Path of Blood

Path #3

by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Chaos reigns in the realm of Kodu Riik. Plague continues to ravage its populace. Armies of the power-hungry Aare are on the march, slaughtering everything in their path to place a madman on the throne. And the rift between the kingdom and the land of Cemanahuatl yawns ever wider, threatening to consume both beneath waves of uncontrollable magic and destroy every living soul within them.

Only Reisil possesses enough power to breach the spellbound city of Mysane Kosk and seal the fracture. Accompanied by her goshawk, Saljane, and her lover, Yohuac, Reisil must journey across a land besieged by war and fight for a domain torn asunder by sorceries beyond imagining....

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, High Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction Fantasy

464 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

I was raised on a cattle ranch in Northern California (outside a town called Lincoln which is now part of an enormous sprawl). I taught myself to ride a horse at the age of six, as no one had the time to teach me—they were all busy learning how to irrigate, how to cajole an angry bull into another field, how to pull a calf… Afraid of heights, and absolutely sure I was going to die, I managed to scramble up on the back of a very patient and lazy strawberry roan destrier, and plod off into the sunset.

Thereafter, I spent much of my early life on horseback, or so far buried into a book that the rest of the world ceased to exist (much to the annoyance of my family—it took several attempts to get my attention). We all had very specific jobs on the ranch and mine was horses and cattle—out rounding up at dawn. And since I rode bareback, my standing request was to wake me up 5 minutes before everyone else headed for the barn—time enough to dress and eat my Wheaties, and no sleep time wasted on saddling.

After high school, I attended college after college, racking up a BA and MA in creative writing and a Ph.D. in literature and theory. My very patient and supportive husband traipsed across the Midwest and back to Montana for me (though my husband insists that he’s been running and hiding and I just keep finding him), where I now teach at the University of Montana-Western. We also a son Q-ball, who in our humbly unbiased opinions, is the most wonderful son ever produced, and a daughter, Princess Caesar, who is the most wonderful daughter ever produced.

I have a fascination for the Victorians, weather, geology, horses, plants and mythology, I like spicy food, chocolate and cheesecake, and I have an odd sense of humor. (Or so I’ve been told. Often.) Incidentally, the Pharaoh is in fact my real name, and oddly enough, is of British origin.

Some of my current favorite sf/f writers are Ilona Andrews, Carol Berg, C.E. Murphy, Patty Briggs, Lynn Flewelling, Rachel Caine, David Coe, and Anne Bishop.

Reviews

[Roxanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed with this one. Okay, so Reisil saves the world, and keeps her bird, and everyone loves her because she's the hero. But EVERY OTHER DAMN CHARACTER gets screwed.

Sodur becomes a nakula; Juhrnus becomes a plague healer (not a bad deal overall, but he's not Juhrnus anymore, not really); Metyein gets tortured and then BEHEADED by his best friend, when Metyein was possibly the best character in the book; Soka has to live with the fact that he had to kill Metyein; Ceriba gets raped and tortured AGAIN, only she dies this time; Baku gets blown up, and Yohuac gets disemboweled and then gets to spend the rest of Reisil's natural life as a ghost. WTF? Francis should have found a better damn way to fix that.

I never really bought Reisil and Yohuac's undying love to begin with; he just sort of popped up randomly midway through book 2, and she didn't really seem to notice him until he kissed her at the end of book 2, and then all of sudden beginning of book 3 she feels for him what she's never felt for any other man. And now he's a ghost, and they'll never be able to have any other children or even sex, and Reisil's a young woman. It's kind of a crappy ending, really.

And the way that the world got saved, with the Lady having to pull back from Kodu Riik, was kind of lame--now it's just going to be like every other magical world in a fantasy novel. And we never had explained where the plague healers even come from--my theory is that, when the plague hits a person with magical talent, the plague's magic and the person's magic fuse so the person becomes a plague healer. But that's not clear at all, and you'd think more plague healers would be running around if that were the case. For that matter, where did the plague even come from? We got an explanation about the nokulas that made sense--the magic in Mysane Kosk wanted to BE something, and so it attached to any living thing that came near and transformed it--but where did the plague come from? It's obviously a magical plague, but no explanation. Oh, and where did Reisil's parents end up? I feel frustrated that I poured so much energy into reading these books and the ending was so unsatisfying. They were definitely enjoyable to read, and fun, but I'm not really happy.

[Echo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what happened. I loved the first two books in the series, but this .... two hundred pages from the end, and I almost threw in the towel.
I disliked Reisel by that point. Seriously. I was sort of hoping she would die at the end.
I HATED Reisel's relatinship with Yohuac. I mean, her relationship with Kebonsat early in the series was really well-done and convincing. They traveled together forever, they had a mutual trust, and they had (have) a really good rapport. Then in the second book, Yuhuac just shows up out of the blue, and basically follows her around like a lost little puppy. A sullen one. Who never speaks to her. Who really doesn't seem to be much more than just a burden to her, at a time when she's already struggling with the burdens she has. And then, suddenly, this book starts and they're in a relationship and totes in LOVE LOVE. Wait. What? Since when? Why? And that's about how I feel about their relationship throughout this last book. I never understand it, they never have ANY chemistry (seriously, she's got bucketloads more chemistry with Juhrnus and Metyein and Soka and ... everyone else, actually). I keep getting told how amazing her love for him is, but at no point do I ever actually SEE it so that it's convincing.
I disliked the way everyone was treating Kebonsat. Like ... seriously? I mean, Reisel can commit an absolutely brutal act of mass murder, and everyone is cool with that. Yohuac can sleep with several hundred women in a public ritual in front of Reisil and she's not bothered at all. But Kebonsat misleads Emelovi to get her to leave her psychopath brother, and people think he's done something wrong? I about lost it when Emelovi basically said, "It was my CHOICE whether I stayed with my brother and let him have men rape me, and you took that away from me!" And then everyone AGREES WITH HER that KEBONSAT was out of line? THE HECK??? These people have got to get their priorities straight. I get being mad, but ultimately, the dude did the right thing and everyone treats him like crap over it. Not to mention, at the end the whole, "We'll accept him even though he's a dirty foreigner because Emelovi loves him and he DID amost die saving her life." Um. Yeah, and did a heck of a lot more to earn your respect before that. I mean, the guy DID give up a heck of a lot to fight in YOUR COUNTRY'S war.
By the end of the book, I was only reading the book for Kebonsat, Metyein, Soka, and Juhrnus, and I really didn't care about anyone or anything else. I was somewhat less frustrated when I actually got to the end, but still ... this was a disappointment, probably even more so because I enjoyed the first two books so much.

[Chrissy Wissler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the trilogy, tying together the main plot points in the first two books. Francis did this well and gives readers a relatively satisfying conclusion. Reisil has more journeying to do in this book, more tests as she tries to find the answer to sealing the rift between two worlds.

Out of all three books, I truly enjoying "Path of Fate" the most simply because the scope of the story was much smaller and more focused on Reisil's struggles and conflicts. There was still a larger plot going on around her, but it was more of a backdrop. It really felt like Reisil and her choices moved the plot forward, which is different from "Path of Honor" and "Path of Blood." While both good stories in a well developed world, they both screamed 'fantasy' books where the heroine is on a quest to find answers. All the other characters are preparing for war and it felt like we were constantly moving; I never had the chance to sit still with a character long enough to really connect with them.

Again, this was a great fantasy book and Francis did an excellent job concluding the series, but it would have been nice to stay with the characters longer. I like connecting and getting to know them; for me, experiencing the book through characters is what makes a book come alive and make me wanting more.

[Bagtree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than Path of Honor, with some genuinely awesome moments - but I still don't think it stands up to the more tightly-focused Path of Fate. Going from a highly character-based story to WHOA EPIC BATTLES WITH WORLDS IN THE BALANCE over the course of the trilogy was a bit jarring - but the characters, and smaller character-based moments, are still absolutely great.

[Yuhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why?

*****SPOILERS READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL*****

Much like the second book, Path of Blood was disappointing to me. I was not happy with how it ended, I did not like how Yohuac had to basically sleep with everyone before killing himself. It was too convenient that Raisil's mother was from the same realm that Yohuac was from. I don't really even get how Reisil and Yohuac get together. They did not have any romantic moments before she went to search for the wizards, and the moment they escape from the wizards they all of a sudden are together? Then when she decides that there will be no other man for her... I don't see that bond that they formed. I was happy that she eventually got him back, but since I wasn't happy that he had to sacrifice himself to begin with, I was not happy that he came back in energy form.

People died that I really did not want dying, Kebonsat's sister died... hadn't she been through enough? The ruler guy Aare was really really cruel, I feel like it was not necessary. Kebonsat deserved E's ignoring of him. Reisil and Yohuac spent a ton of time in the alternate world, it seemed like the author was trying to build that world up, but then just dropped it. The end seemed too easy, I felt it should have been more of a battle, but instead it was just dealing with the magic.

All in all 2 stars. I think the lowest I have ever given a book.

[Michelle Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

QUICK PITCH: Third in the Path trilogy, sequel to Path of Honor.

VERDICT: I think the single thing that frustrated me most in this book was that I couldn't keep track of what time it was for each set of characters—the time jumps were in the units of weeks and didn't happen at the same rate for different storylines.

Many other things annoyed me about this book—the treatment of sex and sexual assault, the informed romantic love between a number of characters, the sheer number of characters whose POV we see, the fact that the core conflict shifted several times, and the strange neat-ness of the solution—but the time jumps were what made this book a struggle to finish.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more than I did but it was an ok way to end the series.

Things I liked:
• The relationship between Reisil and Saljane is lovely and well written.
• I really enjoyed the different POV chapters, I actually think I enjoyed the action in Honor more than the chapters with Reisil and Yohuac

Things I didn’t like:
• The book felt very rushed and things started losing their impact a bit as it was just listed off what happened at the end, especially in the last few chapters
• I’m not sure everyone got the ending they deserved (and let’s leave it at that)
• There were some ‘questionable’ plot decisions

[Limecello · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit I paged through a lot of the battle/travel stuff - too much all at once, I think. [As in had I read these books weeks apart, or taken weeks to read them, fine. but all 3 in 3 days... *shakes head*]

Oh my gosh - Metyein :( and Soka :(

And BAKU T_T

anyway, Emelovi and Kebonsat pretty much annoyed the shit out of me. >.> so there's that.

Glad to see what a badass Reisil was but Baku T_T

The time jumps were also odd - and then the typos which annoyed me...
and I think the ending, which totally made me think of the DBD Vishous and Jane and the ghost thing. ... maybe that's why I was so peeved.

It was nice to see everyone paired off and happy, although I'm ... what about Juhrnus(?) anyway - just... some gaps.


C--

[Stuart Macmartin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book had everything I like about Arrows of the Queen. The third is epic fantasy. That’s not really my thing, because I prefer a tighter identification with one character. So it felt like a lot of telling. Also, I wish her bird could do something other than fly, hunt, and mantle.

[Suzy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this book. it was OK. The first book in the series was the best. The conclusion was satisfying.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent finish to the series, and I enjoyed it, even though the ending was really "wrapping up all the loose ends in a rush" I never did get all the names straight.

[Michelle David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Journeys end

Our brave pair have fought hard and traveled much trying to find a way to save their world but all things must end

[sharon storm · Rating 1 out of 5]

drags...

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, not what I was expecting. Although that's not always a bad thing, as sometimes I get wonderful surprises from authors who outthink me (I LOVE that!!). However, this wasn't one of those times. Too bad, too, because I REALLY wanted to love this book! I was enthralled by the main character, Reisel, in the first book and wanted to follow her through her adventure.

Waaaay too much time spent in an alternate world, and too much detail about it given--and then just dropped. I expected a couple main characters to die, and they did. No problem there. I did have a serious problem with characters that had started out secondary, then made into main characters, and then simply disappeared at the end with hardly a mention. And, as I mentioned with the previous books, there are a lot of characters to keep track of (kudos for world-building, but sometimes hard to keep up with).

The whole end seemed rather anti-climactic. For two books we've been built up to expect this colossal battle--that then never happens. She skips over it! I would much rather have seen more time spent on this (at least the characters reactions to and actions in, if not a blow-by-blow description) than on "useless" characters in an alternate dimension (I don't have a problem with the "main" character from there). Instead of this, and then perhaps an epilogue, the last chapter skips two years ahead of time. Here the battle gets a few sentences, some characters' fates are summed up in a phrase or a sentence (even important ones), and some are hardly mentioned at all.

I know this is really long, but I was expecting SOO much more from this author! The first book is so well done, but then it not only doesn't get better, it gets worse. Gratuitous sex & violence and grotesque descriptions that detract from the story, not move it ahead (most of which I skipped over). And then building up to this expected climax that never happens--it just drops dead.

I wish I could've given it a better recommendation.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in this series concludes Reisils journey to save Kodu Riik from the mayhem that the Patversme Wizards created during the war. Believing the rinda, the Wizards Runes, to be the key to success. Reisil must study their meanings and use on her own. However she must also work out the meanings of the strangely shaped rinda on the nokulas. Meanwhile, Aare is building an army to attack the renegades living in the newly formed Honor. Pitting father against son, brother against sister and sorcerors against ahalaad-kaaslane.

Overall this trilogy is well written and Francis creates a believable world for the reader to escape to. This installment of the series, as with Path of Honor, gives perspective from many characters view points. I really enjoyed seeing things from their side. This series is definately a worthwhile read given that I picked it up from the library out of fustration at being the only book 1 of a series I could find. I recommend this series to anyone who enjoyed Lord of the Rings, Inheritance Cycle and even Wheel of Time.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book three of a series, don’t start here. A rift between Prescription Medication Reisil’s country and another dimension is warping the land, filling it with plague and violent monsters. Meanwhile, an army marches on Reisil’s followers, slaughtering everything in its path. Can Reisil manage to close the rift with her magic goddess-given powers, or will chaos overwhelm her country?

Overall, I was very disappointed with this series finale. When I was twelve or so and assigned to write short stories for class, I’d often get stuck on the ending and just cut it off by going “and then everyone died horribly.” That’s what it feels like Francis was doing here. Aside from Reisil, who more or less gets her plot threads wrapped up, just about everyone else gets summarily offed (often in horrible ways) instead. Needless to say, this is not very satisfying after you’ve been following character arcs for three books.

After reading this book, I think the best option is to simply stop reading after book 1, which is a perfectly serviceable if slightly cliche fantasy novel.

[Shari Mulluane · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not a great book, it is still a good read and a good first effort from Diana Francis. If you have a soft spot for animal companions, reluctant heroines, bad folks who get what they deserve and powerful magic you will likely enjoy this series. I see great potential here and I think that Diana Francis will only improve and grow, just as Reisel did in this series.

Full Review here:
Dragons, Heroes and Wizards

[Elb4966 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grudgingly, I give it a four. It is a well written book that will keep your interest. The story continues from the previous novel, pulling you into the plot early on. You empathize with the characters, hoping for their victory. This continues throughout the story until a very anticlimactic ending. The ending is abrupt with story endings being told to the reader in the last chapter. This was done fairly well, but it was a major let down after reading the books earlier chapters.

[Ubiquitousbastard · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could shoot a book, it would be this book. I think I've actively tried to burn it. The first books of the series were mediocre, this one just managed to piss me off in all the ways that a book can. Like the Leo DiCaprio of suck.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Path of Blood by Diana Pharaoh Francis – This is your pandemic trigger warning because Reisel is still fighting off a plague. Her insurmountable challenge phase of this quest is a doozie! Happy Reading!

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast moving, action-packed conclusion to the Path of Fate/Path of Honor books.

Re-read, 7/14

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid ending to an entertaining trilogy.

[Bethany C]

I liked the new characters and elements Francis brought to this one. A pretty satisfying end to a great trilogy. I only wish there were more stories set in this world.

[Stephannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Didn't think a third book was necessary. The story could have been finished in a longer version of the second book.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent fantasy series, but not spectacular. The ending was appropriate for the story.

[Megan Sewell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great ending to a series, loved it!