but Morgan plays it pretty fast and loose with the mythologies that he creates. I won't be surprised if, come book 3, whole strands are simply abandoned in favour new more immediate ideas and solutions.
Then there's also the way Chris Wooding writes action. These books are chocked full of huge battle scenes - but they are always distinct from one another and always so vivid and visceral and always entertaining. Even the battles within the Weave, which is a sort of Psychic warfare, and one that happens often - and it should be pretty boring and repetitive, given its nature, but somehow Wooding always makes it fresh and exciting.
And of course the thing that really holds it all together is his fantastic characters and immaculate world building. You care for these characters and are fascinate by this world and the intricacies of these societies. Full of sex, politics, corruption, betrayal, revenge - all that good shit.
But most of all the thing that blew me away was the mythology that Wooding created, and the way he was able to break it down to its most fundamental elements and then bring it right up to allowing us an understanding of the nature of the gods of this universe and their place in the greater scheme of things. Pretty fucking amazing, if you ask me.
Not sure which of the three I preferred - they were all fucking great.
Take Richard Morgan's The Steel Remains and The Cold Commands - with book 3 still in the works - for example. Now I am a fan of this series, but Morgan plays it pretty fast and loose with the mythologies that he creates. I won't be surprised if, come book 3, whole strands are simply abandoned in favour new more immediate ideas and solutions.
Then there's also the way Chris Wooding writes action. These books are chocked full of huge battle scenes - but they are always distinct from one another and always so vivid and visceral and always entertaining. Even the battles within the Weave, which is a sort of Psychic warfare, and one that happens often - and it should be pretty boring and repetitive, given its nature, but somehow Wooding always makes it fresh and exciting.
And of course the thing that really holds it all together is his fantastic characters and immaculate world building. You care for these characters and are fascinate by this world and the intricacies of these societies. Full of sex, politics, corruption, betrayal, revenge - all that good shit.
But most of all the thing that blew me away was the mythology that Wooding created, and the way he was able to break it down to its most fundamental elements and then bring it right up to allowing us an understanding of the nature of the gods of this universe and their place in the greater scheme of things. Pretty fucking amazing, if you ask me.
Not sure which of the three I preferred - they were all fucking great.
January 14, 2012
An amazing finale! If Chris Wooding were to write another 20 books set in the world of Saramyr, I'd hungrily read them all.
Four years later since book two, the war continues bleak. There have been small victories, but it is getting near the turning point where victory either happens now, or it will be impossible, so it's time for bigger, crazier and more desperate plans. Which of course means insane battles full of blood and gore, very personal sacrifices and the strenght and willingness to go through with it.
There are quite a few surprises in character development (Mishani's mother impressed me the most, but wasn't the only one). In face of necessity, they continually push themselves further, very often at great personal risk. And again, some die, despite all efforts. Don't get too attached, is what I'm saying.
I loved how each side of the war had a different way of fighting, and how it fit with the nature of each army. I loved how the attacking or the defending were logical and well tought out according to the situation or the surrounding environment, instead of the typical lazy meeting-in-a-field-and-charging-against-eachother you get in most fantasy novel wars. I also loved that despite having people with special abilities on each side, they weren't all-powerfull and won battles single-handedly. There was such a thing as troop moral, even.
All in all, it was bleak and violent and miserable, but the characters pushed through with the plot and it was their very human efforts that made it all possible and believable.
Four years later since book two, the war continues bleak. There have been small victories, but it is getting near the turning point where victory either happens now, or it will be impossible, so it's time for bigger, crazier and more desperate plans. Which of course means insane battles full of blood and gore, very personal sacrifices and the strenght and willingness to go through with it.
There are quite a few surprises in character development (Mishani's mother impressed me the most, but wasn't the only one). In face of necessity, they continually push themselves further, very often at great personal risk. And again, some die, despite all efforts. Don't get too attached, is what I'm saying.
I loved how each side of the war had a different way of fighting, and how it fit with the nature of each army. I loved how the attacking or the defending were logical and well tought out according to the situation or the surrounding environment, instead of the typical lazy meeting-in-a-field-and-charging-against-eachother you get in most fantasy novel wars. I also loved that despite having people with special abilities on each side, they weren't all-powerfull and won battles single-handedly. There was such a thing as troop moral, even.
All in all, it was bleak and violent and miserable, but the characters pushed through with the plot and it was their very human efforts that made it all possible and believable.
January 6, 2012
A spectacular finish for an original series.
Characterization is a bit lacking in this final volume, mostly because there is a lot of fighting to be done. The constant battering the main characters are receiving from the Weavers was a bit overwhelming, made me think for a while the series will turn fall in the trap of Jim Butcher of Codex Alera - another magic intensive epic where I felt the author went overboard by making the characters too strong. The Braided Path narrowly avoided this, and in fact, the magic system in Chris Wooding series is one of the main attractions for me, together with the oriental culture worldbuilding and his ability to write good battle scenes.
Characterization is a bit lacking in this final volume, mostly because there is a lot of fighting to be done. The constant battering the main characters are receiving from the Weavers was a bit overwhelming, made me think for a while the series will turn fall in the trap of Jim Butcher of Codex Alera - another magic intensive epic where I felt the author went overboard by making the characters too strong. The Braided Path narrowly avoided this, and in fact, the magic system in Chris Wooding series is one of the main attractions for me, together with the oriental culture worldbuilding and his ability to write good battle scenes.
May 25, 2020
I have come to the end of this trilogy. I was engaged with the story right up until the end. It kept evolving until the final threads of each person's story was tied together in a satisfactory conclusion. And there was an openness to another story in this on-going history of . Not being a person who appreciates fantasy I had to overcome my distance from the story from time to time but when I was able to get back into the story and the cultures of the various people I appreciated the way the Chris was able to make this world come alive with its magic. He has an art of description that allowed my imagination to make the scenes come alive. I appreciated the way the main characters' relationship came to light and evolved.
I won't tell you the story, you can read that for yourself. Only to say that I stayed with the series because it was a big story that continued over three books and there was always hope and despair, mystery and resolution, conflict and connection that was satisfying and entertaining.
I won't tell you the story, you can read that for yourself. Only to say that I stayed with the series because it was a big story that continued over three books and there was always hope and despair, mystery and resolution, conflict and connection that was satisfying and entertaining.
July 8, 2019
This war will be remembered as the time we came of age. We learned to meddle with force beyond our understanding before our due time. Now our presence is made known. ... sooner or later, something will come looking.
not a bad finish. Also interesting that real killers (Asara) end up on top of the heap!
not a bad finish. Also interesting that real killers (Asara) end up on top of the heap!
December 28, 2018
*Воалът на господството
Щом са сменили дори заглавието и то по тъп начин, съм убедена че и целия превод е опропастен. Четете версиите в Читанка (те са преди издаването) - за тях гарантирам, че са добри, за издадените - не. Ревюто ми за първата книга от поредицата казва всичко.
Щом са сменили дори заглавието и то по тъп начин, съм убедена че и целия превод е опропастен. Четете версиите в Читанка (те са преди издаването) - за тях гарантирам, че са добри, за издадените - не. Ревюто ми за първата книга от поредицата казва всичко.
April 28, 2012
The final novel in the Braided Path trilogy manages to successfully build upon the previous two novels to produce a largely satisfying conclusion to the series. At the end of the previous book the Weavers seemed to have delivered a devastating blow to their opponents. As we pick up the story a few years later we find that the Weavers haven't had everything their own way, but now seem poised to achieve a final victory over their enemies.
The series was never particularly light-hearted reading but the final volume is particularly grim, starting off with a battle featuring a horrific and seemingly unstoppable new foe and then progressing through a series of battles and set-backs for Kaiku and her allies in the fight to save Saramyr. Throughout the series Wooding has shown he isn't afraid to kill off characters and this continues here, with several important characters getting killed, including a few memorable and fitting ends for some of them. If the first book in the series was maybe a bit too predictable at times, the ending of the story is a bit more original although I suspect I'd have been more impressed with one crucial plot twist if I hadn't anticipated it due to Guy Gavriel Kay using a very similar plot device in his Fionavar Tapestry series.
It does eventually come to a fairly satisfying conclusion with a good combination of action/battle scenes and character-focused scenes, although some aspects of the ending do seem a bit open-ended. The ending does have a bittersweet and somewhat cynical feel to it, which is appropriate given the rest of the series, a purely happy ending would have seemed a bit jarring.
Overall, this was a series that improved as it went on and although I've read better epic fantasy series in recent years and it was never quite as compelling as the exuberant adventure of Woodings' later Ketty Jay series, the Braided Path trilogy was an entertaining read.
The series was never particularly light-hearted reading but the final volume is particularly grim, starting off with a battle featuring a horrific and seemingly unstoppable new foe and then progressing through a series of battles and set-backs for Kaiku and her allies in the fight to save Saramyr. Throughout the series Wooding has shown he isn't afraid to kill off characters and this continues here, with several important characters getting killed, including a few memorable and fitting ends for some of them. If the first book in the series was maybe a bit too predictable at times, the ending of the story is a bit more original although I suspect I'd have been more impressed with one crucial plot twist if I hadn't anticipated it due to Guy Gavriel Kay using a very similar plot device in his Fionavar Tapestry series.
It does eventually come to a fairly satisfying conclusion with a good combination of action/battle scenes and character-focused scenes, although some aspects of the ending do seem a bit open-ended. The ending does have a bittersweet and somewhat cynical feel to it, which is appropriate given the rest of the series, a purely happy ending would have seemed a bit jarring.
Overall, this was a series that improved as it went on and although I've read better epic fantasy series in recent years and it was never quite as compelling as the exuberant adventure of Woodings' later Ketty Jay series, the Braided Path trilogy was an entertaining read.
June 26, 2014
I have just finished the Weavers of Saramyr trilogy and I would like to give some fresh impressions: first, although I liked the 3 books, I believe the quality decreased as we neared the end. The first book, the Braided Path, had it all: an interesting magic system, strong characters, good plot, mystery and twists. The second gave the main characters room to grow, to assert themselves within the world Chris Wooding creates: they begin to doubt, to love, to hate, to make decisions that would alter the very core of who they are. The Ascendancy Veil ends the battle against the Weavers and gives hints that the future holds new challenges for our protagonists. All and all, it was a rewarding read and it was a pleasure to watch Kaiku's come of age: from a frightened child, running into the night hunted by demons, she grows into a fearsome fighter, accepting who she is, pushing the limits of her special power and nourishing the women within, who, despite trials and betrayals, says yes to love. One more character I followed with great interest was Mishani: she was built like a Japanese miniature: perfectly poised, no unnecessary gestures or words. Although very much alive and full of passion, with decisions of consequence for the development of the action, she remains somewhat mysterious and aloof, probably also because she has no special magic: she is very human and counting on only her wit and mastery of politics to succeed.
The world Wooding creates also reminds of a Japanese painting, from the depiction of demons and fabulous Aberrant animals, to the Saramyric language (divided between literary cultured high honorifics and a low peasant different language) and the wonderful auditive and visual descriptions, all coming together as brush strokes across a vast canvas to form a detailed, almost sensual experience.
The world Wooding creates also reminds of a Japanese painting, from the depiction of demons and fabulous Aberrant animals, to the Saramyric language (divided between literary cultured high honorifics and a low peasant different language) and the wonderful auditive and visual descriptions, all coming together as brush strokes across a vast canvas to form a detailed, almost sensual experience.
December 3, 2013
I normally find this to be a very satisfying end to this series, re-reading it now (granted this must be around the 4th or 5th time reading this book) I find myself wanting another book in the series (or another series based in the future) to see if the events that Kaiku fears and discusses at the end do come about.
I stand by my review of the earlier book in that this reminds me very much of Game of Thrones, however this re-read also makes me realise that these books can be seen as not very subtle warnings as to the effects of pollution on our world - this became especially obvious during the Axekami segments of the book - simply think of Aberrants as mutations and we have our analogy.
Asara remains my favourite character - despite having a smaller presence in this book she certainly has a fulfilling story (and I do feel for her considering the way she is treated by Cailin), Mishani pulls in as a close second with Tsata and Kaiku coming in joint third. Nomoru I could do without, I didn't find her overly interesting in the second book and I find her less so now. I think her plot is an interesting one (combining her brief unnamed appearance in book one with her tracking in book two and budding relationship with Yugi to her revenge and unemotional decisions in this book) she has all the elements to be a really interesting person but unfortunately her characterisation just annoys me.
Overall I think this is a five star series, and if the author ever decides to revisit Saramyr I would be interested in reading about it.
I stand by my review of the earlier book in that this reminds me very much of Game of Thrones, however this re-read also makes me realise that these books can be seen as not very subtle warnings as to the effects of pollution on our world - this became especially obvious during the Axekami segments of the book - simply think of Aberrants as mutations and we have our analogy.
Asara remains my favourite character - despite having a smaller presence in this book she certainly has a fulfilling story (and I do feel for her considering the way she is treated by Cailin), Mishani pulls in as a close second with Tsata and Kaiku coming in joint third. Nomoru I could do without, I didn't find her overly interesting in the second book and I find her less so now. I think her plot is an interesting one (combining her brief unnamed appearance in book one with her tracking in book two and budding relationship with Yugi to her revenge and unemotional decisions in this book) she has all the elements to be a really interesting person but unfortunately her characterisation just annoys me.
Overall I think this is a five star series, and if the author ever decides to revisit Saramyr I would be interested in reading about it.
July 26, 2014
A breathtaking conclusion to a fantastic triology. While book #1 left me slightly underwhelmed, book #2 and #3 were simply stunning. The story is set in a vastly impressive oriental world, the character-development beyond book #1 is downright beautiful, and this story is so littered with action that I am at a loss of words. This is an epically crafted, beautifully written and staggering effort from Chris Wooding with all the elements a fantasy triology should have. Interesting and complex magic system, fantastical lore, spirits, and great characters (of which none are safe). Highly highly recommended.
February 10, 2015
Did not have my answers at the end. In fact if I hadn't liked these characters and world so much I would have given it only 2* for instead of ending my doubts it only raised more.
How come that stone was older than the others if they came from the same moon at the time of its explosion?
On earth we have stones older than others but if our planet exploded and it's debris landed on the moon wouldn't it be logical that the older part of it scattered on the moon surface instead of having just one bit landing there?
Can't find the answer to that just as I still couldn't find it to the others I had before...
How come that stone was older than the others if they came from the same moon at the time of its explosion?
On earth we have stones older than others but if our planet exploded and it's debris landed on the moon wouldn't it be logical that the older part of it scattered on the moon surface instead of having just one bit landing there?
Can't find the answer to that just as I still couldn't find it to the others I had before...
November 28, 2014
This is not my favorite fantasy book or fantasy series for this matter, but with time I came to almost enjoying it and understanding more the characters that at first I didn't like. However, Chris Wooding's writing is as always beautiful and varied and the story getts much better along the way. The monsters are scary and all the Japanese theme is a fitting background for the events. The end is nice too. XD
April 22, 2016
I can't say there is anything wrong with the trilogy, I read all three of them. The characters are relatable, the plot is OK, the pacing is good. It is a good fantasy tale, with enough left at the end for another trilogy in the same universe if Chris Wooding wants to return to it. What's more I'd probably read it. It didn't however set my world on fire. Maybe I am just becoming a cynic where fantasy comes in.
July 31, 2015
What a whirlwind of a series. It is full of action but yet has time for character building and rich description of the scenery. I am left at the end of the trilogy feeling a bit on a cliffhanger. The problems of book 1 are resolved...sort of...but now there is hints of whole new issues that face the world. I wonder if there will be more books in this series!
July 13, 2017
The ending to the Braided Path trilogy, and fantastic really. The ending was unexpected. It makes me hope that someday there will be more books that take place in this universe. It's been a few years since my first reading and my feelings for it haven't changed.
October 30, 2009
A good conclusion to the trilogy that leaves an opening for additional books. Recommended to fantasy lovers looking for a story one-off from traditional fantasy.
January 16, 2013
Excelente trilogia. Adorei.
August 17, 2008
i love an author who does not fear killing off the good guys often and early
October 31, 2010
Satisfying end to an absolutely riveting fantasy series.
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