What do you think?
Rate this book
The Song of Amhar #1
The Path of Swords
"Luan ap Garioch, second son of the house of Artran, this is the day of choosing. How do you choose?"
On the last day of the summer of his fourteenth year, Luan takes the first step on The Path of Swords. He has been told that the path will be hard. He knows that it will lead him into danger. The reality is beyond all his imagining.
The Path of Swords is the first novella in the Song of Amhar fantasy series. Set in an alternate Iron Age where the world of the spirit is always close by, the series follows the adventures of Luan, a boy training to become one of the Klaideem, elite warriors who dedicate their life to the service of the kingdom.
On the last day of the summer of his fourteenth year, Luan takes the first step on The Path of Swords. He has been told that the path will be hard. He knows that it will lead him into danger. The reality is beyond all his imagining.
The Path of Swords is the first novella in the Song of Amhar fantasy series. Set in an alternate Iron Age where the world of the spirit is always close by, the series follows the adventures of Luan, a boy training to become one of the Klaideem, elite warriors who dedicate their life to the service of the kingdom.
- GenresFantasy
118 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 11, 2017
61 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 22, 2022
2 Stars
This was a fun and lighthearted beginning chapter of a coming-of-age series that harkens back to classic fantasy. What I appreciated most about this beginning entry was that it didn't try to be more than it advertised. It was a single POV adventure story of a protagonist (and two fellow travelers) who embarks on his destiny to become a member of a legendary organization of elite warriors. Consequently, this novella only follows his journey to the place and he has a few adventures along the way.
Swinford paints a picture that is easy-going and enjoyable enough to follow even though many aspects don't appear to be fleshed out. There are many interesting ideas going on with the spiritual realm and history of the world, but most of them get introduced without being really understood or relevant in this current story. This wouldn't necessarily be a problem if this was "Part 1" of a larger book but when this novella itself cannot be read as a standalone it makes it more confusing to world-build these ideas and not have much explanation for them. This was a worthwhile story to read but it gets worn down by unsatisfying elements that may or may not be developed better in future installments.
This was a fun and lighthearted beginning chapter of a coming-of-age series that harkens back to classic fantasy. What I appreciated most about this beginning entry was that it didn't try to be more than it advertised. It was a single POV adventure story of a protagonist (and two fellow travelers) who embarks on his destiny to become a member of a legendary organization of elite warriors. Consequently, this novella only follows his journey to the place and he has a few adventures along the way.
Swinford paints a picture that is easy-going and enjoyable enough to follow even though many aspects don't appear to be fleshed out. There are many interesting ideas going on with the spiritual realm and history of the world, but most of them get introduced without being really understood or relevant in this current story. This wouldn't necessarily be a problem if this was "Part 1" of a larger book but when this novella itself cannot be read as a standalone it makes it more confusing to world-build these ideas and not have much explanation for them. This was a worthwhile story to read but it gets worn down by unsatisfying elements that may or may not be developed better in future installments.
July 16, 2017
**I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review**
In families, brothers choose their paths. One will become the Cunbran (Clan Chief) and one will become the Klaideem (Sword Warrior). Luan's father was a Cunbran and his uncle Marius was a Klaideem. He looked up to his uncle with admiration. One day, his uncle never returned, so Luan chose the path of swords, even though he was hesitant to do so. He wanted to make his uncle happy and bring honor to his family. Along the way, he meets two friends, Mack and Bridie, to accompany him on his journey where they end up at The House of Collection where the story ends.
This story was well written, however, more world building could have really helped the narrative. I also believe the book would benefit more if it were longer, considering it is an epic fantasy, and that would help the world building out a lot too. Overall I liked it and gave it 3 stars.
In families, brothers choose their paths. One will become the Cunbran (Clan Chief) and one will become the Klaideem (Sword Warrior). Luan's father was a Cunbran and his uncle Marius was a Klaideem. He looked up to his uncle with admiration. One day, his uncle never returned, so Luan chose the path of swords, even though he was hesitant to do so. He wanted to make his uncle happy and bring honor to his family. Along the way, he meets two friends, Mack and Bridie, to accompany him on his journey where they end up at The House of Collection where the story ends.
