A Tale of Something Borrowed: The Third Path

by D. S. McColgan

PICK YOUR PATH.

[Author Dear reader, please note that there are two alternative paths to book 4. This one, and A Tale of Something The Path of Resistance. If you are planning on reading both paths, I recommend starting with the other one, The Path of Resistance, which is written from the antagonist's POV. However, either one will lead to book 4, and you won't be missing any key information to follow the story either way. The last 5 chapters are overlapping.]

The Third Path

Eldric’s worst fears have come true. Having failed to protect Annie and Liliana from his enemies, he's left to deal with the aftermath of what happened in the Crimson Plains, a scared little daughter to raise and a web of complicated relationships to untangle.

He must now stop the former war general Sartiria from hunting down and killing the only human who might possess the power to return what he has lost. The fact that said general wears his beloved's face and carries her scent only makes matters worse.

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2025

Reviews

[Nicola Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampire fiction. What is not to love? I absolutely loved this! I definitely have another favourite vampire fiction series for sure. The concept of the book was great! Very well thought out.

The story was beautifully written and flowed nicely. It was very descriptive and has lots of great visuals. There were no plot holes or unexpected unanswered questions.

The characterisation was excellent. I really liked Eldric. He always tried his best. I always love when we have a Sebastian in a book. I liked Sebastian in this! Sartiria was a very interesting character and she really caught my attention. The rest of the characters are brilliant and they definitely help make the book enjoyable.

As this is The Third Path, the book is written from Eldric's point of view and in the third person. This worked well.

I cannot recommend this enough! Fantastic vampire fiction!

[Erin Mangum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alternate POV (from The Path of Resistance) that converges on the same ending to set up for book 4.. Written because the test readers found the antagonist of the original book 3 to be too aggressive (I disagree - I loved her character).

So instead we spend our time over the same period with Eldric. And I have to say, I wasn’t sure if I would find the same adventure but it was definitely there. I loved this POV even more. I loved getting more of El’s family history. I loved being in his head for scenes with Sartiria. And I loved seeing the character development and the improvement of the writing over the whole of the series.

Would love for the 2 books to be merged honestly!

Very much looking forward to the final book in the series.

[Stacy Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book from eldrics POV, seeing is pain and frustration of missing liliana and trying to explain to their daughter Annie and the sweet times spent with Annie I especially loved that chapter seeing a different side to him, aswell has the side of him that is deterred to get his loved one bavlck and would do anything to achieved that for him and Annie the two books could of been read in tandem together there chapters that follow on from each other like as if they are rewritten in the same both one interaction after other and the after scene of eldric after them, it's written brilliantly to follow on but also have different scenes i definitely getting the physical copies of book 1 and 2 for my bookshelf.

[Tami Wylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having enjoyed the path of resistance which was Sartiria’s story, I was eager to read Eldric‘s version of events. His love for Liliana and their daughter Annie was very heartwarming. His pain at not having Liliana with him was haunting and he was ravaged by having to see her body taken over by Sartiria. I could feel his determination to get Liliana back oozing from the page. It was good to learn some more about Eldric’s family history as well. I enjoyed the interactions between Eldric and Annie and how they showed him in a different light. I enjoyed reading the two books together and how they overlapped. It’s a great concept. I’m excited to see what happens next!

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tale of Something Borrowed by D S Mccolgan.
The Third Path (A Tale of Series Book 3).
Omg. I absolutely loved this book. It was so different and unique. I love this whole series. It was the same but different. I liked Eldric. Especially the scenes with Satira. I loved the writing style and the story. I love anything with vampires. I devoured this book. I read it in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. I'm really looking forward to the next book. I would love for these books to be put together as one. I would most definitely recommend it.

[Jacqualine Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good read. It keeps you interesting it has a good storyline. The characters are good. The world building is also good if you’re into this kind of a book gentry I would.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been following this series from the beginning and loving books 1&2 over the last year - how could I resist grabbing this, part 3 , and continuing the journey with Liliana and El.

Now, you may notice that this tale has an extra sub-title. That's because this third book has a novel twist and we actually have 2 books written from the different pov's with an overlapping ending.

This is such a cool concept and really helped to expand the story beyond that which would have been doable in one single book with the different pov chapters.

Of course, I couldn't choose a path to take and so you will have seen my review for The Path Of Resistance which I posted last week and now, here we have the continued journey but from El's pov.

 

After leaving us with the cliffhanger in book 2, it was easy to get sucked back into this right from the start (ignoring the fact I already read the other pov book).

 

We dive straight into El's story and see him having to navigate life as a single father as well as dealing with all that being a Lord entails.

On top of this, he's determined to do absolutely anything to become reunited with his 'family' again.

 

There were some really sweet moments in this story with El and Annie - and it was great to hear more from El's history - but there were some equally tense encounters with Sartiria, which worked so well seeing these from inside El's head.

 

As the two paths converge over the last few chapters, I'm certain that this path of the third book would easily be fine to read alone and everything would just fall into place beautifully.

 

Equally, I wonder whether this would also make an amazing tandem read - one for a future re-read I think - where we read the two books together chapter by chapter.

I'll let you know .....

 

A great read and I'm definitely ready for book 4 now ....not impatient much!!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm back.with book 3 for A Tale of Something Borrowed: The Third Path! I reviewed the protagonists view a few days ago this time it is from the POV of Elric. I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing this storyline play out from the different Points of View!

I loved getting to know more about Elric, his past and his families history, not only that we see the scenes with Sartiria from Elrics view. Honestly, these 2 books have worked so well together and sets it up seamlessly for the next and final book of the series( I can't wait!!) I'm almost tempted to read the 2 books together, to see the whole thing play out in one!

Once again, the author has done an amazing job bringing the world, characters and storyline to life through her descriptive writing! I really will be sad when this series comes to an end!

[MG · Rating 4 out of 5]

as enjoyable and as frustrating as the other books in this series.

finally getting El's pov after 3 books got me some conflicted feelings, on one side we see a lot of the fun, humane side of the Finsterwald family through his pov, i like that—on the other side.......... it made me like and dislike El more, simultaneously

yes, it doesn't make any sense so just read it for yourself and see what i mean

[Jessica Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been absolutely mad for this series from the very beginning, and I just keep falling more and more in love with El. When we last left him, he had just lost Liliana to the clutches of the centuries old vampiress Sartiria, and now he will do anything and risk EVERYTHING to get her back, despite everyone else's opinions trying to persuade him to their own desires. We get to see a glimpse of him struggling to be a single father, and trying to deal with the chaos of being a Lord while fighting to get back his love and his true family, not just those who are his bloodline. We also get to see some more character development of some of the other side characters as well as meeting a really amazing new character who may be both the key to El's mission to save Liliana, as well as their downfall. I absolutely get so sicked into this series with every page of every book and I can not wait for book 4!!!

[mommy_and_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

" [...] To be alive means to change.[...]"

Wow! The second part of the alternative third volume is excellent. D.S. McColgan knows well what his readers love. In "The Third Path" we learn, among other things, the fate of Lord Eldric and his little daughter Annie. There will also be Morton and, of course, Sartiria.
In short: Morton terrified me. What he did cried out for revenge and even vengeance to heaven. It would seem that he was incapable of empathy. I am shocked that such a monster was Eldric's brother. Well, you can't choose your parents and siblings.
Eldric will face an important task. Will he find Liliana alive? Does she have a chance to survive? Will Eldric stop the demon inside him?

I felt sorry for little Anna. I hoped she would finally be able to cuddle up to her own mother. Will her powers be revealed?

The final chapters of "The Third Path" and "The Path of Resistance" are the same. It's up to you whether you want to focus mainly on Edrick ("The Third Path") or learn about Sartiria's actions ("The Path of Resistance"). I read both alternative parts. I'm happy with them and I'm glad I could get to know both books.

After the great ending, I'll be eagerly awaiting the fourth volume.

If, like me, you love vampire novels, feel free to reach for the entire "The Tale Of" series. All four books are worth recommending. This is one of the better series with vampires in the main roles. A great plot and amazing effects seen through the eyes of the imagination thanks to the descriptions made a stunning impression on me. I literally felt the blood dripping.
Be careful with some of the vampires. Not all of them are nice and friendly.

I like D.S. McColgan's writing style. I hope she doesn't abandon this series too soon.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Third Path . . .

I must admit, I am one of the super-confused readers who isn’t sure what direction to head next. The author’s kind note reads as follows, in case it helps you: [Author note: Dear reader, please note that there are two alternative paths to book 4. This one, and A Tale of Something Borrowed: The Path of Resistance. If you are planning on reading both paths, I recommend starting with the other one, The Path of Resistance, which is written from the antagonist's POV. However, either one will lead to book 4, and you won't be missing any key information to follow the story either way. The last 5 chapters are overlapping.]

In The Third Path, Eldric had known it would end like this, but he had given in anyway and now finds his worst fears have come true when he isn’t able to protect Annie and Liliana from his enemies. He should have locked her away forever in that sacred tower, where nothing and no one could get to her. He hadn’t fully paid attention to how far he and Morton had grown in opposite directions. And this lapse had allowed Annie and Liliana to be put in great danger. Removing Morton from power, he may have kept him from ruling their lands in open oppression. But what did that matter when the Lord of Finsterwald couldn’t protect those closest to him? Will he be able to stop the former war general Sartiria from hunting down and killing the only human who might possess the power to return what he has lost? Or is there no recourse for this situation?

The story is well-written, but it’s not something that I would enjoy reading going forward. That’s not meant to say others won’t thoroughly enjoy it, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around it.

[Lynsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘A Tale of Something Borrowed: The Third Path’ is the antagonist’s (Lord Eldric) story for this dual telling of this section of the series. I have already reviewed the other half of this section and this time we are treated to Eldric’s point of view and how he reacts to Liliana being possessed by an ancient vampyre.

Eldric was already struggling with the idea of loving a mortal and having a child, Annie, with Liliana. Now, he is being torn apart emotionally and politically as the various vampyre families begin to clash and vie for the power vacuum that resulted from the events at Crimson Plains. He now has to battle both his attraction and love for Liliana with his inner demon who is attracted to the power it senses in Sartiria.

It was illuminating seeing the struggle within Eldric and how much self control he mastered over his demon. But essentially his life before Liliana and Annie was lonely and he never knows who he can trust. Traitors are everyone and this leads to paranoia and fear. He does have allies though and his twin nephews are some of my favourite characters in this series and they definitely need more page time!

Despite know the main narrative points from reading Sartiria’s book this is still a compelling read as it really does a deep dive into Eldric’s background and motivations. I raced through it and it was a compelling read. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in book four after the momentous events at the end of this book!

Let me know if you pick this one up!

[Fatguyreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was great to be back in the "A Tale of Something" world, this time with book 3. And guess what? The author has given us two versions of book 3, The Path of Resistance, which i reviewed two days ago, and The Third Path, which I'm reviewing here. So we've really been spoilt.

So this time, we're reading from the point of view of Elric, over the same time period as The Path of Resistance, and I really enjoyed the scenes with Sartiria, but from inside Elric's head.

Want to know more? Be sure to pick your copy up to find out.

So all in all another solid read. Translated from German to English, it's a story that draws the reader into this dark, brooding world, reading from the protagonist's point of view.

I look forward to book 4.

4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.

[Tracey Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a captivating and interesting read, Which follows on the series from book 2 A tale of something red. within this book it's from Eldric's point of view and shows a different side of him from what we've read before. I really enjoyed learning more about Eldric's family history with this book.

The character development was incredible throughout the book and the pacing and length of the chapters were perfect and kept my interest throughout.

I'm looking forward to reading and carrying on the series with the final book. overall, this was an amazing book to carry on the series and A highly recommended read.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of the A Tale of... Series. Having already read the first book, and reconnecting with these characters in the second book, I found myself already emotionally invested when I came to this. I felt that in this instalment, I had the opportunity to connect more with Eldric, and I appreciated that. I believe there's another book, which tells this story from the POV of another character, but I haven't read that one yet.

If you enjoy paranormal romance with vampires though, you should take a look at this series.

Thank you to Booksprout and the author for a free copy to review.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[M.Z.Faulkner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great continuation of the series! This gives a great insight into how El thinks and explains some of his behaviour in earlier books.