The Path Keeper

The Indigo Chronicles #1

by N.J. Simmonds

What if every coincidence was a tiny miracle? What if our life was already mapped out before birth? What if someone had the power to change the path we were destined to follow?

Ella hates her new life in London, she misses Spain and she’s struggling to get over her past until she meets Zac. He has always loved her but he isn’t meant to be part of Ella’s story. Not this time. Not ever. Little does she know that his secret is the one thing that will tear them apart and will force her to live in a world that no longer makes sense, a world more dangerous than she could ever imagine.

The first in a thrilling new YA fantasy series, The Path Keeper is a tale of passion and secrets, of first loves and second chances, and the invisible threads that bind us. Can love ever be stronger than fate?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal

378 pages, Paperback

First published February 23, 2017

About the author

Natali is an accredited member of The Society of Authors and writes as N J Simmonds. She is a freelance brand consultant and lecturer, writes Manga comics, and has had her work published in various UK newspapers, websites and publications. In 2015 she co-founded The Glass House Girls, an online magazine for women who need to be heard. Originally from North London, Natali now divides her time between her two homes in the South of Spain and The Netherlands where she lives with her husband and two daughters. THE PATH KEEPER is her first novel from the series, the sequel SON OF SECRETS is out 28 May 2020, the the third book CHILDREN OF SHADOWS is due out 2021. Follow her writing adventures at njsimmonds.com.

Reviews

[Barbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

My thoughts in a nutshell
This book is a weird child of Twilight (without vampire) x Fallen. Or you breed your own favorite popular YA books and you get this. (With a way worse edition) I like the YA genre - one of my main genre - but I can't force myself to read through The Path Keeper so I DNF it at 30%. Unfortunately, this author isn’t for me.

The story is about...
You know this! An average girl Ella (LOL) meets a sexy guy Zac and everything changes.

What I like 😊
Hard question.
I love the cover. Yep, the cover is pretty cool. That's all.

What I don't like at all ☹️
Where should I start?
I don't like any character. They are so stereotypical. Let's see.
Ella has a gorgeous mother. Her mother is married to a rich guy, he's also hot. Everyone is perfect... even in real life. (nope)
Zac is psychotic. He stalks Ella because he loves her. It's an ordinary day. Guys, If someone stalk by you and says that he loves you. Just run. It is not normal but sick.
Ella is so annoying, I hate the typical hysterical YA girls. She is not only hysterical, but she is so dumb. Best combination ever.
I hate the religious part, it makes no sense.
I also hate the weird insta-love.
The whole story is random. I feel like the author didn't know what she was writing exactly.
The writing style is dull.


Make a conclusion
I couldn't recommend it to anyone because I don't know who the audience is. To whom did she write the book? If she wrote for the younger readers, I don't understand why it has so much sex scenes.
If it is a new adult book, I don't understand why it is so childish. I'm sorry, this is my opinion.


*ARC generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So here I go with my review N.J.!

When I began to read “The Path Keeper” I was sure that I’d get a typical young adult story. Super-hot guy meets nice girl and they kind of hit it off!

Oh boy, was I wrong!! ! XD
I got so much more than I bargained for! ;-)

Yes, there is a love story between Ella and Zac and yes they hit it off and immediately fall in love
BUT
that’s definitely not the entire story! Oh no!
The story is so much more complex than that and the longer I read the more I loved the book! I think I kind of slowly fell in love with “The Path Keeper” and after chapter twenty-six I actually was a goner.
That chapter literally killed me and the longer I read, the more emotions I felt. I can’t even describe my feelings but my husband saw me reading and he was like: Are you alright?
Guess that says it all! *lol* And to answer the question: Nope I was not alright! XD

Soo anyway let’s get away from the depression and look at the bright side, shall we?

The characters:

Ella: I instantly loved Ella and her smart mouth. She’s not really your typical heroine but in the end that makes you like her even more! She’s frequently cursing in Spanish and I just adored her for it.

“How could I forget the girl with a face of an angel and the mouth of a sailor?”

Ha! Zac got that more than just right! *lol*

Zac: Oh my! Zac is just awesome! You have to love him for being the way he is. I think sometimes I was at least as angry at him as Ella was, but once you know why he’s acting so strange you just can’t help but have to like him! XD

“I’m Ella’s,” said Zac.
“Ella’s what, exactly?”
“Ella’s everything.”

I love you for that statement, Zac!!! I really do! =)))

The plot:

There isn’t only the romance between Ella and Zac but also other romances that stretch over decades and somehow are all connected to each other. To explain it would be difficult but let’s just say that I enjoyed those flashbacks immensely. They are a huge part of why I didn’t just begin to love the book but also why it constantly broke my heart! Jeez!

Okay since I don’t want to spoil all too much I’ll just say that I loved to read “The Path Keeper” and that I definitely can recommend it! Its writing style is beautiful and some scenes just made me gasp and left me sad and anxious.

All told I really can recommend the book!
Thank you N.J! Thank you for the bittersweet read!

AND if possible, please don’t let me wait all too long for the second book! ;-)))

[Aneela ♒the_mystique_reader♒ · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story started with a chatterbox girl, Ella, who met a stranger, Zac, on her way to home. He was stalking/waiting for her there. Zac is an angel whose duty is to keep Ella on track so that she meets her fate every time. At first, this story reminds me of The Adjustment Bureau which I really liked. Sadly, this book wasn't anything like it.

Ells is rich and pretty but she has no one she can call a true friend. Her mom married a business man and Ella moved in with them. She met Zac and couldn't stop herself falling for the complete stranger/stalker. She also invited him at her place to sleep without knowing much about him. Creepy, I know. She cared for him and made it obvious that she is into him.

Zac has been taking care of Ella in past lives too. He too fell in love with her and revealed his secret that he is an angel and that there is no God. There are only angels who are responsible for taking care of people to keep them on track so their lives go as planned by the angels. And this is where I decided I cannot read further. Characters who are puppets of angels! Not an interesting concept for me. The characters are too shallow as well. Ella's mom reminded me of the Regina George's mom from Mean Girls; rich, foolish and self-centered. Ella is not that bright either. She just loves to talk to total strangers on road, telling them everything about her and invite them at home because they don't have a nice place to sleep. Zac is handsome but I don't see any other good quality except that he comforted Ella when she was about to die in one of her past life. Yes, that's it. No depth, no strong characters or plot that can keep you reading further.

I am not a fan of stories with fallen angels who control human lives. I didn't like the characters, the story or the plot. If you are a fan of fallen angel stories, you may like this.

An eARC of this novel was provided by BHC Press/H2O via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Brittany · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 Star

While the storyline was compelling-I just cant do it....

I wanted so bad to finish this because something about it made it a little intriguing - but not nearly enough.
Issues I had:
*I had no idea what audience this was meant for- it appears to be a YA but reads like something else..
*The characters were not really likable and never really seem to have a purpose they kind of just do things for the sake of doing them and it was weird.
*There are religious undertones but in my opinion, made ZERO sense.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book but the more I read I just got annoyed and realized I just really did not care about what happened. I hate to DNF books but this one sadly is going down as one.

ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Eliza]

DNF @ 22%

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this. Unfortunately, the writing and story is a little young for me and I'm not interested at all. Therefore, I will leave the rating blank since I didn't read enough for a proper review or rating.

[Laura ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars (rounded up)

Ella is uprooted to London from Spain by her mother, and absolutely hates it. When she keeps mysteriously running into handsome stranger, Zac, her life gets slowly but surely turned upside down.

Throughout the first half of this book I thought it was cliché, a little juvenile, and stereotypical YA, and that the characters seemed somewhat shallow. Being a debut novel however, it's not a bad first! Overall, it was quite an enjoyable read, with some interesting perspectives!

The instant attraction between Ella and Zac seemed a little forced to me, immediately going from 0 to 100, and is just such a trope. BUT I did love how their relationship developed! And didn't go where you'd expect it to..

The mythological/religious/angelic ideas and concepts were brilliant though! I wish they had been a bit more developed, and I hope the sequel is a little less romance-heavy and includes a little more world-building!

[Imi (Imi Reviews Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 75%

Okay, so I have literally put this down right this second and I’m still mad. But we’ll get to that.

The premise is that angels are on earth to ensure that humans stick to their fate, but they aren’t meant to interact with them. But uh, oh, Zac spoke to Ella and they fell in love and now shit is going down. Nothing massively original but also could make for an intriguing urban fantasy with a strong romance element.

The writing was pretty good and I found it intriguing but I felt like it was lacking in a lot of plot substance and also the romance was cliche to the point of sickening at times. There were chapters of flashbacks from “past lives” which I just didn’t care about and the ‘Cockenese’ (fake cockney) accent of the narrator was just irritating and inaccurate. I felt like characters were very two dimensional and would completely 180 in a matter of paragraphs, but I kept reading because as sickening as the romance was, I was invested. I’m a sucker for a paranormal romance kind of thing and angel/human is like my jam. Big mistake.

SPOILER WARNING | TRIGGER WARNING
Here’s a warning I wish I’d had before reading this. There is quite a graphic and violent attempted rape. But it’s not necessarily that that triggered/offended me, it was the way it was treated within the book. It was ridiculously unnecessary for the plot and literally, in the next paragraph, the girl is having supposedly “hot” sex with someone else before this guy then says that he had to let her get almost raped because it was her “fate”. Fuck that. FUCK THAT. FUCK USING ABUSE TO JUSTIFY YOUR FUCKED UP NARRATIVE. FUCK WHAT YOU JUST MADE ME FEEL ABOUT MYSELF AND WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. FUCK YOU.

Basically, I’m so done with this. I know there’s a lot of talk about abuse in YA and using it as a plot device etc. It is 100% not a plot device and never should be. The only reason it should be included in such a way is if it’s absolutely necessary for the character. Otherwise, you as an author are abusing.

[Leeya · Rating 1 out of 5]

First the good news: This book is a fast read. If you make it through. Which I didn’t.

So, the book consists of two stories. (At least as far as I read.)
The first story takes place in the past and I found it quite engaging. The writing style was quite good: some imagery, foreshadowing, and I could identify with the protagonists and was rooting for them despite knowing in advance that their tale was a tragic one.

Now the bad news:
The second story, which is the main story, takes place in present day London and what I liked about it was the premise. And that was it. I thought I was getting a book like the movie The Adjustment Bureau (because someone said so in their review) and if that is what you are looking for, this story does not deliver. I was disappointed on so many levels.

The writing style. Language-wise, the book sounds like it was written for teenagers, not young adults. But then – boom! Sex scenes! Yikes. I wanted to read a great story, not some porn in book form! Anyways, the sentence structure is very basic, there are hardly any rhetorical devices but all the more clichés. Just the process of reading the words was not very enjoyable. However, the sentences are short and they flow. It’s a very quick read.

The protagonists. Ella is not what I would call a likeable character. She comes across like the immature, spoiled brat she so strongly pretends not to be. She constantly behaves irrationally and I could not identify with her at all. I even found her annoying.
The other protagonist is Zac, who is an angel. You might think this is a spoiler. But no, not really. The revelation does not come at the end and he just says it: “I am an angel.” Aha, ok. It would have been much more suspenseful if Ella had found out somehow but no, he tells her. Which brings me to my last point.

The content. I was hoping for a love-and-fantasy-mystery story with twists and unexpected reveals, something that would blow me away. But what I got felt like a deflated balloon. Angel loves human. Well, that’s new. (Not.) Plus, and that is just me personally, I do not like angel stories. They are not my thing and I would not have picked up this book if I had known beforehand. If you like angel stories, maybe you’ll like this one. But I wish it had been on the back of the book.

The worst for me though was the distortion of Christianity which I found really annoying. Simmonds uses biblical terms and names of angels in the Bible but creates her own fantasy universe with them. I felt deeply offended when she called Jesus a son of Gabriel and that was the moment when I decided not to waste any more time on this book. I agree with artistic liberty but I also agree with the liberty to criticize which I am now finished doing.

1.5 stars because I liked the side story.

I want to thank NetGalley and BHC Press for providing me free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Christine Sandquist · Rating 1 out of 5]

***This ARC was provided by BHC Press in exchange for an honest review***

This review and others can be found on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks.

Execution: ⭐
Enjoyment: ⭐

Key Descriptors: YA, YA romance, fantasy, self-insert romance

Premise: Ella, daughter of multimillionaire hotel-owning parents, meets a mysterious boy and immediately falls in love. Mysterious Boy keeps making excuses not to be with her, thus making her love him even more. You see, Ella is supposed to be on a ~life path~ that doesn’t include Mysterious Boy.

-----------------------------------------

Review: WARNING: This book was a real trip. Long rant-review incoming.

This is actually the worst book I’ve ever read. Literally, the worst book. I’ve read and enjoyed some trash in my time, but the only reason I kept going with The Path Keeper was to see just how far this train wreck could take me. This book is essentially what you’d get if you took Twilight, removed everything about it that was even remotely interesting, and THEN you added in a dose of super fun sexual assault and a variety of other utterly tasteless spices to the whole hot mess. Almost every decision Bella, whoops, I mean ELLA, made me want to (╯°□°）╯︵ 📘 The Path Keeper out the window.

The first portion of this review will contain only the most minor of spoilers, none of which will reveal the over-arching plot or any of the big “reveals,” for you poor souls who are still thinking about reading this book. Spoilers will, however, abound in the second half for anyone who’d like to experience The Path Keeper in full without actually having to subject yourselves to reading it.

This book is aggressively mediocre and bland right up until it turns into a hot mess trying to deal with extremely sensitive topics (suicide, sexual abuse, etc) in utterly tone-deaf ways. Then it becomes mediocre and bland again for the ending. The premise isn’t even touched on in the first half of the book – there’s supposed to be some sort of time mythology going on in the background, hinted at by some WWII scenes that feel shoe-horned int, but the first 44% of the book doesn’t explain any portion of the premise at all.

At least in Twilight, Bella is smart enough to very quickly realize something is up with Edward. She recognizes that he’s strange and odd right away. Ella is pretty much just utterly oblivious to anything supernatural happening. She’s supposed to be in college – you’d think she’d have just a tab bit more awareness. Ella continuously makes utterly stupid decisions throughout the whole of The Path Keeper.

In the latter half of the book, once the plot actually starts happening, things do actually start to pick up! Unfortunately, every plot point is completely based on Ella doing yet MORE stupid things! If you don’t like topics such as girls committing suicide over boys, sexual assault, et cetera, you really shouldn’t read this book. Ella gets either full-on or almost sexually assaulted around three different times, but it somehow “okay” because Mysterious Time Boy comes to the rescue! It’s romantic, mmmmkay.

There was just nothing good or interesting about any of Ella’s actions, and Mysterious Time Boy is a bit of a White Savior pedantic asshole throughout the whole book. He’s incredibly creepy. A la Twilight, we even get a “he watches her when she sleeps but it’s cute and sweet” scene!

Finally, for an ostensibly YA novel…. the sex scenes are awfully explicit. I sure wouldn’t be handing this to someone in the 12-15 age bracket. Close to 18, sure, but not before then.

------------------------------------

All right, major spoiler time. I’m basically going to go through the entire book here, so only join me if you’re in it for the popcorn.

Stupid scene #1: LET’S BUY SOME FRIENDS!

Ella is famous as hell, apparently. Because in this alternate reality, people care about the daughters of hotel millionaires and she has the paparazzi breathing down her neck. NO ONE CARES ABOUT HOTELS IN REAL LIFE. Sure, if they were actors/actresses, but they aren’t! Anyway, Ella goes to some random cafe, and two girls recognize her because she’s sooooooo famous. Ella proceeds to use all of her money and influence to buy them as friends, because why not? They’re going to go to some fancy exclusive club called the Indigo where some other rich guy named Josh is throwing a party!

Stupid scene #2: THE PARTY.

Yay! We made it to The Party. The party primarily is a set up for Ella to make more stupid decisions later. Rich guy Josh comes over to the table where Ella and her two new paid-off lackeys are sitting. Josh is swooning all over Ella, since apparently even though Ella doesn’t think she’s pretty, rich guy Josh does. Unfortunately, he’s a presumptuous asshole about the whole thing. Ella exchanges, oh, three or four sentences with the guy. Take note: three or four sentences. That’s it. Ella skedaddles off to the bar to get a drink. What do you know! Mysterious Time Boy is here! She falls all over him and basically begs him to have sex with her. Oh, the romance.

Stupid scene #3: THE OTHER PARTY

Ella’s parents are going to some other party a few days later. Ella has still only known Mysterious Time Boy for around a week at this point. At the party, her parents introduce her to some stereotypical Nice Guy who’s speaking in that faux Victorian English that is the Nice Guy stereotype. The logical reaction here would be to excuse yourself and quietly inform the bartender that the Nice Guy was bothering you – or simply avoid him or tell him to lay off directly. Easy! Unfortunately, that’s far too easy for Ella. Ella notices Rich Guy Josh is here at the party too! Obviously, the BEST way to get Nice Guy to leave her alone is to lie, saying she has a boyfriend, and to go over and make out with Josh, let him blatantly feel her up in front of all the party-goers, and generally put on a show for the whole room. Because gotta add some veracity to that boyfriend lie, amirite? Remember: ELLA HAS ONLY SPOKEN WITH JOSH FOR A TOTAL OF FIVE MINUTES PRIOR TO THIS SCENE. What the actual fuck is wrong with you, Ella?

“No, he’s still looking,” she said. “I think we need to crank it up a notch.”

NO YOU DON’T, ELLA, YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW HIM.

“I can see why everyone says you’re a great actor. That was a convincing performance.”

“I wasn’t acting,” he said. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time.”

WTF JOSH, YOU’VE ONLY EXCHANGED THREE SENTENCES WITH HER.

Stupid scene #4: THE BUS

Ella is riding on the bus, as you do. Josh also gets on the bus, and he’s pissed off because she doesn’t want to go on a date with him. So he tries to sexually assault her. Yay! Mysterious Time Boy saves Ella. Everything is okay again!


Stupid scene #5: ZOMG he’s actually a VAMPIRE ANGEL

Halfway through the book, Mysterious Time Boy reveals that he’s actually been an angel all along! An actual angel with wings and shit! Ella has been reincarnated hundreds of times throughout history, and he’s been looking after her this whole time. So he’s basically thousands of years old and Ella is around 19, which obviously isn’t something that should get in the way of their romance at all. He’s loved her SO MUCH forever.

But oh no! Angel Boy reveals that the other angels will be angry at him for interfering! Ella’s true destiny is to be with Josh, the boy who tried to fucking sexually assault her on the bus! What the actual fuck is wrong with this book.

Stupid scene #6: YAY MORE SEXUAL ASSAULT

So it turns out Ella’s stepbrother, Sebastian, has been raping her and sexually abusing her all along. Sebastian comes home unexpectedly while Angel Boy is around, tries to rape her again, but then Angel Boy uses the Force to choke him and beats him up. And everything is okay again, and Ella has exactly zero sexual hang ups from this abuse, so they have sex like ten times that night. Then the angels forcibly call him back and he tells her good bye and leaves her, ostensibly forever.

Stupid scene #6: THE LAST PARTY

One more party! This is another one with her parents. Sebastian threatens to rape her again and tries to blackmail her by saying he filmed her having sex with Angel Boy the other night. Ella actually makes a good decision for once, and goes to tell her parents about what’s going on! They believe her, which is great. Unfortunately, Ella follow this up with a characteristic stupid decision: since Angel Boy got called back by the angels, she decides the only way to be reunited with him is to jump off the 97th floor of the building they’re in and kill herself. PS she’s only known Angel Boy for about three weeks now.

THE ENDING

Okay, we’re going to wrap this up here. Angel boy obviously saves her. They go to visit Ella’s real dad. Angel Boy turns out to be a special Angel Boy who is ~secretly~ an archangel, unknown even to him. Also Angel Boy is a pedantic fuck who explains her could have stepped in way earlier when Ella was getting raped and shit, but oh, it’s CHARACTER BUILDING and it’s the LIFE SHE CHOSE and her LIFE PATH. Anyway, then the angels come and Angel Boy reveals the big major archangel Michael is actually his father. Then in a twist Angel Boy kills himself instead of his father which is implied will turn him human or something. It was all bland and stupid.

Thank you all for joining me in this utter train wreck of a YA romance and have a lovely day.

[Evelina | AvalinahsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

How I read this: free ebook copy from NetGalley

UPDATE: so I've finished the series and decided to revisit my OPINIONS, since the review for the first book means the most in a reader's decision of whether they'll pick the series or not. I'm not going to change my rating, but I wanted to write what I think about all of this after I finished the whole series. And despite my first review being somewhat ornery, I definitely think you should read this series. Because I was pissed off at the first book, and only half a year later did I realize that I was pissed off at all the characters BECAUSE I WAS HOOKED. What ensued was impatient waiting for the subsequent two books and reading them voraciously. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the whole series and I'm so happy I read it. I haven't been so hooked by a series, well, kind of ever. Now moving on to the original review.

---

I'm so conflicted about The Path Keeper – it's an okay book, and yet I struggled to get through the first half of it. Might be personal reasons, really – so I'll try to lay out all of my complicated feels about it! Read the full review here:



Who The Book Is For And Who It Isn't For

- The Path Keeper is based on a reincarnational idea of life. If you’re not comfortable with that, it’s not for you

- If you’re Christian and religious, also maybe don’t read it because the story talks about Jesus in this fictional world and it might not go down very well or make you uncomfortable if you’re a strict believer in the Bible. I won’t say it exactly challenges the Bible, but you might not be comfortable reading it

- This book has quite a lot of sex scenes. I didn’t expect it, and although I normally skip it, I felt like they were written okay. So if you’re not comfortable with it, it’s one of those books where skipping works, but if you don’t like skipping – the book isn’t for you

- Triggers are: mass death, war, rape, violence, abandoned mothers, teen pregnancy, being an orphan or just being abandoned or mistreated by your parents, suicide, suicide of family members

The Good Stuff

- It centers on love that breaks the barrier of lives, and that’s beautiful! We’re not just talking romantic love, although that is largely the focus, but also just family relationships and friendships that continue on and on throughout lives. The book has this vibe long before it reveals anything, so I don’t feel like it’s much of a spoiler, especially as the blurb hints about it too

- It’s not a short book, so if you fall in love with the characters, you will be able to have a long nice relationship with them, so to say

- It’s very nicely written and readable

The Not So Good Stuff

- And yet, I had difficulty getting through the first half. I did like how it reads and flows, but something kept stopping me from reading for days at a time

- It doesn’t really get anywhere until like 50%, and I mean literally. And it’s LONG. Or at least, it felt long? I mentioned that if you loved the characters, that would be fine, but… I didn’t love the characters.

- More about that… The characters kept being hot and cold and changing their mind, and a lot of them did that. It took away from the story cause it felt like the author was rewriting the characters on the spot. They tended to make huge life decisions on a whim in this book, and I mean all of them. It was a little bit odd.

- I especially didn’t like Ella, the main character. She’s so wishy washy and needy, although she admits it… but she just felt really unlikable. Maybe just for me! That might be why I didn’t enjoy the first half much, but Ella is still a very valid character and personality type, so it’s just my preference – it won’t hinder others from loving the book.

- The ending baffled me, until I remembered this is part of a series. Then it sort of made sense, but was still quite unsatisfying.

The Bad Rep Stuff

- I know I'm anal about this, and I'm happy the main character is curly, but AT NO POINT do naturally curly girls COMB their hair, if they want to STAY curly (which the character is portrayed doing multiple times.) Read literally ANY curly girl forum to find out. I am always very touchy about how curly girls are portrayed because they're never portrayed right, especially because many curly girls are faced with a lot of shit stereotypes (at least where I live), so I'm just overly sensitive about it. I guess I should be thankful the main character is curly at all and not be anal about this little detail, but it's just how I feel and I felt like I had to mention it. (Update: I talked to the author and she says she can't even imagine how this slipped through, especially as she was curly during periods of her life as well.)

- And now that I mention it, there were a few details that bothered me as well. Like the use of the phrase ‘exotic gypsy girl’ or a Chinese girl being described as looking as a ‘China doll’. I maintain that’s the editor’s fault – any good editor should weed this out. These phrases belong in the 80’s at the latest, if at all anywhere. They have no place in books of today for reasons I’m sure you all understand so I won’t explain.

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook through NetGalley in exchange to my honest opinion. Receiving the book for free does not affect my opinion.

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[Alaina · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Path Keeper is the first installment within The Indigo Chronicles.

In this, you will meet Ella. She's your typical average girl and definitely reminded me of Bella from Twilight. Which, I wasn't a huge fan of that book but whatever. It also didn't help that she just rubbed me the wrong way either. She felt so shallow.

Then there's the insta-whatever going on between her and Zac that left a sour taste in my mouth. At times, it felt forced but then somehow, I ended up liking them. Maybe I should thank the wine I was drinking during the time?

Not sure what the next book will bring me but since I have the ARC for the third book, I feel like I need to jump in and find out. Hopefully the characters become more likable. If not, I will get lots and lots more wine.

[Liis · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first glance, a romantic YA title which centres around forbidden love that spans centuries yet quickly becomes controversial by making use of content that requires a trigger warning.

I took a chance with this title and personally, I quite enjoyed it, trigger warnings and all. Admittedly, whilst The Path Keeper does not tread on paths and plots wholly new, the spin on fallen angels and the unrelated to the romantic aspect of the story conflict was interesting! And maybe that’s what made this story more than just an urban fantasy chick flick- in between the love interest, there was more than one conflict presented and the overall story pulled all of the points together perfectly.

So, what are we dealing with in the story? First, Ella, our main character is quite a firecracker of a 17 year old and I could level with her nicely. Yes, she got a bit OTT at times but it’s understandable… Especially when your love interest frustrates the hell out of you and your mother is a shallow accessory to society and you don’t know your real father! Not good!

Talking of love interest- Zac is one of those uber brooding types that could easily weasel their way to anyone’s panties but dude, he makes some bad decisions. Now, granted, his whole existence is a bit more than even he or anyone else ever realizes. In a twisted way he makes sense to himself and he tries to follow the rules that have been set… however cruel they may sound. Cruel… yes, our lives are just a constant obstacle course of utter P&S but the take on fate in this book puts the laws of the animal kingdom to shame! I can understand why some would find some of the reasonings in this book unnecessarily wicked, but cruelty aside… I liked how the author has pulled on elements from reincarnation and fate and mapping our lives… It’s a mind-bending concept and if real? Well, we shall see when we all get to that point!

This story is ultimately about fate… and the love that reincarnates as generations pass. Interestingly, whilst it’s not my first choice of a plot device, I was eagerly engaged by the past lives and ‘indirect’ timetravel element Simmonds decided to use in this story. They’re all very unique to each other and yet link perfectly with each other in the past and with the future. There was a whole lot of story within this book and the characters really delivered an enriched visual of what was, what could have been and what never was.. the emotion was real!

So, yes, in many ways, The Path Keeper is not just a story about 2 young people who can’t keep their hands away from each other. It’s also about lessons learnt, mistakes made and importantly- admitting that mistakes were made. It’s about redemption and second chances. I have to say, and dare I say it even, that the occasional sexy time felt unnecessary for me.. with the story itself and all of the different conflicts it presented, the love could have remained pure and innocent and that would have worked beautifully, too… Alas, sex sells, it’s everywhere and in everything so I have no further comment on that. But, I don’t think I would recommend this title to a 15 year old… not to a 15 year old… but, that’s just me.

Overall, pleasantly surprised by this book and I can’t wait to see what the sequel delivers because not only was The Path Keeper a fast paced read, it delivered some serious bang with the ending! Intrigue aplenty!

[jenn *mother of dragon & snake*]

DNF at 10%

unfortunatly, i was unable to get hooked in this. though i know i only got into this at 10%, it reminded me to much of not only Hush, Hush, but of Fallen with a bit of Teardrop and there is so much time left in life to read something to much like others you were super dissapointed in.

normally i would rate my dnf's but i don't feel the need to with this one as my dnfing this speaks more than volumes.

i wish the author all the best and hope that other readers might like this more than i.

[insert shrugging gif] - cause my computer at work sucks ass.

[Gabriel Lea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kindly received an arc from the author for review. I loved the concept of The Path Keeper. It’s the story of unrequited love over thousands of years. Zac has watched and loved Ella throughout countless lifetimes, sometimes tasked with supporting her through her hardships in various lives, but mostly doomed to love her from afar… until now.

The story is set in modern day London where we meet 18 year old Ella, in all of her brashness, abusing a rude bus driver. Enter Zac, who approaches her and offers his help. Ella is mesmerized by this intriguing stranger and an emotional tug of war ensues; Zac drawn to her, even though he knows it’s against the rules, and Ella wrestling with her compulsive need to throw herself at him, then hating him for pulling away. Why is it against the rules for Ella and Zac to fall love???? Well, you'll just have to read the book to find out! We follow the pair in this present life as Ella unravels the secret of what Zac really is and we also delve into the past lives of Ella and her parents and see how their choices from the past hold weight in the present.

While the storyline is compelling, I felt the execution could have done with further refinement in regard to character building. The characters just didn’t feel fully expressed to me and I struggled to form a connection with Ella and Zac. It was as though the author knew how they felt and why, but didn’t explain it to the reader. Consequently, much of the love, drama and struggle in their relationship felt rushed and confusing to me. I was left guessing why Ella or Zac would react a certain way because I hadn’t heard how they were feeling and what they were thinking.

The historical content from past lives shared and the back story of various characters was wonderful. I relished discovering how the journey of the characters’ souls interwove and effected their current lives. The author’s descriptions of other eras and ways of life was engrossing. Her descriptive writing is lovely as she sets scenes in WW2 London or describes picturesque places in Spain. I could see myself there drinking in the view. And speaking of drinking, there is an exclusive bar named Indigo in the book that is staffed by hot angels. I would very much like to find it!

Unlike most YA books, the sexual content of The Path Keeper is rather explicit. There’s a good dose of profanity as well from feisty Ella. I think this, coupled with the spiritual content of The Path Keeper, make it a good read for ‘not so young adults’. Adult fans of YA who want a bit more substance and romance action will appreciate this author’s style which I think is the market she was aiming at.

I've given The Path Keeper 3 out of 5 stars (bearing in mind that a five means perfection). All in all, a great debut effort from NJ Simmonds with plenty of room for growth in a promising new series.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book which blurred the lines between fantasy and contemporary. The author N. J. Simmonds, with her words, has taken a belief and woven it into a fantasy. Something I would call as a deconstructed faith mixed with a vivid portrayals of fantasy. Add to it a dash of mystery and a saga of romance lasting through all our 1000 reincarnated lives, you would have the true Path Keeper.

Zac and Ellie, the two main characters, who met in this life. One was celestial, the other earthly. One kept watch over life, and the other lived that life. The two interacted when they were supposed to just intersect. The two fell in love when they were supposed to part. She was his and she didn't know. He knew he was always hers, her everything!! They were different in so many ways, yet their love was same, deep and strong. They became aware of each other in this life and the past. Soon they came to know this was one love story which was never supposed to happen.

A story interwoven over a thousand years, foretold at the beginning of life when the souls were born, a story which would face the wrath of the angels, a story so forbidden that heads have parted to silence. A path new was forged where there was only wilderness. A new life, a new fate, the power rested with the one pure. Where even the archangel had to bow, admit that everything was fated, yet that fate was fluid, changed by free will and the power of love.

There were a lot of scenes written which resonated with me, some of the beliefs have always been followed by me. Yet my niggles caught up with me. I tried hard but couldn't like or connect with Ellie. Some graphic sexual scenes were skimmed over as I didn't feel the story needed it. It would have vibrated with more energy if it had been a clean love story.

Zac was good, there would be a lot of Zac-mania happening. Overall, I liked the book, and it was pleasantly different, meant to be read with an open mind and no preconceived ideas.

[Ari · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 oddly disappointing stars

Huh, for a book that started as well as this did, I'm immensely disappointed by the ending. The story was so intriguing at the beginning, and then even I'm not sure where it took a turn for worse.. But let's trace back to all the things that the book did wrong, shall we?

1. CHARACTER CONSISTENCY: This is something that I feel the book suffered with. There was zero consistency in the character actions and motivations. They were mostly abrupt for the sake of being abrupt, rather than for the sake of suspence, as it should be.

2. STORYLINE: I think the author started writing this story with something else in mind, but then went in an entirely different path altogether somewhere after 60% and then never bothered checking of the stories connected. But maybe that just might be me.

3. CHARACTERS IN GENERAL: Neither of the MCs were remotely likable to me and neither were the sides. This book tried with the typical YA themes of side characters where one friend is a sex advocate for every hot guy the female lead comes across, and a bitch of a rich mother, but boy did it fail at even that. Ugh. Literally showed me why I avoid YA books like they're the plague.

Did I miss anything?

The ending was such a cluster fuck I'm surprised my phone is still intact after the number of times I banged my head against its screen.

Fuck my life.

ARC provided in exchange of an honest review via Netgalley.

[Wendy Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Path Keeper by NJ Simmonds has to be my favourite book one of a series I have ever read! What I don’t understand is why this novel hasn’t blown off the shelves like Twilight, The Hunger Games or Harry Potter! It deserves to be a book on everyone’s book shelf!! It is so amazing that words can’t describe how wonderful it is!!

This is NJ Simmonds debut novel with two more novels for the series.

I don’t even want to write anything for for this review because is one that you need to experience going in blind!!!

[mylibraryofdreams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Persönliche Meinung
Bei diesem Buch habe ich alles anders gemacht als sonst: ich habe zuerst reingelesen. Und das was ich las hat mir unglaublich gut gefallen, sodass ich das Buch direkt gekauft habe. Nun Monate später, als ich es tatsächlich lesen wollte, habe ich von dem magischen Schreibstil nichts mehr gesehen? Es war plump und unausgereift und vielleicht nicht mal soo schlecht geschrieben von der grammatikalischen Seite aus (who knows... Ich bin die falsche Ansprechperson) aber Autorenmässig hat hier einiges nicht gestimmt. Erstens einmal war die Protagonistin eine verwöhnte, unhöfliche, unfreundliche, egoistische, aufmerksamkeitssuchende, dumme, naive Kuh. Ella. Die sich unglaublich darüber nervt, dass ihre Mum einen reichen Typen geheiratet hat, wegen dem sie nun Fantz zum Nachnamen heißt. Ella Fantz haha Törö Dumbo Törö. Mimimi die dumme Kuh könnte statt ihrem Spitznamen einfach ihren richtigen Namen nehmen: Arabella. Schon wär das Problem gelöst, aber nein, sie klagt lieber eine Seite lang über ihre scheiss Mutter, die ja den super reichen Hoteltypen geheiratet hat und wegen dem sie nun oh sooo nervig in einer riesigen Villa leben muss und omg mit einem kurzen Anruf einen Platz im angesagtesten Club bekommt um vor den neuen Freundinnen anzugeben, der Lieferservice der ihre Nummer kennt und sie einfach anrufen kann und alles geliefert wird und ende Monat dann ne Rechnung kommt und hei, easy sie kann dem dahergelaufenen Stranger einfach mal ein Handy schenken, aber bububu es ist sooo scheisse von Mama dass sie den reichen Heini geheiratet hat bububu. Freunde hat sie auch keine- Kunststück bei dem Charakter! - aber nachdem sie 2 Minuten an der neuen Schule ist und zum ersten Mal mit jemandem spricht, ist sie sofort Best Buddys. Nein wart, er muss sie die beiden Mädchen wegen dem aussehen verurteilen, die eine ist bestimmt dumm wie Brot, weil sie wie Barbie aussieht. (oh sie studiert was Gescheites, das gibt man ihr gar nicht) Wahrscheinlich soll sie taff und cool wirken, aber der Schuss ging so nach hinten los.

Leider konnte ich auch die Liebesgeschichte nicht abkaufen. Aus seiner Sicht vielleicht schon aber von Ellas Sicht aus blieb mir das leider schleierhaft. Ich fand einfach alles so unlogisch. Sie ist so notgeil, nachdem sie ihn einmal gesehen hat und dann lädt sie ihn einfach ein bei sich zu schlafen und schenkt ihm ein Handy und will ihm einen Job geben blabla und wird aggressiv und stellt sich als Opfer dar, wenn er sagt, dass er nicht ihr Projekt ist...

Grundsätzlich fand ich die Idee mit den Engeln und dem leicht Esoterischen Touch richtig, richtig cool, aber es war leider richtig schlecht umgesetzt und konnte mich null berühren. Es ist für mich, mal wieder ein Klassischer Fall von zu wenig lektoriert. Man hätte hier sehr viel rauslöschen und umändern müssen und der Autorin einfach mal sagen sollen, wie unausstehlich ihre Hauptperson ist! Hab nach 218 Seiten abgebrochen.

Fazit: Einfach nein, sorry.

[Moony (Captain Mischief) MeowPoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ARC' was given to be in exhange for a honest review at Netgalley from BCH Press and N.J Simmons.

This review can also be found at my blog Moony MeowPoff's book blog


When I first jumped into The Path keeper I had no idea what i was going in for. But as soon as I meet Ella I was sold, she has a mouth like a sailor and face like an angel. I Freaking love it. She’s just herself and that’s amazing. I’ve come to love that Zac calls her Rivers, but kept wondering why he seemed to know her so well and she did not. So I dove back into the book to learn more about those two wich seemed destinied to each other. My heart was aching for all the woman we learned and their life, but i think most of all my heart ached for this reincarination aka Ella... She was headstrong, stubborn and funny... but her heart bled for Zac. Poor poor Zac who had to try to pull away, but in the end could'nt.. It was driving me insane how Zac pulled in and out..hell I was getting mad at Zac like come on! You’re supposed to be together! All of those reincarnations, sadness, pain, death… it made me sad…. I wanted the happy ever after… i wanted theirs happily ever after.. . I wanted them to succeed in that area so bad…I sat there and bit my lip, waiting, hoping crossing my fingers as I flickered the pages… i wanted to scream and yell, i felt so much for Ella and For Zac. I came to Love Zac, his stubborn, his love, his everything it was amazing how he choose love over everything, and i bet he'd done it sooner if they'd let him. .. And that ending! I want more.

I need their happily ever after.

[Janne Janssens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ebook provided by the publisher through NetGally in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

It took me a while to put my thoughts about this book in order. From the start I found the concept of reincarnation and life paths that cross each other very interesting, but that didn't mean that I got dragged into the story immediately.

I struggled with liking the main characters. In my opinion, Ella and Zac are overdramatic. As stated in the synopsis, nothing is a coincidence, everything in life is planned, but nevertheless it feels forced that everything is 'too accidental to be accidental'.

I soon tended to DNF, but the first flashback about Evie and Dolly aroused renewed interest. This chapter seemed almost written by another author. I felt great sympathy for both girls and the writing style suited their personalities.

The chapters about Ella could only hold my attention after Ella had reached her peak in dramatic behavior and had to flee America. There was more action in the story, drawing more attention to the actions of the characters and less to their behavior. The end matched the rest of the story in terms of events and drama, but it didn't feel dramatic anymore. I felt myself a very superficial spectator. And this is how I felt the whole time reading The Pathkeeper actually.

[Beth, BooksNest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please note that this book contains trigger warnings for rape and abuse. Whilst the e-copy of the book I received did not have a warning, I have been assured by the author there will be one in the finished copy.

This book was definitely strange and it managed to succeed in being unlike anything I’ve read before. The premise was sort of Twilight-esk, but with a different creature instead of Vampires. There was certainly a mirrored obsession surrounding the male characters though. As usual, we have a normal female lead who comes across a sexy male and can’t stop thinking about him. If you’d have told me the premise of this book in great detail before I read it, I may not have picked it up, but I did and I ended up enjoying certain aspects of it.

I really liked the mystery and intrigue behind this book, when I started it I had forgotten the blurb so I went in fairly blind. I was definitely taken away with the guessing game of the plot, I wanted to uncover the secrets of the story. I wanted to know who Zac (said sexy man) really was and why he was so into Ella.

I liked seeing this book from both perspectives, Zac and Ella as well as some dipping into the past. I can say for sure that this book wasn’t boring, there was always a new angle/direction that it was taking. I also found it hard to predict where it was going, so that was another good thing because usually with this genre you can tell from the off.

Character-wise I found myself annoyed with Ella as a lead, she seemed very dependent on Zac and that bugged me because she was clearly able to function on her own from when we first meet her. Her mother is a stunning woman, married to a rich guy who seems to provide anything the two desire. This book certainly had the glitz and glamour!

I’m left confused by who the audience for this book is, it seems to have the premise of a teenage book, but the themes of an adult one that shouldn’t be read by teens. I appreciated an older main character because that is rare in young adult books, but I think this could certainly be targeted to the older spectrum of young adult readers. There are certainly a lot of problem themes this book deals with and I think they could be upsetting to younger readers. I’m glad to see the addition of a trigger warning on the finished copy though.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

TW: incest, rape, religion, attempted suicide

Bechdel: No

The Path Keeper is a book that I was holding out relatively mediocre hopes for, but unfortunately they haven’t been met. The book starts out with a nice trigger warning:

“The Path Keeper is a work of fiction but features potentially upsetting themes including sexual abuse, death and mental health issues. It also includes scenes of a sexual nature.”

Which is appreciated, however I don’t think I was prepared for the messaging behind the sexual abuse, and that is one thing that I can’t look beyond.

To be honest, I don’t even really want to discuss the plot or the characters, the only thing I need to know about the book can be summed up in this paragraph (I’m not going to put a spoiler warning on it either because people need to know what they’re walking into):

‘What the fuck! I thought he was going to rape me, Zac. Why did you wait?’ ‘Ella, if it wasn’t for the fact I’m madly in love with you, I would have stood aside and let him continue. It isn’t part of what I’m here to do.’ Clearly her face said it all because he hesitated before continuing. ‘Let me start from the beginning. Before anyone is born they’ve already picked their life path; their parents, the challenges they will face, and the lessons they’ll learn. That’s the whole point; life’s not meant to be easy.’ ‘You’re telling me people choose to be sexually abused, or to die horrible deaths? You’re telling me people that are injured in wars ask for it? What is wrong with you?’ She stood up and poked his chest with her finger. ‘I thought you were meant to be pure love and light? That sounds like a cop out!’

People do not choose to be sexually abused

[Phoenix Tier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m writing this review with tears streaming down my face.
If you’re looking for a roller coaster of emotions I’d highly suggest this book.

From start to finish I was on this amazing journey where I followed a girl fall in love and go through all the feelings you do when you’re in love for the first time. Except this wasn’t your typical love story. Without giving too much away, the main character still has her challenges in life but they’re not exactly what you think they’d be.

N J Simmonds has done a fantastic job of mixing past and present in this story so in the end it all connects. And how the past helps shape the present.

I would recommend this to anyone even if you’re not in to fictional novels. I seriously can not wait to read the next one!

[Olga Mecking · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing I knew about this book was that it was a love story with fantasy elements. And it was that and more. "The Path Keeper" will surprise you with every turn of the page, and leaves you wanting more. Ella is my favorite character in the whole book: she is smart, she is funny and she loves to swear, preferably in Spanish. So much more interesting than Twilight's boring Bella. And I usually enjoy books where different stories come together in all kinds of unexpected ways. This is exactly the case with "The Path Keeper" where the stories of Ella and her mother are interwoven together with a seemingly different story from WWII. A fast and very enjoyable read.

[Cindee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this even though it had some tough topics and was a emotional rollercoaster I was hooked from the very beginning and I really want more now. I really loved the characters especially Ella and Zac I really liked the bits of other characters though time it was all written so well. I really loved the story all of it I really liked the urban fantasy and the angel stuff I really enjoy fiction about angels. This story was so very emotionally charged and I really want to read more so hopefully there will be a another book at some point. So overall I loved this book will buy me a hardcover with this book actually comes out.
-Got this book off of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review-

[Tina Yngvesson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down. The Path Keeper kept me up till 3am and I went to bed wanting more. Layer upon layer upon layer of time and space, leaving the reader wondering and never wanting it to end.
It's a book of adventure, of life and of memories, of time lost and gained, of people and of experience and essentially, of love. Your new Netflix addiction is what it is. Ella leaves you mesmerized whilst Zac leaves you bewildered - so basically, it's chocolate for your soul.
I got my hands on an advanced copy, and I'm glad I did. Now I can't wait for the follow-up!

[Emily Bowers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of The Path Keeper, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It's marketed towards the young adult market, which I'm most definitely not, so don't let this put you off! The book, which is part one of a trilogy, jumps between time periods, which could be confusing, but NJ Simmonds manages to bring them seemlessly together. A must read

[Natalie.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was going to be another typical YA love story but boy was I wrong. I absolutely loved the story line it kept surprising me all the way through. I loved the characters and how they all interlinked with each other overtime. I really would recommend this book to everyone

[Dr. des. Siobhán · Rating 1 out of 5]

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I am very sorry to say that this was the worst book I have read in a while. Maybe this can be explained by the following passage from the Author's Note: "[B]ut please remember that although the series taps into religion, history and esoteric/theological debates...it's not to be taken too seriously. Ultimately, it's an urban fantasy love story and a bit of fun." Yet I did not think it was a particularly good romance, fantasy novel or very 'urban'.....I'll come back to that.

But what is "The Path Keeper" about? Ella lives and studies in London, her super good looking mother has married a super good looking rich dude, which is why she has left her native Spain to lead a miserable life of a rich spoiled girl in London, until one day she meets super sexy Zac and everything changes. Insert "fate" and "destiny" (vs. free will, which does not exist?): as everything has been mapped out before birth, Zac is not officially allowed to date Ella because he isn't part of her narrative. But he has been watching over her for the last thousand years or so. Which is super super super creepy and he is a stalker and it's not romantic, but okay. They date anyway. No surprises here. Here's a quote: "A single tear slid down his cheek. 'You have no idea how long I've waited to love you,' he said." Now, SPOILER ALERT, Zac is an angel and this is the reason he is forbidden to meddle with human affairs and date females.

Things that annoyed me:
- everybody is so god damn sexy and good looking, where are the normal people?
- Zac stalking Ella in her present and past lives (wtf!?)
- the entire unbelievable rape story which left no psychological scarrings?!
- the entire business with the angels (and don't get me wrong, I like my fair share of religious stuff in books but this was just bad) which is just...random
- Ella is so annoying, flat, without any psychological backing
- Zac has no character apart from stalking (= loving) Ella
- it tries to be funny but it ain't: "Archangel Gabriel, father of Jesus, made me a fucking cocktail? Are you kidding? You mean that black guy with the bright green eyes? I didn't realise angels all looked so different."
- urban fantasy is more than just the setting (London, a club, NYC...)
- esoteric nonsense
- the 'love story'

Things I liked:
- References to different religious beliefs; actually quite diverse and interesting
- The historic 'flashbacks' though they should have been more connected to the story

I started skipping entire pages, especially when characters talked. "Blablablabla, I love you so much", "I love you so much, I stalked you for centuries and now I can finally see you naked, blablabla"

1,5 Stars.

[Chana Warents · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found The Path Keeper a deep, moving and magical reading experience. I was blown away by it; it's so different to the usual sort of book I enjoy reading; yet still immensely enjoyable.

N.J. Simmonds took me on a turbulent journey with all her characters and their experiences; I travelled through different time periods with them, saw them experiencing all sorts of unexpected tests and trials together, and read with genuine interest how they fared throughout them all. A lot of times, the suspense in The Path Keeper was so great that I realised that I'd been holding my breath in while reading.

I took a quick liking to the main character, Ella, and her self-assured, feisty temperament. She swiftly found something she liked in the supportive but mysterious Zac (the other main character), yet never seemed able to progress anyway far in a relationship with him. As the book continued, it became satisfyingly clearer why that was - all thanks to its Author's skilful writing.

N.J. Simmonds has excelled herself. She's created in this remarkable debut novel, characters that I, the reader, really cared and rooted for. I often felt like an intrusive fly on the wall, looking in on Ella and Zac's encounters. I felt their feelings and frustrations with them - a sign of how expertly they'd been portrayed.

Other less central characters were well crafted too, resulting in there not being any unnecessary characters. All the characters mattered, as did everything that happened to them. Extensive research had obviously been done into historical periods in time, and it clearly paid off.

All in all, I enjoyed The Path Keeper far more than I'd expected to, and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an absorbing, engrossing novel. I don't, by any means, see this as only being a novel for YA fans. I'm not a YA fan at all, and I still loved it.

I commend N.J. Simmonds on throwing her soul, brilliant humour and energetic nature into this wonderful book, and await the next book in the trilogy with eager anticipation.