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The Path of the Fallen
The world is broken. The coming of the Intelligence pushed the remnants of humanity deep into the tundra. What remained was a vast sea of ice and the machine city, Culouth. E’Malkai Armen, descendent of the Fallen, has been a citizen of Culouth his entire life. A bitter betrayal, and the inception of a war that will destroy millions of lives, forces E’Malkai to confront the past and undertake a pilgrimage that is his by birthright. As he travels to the cold tundra of the north, the realm prepares for war. The Path of the Fallen is a lonely and arduous path, but it must be walked for the sake of all mankind.
- GenresFantasy
602 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2006
5 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Dan O'Brien
47 books175 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
I have been writing novels for over a decade and had a couple published by traditional, small houses. Riding the self-publishing boom, I have four books in print that are available in paperback or e-book format. If you are interested in reading them, I am always open to sending out samples (or PDFs) to those who are interested.
I was born on the east coast and spent most of my life moving around. I recently settled into California where I am a graduate student in Experimental Psychology. I was a fitness trainer and am a lifelong student of martial arts. I write a little bit of everything and have lately been focusing on a few new novels, continuing some series and embarking on a screenplay binge.
Hope to hear from other avid readers and novelists out there.
I have been writing novels for over a decade and had a couple published by traditional, small houses. Riding the self-publishing boom, I have four books in print that are available in paperback or e-book format. If you are interested in reading them, I am always open to sending out samples (or PDFs) to those who are interested.
I was born on the east coast and spent most of my life moving around. I recently settled into California where I am a graduate student in Experimental Psychology. I was a fitness trainer and am a lifelong student of martial arts. I write a little bit of everything and have lately been focusing on a few new novels, continuing some series and embarking on a screenplay binge.
Hope to hear from other avid readers and novelists out there.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 27, 2020
Not for Me
I hate leaving poor reviews but this story just didn’t grab my attention. It was kinda slow after the start, which is fine, but I wasn’t understanding the context of their reality and couldn’t connect with the plot. I quit at 9% so I’m sure I missed out on the good stuff. I don’t quit many books but life is too short to keep plodding through if you aren’t interested. Don’t let this review prevent you from giving it a try though, it’s just not for me. Too many books, not enough time.
I hate leaving poor reviews but this story just didn’t grab my attention. It was kinda slow after the start, which is fine, but I wasn’t understanding the context of their reality and couldn’t connect with the plot. I quit at 9% so I’m sure I missed out on the good stuff. I don’t quit many books but life is too short to keep plodding through if you aren’t interested. Don’t let this review prevent you from giving it a try though, it’s just not for me. Too many books, not enough time.
February 10, 2014
[Full disclosure: Dan O'Brien sent me a print copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
After not reading epic fantasy for a very, very long time, I had a hard time getting into The Path of the Fallen, even if it’s a mixture of science fiction and fantasy. Still, as the pieces of the narrative fell together and we got a bigger picture of E’Malkai’s world, I began to really get into the book.
The Path of the Fallen is, quite simply, not a book for everyone. Avid readers of epic fantasy will love it for its unique ideas and the combination of technology and magic. However, if you don’t read fantasy as a rule, it’s probably best to read some so you can keep up with all of the names, the rich history and the complicated plot. I personally had a hard time keeping track of all of the names in the beginning because they all seemed to have apostrophes in them or were unpronounceable (although the main characters have reasonable names). But once you get into the book and learn the personalities of the characters, the names won’t distract you at all.
What I liked most about The Path of the Fallen was the fact that there was technology in an epic fantasy novel. This is not your regular swords-and-dragons epic fantasy, oh no! Dan O’Brien has crafted a new world based on both technology and magic and it blends well together. What explanation does he have for this interesting mix? A very good one that makes complete sense in the context of the book, as it turns out. Although there’s not much science, per se, I would still classify this as a fantasy/sci-fi crossover novel.
E’Malkai is actually a hero I can identify with. No, he doesn’t experience a lot of Young Hero Angst, but he does deal with inner struggles as well as his outer struggles. He’s sympathetic because he really does try to do the right thing, even at a cost to himself. The villain, Fe’rein is not your stereotypical black-wearing, mustache-twirling fiend, but he’ll never be among my list of best villains either. Still, he does have depth and a believable backstory, so I’ll give Dan O’Brien props for that. And for keeping track of all the plot lines and mostly tying them up without going for the cliché completely happy ending.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
After not reading epic fantasy for a very, very long time, I had a hard time getting into The Path of the Fallen, even if it’s a mixture of science fiction and fantasy. Still, as the pieces of the narrative fell together and we got a bigger picture of E’Malkai’s world, I began to really get into the book.
The Path of the Fallen is, quite simply, not a book for everyone. Avid readers of epic fantasy will love it for its unique ideas and the combination of technology and magic. However, if you don’t read fantasy as a rule, it’s probably best to read some so you can keep up with all of the names, the rich history and the complicated plot. I personally had a hard time keeping track of all of the names in the beginning because they all seemed to have apostrophes in them or were unpronounceable (although the main characters have reasonable names). But once you get into the book and learn the personalities of the characters, the names won’t distract you at all.
What I liked most about The Path of the Fallen was the fact that there was technology in an epic fantasy novel. This is not your regular swords-and-dragons epic fantasy, oh no! Dan O’Brien has crafted a new world based on both technology and magic and it blends well together. What explanation does he have for this interesting mix? A very good one that makes complete sense in the context of the book, as it turns out. Although there’s not much science, per se, I would still classify this as a fantasy/sci-fi crossover novel.
E’Malkai is actually a hero I can identify with. No, he doesn’t experience a lot of Young Hero Angst, but he does deal with inner struggles as well as his outer struggles. He’s sympathetic because he really does try to do the right thing, even at a cost to himself. The villain, Fe’rein is not your stereotypical black-wearing, mustache-twirling fiend, but he’ll never be among my list of best villains either. Still, he does have depth and a believable backstory, so I’ll give Dan O’Brien props for that. And for keeping track of all the plot lines and mostly tying them up without going for the cliché completely happy ending.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
July 5, 2013
I received a copy of this book for honest review. 'The Path of the Fallen' is the epic journey of E'Malkai, a young man following his destiny and going up against an evil force.
I very much enjoyed this story and the main character E'Malkai. The boy has a lot expected of him and rises to the challenges, showing his birthright is not wasted on him. I found the mix of fantasy and sci-fi interesting and I would probably say it felt most like a fantasy novel with some sci-fi elements / technology. I thought it was a nicely atmospheric read, with the tundra setting providing an excellent backdrop to the story. There were definitely some chilling moments, particularly towards the end of the book.
For me, the last quarter was the most thrilling part. The suspense was sufficiently built up so that it was edge of seat reading by the end - I could not put it down! I found the story a little slow to begin with but once it got going I got into it pretty quickly. There also seemed to be a few too many characters at the start but this was less obvious as the story went on and I believe it was just all the strange names that made it seem as if there were too many to keep track of!
Overall this is a very atmospheric and powerfully told story. I would recommend to fans of epic fantasy and fantasy/sci-fi novels!
I very much enjoyed this story and the main character E'Malkai. The boy has a lot expected of him and rises to the challenges, showing his birthright is not wasted on him. I found the mix of fantasy and sci-fi interesting and I would probably say it felt most like a fantasy novel with some sci-fi elements / technology. I thought it was a nicely atmospheric read, with the tundra setting providing an excellent backdrop to the story. There were definitely some chilling moments, particularly towards the end of the book.
For me, the last quarter was the most thrilling part. The suspense was sufficiently built up so that it was edge of seat reading by the end - I could not put it down! I found the story a little slow to begin with but once it got going I got into it pretty quickly. There also seemed to be a few too many characters at the start but this was less obvious as the story went on and I believe it was just all the strange names that made it seem as if there were too many to keep track of!
Overall this is a very atmospheric and powerfully told story. I would recommend to fans of epic fantasy and fantasy/sci-fi novels!
February 6, 2013
When I first got this book, my thought was "That is a BIG book". I haven't picked up a book that thick in quite some time. I have some mixed feelings about The Path of the Fallen. I feel it has a very strong storyline, but it is lacking in areas. I think the author has assumed too much of his readers, and leaves out some pertinent information. I do enjoy when the author lets the reader imagine what happens, or lets us infer an emotion. Mr O'Brien seemed to allow too much of that in this book for me.
I quite thoroughly enjoyed the concept behind the book. It's a different take on life, death and the creation of mankind. It's a book we can all relate to in reference to life, and what things are most important to us. What are we willing to sacrifice for the greater good? What darkness may have a hold on our hearts? Can we let go of that? Are we good enough to give all, whether we truly know what it is we're giving?
I quite thoroughly enjoyed the concept behind the book. It's a different take on life, death and the creation of mankind. It's a book we can all relate to in reference to life, and what things are most important to us. What are we willing to sacrifice for the greater good? What darkness may have a hold on our hearts? Can we let go of that? Are we good enough to give all, whether we truly know what it is we're giving?
January 22, 2013
The Fallen was a great book. The only reason I gave it 4 stars versus 5 is that I found the beginning of the book confusing and difficult to keep track of all the characters. You are thrown into the middle of the story and I found it took me a little awhile to familiar myself with the characters and what was going on. Other than that an exceptional sci-fi read and I'm looking forward to reading the prequel.
I received this book as a First Reads give-away.
I received this book as a First Reads give-away.
January 16, 2013
E'Malkai is 17 years old when suddenly his world is turned upside down, war is threatening to destroy everyone, and they are all counting on him to save them. A fascinating story with an interesting combination of futuristic and more primitive technology. There is a fate-of-the-world quest and plenty of battles. The book is long with lots of backstory, history, people, and places to learn about. I really got into the story, though, and at the end I wanted to find out more.
February 17, 2013
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To say I enjoyed this book would be overstating my experience slightly. I found it okay but never really got over my initial problems getting to proper grips with the plot. This kind of tainted the rest of my reading and I did find myself struggling a little to maintain my interest in parts. That said, I found this okay as far as heavy Sci-fi goes but no more than average at best.
To say I enjoyed this book would be overstating my experience slightly. I found it okay but never really got over my initial problems getting to proper grips with the plot. This kind of tainted the rest of my reading and I did find myself struggling a little to maintain my interest in parts. That said, I found this okay as far as heavy Sci-fi goes but no more than average at best.
February 27, 2013
I loved this book! It drew you in right away and wouldn't let you go. I am a fan of books that tell you right off the bat things that are different from the world that you know so that you aren't left wondering what's going on. The author clearly did this and then launched into a story that was memorizing. I highly recommend this book!
Read
September 29, 2012This book sounds amazing. Sadly I was just unable to get into to it. I recommend it for fans of high fantasy. Which I am not. :(
Want to read
December 4, 2012Won as part of the Goodreads first reads program. Can't wait to read it!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews