The Paths of Cormanor

by Jim Breyfogle

Amara is a young woman of Cormanor, a household whose womenfolk have the ability to transform into cormorants to fly and dive for fish. Kellen is the youngest prince of the realm, a seventh son of a seventh son, and wishes to see these remarkable women for himself. During the pageantry upon the lake, Amara’s cousin falls into the water and is spirited away by the Grimly, a malign creature of the elder world! Kellen braves both water and monster to rescue the boy. However the Grimly manages to trap the prince’s soul and mark him for death! Amara tracks the Grimly to her lair, slays the wicked beast, and restores life to the young prince... but a piece of Kellen’s soul is trapped within Amara! The death of the sinister Grimly is just the beginning—Kellen must find the means to recover his missing piece of soul, while Amara and her family are haunted by the vengeful offspring of the monster she had slain! Kellen and Amara each must undertake their own harrowing journey, meeting delightful friends and dastardly foes, along the Paths of Cormanor! Jim Breyfogle’s beautiful new novel of fantastical romance is inspired by Eastern and Northern European myth and fairytale and sure to delight readers of all ages.

236 pages, Hardcover

Published June 2, 2022

Reviews

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I knew Breyfogle could write after reading his Mongoose and Meerkat tales, but this was quite a surprise. I would say this is the best book I’ve read since The Broken Sword. A wonderful fantasy tale filled with Northern European and Northeastern European mythology and folklore.
Magical prose fill each episodic chapter to culminate in a memorable, climatic, deeply romantic ending. Magic, romance, swordplay, Iceworm/Ice Dragon, Valkyries, demi-gods, and many other fae creatures. Highly recommend!

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantasy story in an explicitly mythical/fairy tale style. There are fairies, monsters, Valkyries and other immortal beings, women who can transform into cormorants. Similarities to Beowulf in particular are clear from the start, but sadly it is not written in alliterative verse.

At the center of the story are two characters, Kellen and Amara, thrown together by fate(?!) and quickly separated again by a quest, an odyssey, or perhaps a Kelleny. Alas, it is also not written in dactylic hexameter. The narrative unfolds as a series of sequential (short) stories on each character's path (of Cormanor). Each chapter is told from the perspective of a distinct and memorable character. The author leverages this conceit very effectively to add depth to the major characters and the world as seen through many eyes.

Consistent with Breyfogle's other work (the sword and sorcery short story exploits of Mongoose and Meerkat), the story is well-paced and never bogged down with excessive exposition or description, but without feeling rushed or shallow. Many of the stories could be very good short fiction on their own, but in the case the whole is certainly greater than the some of its parts.

[Chris M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly well-written fantasy novel with significant Norse influences centered around a group of women who can turn themselves into cormorants.

This feels very old-school in how it is put together; not in terms of baroque language or anything, but in how it feels very much like a series of fairy tales woven together to form a larger narrative. Fae folk exist as well as valkyries, and there is light magic (apart from the shapeshifting, of course) involving the fae of course. A refreshing absence of grimdark or forced edginess is quite welcome. Beowulf is an obvious influence but Breyfogle makes it his own.

Each chapter is from the perspective of a different character, a type of novel I quite enjoy, and helps the world unfold organically.

The cover art is awful though. Nevertheless, highest recommendation.

[S.E. Reichert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well written, I loved the little vignette style of each chapter focusing on a different character. Breyfogle is impeccable with this writing and he developed the characters very well, building a really cool world. I'm looking forward to reading more by him. I think he officially got me back into fantasy.

[Anthony Marchetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very charming fantasy

This was a charming little fantasy. I enjoyed it a lot. I hope to see more of this world later.