This story was well written, however, more world building could have really helped the narrative. I also believe the book would benefit more if it were longer, considering it is an epic fantasy, and that would help the world building out a lot too. Overall I liked it and gave it 3 stars.
May 6, 2019
Recap: Luan is a second son and has chosen the sword path. This short story tells of his journey to the Guild of the Sword.
Review: all the elements of epic fantasy are present - a special sword, access to a magical realm, old mentor, feisty sidekick and lots of coincidences. But it's well written despite the obvious trope and fans of fantasy will enjoy the familiarity. There's a degree of sympathy for naive Luan and a great deal of mystery surrounding what will happen next. The story had natural pace and I'd read the next book.
Review: all the elements of epic fantasy are present - a special sword, access to a magical realm, old mentor, feisty sidekick and lots of coincidences. But it's well written despite the obvious trope and fans of fantasy will enjoy the familiarity. There's a degree of sympathy for naive Luan and a great deal of mystery surrounding what will happen next. The story had natural pace and I'd read the next book.
August 14, 2020
Very interesting start into the fantasy story
Excellent world building with perfect fantasy elements woven into it.
Luan chooses the path of the sword, when his uncle does not come back one day. How he makes friends on his path and what lays for him ahead, is the entire crux of the story. With detailed world building and characters etched well enough, the story was an enjoyable read. Liked it.
Excellent world building with perfect fantasy elements woven into it.
Luan chooses the path of the sword, when his uncle does not come back one day. How he makes friends on his path and what lays for him ahead, is the entire crux of the story. With detailed world building and characters etched well enough, the story was an enjoyable read. Liked it.
September 23, 2017
this book was a refreshing take on the usual fantasy stories aimed at young teenagers, and at times I felt as if I was in middle earth with all of the famous things that make a fantasy novel successful.
The Path of Swords has good, well thought out characters, and is well paced with an exciting plotline that I wanted to know more about.
Overall, it is a fantastic debut by Martin Swinford, and I can't wait until the next instalment!
The Path of Swords has good, well thought out characters, and is well paced with an exciting plotline that I wanted to know more about.
Overall, it is a fantastic debut by Martin Swinford, and I can't wait until the next instalment!
February 5, 2018
I read a lot. This is the first book in a long time that has held my complete interest. I am a harsh critic
Very I interesting, as I've said . I will be reading all of this epic. Thank thank you to the author.
Very I interesting, as I've said . I will be reading all of this epic. Thank thank you to the author.
September 27, 2017
Back to the good old days of honest, heroic fantasy for this one.
The Path of Swords is not a long book, (80 pages), but this just leaves me thirsty for a little more. I like the style of Martin's writing, it has all the elements that fantasy should have, in my opinion. I like the more genteel stuff of a bygone era of heroic fantasy writing. Names like, Feist, Eddings, Gemmell, Tolkien and Canavan wrote with a similarly easy and honest style. (Not that there's anything wrong with the Grim-dark genre, I like that too).
I felt that there were folk-lore undertones in places in this story, which was added to by Martin's occasional meanderings into short verse poetry. I liked that though, it added a certain charm to the whole thing.
The only thing that prevented me from giving a 5 star review was the presence of a number of typo errors, but they didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story in any way. Like the rest of us, (apart from animals of course lol), Martin is human, and we all make mistakes.
I look forward to reading the 2nd installment in the near future, and I suggest that other people, like-minded to myself, give this a try.
The Path of Swords is not a long book, (80 pages), but this just leaves me thirsty for a little more. I like the style of Martin's writing, it has all the elements that fantasy should have, in my opinion. I like the more genteel stuff of a bygone era of heroic fantasy writing. Names like, Feist, Eddings, Gemmell, Tolkien and Canavan wrote with a similarly easy and honest style. (Not that there's anything wrong with the Grim-dark genre, I like that too).
I felt that there were folk-lore undertones in places in this story, which was added to by Martin's occasional meanderings into short verse poetry. I liked that though, it added a certain charm to the whole thing.
The only thing that prevented me from giving a 5 star review was the presence of a number of typo errors, but they didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story in any way. Like the rest of us, (apart from animals of course lol), Martin is human, and we all make mistakes.
I look forward to reading the 2nd installment in the near future, and I suggest that other people, like-minded to myself, give this a try.
June 8, 2018
This is a very strong start to a fantasy series. The author does a very good job of setting up the world where Luan lives, as well as intimating that there are more wonders and dangers than our hero's sheltered upbringing showed him.
The writing style is very accessible - vivid descriptions, plenty of action, and well-developed characters are the stronger points.
The plot moved along apace and the author did an especially good job of weaving the world-building throughout the action.
Given that I believe this series is targeted towards younger reader, my main area of concern is moot: I wanted more: more background, more details, more bonding experiences between the main characters!
I think this is a very promising series and I very much enjoyed the read.
I received a free copy through Voracious Readers Only.
The writing style is very accessible - vivid descriptions, plenty of action, and well-developed characters are the stronger points.
The plot moved along apace and the author did an especially good job of weaving the world-building throughout the action.
Given that I believe this series is targeted towards younger reader, my main area of concern is moot: I wanted more: more background, more details, more bonding experiences between the main characters!
I think this is a very promising series and I very much enjoyed the read.
I received a free copy through Voracious Readers Only.
February 5, 2020
****SPOILER ALERT ****
In "The Path Of Swords: The Song Of Amhar #1" Swinford introduces us to the world of Amhar. The author does a superb job of world building and character development. The story is well balanced between action and exposition. We're introduced to Luan, an second son as he begins his journey to become a warrior.
I hated having to put down the book to do mundane things,like oh, working...
I highly recommend this entertaining page turner of a tale.
Although this is a standalone book, it felt like just the beginning of the tale. I am very glad the author collected books one to three into a boxset.
In the interest of transparency: I was given a review copy of this book and I am voluntarily sharing this review.
It is my own honest opinion
In "The Path Of Swords: The Song Of Amhar #1" Swinford introduces us to the world of Amhar. The author does a superb job of world building and character development. The story is well balanced between action and exposition. We're introduced to Luan, an second son as he begins his journey to become a warrior.
I hated having to put down the book to do mundane things,like oh, working...
I highly recommend this entertaining page turner of a tale.
Although this is a standalone book, it felt like just the beginning of the tale. I am very glad the author collected books one to three into a boxset.
In the interest of transparency: I was given a review copy of this book and I am voluntarily sharing this review.
It is my own honest opinion
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2017
Short but engaging
A brief but engaging start to what looks to be a promising series from the author. Well written, the story marks Luan's first steps into the big bad world as he begins The Path of Swords. While short, the author squeezes in enough of his world to show bigger and brighter things ahead. One of my favourite touches was quotes from his teachers (I assume) at the start of each chapter, which gave a little hint of what to expect. I look forward to The Guild of Warriors, which is next on my TBR.
A brief but engaging start to what looks to be a promising series from the author. Well written, the story marks Luan's first steps into the big bad world as he begins The Path of Swords. While short, the author squeezes in enough of his world to show bigger and brighter things ahead. One of my favourite touches was quotes from his teachers (I assume) at the start of each chapter, which gave a little hint of what to expect. I look forward to The Guild of Warriors, which is next on my TBR.
August 4, 2018
I received this book from Voracious readers in return for a honest critique. This is an excellent start to a fantasy series. The author does a very good job of setting up Luan's world , as well as suggesting that there are more wonders and dangers than Luan's sheltered upbringing has showed him.
The author's writing style is very accessible - detailed descriptions, lots of action, and well-developed characters are the plus points.
The plot moved along adequately and the author did a very good job of weaving the world the world Luan lives in.
The author's writing style is very accessible - detailed descriptions, lots of action, and well-developed characters are the plus points.
The plot moved along adequately and the author did a very good job of weaving the world the world Luan lives in.
June 3, 2018
This is a very good opening for a trilogy. By the end of this short read, the reader is already attached to the wonderful characters and interest in this new world has been firmly established. I really liked what I read and am just curious enough to want to continue on with Luan along his path.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only*
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only*
March 2, 2021
As book one of a series, this is very engaging. The characters are well formed and you enjoy going on this journey with them. There are times when the story lulls and would benefit from a little more tension or action but the magic woven into the world creates a suggestion of the excitement to come and I will definitely be reading further into this series. Well worth a read
June 3, 2018
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This was a nicely written story with good characters. Would appeal to young adults looking for a decent fantasy series. I’d have liked it to have been longer.
This was a nicely written story with good characters. Would appeal to young adults looking for a decent fantasy series. I’d have liked it to have been longer.
August 24, 2018
A great fantasy series for fans of Middle Earth. This book is full of action and excitement and my only criticism is the length. I wanted more. I received a free copy from the author through Voracious Readers Only and will definitely recommend it. It’s a great debut!
June 8, 2023
An enjoyable read. A young boy leaves home to take up warrior training and has some surprising adventures along the way. Luan finds the outside world a wonderful, intriguing and dangerous place.
This is just the start of his life's journey.
This is just the start of his life's journey.
February 15, 2018
Small but perfectly formed old school heroic fantasy. Immediately engaging and well paced. Was having so much fun I jumped straight into book 2.
February 25, 2018
This little book was quite a fun read -- refreshing! Characters and world felt real and interesting; am looking forward to the next in the series.
September 30, 2018
A solid fantasy start. It neither drags nor rushes but steadily follows the trek of a boy on The Path of Swords, defining what it means to be a second son, and those he meets along the way.
July 2, 2019
It's a fair start of a fantastic adventure.
March 18, 2022
Brilliant great for 11 to 13 year olds
Really liked it nothing had to say I will now till up the rest of my words with this goodbye.
Really liked it nothing had to say I will now till up the rest of my words with this goodbye.
April 5, 2022
Good story
I got this book by reading the Amazon review I thought it sound my kind of book I like it a lot will get the next one soon
I got this book by reading the Amazon review I thought it sound my kind of book I like it a lot will get the next one soon
February 3, 2019
I've been reading all sorts of books over the past year or so, and when I downloaded this one I thought it would be a good chance to revisit a fantasy story. I love fantasy. And this book didn't disappoint me.
It was refreshing. The start of each chapter had a short 'introduction' in a different voice. It sounds weird and off putting, but it wasn't. I'd like to elaborate, but I don't want to give anything away. Anyway, after the short introduction (a paragraph or two, at most), we would return to the actual storyline and the voice of the main character. I liked the way the author accomplished this. It was well done.
The story itself felt 'classic', old world. Set totally in a fantasy world of the author's making, I felt myself slip into the world and observing its ways and its people. The main character was young and learning about life, as we learned about him and his world. I believe this book to be a solid start for a series and I already have the second book loaded and ready to go.
Recommended.
It was refreshing. The start of each chapter had a short 'introduction' in a different voice. It sounds weird and off putting, but it wasn't. I'd like to elaborate, but I don't want to give anything away. Anyway, after the short introduction (a paragraph or two, at most), we would return to the actual storyline and the voice of the main character. I liked the way the author accomplished this. It was well done.
The story itself felt 'classic', old world. Set totally in a fantasy world of the author's making, I felt myself slip into the world and observing its ways and its people. The main character was young and learning about life, as we learned about him and his world. I believe this book to be a solid start for a series and I already have the second book loaded and ready to go.
Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews