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Path to Power: The Stolen Throne Trilogy, Book 1
A queen without a throne, a sorcerer without magic, a usurper bent on genocide...
he Zargons watch, they study, they don’t interfere... until one of them did. One of them saved Emma’s life when they shouldn’t have, now they want her to save thousands more.
Emma’s stepmother, Queen Lila, is the mightiest sorcerer Dunia has ever seen. Twenty years ago, she used her magic to steal Emma's birthright, now she's using her power for genocide.
Raised on Earth for her safety, Emma thought she was just an ordinary woman. She had no idea she was the heir to the throne on a faraway planet. Only Emma can supplant Queen Lila, but she can’t do it alone. Her husband, Tom, has a potential he never knew; a potential to wield magic. Together, they must travel across the galaxy, find Tom’s magic, and save the homeland she never knew existed, until now.
he Zargons watch, they study, they don’t interfere... until one of them did. One of them saved Emma’s life when they shouldn’t have, now they want her to save thousands more.
Emma’s stepmother, Queen Lila, is the mightiest sorcerer Dunia has ever seen. Twenty years ago, she used her magic to steal Emma's birthright, now she's using her power for genocide.
Raised on Earth for her safety, Emma thought she was just an ordinary woman. She had no idea she was the heir to the throne on a faraway planet. Only Emma can supplant Queen Lila, but she can’t do it alone. Her husband, Tom, has a potential he never knew; a potential to wield magic. Together, they must travel across the galaxy, find Tom’s magic, and save the homeland she never knew existed, until now.
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 20, 2026
4 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 20, 2025
I'm on Goodwin's ARC team, and received a free copy from her for the purposes of review.
I'll be blunt: this book is a hatchet job of The Queen of Vorn.
If you were head-over-heels in love with The Queen of Vorn, that's not a problem. The core plot is still there, and none of the core cast (i.e. Emma, Tom, Garrad) are changed. Frankly, most of these chapters have barely been rewritten from their previous versions. So if you really do connect with Goodwin's prose or the story she's telling, nothing I'm about to say should really affect you enjoyment of this new iteration of the story. This is still a Goodwin novel.
So, with that said ...
If you didn't like The Queen of Vorn or only mildly enjoyed it, you will probably hate The Path to Power. Goodwin didn't make any major changes outside of hacking out chapters and POVs to adjust the pacing. (Frankly, she didn't really fix the pacing, just speed things up a bit.) This reads like she gave herself just one long weekend to rewrite this book, made on the most obvious changes, then decided it was perfect after that.
For example, by hacking out chapters and whole POVs to streamline the book, Goodwin removed all the scenes that actually feature the goblin genocide that Emma and Tom are supposed to stop. She's replaced these with just two scenes of an alien watching TV and commenting upon the events on the screen, like an unfunny version of Mystery Science Theather 3000 (more on that in a moment). As a result, whereas the first book had Emma and Tom more or less wandering aimlessly through the story for two-thirds of the book to stop something awful that we were shown, now they do the same thing for half the book because ... well, Goodwin basically says, "Trust me, Bro, they have to."
And then we get to the problems that carry over from the previous version. The first half of this book is a series of character-building chapters that don't build a lot of character, so they end up feeling pointless. The worldbuilding is pretty bland: a lot of tropes taken from other fantasy (not inherently a bad thing, just Goodwin doesn't do anything new or interesting with those tropes), plus one cool idea about people from different planets having different magic (which ends up not being explored all that much, at least, not in this book). The back half of this book is a decent story about dealing with a group of hostile soldiers, but that's more of a side quest that gets in the way of the main plot then the story promised at the start of the novel.
The one way where I can really say that the book is better is a backhanded compliment. You see, Goodwin fixed the theme. The Queen of Vorn was a book that said "Genocide Bad" while simultaneously showing the victims of genocide to be universally monstrous and while having the main character explicitly compare the victims of genocide to rats. The Path to Power says "Genocide Bad" because, even if we're killing monsters now, we might kill people later. (I am not making this up. Emma concludes that she hates goblins but, if the goblins are dead, there will be nothing to stop humans from killing elves and dwarves.) Regardless of what anyone might thing of the theme itself, at least there's a coherent through line to it this time, whereas the one version was actively sabotaging itself.
Oh, and about the sci-fi elements that I see other people praising ... if someone were to do a cut of A Game of Thrones that spliced in footage of Rocket Racoon doing an unfunny rendition of Mystery Science Theater 300 to comment on the episodes, that would be about as sci-fi as this book. I really don't know why the aliens and their tech are here. They serve as Emma and Tom's Uber to the fantasy world, and that's it. Maybe Goodwin wants to do more with them in future books? If so, maybe this will be redeemed retroactively. It just feels so ... unnecessary and tacked on here.
The long and short of it is, if you are a diehard Goodwin fan, this is still a Goodwin book. You'll have a good time. If you have never read a Goodwin book, I can't in good conscience recommend this to you. If you were paid for The Queen of Vorn and want to read this purely to see what Goodwin changed, then I recommend finding a library or a friend to (legally) lend it to you, because I can't say Goodwin has earned your money a second time over.
I'll be blunt: this book is a hatchet job of The Queen of Vorn.
If you were head-over-heels in love with The Queen of Vorn, that's not a problem. The core plot is still there, and none of the core cast (i.e. Emma, Tom, Garrad) are changed. Frankly, most of these chapters have barely been rewritten from their previous versions. So if you really do connect with Goodwin's prose or the story she's telling, nothing I'm about to say should really affect you enjoyment of this new iteration of the story. This is still a Goodwin novel.
So, with that said ...
If you didn't like The Queen of Vorn or only mildly enjoyed it, you will probably hate The Path to Power. Goodwin didn't make any major changes outside of hacking out chapters and POVs to adjust the pacing. (Frankly, she didn't really fix the pacing, just speed things up a bit.) This reads like she gave herself just one long weekend to rewrite this book, made on the most obvious changes, then decided it was perfect after that.
For example, by hacking out chapters and whole POVs to streamline the book, Goodwin removed all the scenes that actually feature the goblin genocide that Emma and Tom are supposed to stop. She's replaced these with just two scenes of an alien watching TV and commenting upon the events on the screen, like an unfunny version of Mystery Science Theather 3000 (more on that in a moment). As a result, whereas the first book had Emma and Tom more or less wandering aimlessly through the story for two-thirds of the book to stop something awful that we were shown, now they do the same thing for half the book because ... well, Goodwin basically says, "Trust me, Bro, they have to."
And then we get to the problems that carry over from the previous version. The first half of this book is a series of character-building chapters that don't build a lot of character, so they end up feeling pointless. The worldbuilding is pretty bland: a lot of tropes taken from other fantasy (not inherently a bad thing, just Goodwin doesn't do anything new or interesting with those tropes), plus one cool idea about people from different planets having different magic (which ends up not being explored all that much, at least, not in this book). The back half of this book is a decent story about dealing with a group of hostile soldiers, but that's more of a side quest that gets in the way of the main plot then the story promised at the start of the novel.
The one way where I can really say that the book is better is a backhanded compliment. You see, Goodwin fixed the theme. The Queen of Vorn was a book that said "Genocide Bad" while simultaneously showing the victims of genocide to be universally monstrous and while having the main character explicitly compare the victims of genocide to rats. The Path to Power says "Genocide Bad" because, even if we're killing monsters now, we might kill people later. (I am not making this up. Emma concludes that she hates goblins but, if the goblins are dead, there will be nothing to stop humans from killing elves and dwarves.) Regardless of what anyone might thing of the theme itself, at least there's a coherent through line to it this time, whereas the one version was actively sabotaging itself.
Oh, and about the sci-fi elements that I see other people praising ... if someone were to do a cut of A Game of Thrones that spliced in footage of Rocket Racoon doing an unfunny rendition of Mystery Science Theater 300 to comment on the episodes, that would be about as sci-fi as this book. I really don't know why the aliens and their tech are here. They serve as Emma and Tom's Uber to the fantasy world, and that's it. Maybe Goodwin wants to do more with them in future books? If so, maybe this will be redeemed retroactively. It just feels so ... unnecessary and tacked on here.
The long and short of it is, if you are a diehard Goodwin fan, this is still a Goodwin book. You'll have a good time. If you have never read a Goodwin book, I can't in good conscience recommend this to you. If you were paid for The Queen of Vorn and want to read this purely to see what Goodwin changed, then I recommend finding a library or a friend to (legally) lend it to you, because I can't say Goodwin has earned your money a second time over.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I wish I had had the opportunity to Beta read this story as there is an amazing concept here and great story to be told, I just feel like it fell flat from its potential.
This story starts with the introduction of Zark, an alien who saved a princess from a planet by abducting her. As punishment for interfering, Zark was sent to study amoebas, alone, for 20 years. I read this first chapter with Zark before agreeing to ARC read and liked Zark right away.
The story is triggered by the princess's step-mother deciding to slaughter the elves, dwarves and goblins on her planet. To which Zark's people decide: OK, we are going to interfere, by returning the princess to her original planet.
The princess, Emma, after her abduction, grew up on Earth and a married British Military Engineer, named Tom. Thus both were abducted from Earth and asked if they would be willing to move to Emma's home world to try and save it.
One of the things I liked immediately was the prospect of getting to read fantasy with a bit of safe sweet romance between the husband and wife. I felt their dynamic was great, each leaning on the other, in time. I enjoyed the active discussion between the two as to if they were going to do this or not.
The first flaw I noticed was that for the background of the husband, it never seemed to apply to the story... after all I would think ANY military personal, let alone an officer, would know they should not be talking about Earth in the middle of a medieval market square or toss gemstones around.
That alone wouldn't have put this story into flawed category. What pushed me into flawed was a lack of progress. For long stretches of the book, every scene felt like 'traveling, combat, safe'. Mind you, I LIKE travelogue stories and enjoy getting to see new fantasy locations, but there was just grass and garlic, and trees.
Meanwhile, character dynamics and choices felt stagnant. They were just in a dangerous world reacting to danger, not even villain-led danger, just bandits and the like: in game terms, trash mobs. This needed to escalate in some way, but it didn't.
Adding to the feeling of stagnation, I felt that the stakes didn't escalate, because the stake of the stepmother was dialed up to 10 from the start. It doesn't get bigger than genocide of 3/4 groups on a planet. She was making more progress than our heroes.
At 68% of the story, I was more than bored. This was when the author dropped their big secret. Unfortunately, with this reveal, I realized that the story would be SO MUCH BETTER if this secret wasn't hidden at all. I concluded that the most interesting character, with the most believable stakes and the most driving decisions, is Zark, but the readers aren't let in on that.
Zark isn’t written as the main character, only appearing in a small fraction of the POV chapters. By the ending, my opinion landed firmly on that Zark should have been the MC.
This story has an interesting setup, great characters, and a fascinating concept; but as written, the plot fails to show its main character driving events, leaving me with a feeling of stagnation. I especially enjoyed Zark's chapters, which hint at the story this book could be, but it isn't that. Like too many other indie books I have read, this one could have benefitted from more and stronger editing, especially developmental editing, in this case -- in my opinion.
This story starts with the introduction of Zark, an alien who saved a princess from a planet by abducting her. As punishment for interfering, Zark was sent to study amoebas, alone, for 20 years. I read this first chapter with Zark before agreeing to ARC read and liked Zark right away.
The story is triggered by the princess's step-mother deciding to slaughter the elves, dwarves and goblins on her planet. To which Zark's people decide: OK, we are going to interfere, by returning the princess to her original planet.
The princess, Emma, after her abduction, grew up on Earth and a married British Military Engineer, named Tom. Thus both were abducted from Earth and asked if they would be willing to move to Emma's home world to try and save it.
One of the things I liked immediately was the prospect of getting to read fantasy with a bit of safe sweet romance between the husband and wife. I felt their dynamic was great, each leaning on the other, in time. I enjoyed the active discussion between the two as to if they were going to do this or not.
The first flaw I noticed was that for the background of the husband, it never seemed to apply to the story... after all I would think ANY military personal, let alone an officer, would know they should not be talking about Earth in the middle of a medieval market square or toss gemstones around.
That alone wouldn't have put this story into flawed category. What pushed me into flawed was a lack of progress. For long stretches of the book, every scene felt like 'traveling, combat, safe'. Mind you, I LIKE travelogue stories and enjoy getting to see new fantasy locations, but there was just grass and garlic, and trees.
Meanwhile, character dynamics and choices felt stagnant. They were just in a dangerous world reacting to danger, not even villain-led danger, just bandits and the like: in game terms, trash mobs. This needed to escalate in some way, but it didn't.
Adding to the feeling of stagnation, I felt that the stakes didn't escalate, because the stake of the stepmother was dialed up to 10 from the start. It doesn't get bigger than genocide of 3/4 groups on a planet. She was making more progress than our heroes.
At 68% of the story, I was more than bored. This was when the author dropped their big secret. Unfortunately, with this reveal, I realized that the story would be SO MUCH BETTER if this secret wasn't hidden at all. I concluded that the most interesting character, with the most believable stakes and the most driving decisions, is Zark, but the readers aren't let in on that.
Zark isn’t written as the main character, only appearing in a small fraction of the POV chapters. By the ending, my opinion landed firmly on that Zark should have been the MC.
This story has an interesting setup, great characters, and a fascinating concept; but as written, the plot fails to show its main character driving events, leaving me with a feeling of stagnation. I especially enjoyed Zark's chapters, which hint at the story this book could be, but it isn't that. Like too many other indie books I have read, this one could have benefitted from more and stronger editing, especially developmental editing, in this case -- in my opinion.
December 9, 2025
Not for me, but it might be for you. Small spoilers abound, but nothing about the bulk of the plot
I read this as an ARC, so it's possible some things might have changed from the version I received. I have also never read any of Charlotte's other works and know nothing about them, so some of my opinions and ideas could come from a place of genuine ignorance.
First of all, I'd like to say that I very much like the premise here, it's what drew me to the story in the first place, and in all honestly it holds up really well.
Minor spoilers next.
The idea of aliens displaced on earth isnt new, but the way Charlotte has presented an old idea is fresh and interesting to me. Actually, one of my dissatisfactions with the book is that we dont spend more time with that side of things. The displacement is more a setting and fuel for the story, and though we revisit details of it at times during the story, I wouldnhave liked to spend a lot more time learninf about it - not just the prelude to this story, but the greater lore in general. To me that had pote tial to be the more interesting story, so I would say a prequel to this could be a good option for Charlotte to write in the future (assuming her other works aren't already prequels to this). Unfortunately I found I didn't enjoy Charlotte's writing very much, so I'll never find out either way as I won't read her other books. But I want to stress in that this is wholly a personal preference, not an indictment. It may well be that most other readers will enjoy her writing and it just happens to nor be to my taste. I won't go into too many details why as to do so would veer too far into spoiler territory. Suffice to say that for as much as I really like the premise and the lore potential, I disliked a number of story and characterization choices, and those issues make it hard for me to rate this higher than I have
For me it was difficult to finish, and for a while I considered not finishing at all, but I powered through to the end because it was only fair to do so after I asked for an ARC. And I'm glad I did, because despite the writing and story not suiting me personally, I can see where it might suit someone else, hence my tentative opinion that whilst it's not for me, it might be for you.
I read this as an ARC, so it's possible some things might have changed from the version I received. I have also never read any of Charlotte's other works and know nothing about them, so some of my opinions and ideas could come from a place of genuine ignorance.
First of all, I'd like to say that I very much like the premise here, it's what drew me to the story in the first place, and in all honestly it holds up really well.
Minor spoilers next.
The idea of aliens displaced on earth isnt new, but the way Charlotte has presented an old idea is fresh and interesting to me. Actually, one of my dissatisfactions with the book is that we dont spend more time with that side of things. The displacement is more a setting and fuel for the story, and though we revisit details of it at times during the story, I wouldnhave liked to spend a lot more time learninf about it - not just the prelude to this story, but the greater lore in general. To me that had pote tial to be the more interesting story, so I would say a prequel to this could be a good option for Charlotte to write in the future (assuming her other works aren't already prequels to this). Unfortunately I found I didn't enjoy Charlotte's writing very much, so I'll never find out either way as I won't read her other books. But I want to stress in that this is wholly a personal preference, not an indictment. It may well be that most other readers will enjoy her writing and it just happens to nor be to my taste. I won't go into too many details why as to do so would veer too far into spoiler territory. Suffice to say that for as much as I really like the premise and the lore potential, I disliked a number of story and characterization choices, and those issues make it hard for me to rate this higher than I have
For me it was difficult to finish, and for a while I considered not finishing at all, but I powered through to the end because it was only fair to do so after I asked for an ARC. And I'm glad I did, because despite the writing and story not suiting me personally, I can see where it might suit someone else, hence my tentative opinion that whilst it's not for me, it might be for you.
Review of advance copy received from Author
An Ambitious Indie Fantasy Debut with Heart and Huge Potential – Worth Your Time! ★★★★☆ (4/5)
I grabbed Path to Power as an ARC ahead of its February 20, 2026 relaunch, and as a fellow indie author and fantasy reader, I'm glad I did. Charlotte Goodwin has clearly poured tremendous effort into this series opener—it's an original blend of sci-fi observation (alien overseers monitoring a "magic field" planet) and classic epic fantasy, with abducted heirs, power-hungry queens, and a richly detailed world called Dunia. You can feel the passion on every page; this is authentic, human-crafted storytelling with no shortcuts, full of thoughtful world-building like aura-measuring tech and hand-drawn maps that pull you right in.
The story follows exiled heir Emma's return to reclaim her throne, alongside her Earth-raised companion Tom's awakening powers and a diverse group of companions navigating chases, alliances, and betrayals. The mid-to-late book really shines: thrilling escapes, heartfelt character moments, and escalating stakes that kept me turning pages. The magic system has that satisfying "hard" rule feel, and the geopolitical layers (from goblin wilds to elven enclaves) set up exciting trilogy payoff.
The opening chapters take some patience—the family dynamics and dual abduction/exile setup can feel a bit tangled at first, requiring close reading to sort the heirs and relationships. I also wanted more depth from some characters and especially the antagonist Queen Lila; her chilling strategy glimpses are intriguing, but a deeper perspective would make her even more compelling. These are common growing pains in an indie debut, and they don't overshadow the heart and ambition here.
Overall, Path to Power is a promising start from a dedicated indie author who's building something special. If you enjoy epic fantasy with sci-fi twists, moral complexity, and slow-burn growth, pick this up on launch—you'll be rooting for the sequels. Supporting indies like Charlotte keeps fresh voices alive. Solid 4 stars—excited to see where the trilogy goes!
Reviewed by Marc E. Weimann, indie author and fantasy reader
(Verified ARC reader – full read completed December 2025)
I grabbed Path to Power as an ARC ahead of its February 20, 2026 relaunch, and as a fellow indie author and fantasy reader, I'm glad I did. Charlotte Goodwin has clearly poured tremendous effort into this series opener—it's an original blend of sci-fi observation (alien overseers monitoring a "magic field" planet) and classic epic fantasy, with abducted heirs, power-hungry queens, and a richly detailed world called Dunia. You can feel the passion on every page; this is authentic, human-crafted storytelling with no shortcuts, full of thoughtful world-building like aura-measuring tech and hand-drawn maps that pull you right in.
The story follows exiled heir Emma's return to reclaim her throne, alongside her Earth-raised companion Tom's awakening powers and a diverse group of companions navigating chases, alliances, and betrayals. The mid-to-late book really shines: thrilling escapes, heartfelt character moments, and escalating stakes that kept me turning pages. The magic system has that satisfying "hard" rule feel, and the geopolitical layers (from goblin wilds to elven enclaves) set up exciting trilogy payoff.
The opening chapters take some patience—the family dynamics and dual abduction/exile setup can feel a bit tangled at first, requiring close reading to sort the heirs and relationships. I also wanted more depth from some characters and especially the antagonist Queen Lila; her chilling strategy glimpses are intriguing, but a deeper perspective would make her even more compelling. These are common growing pains in an indie debut, and they don't overshadow the heart and ambition here.
Overall, Path to Power is a promising start from a dedicated indie author who's building something special. If you enjoy epic fantasy with sci-fi twists, moral complexity, and slow-burn growth, pick this up on launch—you'll be rooting for the sequels. Supporting indies like Charlotte keeps fresh voices alive. Solid 4 stars—excited to see where the trilogy goes!
Reviewed by Marc E. Weimann, indie author and fantasy reader
(Verified ARC reader – full read completed December 2025)
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book for free from the author and am voluntarily leaving this review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Charlotte Goodwin’s Path to Power is a hugely enjoyable, genre-bending romp which promises even better to come as the trilogy, The Stolen Throne, continues. Although it reads as a classic fantasy, Path to Power is technically science-fiction, with just a tiny hint of litrpg thrown in.
Some mild spoilers ahead.
Young married couple Emma and Tom are astounded to find themselves “abducted” by a race of aliens who maintain a benevolently hands-off supervision of all life-bearing planets in the galaxy. They’re even more astonished to discover that Emma is, in fact, a native of another planet: a planet populated by both humans and classic fantasy creatures like elves, dwarves and goblins, and where magic is real.
And where Emma is an exiled princess.
Tom and Emma are given a choice: return to Earth with their memories of the aliens wiped, or transported to Emma’s home planet, to try and reclaim her stolen throne.
Path to Power is an engaging and enjoyable story which grabs the reader from the start. Emma and Tom are an appealing couple of protagonists, whose adventures in what, to one of them at least, is a truly ‘strange new world’ is full of perils, pitfalls, and wonder. The ups and downs of a modern couple thrown into a medieval fantasy world are explored with realism, and alternating humor and danger. In particular, navigating the thousand little social cues which can make all the difference between an amusing faux pas and a deadly insult.
It’s hard to find fault with Charlotte Goodwin’s writing, but if I had to make one quibble, it’s that the ending feels a little low-key. But, given that this is the first book of a trilogy, that will no doubt be of no importance when the second and third volumes are released.
Both of which I am eagerly waiting to read!
Charlotte Goodwin’s Path to Power is a hugely enjoyable, genre-bending romp which promises even better to come as the trilogy, The Stolen Throne, continues. Although it reads as a classic fantasy, Path to Power is technically science-fiction, with just a tiny hint of litrpg thrown in.
Some mild spoilers ahead.
Young married couple Emma and Tom are astounded to find themselves “abducted” by a race of aliens who maintain a benevolently hands-off supervision of all life-bearing planets in the galaxy. They’re even more astonished to discover that Emma is, in fact, a native of another planet: a planet populated by both humans and classic fantasy creatures like elves, dwarves and goblins, and where magic is real.
And where Emma is an exiled princess.
Tom and Emma are given a choice: return to Earth with their memories of the aliens wiped, or transported to Emma’s home planet, to try and reclaim her stolen throne.
Path to Power is an engaging and enjoyable story which grabs the reader from the start. Emma and Tom are an appealing couple of protagonists, whose adventures in what, to one of them at least, is a truly ‘strange new world’ is full of perils, pitfalls, and wonder. The ups and downs of a modern couple thrown into a medieval fantasy world are explored with realism, and alternating humor and danger. In particular, navigating the thousand little social cues which can make all the difference between an amusing faux pas and a deadly insult.
It’s hard to find fault with Charlotte Goodwin’s writing, but if I had to make one quibble, it’s that the ending feels a little low-key. But, given that this is the first book of a trilogy, that will no doubt be of no importance when the second and third volumes are released.
Both of which I am eagerly waiting to read!
Review of advance copy received from Author
A very enjoyable read. There's adventure, chases, peril, one or two explosions, and curious aliens. I normally struggle to read ebooks, but I got through this one in a couple of sessions, and the pages seemed to fly by. Looking forward to reading more of Emma, Thomas, Garrad and Eskilith's adventures.
Emma is a character who is uncertain of herself at the the start but with knowledge and experience, she becomes confident that she can do what needs to be done, especially with Tom at her side. She rescues herself using intelligence, guile, and stubborness. There's a cool reference to using a watch to identify north if you don't have a compass, which I learnt as a Guide, but now I can't remember if it's the hour or minute hand you point at the sun. Her practical skills mean that her survival is realistically portrayed, especially as the only magic she can do is a bit of fire lighting that exhausts her.
Tom is a soldier, but he's used to mechanical transport and guns, not horses and swords, so he needs to learn to adjust to this new world. He's a bit of a prick to Garrad, although Garrad is a bit of a dick back; saving each other's lives while the rescue Emma from goblins then hostile soldiers (Emma rescues herself) bonds them, and they finally respect each other enough to work together. They develop a friendship through adversity and it's fun to read about them doing so. Tom's characteristics seem realistic for a British soldier. Haven't known many, most of my contact with British armed forces has been RAF Regiment, but the odd ex-squaddie I've met have a similar sense of humour and attitude.
The world building is good. The world is a typical pseudo-medieval world with lords, armies, inns and magic, but with space aliens watching over them and people being transported from modern day Earth by space ship. This was unexpected. It's a portal fantasy, essentially, with alien abduction as the 'portal'. There are humans on both planets but they have different genetic make-ups and Dunia has a magical aura while Earth doesn't, meaning there is magic on one and not the other. It's certainly an interesting concept.
Honestly, this was a fun portal science fantasy and it flew by. If you want a fun read with a bit of action and dangerous swimming (don't jump off waterfalls!), women gaining confidence and men developing healthy friendships and emotional intelligence, I recommend this book.
Emma is a character who is uncertain of herself at the the start but with knowledge and experience, she becomes confident that she can do what needs to be done, especially with Tom at her side. She rescues herself using intelligence, guile, and stubborness. There's a cool reference to using a watch to identify north if you don't have a compass, which I learnt as a Guide, but now I can't remember if it's the hour or minute hand you point at the sun. Her practical skills mean that her survival is realistically portrayed, especially as the only magic she can do is a bit of fire lighting that exhausts her.
Tom is a soldier, but he's used to mechanical transport and guns, not horses and swords, so he needs to learn to adjust to this new world. He's a bit of a prick to Garrad, although Garrad is a bit of a dick back; saving each other's lives while the rescue Emma from goblins then hostile soldiers (Emma rescues herself) bonds them, and they finally respect each other enough to work together. They develop a friendship through adversity and it's fun to read about them doing so. Tom's characteristics seem realistic for a British soldier. Haven't known many, most of my contact with British armed forces has been RAF Regiment, but the odd ex-squaddie I've met have a similar sense of humour and attitude.
The world building is good. The world is a typical pseudo-medieval world with lords, armies, inns and magic, but with space aliens watching over them and people being transported from modern day Earth by space ship. This was unexpected. It's a portal fantasy, essentially, with alien abduction as the 'portal'. There are humans on both planets but they have different genetic make-ups and Dunia has a magical aura while Earth doesn't, meaning there is magic on one and not the other. It's certainly an interesting concept.
Honestly, this was a fun portal science fantasy and it flew by. If you want a fun read with a bit of action and dangerous swimming (don't jump off waterfalls!), women gaining confidence and men developing healthy friendships and emotional intelligence, I recommend this book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is the only novel I've read by this author, and I received it as an ARC.
The story, as part one of a trilogy, works. I was curious about the characters and conflict. I enjoyed the magic employed and that the main characters, Emma and Tom, are thrust into a magic world. Because these characters are pulled in from modern-day England, it's a meta story from the outset -- that and the aliens who play a small part. They refer to the Internet and talk about technology while in riding on horses.
That meta angle is also one problem I had with the book. Emma "remembers" something conveniently, because her memory of the magical world has been implanted in her mind or because a meddling alien pushed a thought to her. That's a plot device some readers would call cheating. She and Tom also have implanted skills, and maybe if the book had more of a litRPG style I would have accepted this better.
Mentioning style brings up my primary complaint with this book and the reason for giving it 3 stars. The tone of Path to Power is childlike. I wouldn't say childish, but from the aliens in chapter one, most of the dialogue between humans, and the narration throughout, this book has a light, childlike tone. Maybe even innocent. It could be the aliens leading me to think this way. They act like children. With a light-hearted tone like this, I was jarred by the language and violence when it came. Those details felt out of place.
The story, as part one of a trilogy, works. I was curious about the characters and conflict. I enjoyed the magic employed and that the main characters, Emma and Tom, are thrust into a magic world. Because these characters are pulled in from modern-day England, it's a meta story from the outset -- that and the aliens who play a small part. They refer to the Internet and talk about technology while in riding on horses.
That meta angle is also one problem I had with the book. Emma "remembers" something conveniently, because her memory of the magical world has been implanted in her mind or because a meddling alien pushed a thought to her. That's a plot device some readers would call cheating. She and Tom also have implanted skills, and maybe if the book had more of a litRPG style I would have accepted this better.
Mentioning style brings up my primary complaint with this book and the reason for giving it 3 stars. The tone of Path to Power is childlike. I wouldn't say childish, but from the aliens in chapter one, most of the dialogue between humans, and the narration throughout, this book has a light, childlike tone. Maybe even innocent. It could be the aliens leading me to think this way. They act like children. With a light-hearted tone like this, I was jarred by the language and violence when it came. Those details felt out of place.
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February 7, 2026I enjoyed the 1st draft. But this rewriting of the book was so much better. The characters were more real and relatable. Garrard didn't look down his nose at Tom and as for Tom he was no longer acting like a petulant child. His magical journey will be quite amusing I feel.It would be nice for me personally to have a brief back story to some of the Elf characters that could interesting.I also noticed the chapters were evenly spaced which made the story flow better. I understand what Charlotte meant when she wrote of the amount of time and Effort she had put into this book. I still can't seem to take to Emma.She seems a little cool,but I suppose being a queen it figures.As regards the genocide it still makes you feel sorry for those nations who are being eradicated and the further annihilation of the other races. Queen Lila does seem to have the help of the blood thirsty Atropians. Wonder who that again reminds us of. Why do I feel they may come to a sticky end... Maybe?
I still like the Zargon characters they seem to have been fleshed out somewhat. I quite like their wit.
I am looking forward to her next book with anticipation.
I still like the Zargon characters they seem to have been fleshed out somewhat. I quite like their wit.
I am looking forward to her next book with anticipation.
November 20, 2025
I have had the pleasure of receiving an ARC of ‘Path to Power’ by Charlotte Goodwin.
If you’re looking for a book with goblins, dwarves, elves and humans, plus aliens thrown in for good measure, then this book is for you!
We start off the story with the aliens, which of course makes you think this is going to be an aliens in spaceships type of book, but you’d be so wrong.
We discover an alien race is observing multiple planets, Earth being one and Dunia being another.
The story line is predominantly set on Dunia (think Earth without technology) following Emma and her husband Tom as they try to defeat the evil queen Lila and install Emma the true queen in her rightful place. But, she needs the help of her husband a powerful sorcerer who has yet to awaken his magical powers and learn how to use them.
Charlotte masterfully weaves a tale of Emma’s journey with lots of action, including battling goblins and soldiers along the way.
Does Toms magic awaken? Does he learn how to use it? Does Emma sit on the throne? You’ll have to read ‘Path to Power’ to find out!
If you’re looking for a book with goblins, dwarves, elves and humans, plus aliens thrown in for good measure, then this book is for you!
We start off the story with the aliens, which of course makes you think this is going to be an aliens in spaceships type of book, but you’d be so wrong.
We discover an alien race is observing multiple planets, Earth being one and Dunia being another.
The story line is predominantly set on Dunia (think Earth without technology) following Emma and her husband Tom as they try to defeat the evil queen Lila and install Emma the true queen in her rightful place. But, she needs the help of her husband a powerful sorcerer who has yet to awaken his magical powers and learn how to use them.
Charlotte masterfully weaves a tale of Emma’s journey with lots of action, including battling goblins and soldiers along the way.
Does Toms magic awaken? Does he learn how to use it? Does Emma sit on the throne? You’ll have to read ‘Path to Power’ to find out!
December 2, 2025
I don’t think I can accurately put into words how relaxing it is to read a fantasy book that isn’t cliche. I voluntarily read and reviewed ‘path to power’ by Charlotte Goodwin. As a fan of LOTR, the familiar themes and jargon aren’t lost on me. Now to the book; Path to power is so well written I actually forgot it was a novel at one point and now I fear I may have chosen sides in this war 😁. The twists and turns are appropriate and perfectly timed. Yes, I had a few shocking revelations and moments but they tied neatly into the plot and they all made sense. I also love the fact that there are mentions of the real world albeit under a different name. It gave me magical vibes and also the characters are as diverse as they are lovable. This isn’t a book that can be adequately described, you have to experience it for yourself 🫱🏾🫲🏽. I would have rated a 5 star read but for two things; I was kinda disappointed the author didn’t invent her own specieand I am waiting on the other books in the series. I didn’t exactly like the last page too.
March 28, 2026
Fantasy has the power to transport us to worlds we've never imagined. When an author builds those worlds with consistent, believable rules, even the most astonishing events feel utterly real.
Charlotte Goodwin achieves in Pathway to Power. Abducted from Earth by enigmatic aliens—who swear they never interfere with the planets they observe, except when they do—Emma and Tom are dropped into a meticulously crafted medieval realm of swords and sorcery. With just enough preparation to survive, they must navigate a dangerous new world where magic is as deadly as steel.
What follows is a gripping blend of high-stakes action and thoughtful insight into the motivations that drive us all—both the noble and the dark. Goodwin makes the unknown feel intimately real, not just for Emma and Tom, but for the reader walking beside them.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I'm thrilled I won't have to wait long for the next book in the series.
Charlotte Goodwin achieves in Pathway to Power. Abducted from Earth by enigmatic aliens—who swear they never interfere with the planets they observe, except when they do—Emma and Tom are dropped into a meticulously crafted medieval realm of swords and sorcery. With just enough preparation to survive, they must navigate a dangerous new world where magic is as deadly as steel.
What follows is a gripping blend of high-stakes action and thoughtful insight into the motivations that drive us all—both the noble and the dark. Goodwin makes the unknown feel intimately real, not just for Emma and Tom, but for the reader walking beside them.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I'm thrilled I won't have to wait long for the next book in the series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Just finished (received an advanced copy -ARC) I really enjoyed this! I liked the mix of science fiction and fantasy and I really started to warm to the 2 main characters as I got deeper into the book. I like the concept of actions being observed by other beings and the moral dilemma of remaining neutral. I found it jumped into action quite quickly and that I needed to read on to care about the characters - that is only reason I’ve given 4 stars and not 5. Looking forward to finding out what happens next in the sequel 😊
Review of advance copy received from Author
While the overarching plot is gripping, the heart of the story for me was the interaction between Tom and Garrad.. Goodwin expertly balances Garrad’s rigid military loyalty to Emma’s claim with Tom’s more personal, protective perspective. Their scenes together provided some of the most grounded and emotionally resonant moments in the book.
I'm very curious to see how Emma and Tom's journey progresses in the next installment. A solid read for anyone who enjoys high-stakes fantasy with a sci-fi twist.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
I'm very curious to see how Emma and Tom's journey progresses in the next installment. A solid read for anyone who enjoys high-stakes fantasy with a sci-fi twist.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
February 21, 2026
A fun adventurous read with believable well-drawn characters. I never read the earlier version of this book, so I can't speak to any improvements or the changes at all, but I found Path to Power to be an enjoyable and immersive story. The world building and characters were both done well. I do think some reviewers are nitpicking or seem a little eager to tear it apart when it's a basically a good story that must have taken a lot of work and dedication. I think if you enjoy the characters, you'll enjoy this book. Personally I look forward to continuing the series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I want to read the next book, and, I am interested in this story. Qualities here: the story feels natural, the characters seem very human: it's a pleasure to read characters who do heroic things and yet the characters themselves are not set up as heroes already. And this telling avoids so many pitfalls: I don't know how the story will "inevitably" progress ... the journey is not obvious, everything feels still 'on the table'. It is a fast read. I recommend reading this book.
November 16, 2025
I was fortunately given access to an Advanced Reader Copy. It was gripping. The fusion of SciFi and Magic really worked. I was invested in the characters, my life affords little time for actually reading so I grabbed it when I was given the chance.
I look forward to the next instalment Charlotte, maybe an ARC hint hint
I look forward to the next instalment Charlotte, maybe an ARC hint hint
Review of advance copy received from Author
Excellent start to a trilogy with engaging characters in a story that neatly crosses Sci-Fi and fantasy alongside contemporary real world. It's an easier read than some of the fantasy series's I've recently read, I didn't feel the need to constantly look back or check the map. Looking forward to the next book!
Review of advance copy
Advance review copy - I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this story, there's a mix of science fiction and fantasy. I enjoyed the characters, I think Charlotte has captured a RE Officer perfectly. The book left me wanting more and I think even though it is part of a trilogy it could easily be longer.
Review of advance copy received from Author
fast paced, constantly moving you on to the next page, couldn’t put it down.
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