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The Obsidian Path #1-3
The Obsidian Path: The Complete Omnibus
This is the omnibus edition of the Obsidian Path Trilogy and contains Black Stone Heart, She Dreams in Blood, and An End to Sorrow.
A broken man, Khraen awakens alone and lost. His stone heart has been shattered, littered across the world. With each piece, he regains some small shard of the man he once was. He follows the trail, fragment by fragment, remembering his terrible past.
There was a woman.
There was a sword.
There was an end to sorrow.
Khraen walks the obsidian path.
"Honestly, this is my favourite book. Best one I've read in my life, alongside (and on a par with) Prince of Thorns." — booknest.eu
"Insanely brilliant. Fletcher did it again." — novelnotions.net
"Black Stone Heart is Fletcher's best novel to date, and that is really saying something coming from someone who can't stop talking about Beyond Redemption." — fanfiaddict.com
"Readers will probably wonder about Fletcher's sanity before it's all over." — grimdarkmagazine.com
"This is a riveting start to an excellent saga. The author has surpassed himself again and we are all luckier for it." — grimmedian.com
"This book is AMAZING and INTENSE and DARK and WEIRD and all those delightful things that Fletcher is known for." — Sarah Chorn, author of Seraphina's Lament
"This might be the best Fletcher book I've read to date. That's not a light statement, considering his Beyond Redemption, Smoke and Stone, The Mirror's Truth, and on, but I tore through this in less than four days, and it left me wanting more. More, more, more now." — Clayton Snyder, author of The Obsidian Psalm
"Once again Michael Fletcher manages to spellbind you into this grimdark spiral of madness, and yet it feels so very fluent and logical it makes you take a double take at your own thoughts and emotions." — fantasy-hive.co.uk
"A dark tale full of unconventional ideas with that special kind of madness that only Fletcher can provide. Bring on the sequel!" — fantasybookreview.co.uk
"Black Stone Heart is, above all, addictive and compulsively readable - it forced me to prolong my lunch as much as I dared because I couldn't bear to stop reading it. If anything depended on me, I would forbid Fletcher to work on anything but The Obsidian Path series. I need the sequel." — fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com
A broken man, Khraen awakens alone and lost. His stone heart has been shattered, littered across the world. With each piece, he regains some small shard of the man he once was. He follows the trail, fragment by fragment, remembering his terrible past.
There was a woman.
There was a sword.
There was an end to sorrow.
Khraen walks the obsidian path.
"Honestly, this is my favourite book. Best one I've read in my life, alongside (and on a par with) Prince of Thorns." — booknest.eu
"Insanely brilliant. Fletcher did it again." — novelnotions.net
"Black Stone Heart is Fletcher's best novel to date, and that is really saying something coming from someone who can't stop talking about Beyond Redemption." — fanfiaddict.com
"Readers will probably wonder about Fletcher's sanity before it's all over." — grimdarkmagazine.com
"This is a riveting start to an excellent saga. The author has surpassed himself again and we are all luckier for it." — grimmedian.com
"This book is AMAZING and INTENSE and DARK and WEIRD and all those delightful things that Fletcher is known for." — Sarah Chorn, author of Seraphina's Lament
"This might be the best Fletcher book I've read to date. That's not a light statement, considering his Beyond Redemption, Smoke and Stone, The Mirror's Truth, and on, but I tore through this in less than four days, and it left me wanting more. More, more, more now." — Clayton Snyder, author of The Obsidian Psalm
"Once again Michael Fletcher manages to spellbind you into this grimdark spiral of madness, and yet it feels so very fluent and logical it makes you take a double take at your own thoughts and emotions." — fantasy-hive.co.uk
"A dark tale full of unconventional ideas with that special kind of madness that only Fletcher can provide. Bring on the sequel!" — fantasybookreview.co.uk
"Black Stone Heart is, above all, addictive and compulsively readable - it forced me to prolong my lunch as much as I dared because I couldn't bear to stop reading it. If anything depended on me, I would forbid Fletcher to work on anything but The Obsidian Path series. I need the sequel." — fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com
- GenresFantasy
1288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 3, 2022
32 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Michael R. Fletcher
52 books1,328 followersMichael R. Fletcher is a science fiction and fantasy author, a grilled cheese aficionado, and a whiskey-swilling reprobate. He spends his days choreographing his forklift musical (titled "Get Forked"), and using caffeine as a substitute for sanity. Any suggestions that he is actually Dyrk Ashton in disguise are all lies.
Blog (kinda): http://michaelrfletcher.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRFlet...
Twitter: @FletcherMR
Instagram: fletcher_michael_r
Blog (kinda): http://michaelrfletcher.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRFlet...
Twitter: @FletcherMR
Instagram: fletcher_michael_r
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 28, 2025
The Obsidian Path: The Complete Omnibus by Michael R. Fletcher
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Book 1: Black Stone Heart
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Book 2: She Dreams in Blood
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Book 3: An End to Sorrow
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Final Thoughts
Atmosphere: Bleak, rich, and immersive. Expect vivid world-building laced with dread and decay.
Prose: Lean but lyrical. Brutally efficient, yet full of vivid imagery and emotional nuance.
Theme: Identity, memory, guilt, and redemption are masterfully interwoven across all three books.
Style: A unique blend of grimdark fantasy and existential philosophy—not for the faint of heart.
"What if the pieces of your soul remembered all the terrible things you did?"
The Obsidian Path is a masterwork of grimdark fantasy—unrelenting, introspective, and brutally honest. Across three volumes—Black Stone Heart, She Dreams in Blood, and An End to Sorrow—Michael R. Fletcher delivers a story that is both savage in tone and rich in philosophical depth.
The trilogy centers on Khraen, a broken man who awakens with no memory and only a sliver of his obsidian heart. As he reclaims lost shards, he also retrieves slivers of his forgotten self—shards that reveal a past drenched in blood and dominion. Fletcher doesn’t flinch from the horror of power and identity; instead, he leans into them, exposing the fragility of free will in the face of memory and the haunting question: What if you were the villain all along?
Gritty prose, razor-sharp pacing, and relentless emotional intensity define this omnibus. Yet, amid the gore and grandeur, the books explore deeply human questions: What is the cost of redemption? Can a man choose to be good when all signs point to his damnation?
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
5 out of 5 glowing stars for its unforgettable anti-hero, emotional weight, and literary ambition cloaked in sword and sorcery.
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Book 1: Black Stone Heart
Synopsis: Khraen wakes up alone and scarred, missing his memories and heart—literally. He is drawn to shards of obsidian that, when reabsorbed, return fragments of his former life. His journey begins with a quiet mystery and escalates into a harrowing realization: he was once a tyrant who forged empires and slaughtered nations. The more he remembers, the more dangerous he becomes—to the world and to himself.
Character Arc: Khraen transforms from confused wanderer to haunted anti-hero. Each piece of his heart he finds gives him more power, but also corrupts him further. The central tension arises between the man he wants to become and the monster he once was.
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Book 2: She Dreams in Blood
Synopsis: Now accompanied by Henka—his enigmatic undead lover—Khraen travels through necromantic kingdoms and hostile lands in pursuit of more heart shards. His power grows, but so does the shadow of his former self. The landscape becomes more surreal, the enemies more grotesque, and the moral lines increasingly blurred.
Character Arc: Khraen’s struggle deepens. He begins to question the nature of the relationships he once had, especially with Henka. Is love possible between monsters? And what of choice—if your past dictates your future, is redemption even real?
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Book 3: An End to Sorrow
Synopsis: Broken, exiled, and abandoned by the gods, Khraen has hit rock bottom. With few allies and the full weight of his past now known, he faces his final choice: embrace his destiny as a world-breaking tyrant, or destroy the legacy he spent a lifetime building. The final battle is not just external—it is the war within his soul.
Character Arc: This is Khraen’s reckoning. No longer simply about memory, this book forces him to decide what kind of man he will become—one last time. The conclusion is both devastating and transcendent, cementing his place as one of the genre's most complex anti-heroes.
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Final Thoughts
Atmosphere: Bleak, rich, and immersive. Expect vivid world-building laced with dread and decay.
Prose: Lean but lyrical. Brutally efficient, yet full of vivid imagery and emotional nuance.
Theme: Identity, memory, guilt, and redemption are masterfully interwoven across all three books.
Style: A unique blend of grimdark fantasy and existential philosophy—not for the faint of heart.
The Obsidian Path: The Complete Omnibus is more than a trilogy—it’s a crucible of the soul. It doesn't just entertain; it challenges. It wounds. It lingers.
March 28, 2023
Не съм кой знае какъв фен на ранните неща на Флечър. Сетингът и типа на Beyond Redemption вселената не са моя тип фентъзи, City of Sacrifice направо го прескочих, но...
Последните му неща са на много по-високо ниво. Ghosts of tomorrow е един крайно интригуващ кратичък сай-фи прогностичен роман за близкото бъдеще, с доста обезпокоителни нотки по отношение на климата, развитието на ИИ, корпоративните интереси итн. Напомня ми доста за Бачигалупи, въпреки че не е съвсем неговата класа в този поджанр.
Този пост е за Obsidian Path обаче. Тази тухличка е около 1200 страници за трите книги общо, ще има поне една следваща трилогия според автора. Общо взето човекът си изпълнява мечтата да напише класическо дебело томче фентъзи, и то доста успешно.
Сетингът е доста бейсик, напълно в неговия стил, но при Флечър фокусът винаги е върху развитието на персонажите и психологията на отношенията между тях. Протагонистът възкръсва в тялото на юноша някъде из пустошта. Това не му прави кой знае какво впечатление, и чак вече като почва да подозира, че е труден за убиване, му цъква лампичката, че може би не е баш обикновено хуманоидно същество. Хватката е, че Флечър го пише без да звучи прекалено смешно, фентъзито си е сериозен гримдарк отвсякъде.
Постепенно започва да си спомня, че доста отдавна е бил всевластен император на тази планета, ранно средновековие със силно застъпени различни магически школи и преплитане на паралелни вселени. Младежът тръгва да се щура насам-натам, разни жени го заплитат в проблеми от всякакъв тип /кво друго да правят тия жени, не?/ и постепенно му се изяснява, че ще трябва да вземе отново жезъла на властта в света, макар и с отвращение...
Без повече спойлери, това е фънтъзи за феновете на Лоурънс, Абъркромби, Муркок, Скот Бакър...Определено ще чакам с интерес следващата книга, май до края на годината трябва да излезе 🙂 Хуморът му е много силен на Флечър между другото, прави поне 40 % от вайба на трилогията.
Последните му неща са на много по-високо ниво. Ghosts of tomorrow е един крайно интригуващ кратичък сай-фи прогностичен роман за близкото бъдеще, с доста обезпокоителни нотки по отношение на климата, развитието на ИИ, корпоративните интереси итн. Напомня ми доста за Бачигалупи, въпреки че не е съвсем неговата класа в този поджанр.
Този пост е за Obsidian Path обаче. Тази тухличка е около 1200 страници за трите книги общо, ще има поне една следваща трилогия според автора. Общо взето човекът си изпълнява мечтата да напише класическо дебело томче фентъзи, и то доста успешно.
Сетингът е доста бейсик, напълно в неговия стил, но при Флечър фокусът винаги е върху развитието на персонажите и психологията на отношенията между тях. Протагонистът възкръсва в тялото на юноша някъде из пустошта. Това не му прави кой знае какво впечатление, и чак вече като почва да подозира, че е труден за убиване, му цъква лампичката, че може би не е баш обикновено хуманоидно същество. Хватката е, че Флечър го пише без да звучи прекалено смешно, фентъзито си е сериозен гримдарк отвсякъде.
Постепенно започва да си спомня, че доста отдавна е бил всевластен император на тази планета, ранно средновековие със силно застъпени различни магически школи и преплитане на паралелни вселени. Младежът тръгва да се щура насам-натам, разни жени го заплитат в проблеми от всякакъв тип /кво друго да правят тия жени, не?/ и постепенно му се изяснява, че ще трябва да вземе отново жезъла на властта в света, макар и с отвращение...
Без повече спойлери, това е фънтъзи за феновете на Лоурънс, Абъркромби, Муркок, Скот Бакър...Определено ще чакам с интерес следващата книга, май до края на годината трябва да излезе 🙂 Хуморът му е много силен на Флечър между другото, прави поне 40 % от вайба на трилогията.
February 12, 2023
True Grim dark
So book one and two I gave five stars they were really awesome I loved everything about them, I love the main character and his truly evil people that he has around him I made reviews for book one and two but yeah there's the but, book three just was not what I expected or in my opinion just not a great way to end it I'm not an author so I can't say how it should have been wrote but how long and how much can a guy complain about not wanting to kill people blah blah blah but there's murder all around you everywhere,the main characters indecisiveness got on my nerves after the end of book two the way it ended and then the way book three started I was VERY upset and kind of just kind of gave up there what horrible ending in my opinion to a great first two books some authors just can't end things and honestly it's not really even possibly ended,we will probably get more of this same character down the line somewhere but I don't know if I want to read more of him make up your mind already on what you want to do or what you want to be man, anyway if you read the book you'll understand what I'm saying no matter what though I will always read Michael R Fletcher's books cuz they are Grim dark as hell so read it if you want you won't be disappointed till the end
So book one and two I gave five stars they were really awesome I loved everything about them, I love the main character and his truly evil people that he has around him I made reviews for book one and two but yeah there's the but, book three just was not what I expected or in my opinion just not a great way to end it I'm not an author so I can't say how it should have been wrote but how long and how much can a guy complain about not wanting to kill people blah blah blah but there's murder all around you everywhere,the main characters indecisiveness got on my nerves after the end of book two the way it ended and then the way book three started I was VERY upset and kind of just kind of gave up there what horrible ending in my opinion to a great first two books some authors just can't end things and honestly it's not really even possibly ended,we will probably get more of this same character down the line somewhere but I don't know if I want to read more of him make up your mind already on what you want to do or what you want to be man, anyway if you read the book you'll understand what I'm saying no matter what though I will always read Michael R Fletcher's books cuz they are Grim dark as hell so read it if you want you won't be disappointed till the end
May 28, 2024
Superb
I must admit that just having read his Bastion series, I did not imagine his earlier and reworked writings becoming even better. The Obsidian Path is a masterpiece of fantasy world building,tortured souls and dark machinations. I enjoyed it immensely and am profoundly saddened by having finished it. I too was reared by TLOTR and Michael Moorcock's Stormbringer works amongst a host of others, but this ranks amongst the finest of them. I am delighted to have discovered Michael R Fletcher and look forward with deep trepidation to finding his other work and devouring it just so, knowing that MRF , being probably mostly human, it will be limited to an average lifespan and self admitted laziness. Truly Excellent!
I must admit that just having read his Bastion series, I did not imagine his earlier and reworked writings becoming even better. The Obsidian Path is a masterpiece of fantasy world building,tortured souls and dark machinations. I enjoyed it immensely and am profoundly saddened by having finished it. I too was reared by TLOTR and Michael Moorcock's Stormbringer works amongst a host of others, but this ranks amongst the finest of them. I am delighted to have discovered Michael R Fletcher and look forward with deep trepidation to finding his other work and devouring it just so, knowing that MRF , being probably mostly human, it will be limited to an average lifespan and self admitted laziness. Truly Excellent!
May 9, 2024
The Obsidian Path is a huge grimdark fantasy with an original concept and storyline.
Won't go into too much details, spoilers, and all that, but the story follows a man trying to find out about who he is and his past. A vast fantasy world is built including gods, demons, necromancy and magic. Empires are built and fall. The story covers a vast period of time and worlds, while at the same time being about people and the connections between them.
There are many twists and turns to the tale and the revelations at the end will shock and surprise. Really enjoyed this bloody tale of madness.
Won't go into too much details, spoilers, and all that, but the story follows a man trying to find out about who he is and his past. A vast fantasy world is built including gods, demons, necromancy and magic. Empires are built and fall. The story covers a vast period of time and worlds, while at the same time being about people and the connections between them.
There are many twists and turns to the tale and the revelations at the end will shock and surprise. Really enjoyed this bloody tale of madness.
June 19, 2024
a good tale, but more action and depth required.
An enjoyable trilogy, but for me not enough pace or depth, too much retrospective storytelling too often, once told, I understood, I didn’t need telling again and again. That said, I did enjoy it.
An enjoyable trilogy, but for me not enough pace or depth, too much retrospective storytelling too often, once told, I understood, I didn’t need telling again and again. That said, I did enjoy it.
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August 10, 2024Definitely darker than my usual favorites, but not bad. I kinda lost interest 7 or so hours into the audiobook, and dropped it for now. It felt like he was just wandering around for a while, not really doing anything.
I might get back to it later.
I might get back to it later.
February 5, 2023
Didn’t live up to its potential
First book was fantastic; fast paced and amazingly engrossing. The next two books I found to be of a much slower pace. The main character constantly challenges and questions his own morality on nearly every page, along with his overwhelming love for his wife that gets depicted and discussed through inner monologue continuously throughout the second two volumes. There are some really well written action scenes, but even they are rife with questions of morality and declarations of love. If you’re a fan of extensive moral waffling, along with repetitious declarations of love, this series is for you.
First book was fantastic; fast paced and amazingly engrossing. The next two books I found to be of a much slower pace. The main character constantly challenges and questions his own morality on nearly every page, along with his overwhelming love for his wife that gets depicted and discussed through inner monologue continuously throughout the second two volumes. There are some really well written action scenes, but even they are rife with questions of morality and declarations of love. If you’re a fan of extensive moral waffling, along with repetitious declarations of love, this series is for you.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews