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Catching Pathways: The Five Realms, Book One
A crown is always heavy, or it is not a crown.
Maeve Almeida thought she left other worlds behind her fifteen years ago. Back when she crowned her friend Sebastian as the new high king of the Five Realms. After years passed, Maeve put her memories on paper, telling tales of her travels as a teen and young adult in the fantasy world she once called home. To her surprise, the books gained a moderate cult following, were adapted to film, and she soon found herself a C-list celebrity with a wide audience.
Now, at a convention in downtown L.A., Maeve sees someone who may as well have walked straight out of her books. Or out of her memories.
Rodan, a Fae noble and former king of the Five Realms, has been searching for Maeve for almost fifty years, traveling from world to world. Fueled by simple revenge at first, as the years passed and he saw what became of his beloved kingdom, his search became one of desperation. When he does find her at last, he is thankful to see only fifteen years have passed on her world, and that she is still the strong and vibrant woman he remembers.
The woman he once offered everything.
Once enemies, Rodan hopes to unite the two of them for a singular purpose: the saving of the Realms. Pulling Maeve back into that world, Rodan reveals to her the truth; that the friend she once revered has turned into a mad king.
The path to saving the Realms lays in challenging Sebastian for the throne. Rodan has wanted nothing more than to take back the empire that he built. With Maeve at his side, guiding and helping him with her magic as she once did for her friend, he believes that they will be unstoppable.
The trials for the throne reveal a world struggling to recover from years of persecution and neglect, but there are more difficulties in store for the duo. Rodan and Maeve must use their combined skills and knowledge against threats from all levels.
While Maeve reels from Sebastian's betrayal and mourns the loss of a friendship she thought was set in stone, her heart is pulled in many directions. One of which she never saw coming.
Maeve Almeida thought she left other worlds behind her fifteen years ago. Back when she crowned her friend Sebastian as the new high king of the Five Realms. After years passed, Maeve put her memories on paper, telling tales of her travels as a teen and young adult in the fantasy world she once called home. To her surprise, the books gained a moderate cult following, were adapted to film, and she soon found herself a C-list celebrity with a wide audience.
Now, at a convention in downtown L.A., Maeve sees someone who may as well have walked straight out of her books. Or out of her memories.
Rodan, a Fae noble and former king of the Five Realms, has been searching for Maeve for almost fifty years, traveling from world to world. Fueled by simple revenge at first, as the years passed and he saw what became of his beloved kingdom, his search became one of desperation. When he does find her at last, he is thankful to see only fifteen years have passed on her world, and that she is still the strong and vibrant woman he remembers.
The woman he once offered everything.
Once enemies, Rodan hopes to unite the two of them for a singular purpose: the saving of the Realms. Pulling Maeve back into that world, Rodan reveals to her the truth; that the friend she once revered has turned into a mad king.
The path to saving the Realms lays in challenging Sebastian for the throne. Rodan has wanted nothing more than to take back the empire that he built. With Maeve at his side, guiding and helping him with her magic as she once did for her friend, he believes that they will be unstoppable.
The trials for the throne reveal a world struggling to recover from years of persecution and neglect, but there are more difficulties in store for the duo. Rodan and Maeve must use their combined skills and knowledge against threats from all levels.
While Maeve reels from Sebastian's betrayal and mourns the loss of a friendship she thought was set in stone, her heart is pulled in many directions. One of which she never saw coming.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2019
14 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Danielle Berggren
7 books14 followersDanielle is a writer who has lived her life in the United States, moving from one place to another.
When she is not writing books and stories for the Danuverse, she can be found creating artwork and craft projects, writing for her favorite fandoms, cooking, photographing, and tending to her animals. Her favorite foods are artichokes and pomegranates, and she wishes to travel the world one day.
When she is not writing books and stories for the Danuverse, she can be found creating artwork and craft projects, writing for her favorite fandoms, cooking, photographing, and tending to her animals. Her favorite foods are artichokes and pomegranates, and she wishes to travel the world one day.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 13, 2019
I was a beta reader for this book, and got to read it in a more raw and naked form. That being said, this book took me on a fantastically magical journey that I was definitely not anticipating. Despite having known Danielle for many years and reading several of her one offs or shorter stories, this was hands down her best offering. And, dare I say, one of the best books I have read in a very long time. It kept me captivated, and played on many emotions, just like any wonderful story tends to do. I am on the edge of my seat in anticipation of book number 2!!! Well done, my friend!
October 20, 2019
adult fantasy romance, unique and refreshing in that the characters weren't so young and more mature
November 10, 2019
I really enjoy trying out new indie authors, sometimes you find a real gem and you get to read along as the author develops - professionally and creatively. With that said, this may just be you’re next gem.
The beginning drove me crazy (in the best way possible) because it starts off following your main protagonist, Maeve, at a Con talking about her book series that has a HUGE fan following, so meta, and I found that cheeky and fun. It also left me wanting the back story, or the original story I guess. So needless to say, I got hooked - quick. Thanks, sneaky author. But you quickly realize that Maeve was writing about what actually happened to her in the Five Realms when she was a teenager and it takes on another level of depth when one of her “characters” shows up.
What I liked: Maeve & Rodan – Our main protagonists. She isn’t just some bubbly, pretty-faced heroine whose sole purpose is to get into danger and be saved. She has power in her own right, she stands up for the little guy, and she acts as Rodan’s PR Rep/conscience. She was honestly more naïve than I thought she should be – especially someone who has been through this world before and seen/done some s**t. But hey, I know people like that in the real world, so that’s probably just who she is. Rodan is also more than just a pretty face. He seems to be emotionally dialed-in to Maeve and is cognizant when she needs space and when she needs to be cared for and it’s nice to see a male character in the genre that isn’t some overbearing, growling, territorial beast when it comes to his lady love. Overall, I really liked the characters and want to explore more with them.
The world is large, multi-cultural, beautiful, magical, sentient (?) and terrifying. And I want to see more of it. But that’s just the Five Realms. There’s mention of many other worlds existing and time flowing different across all of them. All very interesting!
My only complaint is about the pacing. The fantasy genre is all about the world building and character development, I mean we’re dealing with places and creatures that don’t exist in our world. Sometimes the story can get negatively bogged down with too much description. I mentioned before that I want to explore MORE with the characters and I want to see MORE of the world. I think these things may have been sacrificed a bit to keep the story moving at a pretty quick pace. And I get I’m saying too much description is bad and not enough description is bad too. It’s a delicate balance and this story almost achieved it, to be fair.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend trying this book. Interesting characters and world and exciting action and romance. Kind of a perfect formula!
The beginning drove me crazy (in the best way possible) because it starts off following your main protagonist, Maeve, at a Con talking about her book series that has a HUGE fan following, so meta, and I found that cheeky and fun. It also left me wanting the back story, or the original story I guess. So needless to say, I got hooked - quick. Thanks, sneaky author. But you quickly realize that Maeve was writing about what actually happened to her in the Five Realms when she was a teenager and it takes on another level of depth when one of her “characters” shows up.
What I liked: Maeve & Rodan – Our main protagonists. She isn’t just some bubbly, pretty-faced heroine whose sole purpose is to get into danger and be saved. She has power in her own right, she stands up for the little guy, and she acts as Rodan’s PR Rep/conscience. She was honestly more naïve than I thought she should be – especially someone who has been through this world before and seen/done some s**t. But hey, I know people like that in the real world, so that’s probably just who she is. Rodan is also more than just a pretty face. He seems to be emotionally dialed-in to Maeve and is cognizant when she needs space and when she needs to be cared for and it’s nice to see a male character in the genre that isn’t some overbearing, growling, territorial beast when it comes to his lady love. Overall, I really liked the characters and want to explore more with them.
The world is large, multi-cultural, beautiful, magical, sentient (?) and terrifying. And I want to see more of it. But that’s just the Five Realms. There’s mention of many other worlds existing and time flowing different across all of them. All very interesting!
My only complaint is about the pacing. The fantasy genre is all about the world building and character development, I mean we’re dealing with places and creatures that don’t exist in our world. Sometimes the story can get negatively bogged down with too much description. I mentioned before that I want to explore MORE with the characters and I want to see MORE of the world. I think these things may have been sacrificed a bit to keep the story moving at a pretty quick pace. And I get I’m saying too much description is bad and not enough description is bad too. It’s a delicate balance and this story almost achieved it, to be fair.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend trying this book. Interesting characters and world and exciting action and romance. Kind of a perfect formula!
November 5, 2019
This book had the potential to being really good. The beginning and the end were fantastic and unique. The introduction to the character backgrounds was fascinating and I loved how the MC had already achieved great things. The ending was exciting and I loved the tough choices made.
However, the middle of the book was boring and the MC let me down. She was supposed to be this bad ass hero who influenced the people and could preform unique and powerful magic. But she never did anything really impressive. Also the plot developed slightly abruptly and the motivations of the characters was simplistic. The depth of the characters was unoriginal and did not serve much to the formation of the character development in the book. It wasn't until the very end that there was really any depth to the characters.
However, the middle of the book was boring and the MC let me down. She was supposed to be this bad ass hero who influenced the people and could preform unique and powerful magic. But she never did anything really impressive. Also the plot developed slightly abruptly and the motivations of the characters was simplistic. The depth of the characters was unoriginal and did not serve much to the formation of the character development in the book. It wasn't until the very end that there was really any depth to the characters.
November 6, 2019
I was a beta reader for the book, and absolutely fell in love with the world that has been created. Maeve and Rodan are incredible characters who you just want to follow anywhere through this wonderful world of monsters and magic.
It reminds me so thoroughly of P.C. Cast and the Parthalon series, which I fell in love with years ago and continue to re read to this day.
Go follow Maeve through the first trials, if you're like me, you'll be absolutely counting down until the next book!
It reminds me so thoroughly of P.C. Cast and the Parthalon series, which I fell in love with years ago and continue to re read to this day.
Go follow Maeve through the first trials, if you're like me, you'll be absolutely counting down until the next book!
February 2, 2020
Great book! I can’t wait for the second one. There are a few things I didn’t like but overall it was a great read.
November 2, 2020
The Author sets a good tapestry for a first time outing. While rough in many areas, the author is effective at worldbuilding and scene setting.
The Short: I enjoyed my time with the book, and did not regret either the purchase or the time spent reading the novel. When I reached the end, I immediately didn't want it to end. The character arcs are present and believable, but not as well fleshed out as I would like. The plot is both familiar and new, as the author weaves known archetypes into new forms.
While rough around the edges as expected from a first time self-published novel, the novel commands a reader's attention and drives a desire for more time in the setting. 4/5 Stars.
The Long: As an inital, self-published outing, the writing does show flaws, but the author often overcomes inexperience with key style choices.
While having fewer travel interactions as seen in most fantasy novels serves to make some character beats jarring, the brevity of interaction serves to keep the story on task and relieves her characters of the dithering character growth common in fantasy that many authors unsuccesfully attempt. This makes her characters feel decisive, while the POV highlights what dithering the characters do experience providing depth.
The author often chooses to avoid and defy tropes while maintaining coherence of the story's flow. This help keep interest in the story where the combinations of intrigue, romance and action might otherwise devlove into predictable actions. This can be seen from the beginning with our protaginist discussing her past, probably more standard adventure, only to turn everything she and the reader might expect on its head.
Its clear the author has a strong grasp on the setting, with clear goals and that helps drive a desire to read and see more.
As long as we see more character building, and the author continues to develop the background of this world as strongly as she has so far, The Five Realms will be a story to follow.
Bottom line: I rarely read text anymore because of my low free time, instead I read audio books. But this book drove me to pick up my kindle and read despite that.
The Short: I enjoyed my time with the book, and did not regret either the purchase or the time spent reading the novel. When I reached the end, I immediately didn't want it to end. The character arcs are present and believable, but not as well fleshed out as I would like. The plot is both familiar and new, as the author weaves known archetypes into new forms.
While rough around the edges as expected from a first time self-published novel, the novel commands a reader's attention and drives a desire for more time in the setting. 4/5 Stars.
The Long: As an inital, self-published outing, the writing does show flaws, but the author often overcomes inexperience with key style choices.
While having fewer travel interactions as seen in most fantasy novels serves to make some character beats jarring, the brevity of interaction serves to keep the story on task and relieves her characters of the dithering character growth common in fantasy that many authors unsuccesfully attempt. This makes her characters feel decisive, while the POV highlights what dithering the characters do experience providing depth.
The author often chooses to avoid and defy tropes while maintaining coherence of the story's flow. This help keep interest in the story where the combinations of intrigue, romance and action might otherwise devlove into predictable actions. This can be seen from the beginning with our protaginist discussing her past, probably more standard adventure, only to turn everything she and the reader might expect on its head.
Its clear the author has a strong grasp on the setting, with clear goals and that helps drive a desire to read and see more.
As long as we see more character building, and the author continues to develop the background of this world as strongly as she has so far, The Five Realms will be a story to follow.
Bottom line: I rarely read text anymore because of my low free time, instead I read audio books. But this book drove me to pick up my kindle and read despite that.
December 4, 2019
Excellent. Exciting. What an adventure!
What storytelling and world building that takes you on an adventure within the adventure!
I couldn't stop reading! I'm reminded of DragonLance in a nostalgic kind of way, in the way the fantasy adventure unfolds.
The part I can appreciate most is the absolute emotional depth behind the characters, and how the beginning of the story as we know it, wasn't the beginning of Maeve's story - just another example of epic storytelling. Plot twists in all the right places.
I also thought it was neat how well food was described at every meal mentioned. I know it seems silly, but these things add character.
I eagerly await the next book. Glad I have the physical copy too.
What storytelling and world building that takes you on an adventure within the adventure!
I couldn't stop reading! I'm reminded of DragonLance in a nostalgic kind of way, in the way the fantasy adventure unfolds.
The part I can appreciate most is the absolute emotional depth behind the characters, and how the beginning of the story as we know it, wasn't the beginning of Maeve's story - just another example of epic storytelling. Plot twists in all the right places.
I also thought it was neat how well food was described at every meal mentioned. I know it seems silly, but these things add character.
I eagerly await the next book. Glad I have the physical copy too.
November 9, 2024
As someone who has almost exclusively read fantasy for most of my life, it is not very often that I'm surprised by a book. Catching Pathways proved to be incredibly refreshing, often shocking, and remarkably fun. If you think you're in for a surface-level, light-hearted fantasy adventure, you're about to be delighted at just how wrong you are.
Maeve Almeida is a heroine that feels genuinely relatable despite having a strong personality of her own. She's not a perfect, bubbly Mary Sue who is beyond reproach. She is an anxious, somewhat naive, and overly trusting character who made a series of mistakes that worsened the fate of an entire world, and she now risks her life to right those wrongs. She has known real loss, grief, and betrayal long before we meet her, and those experiences lead to a depth of character that makes it easy to feel for her and understand her motivations. Rodan is equally flawed--a deposed king who must acknowledge his failures and weaknesses as a ruler and win back the hearts of his people. The pair have great chemistry, and Rodan's consistent prioritization of Maeve's boundaries and mental wellbeing is beautifully done. I commend the author for bringing us a developing relationship where the main characters don't lose what makes them so great individually as they become more entangled with one another.
The world itself feels so expansive, and we really only seem to crack the surface in this first book. There isn't a ton of time dedicated to worldbuilding, possibly due to the fact that we are following a character who is familiar with the setting, and my desire to learn more is part of what kept me locked into the story. The Realms and their magic have a fascinating sentience to them, and I'm full of questions about both that occupied my mind during non-reading hours. I hope we are gifted with lot more world lore in later books.
The story is very fun and original. The author easily dodges tired tropes to bring us something new and imaginative in a genre where many have chosen to stick to tried-and-true formulas, and it pays off. There are mind-blowing twists from beginning to end, and at no point did I have an accurate guess as to what would happen next (and boy did I make a lot of bad guesses). There is so much setup for the next couple books, and the author did an incredible job of reeling you into the series without leaving you too frustrated about unfinished business.
Catching Pathways definitely feels like a first novel, but the story, characters, and world are all so endearing that for this reader, it did not matter one bit. The pacing is very fast, which is a personal preference for me, without sacrificing on quality or making you feel like you're missing anything. The characters and setting are remarkable, the romance is a breath of fresh air, and the world is exquisite. My journey through the Five Realms got me out of a reading slump, and I look forward to visiting them again soon it Catching Embers.
Maeve Almeida is a heroine that feels genuinely relatable despite having a strong personality of her own. She's not a perfect, bubbly Mary Sue who is beyond reproach. She is an anxious, somewhat naive, and overly trusting character who made a series of mistakes that worsened the fate of an entire world, and she now risks her life to right those wrongs. She has known real loss, grief, and betrayal long before we meet her, and those experiences lead to a depth of character that makes it easy to feel for her and understand her motivations. Rodan is equally flawed--a deposed king who must acknowledge his failures and weaknesses as a ruler and win back the hearts of his people. The pair have great chemistry, and Rodan's consistent prioritization of Maeve's boundaries and mental wellbeing is beautifully done. I commend the author for bringing us a developing relationship where the main characters don't lose what makes them so great individually as they become more entangled with one another.
The world itself feels so expansive, and we really only seem to crack the surface in this first book. There isn't a ton of time dedicated to worldbuilding, possibly due to the fact that we are following a character who is familiar with the setting, and my desire to learn more is part of what kept me locked into the story. The Realms and their magic have a fascinating sentience to them, and I'm full of questions about both that occupied my mind during non-reading hours. I hope we are gifted with lot more world lore in later books.
The story is very fun and original. The author easily dodges tired tropes to bring us something new and imaginative in a genre where many have chosen to stick to tried-and-true formulas, and it pays off. There are mind-blowing twists from beginning to end, and at no point did I have an accurate guess as to what would happen next (and boy did I make a lot of bad guesses). There is so much setup for the next couple books, and the author did an incredible job of reeling you into the series without leaving you too frustrated about unfinished business.
Catching Pathways definitely feels like a first novel, but the story, characters, and world are all so endearing that for this reader, it did not matter one bit. The pacing is very fast, which is a personal preference for me, without sacrificing on quality or making you feel like you're missing anything. The characters and setting are remarkable, the romance is a breath of fresh air, and the world is exquisite. My journey through the Five Realms got me out of a reading slump, and I look forward to visiting them again soon it Catching Embers.
December 20, 2022
I liked reading this book more than the first one. I didn't quite like reading the beginning of the book where she's at a book fair on a panel with other writers. There's one writer who's salty about her success... of course. Then Rodan appears and takes her away. I loved the dynamic between the two of them. The author did a great job describing the attraction between the two of them. What I didn't like was the pacing and the many, many, many worlds and creatures I had to read about. That was wayyyy too much and detracted from the story.
I would have liked to have found out more about how she got her powers and how she managed to move between worlds. I also would have loved to have her perform some kind of spectacular magic. It was a nice read, but it can use some fine-tuning.
I would have liked to have found out more about how she got her powers and how she managed to move between worlds. I also would have loved to have her perform some kind of spectacular magic. It was a nice read, but it can use some fine-tuning.
May 13, 2020
I had really high hopes for this novel because the summary was so enticing, but it ultimately did not fulfill. I only managed to get 47% through before throwing in the towel. Maybe I'll come back to it later, but it just wasn't working for me right now.
The Pros:
The female protagonist isn't some 25 year old virgin.
The premise is original.
The Cons:
The events move so quickly that they become one dimensional and disconnected.
The protagonist is hot and cold to an annoying degree with the love interest.
The protagonist is supposed to be a well known bad ass, but she's pretty basic with her skill set.
The Pros:
The female protagonist isn't some 25 year old virgin.
The premise is original.
The Cons:
The events move so quickly that they become one dimensional and disconnected.
The protagonist is hot and cold to an annoying degree with the love interest.
The protagonist is supposed to be a well known bad ass, but she's pretty basic with her skill set.
August 9, 2025
Very interesting!!! I really liked the characters and how they developed so far. A very different take on the fantasy world. Very refreshing. The only thing I would like to understand is how they’re able to move between worlds. Hopefully, that will be revealed in subsequent books. Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger. I’m anxious to see what transpires in Book 2 and how ultimately they’re able to undo Rodan’s “deal”. They have to be able to do that to have a HEA!! Read this and enjoy an unpredictable fantasy. Rodan -🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.Love how he expresses his feelings without taking forever to admit them to himself or her. For spice lovers-spice level-🌶️. Final thought, totally hate the artwork for the book covers. They should’ve made Rodan look so much hotter.!! I hate when book covers have images on them to try to pre-dispose you to the characters looks. I like to imagine that for myself.
September 22, 2020
This was good, a lot better than some popular stuff out there. I was in a reading slump prior to this and managed to enjoy this. There were some things in the world building aspect that lacked any explanation. Sadly this is one of those books that doesn't get the hype it deserves. For that reason, I gave it a 4 stars rather than 3. Will definitely read book 2.
November 6, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. The world building is neatly done and there are several unexpected twists and turns in this book. I would love to get to know more about the secondary characters in the next books :-)
December 9, 2021
exceptional
This book was an exceptional read. I love how you can see the characters and feel the emotions. Great read and I can’t wait to start the second book.
This book was an exceptional read. I love how you can see the characters and feel the emotions. Great read and I can’t wait to start the second book.
August 25, 2025
Absolutely loved this book.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews