What do you think?
Rate this book
Night Calls Series #3
Spiral Path
"The world is woven of secrets."
Ritual magic mixes dangerously with wild magic. Yet Alfreda Sorensson's talent has grown until she becomes a target for worldly and unworldly powers. Now, to save her soul, she must leave her pioneer home in the Michigan Territory to take refuge at an elite New York school, where her wild magic places her in direct conflict with the ritual taught to young Americans and Europeans.
Alfreda suspects that half the professors may not be human at Windward Academy. It's a curious place, a last chance for students who can't control their powers, and a place where everything is a test, in one way or another.
At first Alfreda thinks her greatest challenge will be mastering ritual. Then she learns that traitors have infiltrated the school--and the new nation. War looms between the United States and England, and Alfreda answers the call. Only after she spies her way into an enemy magician's estate does she learn the true challenge of her own power--
Because when dark magic finds her, she's utterly on her own.
*********
Ages 12-120 After that, you're probably undead and may not read much.
“Every book in the Kindred Rites series has had me racing for the end and wishing for more. Spiral Path is no exception. Ms. Kimbriel’s enticing and lyrical prose and knowledge of the arcane will hook new readers and delight old ones as well.”
— Rebecca McFarland Kyle, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer
“A Spiral Path lays an enchanting spell as young Allie Sorensson continues her fearless exploration of her magical powers at an exclusive school for practitioners of the arcane arts. Crafted with precision and heart, this tale shimmers with imagination, adventure, and characters who burst alive from the page. More, please!”
— Sara Stamey, author of Islands
Praise for the Night Calls
“With a clear, distinctive voice, Katharine Kimbriel invents and re-invents magic on America’s frontier, a place hardly explored by writers and long overdue for a visit. (Or should I say a visitation?)”
—Jane Yolen, award-winning author of Briar Rose
“There are very few books I reread on a regular basis. Night Calls is one. When I read Night Calls I thought, first, that Robin McKinley’s The Blue Sword had at last found a proper shelfmate....”
—Laura Anne Gilman, Nebula Award Nominee for Flesh and The Vineart War series
“If you can imagine Little House on the Prairie with werewolves, vampires, and magic, you’ve got an idea what this dark fantasy novel is like. ...The strong characters, the matter-of-fact tone, and the strong sense of place make this something special.”
—Locus Magazine
"...and I am very happy to report that Kimbriel made me almost miss my bus stop at work because I had to read just one more page."
—e_Bookpushers
"To protect those she loves, a pragmatic young witch finds faith and magical lessons in the natural world—compelling, fantastic tale, beautifully, wondrously written!"
—Patricia Rice, New York Times best-selling author
Ritual magic mixes dangerously with wild magic. Yet Alfreda Sorensson's talent has grown until she becomes a target for worldly and unworldly powers. Now, to save her soul, she must leave her pioneer home in the Michigan Territory to take refuge at an elite New York school, where her wild magic places her in direct conflict with the ritual taught to young Americans and Europeans.
Alfreda suspects that half the professors may not be human at Windward Academy. It's a curious place, a last chance for students who can't control their powers, and a place where everything is a test, in one way or another.
At first Alfreda thinks her greatest challenge will be mastering ritual. Then she learns that traitors have infiltrated the school--and the new nation. War looms between the United States and England, and Alfreda answers the call. Only after she spies her way into an enemy magician's estate does she learn the true challenge of her own power--
Because when dark magic finds her, she's utterly on her own.
*********
Ages 12-120 After that, you're probably undead and may not read much.
“Every book in the Kindred Rites series has had me racing for the end and wishing for more. Spiral Path is no exception. Ms. Kimbriel’s enticing and lyrical prose and knowledge of the arcane will hook new readers and delight old ones as well.”
— Rebecca McFarland Kyle, Amazon Top 500 Reviewer
“A Spiral Path lays an enchanting spell as young Allie Sorensson continues her fearless exploration of her magical powers at an exclusive school for practitioners of the arcane arts. Crafted with precision and heart, this tale shimmers with imagination, adventure, and characters who burst alive from the page. More, please!”
— Sara Stamey, author of Islands
Praise for the Night Calls
“With a clear, distinctive voice, Katharine Kimbriel invents and re-invents magic on America’s frontier, a place hardly explored by writers and long overdue for a visit. (Or should I say a visitation?)”
—Jane Yolen, award-winning author of Briar Rose
“There are very few books I reread on a regular basis. Night Calls is one. When I read Night Calls I thought, first, that Robin McKinley’s The Blue Sword had at last found a proper shelfmate....”
—Laura Anne Gilman, Nebula Award Nominee for Flesh and The Vineart War series
“If you can imagine Little House on the Prairie with werewolves, vampires, and magic, you’ve got an idea what this dark fantasy novel is like. ...The strong characters, the matter-of-fact tone, and the strong sense of place make this something special.”
—Locus Magazine
"...and I am very happy to report that Kimbriel made me almost miss my bus stop at work because I had to read just one more page."
—e_Bookpushers
"To protect those she loves, a pragmatic young witch finds faith and magical lessons in the natural world—compelling, fantastic tale, beautifully, wondrously written!"
—Patricia Rice, New York Times best-selling author
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 16, 2014
6 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Katharine Eliska Kimbriel
18 books103 followersNOTE TO FANS & READERS: I did NOT write the book "Finding the Strength Inside You" which someone has attached to Goodreads, and coincidentally the author's name is my name. I am contacting GoodReads to see what I can do about this.
In the beginning Katharine Eliska Kimbriel was nominated for the Astounding Award for Best New SF/Fantasy Writer. Katharine’s work has long straddled the line: “too literary to be commercial, too commercial to be literary” – she has a list of itinerant occupations to prove it.
Published novels include the historical dark fantasies NIGHT CALLS, KINDRED RITES, and SPIRAL PATH. On the science fiction side you will find FIRE SANCTUARY, FIRES OF NUALA, and HIDDEN FIRES, stand-alone tales that take place on the same planet.
Katharine prefers being managed by Burmese cats and a handful of gargoyles. Her occasional hobbies have included ballroom dancing, brewing beer, antique roses, and macrobiotic and paleolithic cooking. She also plant trees. 110 so far.
Go to https://bookviewcafe.com/bvc_author/k... for the most recent publishing info. She posts ghost events at her blog (https://alfreda89.dreamwidth.org/), other stuff at Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/katharine.ki...), Mastodon (https://raggedfeathers.com/@KatKimbriel), and BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/catkimbriel....).
She is a founding member of Book View Cafe (https://bookviewcafe.com/blog/). Due to her spending more time living science fiction than writing it, she makes no promises on when her last update to anything happened. Due to Life, Interrupted, she has't updated her web site in 15 years and it's not looking good for the site....
In the beginning Katharine Eliska Kimbriel was nominated for the Astounding Award for Best New SF/Fantasy Writer. Katharine’s work has long straddled the line: “too literary to be commercial, too commercial to be literary” – she has a list of itinerant occupations to prove it.
Published novels include the historical dark fantasies NIGHT CALLS, KINDRED RITES, and SPIRAL PATH. On the science fiction side you will find FIRE SANCTUARY, FIRES OF NUALA, and HIDDEN FIRES, stand-alone tales that take place on the same planet.
Katharine prefers being managed by Burmese cats and a handful of gargoyles. Her occasional hobbies have included ballroom dancing, brewing beer, antique roses, and macrobiotic and paleolithic cooking. She also plant trees. 110 so far.
Go to https://bookviewcafe.com/bvc_author/k... for the most recent publishing info. She posts ghost events at her blog (https://alfreda89.dreamwidth.org/), other stuff at Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/katharine.ki...), Mastodon (https://raggedfeathers.com/@KatKimbriel), and BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/catkimbriel....).
She is a founding member of Book View Cafe (https://bookviewcafe.com/blog/). Due to her spending more time living science fiction than writing it, she makes no promises on when her last update to anything happened. Due to Life, Interrupted, she has't updated her web site in 15 years and it's not looking good for the site....
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
December 11, 2016
This book was just as beautifully written as the first two and a pleasure to read. I just love this alternate history world so much; I also really love the characters and the magic. I will say that the covers for this series could use some serious help (but I guess just don't judge this series by its cover).
My biggest disappointment with this book is that so many intriguing new plot-lines start but nothing is resolved by the end of the book. If it was clear that there are going to be more books in the series I would be thrilled by how things developed! However, it looks like this is supposed to be the final book in the series which is really disappointing. Things were just starting to get really really interesting...
The tone for this book is much different than the first two. Alfreda is in a magic school most of the book dealing with a lot more people and a lot more social issues than she has dealt with previously. I still enjoyed the story a ton; but it was very different. There weren’t as many creepy encounters and as much things from the dark.
The world is broadened quite a bit as well in this book. We hear about events from new places and also hear more about Wild Magic and the world it comes from.
Overall I absolutely loved this book and ended up devouring it. However I was a bit disappointed that so many new plotlines were started and not resolved; hopefully we see another book in this series eventually to tie up all those issues. Aside from that issue, this was a delightful fantasy set in an alternate early America. I would recommend to fantasy fans.
My biggest disappointment with this book is that so many intriguing new plot-lines start but nothing is resolved by the end of the book. If it was clear that there are going to be more books in the series I would be thrilled by how things developed! However, it looks like this is supposed to be the final book in the series which is really disappointing. Things were just starting to get really really interesting...
The tone for this book is much different than the first two. Alfreda is in a magic school most of the book dealing with a lot more people and a lot more social issues than she has dealt with previously. I still enjoyed the story a ton; but it was very different. There weren’t as many creepy encounters and as much things from the dark.
The world is broadened quite a bit as well in this book. We hear about events from new places and also hear more about Wild Magic and the world it comes from.
Overall I absolutely loved this book and ended up devouring it. However I was a bit disappointed that so many new plotlines were started and not resolved; hopefully we see another book in this series eventually to tie up all those issues. Aside from that issue, this was a delightful fantasy set in an alternate early America. I would recommend to fantasy fans.
November 27, 2014
Really enjoyed this but found it ended rather abruptly - however, the fact that there are all sorts of dangling threads leads me to hope that sequel/s are in store.
June 13, 2020
While it was entertaining almost as much as the first two, it was not as detailed and a bit of a let down
January 23, 2015
I was delighted to see Spiral Path and bought it immediately, no hesitation, which is rare for me. I'd read the first books years ago, and loved them so much that I still have copies on my shelves (multiple moves mean my books get pruned regularly). But I wavered between giving it three and four stars. I pushed it up to four because I probably will re-read it and maybe when I do, I'll be more able to accept it for what it is -- a pleasant, easy, series of ... maybe vignettes? It reminded me almost of Louisa May Alcott.
The main character, Allie, goes to school, makes friends, has adventures, but she doesn't change or grow over the course of the book. Her relationships with other characters don't lead anywhere, almost to an extreme. The two snobbish girls get introduced as a potential conflict which then never happens. The kindly mentor girl's problems are demonstrated and then dropped. The challenging young magical boy's issues are introduced but never resolved. It's not just that it feels unfinished, it's that it feels like a lot of lovely, potentially interesting threads were created and then left to sit, going nowhere.
But the threads were lovely and pleasant and Allie is a great character. The book is fun, just not rich in the way the first two in the series were. Still, I could see this being the kind of book to read when I have the flu and want comfort reading to go with my chicken soup.
The main character, Allie, goes to school, makes friends, has adventures, but she doesn't change or grow over the course of the book. Her relationships with other characters don't lead anywhere, almost to an extreme. The two snobbish girls get introduced as a potential conflict which then never happens. The kindly mentor girl's problems are demonstrated and then dropped. The challenging young magical boy's issues are introduced but never resolved. It's not just that it feels unfinished, it's that it feels like a lot of lovely, potentially interesting threads were created and then left to sit, going nowhere.
But the threads were lovely and pleasant and Allie is a great character. The book is fun, just not rich in the way the first two in the series were. Still, I could see this being the kind of book to read when I have the flu and want comfort reading to go with my chicken soup.
Read
September 21, 2014I read this in draft. I don't know that it is the best introduction to new readers, but fans of Allie, the heroine of Night Calls and Kindred rites, will be delighted to see Allie back after a hiatus of a few years. Allie leaves home to go to magic school for the first time, and her friendship with handsome young Shaw shows signs of a closer attachment.
This book might be considered transitional, as it sets Allie up in school, with new friends and new responsibilities. There is more time spent on magic, hinting at connections with the nascent government of the young United States in this alternate world. It's sure to leave Allie's faithful fans anticipating the next book.
This book might be considered transitional, as it sets Allie up in school, with new friends and new responsibilities. There is more time spent on magic, hinting at connections with the nascent government of the young United States in this alternate world. It's sure to leave Allie's faithful fans anticipating the next book.
September 25, 2014
FINALLY! The wait is over. If you are a fan of Allie's world then you will not be disappointed. Spiral Path picks up where Kindred Rites left us, the story sucks you in and you are seeing through Allie's eyes into the world of this alternate history, and it's fascinating. Ms.Kimbriel's descriptive story telling allows readers to visualize this world as though they are in the story with the characters. These characters are my old friends. I find comfort when I'm with them. Allie is just as beloved to me as Anne Shirley or Laura Ingalls. I only wish this book was longer so I could spend more time with these friends. I eagerly await the next installment.
September 23, 2014
I was recently introduced to this series, and love the way Kimbriel develops young Allie in her learning path in the magical arts. She's a wonderful character who grows through time, surrounded by a lively and believable supporting cast, in an alternate history rich with sensory detail. "Spiral Path" is one of those stories where you feel you're stepping through a doorway into a world where you can fully participate and literally taste it. (Though watch out for the dangerous biscuits!) Plenty of wonder and danger, too. Come join the magic!
December 2, 2017
"Spiral Path" is a sequel to "Night Calls" and "Kindred Rites" - both also excellent - but any of the three make good starting points; you can read and enjoy SP without having read the other two. (Once you do, you'll probably go back and read the other two anyway.)
Alfreda is a young girl growing up in the Michigan Territory, somewhere around 1810. It's not quite our 1810, but it's close. (Think of it as our history, but with a bit more magic in the mix. The author's excellent research into the life and manners of the time add a great deal to her books.) Alfreda herself has magical talents. They become hard to ignore as she begins to notice werewolves - and vampires - and things that go bump, not necessarily in the night - and she begins an apprenticeship to a midwife with her own special talents.
In "Spiral Path", the apprenticeship is interrupted (supernatural politics) when Alfreda is sent to a boarding school near New York, to learn ritual magic. The story that follows has the same mix that makes the earlier books so much fun: The characters are rooted in their time; they do not have modern attitudes or manners. The magic and schooling are interesting, but they serve the story, and are not allowed to get in its way. And Alfreda herself is an engaging protagonist - extremely talented, but reserved, and not inclined to tell people what she's thinking.
Very readable. Very re-readable.
Alfreda is a young girl growing up in the Michigan Territory, somewhere around 1810. It's not quite our 1810, but it's close. (Think of it as our history, but with a bit more magic in the mix. The author's excellent research into the life and manners of the time add a great deal to her books.) Alfreda herself has magical talents. They become hard to ignore as she begins to notice werewolves - and vampires - and things that go bump, not necessarily in the night - and she begins an apprenticeship to a midwife with her own special talents.
In "Spiral Path", the apprenticeship is interrupted (supernatural politics) when Alfreda is sent to a boarding school near New York, to learn ritual magic. The story that follows has the same mix that makes the earlier books so much fun: The characters are rooted in their time; they do not have modern attitudes or manners. The magic and schooling are interesting, but they serve the story, and are not allowed to get in its way. And Alfreda herself is an engaging protagonist - extremely talented, but reserved, and not inclined to tell people what she's thinking.
Very readable. Very re-readable.
September 8, 2023
This one felt like a very big tonal shift from the previous two in the series and I was a bit distracted by it. THAT BEING SAID, the book was very sweet and fun. Kimbriel’s writing is very generous in the character moments she gives, and I think if I wasn’t constantly comparing it to the other two books, I would’ve been able to immerse myself in it better!
If you’re planning on reading it, I think it’s important to note that this book is a lot more slice of life than the others. Actually, it’s slice of life until verrry late in the book. And I enjoyed it! I just wish I’d known beforehand 😅
TLDR: Very enjoyable and sweet book, mostly slice of life and very different from the first two books!
If you’re planning on reading it, I think it’s important to note that this book is a lot more slice of life than the others. Actually, it’s slice of life until verrry late in the book. And I enjoyed it! I just wish I’d known beforehand 😅
TLDR: Very enjoyable and sweet book, mostly slice of life and very different from the first two books!
January 7, 2020
Just as excellent as the first book. Ending left off ready for more books, but author's website hasn't been updated since before this book came out. I won't give up hope though, it was seven years between book 2 and 3. :)
July 3, 2017
One of my favorite series. I really hope she writes another one. Enjoyed her Nuala books. But I really enjoy Alfreda. Every page of the book feels like magic should to me.
September 21, 2017
Delightful characters, delightful world, ham-handed plotting.
November 1, 2014
So...is this it?
You know, when I write a review, I tend to be critical. Possibly overly critical. Just because I enjoy a book doesn't mean I'm going to ignore the ways it may have fallen short.
This series came out of nowhere and muscled my way onto my favorites list. For the first time in a loooooong time, I seriously had nothing bad to say about Night Calls. I was able to point out a few things I thought might bother other readers, but that was all the criticism I could muster up. Alfreda Sorensson isn't the only one with magic; Kimbriel has the touch.
Then I read Kindred Rites, and if it's possible, I may have liked that one even better. It was a bit more suspenseful, but still maintained the slow, detailed, rich tone that so drew me in to Night Calls. Alfreda is a bit older, a bit wiser, and knows quite a bit more about working her craft, but she's still the same young, practical, precocious child who gets in over her head, gets on with things anyway, and with whom you have no choice but to fall in love.
Except now I'm a little torn.
Like books one and two, Spiral Path covers a very short period of time that nevertheless feels...bottomless. All of them are so well-crafted that even though we may only spend a few months at a time with Alfreda and Marta and the others, there's so much detail that it's like you're living right along with them. There are those who don't care for detail when it comes at the expense of action, but in this case you don't read the story, you drop into the pages and live it.
So why am I torn? Because there's no resolution. Or, to be more clear, even though there's a conclusion to the specific adventures that make up the Spiral Path storyline – this does not end with some manipulative cliffhanger – we cannot be done with Alfreda yet. She's barely just gotten to school. She's barely explored her feelings for Shaw. We haven't helped Margaret, or gotten to know Esme's professors, or learned the implications of the unicorn.
In other words: there's so much of everything left to do!
It's been over 15 years between the releases of books two and three! Don't get me wrong. Spiral Path was a sheer delight to read. I certainly recommend reading the series – as if you needed the recommendation if you've already read NC1 & 2 – but good grief, make it last for your own sake, or you'll end up feeling as bereft as I am right now.
Huh. I guess I'll just have to start over from the beginning, won't I?
You know, when I write a review, I tend to be critical. Possibly overly critical. Just because I enjoy a book doesn't mean I'm going to ignore the ways it may have fallen short.
This series came out of nowhere and muscled my way onto my favorites list. For the first time in a loooooong time, I seriously had nothing bad to say about Night Calls. I was able to point out a few things I thought might bother other readers, but that was all the criticism I could muster up. Alfreda Sorensson isn't the only one with magic; Kimbriel has the touch.
Then I read Kindred Rites, and if it's possible, I may have liked that one even better. It was a bit more suspenseful, but still maintained the slow, detailed, rich tone that so drew me in to Night Calls. Alfreda is a bit older, a bit wiser, and knows quite a bit more about working her craft, but she's still the same young, practical, precocious child who gets in over her head, gets on with things anyway, and with whom you have no choice but to fall in love.
Except now I'm a little torn.
Like books one and two, Spiral Path covers a very short period of time that nevertheless feels...bottomless. All of them are so well-crafted that even though we may only spend a few months at a time with Alfreda and Marta and the others, there's so much detail that it's like you're living right along with them. There are those who don't care for detail when it comes at the expense of action, but in this case you don't read the story, you drop into the pages and live it.
So why am I torn? Because there's no resolution. Or, to be more clear, even though there's a conclusion to the specific adventures that make up the Spiral Path storyline – this does not end with some manipulative cliffhanger – we cannot be done with Alfreda yet. She's barely just gotten to school. She's barely explored her feelings for Shaw. We haven't helped Margaret, or gotten to know Esme's professors, or learned the implications of the unicorn.
In other words: there's so much of everything left to do!
It's been over 15 years between the releases of books two and three! Don't get me wrong. Spiral Path was a sheer delight to read. I certainly recommend reading the series – as if you needed the recommendation if you've already read NC1 & 2 – but good grief, make it last for your own sake, or you'll end up feeling as bereft as I am right now.
Huh. I guess I'll just have to start over from the beginning, won't I?
March 8, 2016
How do you grow into yourself?
Allie is a work in process. She is a practitioner, a young woman gifted and skilled in magic and medicine. She is strong, intelligent, stubborn, truthful, blunt and well on her way to being a beauty. Patience is not her best gift. A willingness to work for what is right and of the light is.
If you were to take a good, stong cauldron, fill it with the best of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Caddie Woodlawn, Harry Potter, The Thirteenth Child and season it with some Anne of Green Gables and a dash of steam punk you would be simmering up a goodly base of what makes Allie the addictive nourishment she is.
From werewolves in an alternative pioneer America, to Scandinavian haunts, to unicorns and demons you travel through Allie's world with wonder and chills. You learn to appreciate the ease of our modern lives, heated bathwater and flush toilets? To living biscuits with teeth you never know where you will find yourself. Yet, you will want to travel with her, in fact you will need to see where life and her education will lead her next.
Merged review:
How do you grow into yourself?
Allie is a work in process. She is a practitioner, a young woman gifted and skilled in magic and medicine. She is strong, intelligent, stubborn, truthful, blunt and well on her way to being a beauty. Patience is not her best gift. A willingness to work for what is right and of the light is.
If you were to take a good, stong cauldron, fill it with the best of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Caddie Woodlawn, Harry Potter, The Thirteenth Child and season it with some Anne of Green Gables and a dash of steam punk you would be simmering up a goodly base of what makes Allie the addictive nourishment she is.
From werewolves in an alternative pioneer America, to Scandinavian haunts, to unicorns and demons you travel through Allie's world with wonder and chills. You learn to appreciate the ease of our modern lives, heated bathwater and flush toilets? To living biscuits with teeth you never know where you will find yourself. Yet, you will want to travel with her, in fact you will need to see where life and her education will lead her next.
Allie is a work in process. She is a practitioner, a young woman gifted and skilled in magic and medicine. She is strong, intelligent, stubborn, truthful, blunt and well on her way to being a beauty. Patience is not her best gift. A willingness to work for what is right and of the light is.
If you were to take a good, stong cauldron, fill it with the best of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Caddie Woodlawn, Harry Potter, The Thirteenth Child and season it with some Anne of Green Gables and a dash of steam punk you would be simmering up a goodly base of what makes Allie the addictive nourishment she is.
From werewolves in an alternative pioneer America, to Scandinavian haunts, to unicorns and demons you travel through Allie's world with wonder and chills. You learn to appreciate the ease of our modern lives, heated bathwater and flush toilets? To living biscuits with teeth you never know where you will find yourself. Yet, you will want to travel with her, in fact you will need to see where life and her education will lead her next.
Merged review:
How do you grow into yourself?
Allie is a work in process. She is a practitioner, a young woman gifted and skilled in magic and medicine. She is strong, intelligent, stubborn, truthful, blunt and well on her way to being a beauty. Patience is not her best gift. A willingness to work for what is right and of the light is.
If you were to take a good, stong cauldron, fill it with the best of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Caddie Woodlawn, Harry Potter, The Thirteenth Child and season it with some Anne of Green Gables and a dash of steam punk you would be simmering up a goodly base of what makes Allie the addictive nourishment she is.
From werewolves in an alternative pioneer America, to Scandinavian haunts, to unicorns and demons you travel through Allie's world with wonder and chills. You learn to appreciate the ease of our modern lives, heated bathwater and flush toilets? To living biscuits with teeth you never know where you will find yourself. Yet, you will want to travel with her, in fact you will need to see where life and her education will lead her next.
September 16, 2014
Alfreda and her cousin and teacher, Marta, visit Alfreda's home for the birth of Alfreda's new sister--and during this visit, Alfreda has an alarming and exhilarating encounter with a unicorn. As exciting and rewarding as this is, Marta is furious with the unicorn; it will make Alfreda far more visible to malignant forces. She needs more protection than she can currently provide for herself, and needs to fill the gap in her education where a knowledge of ritual magic should be.
Marta arranges for her to become a student at the Windward School, in faraway New York. The head of the school, Professor Livingston, is another of Alfreda's cousins, and she, Marta, and her mother will all trade services to the school to cover the cost of her tuition. Alfreda's share of this will be teaching the beginning herbal magic class.
Allie gets a bit of a break in this outing. Her challenges her are not vampires, werewolves, or evil sorcerers planning to steal her magic. One might almost say they're a bit more age-appropriate: going away to school for the first time, getting to know young people of very different backgrounds from her own, learning the social rules of a larger society, and studying subjects Marta and her mother couldn't teach her themselves. Indoor sanitary facilities and a version of hot and cold running water are new experiences for her. So is cooking as punishment duty, and cooking with a crew that mostly has never cooked before--although some have been taught how to create dinner menus and direct kitchen staff.
Much of the adventure here is the adventure of boarding school with a magical twist, but there are other things going on in the background, and Allie can no more avoid trouble than she can avoid breathing. She's just far too intelligent, inquisitive, and brave, not to mention impetuous.
This is a lot of fun. Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the author.
Marta arranges for her to become a student at the Windward School, in faraway New York. The head of the school, Professor Livingston, is another of Alfreda's cousins, and she, Marta, and her mother will all trade services to the school to cover the cost of her tuition. Alfreda's share of this will be teaching the beginning herbal magic class.
Allie gets a bit of a break in this outing. Her challenges her are not vampires, werewolves, or evil sorcerers planning to steal her magic. One might almost say they're a bit more age-appropriate: going away to school for the first time, getting to know young people of very different backgrounds from her own, learning the social rules of a larger society, and studying subjects Marta and her mother couldn't teach her themselves. Indoor sanitary facilities and a version of hot and cold running water are new experiences for her. So is cooking as punishment duty, and cooking with a crew that mostly has never cooked before--although some have been taught how to create dinner menus and direct kitchen staff.
Much of the adventure here is the adventure of boarding school with a magical twist, but there are other things going on in the background, and Allie can no more avoid trouble than she can avoid breathing. She's just far too intelligent, inquisitive, and brave, not to mention impetuous.
This is a lot of fun. Recommended.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the author.
July 8, 2023
Allie goes to school in Spiral Path, book three of the Night Calls series. Not Hogwarts but a school for practitioners nonetheless. At Windward Academy, it matters more what you know that what your age is so you don't necessarily take classes with your age mates. Allie knows enough herb lore she even has a job teaching a beginning herbs class!
Also, Windward Academy is in New York, far from her alternate American frontier home (as in alternate history where history is still recognizable but magic works). And it is Allie's first time with other girls her age in a boarding school setting, particularly as all the girls are to behave as young ladies and all the boys as young gentlemen (think Jane Austen).
Like Harry Potter, things just seem to happen around Allie. There was a lot of action in Night Calls (the first book) and more in Kindred Rites (the second book).
Allie was eleven at the beginning of Night Calls. She's thirteen now. And she is still growing into her magical powers. There is so much of her life yet ahead of her!
I can't wait to hear more tales of Alfreda Golden-Tongue both because I enjoyed the worldbuilding but especially because I enjoyed the character development in this alternate history fantasy series!
Not to mention that this book is absolutely a page-turner! I could not put it down!
Allie is at Windward Academy specifically to learn ritual magic, something her family was unable to teach her at home.
All of the professors at Windward Academy (like at Hogwarts) are colorful characters in their own right. It is my understanding that the author recently completed a first draft of book 4 in this series. I surely hope that book 4 is about Allie's second year at Windward Academy!
Also, Windward Academy is in New York, far from her alternate American frontier home (as in alternate history where history is still recognizable but magic works). And it is Allie's first time with other girls her age in a boarding school setting, particularly as all the girls are to behave as young ladies and all the boys as young gentlemen (think Jane Austen).
Like Harry Potter, things just seem to happen around Allie. There was a lot of action in Night Calls (the first book) and more in Kindred Rites (the second book).
Allie was eleven at the beginning of Night Calls. She's thirteen now. And she is still growing into her magical powers. There is so much of her life yet ahead of her!
I can't wait to hear more tales of Alfreda Golden-Tongue both because I enjoyed the worldbuilding but especially because I enjoyed the character development in this alternate history fantasy series!
Not to mention that this book is absolutely a page-turner! I could not put it down!
Allie is at Windward Academy specifically to learn ritual magic, something her family was unable to teach her at home.
All of the professors at Windward Academy (like at Hogwarts) are colorful characters in their own right. It is my understanding that the author recently completed a first draft of book 4 in this series. I surely hope that book 4 is about Allie's second year at Windward Academy!
October 1, 2015
Okay, where's the rest of the story?
This book promises so much more than it delivers. When half-trained Allie is singled out by a unicorn as a powerful practitioner, she gets shipped off to a magic school in New York to learn enough ritual magic to protect herself from any big-bads that might try to take her out because of the attention that's been drawn to her. As might be expected, the situation allows the set-up of numerous points of tension: will big-bads pursue her? will a backwoods girl be able to fit in among cultured Easterners? will she be able to cope in this unfamiliar situation? will she succeed in learning a new kind of magic?
Unfortunately for the reader, all these points of tension are casually brushed aside almost as quickly as they are created. Instead we get an almost Mary-Sue version of Allie--the teachers all like her, her fellow students all like her (except for some snobs who never actually pose any real threat), and she can seemingly do no wrong. Rather than developing and resolving the original points of tension, the story plunges Allie into a spy situation that seems to be attempting to make some sort of political commentary on the basis of early 19th century American politics...but which never actually gives the reader enough information to process the commentary. And when the spy situation is over, boom, the book is over.
What the heck happened?
I'm giving this book 3 stars on the basis of the fact that Allie is still an interesting and compelling character, in spite of everything. But taken as an individual book rather than an installment in a series, I'd rate it closer to a 2, on the basis of the problems described above.
July 29, 2016
Review for the first three books in this series:
I don't know if this author is aware that a lot of people do judge books by their cover, yours truly included, and that this series certainly would not have made the cut.
It's too bad, because I am often disappointed when I pick a newly released book with a beautiful cover. Just goes to show, I really should know better.
These books are diamonds on the rough. There is so much potential in this, for a great series, an epic series, perhaps so much as 12 books long. I don't know why this works, the writing, the character building, the level of detail! Awesome! I mean, at times I checked what percentage I was at and was wondering what was going to happen, because the books do not notably cover one event. It appears to be just a life described. I say "just", but really it's... quite something.
Which is why I was so sad to see that this author hasn't been finding the time or funds to carry on this series. These books are good, really good. And I've read a lot of books, good and bad.
To think that Alfreda hasn't even reached adulthood yet, this story could go so many awesome places. I hope one day it still will, and that when it does, I won't have forgotten about it.
I don't know if this author is aware that a lot of people do judge books by their cover, yours truly included, and that this series certainly would not have made the cut.
It's too bad, because I am often disappointed when I pick a newly released book with a beautiful cover. Just goes to show, I really should know better.
These books are diamonds on the rough. There is so much potential in this, for a great series, an epic series, perhaps so much as 12 books long. I don't know why this works, the writing, the character building, the level of detail! Awesome! I mean, at times I checked what percentage I was at and was wondering what was going to happen, because the books do not notably cover one event. It appears to be just a life described. I say "just", but really it's... quite something.
Which is why I was so sad to see that this author hasn't been finding the time or funds to carry on this series. These books are good, really good. And I've read a lot of books, good and bad.
To think that Alfreda hasn't even reached adulthood yet, this story could go so many awesome places. I hope one day it still will, and that when it does, I won't have forgotten about it.
November 13, 2016
This book follows the characters from Kimbriel's Night Calls series. The books take place in an alternate Michigan, In a wilderness village called Sun Return, about the time of the War of 1812, and has "practitioners," people who handle illnesses and all sorts of other-worldly disturbances; witches, werewolves, vampires, Indians, and other unsettling beings. Alfreda (Allie), was only 11 when the werewolves came, and Allie's older brother is one of the five they took from the village. The werewolf invasion made clear to the family that Allie had to stop quit resisting using her Gift and must learn to use it, to become a practitioner, ones who could "hide in a leaf, "dip" into minds, and find the secret herbs that heal. Allie's education continued, with more and more advanced teachers, through three books filled with risks and grave dangers. In "Spiral Path," Allie's teachers send her to the big city, not only to learn more advanced skills, but to learn how to live in "civilization." The plotting is tight, the settings vivid, and the characters deeply developed and sympathetic. I don't know how to explain further without spoiling something, but, for readers who like fantasy and/or alternate history, this is a very good read.
September 24, 2014
Spiral paths are symbols of transformation, the root of magic. Whether you solve the labyrinth or wind up in an unexpected place, you are forever changed by the experience.
Esme Livingston’s school for mages in New York City has two such spiral paths. Allie is at last enrolled and starting a new path for her life. Some places, she will lead and others she will follow. But, in all, she will learn.
Every book in the Kindred Rites series has had me racing for the end and wishing for more. Spiral Path is no exception. Some characters become old friends quickly. In this latest addition, we’ll make some new friends and re-acquaint ourselves with some old ones.
While I highly recommend that you start reading with "Night Calls," it is not necessary to do so. "Spiral Paths" in itself is engaging and interesting enough that most will be hooked on the series and it does stand alone.
Ms. Kimbriel’s enticing and lyrical prose and knowledge of the arcane will hook new readers and delight old ones as well.
Rebecca McFarland Kyle, October 2014
Esme Livingston’s school for mages in New York City has two such spiral paths. Allie is at last enrolled and starting a new path for her life. Some places, she will lead and others she will follow. But, in all, she will learn.
Every book in the Kindred Rites series has had me racing for the end and wishing for more. Spiral Path is no exception. Some characters become old friends quickly. In this latest addition, we’ll make some new friends and re-acquaint ourselves with some old ones.
While I highly recommend that you start reading with "Night Calls," it is not necessary to do so. "Spiral Paths" in itself is engaging and interesting enough that most will be hooked on the series and it does stand alone.
Ms. Kimbriel’s enticing and lyrical prose and knowledge of the arcane will hook new readers and delight old ones as well.
Rebecca McFarland Kyle, October 2014
November 8, 2014
I waited so long for this book and I have to say, I was not disappointed. Ok, maybe a little, but only because it was too short. I wanted to live in Allie's world for at least, oh 600 or 700 more pages. My favorite thing about these books is that Allie is only 13, yet seems so much more mature than that. Modern girls are so much different at that age, but in that time, Allie would have been nearly an adult. The historical aspects are so well researched and thought out that they also lend authenticity to the fantasy elements. And now I want a biscuit with teeth for a pet. Way more fun than a hamster!
February 1, 2015
Interesting, but a bit scattered
I really like the Alfreda Sorrensson stories. This one seemed somewhat more disjointed than either Night Calls or Kindred Rites, more a series of events involving Allie than one tale with a strong narrative leading up to a climactic event. It seemed to peter out rather than go somewhere and finish strongly. The school setting is very interesting, however, and Kimbriel is introducing a number of intriguing characters to her Night Calls universe so I look forward to more stories about Alfreda's growing up.
I really like the Alfreda Sorrensson stories. This one seemed somewhat more disjointed than either Night Calls or Kindred Rites, more a series of events involving Allie than one tale with a strong narrative leading up to a climactic event. It seemed to peter out rather than go somewhere and finish strongly. The school setting is very interesting, however, and Kimbriel is introducing a number of intriguing characters to her Night Calls universe so I look forward to more stories about Alfreda's growing up.
November 8, 2015
This is the third book in the series. I liked it, but would have liked it better if it hadn't seemed so unfinished. Allie has moved to a boarding school for magical practitioners and is learning her way among the school politics with her fellow students along with the learning of magic. The ending was rather abrupt ... almost like the end of a chapter instead of the end of a book and because of that, it felt unfinished to me. I will definitely read the next book in the series when it is published!
November 22, 2014
I’m new to the Night Calls series and began with Book #1 only a year ago. After reading Spiral Path, I’m eagerly awaiting Book #4. These books are detailed in a way that drags the reader into the story. We live in the magical boarding school with Allie, we suffer her concerns, her fears, and her empathy for others. The tale is not just of her small world, but entwines with a greater, alternative history world in subtle ways. These are special books. Try them!
September 26, 2014
What a fantastic installment in the Alfreda series! It is amazing how skilfully Kimbriel pulls you into Allies world, a world that is totally believable, well researched and engrossing. I was thrilled to see more of Shaw in this book, and can't wait for the next one (with hopefully even more Shaw in it ). Beautiful writing, well plotted, and obviously there's at least one more book to come :)
January 18, 2015
I was eager to read this next book in the series, but I found that it wasn't as good as the first two unfortunately. I felt that the story was choppy, with things happening too fast with the lead character thrown from one adventure to another. I'll keep a lookout for any more in the series, since it's not a deal breaker, but I'll keep my fingers crossed that the next one will be better.
May 20, 2015
The third one in this series is just as good as the first two. I wasn't left with a frustrating feeling of incompleteness at the end of the book. However, the main character is still a teenager and I'd love to know more about what happens to her next. Hopefully, the author will keep telling her story (and her baby sister's).
October 5, 2014
A new Allie book!!!
I found this engrossing and read it in one shot. But I really wish it had covered a longer time in Allie's life. Lots happened and boy was it fun, but it still felt like the very start of Allie's time at school
I found this engrossing and read it in one shot. But I really wish it had covered a longer time in Allie's life. Lots happened and boy was it fun, but it still felt like the very start of Allie's time at school
April 23, 2015
It is impossible for me to make sense when talking about this series - it is awesome, and that is that. Sad that there are only the three books, but hoping that Kimbriel will be able to write more, and soon.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews