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The Third Path
Young Adult (YA) Fantasy Fiction
Legend says that once the war begins it will result in global destruction.
Kally’s mother is committed, she’s losing her best friend, and she finds out her brother’s death was no accident. More dark secrets thrust her into a world of magic that she never knew existed.
As Kally’s own world begins to shatter, so does the larger world around her. The 15-year-old must stop the Great War, a clash of witches and the amagus. Can Kally find a “third path” before it's too late?
CW: Miscarriage
Legend says that once the war begins it will result in global destruction.
Kally’s mother is committed, she’s losing her best friend, and she finds out her brother’s death was no accident. More dark secrets thrust her into a world of magic that she never knew existed.
As Kally’s own world begins to shatter, so does the larger world around her. The 15-year-old must stop the Great War, a clash of witches and the amagus. Can Kally find a “third path” before it's too late?
CW: Miscarriage
245 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 20, 2021
2 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 21, 2021
Great story!
This is a story of a high school girl, Kally, who has all the usual challenges of high school with her best guy friend coming off of summer break with a girlfriend and other students who seemingly hate her for no reason. Then add to that her mother’s unstable mental health, the mystery surrounding her brother’s death, and the weird items she finds in the attic. Not only does she find out she’s a witch (as are her parents), but she learns more about the witch hunts and subsequent protests that are spreading around the world. Understandably, these events are concerning to the witch community. Kally learns she may have the key to helping her new community.
I really liked this story. I liked the empowerment Kally takes on once she discovers she’s a witch. She takes it upon herself to learn as much as she can. I have to admit I found it hard to get into the story in the beginning. It moved a little slow and I found the writing difficult to read with short, somewhat choppy sentences. Some of them seemed out of place or unnecessary for the flow of the story. Once Kally discovers her family’s secret, it gets interesting. I was more engaged and did not have any difficulty reading it. In fact, it moved much faster and I found myself looking forward to getting back to the story to find out what happens next. The protests of the witch hunts were reminiscent of the protests that ravaged the U.S. in 2020 in response to racist actions and brought back those memories and emotions.
Overall, it’s a good, quick read that will be enjoyed by readers of fantasy and science fiction. I recommend it and look forward to the next book in the series. Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This is a story of a high school girl, Kally, who has all the usual challenges of high school with her best guy friend coming off of summer break with a girlfriend and other students who seemingly hate her for no reason. Then add to that her mother’s unstable mental health, the mystery surrounding her brother’s death, and the weird items she finds in the attic. Not only does she find out she’s a witch (as are her parents), but she learns more about the witch hunts and subsequent protests that are spreading around the world. Understandably, these events are concerning to the witch community. Kally learns she may have the key to helping her new community.
I really liked this story. I liked the empowerment Kally takes on once she discovers she’s a witch. She takes it upon herself to learn as much as she can. I have to admit I found it hard to get into the story in the beginning. It moved a little slow and I found the writing difficult to read with short, somewhat choppy sentences. Some of them seemed out of place or unnecessary for the flow of the story. Once Kally discovers her family’s secret, it gets interesting. I was more engaged and did not have any difficulty reading it. In fact, it moved much faster and I found myself looking forward to getting back to the story to find out what happens next. The protests of the witch hunts were reminiscent of the protests that ravaged the U.S. in 2020 in response to racist actions and brought back those memories and emotions.
Overall, it’s a good, quick read that will be enjoyed by readers of fantasy and science fiction. I recommend it and look forward to the next book in the series. Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
July 19, 2021
High school years are tough no matter who you are. Imagine finding out you’re a witch in the middle of an already bizarre year of high school. Kally did just that. The Third Path was a quick and intriguing read. I have read a couple of Janet Adams children’s book, go read The Toot Fairy if you haven’t already, and was excited to be given the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of her new YA novel. It’s been awhile since I’ve read any YA books, but this seems like an instant best seller among sci-fy loving teens!
Kally has a tight knit group of friends who may be a bit eccentric but none the less have each other’s back no matter what. When Kallys world gets turned upside down with the news she is a witch, she relies on her friends for support. Through this time, she also finds new friendships that surprise more than Kally.
When witches everywhere are being persecuted, the non practicing witches have to decide how to respond. Fight, or flight?
This book has great promise. The characters were believable and easy to like. Budding romances will keep the reader intrigued even if witches and magic aren’t their favorite. I wish the author would have given more pages to the learning of spells and fight to prevent The Great War and less to the unraveling of family secrets and witch history. The first half of the book was so much slower than the second half. I am hoping the rest of the series mimics the second half more closely! I would give this book 3.5 rounded to 4 out of 5 stars for me. Thanks again for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kally has a tight knit group of friends who may be a bit eccentric but none the less have each other’s back no matter what. When Kallys world gets turned upside down with the news she is a witch, she relies on her friends for support. Through this time, she also finds new friendships that surprise more than Kally.
When witches everywhere are being persecuted, the non practicing witches have to decide how to respond. Fight, or flight?
This book has great promise. The characters were believable and easy to like. Budding romances will keep the reader intrigued even if witches and magic aren’t their favorite. I wish the author would have given more pages to the learning of spells and fight to prevent The Great War and less to the unraveling of family secrets and witch history. The first half of the book was so much slower than the second half. I am hoping the rest of the series mimics the second half more closely! I would give this book 3.5 rounded to 4 out of 5 stars for me. Thanks again for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2021
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
"Secrets give a person power over those who are left in the dark."
From the moment I read the opening line, I was invested. The voice for the main character is easy to read and relatable. Janet Adams did a fantastic job of writing each of the characters and getting me invested in each of their relationships with the main character.
The story held my attention and once the secrets started to unravel I didn't want to put the book down. So, the pacing was great. The fantasy elements are introduced slowly and then a lot all at once. I actually enjoyed the more grounded scenes throughout the book, but that is not to say the fantasy was not good. The magic system is good, I think, I'm not all that experienced in reading magic fantasy.
Adams doesn't shy away from tough subjects and situations that high school students deal with and I appreciated that. At first, I thought the book was going to be a little closer to a children's book or lower middle grade. However, early on there is a situation I would not want to discuss with a child. This aged the content up for me and I liked that. She then began to introduce ideas that are so important for young and not-so-young readers alike to understand.
I would say this book is timely, but the themes of prejudice, identity, and choice are always relevant. So, is it wrong to call it timeless?
"Secrets give a person power over those who are left in the dark."
From the moment I read the opening line, I was invested. The voice for the main character is easy to read and relatable. Janet Adams did a fantastic job of writing each of the characters and getting me invested in each of their relationships with the main character.
The story held my attention and once the secrets started to unravel I didn't want to put the book down. So, the pacing was great. The fantasy elements are introduced slowly and then a lot all at once. I actually enjoyed the more grounded scenes throughout the book, but that is not to say the fantasy was not good. The magic system is good, I think, I'm not all that experienced in reading magic fantasy.
Adams doesn't shy away from tough subjects and situations that high school students deal with and I appreciated that. At first, I thought the book was going to be a little closer to a children's book or lower middle grade. However, early on there is a situation I would not want to discuss with a child. This aged the content up for me and I liked that. She then began to introduce ideas that are so important for young and not-so-young readers alike to understand.
I would say this book is timely, but the themes of prejudice, identity, and choice are always relevant. So, is it wrong to call it timeless?
August 20, 2021
I love a good story. This is a great story.
It’s definitely a coming-of-age meets the supernatural, which doesn’t that make sense? It did to me. I loved being inside Kally’s head, recalling my own memories of confusion, not wanting things to change and not wanting to grow up, and the author includes all of that in the story, making it really easy to connect with.
I also enjoyed how historical medieval situations were made contemporary- one could really get a sense of how different cultures, politics etc would react in the present sense, and I thought it to be a thoughtful reflection of current conflicts.
I enjoyed the author exploring the tried and true “mean girl” conflict, but taking that further and developing it into something REAL. We all think we are a protagonist in our story and the “other” person is an antagonist, but really we’re just human.
This IS a young adult story. I would recommend to the middle school age and beyond. I know for some that might seem young with some of the situations presented in the story, but it’s best not to underestimate a pre-teen/teen’s intelligence. They have a lot of thoughts and feelings, but sometimes they don’t know how to convey it, and stories like The Third Path help provide that context. Looking forward to the next book!
It’s definitely a coming-of-age meets the supernatural, which doesn’t that make sense? It did to me. I loved being inside Kally’s head, recalling my own memories of confusion, not wanting things to change and not wanting to grow up, and the author includes all of that in the story, making it really easy to connect with.
I also enjoyed how historical medieval situations were made contemporary- one could really get a sense of how different cultures, politics etc would react in the present sense, and I thought it to be a thoughtful reflection of current conflicts.
I enjoyed the author exploring the tried and true “mean girl” conflict, but taking that further and developing it into something REAL. We all think we are a protagonist in our story and the “other” person is an antagonist, but really we’re just human.
This IS a young adult story. I would recommend to the middle school age and beyond. I know for some that might seem young with some of the situations presented in the story, but it’s best not to underestimate a pre-teen/teen’s intelligence. They have a lot of thoughts and feelings, but sometimes they don’t know how to convey it, and stories like The Third Path help provide that context. Looking forward to the next book!
August 21, 2021
The Third Path was an enthralling book with engaging, well developed characters. I quickly found myself invested in the stories of several of the characters! It was a fun read with an exciting and unexpected resolution. It is also a great reminder of the value of true friendship!!
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
July 15, 2022
Great Read
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The Third Path is a great coming of age story with relatable issues and important lessons. It kept my attention with suspense and did not go overboard with too much detail. The length of chapters was perfect to pause and reflect on what I just read and absorb everything before going on.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The Third Path is a great coming of age story with relatable issues and important lessons. It kept my attention with suspense and did not go overboard with too much detail. The length of chapters was perfect to pause and reflect on what I just read and absorb everything before going on.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews