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The Ascendant Path #2
The Ascendant Path: Soldier
The Ascendant Soldier continues the story of Layten Grayread and his improbable life.
Layten and his friends Hopwell and Wix are somehow still alive, though not anywhere they want to be. After the battle of the Guardians in the House of Knowledge everything Layten thought was upended, as the Priest Vilom, the 'Voice of Sartum' has started a crusade. A crusade to end the threat of magic, once and for all.
With the Houses closed, Layten and his friends are pressed into service in the northern army. From the training grounds to the depths of the southern lands, Layten only has one goal, to survive. For not everything is as simple as it appears, and multiple people are playing a dangerous game. A game that could spell the end for entire races and lands.
The prize? Control over magic itself.
Layten and his friends Hopwell and Wix are somehow still alive, though not anywhere they want to be. After the battle of the Guardians in the House of Knowledge everything Layten thought was upended, as the Priest Vilom, the 'Voice of Sartum' has started a crusade. A crusade to end the threat of magic, once and for all.
With the Houses closed, Layten and his friends are pressed into service in the northern army. From the training grounds to the depths of the southern lands, Layten only has one goal, to survive. For not everything is as simple as it appears, and multiple people are playing a dangerous game. A game that could spell the end for entire races and lands.
The prize? Control over magic itself.
- GenresFantasy
344 pages, Paperback
Published October 3, 2022
About the author
Joshua C. Cook
41 books48 followersBorn and Raised in Sunny (sometimes) Florida, I grew up in a house of readers. I've always been into good Sci-Fi, fantasy, and technology. In fact I ended up somehow working in the IT field for the last 13 years.
One of the things that surprised me about my career was the interaction of people with technology. How blindly trusting people are of whatever the computer says on it, regardless if what it's saying is even possible.
When I decided to write, I chose to play in the space of the interaction between people and technology, and reality vs. perception.
One of the things that surprised me about my career was the interaction of people with technology. How blindly trusting people are of whatever the computer says on it, regardless if what it's saying is even possible.
When I decided to write, I chose to play in the space of the interaction between people and technology, and reality vs. perception.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 11, 2022
Absolutely fantastic fantasy to please everyone. Adventure at its finest. Amazing characters to bring the story to life.
January 21, 2023
Wow, things have certainly heated up in this book. I enjoyed book one but I loved this one. I would recommend you read or listen to book one before starting this one so you know what is going on, the author doesn't waste anytime going over previous events and is striaght into the story. So much is happening and it is set up for the next book, which I will (and you) will have to get. It does get a bit confusing because of the choice of very unusual names, keeping the characters striaght but to be honest I am not sure many are going to be around for much longer anyway, it's that action packed and with the double crosses as well, Fingers crossed for the main characters friends, who I like. Just a fun adventure that I think still has plenty of magic and surprises to come and I can't wait.
With the house of knowledge damaged, Layten and his friends face there biggest challenge yet. As scholars they are use to wielding pens and parchment but with a fight about to brake out they will have to pick up swords and shields and learn to fight. Somebody wants them dead and the secrets they discovered gone. Can they survive? Trapped between two opposing sides with there own agendas they can only do or go where they are told, even if it means exploring new and dangerous lands where monsters and magic are plentiful and there fighting skill lacking.
I liked the narrator. I think he wielded his own magic to make the story fly by but be exciting at the same time.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
With the house of knowledge damaged, Layten and his friends face there biggest challenge yet. As scholars they are use to wielding pens and parchment but with a fight about to brake out they will have to pick up swords and shields and learn to fight. Somebody wants them dead and the secrets they discovered gone. Can they survive? Trapped between two opposing sides with there own agendas they can only do or go where they are told, even if it means exploring new and dangerous lands where monsters and magic are plentiful and there fighting skill lacking.
I liked the narrator. I think he wielded his own magic to make the story fly by but be exciting at the same time.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
November 22, 2022
Layton and his friends are whisked from the ruin of their school to the front lines of a battle they are ill equipped for. A battle that is far from what is seems. And just when you thought things couldn't get any worse - well, you'll have to read it because spoilers. Excellent follow on to book 1. This book expanded from Layten's admittedly limited POV to more characters and began to reveal the motivations behind the conflict, why Layten is of such interest, and the powers behind the scenes manipulating things on both sides. This book gets much darker than book one, but I suppose that is to be expected with war. Some interesting reveals about Layten's power as well. One of those just when I thought I figured it out a new twist was added.
This is book 2 in a trilogy that is a spin off set in the future of the Forgemaster trilogy. Read the Ascendant Path in order or you will be lost, but it is not necessary to read Forgemaster trilogy to enjoy this series. It will add to your understanding though. This book does have a full and satisfying story arc, but ends with a huge set up for the next book and leaves much still to be finished in the overarching plot.
This is book 2 in a trilogy that is a spin off set in the future of the Forgemaster trilogy. Read the Ascendant Path in order or you will be lost, but it is not necessary to read Forgemaster trilogy to enjoy this series. It will add to your understanding though. This book does have a full and satisfying story arc, but ends with a huge set up for the next book and leaves much still to be finished in the overarching plot.
February 6, 2023
Audiobook: I enjoyed book 2 of "The Ascendant Path" series even more than the first one. The action was pretty much non-stop. Layten continued to grow as a character. I appreciated the comradeship between Layten and his friends. The machinations of Priest Vilom were surprising and took some unexpected turns. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. David Gurney's narration was exciting and added to the story's entertainment. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.
February 25, 2024
IMO awful ending
OK, so you want to sell books... You write a decent book, pretty boring through most of it, very little in the way of real substance, or advancing the core of the plot. Towards the end, it gets really exciting, and then it ends in the middle of a fight scene. Really? That is your idea of a stand-alone book? There should be a warning with the first book, "This is actually one book broken up into several because I wanted to sell more books."
OK, so you want to sell books... You write a decent book, pretty boring through most of it, very little in the way of real substance, or advancing the core of the plot. Towards the end, it gets really exciting, and then it ends in the middle of a fight scene. Really? That is your idea of a stand-alone book? There should be a warning with the first book, "This is actually one book broken up into several because I wanted to sell more books."
January 27, 2023
Wow
Very well written! I just do not understand how Joshua C Cook can thing of these powers the people have and then write a story around the good and evil! Great book !
Very well written! I just do not understand how Joshua C Cook can thing of these powers the people have and then write a story around the good and evil! Great book !
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews