Hunter's Quest

The Path Of Pathos #2

by Simon Shugar

Tomi’s return to civilization awakens old ghosts and draws him into a kingdom on the brink of ruin.

Haunted by the loss of his father’s book—his legacy—Tomi embarks on a relentless mission to retrieve it. His journey weaves through dark forests and treacherous cities, where allies and enemies blur together. From the brutal hunters of Elkswood to the deadly bandits that roam the countryside, each step pulls him further from the life he once knew and deeper into the kingdom’s shifting dangers.

As winter’s chill deepens and whispers of war grow louder, Tomi is drawn into the world of the Forsworn, exiles surviving on the edges of a broken land. But loyalty has a price, and Tomi must decide how much he’s willing to risk for those he’s come to care for—even if it means losing the last connection to his past.

In a kingdom shadowed by betrayal and unrest, Tomi’s pursuit of his father’s legacy may cost him everything, but it could also be his only path to a future he can call his own.

Genres: Fantasy, Coming Of Age

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 29, 2024

About the author

Hey, 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.

Reviews

[Randy Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid reading.

Solid story telling. Author understand people, the easy b they b are in this world. Ill continuing in to b the next in the series. 👍

[Pamela Zelmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing!

This author really knows how to describe a scene. His characters are interesting. I'm looking forward to the next book.

[Ann Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

Good world building a likable believable protagnist. Tomi makes mistakes you would expect from someone his age. I have throughly enjoyed this book and the first one. Looking forward to the next one.

[Michael Marciano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts off ok but goes downhill

Pretty disappointing. Pretty much no growth of the protagonist in any way except making foolish choices. Series is done for me.

[Cooper Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually a bit of a let down compared to book 1. Why are the first chapters Tomi acts like a totally different person. Doesn’t go back to his fathers cabin, doesn’t go back to Linden, just sulks in the forest for 3 years, which is crazy, it really feels like this was and excuse to make Tomi older, but there are better ways to do it. The time warping was crazy. Also, why do we never, in the entire book(unless I missed something), get a single mention or even second thought to Linden. No closure on why Egon ratted Tomi and his father out. No closure on why happened to the other villagers. We even met a character named Rolf, the same as Freja’s father, and Tomi acts like it’s an entirely new person. I did think the world building with the town was great, a lot of books don’t go into such detail about city’s, but this was great. Cedric being a villain was a great twist, and I’m not at all surprised about Pathos evolving as it has. I am slightly disappointed about the Forsworn, I felt like there could have been more to that, but I digress. I do feel odd about Anni, and that whole thing, plus I thought Princess Sanne was a finished character, but I guess not.

[George · Rating 2 out of 5]

Goody 2 shoes

When you are reading a fantasy and it is trying to keep within realistically normal bounds, it's incongruous when the hero performs unrealistic feats. Things like shooting the sword out of the bad guys hand with a bow and arrow. When there is no framework to stay within the lines and thus a French Poodle can grab a gun and rescue everyone.

[cyrene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a little confused to be honest

The recap in the beginning left me a little bit confused over what happened in the first book. I guess it can be chalked up to memories not being accurate. Honestly, the recap wasn't necessary, and the story progressed smoothly without it

[Landon Ragusa · Rating 5 out of 5]

*8.9/10

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it, the cliff hanger feels illegal though 🥲

[Keith Bridenstine]

An excellent continuation in the growth of the story.