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The Ringlander #1
Ringlander: The Path and the Way
Holes between worlds are tearing through Rengas. Firestorms are raging as multiple realities battle for control of the elements. Even the Way, the turbulent channel that separates Nord, Határ and Kemen, the lifeblood of the city of Tyr, has turned.
Kyira’s search for her missing brother draws her away from the familiar frozen lines of Nord and south into the chaotic streets of Tyr where games are played & battles fought. As reality tears Kyira must choose between her family or her path before the worlds catch up with her.
Kyira’s search for her missing brother draws her away from the familiar frozen lines of Nord and south into the chaotic streets of Tyr where games are played & battles fought. As reality tears Kyira must choose between her family or her path before the worlds catch up with her.
484 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2021
21 people are currently reading
583 people want to read
About the author
Michael S. Jackson
2 books26 followersMichael became a writer to explore, worlds, words and people. Throw in a love of all things science and the Ringlander universe was the inevitable outcome.
When not writing, or thinking about writing Michael spends time with family, plays drums, designs, codes and fights off the little voice that beckons him constantly to sit down and do nothing.
When not writing, or thinking about writing Michael spends time with family, plays drums, designs, codes and fights off the little voice that beckons him constantly to sit down and do nothing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
September 15, 2021
I have to admit that I did not know quite what to expect with this book. The description sounded interesting enough, but I also had the feeling that this might be one of those fantasies that I've read a hundred or so times before where the story is kind of okay, but doesn't really grab me. Turns out that I couldn't have been more wrong! RINGLANDER: THE PATH AND THE WAY turned out to be one of my favorite reads of the year and a book that had me under its spell whenever I picked it up.
What made this book so great, you ask? A number of reasons actually. The very first thing that jumped out at me was the depth and richness of the world-building and by extension, the wonderful magic system. This isn't a run of the mill fantasy where the story plods along and a few things happen here and there, this is a tour de force fantasy story that excels in the storytelling and character relationships.
The concept of alternate realities and worlds that are slowly breaking through the current world, and the possibility of those being used as potential weapons was such a cool construct and one that really had me mesmerized. Sure it's kind of been done before, but never quite like this in my opinion. And then alongside that fantastical element of the story, there is also the very real and brutal occupation of the continent of Rengas by the merciless Bohr. It added a militaristic aspect to the story that played off the supernatural one unbelievably well.
As the mighty Bohr get more and more drunk with power and conquest over the humans they rule, they believe themselves invincible. However, there exists a small group of rebels called the Tsiorc who hold out hope that they can still save their tiny bastion of humans if they have the will. The Tsiorc gather recruits from the shells of cities that the Bohr have burned to the ground and attempt to capitalize on the anger of those who have lost so much. Maybe this will turn the tide. But can raw anger and cunning strategy win out against a foe that has never experienced defeat before?
This is just the tip of the iceberg of the phenomenal story that Michael S. Jackson has brought us in this book. So many layers upon layers of everything you could want in a captivating fantasy book. And I haven't even touched on the characters! Not only do we get the 30,000 foot view of the story through the incredibly described action and world-building, but Jackson also gives us a deeply personal account of the three main POV characters Kyira, Fia, and Hasaan, who all have their own stakes in the deadly confrontation that may be coming.
RINGLANDER: THE PATH AND THE WAY is one of those special books that you think about wherever you are and can't wait to get back to. Having consumed it in roughly a week or so, I can say that there's not a single part of this book that doesn't fully engage you and keep you entirely interested. This is an exceptional story about perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, a story that shows you glimpses of a magic that is both mysterious and powerful, and ultimately a story that will totally suck you in and have you showing up at work groggy-eyed from many late night reading sessions.
I think you can tell by now that I thoroughly loved this book. I so want to find out more about the history of Rengas and what is behind many of the mysteries that were introduced in this debut offering. I am sure that book two is going to up the ante even more and I am eager to jump right back into this world. I know that many of you have pretty imposing TBRs, but trust me and push RINGLANDER: THE PATH AND THE WAY right near the top because it is one of the most exciting and absorbing fantasy books that I have read this year. I for one really hope this book gets its due recognition because it's a cracking read.
What made this book so great, you ask? A number of reasons actually. The very first thing that jumped out at me was the depth and richness of the world-building and by extension, the wonderful magic system. This isn't a run of the mill fantasy where the story plods along and a few things happen here and there, this is a tour de force fantasy story that excels in the storytelling and character relationships.
The concept of alternate realities and worlds that are slowly breaking through the current world, and the possibility of those being used as potential weapons was such a cool construct and one that really had me mesmerized. Sure it's kind of been done before, but never quite like this in my opinion. And then alongside that fantastical element of the story, there is also the very real and brutal occupation of the continent of Rengas by the merciless Bohr. It added a militaristic aspect to the story that played off the supernatural one unbelievably well.
As the mighty Bohr get more and more drunk with power and conquest over the humans they rule, they believe themselves invincible. However, there exists a small group of rebels called the Tsiorc who hold out hope that they can still save their tiny bastion of humans if they have the will. The Tsiorc gather recruits from the shells of cities that the Bohr have burned to the ground and attempt to capitalize on the anger of those who have lost so much. Maybe this will turn the tide. But can raw anger and cunning strategy win out against a foe that has never experienced defeat before?
This is just the tip of the iceberg of the phenomenal story that Michael S. Jackson has brought us in this book. So many layers upon layers of everything you could want in a captivating fantasy book. And I haven't even touched on the characters! Not only do we get the 30,000 foot view of the story through the incredibly described action and world-building, but Jackson also gives us a deeply personal account of the three main POV characters Kyira, Fia, and Hasaan, who all have their own stakes in the deadly confrontation that may be coming.
RINGLANDER: THE PATH AND THE WAY is one of those special books that you think about wherever you are and can't wait to get back to. Having consumed it in roughly a week or so, I can say that there's not a single part of this book that doesn't fully engage you and keep you entirely interested. This is an exceptional story about perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, a story that shows you glimpses of a magic that is both mysterious and powerful, and ultimately a story that will totally suck you in and have you showing up at work groggy-eyed from many late night reading sessions.
I think you can tell by now that I thoroughly loved this book. I so want to find out more about the history of Rengas and what is behind many of the mysteries that were introduced in this debut offering. I am sure that book two is going to up the ante even more and I am eager to jump right back into this world. I know that many of you have pretty imposing TBRs, but trust me and push RINGLANDER: THE PATH AND THE WAY right near the top because it is one of the most exciting and absorbing fantasy books that I have read this year. I for one really hope this book gets its due recognition because it's a cracking read.
September 28, 2021
“Surely there can be nothing worse in this world than to die cold and grey and unloved. I can think of nothing more awful than that.”
I have been actively trying to read more indie books in 2021, and I first noticed The Path and the Way after it became an SPFBO Cover Finalist. I was incredibly excited when Michael S. Jackson contacted me and offered to send me a review copy! So what did I think?
The Path and the Way is a multiple POV epic fantasy and is the first book in The Ringlander series. The story follows Kyira as she is searching for her missing brother. Meanwhile, the world is being threatened as firestorms are raging, holes are being torn through Rengas, and a rebellion is brewing. Will Kyira find her brother as the world slowly turns into chaos?
Firstly, let’s talk about the cover! Wow! It is honestly one of the best fantasy covers that I have seen in 2021. I adore the art style, and the attention the detail is next level! It is honestly worth buying this book just for the cover since it is so beautiful!
So what did I love about this story? Firstly, the premise of The Path of the Way feels unique. This book kind of feels like a blend of The Dark Tower (one of my favourite series) and traditional fantasy. The story focuses on a brewing rebellion, while holes between the worlds are tearing. Moreover, Jackson is clearly an ambitious author. The world is vast, complex and rich with different cultures! The reader will go on a journey with multiple characters that are scattered across this vast world! One of my favourite characters was Fia – she is definitely my favourite POV in this book. The dynamic between Kyira, and her missing brother Hassan, was also fascinating. To fully understand why this relationship is so interesting, you will need to pick up this book yourself.
The Path and The Way also has some fantastic themes. Especially prevalent are the themes of loyalty and sacrifice. As the rebellion grows, these characters are forced to take a stand – for or against the empire. Jackson also masterfully showcases that there are good people on both sides of a conflict and that war is never truly black or white.
Unfortunately, I struggled with this book. Firstly, I didn’t really understand what this story was about for the first 200 pages. Since there are so many POVs, I didn’t feel like the story started until I had read the first 200 pages. Somehow this book kind of felt like a prequel to an established series. It felt like the reader was supposed to understand the characters and what was happening in this world before picking up this book. This leads me to my second issue – the characters. Although there are some interesting characters in this book, I had difficulty connecting with most of the POVs. There are some great character moments with Kyira and Fia, but unfortunately, most of the other characters didn’t really stand out. However, I believe that some readers will feel differently about the characters, so I highly recommend everyone checking out this book for themselves.
In conclusion, The Path and the Way is a solid, ambitious and imaginative fantasy debut. I am confident that many readers will enjoy this book, although it didn’t work for me. I am therefore recommending everyone to check out this book for themselves and make up their own mind!
A special thanks to Michael S. Jackson for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
3 / 5
I have been actively trying to read more indie books in 2021, and I first noticed The Path and the Way after it became an SPFBO Cover Finalist. I was incredibly excited when Michael S. Jackson contacted me and offered to send me a review copy! So what did I think?
The Path and the Way is a multiple POV epic fantasy and is the first book in The Ringlander series. The story follows Kyira as she is searching for her missing brother. Meanwhile, the world is being threatened as firestorms are raging, holes are being torn through Rengas, and a rebellion is brewing. Will Kyira find her brother as the world slowly turns into chaos?
Firstly, let’s talk about the cover! Wow! It is honestly one of the best fantasy covers that I have seen in 2021. I adore the art style, and the attention the detail is next level! It is honestly worth buying this book just for the cover since it is so beautiful!
So what did I love about this story? Firstly, the premise of The Path of the Way feels unique. This book kind of feels like a blend of The Dark Tower (one of my favourite series) and traditional fantasy. The story focuses on a brewing rebellion, while holes between the worlds are tearing. Moreover, Jackson is clearly an ambitious author. The world is vast, complex and rich with different cultures! The reader will go on a journey with multiple characters that are scattered across this vast world! One of my favourite characters was Fia – she is definitely my favourite POV in this book. The dynamic between Kyira, and her missing brother Hassan, was also fascinating. To fully understand why this relationship is so interesting, you will need to pick up this book yourself.
The Path and The Way also has some fantastic themes. Especially prevalent are the themes of loyalty and sacrifice. As the rebellion grows, these characters are forced to take a stand – for or against the empire. Jackson also masterfully showcases that there are good people on both sides of a conflict and that war is never truly black or white.
Unfortunately, I struggled with this book. Firstly, I didn’t really understand what this story was about for the first 200 pages. Since there are so many POVs, I didn’t feel like the story started until I had read the first 200 pages. Somehow this book kind of felt like a prequel to an established series. It felt like the reader was supposed to understand the characters and what was happening in this world before picking up this book. This leads me to my second issue – the characters. Although there are some interesting characters in this book, I had difficulty connecting with most of the POVs. There are some great character moments with Kyira and Fia, but unfortunately, most of the other characters didn’t really stand out. However, I believe that some readers will feel differently about the characters, so I highly recommend everyone checking out this book for themselves.
In conclusion, The Path and the Way is a solid, ambitious and imaginative fantasy debut. I am confident that many readers will enjoy this book, although it didn’t work for me. I am therefore recommending everyone to check out this book for themselves and make up their own mind!
A special thanks to Michael S. Jackson for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
3 / 5
October 17, 2022
* You can find my full video review here: https://youtu.be/tIEMgBJD5ME *
The Path and the Way is a book I’ve had my eye on for a good while, and when the author gave me a review copy of the companion novella, The Battle That Was Lost, it felt like the perfect time to read it. I read the novella first, as I like to do this where it’s set before events in the novel, to get a feel for the author’s writing. If anyone is thinking of doing the same, I would definitely recommend reading the novella second, as it builds upon an event from The Path and the Way, rather than acting as a true prequel to it, even though it is set earlier in the chronology.
As far as The Path and the Way itself goes, the opening chapter did a great job of sucking me in to the world, giving me a bit of action, a bit of mystery, a bit of worldbuilding, and introducing one of the book’s main characters. We meet Kyira, who is out in the frozen wilds being tracked by hunters. Her brother has gone missing, and along with their father, she’s trying to find him.
Throughout the book, we also get some POV chapters from her brother, and from other key characters who are involved in the rebellion against their oppressors, the Bohr. We also get into the minds of some of the Bohr as well, to get a viewpoint from all sides of the conflict.
With this rebellion, as well as the actual rising up and fighting back, you also get spies who get very close to the enemy, risking their lives for the cause. Some of my favourite scenes were from this part of the story, with close calls and sacrifice making for very exciting reading, and Fia becoming one of my favourite characters as she was involved in much of this.
One thing that really stands out with this book is the worldbuilding, in the written sense, it’s good, solid stuff, with history and lore and also a good sense of the physical world as well. But it’s the physical world in particular where this really stands out for me. First of all, it’s a very unique world in terms of the map, which gives the series and the people their names – Ringlander or Ringlanders.
The map is beautiful for the detail in which it was made and I think the physical world that Jackson has designed really helps with the story as well, because the world almost becomes a character itself, with various traits and characteristics that almost give it a personality of its own.
For anyone owning a physical copy, at least of the hardcover, you can tell that the author has put a lot of time, effort, and heart into this as well, it’s a beautiful book with interior illustrations as well as the gorgeous cover and a text-free version of the cover under the dustjacket.
The words are what really matter here though, and overall, I really enjoyed reading The Path and the Way. I had some characters I was very interested in, across different interweaving storylines, and a good mix of war and rebellion, politics, family and more. There were some animal companions too, for those who appreciate this aspect, although for me they weren’t featured enough to see their full potential. Maybe in subsequent novels we’ll see more of them.
The one thing I didn’t really like was the inclusion of a multiverse aspect. There are holes being ripped in the fabric of this world, and this provided a sense of fear, as the people of the world don’t understand what or why this is happening, and it clearly has a big effect on the world itself. This just didn’t really do it for me though. I felt that there was more than enough going on without the inclusion of these tears and their effects, and it did take me out of the main story just a little.
Overall though, it didn’t impact my enjoyment too much, it was just something that didn’t quite work for me, in a book that otherwise did.
The Path and the Way is a book I’ve had my eye on for a good while, and when the author gave me a review copy of the companion novella, The Battle That Was Lost, it felt like the perfect time to read it. I read the novella first, as I like to do this where it’s set before events in the novel, to get a feel for the author’s writing. If anyone is thinking of doing the same, I would definitely recommend reading the novella second, as it builds upon an event from The Path and the Way, rather than acting as a true prequel to it, even though it is set earlier in the chronology.
As far as The Path and the Way itself goes, the opening chapter did a great job of sucking me in to the world, giving me a bit of action, a bit of mystery, a bit of worldbuilding, and introducing one of the book’s main characters. We meet Kyira, who is out in the frozen wilds being tracked by hunters. Her brother has gone missing, and along with their father, she’s trying to find him.
Throughout the book, we also get some POV chapters from her brother, and from other key characters who are involved in the rebellion against their oppressors, the Bohr. We also get into the minds of some of the Bohr as well, to get a viewpoint from all sides of the conflict.
With this rebellion, as well as the actual rising up and fighting back, you also get spies who get very close to the enemy, risking their lives for the cause. Some of my favourite scenes were from this part of the story, with close calls and sacrifice making for very exciting reading, and Fia becoming one of my favourite characters as she was involved in much of this.
One thing that really stands out with this book is the worldbuilding, in the written sense, it’s good, solid stuff, with history and lore and also a good sense of the physical world as well. But it’s the physical world in particular where this really stands out for me. First of all, it’s a very unique world in terms of the map, which gives the series and the people their names – Ringlander or Ringlanders.
The map is beautiful for the detail in which it was made and I think the physical world that Jackson has designed really helps with the story as well, because the world almost becomes a character itself, with various traits and characteristics that almost give it a personality of its own.
For anyone owning a physical copy, at least of the hardcover, you can tell that the author has put a lot of time, effort, and heart into this as well, it’s a beautiful book with interior illustrations as well as the gorgeous cover and a text-free version of the cover under the dustjacket.
The words are what really matter here though, and overall, I really enjoyed reading The Path and the Way. I had some characters I was very interested in, across different interweaving storylines, and a good mix of war and rebellion, politics, family and more. There were some animal companions too, for those who appreciate this aspect, although for me they weren’t featured enough to see their full potential. Maybe in subsequent novels we’ll see more of them.
The one thing I didn’t really like was the inclusion of a multiverse aspect. There are holes being ripped in the fabric of this world, and this provided a sense of fear, as the people of the world don’t understand what or why this is happening, and it clearly has a big effect on the world itself. This just didn’t really do it for me though. I felt that there was more than enough going on without the inclusion of these tears and their effects, and it did take me out of the main story just a little.
Overall though, it didn’t impact my enjoyment too much, it was just something that didn’t quite work for me, in a book that otherwise did.
December 9, 2021
I’d actually been first been drawn to his book when I was looking through the entrants to this year’s SPFBO and the cover really drew me in – it’s definitely in the top 3, if not the best cover of this year’s picks.
As the old adage goes, “Never judge a book by its cover” but we all do. Thankfully, in the main this book completely lives up to its striking front, with an in depth and well thought out world that, rather than feeling like our dark age, medieval or renaissance world with a bit of magic thrown in (like much of popular fantasy), really feels like true fantasy, like you’re exploring a completely new place. And that’s why a lot of us read the genre, to escape.
Of course, the regions and people share many characteristics with the real world, some of which might be obvious. There are definitely parallels. But what is striking to me at least is how well Jackson paints these factions and environments, creating this living, breathing world you believe in and immerse yourself within. The addition of the multiple realities perhaps takes you out of your comfort zone a little, adding something new, that feels in some respects like science fantasy. This isn’t overwhelming and at its core this is a page turner of an epic fantasy with warring factions, races and that popular aspect of conquest, control of territory and the fight against oppression.
Cut them down as you would the tree, conquer them as you would the mountain.
Jackson creates a believable threat in the Bohr. Stronger than humans, and determined to stay on top, humanity is beginning to grow in number (as we are wont to do) creating a threat of our own to the Bohr, despite the individual disparity in strength.
This particularly appealed to my interest in evolutionary biology, with one of our main characters being half human, half Bohr. I don’t know whether it’s been done many times before, but I therefore really enjoyed seeing humanity pitted against a (in some ways) similar species that are of course also very different. We are always the colonisers – especially within a western European background, so it was intriguing to put the humans under threat of colonisation by a (militarily) superior foe.
Those who choose to fight tyranny will always triumph over those who are forced. Our loyalty binds us and makes us strong.
What I loved most about the book is hard to describe in specific terms, but if you read it you’ll catch on to the vibe within a couple of chapters. I just got a real feel that the author had fun writing it. With self publishing, there is a real license to expand your dreams and ideas and I got a strong impression that Michael S. Jackson relished the opportunity. There are a lot of brilliant ideas at play, both popular elements that always work in fantasy and more risky ones which is done really intelligently (even if requiring a re-read of a page ocassionally.) The author has even thought about the subtle differences in the way characters speak depending on their backgrounds – that’s certainly how it felt to me. And it’s little touches and thoughtful writing that adds that extra immersion and quality.
At times, especially toward the start where you’re getting a feel for the world, it can be hard to follow and needs some concentration. Stupidly, I only realised there was a glossary after finishing the book. Yes, it’s there in the contents so I only have myself to blame. This may have helped my earlier understanding.
I feel in parts the book could maybe have done with one last bit of polish but that is being very nitpicky of a debut novel that’s so well written and immersive in the main. I’d always choose an honest, passionately written debut that the author’s love and care resonates through over an overly-edited bore fest. And I can’t stress enough how much you can feel the freedom and brilliant ideas the author comes up with.
This is most definitely ambitious, but all the right risks are taken. I have so much respect for self published fantasy but there are some occasions where an author might lose their way a little on their debut especially, perhaps to fill the word count or make the book more substantial. There is none of this here – just the author’s inventive imagination which you can never accuse of being boring or repetitive.
What self publishing is amazing for is giving an author a chance to shine and show what they can do – and Michael S. Jackson grabs it with both hands with a scope and imagination that’s so enjoyable to experience.
I make no mistake in my reviews that I am usually a reader who cares more about the world building and plot than the characters, and that’s one reason I really enjoyed this book; because the plot and world are so well imagined and thought out.
For fans of character driven stories, I’d say the protagonists are interesting and different enough from one another to keep you invested in their individual journeys. Kyira for example is quite a typical lead but has enough about her to make her unique to follow rather than being replaceable. You won’t be disappointed.
Fans of worldbuilding and plot, like me, are going to be very impressed. A very solid and enjoyable debut with so much promise and imagination. It’s been a pleasure and I look forward to seeing what else the author can cook up next!
As the old adage goes, “Never judge a book by its cover” but we all do. Thankfully, in the main this book completely lives up to its striking front, with an in depth and well thought out world that, rather than feeling like our dark age, medieval or renaissance world with a bit of magic thrown in (like much of popular fantasy), really feels like true fantasy, like you’re exploring a completely new place. And that’s why a lot of us read the genre, to escape.
Of course, the regions and people share many characteristics with the real world, some of which might be obvious. There are definitely parallels. But what is striking to me at least is how well Jackson paints these factions and environments, creating this living, breathing world you believe in and immerse yourself within. The addition of the multiple realities perhaps takes you out of your comfort zone a little, adding something new, that feels in some respects like science fantasy. This isn’t overwhelming and at its core this is a page turner of an epic fantasy with warring factions, races and that popular aspect of conquest, control of territory and the fight against oppression.
Cut them down as you would the tree, conquer them as you would the mountain.
Jackson creates a believable threat in the Bohr. Stronger than humans, and determined to stay on top, humanity is beginning to grow in number (as we are wont to do) creating a threat of our own to the Bohr, despite the individual disparity in strength.
This particularly appealed to my interest in evolutionary biology, with one of our main characters being half human, half Bohr. I don’t know whether it’s been done many times before, but I therefore really enjoyed seeing humanity pitted against a (in some ways) similar species that are of course also very different. We are always the colonisers – especially within a western European background, so it was intriguing to put the humans under threat of colonisation by a (militarily) superior foe.
Those who choose to fight tyranny will always triumph over those who are forced. Our loyalty binds us and makes us strong.
What I loved most about the book is hard to describe in specific terms, but if you read it you’ll catch on to the vibe within a couple of chapters. I just got a real feel that the author had fun writing it. With self publishing, there is a real license to expand your dreams and ideas and I got a strong impression that Michael S. Jackson relished the opportunity. There are a lot of brilliant ideas at play, both popular elements that always work in fantasy and more risky ones which is done really intelligently (even if requiring a re-read of a page ocassionally.) The author has even thought about the subtle differences in the way characters speak depending on their backgrounds – that’s certainly how it felt to me. And it’s little touches and thoughtful writing that adds that extra immersion and quality.
At times, especially toward the start where you’re getting a feel for the world, it can be hard to follow and needs some concentration. Stupidly, I only realised there was a glossary after finishing the book. Yes, it’s there in the contents so I only have myself to blame. This may have helped my earlier understanding.
I feel in parts the book could maybe have done with one last bit of polish but that is being very nitpicky of a debut novel that’s so well written and immersive in the main. I’d always choose an honest, passionately written debut that the author’s love and care resonates through over an overly-edited bore fest. And I can’t stress enough how much you can feel the freedom and brilliant ideas the author comes up with.
This is most definitely ambitious, but all the right risks are taken. I have so much respect for self published fantasy but there are some occasions where an author might lose their way a little on their debut especially, perhaps to fill the word count or make the book more substantial. There is none of this here – just the author’s inventive imagination which you can never accuse of being boring or repetitive.
What self publishing is amazing for is giving an author a chance to shine and show what they can do – and Michael S. Jackson grabs it with both hands with a scope and imagination that’s so enjoyable to experience.
I make no mistake in my reviews that I am usually a reader who cares more about the world building and plot than the characters, and that’s one reason I really enjoyed this book; because the plot and world are so well imagined and thought out.
For fans of character driven stories, I’d say the protagonists are interesting and different enough from one another to keep you invested in their individual journeys. Kyira for example is quite a typical lead but has enough about her to make her unique to follow rather than being replaceable. You won’t be disappointed.
Fans of worldbuilding and plot, like me, are going to be very impressed. A very solid and enjoyable debut with so much promise and imagination. It’s been a pleasure and I look forward to seeing what else the author can cook up next!
September 22, 2021
I was intrigued by this book ever since I saw the cover posted on Twitter. So I was really happy when the author offered me a place within The Path and the Way's virtual tour. I'd like to thank Michael S. Jackson for providing me with a physical copy of the book to read and review. As well as all the super cool swag that came along with it! My review consists of my own thoughts, all opinions are my own.
I'd like to start off by mentioning that one of the most prevailing things about this book was the fact that I could really pick up on the love the author had for the world and it's characters. Don't get me wrong, this isn't by any means a gentle book or anything. But I do love it when authors really tug on the reader's heartstrings in books. The fact the characters suffered didn't lessen the obvious care and love the author held them in. I've never quite gotten those kinds of feelings from reading a book before, except maybe when reading Robin Hobb's writing.
What also took my by surprise was the magic system and how it interacted with the story. I'm not going to give too much away as I definitely think it's something everyone needs to discover on their own - but it was really good. Whilst it took me almost two weeks to finish reading, that was not due to the fault of the book itself. I likely would have read it much faster had I not been so busy.
One of the few things that made me struggle a bit with my reading journey was not necessarily the writing, but some of the descriptions. At first I tripped over a few things as I still wasn't super used to the writing style, but afterwards it was all smooth sailing. Like all epic fantasy books, it takes a bit to really get into. There was a lot of military elements to it at times as well, which can be a bit hit or miss for me as I'm not into all aspects of military fantasy, but that wasn't too bad in the end either. A lot of it was explained well enough that even I could understand it.
Conclusion: If you think the cover of The Path and the Way is stunning, then you'll probably enjoy the story too. They often say you can't judge a book by its cover, but this one of the rarer cases when you can. It's a series I plan on continuing with, and hope to see it receive more love in general.
I'd like to start off by mentioning that one of the most prevailing things about this book was the fact that I could really pick up on the love the author had for the world and it's characters. Don't get me wrong, this isn't by any means a gentle book or anything. But I do love it when authors really tug on the reader's heartstrings in books. The fact the characters suffered didn't lessen the obvious care and love the author held them in. I've never quite gotten those kinds of feelings from reading a book before, except maybe when reading Robin Hobb's writing.
What also took my by surprise was the magic system and how it interacted with the story. I'm not going to give too much away as I definitely think it's something everyone needs to discover on their own - but it was really good. Whilst it took me almost two weeks to finish reading, that was not due to the fault of the book itself. I likely would have read it much faster had I not been so busy.
One of the few things that made me struggle a bit with my reading journey was not necessarily the writing, but some of the descriptions. At first I tripped over a few things as I still wasn't super used to the writing style, but afterwards it was all smooth sailing. Like all epic fantasy books, it takes a bit to really get into. There was a lot of military elements to it at times as well, which can be a bit hit or miss for me as I'm not into all aspects of military fantasy, but that wasn't too bad in the end either. A lot of it was explained well enough that even I could understand it.
Conclusion: If you think the cover of The Path and the Way is stunning, then you'll probably enjoy the story too. They often say you can't judge a book by its cover, but this one of the rarer cases when you can. It's a series I plan on continuing with, and hope to see it receive more love in general.
September 24, 2021
Ringlander: The Path and the Way is a wonderfully detailed and exceptionally well-done fantasy story that stands out as one of the best titles I have read this year.
When I was asked to be a part of this tour, reading the book's blurb, I was very intrigued. "Holes between worlds are tearing through Rengas. Firestorms are raging as multiple realities battle for control of the elements. Even the Way, the turbulent channel that separates Nord, Határ, and Kemen, the lifeblood of the city of Tyr, has turned.
Kyira's search for her missing brother draws her away from the familiar frozen lines of Nord and south into the chaotic streets of Tyr, where games are played & battles fought. As reality tears, Kyira must choose between her family or her path before the worlds catch up with her."
I mean, you pretty much had me at holes between worlds. The thought of things crashing through is a very powerful visual. However, the book was much more than I expected. While the worldbuilding is exquisitely done, what stood out for me was the characters. What I need to connect to a story entirely is a dialog that flows, characters that feel real, and protagonists that make me care. The characters are not cardboard cutouts. They have deep personal histories and cultures that help define their actions to the reader. Instead of one event, going to another event, then finishing. We have more reason for the actions done in the name of the plot. I appreciate that a lot as a reader.
Aside from the unique personal quests, the main characters go on, the rich history and backstory Jackson has built, we also have a current of political intrigue and oppression. The Bohr, a group of non-human oppressors, seek to claim all of the lands. They seek to dominate and conquer all around them. This layering of plot and history creates such a cool juxtaposition to the other worldbuilding and characters. Everything comes together.
All in all, this is a book not to be missed. Everything was correct for me. I was engaged, and I felt like I was reading something fresh and original, and I can't wait until I can read more books in this series.
When I was asked to be a part of this tour, reading the book's blurb, I was very intrigued. "Holes between worlds are tearing through Rengas. Firestorms are raging as multiple realities battle for control of the elements. Even the Way, the turbulent channel that separates Nord, Határ, and Kemen, the lifeblood of the city of Tyr, has turned.
Kyira's search for her missing brother draws her away from the familiar frozen lines of Nord and south into the chaotic streets of Tyr, where games are played & battles fought. As reality tears, Kyira must choose between her family or her path before the worlds catch up with her."
I mean, you pretty much had me at holes between worlds. The thought of things crashing through is a very powerful visual. However, the book was much more than I expected. While the worldbuilding is exquisitely done, what stood out for me was the characters. What I need to connect to a story entirely is a dialog that flows, characters that feel real, and protagonists that make me care. The characters are not cardboard cutouts. They have deep personal histories and cultures that help define their actions to the reader. Instead of one event, going to another event, then finishing. We have more reason for the actions done in the name of the plot. I appreciate that a lot as a reader.
Aside from the unique personal quests, the main characters go on, the rich history and backstory Jackson has built, we also have a current of political intrigue and oppression. The Bohr, a group of non-human oppressors, seek to claim all of the lands. They seek to dominate and conquer all around them. This layering of plot and history creates such a cool juxtaposition to the other worldbuilding and characters. Everything comes together.
All in all, this is a book not to be missed. Everything was correct for me. I was engaged, and I felt like I was reading something fresh and original, and I can't wait until I can read more books in this series.
March 27, 2022
Incredible! What a wonderful read this has been.. finally! This is a fast paced, epic fantasy which is a breath of fresh air with some wonderful characters. The story and world is so well imagined, cannot wait to read more from this series! A full review will be on the blog soon.
October 3, 2021
I am posting an interview as part of the author's blog tour .. Not this Sunday but the 26th. Holding book related thoughts until afterwards
January 19, 2023
The Path and the Way by Michael S. Jackson has been on my radar since early 2022. It's some how stayed on the edges of my TBR lists though. This was my final read for the Indie Ink Awards of 2022 even though it was a bonus read for a category different than my previous five. I will continue to keep my categories hidden until after the results have been posted for the competitions. But I will say I didn't have a single read of the six that I didn't enjoy. This was a great chance for me to discover more wonderful independent authors and their works. Several of them will remain on my radar including this one to follow where the next steps in the series go.
This read quickly became a page turner for me. The story and characters have quite a bit of uniqueness yet still feeling like my kind of epic fantasy. I've come to find I really enjoy reading stories that have very different cultures and we follow characters from each of these to give us a truer understanding of how the world works from different eyes. The story also highlights a lot of prejudices towards these different cultures. But as can be expected the characters that Michael S. Jackson has created begin to understand the world isn't always black and white.
The subterfuge, magic and the final battle in this story all helped to win this read a place in my heart and mind to remember.
The world building was great in The Path and the Way. As I previously mentioned we are introduced to several different regions and cultures in book one of this series. The constant maneuvering of these political leaders along with the possible magical or religious undertones create a very intriguing story to follow along with.
The pace was solid throughout. I'm not sure if I've just been extremely lucky the past 18 months or so with my book selections but I've had very few that didn't fit my preference in pacing. This was a very quick and easy read. The writing style was smooth. We didn't really have any real difficulties in the vocabulary used. We do have some names and cultures to familiarize ourselves to but once you do, everything just kind of flows from there.
On top of all that, the character development was wonderful as well. There are a couple of character that are very easy to find yourself liking. But we also have some character you want to pull your hear out with the things they do and the choices they make. And of course there are characters you can't help but dislike along the way as well. Some of these characters mentioned aren't always set in stone along the story either. We certainly see some growth as well as other sides of these characters by the end of the first book.
I would recommend The Path and the Way to readers of epic fantasy that enjoy plenty of political intrigue, battles are larger military levels as well as smaller skirmishes. This story includes plenty of darker moments that the characters either struggle or thrive with as well. We have some strong magical and the potential of interventions of the gods within this story as well.
This read quickly became a page turner for me. The story and characters have quite a bit of uniqueness yet still feeling like my kind of epic fantasy. I've come to find I really enjoy reading stories that have very different cultures and we follow characters from each of these to give us a truer understanding of how the world works from different eyes. The story also highlights a lot of prejudices towards these different cultures. But as can be expected the characters that Michael S. Jackson has created begin to understand the world isn't always black and white.
The subterfuge, magic and the final battle in this story all helped to win this read a place in my heart and mind to remember.
The world building was great in The Path and the Way. As I previously mentioned we are introduced to several different regions and cultures in book one of this series. The constant maneuvering of these political leaders along with the possible magical or religious undertones create a very intriguing story to follow along with.
The pace was solid throughout. I'm not sure if I've just been extremely lucky the past 18 months or so with my book selections but I've had very few that didn't fit my preference in pacing. This was a very quick and easy read. The writing style was smooth. We didn't really have any real difficulties in the vocabulary used. We do have some names and cultures to familiarize ourselves to but once you do, everything just kind of flows from there.
On top of all that, the character development was wonderful as well. There are a couple of character that are very easy to find yourself liking. But we also have some character you want to pull your hear out with the things they do and the choices they make. And of course there are characters you can't help but dislike along the way as well. Some of these characters mentioned aren't always set in stone along the story either. We certainly see some growth as well as other sides of these characters by the end of the first book.
I would recommend The Path and the Way to readers of epic fantasy that enjoy plenty of political intrigue, battles are larger military levels as well as smaller skirmishes. This story includes plenty of darker moments that the characters either struggle or thrive with as well. We have some strong magical and the potential of interventions of the gods within this story as well.
September 20, 2022
3.5⭐️ (rounded up!)
My review!
Ok so first up I want to give props for this being a debut fantasy novel!
I could feel the passion that was put into this story and I really enjoyed it.
I thought the world was really unique and the world building, although a little overwhelming at the start, I got used to it eventually!
There is also a glossary in the back and honestly it was super helpful and I would love for more authors to do this. I think it allows for more distinctive world building without having to do the usual info dumping!
The settings in this book were so atmospheric and really set the tone.
I love feeling the brutality of environments and our characters having to survive them.
It had some great action sequences and heart pounding moments too.
I liked all the characters and really enjoyed reading from Kyria and Fias narratives. I will say however though that there were a lot of characters that we were following, as this book is in third person I found it hard to connect with all of them because of it. I think a multiple first person POV would have made it easier for me to get more emotionally invested. That’s just my personal opinion though.
Also the pacing in some places was a little off for me, which could also come down to the fact that we switch to different characters quite often.
That and a few grammatical errors, which I’m assuming were because I have a review copy, were the only issues I had!
Overall I’m really impressed and I am excited for the future sequels to this series.
My review!
Ok so first up I want to give props for this being a debut fantasy novel!
I could feel the passion that was put into this story and I really enjoyed it.
I thought the world was really unique and the world building, although a little overwhelming at the start, I got used to it eventually!
There is also a glossary in the back and honestly it was super helpful and I would love for more authors to do this. I think it allows for more distinctive world building without having to do the usual info dumping!
The settings in this book were so atmospheric and really set the tone.
I love feeling the brutality of environments and our characters having to survive them.
It had some great action sequences and heart pounding moments too.
I liked all the characters and really enjoyed reading from Kyria and Fias narratives. I will say however though that there were a lot of characters that we were following, as this book is in third person I found it hard to connect with all of them because of it. I think a multiple first person POV would have made it easier for me to get more emotionally invested. That’s just my personal opinion though.
Also the pacing in some places was a little off for me, which could also come down to the fact that we switch to different characters quite often.
That and a few grammatical errors, which I’m assuming were because I have a review copy, were the only issues I had!
Overall I’m really impressed and I am excited for the future sequels to this series.
January 2, 2022
I fell in love with the cover, and I had to learn out about the girl featured on it. I’m glad I did. In this case, ‘judging the book by its cover’ definitely paid off. Kyira turned out to be a fearless map-reader and a worthy protagonist. I liked the way the author portrayed her as strong without overshadowing her vulnerable side. Hands down, my favourite character in this story.
The world of The Ringlander presents the reader with a rich ensemble of characters. Between the covers, you’ll find Fia, the spy who’s playing a dangerous game that doesn’t go as planned, Hassan, Kyira’s brother, who joined the army to find his own path in life, and Laeb, a skilled strategist in the rebel army. Jackson goes deep into each character, so we can feel what they feel when faced with betrayal, tough choices, and even joy.
The Ringlander: The Path and the Way has a very detailed world, so if, like me, you love exploring new places, you won’t be disappointed. The characters travel from various parts of the world to the city of Tyr, where it comes to a head in a clash between the king’s army and the rebels. But here is where Jackson pulls it out of the bag because the finale isn’t what you would expect. The characters and worlds collide in an epic conclusion.
I can see how The Path and the Way became SPFBO7 semi-finalist. It’s a fast-paced adventure, with high stakes, magic and characters fighting for a better future.
The world of The Ringlander presents the reader with a rich ensemble of characters. Between the covers, you’ll find Fia, the spy who’s playing a dangerous game that doesn’t go as planned, Hassan, Kyira’s brother, who joined the army to find his own path in life, and Laeb, a skilled strategist in the rebel army. Jackson goes deep into each character, so we can feel what they feel when faced with betrayal, tough choices, and even joy.
The Ringlander: The Path and the Way has a very detailed world, so if, like me, you love exploring new places, you won’t be disappointed. The characters travel from various parts of the world to the city of Tyr, where it comes to a head in a clash between the king’s army and the rebels. But here is where Jackson pulls it out of the bag because the finale isn’t what you would expect. The characters and worlds collide in an epic conclusion.
I can see how The Path and the Way became SPFBO7 semi-finalist. It’s a fast-paced adventure, with high stakes, magic and characters fighting for a better future.
October 18, 2021
This one drops you right in the middle of the action. Then really does not take a breath. It’s a non stop action book on an epic scale. Don’t be fooled by the pretty girl on the cover. This is badass. >:)
July 14, 2025
review to come
June 3, 2022
Rengas is fully living, breathing. From the smell, the hav of Terava, to the cold of the Nords, this is epic fantasy at its finest - you won't want to put down, nor will you want to miss it.
Politics, gods, wars, wears, mines - down to a bronze supply that is low - you're thrown into the thick of a world with history so rich it stretches thousands of years backward and lends itself to feeling like a real world. Mike has taken every car to build this world brick by brick, and it pays off.
The dialogue sings, it's a strong point. Each character defined by their nuance of shared language.
Pacing is great, Jagar is a total prick. There's a lot to love and hate about the characters, and this is completely by design. I really liked how much Mike led me to hate Jagar and how much I just need to follow characters like Kyira.
Firespirals, falling sky, turning Ways, the weather... or strange weather events created by what the characters think is an ageless battle between gods, create fresh danger. I haven't seen it used as much in fantasy, but I do love the sporadic and surprising events that are used to add a sense of danger. And also spoil the calm, put a spanner in the works of good plans. I guess it falls under the whole 'the orcs are coming...' plot device but instead it's 'oh, the weather is turning ... and this fire is chasing me ...' safe to say, I enjoyed it.
Eclectic cast featuring Kyira, my favourite character, and Rathe, Child of Bohr, who allows us to see through the lens of the enemy, which I very much enjoy.
One particular clever scene at the end was cool. The end of the book is all-out war, blades singing and people dying. Sometimes, the fighting was a little slow, and I felt it slowed down in the description, but overall it's very smooth and action-packed.
I highly rate this book and can't wait to read the next entry in the series be it a novella or book 2. Mike has done a fantastic job.
Politics, gods, wars, wears, mines - down to a bronze supply that is low - you're thrown into the thick of a world with history so rich it stretches thousands of years backward and lends itself to feeling like a real world. Mike has taken every car to build this world brick by brick, and it pays off.
The dialogue sings, it's a strong point. Each character defined by their nuance of shared language.
Pacing is great, Jagar is a total prick. There's a lot to love and hate about the characters, and this is completely by design. I really liked how much Mike led me to hate Jagar and how much I just need to follow characters like Kyira.
Firespirals, falling sky, turning Ways, the weather... or strange weather events created by what the characters think is an ageless battle between gods, create fresh danger. I haven't seen it used as much in fantasy, but I do love the sporadic and surprising events that are used to add a sense of danger. And also spoil the calm, put a spanner in the works of good plans. I guess it falls under the whole 'the orcs are coming...' plot device but instead it's 'oh, the weather is turning ... and this fire is chasing me ...' safe to say, I enjoyed it.
Eclectic cast featuring Kyira, my favourite character, and Rathe, Child of Bohr, who allows us to see through the lens of the enemy, which I very much enjoy.
One particular clever scene at the end was cool. The end of the book is all-out war, blades singing and people dying. Sometimes, the fighting was a little slow, and I felt it slowed down in the description, but overall it's very smooth and action-packed.
I highly rate this book and can't wait to read the next entry in the series be it a novella or book 2. Mike has done a fantastic job.
October 2, 2025
*Second reading in anticipation of Fallen Shards*
Somehow even better the second time. This world just grips you in instantly, I always feel like I'm there alongside the characters. The additional context of The Battle That Was Lost novella makes Laeb an even stronger character. Jagar still crazy scary. I can't stop recommending this book.
The Path and The Way had me hooked from the first chapter. It's been a while since I got so invested in a book this way; the world is deep and rich and lived in, and clearly well thought out. There are several character POVs from different backgrounds were all very good, especially Kyira and Jagar's, the latter of which is probably one of my new favourite fantasy villains. The story was really enjoyable and fast paced. Another bonus was the stunning artwork on both the cover and throughout the book. I can't wait to see more from the Ringlander series. Highly recommend.
Somehow even better the second time. This world just grips you in instantly, I always feel like I'm there alongside the characters. The additional context of The Battle That Was Lost novella makes Laeb an even stronger character. Jagar still crazy scary. I can't stop recommending this book.
The Path and The Way had me hooked from the first chapter. It's been a while since I got so invested in a book this way; the world is deep and rich and lived in, and clearly well thought out. There are several character POVs from different backgrounds were all very good, especially Kyira and Jagar's, the latter of which is probably one of my new favourite fantasy villains. The story was really enjoyable and fast paced. Another bonus was the stunning artwork on both the cover and throughout the book. I can't wait to see more from the Ringlander series. Highly recommend.
December 15, 2021
2.5/5 stars. I see the ambition that the author has. The world-building is great, and I would've loved more details and foundation to it. The ending took it to a whole other level of world-building for me too, I am interested to see where that goes.
The thing that really took away from the narrative for me, was the number of POVs and how quickly we jumped around. I feel like I didn't really get to know any one specific character enough to really understand their motivations deeply.
The themes of self-sacrifice and loyalty were outstanding but could have been made more impactful if we had a bit more character depth particularly in the case of Kyira.
Overall, I will be keeping my eye on this author because I think the potential was 100% there, it just needed a bit of refining to get to that next level.
The thing that really took away from the narrative for me, was the number of POVs and how quickly we jumped around. I feel like I didn't really get to know any one specific character enough to really understand their motivations deeply.
The themes of self-sacrifice and loyalty were outstanding but could have been made more impactful if we had a bit more character depth particularly in the case of Kyira.
Overall, I will be keeping my eye on this author because I think the potential was 100% there, it just needed a bit of refining to get to that next level.
June 11, 2021
I loved getting stuck in to a new world. Read this in three sittings, while trying to place myself so it wouldn't a bit longer. Really look forward to the next chapter for the ringlanders!
Am holding back on spoilers. You are welcome. Now dive in...
Am holding back on spoilers. You are welcome. Now dive in...
June 13, 2022
4/5 Stars
“We all need someone. Even if they only appear in our lives for a brief moment, we still need them. They appear, they impart, and they leave. It is the way.”
A great debut, and first installment in the Ringlander series. This self-published, epic fantasy was a SPFBO Cover Finalist and I can certainly see why. The cover is beautiful, and the hardcover edition includes this artwork on the naked hardcover, along with illustrations throughout.
This is a multi-pov, which follows 5 characters throughout the story. With rebellion, action, spies, an incredible world, and a diverse cast of characters. The Path and The Way opens strong in the first chapter and introduces the main character, Kyira.
Kyira is a young woman of the Nord. Her family close knit, but when her brother goes missing, she must venture past her homeland to find him. In the city of Tyr, there is a power struggle between Human and Bohr, once prey and predator, humans’ numbers have grown and the tension between these species is explored well throughout the story. All the while, holes between worlds are tearing the land apart.
The creativity of the world was captivating and included diversity in the lands and cultures. There was attention to detail in the world building, as though it was carefully crafted by Michael S. Jackson. As the story centers around a rebellion, we meet a variety of different characters in various situations across this vast world.
Unfortunately, I had a difficult time connecting with the characters. Their situations were interesting, but the characters often fell flat. I found there to be little character development and encountered moments that felt disconnected from the scene being read. That being said, I was invested in the roles the characters played to the bigger plot.
The pacing was medium, though there was a lot of density to the this. With so much to take in, at times pacing felt like it swapped from slow, medium to fast, often.
While there were aspects in The Path and The Way that didn’t quite hit the mark for me, I look forward to reading more from Michael S. Jackson, as his writing was a pleasure to read. This is an author that seems like the more he writes, the better it will get.
I would recommend everyone read this! It’s the kind of book you need to read and experience for yourself.
“We all need someone. Even if they only appear in our lives for a brief moment, we still need them. They appear, they impart, and they leave. It is the way.”
A great debut, and first installment in the Ringlander series. This self-published, epic fantasy was a SPFBO Cover Finalist and I can certainly see why. The cover is beautiful, and the hardcover edition includes this artwork on the naked hardcover, along with illustrations throughout.
This is a multi-pov, which follows 5 characters throughout the story. With rebellion, action, spies, an incredible world, and a diverse cast of characters. The Path and The Way opens strong in the first chapter and introduces the main character, Kyira.
Kyira is a young woman of the Nord. Her family close knit, but when her brother goes missing, she must venture past her homeland to find him. In the city of Tyr, there is a power struggle between Human and Bohr, once prey and predator, humans’ numbers have grown and the tension between these species is explored well throughout the story. All the while, holes between worlds are tearing the land apart.
The creativity of the world was captivating and included diversity in the lands and cultures. There was attention to detail in the world building, as though it was carefully crafted by Michael S. Jackson. As the story centers around a rebellion, we meet a variety of different characters in various situations across this vast world.
Unfortunately, I had a difficult time connecting with the characters. Their situations were interesting, but the characters often fell flat. I found there to be little character development and encountered moments that felt disconnected from the scene being read. That being said, I was invested in the roles the characters played to the bigger plot.
The pacing was medium, though there was a lot of density to the this. With so much to take in, at times pacing felt like it swapped from slow, medium to fast, often.
While there were aspects in The Path and The Way that didn’t quite hit the mark for me, I look forward to reading more from Michael S. Jackson, as his writing was a pleasure to read. This is an author that seems like the more he writes, the better it will get.
I would recommend everyone read this! It’s the kind of book you need to read and experience for yourself.
June 11, 2022
Ringlander is an epic fantasy. While the world sometimes has a gritty feel, the book itself is clean compared to a lot of other epic fantasy of the era. It does have some of the good elements of the Game of Thrones feel while avoiding the unnecessarily gory or sexy parts that I thought ruined the popular series.
The storyline itself was pretty straightforward, even if the complex cast of characters made it twist and turn around such that it kept me on my toes. At times, I wasn’t sure if any certain character was going to survive. Enough characters did bite the dust that, like in Game of Thrones, you couldn’t feel like anyone was safe. I did like the main character, Kyira, and was interested in her story. She was plucky, dutiful, and a great unwilling protagonist. There were other points of view, however, I was less interested in; I think this is inevitable when making use of a complex cast, but I found myself longing for the Kyira chapters during some of the Fia chapters.
I enjoyed how the fantasy elements were very obvious and how well interwoven they were into the story. The people within the world smoothly interacted with the magical elements and treated them like they were always supposed to be there, not like a new thought or object they needed to explain to the reader. I especially liked how magic was integrated into the politics without it being the typical “magic people are oppressed” or “magic people oppress the non-magical.” By choosing to have non-human characters that have a strange opinion on the value of humans, Jackson created something very new and different.
The front end of the book was well-edited and tight, but this became less true as the book went on. Some additional edits to the book would make it smoother. As well, there were places where it moved a bit too slowly for my tastes. If you like epic fantasy that doesn’t mind muddling over some minutia and taking its time with character interactions, that won’t bother you, though.
The storyline itself was pretty straightforward, even if the complex cast of characters made it twist and turn around such that it kept me on my toes. At times, I wasn’t sure if any certain character was going to survive. Enough characters did bite the dust that, like in Game of Thrones, you couldn’t feel like anyone was safe. I did like the main character, Kyira, and was interested in her story. She was plucky, dutiful, and a great unwilling protagonist. There were other points of view, however, I was less interested in; I think this is inevitable when making use of a complex cast, but I found myself longing for the Kyira chapters during some of the Fia chapters.
I enjoyed how the fantasy elements were very obvious and how well interwoven they were into the story. The people within the world smoothly interacted with the magical elements and treated them like they were always supposed to be there, not like a new thought or object they needed to explain to the reader. I especially liked how magic was integrated into the politics without it being the typical “magic people are oppressed” or “magic people oppress the non-magical.” By choosing to have non-human characters that have a strange opinion on the value of humans, Jackson created something very new and different.
The front end of the book was well-edited and tight, but this became less true as the book went on. Some additional edits to the book would make it smoother. As well, there were places where it moved a bit too slowly for my tastes. If you like epic fantasy that doesn’t mind muddling over some minutia and taking its time with character interactions, that won’t bother you, though.
September 17, 2021
Full review available at https://talesfromabsurdia.com/book-reviews/ringlander-the-path-and-the-way-book-review/
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Ringlander: The Path and the Way – the debut fantasy novel from Michael S. Jackson – is an absolute riot.
Set in Rengas, a continent dominated by conflict, the occupying & brutish Bohr seek to quash an ongoing rebellion from the native human population. Meanwhile, an astral war engulfs the cosmos above, with the world torn apart by competing realities.
Sound complex? At first, it does come across a little abstract.
However, Jackson’s brilliant writing guides the reader deftly, navigating the various factions of Rengas, from the Tsiorc rebels to the Pathfinders of the North.
This is a fantasy novel with a truly original lore – and that’s a really exciting prospect for future entries in the series.
_________________
Ringlander: The Path and the Way – the debut fantasy novel from Michael S. Jackson – is an absolute riot.
Set in Rengas, a continent dominated by conflict, the occupying & brutish Bohr seek to quash an ongoing rebellion from the native human population. Meanwhile, an astral war engulfs the cosmos above, with the world torn apart by competing realities.
Sound complex? At first, it does come across a little abstract.
However, Jackson’s brilliant writing guides the reader deftly, navigating the various factions of Rengas, from the Tsiorc rebels to the Pathfinders of the North.
This is a fantasy novel with a truly original lore – and that’s a really exciting prospect for future entries in the series.
December 15, 2021
This may sound like hyperbole, but I sincerely compare my experience reading this brilliant first effort to that of my most memorable reads such as Ursula K. LeGuin's "Wizard of Earthsea", Stephen R. Donaldson's "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant", C. J. Cherryh's "Gate of Ivrel" and yes, even J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit". The bottom line is that these are some of the few that I read a second time or more to re-experience not just the great story, but the great TELLING of the story. After finishing "The Path and the Way", I knew I would read it again. The writing is rich and deep - an experience in itself. I enjoyed the reading of it alone separate from the great story being told.
It takes place in a world populated with diverse, interesting cultures and races with characters good, bad and ambiguous with a geography and climate just as diverse. It's a time of conflict driven by a powerful colonizing force. The world is further complicated by worsening capricious catastrophic events as some higher order of reality struggles with itself.
I'll close by noting this: The great books use the P.O.V. of an appealing or compelling central character and this book has Kayira, a simple, uncomplicated child yet among the most appealing of any books I've read. It's in part, her coming of age story. The beautiful cover art captures her perfectly.
It takes place in a world populated with diverse, interesting cultures and races with characters good, bad and ambiguous with a geography and climate just as diverse. It's a time of conflict driven by a powerful colonizing force. The world is further complicated by worsening capricious catastrophic events as some higher order of reality struggles with itself.
I'll close by noting this: The great books use the P.O.V. of an appealing or compelling central character and this book has Kayira, a simple, uncomplicated child yet among the most appealing of any books I've read. It's in part, her coming of age story. The beautiful cover art captures her perfectly.
July 17, 2022
Ringlander: The Path and the Way is a complex and layered epic fantasy with a wide diverse cast. The story is set in Rengas, a fully-realized world rich in history. There is the ever-present conflict between the native humans and the evil Bohr as well as mysterious phenomena of portals opening suddenly and randomly, bringing death and destruction.
It is apparent that Michael S. Jackson has a plan for this world he built as evidenced by the fantastically designed map and the many background and context his story is set against. I actually had a bit of a difficulty time getting into the narrative because of the multiple perspectives while I was still catching up with the different factions and aspects of the world.
The story is told from many perspectives and a diverse cast which is led by Kiyria, a young woman who must wield her people’s legacy of pathfinding while searching for her missing brother. There’s Hasaan, her brother sick of his father’s overbearing presence and out to seek glory; Fia, a rebel spy; Laeb, a visionary rebel leader; Rathe, a halfbreed; and many more. It took quite a while before I could grasp the juggling of the different characters as I discover their places in this world and its society and conflict. Undoubtedly, it’s the female characters Kiyria and Fia that bring the most heart and soul to the story.
Ringlander: The Path and the Way is a fast-paced, richly filled, and complex epic fantasy that just takes some time to fully grasp.
It is apparent that Michael S. Jackson has a plan for this world he built as evidenced by the fantastically designed map and the many background and context his story is set against. I actually had a bit of a difficulty time getting into the narrative because of the multiple perspectives while I was still catching up with the different factions and aspects of the world.
The story is told from many perspectives and a diverse cast which is led by Kiyria, a young woman who must wield her people’s legacy of pathfinding while searching for her missing brother. There’s Hasaan, her brother sick of his father’s overbearing presence and out to seek glory; Fia, a rebel spy; Laeb, a visionary rebel leader; Rathe, a halfbreed; and many more. It took quite a while before I could grasp the juggling of the different characters as I discover their places in this world and its society and conflict. Undoubtedly, it’s the female characters Kiyria and Fia that bring the most heart and soul to the story.
Ringlander: The Path and the Way is a fast-paced, richly filled, and complex epic fantasy that just takes some time to fully grasp.
September 21, 2021
When the pandemic hit I knew that I would need an escape from my four walls… away from the news, away from the socials, away from my children! Ha! Creators definitely stepped up. And I found some amazing shows to immerse myself in: shout out to Kid Cosmic on Netflix and Mare of Easttown on HBO, and a long list of comics from Boom! Studios. I found my reading would swerve between easily accessible middle grade/ YA to complex fantasy tomes… throw in a couple thrillers to clean my palate and I had a good system going to help me through these difficult times.
Ringlander is one of those books that was challenging in its approach, but satisfying in the end. I found myself on a little bit of shaky ground at the beginning of the novel as I tried to figure out who and what these giants are and what this land looks like: frozen taiga, lavish cities, and the bold move to add shifting realities that between… This was a solid undertaking that was rewarded with a story about family, love, and the changing politics of this world.
Pick up Ringlander for a trip into another world and another world and another world. Action punctuated by strong character building and a world that continues to grow and evolve.
4 out of 5 stars
Ringlander is one of those books that was challenging in its approach, but satisfying in the end. I found myself on a little bit of shaky ground at the beginning of the novel as I tried to figure out who and what these giants are and what this land looks like: frozen taiga, lavish cities, and the bold move to add shifting realities that between… This was a solid undertaking that was rewarded with a story about family, love, and the changing politics of this world.
Pick up Ringlander for a trip into another world and another world and another world. Action punctuated by strong character building and a world that continues to grow and evolve.
4 out of 5 stars
May 28, 2022
Well.
That was a non-stop read with a rather explosive ending!
I enjoyed this book, not just for the fact that it has stunningly beautiful cover art, but also the hinterland to the story.
I’m gonna admit that at times I struggled with the cast, both names of and quantity of and had to skip back a few times. But this is probably more because I had to keep real life at bay and didn’t give it enough big chunks of my time to appreciate it.
The world is a beautifully crafted archipelago with a turbulent inner sea and the keepers of maps are invaluable and rare…
The dark vs light story managed a good grey area, the familial ties and relationships, hints of magic, death, journey, life… Get in.
Book two? Yes please. I’m only hoping that this isn’t going to be the first of seventeen!
That was a non-stop read with a rather explosive ending!
I enjoyed this book, not just for the fact that it has stunningly beautiful cover art, but also the hinterland to the story.
I’m gonna admit that at times I struggled with the cast, both names of and quantity of and had to skip back a few times. But this is probably more because I had to keep real life at bay and didn’t give it enough big chunks of my time to appreciate it.
The world is a beautifully crafted archipelago with a turbulent inner sea and the keepers of maps are invaluable and rare…
The dark vs light story managed a good grey area, the familial ties and relationships, hints of magic, death, journey, life… Get in.
Book two? Yes please. I’m only hoping that this isn’t going to be the first of seventeen!
October 20, 2025
* Reviewed on October 17, 2025
** Some formats of my blog may not carry over to Goodreads. I've tried to clean it up, but I don't format my reviews to be posted here. This is a rare exception for an exceptional book.
==Foreward==
I've previously reviewed The Battle That Was Lost, and it (my review) wasn't any good. I was genuinely shocked when Author Michael S. Jackson reached out to me to review book 2, as I remembered my review sounding like incoherent babbling. I try to avoid spoilers, which sometimes makes it difficult to talk about a book. On top of that, I sometimes neglect to proofread my reviews, as I will ''literally'' spend hours rewording, re-arranging paragraphs, and re-reading my review until it drives me fucking crazy. I was the first person to submit a review for it, which I still think is pretty cool, though. I plan to re-review it, after I've finished book 2. The review will be located at Review: The Battle That Was Lost.
==World Building==
Unfortunately, I no longer remember much of the details of the story, I'm more or less going into The Path and the Way 'blind', so to speak. The very first thing that stood out to me was the language used and the world-building. Within the first chapter, it made me realize just how many fantasy stories sound too modern, like a bunch of characters at a medieval renfaire. Such as the character Kyira referring to a slaver, and saying she didn't know how anybody could "breed" with him. Or how Author Michael S. Jackson uses "paces" instead of steps, or "cycles" instead of years. It honestly made me wish for some sort of "Codex Fantasy" so the fantasy community could have our own language culture that people would be able to freely and willingly use. I was speaking to Author R.J. Hanson about the Bloodlines Reforged Saga and he mentioned how he thought about trying to think of a different way to name coffee, and describe it. But ultimately settled on coffee. I ''think'' there were similar cases in this story, such as "Tigre", "China", and "Coffee" being referred to as slight misspellings, or alluded to their names, so as not to sound out of place.
==Characters==
Aside from the world-building, I like the characters. As with the Bloodlines Reforged Saga, I had to find a way to describe them. The main characters aren't "main characters", they're just people living their lives, each with their own goals and ambitions, petty squabbles, and so on. The world doesn't revolve around them; they're not chosen ones. They're just a bunch of pawns on a greater chessboard, and the PoV just happens to be on them, at the moment. I like how characters will help one another in a moment of need, and then go back to being petty assholes to each other right afterwards. One scene is where Character A saves Character B's life, and B wakes up and essentially goes "Thanks for saving me, but also, fuck you." which made me laugh my ass off.
It makes them all feel very human. They lose loved ones, they're bitter, they really do feel like everyday people who woke up one day to a steaming pile of shit they didn't ask for, and now have no choice but to deal with it. There are a lot of moments where characters don't open up to each other right away; they will repeatedly touch upon the same subject multiple times before finally saying what's on their minds. Which is to say, they don't spew exposition to forward the plot. Things are said when they need to be said, in the context of the conversation and in relation to their disposition with one another.
Minor spoiler, skip this section if you'd rather avoid it. I'll also try to avoid spoiling it directly. One instance is when a character is killed, and it's later revealed to the killer that they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and were mistaken for something that they weren't. But this wasn't revealed to them until much later. The two parties had to get to know each other and have a few human moments together before this information was divulged.
==Pacing==
Pacing-wise, there are a good number of chapters at the start of the book where not much of consequence happens. It's mostly world-building and introductions. For example, the character Hassan is introduced early on, and then it head-hops for a pretty decent chunk of the book before we get to see his PoV again. He was introduced because his sister and father were looking for him, and we needed to know who he was and why we should care. And as I said, he's not the center of the universe, so once his presence was no longer needed, the focus went off to more important people for a while. It's not that the book is boring; it's simply explaining who these people are and why you should care about them. Or you might look at it as giving context. I bring this up, 'cause I know some people will say they give a book 100 pages to "capture" them, and if you're one of those people, I simply suggest that you give it the time needed to fully establish who these people are, 'cause it'll give you a reason to care when shit starts going sideways for them.
==Warnings==
There are scenes of death, torture is mentioned, and a cat is smacked off a table. A bunch of wild dogs are killed, which I'm sure will upset some people, but hear me out on this: they're dogs, and people of this story did their world a fucking favor. The cat thing upset me a bit, and there was a scene with a beetle that made me gag. I don't know if there's a b-word phobia, but if there is, I have it. 'Cause those things might be the only things more repulsive to me than a dog.
==Chapters==
Normally, I despise cliffhanger endings. Nothing says to me "I'm a shitty, hack writer!" like having to rely on unfinished business. That being said, the cliffhanger endings at the end of chapters are how it should be done. There were chapters that made my jaw drop, shit that made me set my Kindle down and go "Holy fucking shit, did that really just happen!!?!?" Absolutely fucking exquisite. I had to resist the urge to jump ahead to chapters. The twists and reveals in this story hit like a Mack truck sometimes. This book really is a masterwork of knowing when to reveal something and when to leave you guessing.
==Issues==
There are some issues with the version I'm reading. There are occasional commas that I think are missing, but maybe I simply pause too much when I speak. I genuinely don't know, though there are a few that made me feel like I was having a stroke. One line is from the character Hassan's PoV, and it said, "Unlike his father Hassan never learned to read." To me, it sounds like it's saying (character's) father's name is Hassan, as in "Unlike his father Hassan, (character) never learned to read." Thankfully, moments like that were few and far between. I'm writing this around 72% of the way through, give or take, and there were maybe 3 or 4 of those.
By fucking far the most annoying shit was wombs, stomach's and abdomens all being referred to as "Stomach". That shit annoys the mother-fuck out of me in books. If a mother has a baby in her stomach, it's because she's a fucking cannibal, and ate it, or she has a serious medical condition that's going to cost her—her life. If a character puts their hand on their stomach, it better be because they just got gored and are bleeding out. Below is my re-usable template for Stomach, 'cause this shit popped up so many times, I got sick of re-wording what I had to say.
One other instance of "Abdomen" being referred to as "Stomach". Your stomach is an internal organ, if a character was stabbed in the stomach, or has their hands on their stomach, they're beyond fucked. Nobody ever refers to a character resting their hands on their lungs instead of their chest, because that would be idiotic and absurd.
I've spoken to Author Michael S. Jackson about this, and he was talking about re-publishing it. So if you're reading this post-2025, and you purchase an eBook or a physical copy, it shouldn't be an issue and should only be a possible concern if you're reading an older physical copy. Fun fact, it wouldn't be the first time my fanatic ranting has caused an author to re-publish something, consider it, or me turning older versions of a book into a collector's item because of it. hahahahaha
==Narration==
Overall, the narration is pretty good. He does a great job of scene-setting; however, his 'feminine' voices are ... they're all male voices. On top of that, when characters talk to each other, they sound like the same person having a conversation with themselves, which can make it hard to follow who is speaking. It's strange, as he demonstrates numerous times that he's capable of giving characters distinct voices and personalities through their voices. When a character is supposed to be yelling, it doesn't sound like yelling; it sounds like fake-yelling, which is also unfortunate.
I take issue, as I always do, with ANYBODY who pronounces "envelope" as "onvelope". You don't "ontertain" guests at a party, you don't "onter" a room, and not a fucking soul says a room is "on-veloped" in darkness when you turn off its lights.
If I were to give the narrator himself a suggestion, it would be to get a lady-friend to do narrations with. Examples include Narrators Greg Patmore, and Bridget Thomas, who narrated the Weapon Takers Saga. Greg Patmore did the bulk of the narration, while Bridget Thomas would take over for the women. Another example includes Narrators Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross, who've done narrations for Ayla Asher's romance series, where I believe they alternated. (It's been a few years...) There's no shame in not being able to deepen your voice or do a softer voice, but ruining otherwise good stories with bad narrations pisses me off. While I wouldn't classify this one as ''bad'', per se, it is ''distracting''.
==Final Thoughts==
Ultimately, this may be one of my new favorite books. I say ''may'' because I generally wait a year or more when I encounter something I love, to see if I still feel about it as I did when it was new and exciting. I fucking wish I had an audiobook for this story, as I would honestly listen to it repeatedly (assuming the narration didn't suck) as I do with other favorites, such as the Bloodlines Reforged Saga and Weapon Takers Saga. I ultimately prefer audiobooks, as I've been reading this at work all throughout October, and I'm still not done with it. Chronic fatigue kicks my ass, and at home, I have YouTube, audiobooks, and wikis to distract me. I simply don't have the time to repeatedly re-read books I love as I used to. And this is definitely one of the better books I've read since I became a reviewer.
Note: I requested this eBook from Author Michael S. Jackson as a review copy, after he sent me a physical copy of book 2. (Below is my standard eBook Review Copy template.)
(eBook)
NOTE: This eBook was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.
(Audiobook)
NOTE: This audiobook was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.
** Some formats of my blog may not carry over to Goodreads. I've tried to clean it up, but I don't format my reviews to be posted here. This is a rare exception for an exceptional book.
==Foreward==
I've previously reviewed The Battle That Was Lost, and it (my review) wasn't any good. I was genuinely shocked when Author Michael S. Jackson reached out to me to review book 2, as I remembered my review sounding like incoherent babbling. I try to avoid spoilers, which sometimes makes it difficult to talk about a book. On top of that, I sometimes neglect to proofread my reviews, as I will ''literally'' spend hours rewording, re-arranging paragraphs, and re-reading my review until it drives me fucking crazy. I was the first person to submit a review for it, which I still think is pretty cool, though. I plan to re-review it, after I've finished book 2. The review will be located at Review: The Battle That Was Lost.
==World Building==
Unfortunately, I no longer remember much of the details of the story, I'm more or less going into The Path and the Way 'blind', so to speak. The very first thing that stood out to me was the language used and the world-building. Within the first chapter, it made me realize just how many fantasy stories sound too modern, like a bunch of characters at a medieval renfaire. Such as the character Kyira referring to a slaver, and saying she didn't know how anybody could "breed" with him. Or how Author Michael S. Jackson uses "paces" instead of steps, or "cycles" instead of years. It honestly made me wish for some sort of "Codex Fantasy" so the fantasy community could have our own language culture that people would be able to freely and willingly use. I was speaking to Author R.J. Hanson about the Bloodlines Reforged Saga and he mentioned how he thought about trying to think of a different way to name coffee, and describe it. But ultimately settled on coffee. I ''think'' there were similar cases in this story, such as "Tigre", "China", and "Coffee" being referred to as slight misspellings, or alluded to their names, so as not to sound out of place.
==Characters==
Aside from the world-building, I like the characters. As with the Bloodlines Reforged Saga, I had to find a way to describe them. The main characters aren't "main characters", they're just people living their lives, each with their own goals and ambitions, petty squabbles, and so on. The world doesn't revolve around them; they're not chosen ones. They're just a bunch of pawns on a greater chessboard, and the PoV just happens to be on them, at the moment. I like how characters will help one another in a moment of need, and then go back to being petty assholes to each other right afterwards. One scene is where Character A saves Character B's life, and B wakes up and essentially goes "Thanks for saving me, but also, fuck you." which made me laugh my ass off.
It makes them all feel very human. They lose loved ones, they're bitter, they really do feel like everyday people who woke up one day to a steaming pile of shit they didn't ask for, and now have no choice but to deal with it. There are a lot of moments where characters don't open up to each other right away; they will repeatedly touch upon the same subject multiple times before finally saying what's on their minds. Which is to say, they don't spew exposition to forward the plot. Things are said when they need to be said, in the context of the conversation and in relation to their disposition with one another.
Minor spoiler, skip this section if you'd rather avoid it. I'll also try to avoid spoiling it directly. One instance is when a character is killed, and it's later revealed to the killer that they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and were mistaken for something that they weren't. But this wasn't revealed to them until much later. The two parties had to get to know each other and have a few human moments together before this information was divulged.
==Pacing==
Pacing-wise, there are a good number of chapters at the start of the book where not much of consequence happens. It's mostly world-building and introductions. For example, the character Hassan is introduced early on, and then it head-hops for a pretty decent chunk of the book before we get to see his PoV again. He was introduced because his sister and father were looking for him, and we needed to know who he was and why we should care. And as I said, he's not the center of the universe, so once his presence was no longer needed, the focus went off to more important people for a while. It's not that the book is boring; it's simply explaining who these people are and why you should care about them. Or you might look at it as giving context. I bring this up, 'cause I know some people will say they give a book 100 pages to "capture" them, and if you're one of those people, I simply suggest that you give it the time needed to fully establish who these people are, 'cause it'll give you a reason to care when shit starts going sideways for them.
==Warnings==
There are scenes of death, torture is mentioned, and a cat is smacked off a table. A bunch of wild dogs are killed, which I'm sure will upset some people, but hear me out on this: they're dogs, and people of this story did their world a fucking favor. The cat thing upset me a bit, and there was a scene with a beetle that made me gag. I don't know if there's a b-word phobia, but if there is, I have it. 'Cause those things might be the only things more repulsive to me than a dog.
==Chapters==
Normally, I despise cliffhanger endings. Nothing says to me "I'm a shitty, hack writer!" like having to rely on unfinished business. That being said, the cliffhanger endings at the end of chapters are how it should be done. There were chapters that made my jaw drop, shit that made me set my Kindle down and go "Holy fucking shit, did that really just happen!!?!?" Absolutely fucking exquisite. I had to resist the urge to jump ahead to chapters. The twists and reveals in this story hit like a Mack truck sometimes. This book really is a masterwork of knowing when to reveal something and when to leave you guessing.
==Issues==
There are some issues with the version I'm reading. There are occasional commas that I think are missing, but maybe I simply pause too much when I speak. I genuinely don't know, though there are a few that made me feel like I was having a stroke. One line is from the character Hassan's PoV, and it said, "Unlike his father Hassan never learned to read." To me, it sounds like it's saying (character's) father's name is Hassan, as in "Unlike his father Hassan, (character) never learned to read." Thankfully, moments like that were few and far between. I'm writing this around 72% of the way through, give or take, and there were maybe 3 or 4 of those.
By fucking far the most annoying shit was wombs, stomach's and abdomens all being referred to as "Stomach". That shit annoys the mother-fuck out of me in books. If a mother has a baby in her stomach, it's because she's a fucking cannibal, and ate it, or she has a serious medical condition that's going to cost her—her life. If a character puts their hand on their stomach, it better be because they just got gored and are bleeding out. Below is my re-usable template for Stomach, 'cause this shit popped up so many times, I got sick of re-wording what I had to say.
One other instance of "Abdomen" being referred to as "Stomach". Your stomach is an internal organ, if a character was stabbed in the stomach, or has their hands on their stomach, they're beyond fucked. Nobody ever refers to a character resting their hands on their lungs instead of their chest, because that would be idiotic and absurd.
I've spoken to Author Michael S. Jackson about this, and he was talking about re-publishing it. So if you're reading this post-2025, and you purchase an eBook or a physical copy, it shouldn't be an issue and should only be a possible concern if you're reading an older physical copy. Fun fact, it wouldn't be the first time my fanatic ranting has caused an author to re-publish something, consider it, or me turning older versions of a book into a collector's item because of it. hahahahaha
==Narration==
Overall, the narration is pretty good. He does a great job of scene-setting; however, his 'feminine' voices are ... they're all male voices. On top of that, when characters talk to each other, they sound like the same person having a conversation with themselves, which can make it hard to follow who is speaking. It's strange, as he demonstrates numerous times that he's capable of giving characters distinct voices and personalities through their voices. When a character is supposed to be yelling, it doesn't sound like yelling; it sounds like fake-yelling, which is also unfortunate.
I take issue, as I always do, with ANYBODY who pronounces "envelope" as "onvelope". You don't "ontertain" guests at a party, you don't "onter" a room, and not a fucking soul says a room is "on-veloped" in darkness when you turn off its lights.
If I were to give the narrator himself a suggestion, it would be to get a lady-friend to do narrations with. Examples include Narrators Greg Patmore, and Bridget Thomas, who narrated the Weapon Takers Saga. Greg Patmore did the bulk of the narration, while Bridget Thomas would take over for the women. Another example includes Narrators Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross, who've done narrations for Ayla Asher's romance series, where I believe they alternated. (It's been a few years...) There's no shame in not being able to deepen your voice or do a softer voice, but ruining otherwise good stories with bad narrations pisses me off. While I wouldn't classify this one as ''bad'', per se, it is ''distracting''.
==Final Thoughts==
Ultimately, this may be one of my new favorite books. I say ''may'' because I generally wait a year or more when I encounter something I love, to see if I still feel about it as I did when it was new and exciting. I fucking wish I had an audiobook for this story, as I would honestly listen to it repeatedly (assuming the narration didn't suck) as I do with other favorites, such as the Bloodlines Reforged Saga and Weapon Takers Saga. I ultimately prefer audiobooks, as I've been reading this at work all throughout October, and I'm still not done with it. Chronic fatigue kicks my ass, and at home, I have YouTube, audiobooks, and wikis to distract me. I simply don't have the time to repeatedly re-read books I love as I used to. And this is definitely one of the better books I've read since I became a reviewer.
Note: I requested this eBook from Author Michael S. Jackson as a review copy, after he sent me a physical copy of book 2. (Below is my standard eBook Review Copy template.)
(eBook)
NOTE: This eBook was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.
(Audiobook)
NOTE: This audiobook was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.
Read
September 22, 2021I’ve chosen not to rate this book because I couldn’t finish it. Honestly, I struggled with starting it.
It’s not to say this book is bad or that the author’s writing isn’t good, I just couldn’t get into it, unfortunately.
Perhaps it was the world building which I just couldn’t grasp, the sheer amount of information about said world and it’s inhabitants or the jumps from multiple POVs but I couldn’t concentrate and I my attention wavered often meaning the more I read, the more confused I got.
I might not have been in the right headspace for it — I was asked to be part of the tour and being a mood reader, that makes it difficult to just pick up any book at any time and read it, so that may have been another contributing factor — so I decided, after skimming a large chunk, that I couldn’t continue with it.
Maybe I’ll give it another crack in the future but right now, it’s just not for me.
Thank you to the author for kindly sending me a copy.
It’s not to say this book is bad or that the author’s writing isn’t good, I just couldn’t get into it, unfortunately.
Perhaps it was the world building which I just couldn’t grasp, the sheer amount of information about said world and it’s inhabitants or the jumps from multiple POVs but I couldn’t concentrate and I my attention wavered often meaning the more I read, the more confused I got.
I might not have been in the right headspace for it — I was asked to be part of the tour and being a mood reader, that makes it difficult to just pick up any book at any time and read it, so that may have been another contributing factor — so I decided, after skimming a large chunk, that I couldn’t continue with it.
Maybe I’ll give it another crack in the future but right now, it’s just not for me.
Thank you to the author for kindly sending me a copy.
Read
November 7, 2025Really solid first book in the series. The hardback edition on the authors website is highly recommended the cover art is brilliant.
The story was engaging all the way through and I didn’t find it predictable. i found the cast of characters and world building slightly hard to follow at times and it took me some time to get used to things. I would have like clearer background laid out.
The chapters that focussed on the main characters like kyria and fia were the most enjoyable for me. However it all came together towards the end, the world potential multi-verse type situation was interesting.
I can see the scope of ambition of the series so anticipating the second one greatly!
4.5* for me!
The story was engaging all the way through and I didn’t find it predictable. i found the cast of characters and world building slightly hard to follow at times and it took me some time to get used to things. I would have like clearer background laid out.
The chapters that focussed on the main characters like kyria and fia were the most enjoyable for me. However it all came together towards the end, the world potential multi-verse type situation was interesting.
I can see the scope of ambition of the series so anticipating the second one greatly!
4.5* for me!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2023
Full disclosure: I paid for this book myself, but I am scheduled to be on the beta team for book 2.
This story is the first entry in the Ringlander series, and is a multi-POV fantasy tale. There is tension brewing between the ruling class and the masses, and our POV characters are people in power on both sides of the situation, as well as one person who does not want to be involved but, as the story progresses, has no choice but to remain involved.
I have to admit, through the first approximately 1/3 of the story, I was so-so on it. I thought the potential was there, but I was felt the story was not entirely clear. In other words, I understood who each character was, and what their goals were, but the multiverse aspects of the story seemed undefined (and honestly, still are to me in many ways...I hope the glossary at the back of book 1 is expanded and moved to the front of book 2). For example, it would be hard for me to explain how the book ended...I could relay the facts, but the "why" of, in particular, the very last scene, from an in-book perspective, was not clear to me.
I went back and forth about whether to give this three or four stars because it's more of a 3.5, but I went with three because that was my experience. That being said, I think there is a strong basis for a story here, but I think Library of a Viking's experience really resonated with me.
This story is the first entry in the Ringlander series, and is a multi-POV fantasy tale. There is tension brewing between the ruling class and the masses, and our POV characters are people in power on both sides of the situation, as well as one person who does not want to be involved but, as the story progresses, has no choice but to remain involved.
I have to admit, through the first approximately 1/3 of the story, I was so-so on it. I thought the potential was there, but I was felt the story was not entirely clear. In other words, I understood who each character was, and what their goals were, but the multiverse aspects of the story seemed undefined (and honestly, still are to me in many ways...I hope the glossary at the back of book 1 is expanded and moved to the front of book 2). For example, it would be hard for me to explain how the book ended...I could relay the facts, but the "why" of, in particular, the very last scene, from an in-book perspective, was not clear to me.
I went back and forth about whether to give this three or four stars because it's more of a 3.5, but I went with three because that was my experience. That being said, I think there is a strong basis for a story here, but I think Library of a Viking's experience really resonated with me.
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June 29, 2024Unfortunately I dnf'd this because it was more crude than I prefer. However, this was very engagingly written, and the character Jager stole every scene he was in! I'm tempted to push through the crudeness just for him!
December 29, 2025
Update 09/25: reread this one in preparation for the release of Fallen Shards and enjoyed it just as much the second time around!
When I first heard about Ringlander: The Path and the Way, I was immediately intrigued – partly because of that stunning cover – but also because it sounded like such a unique and engaging tale. In a world in which holes are beginning to tear between worlds, we follow Kyira, a young girl trying to find her missing brother. Her search will take her away from everything she knows – her home in freezing Nord to the bustling streets of Tyr. As Kyira fights to find her brother and stay alive, reality begins to tear, forcing her to choose between the things most important to her: her family or her path.
The thing that struck me most about this book was how much I was torn between reading it slowly, savouring the fascinating world and magic system or racing through it because it was so compelling and I just had to know what was going to happen. This is an exceptionally addictive read, one that is well-paced and excellently plotted. The story kept me engaged throughout and as soon as I finished it I was desperate for more. The Path and the Way felt like such a fresh take on this type of story and despite it being a thicker book, I read it in only a few sittings.
Jackson really excels at creating multi-layered characters, and I find it rare to read a multi-POV story where I’m captivated by all of their storylines. There’s usually always one or two I am less fond of but each one was fascinating. Kyria is a particularly compelling character, battling to find her brother and succeed despite the odds being stacked against her. If you’re someone who loves books with plenty of action, this book definitely has you covered. From the very first page, there is tons to keep you hooked and turning pages late into the night.
The Path and the Way is an impressive tale and one that I did not want to end. If you’re looking for a fantasy read with detailed worldbuilding and incredible characters, this one is a must-read. The Path and the Way is absolutely one of my favourite fantasy reads of the year, and I can’t wait to read more from Michael S. Jackson.
When I first heard about Ringlander: The Path and the Way, I was immediately intrigued – partly because of that stunning cover – but also because it sounded like such a unique and engaging tale. In a world in which holes are beginning to tear between worlds, we follow Kyira, a young girl trying to find her missing brother. Her search will take her away from everything she knows – her home in freezing Nord to the bustling streets of Tyr. As Kyira fights to find her brother and stay alive, reality begins to tear, forcing her to choose between the things most important to her: her family or her path.
The thing that struck me most about this book was how much I was torn between reading it slowly, savouring the fascinating world and magic system or racing through it because it was so compelling and I just had to know what was going to happen. This is an exceptionally addictive read, one that is well-paced and excellently plotted. The story kept me engaged throughout and as soon as I finished it I was desperate for more. The Path and the Way felt like such a fresh take on this type of story and despite it being a thicker book, I read it in only a few sittings.
Jackson really excels at creating multi-layered characters, and I find it rare to read a multi-POV story where I’m captivated by all of their storylines. There’s usually always one or two I am less fond of but each one was fascinating. Kyria is a particularly compelling character, battling to find her brother and succeed despite the odds being stacked against her. If you’re someone who loves books with plenty of action, this book definitely has you covered. From the very first page, there is tons to keep you hooked and turning pages late into the night.
The Path and the Way is an impressive tale and one that I did not want to end. If you’re looking for a fantasy read with detailed worldbuilding and incredible characters, this one is a must-read. The Path and the Way is absolutely one of my favourite fantasy reads of the year, and I can’t wait to read more from Michael S. Jackson.
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