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The Path Of Pathos #1
Hunter's Apprentice
In a war-torn kingdom, a young boy's path to manhood is forged in violence, loss, and a mysterious power that may be his only hope.
Tomi is a boy when his father, a hunter, leaves their village, entrusting him with their home’s protection. In a land ravaged by war, Tomi bears responsibilities far beyond his years. As the Three Prince War looms, he’s thrust into a world of brutal choices and deadly encounters, where his innocence is lost to bloodshed and treachery. From defending his family to surviving in the wild, Tomi learns life’s harshest realities. Amid the darkness, he discovers Pathos—a mysterious gift from his father that sharpens his connection to the world around him and may be his key to enduring the trials ahead.
As the kingdom’s fate hangs in the balance, Tomi’s journey will shape him into the man he’s destined to become—if he can survive long enough.
Tomi is a boy when his father, a hunter, leaves their village, entrusting him with their home’s protection. In a land ravaged by war, Tomi bears responsibilities far beyond his years. As the Three Prince War looms, he’s thrust into a world of brutal choices and deadly encounters, where his innocence is lost to bloodshed and treachery. From defending his family to surviving in the wild, Tomi learns life’s harshest realities. Amid the darkness, he discovers Pathos—a mysterious gift from his father that sharpens his connection to the world around him and may be his key to enduring the trials ahead.
As the kingdom’s fate hangs in the balance, Tomi’s journey will shape him into the man he’s destined to become—if he can survive long enough.
- GenresFantasy
377 pages, Paperback
Published September 9, 2024
643 people are currently reading
426 people want to read
About the author
Simon Shugar
33 books36 followersHey, I’m Simon Shugar—fantasy author hooked on telling bold, emotional, action-heavy stories through raw, first-person journeys. If you like coming-of-age arcs, epic stakes, and human struggles in unreal worlds, you're in the right place!
I’m originally from Oxfordshire, England, now living in North Carolina with my wild little toddler and our very chill (and very spoiled) dog, Jasper. I’ve loved fantasy for as long as I can remember—drawn in by the magic, the grit, and the heart at the center of it all.
I studied game design for a bit, then pivoted into software engineering to pay the bills. But somewhere in between code and chaos, I started writing stories—and once I did, I couldn’t stop. Fast forward to now, I’ve written 13 novels across three trilogies and a standalone, with plenty more on the way.
I’m originally from Oxfordshire, England, now living in North Carolina with my wild little toddler and our very chill (and very spoiled) dog, Jasper. I’ve loved fantasy for as long as I can remember—drawn in by the magic, the grit, and the heart at the center of it all.
I studied game design for a bit, then pivoted into software engineering to pay the bills. But somewhere in between code and chaos, I started writing stories—and once I did, I couldn’t stop. Fast forward to now, I’ve written 13 novels across three trilogies and a standalone, with plenty more on the way.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 13, 2024
surprisingly good
This is very much the start of a longer epic. it’s very much a slice of life, and does a really good job of capturing the horrors of mediaeval style warfare from the point of view of a child… It’s very realistic, and a great start for what I’m sure will be a very engaging series… The only annoying part is it does a really good job of setting up future books, but now of course we have to wait for them.
This is very much the start of a longer epic. it’s very much a slice of life, and does a really good job of capturing the horrors of mediaeval style warfare from the point of view of a child… It’s very realistic, and a great start for what I’m sure will be a very engaging series… The only annoying part is it does a really good job of setting up future books, but now of course we have to wait for them.
June 1, 2025
Hits deep
I shed tears while reading this book. If that's not enough I'm not sure what else is? Love is everything
I shed tears while reading this book. If that's not enough I'm not sure what else is? Love is everything
December 21, 2024
starts slow but stay with it.
Slow start as the main character grows up. Stay with it, as it is worth it. A book I enjoyed reading, even though it is not a new story line.
Slow start as the main character grows up. Stay with it, as it is worth it. A book I enjoyed reading, even though it is not a new story line.
Read
June 10, 2025Moving
This is a wonderful story..thru the eyes of a child..a tragic glance of a world of war greed parental love and fantasy ..will hope to read more
This is a wonderful story..thru the eyes of a child..a tragic glance of a world of war greed parental love and fantasy ..will hope to read more
January 21, 2025
Great story, ready for the next.
April 24, 2025
solid read
I'm a hard critic. But I must admit that this was better than I'd expected. I can tell this author understands the undercurrents of "real" integrity and honor that so few authors pursue, as the world forsakes such qualities as antiquated collectors items no longer worthy of investing in.
Its refreshing to know there are authors who know how to craft enjoyable stories without sacrificing those priceless glories that make people great.
Ill be purchasing the nab ext book, promptly. 🙂
I'm a hard critic. But I must admit that this was better than I'd expected. I can tell this author understands the undercurrents of "real" integrity and honor that so few authors pursue, as the world forsakes such qualities as antiquated collectors items no longer worthy of investing in.
Its refreshing to know there are authors who know how to craft enjoyable stories without sacrificing those priceless glories that make people great.
Ill be purchasing the nab ext book, promptly. 🙂
August 8, 2025
This story is an amazing catalyst to what feels like a much larger story for our main character. We watch Tomi learn, question, find temporary peace and ultimately (and unfortunately) suffer tragedy. The emotions are palatable, leaving me in tears and gasping in disbelief. Witnessing Ingrid’s sacrifice, the loss of parents; the inferred loss of families leaves this story as a path to vengeance (or maybe this is me projecting).
I am invested and will absolutely be continuing this trilogy.
I am invested and will absolutely be continuing this trilogy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2025
Hunter's Apprentice 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I didn't really expect this book to be so absorbing. A tale that grips at the emotions with the unfairness of war and how it inflicts pain and heartache. The characters are real and you feel you know them. Not my normal fantasy book but there is a suggestion that the second book will see Tomi's mystic power develop further. I think that's what I enjoyed about this book, something different from the norm and believable.
I didn't really expect this book to be so absorbing. A tale that grips at the emotions with the unfairness of war and how it inflicts pain and heartache. The characters are real and you feel you know them. Not my normal fantasy book but there is a suggestion that the second book will see Tomi's mystic power develop further. I think that's what I enjoyed about this book, something different from the norm and believable.
January 10, 2025
Esta mierda no es un libro de fantasía. Es una novela historica. Y mala.
February 21, 2025
Simple enough story, but really terrific writing.
June 15, 2025
*8.7/10
December 14, 2024
Best I have read in a long time I give it 10+
October 13, 2025
Very good book! A change from the stories where a person has to remember which character line they are covering in each chapter. Tomi grows with real life trials.
August 8, 2025
Unless you want to cry over the amazing writing then please save yourself. Here I thought it would be a light hearted coming of age story… nope, I was so wrong 😭
September 9, 2025
Very interesting
I like the originality of this story. I like that the main character is unique he does not rely on what makes him different. He works for all his successes, and his parents, although commoners, raised him with pride and love. He is the best of them combined, and I can not wait to see what he will do next.
I like the originality of this story. I like that the main character is unique he does not rely on what makes him different. He works for all his successes, and his parents, although commoners, raised him with pride and love. He is the best of them combined, and I can not wait to see what he will do next.
January 19, 2025
I decided to check this book out because it was advertised for me on Facebook and free on audible. I didn’t have too high of expectations, but even so, I was disappointed.
This story and world have potential, and the characters are likable, but the plot was very predictable, there was nothing unique about any of the characters, and there was WAY too much description. I like descriptive prose, but this author seems to be on a mission to give at least two adjectives to every noun, two adverbs to every verb, and a simile or other metaphor to every sentence. It’s way too much. I powered through the whole book, but it was tough, because with all that description, you have to read several paragraphs before something actually happens (and then the thing that happens is something commonplace, like a meal being ready or an article of clothing being cleaned).
Descriptive prose can be powerful, but for it to do its job, it needs to be used *only* when you want to draw attention to an important action or scene. If you slather it onto everything, it just becomes repetitive padding. Use it wisely, writers. Not every action needs a flowery simile to describe it!
The story is also told in first person, which isn’t my favorite, but isn’t a deal-breaker. This is important to note for my criticism about the age of the MC, though, so keep that in mind.
Besides the clunky style, there’s at least one thing in the story that is impossible to believe, and that is the main character’s age. He starts out at 5 years, the story progresses until he’s 7, and then we get what I think is a 6-year time jump (It was unclear to me if it was 3 years or 6? Because he says “three years passed” twice, but I wasn’t sure based on context if he was just referring to the same three years. So at the end, he’s either 10 or 13, and based on the story that follows, 13 makes the most sense, but given how little he acts like a 5-7 year old when he’s that age, I honestly can’t guess.). Anyway, for the bulk of the story, he’s 5-7 years old.
I have six kids, have worked in early childhood education for years, and took several child development courses in college, and I’m here to tell you, this kid is not a believable 5-7 year old AT ALL. Because the story is in the first-person, we are hearing this character describe himself in a way that beggars belief. Way too mature. Very aware of his surroundings and what adults are thinking and feeling in a way I’ve never observed in kids that age, and far too physically and mentally advanced. Yes, there are some very mature and capable 6-year-olds out there, especially (I imagine) in a medieval-style society where they are forced to grow up quickly; but the kinds of things he thinks about, notices, and even says, and the vocabulary used to describe what he is thinking and feeling just make it really hard to believe it’s a five-year-old. Which is technically a good thing— being stuck in the brain of a realistic 5-7 year old for that many chapters probably would have been even harder to read. But, I just don’t get why he had to be that young in the first place. I don’t understand why the story didn’t start when he was about 8 or 9 and have a shorter time-jump later. That would have made WAY more sense. He does have moments of acting his age— being confused or emotional or clingy in a way that makes sense for a young child— but it’s very inconsistent. And yes, I get that it’s past-tense and the narrator is probably an adult looking back on himself at that age and describing it from an adult perspective, but that still doesn’t make sense because I don’t know anyone who remembers their life at that age with that kind of detail, or who talks about their childhood thoughts and emotions this way. It also doesn’t explain all the actions he took and things that he said as a 5-7 year old that are incongruous with his age.
I listened to the audiobook. The reading was AI generated, which didn’t help with my overall impression (and the lack of emotion from the reader made the emotional parts of the story unintentionally funny), but I think the problem was really with the writing. I’m convinced if I had been actually reading instead of just listening while doing other things, I probably never would have been able to finish this book at all. The over-description of very mundane, unimportant objects, characters, and actions just got overwhelming. I would put up with it if I felt there was any pay-off, plot-wise or in character development, but there wasn’t. I won’t bother with the rest of the series.
This story and world have potential, and the characters are likable, but the plot was very predictable, there was nothing unique about any of the characters, and there was WAY too much description. I like descriptive prose, but this author seems to be on a mission to give at least two adjectives to every noun, two adverbs to every verb, and a simile or other metaphor to every sentence. It’s way too much. I powered through the whole book, but it was tough, because with all that description, you have to read several paragraphs before something actually happens (and then the thing that happens is something commonplace, like a meal being ready or an article of clothing being cleaned).
Descriptive prose can be powerful, but for it to do its job, it needs to be used *only* when you want to draw attention to an important action or scene. If you slather it onto everything, it just becomes repetitive padding. Use it wisely, writers. Not every action needs a flowery simile to describe it!
The story is also told in first person, which isn’t my favorite, but isn’t a deal-breaker. This is important to note for my criticism about the age of the MC, though, so keep that in mind.
Besides the clunky style, there’s at least one thing in the story that is impossible to believe, and that is the main character’s age. He starts out at 5 years, the story progresses until he’s 7, and then we get what I think is a 6-year time jump (It was unclear to me if it was 3 years or 6? Because he says “three years passed” twice, but I wasn’t sure based on context if he was just referring to the same three years. So at the end, he’s either 10 or 13, and based on the story that follows, 13 makes the most sense, but given how little he acts like a 5-7 year old when he’s that age, I honestly can’t guess.). Anyway, for the bulk of the story, he’s 5-7 years old.
I have six kids, have worked in early childhood education for years, and took several child development courses in college, and I’m here to tell you, this kid is not a believable 5-7 year old AT ALL. Because the story is in the first-person, we are hearing this character describe himself in a way that beggars belief. Way too mature. Very aware of his surroundings and what adults are thinking and feeling in a way I’ve never observed in kids that age, and far too physically and mentally advanced. Yes, there are some very mature and capable 6-year-olds out there, especially (I imagine) in a medieval-style society where they are forced to grow up quickly; but the kinds of things he thinks about, notices, and even says, and the vocabulary used to describe what he is thinking and feeling just make it really hard to believe it’s a five-year-old. Which is technically a good thing— being stuck in the brain of a realistic 5-7 year old for that many chapters probably would have been even harder to read. But, I just don’t get why he had to be that young in the first place. I don’t understand why the story didn’t start when he was about 8 or 9 and have a shorter time-jump later. That would have made WAY more sense. He does have moments of acting his age— being confused or emotional or clingy in a way that makes sense for a young child— but it’s very inconsistent. And yes, I get that it’s past-tense and the narrator is probably an adult looking back on himself at that age and describing it from an adult perspective, but that still doesn’t make sense because I don’t know anyone who remembers their life at that age with that kind of detail, or who talks about their childhood thoughts and emotions this way. It also doesn’t explain all the actions he took and things that he said as a 5-7 year old that are incongruous with his age.
I listened to the audiobook. The reading was AI generated, which didn’t help with my overall impression (and the lack of emotion from the reader made the emotional parts of the story unintentionally funny), but I think the problem was really with the writing. I’m convinced if I had been actually reading instead of just listening while doing other things, I probably never would have been able to finish this book at all. The over-description of very mundane, unimportant objects, characters, and actions just got overwhelming. I would put up with it if I felt there was any pay-off, plot-wise or in character development, but there wasn’t. I won’t bother with the rest of the series.
November 19, 2025
Fairly Mediocre Storytelling
I made it halfway through the series as it stands (through much of book 3). It’s not a bad series - just mediocre. The prose is fine, and his writing can be quite captivating at times.
(Spoilers) But, frustratingly, after 2 books of spending so much time on the parents, Tomi doesn’t develop as a character in any significant way involving them. Then, the author finally employs a time skip after their deaths - the exact moment when he could actually develop real personhood. Of course, then in the third book, he goes back to being exactly how he was before his parents - no character growth whatsoever. He is just such a flat character; he has some flaws, but the author doesn’t utilize any of the events in the book to mature him at all. The only thing the book really has going for it is the mystery of his magic power (Spirits?) which he starts to explore in book 3.
I’m sure the series gets at least a little better, but the infractions are so egregious as is. The author just wastes so much time and potential. Maybe I’ll come back to skim it, but I’m moving on to something better for now.
I made it halfway through the series as it stands (through much of book 3). It’s not a bad series - just mediocre. The prose is fine, and his writing can be quite captivating at times.
(Spoilers) But, frustratingly, after 2 books of spending so much time on the parents, Tomi doesn’t develop as a character in any significant way involving them. Then, the author finally employs a time skip after their deaths - the exact moment when he could actually develop real personhood. Of course, then in the third book, he goes back to being exactly how he was before his parents - no character growth whatsoever. He is just such a flat character; he has some flaws, but the author doesn’t utilize any of the events in the book to mature him at all. The only thing the book really has going for it is the mystery of his magic power (Spirits?) which he starts to explore in book 3.
I’m sure the series gets at least a little better, but the infractions are so egregious as is. The author just wastes so much time and potential. Maybe I’ll come back to skim it, but I’m moving on to something better for now.
April 27, 2025
Mc
This book is not.about a hunters apprentice ,its about war sadly ,people.dying leaving mothers and sons to survive ,women successfully harvesting and doing a mans job and soldiers taking 2/3rds of what they need to.survive in a mans war . I haven't read the rest but no doubt the boys father dies and his success is all.about the son doing his best because of a loss of a father . I fought in Viet Nam ,like others I was conscripted I lived some of this stuff . I have no need to.read it ,The success of the story is based on the death of family members in a war . I suppose to.others it may be interesting .
This book is not.about a hunters apprentice ,its about war sadly ,people.dying leaving mothers and sons to survive ,women successfully harvesting and doing a mans job and soldiers taking 2/3rds of what they need to.survive in a mans war . I haven't read the rest but no doubt the boys father dies and his success is all.about the son doing his best because of a loss of a father . I fought in Viet Nam ,like others I was conscripted I lived some of this stuff . I have no need to.read it ,The success of the story is based on the death of family members in a war . I suppose to.others it may be interesting .
July 12, 2025
Not great, not terrible.
It was a good read, although the repetition in descriptions and inner dialogues can be grating at times. The overall highlight in my mind was how well the author depicted the emotional struggles and development faced by various characters throughout the war-torn story. All in all it was a relatively short, albeit interesting read. Not one I'll be clamoring to read again anytime soon, however.
It was a good read, although the repetition in descriptions and inner dialogues can be grating at times. The overall highlight in my mind was how well the author depicted the emotional struggles and development faced by various characters throughout the war-torn story. All in all it was a relatively short, albeit interesting read. Not one I'll be clamoring to read again anytime soon, however.
June 11, 2025
I gave up,my word this is slow going! We start with our mc about 4 years old & it felt like we were getting told about every week of his life going forward. I gave up about 30% & I'd guess he was about 8 or 9 by that point. No idea why it's called Hunter's apprentice as there's no hunting going on so far in fact there's not a lot of anything going on.
May 10, 2025
Blatant rip offs of Robin Hobbs work, which is pretty gross.
Read
August 18, 2025DNF 50%
Found the writing style a bit strange and hard to engage with. The character starts very young so this may be intentional but I just lost interest.
Found the writing style a bit strange and hard to engage with. The character starts very young so this may be intentional but I just lost interest.
October 14, 2025
Rating: 3,5/5
Main tropes:
Review:
I received Hunter’s Apprentice as an ARC, and this is my honest review.
The book was a solid read with a lot of promise. Simon creates an interesting world, and the action scenes are definitely engaging, though at times the pacing felt a bit uneven. The characters had potential, even if some of their decisions didn’t always feel fully developed, which made it a little harder to connect with them at times.
Overall, I really enjoyed the adventure and the fresh take on fantasy elements. It kept me hooked enough to want to keep reading, and I think fans of the genre will find a lot to like here. It might not be flawless, but it’s definitely a worthwhile read that sets up some exciting possibilities for what’s next.
Main tropes:
Review:
I received Hunter’s Apprentice as an ARC, and this is my honest review.
The book was a solid read with a lot of promise. Simon creates an interesting world, and the action scenes are definitely engaging, though at times the pacing felt a bit uneven. The characters had potential, even if some of their decisions didn’t always feel fully developed, which made it a little harder to connect with them at times.
Overall, I really enjoyed the adventure and the fresh take on fantasy elements. It kept me hooked enough to want to keep reading, and I think fans of the genre will find a lot to like here. It might not be flawless, but it’s definitely a worthwhile read that sets up some exciting possibilities for what’s next.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews