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Path of the Eldar #2
Path of the Seer
The second book in the best selling Eldar series by Gav Thorpe.
The ancient eldar are a mysterious race and each devotes their life to a chosen path that will guide their actions and decide their fate. Thirianna abandons her simple existence to embark upon the mysterious Path of the Seer. She will tread a dark and dangerous road that leads her to the otherrealm of the warp, where daemons are made flesh and nightmares are manifest. For only there can she realise her psychic abilities. After unleashing her powers in battle and communing with the spirits of her craft world, Thirianna turns her skills to discerning the future amidst the myriad strands of fate. Her visions reveal a great threat descending on Alaitoc, and both the living and the dead will march to war to defend it.
The ancient eldar are a mysterious race and each devotes their life to a chosen path that will guide their actions and decide their fate. Thirianna abandons her simple existence to embark upon the mysterious Path of the Seer. She will tread a dark and dangerous road that leads her to the otherrealm of the warp, where daemons are made flesh and nightmares are manifest. For only there can she realise her psychic abilities. After unleashing her powers in battle and communing with the spirits of her craft world, Thirianna turns her skills to discerning the future amidst the myriad strands of fate. Her visions reveal a great threat descending on Alaitoc, and both the living and the dead will march to war to defend it.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 30, 2011
24 people are currently reading
441 people want to read
About the author
Gav Thorpe
362books546followersGav spent 14 years as a developer for Games Workshop, and started writing novels and short stories in the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 when the Black Library imprint was launched in 1997.
He continues to write for Black Library, and his first 'homegrown' novel series The Crown of the Blood has been released via Angry Robot.
Currently living in Nottingham, Gav shares his home with his loving and very understanding partner - Kez, and their beautiful little boy - Sammy.
He continues to write for Black Library, and his first 'homegrown' novel series The Crown of the Blood has been released via Angry Robot.
Currently living in Nottingham, Gav shares his home with his loving and very understanding partner - Kez, and their beautiful little boy - Sammy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 20, 2016
So, I would like to start by saying that the depiction of the Farseer in general in this novel is amazing. I loved every second of it. The becoming a seer and looking into the Skein, the rune-craft, all that jazz.
Secondly, I think Gav got his characters down in this one. Some of the characters(Korlandril I am looking at you!*) seemed a little forced in his last book, the Path of the Warrior, but they felt much more natural in this one. I love Thirianna as a character, and I love her story. I honestly want to see more of here, and hope that he does some more work with the Eldar!
Lastly(as I am very tired), the battle scenes! What would Warhammer fiction be without the battles?? The battles in this book were amazing. Since this book IS an alternate retelling, I like that some of the battles were gone over in less detail, since we already kinda know what happened in the last book. The final battle was amazing. We got to see everything before/during its happening(You know the farseer and time can be weird!) and I think Gav did an amazing job at portraying the Imperium of Man through the eyes of the Eldar.
I look forward to finishing this series, and I really hope they make more of them!
Note:* I don't think Korlandril was a bad character, just that his character was kind of forced. Since Gav wanted him to do certain things and didn't really have the time to get him there in a more natural way, it felt kind of forced to me. Still, The Path of the Warrior was also a great read. Just barely under Path of the Seer.
Secondly, I think Gav got his characters down in this one. Some of the characters(Korlandril I am looking at you!*) seemed a little forced in his last book, the Path of the Warrior, but they felt much more natural in this one. I love Thirianna as a character, and I love her story. I honestly want to see more of here, and hope that he does some more work with the Eldar!
Lastly(as I am very tired), the battle scenes! What would Warhammer fiction be without the battles?? The battles in this book were amazing. Since this book IS an alternate retelling, I like that some of the battles were gone over in less detail, since we already kinda know what happened in the last book. The final battle was amazing. We got to see everything before/during its happening(You know the farseer and time can be weird!) and I think Gav did an amazing job at portraying the Imperium of Man through the eyes of the Eldar.
I look forward to finishing this series, and I really hope they make more of them!
Note:* I don't think Korlandril was a bad character, just that his character was kind of forced. Since Gav wanted him to do certain things and didn't really have the time to get him there in a more natural way, it felt kind of forced to me. Still, The Path of the Warrior was also a great read. Just barely under Path of the Seer.
July 17, 2013
Thirianna herself is the biggest step up from the first of the trilogy for two distinct reasons. Unlike Korlandril, she is not so prone to overly emotional outbursts and petty selfishness which makes her hard to support. Furthermore, we see through her eyes a more unique aspect of the race: their precognition. The Path of the Warrior emphasised upon their history and age as a civilisation, while this one chiefly emphasises upon the future. Seeing how their kind view the interconnected web of events and potential futures, altering them to their advantage both on the battlefield and ensure their continued survival.
Above all the details of how the eldar view the future, cast their minds afar from their bodies and how it is utilised are ultimately its greatest strength. Broken up throughout the book, many of these experiences are used to flesh out the eldar one moment at a time. Slowly building up Thirianna’s abilities and displaying how their power is used in a myriad of different ways. Starting with shaping events on the battlefield itself, then exploring the webway beyond the craftworld before finally seeing glimpses of possible futures.
There is clearly a great amount more thought put into the evolution of Thirianna’s skills and her master’s teachings, as it feels as if she has forced herself to accomplish far more and had her abilities genuinely grow. This is also helped by the note that the eldar do still craft new weapons of war, runes and items rather than relying purely upon relics; an eyebrow raising detail Path of the Warrior ignored.
Many of the battles and moments give insights to the roles and duties of the seers, fleshing out the culture of the craftworld more in its own way. Often introducing them through either Thirianna’s actions or as a result of the craftworld’s missions. Some answering questions such as what happens to seers who betray their path.
As before however, when the book breaks away from examining the path itself things fall to bits.
While far more stable than Korlandril, Thirianna is incredibly prone to the same emotional outbursts and childishness. She behaves in a manner far younger and too human for her kind, and the drama itself is an ensemble of clichéd soap opera tropes. Thirianna’s conflict with her father is the height of this, playing out like an episode of Easterners and predictable to the point of boredom.
This is to say nothing of the predictability of the novel’s plot. While being set in the same timeframe and following the same series of events permits a new angle to follow, readers of the previous book also know many details of the plot. How events will play out, how battles will be fought and the ending twist are all things people will remember from the last book. As such a lot of the novelty of seeing things from a new perspective can easily be worn down by simple repetition.
The repetition of events themselves might not have been so bad a thing were it not for the lack of memorable characters. For all its flaws Path of the Warrior did at least have an ensemble of figures to work with alongside Korlandril himself, here we really only have the Farseer Kelamith as a constant presence. A character that does convey the mystery of the eldar well and presents the idea of their skills to a great degree, but lacks some details of character. Even if you do skip Path of the Warrior however, you’ll be left wondering about the sudden shifts in character and unseen developments of Korlandril. With the aspect warrior’s personality shifting from chapter to chapter.
As before, Path of the Seer is extremely hit or miss. Unlike before however, it’s slightly more the former than the latter, with an improved protagonist and somewhat more believable developments. Rather than as a story, it’s one better picked up as a fluff book to help give ideas for works. Avoid unless you’re looking for insights into the lives of the eldar.
January 2, 2013
I really wanted to like this book. When I first heard of the series, I figured it would be a very good look at the Eldar, an intriguing race in the WH 40K universe. In the end, even though the book has some interesting moments, and some action, a lot of it was a drag to read. I will disclose I have not read the first book in the series, but I will note that you can read this one on its own quite well. You get enough references to the previous one that you can probably do just fine. Some of the issues for me included:
* A very slow pace at times. What could have been a strength, namely descriptions and a look at an Eldar craftworld as well as a look at the seer path, at times became extremely long passages where nothing really happened and did little to move the story along. Basically, you could skim big parts of the book and still get the gist of it. That is usually a sign of padding; this book could have used a few pages left.
*I just found some of the characters somewhat unlikeable. Thiriana's teacher is a bit of a bullying asshole at times. For me at least, I hate bullies, so that right away alienated me. Your mileage may vary. Her father, to whom she does not really speak to, is not that much better neither. To be honest, in spite of the explanation in the book, forcing Thiriana to get him to make her first rune felt forced. It felt more like her teacher just making her do it out of some spite.
*And of course, it is a middle book in a trilogy, so naturally you get the cliffhanger just as it is getting interesting. And the book really does pick up the pace at the end, but by then, you had to plod through a lot of stuff to get there.
I may pick up the next book just to find out how the story ends. However, I am in no rush to do so. I felt the book had great potential, but it just felt flat for me. I will go read other WH 40K books for a while to cleanse the palate before I move on with this particular series. I think hardcore fans of WH 40K will probably enjoy the book. Casual fans like me may or not have mixed results.
By the way, the cover art work is just gorgeous and excellent.
* A very slow pace at times. What could have been a strength, namely descriptions and a look at an Eldar craftworld as well as a look at the seer path, at times became extremely long passages where nothing really happened and did little to move the story along. Basically, you could skim big parts of the book and still get the gist of it. That is usually a sign of padding; this book could have used a few pages left.
*I just found some of the characters somewhat unlikeable. Thiriana's teacher is a bit of a bullying asshole at times. For me at least, I hate bullies, so that right away alienated me. Your mileage may vary. Her father, to whom she does not really speak to, is not that much better neither. To be honest, in spite of the explanation in the book, forcing Thiriana to get him to make her first rune felt forced. It felt more like her teacher just making her do it out of some spite.
*And of course, it is a middle book in a trilogy, so naturally you get the cliffhanger just as it is getting interesting. And the book really does pick up the pace at the end, but by then, you had to plod through a lot of stuff to get there.
I may pick up the next book just to find out how the story ends. However, I am in no rush to do so. I felt the book had great potential, but it just felt flat for me. I will go read other WH 40K books for a while to cleanse the palate before I move on with this particular series. I think hardcore fans of WH 40K will probably enjoy the book. Casual fans like me may or not have mixed results.
By the way, the cover art work is just gorgeous and excellent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2018
This is book is pretty amazing. I found it very enlightening for understanding my warhammer army and the different troops and characters. It is very well written and has great characters with relatable qualities. I like fluff a lot so this will give me some great imagination and role playing for what my Eldar Army is doing on the table during a game. And give me inspiration on how they will work together.
April 18, 2025
Was a really good book, worked well off of the second and feels like it covers loads of the war, so I’m interested about the third book and how it completes the trilogy,
Left me enjoying the story and yet wanting me to finish the final book
Only issue is the chapters are quite long, so don’t expect to just read a chapter a night, might have to stop half way through
Left me enjoying the story and yet wanting me to finish the final book
Only issue is the chapters are quite long, so don’t expect to just read a chapter a night, might have to stop half way through
June 13, 2023
this is the only book i have refused to finish in like 3 years - the first book of this trilogy was OKAY but not great so i had hoped that this would be at least a tiny bit better. it was seriously terrible in every way - dialogue, characters, pacing, narrative. i actually hated it lol. think i read 150 or so pages but i am not wasting my time oops
July 20, 2021
This book is somewhat hard to review, because overall I think it's better than book 1, but despite that I enjoyed it less. Once again there is a lot of interesting lore to absorb, and I found Thrianna's journey as a Seer much more convincing than Korlandril's as a warrior. Her character is more consistent (for the most part) and the descriptions of her growing psychic powers are more interesting than the rattling off of different battle poses in the previous book.
But Path of the Seer still disappointed me, by failing to justify the series' main gimmick: that these books are taking place concurrently. The series of events/battles isn't any more cohesive than before, so while we see a slightly different view of them, there's still no greater motive or context. We get one more detail about why the final conflict happens, but it's still so random, and so distantly removed from Thrianna's and Korlandril's stories, I have to assume that either Aradryan's book 3 does a LOT of heavy lifting plot wise, or the entire trilogy will fall apart.
It's an interesting conundrum, to write these books this way. I was frustrated with Seer very early on, both when it glossed over things we'd already in book 1 (I thought we were concurrent so we could see Thirianna's viewpoint on these events?) AND when it went into detail on things we already knew (did we need to see so much of the Ork fight, already knowing that it has no bearing on future events?). The conversations between Thirianna and Korlandril were especially frustrating, because it felt like Thorpe wrote Thrianna's development naturally leading up to each encounter, only to remember that she needs to say certain things because he already wrote them.
A minor example being, Thirianna sees something of Korlandril's future, but resolves not to tell him out of fear it will influence him. But the very next paragraph she goes to meet him and tells him, because she has to--because for us, it happened it already. All their interactions are peppered with similar contradictions, as Thorpe struggles to fit the more well-balanced version of Thirianna in this book to the slightly different character that existed in book 1.
So once again, if you want to know more about Eldar and especially Seers, a great lore dump. But it's both too similar and too removed from book 1 to feel cohesive, and it ends abruptly with promises that everything will be wrapped up in book 3. Not sure yet if I'll read it to find out; I think at this point I'd prefer to read spoilers on a wiki.
But Path of the Seer still disappointed me, by failing to justify the series' main gimmick: that these books are taking place concurrently. The series of events/battles isn't any more cohesive than before, so while we see a slightly different view of them, there's still no greater motive or context. We get one more detail about why the final conflict happens, but it's still so random, and so distantly removed from Thrianna's and Korlandril's stories, I have to assume that either Aradryan's book 3 does a LOT of heavy lifting plot wise, or the entire trilogy will fall apart.
It's an interesting conundrum, to write these books this way. I was frustrated with Seer very early on, both when it glossed over things we'd already in book 1 (I thought we were concurrent so we could see Thirianna's viewpoint on these events?) AND when it went into detail on things we already knew (did we need to see so much of the Ork fight, already knowing that it has no bearing on future events?). The conversations between Thirianna and Korlandril were especially frustrating, because it felt like Thorpe wrote Thrianna's development naturally leading up to each encounter, only to remember that she needs to say certain things because he already wrote them.
A minor example being, Thirianna sees something of Korlandril's future, but resolves not to tell him out of fear it will influence him. But the very next paragraph she goes to meet him and tells him, because she has to--because for us, it happened it already. All their interactions are peppered with similar contradictions, as Thorpe struggles to fit the more well-balanced version of Thirianna in this book to the slightly different character that existed in book 1.
So once again, if you want to know more about Eldar and especially Seers, a great lore dump. But it's both too similar and too removed from book 1 to feel cohesive, and it ends abruptly with promises that everything will be wrapped up in book 3. Not sure yet if I'll read it to find out; I think at this point I'd prefer to read spoilers on a wiki.
July 29, 2012
I loved this book and not just because I won the dedication competition and so am, in a small way, part of it. The insight into Eldar culture and into the particularities of Farseeing was a wonderful experience, as was the way it complemented what we already knew from Path of the Warrior.
Eldar life is a multifaceted thing and I cannot wait until it is complemented and completed by Path of the Outcast.
Eldar life is a multifaceted thing and I cannot wait until it is complemented and completed by Path of the Outcast.
January 13, 2016
better than the first!
March 5, 2024
Spoiler is just personal stuff not too related to the review.
I enjoy Gav’s writing. I like what he does with his characters, the situations he puts them through, and the interactions. Within the scope of Path of the Eldar it takes on a complexity that’s subtle, and I find pretty ingenious. The idea of writing 3 stories from three perspectives within the same time revolving around the same environment sounds fun, but I can only imagine the nightmare of implementing it. The timing of the interactions, the hidden (and revealed) conflicts each character has makes it a very fun novel to read, especially from the perspective of a writer. It may not be Gav’s best work, however there’s no doubting he tackled an immense project within a simple and complex narrative framework.
The flipside of reading the same scenario is that you already know the majority of what’s going to happen. And here we find what ticked me off. It ends quite abruptly. This is the reason why I went nuts after reading the Fifth Season, cliffhangers are ok, but not when a certain amount of closure is missing. The closure that screams BUY BOOK 3 TO FIND OUT. It’s really distasteful in my opinion. I found the first book, Path of the Warrior, didn’t really punch me in the face as hard because there’s definitely a finish line in that novel, haha.
The main pull for me is Gav’s writing. He can bring words to life man. If you don’t like descriptive prose or expository it might not be your cuppa. Aside from that, Gav still spins an interesting tale. There’s no doubt a method on how much is being unveiled bit-by-bit with each character/novel and it seems very thoughtful and well-laid out. Keep in mind Gav is showing us a side of the eldar rarely depicted, and in fact some of my favorite moments is how the elder view the other races/powers in the 40k setting.
Oh! Lest I forget, Aradryan can suck it. Thirriana is cool, but I feel she should be cooler. Despite what I’m seeing from other people I enjoyed Korlandril and his fall. Above all it seems to me that I enjoy the mentors of each character the most, I’m looking at you Kelamith and Kenainath (badass names too). We’ll see if I’m still a sourpatch kid after we take a look at our outcast.
On to the next!
I enjoy Gav’s writing. I like what he does with his characters, the situations he puts them through, and the interactions. Within the scope of Path of the Eldar it takes on a complexity that’s subtle, and I find pretty ingenious. The idea of writing 3 stories from three perspectives within the same time revolving around the same environment sounds fun, but I can only imagine the nightmare of implementing it. The timing of the interactions, the hidden (and revealed) conflicts each character has makes it a very fun novel to read, especially from the perspective of a writer. It may not be Gav’s best work, however there’s no doubting he tackled an immense project within a simple and complex narrative framework.
The flipside of reading the same scenario is that you already know the majority of what’s going to happen. And here we find what ticked me off. It ends quite abruptly. This is the reason why I went nuts after reading the Fifth Season, cliffhangers are ok, but not when a certain amount of closure is missing. The closure that screams BUY BOOK 3 TO FIND OUT. It’s really distasteful in my opinion. I found the first book, Path of the Warrior, didn’t really punch me in the face as hard because there’s definitely a finish line in that novel, haha.
The main pull for me is Gav’s writing. He can bring words to life man. If you don’t like descriptive prose or expository it might not be your cuppa. Aside from that, Gav still spins an interesting tale. There’s no doubt a method on how much is being unveiled bit-by-bit with each character/novel and it seems very thoughtful and well-laid out. Keep in mind Gav is showing us a side of the eldar rarely depicted, and in fact some of my favorite moments is how the elder view the other races/powers in the 40k setting.
Oh! Lest I forget, Aradryan can suck it. Thirriana is cool, but I feel she should be cooler. Despite what I’m seeing from other people I enjoyed Korlandril and his fall. Above all it seems to me that I enjoy the mentors of each character the most, I’m looking at you Kelamith and Kenainath (badass names too). We’ll see if I’m still a sourpatch kid after we take a look at our outcast.
On to the next!
November 27, 2018
This is book two of Gav's Path of the Eldar series. Written a few years ago, it takes place before the events of the birth of the Ynnarri and the Dark Imperium, so the Eldar lore may have evolved a touch since these novels were written.
Regardless, this was a splendid read, as was the first book, though this books main character, Thiriana, was far more interesting and likeable than the self absorbed, whiney Korlandril.
Eldar society (Elves in space) revolves around the notion of Paths: these are choices made by individual Eldar to follow a path that demonstrates the perfection of a facet of their personality, be it artistry, service, industry, even warfare. Thiriana, formerly a poet and a warrior on paths past, determines to follow the Path of the Seer.
Farseers are essentially psychics, powerful ones too, with a bit of high wizardry thrown in as well. They can travel the skein of fate, and discern the multiplicity of outcomes of a single action.
In this, the idea of Eldar Farseers borrows heavily from Masonic, Kabbalistic, Gnostic, and Buddhist theologies and ideologies, something most fans won't pick up on but which I couldn't help but notice.
Thiriana, an extremely gifted girl who progresses farther in her training than most newer Seers, scries a haunting possible future of a massive human invasion of Craftworld Alaitoc.
In Warhammer 40K, which is basically Fantasy in Space!!! (Exclamation points mandatory), Elves/Eldar and Humans/Imperium of Man, aren't allies by dint of a possible shared heritage, looking similar, and both standing against the forces of Darkness/Chaos. Rather, the 40K meta narrative sees humans and Eldar somewhat often beating the hell out of each other, with alliances being rare and strained.
Thiriana brings this possibility to the Seer Council, where she is basically laughed at for being overly paranoid. Yet she doesn't give up and eventually more information comes to light that shows that she is, indeed, correct: the humans are a tad pissed and determined to put a hurting on the Space Elves.
The ensuing battle, seen from Thiriana's perspective, is not quite as epic in scope as that of the first book, though the naval battle which proceeds the invasion is giving far more detail. (Side note, Gav Thorpe is a naval history buff, something I find cool as can be as I myself am a military historian). Although the scope of the fighting is telescoped due to Thiriana's perspective, it is no less visceral and dramatic. Gav does a very good job with the action, though the reasonings for the human invasion are only partially explained, which is an improvement over book 1 where it was a mystery as to why the humans were suddenly intent on kicking Eldar teeth down throats. It is assumed all will be explained in book 3.
Overall this was a very fun book to read. It delves deeper into Eldar societal structure and mores, follows a significantly more interesting and relatable character than book 1, and takes a fascinating, esoteric journey into the world of the Seers.
Regardless, this was a splendid read, as was the first book, though this books main character, Thiriana, was far more interesting and likeable than the self absorbed, whiney Korlandril.
Eldar society (Elves in space) revolves around the notion of Paths: these are choices made by individual Eldar to follow a path that demonstrates the perfection of a facet of their personality, be it artistry, service, industry, even warfare. Thiriana, formerly a poet and a warrior on paths past, determines to follow the Path of the Seer.
Farseers are essentially psychics, powerful ones too, with a bit of high wizardry thrown in as well. They can travel the skein of fate, and discern the multiplicity of outcomes of a single action.
In this, the idea of Eldar Farseers borrows heavily from Masonic, Kabbalistic, Gnostic, and Buddhist theologies and ideologies, something most fans won't pick up on but which I couldn't help but notice.
Thiriana, an extremely gifted girl who progresses farther in her training than most newer Seers, scries a haunting possible future of a massive human invasion of Craftworld Alaitoc.
In Warhammer 40K, which is basically Fantasy in Space!!! (Exclamation points mandatory), Elves/Eldar and Humans/Imperium of Man, aren't allies by dint of a possible shared heritage, looking similar, and both standing against the forces of Darkness/Chaos. Rather, the 40K meta narrative sees humans and Eldar somewhat often beating the hell out of each other, with alliances being rare and strained.
Thiriana brings this possibility to the Seer Council, where she is basically laughed at for being overly paranoid. Yet she doesn't give up and eventually more information comes to light that shows that she is, indeed, correct: the humans are a tad pissed and determined to put a hurting on the Space Elves.
The ensuing battle, seen from Thiriana's perspective, is not quite as epic in scope as that of the first book, though the naval battle which proceeds the invasion is giving far more detail. (Side note, Gav Thorpe is a naval history buff, something I find cool as can be as I myself am a military historian). Although the scope of the fighting is telescoped due to Thiriana's perspective, it is no less visceral and dramatic. Gav does a very good job with the action, though the reasonings for the human invasion are only partially explained, which is an improvement over book 1 where it was a mystery as to why the humans were suddenly intent on kicking Eldar teeth down throats. It is assumed all will be explained in book 3.
Overall this was a very fun book to read. It delves deeper into Eldar societal structure and mores, follows a significantly more interesting and relatable character than book 1, and takes a fascinating, esoteric journey into the world of the Seers.
January 2, 2024
Wait, have I already read this? I feel like this book would definitely have benefited from waiting a few more months after the first book. Maybe even a few years. Largely, the narrative retreads the same scenes as the first, at times verbatim although through the eyes of a different character. In a way, it does give the reader a kind of view into what having future sight would be like, I guess, although once the same scenes are retold again in the next book you kind of get the idea that this wasn't the intent.
I will say I loved some of it. The journey through the webway was amazing and showcased the peril Aeldari face by just doing something that comes natural to them. The Seer Council being explored was great, and I did enjoy seeing the main characters' point of view on events from the first book, I kind of just wish it was threaded together in a better way instead of having the same narrative journey that ends roughly with the same cliffhanger from the first book. Instead of resolving and building on it, we just get about 5 minutes more on the clock.
I will say I loved some of it. The journey through the webway was amazing and showcased the peril Aeldari face by just doing something that comes natural to them. The Seer Council being explored was great, and I did enjoy seeing the main characters' point of view on events from the first book, I kind of just wish it was threaded together in a better way instead of having the same narrative journey that ends roughly with the same cliffhanger from the first book. Instead of resolving and building on it, we just get about 5 minutes more on the clock.
February 6, 2017
Clearly better then the previous one - the evolution of the main character Thrianna is more fluid and natural than the on-rails forced Korlandril warrior's path. The parts about the skein and webway, with a little glimpse of the Dark Eldar was really good. All in all it's really hard to review books from the Path trilogy as separate entities - they're pretty much one story told from three different POVs, so onwards to the Path of the Outcast for me and you, to find out if it all holds together or falls apart(like the human battle plan to assault Altioc) :)
March 1, 2022
On its own the book is fine, but the concept of telling the same story from 3 different points of view from across 3 books shows its weakness here as, assuming you read Path of the Warrior, you know how/where this book is going to end. And to be perfectly honest I'm probably going to skip the third and final book in the series because out of the 3 characters the story centers around he was the least interesting to me so experiencing the same story again from his point of view doesn't really interest me, and Path of the Seer was already struggling to keep my attention.
January 17, 2018
Solid follow-up to Path of the Warrior. My main criticism is how the multiple perspectives (one for each in the trilogy) all lead up to a climactic battle. That would be great, but both Path of the Warrior and Path of the Seer only dedicate 30 or so pages out of 400 to this battle. Having to retread the entire story through another perspective just to get to the good part makes it hard to justify re-reading it again in Path of the Outcast.
July 24, 2018
Tied to Path of the warrior it follows Thirianna, female of a trio of eldar friends whose actions are tied to the Craftworld they share. It was interesting the view point shift from how Korlandril saw his actions to hers. How other aspects of the eldar were presented, particularly the wraithbone singers. Quite enjoyed the chapter intro break downs of various farseer runes.
January 6, 2017
great book!! it took me a little to finally get into it but I'm glad I kept going. it's a great sci-fi fantasy and I love the many action scenes. the crazy magic is great an explained very well, which just creates a more awsome world.
November 4, 2019
I feel this book kinda just rehashed the first one and didn't add enough to really justify its length. Hopefully, part three will redeem the trilogy.
January 22, 2025
Quite boring.
February 20, 2017
Not as good as the first, but still fun and enjoyable. Thirianna is not as interesting a protagonist, or as well defined, but her story is still interesting.
September 23, 2011
From the first pages you realize that this book is not a sequal for , but rather a re-accounting of the tale told by Korlandril. Also, you see immediately how this is going to be a trilogy: there are three protagonists.
As all retelling of tales, like the Horus Heresy, the interesting thing is that details become huge plot twists, and the other way around. Only this book does a much better job at it.
The story is not just "tell the story from the eyes of another character", but can also be experienced as a true sequel as more pieces of the puzzle (which you didn't even realize was a puzzle in the first book) fall into place.
The elven dramatics, which I mostly find pretty boring, are abundantly present in this book, but never in a boring way. The story is still action-packed, and takes natural pauses in which dramatics and emotional reflections have their place.
The first book was cool, the second book is a true eye-opener. And it doesn't suffer AT ALL from the typical "second book in the series" stalling. Right now I'm positively PSYCHED (get it) for the third book in the series, in which the puzzle, and the big overlapping plot should become visible.
Great book, would recommend to anyone (after reading the first book, naturally) !
Elves are pansy winers, Eldar are mighty cool !
Can't wait for "Path of the Outcast" !
As all retelling of tales, like the Horus Heresy, the interesting thing is that details become huge plot twists, and the other way around. Only this book does a much better job at it.
The story is not just "tell the story from the eyes of another character", but can also be experienced as a true sequel as more pieces of the puzzle (which you didn't even realize was a puzzle in the first book) fall into place.
The elven dramatics, which I mostly find pretty boring, are abundantly present in this book, but never in a boring way. The story is still action-packed, and takes natural pauses in which dramatics and emotional reflections have their place.
The first book was cool, the second book is a true eye-opener. And it doesn't suffer AT ALL from the typical "second book in the series" stalling. Right now I'm positively PSYCHED (get it) for the third book in the series, in which the puzzle, and the big overlapping plot should become visible.
Great book, would recommend to anyone (after reading the first book, naturally) !
Elves are pansy winers, Eldar are mighty cool !
Can't wait for "Path of the Outcast" !
July 29, 2014
((Review in progress))
Overall I'm enjoying this book. Thirianna is certainly a better thought out and more relatable character than Korlandril was, and her journey is more believable within both the scope of an individual finding themselves and growing emotionally, in addition to the being a believable Eldar character progression based on what the reader knows about the race.
(Character)Thirianna is still very childish, or more accurately selfish. I'm sure Mr. Thorpe was intending on reminding the readers that the Eldar are very indulgent beings who exist in a perpetual state, at their core, of wild emotions and ever changing stimuli; but two now have two characters who individually seem incapable of thinking of how their actions shape themselves and others...especially considering that doing so is Thirianna's job within Eldar society, it gives very little cause for attachment to the character. It is very hard to both feel sorry for her and to cheer her own when the major conflict within the trilogy is in many ways her own fault, and she so far seems to not regret it at all.
(Plot)
(Pacing)
(World building)Like the first book, this was the most exciting aspect of the novel...which is sad really.
Overall I'm enjoying this book. Thirianna is certainly a better thought out and more relatable character than Korlandril was, and her journey is more believable within both the scope of an individual finding themselves and growing emotionally, in addition to the being a believable Eldar character progression based on what the reader knows about the race.
(Character)Thirianna is still very childish, or more accurately selfish. I'm sure Mr. Thorpe was intending on reminding the readers that the Eldar are very indulgent beings who exist in a perpetual state, at their core, of wild emotions and ever changing stimuli; but two now have two characters who individually seem incapable of thinking of how their actions shape themselves and others...especially considering that doing so is Thirianna's job within Eldar society, it gives very little cause for attachment to the character. It is very hard to both feel sorry for her and to cheer her own when the major conflict within the trilogy is in many ways her own fault, and she so far seems to not regret it at all.
(Plot)
(Pacing)
(World building)Like the first book, this was the most exciting aspect of the novel...which is sad really.
April 6, 2012
This is a trilogy of books about 3 Altioc eldar and a set of events that lead to an invasion of Altioc.
We have seen the Warrior path and in this book we get to see the seer ( say that 3 times fast)
It's another good read and a fascinating insight into how the eldar craftworlds function and how the path works for the eldar keeping them safe from the attention of she who thirsts.
It does have a little "middle book" syndrome though. I think it's made a little worse because the major universe events are already known from the first book and the final story conclusion is being held for the 3 of the books obviously.
I love the way Gav deals with expanding on how farseers work, how the webway functions and links the worlds of the eldar and even how various eldar view the path.
If you were lucky enough to get the games day anthology you will get a kick out of seeing where the eldar short story ties in. Geek moment :)
I'm looking forward to the final book in the series as the character in that has a lot less to do with Altioc and the story has a lot more scope since it will be out in the wider universe away from Altioc as well as getting to wrap up the story.
We have seen the Warrior path and in this book we get to see the seer ( say that 3 times fast)
It's another good read and a fascinating insight into how the eldar craftworlds function and how the path works for the eldar keeping them safe from the attention of she who thirsts.
It does have a little "middle book" syndrome though. I think it's made a little worse because the major universe events are already known from the first book and the final story conclusion is being held for the 3 of the books obviously.
I love the way Gav deals with expanding on how farseers work, how the webway functions and links the worlds of the eldar and even how various eldar view the path.
If you were lucky enough to get the games day anthology you will get a kick out of seeing where the eldar short story ties in. Geek moment :)
I'm looking forward to the final book in the series as the character in that has a lot less to do with Altioc and the story has a lot more scope since it will be out in the wider universe away from Altioc as well as getting to wrap up the story.
February 13, 2012
The second novel in the Eldar series is a very solid sequel of the first one, even if the word "sequel" may not be very precise when describing it. "Path of the Seer" is more of a retelling to the events we saw in "Path of the Warrior", but while in book one we saw the story unfolding trough the eyes of Korlandril, an artist who becomes a warrior, in "Path of the Seer" we are using the glare of Thirianna - a young seer and friend of Korlandril. Just like in book one, Gav Thorpe has managed to create a unique journey trough the mysterious Eldar culture as he tells us more about how Thirianna learns to know the future and meets terrible enemies, including the fabled Space Marines. The book is rich and wonderful and while it has some cons - like the obvious cliffhanger of an ending and the fact the for a second time the story is not as wondrous as it was in first novel - it remains a very entertaining space opera novel, which undoubtedly will captivate the minds of the many Warhammer fans.
December 15, 2015
One of the main flaws of this book is that in order to read it, you should first have read Path of the Warrior. Nothing wrong there, this is a sequel after all. The problem is that it tells the same story as the earlier novel, just from a different perspective. It also never adds anything new or interesting to the story.
In the last novel we got to follow Korlandril down the path of the warrior. In this one we have his friend Thirianna and her path to becoming a seer.
Just as in the last book, everything feels rushed. She finds herself on the path of the witch, for just about no reason at all. Then she gets some training from a farseer with a speech impediment which would make Yoda proud. And then Thirianna was a seer...
I must confess that this novel is better written than the last one, but it still suffers from an uninteresting cast of childish characters, a plot which feels incredibly silly and an ending that's just disappointing.
In the last novel we got to follow Korlandril down the path of the warrior. In this one we have his friend Thirianna and her path to becoming a seer.
Just as in the last book, everything feels rushed. She finds herself on the path of the witch, for just about no reason at all. Then she gets some training from a farseer with a speech impediment which would make Yoda proud. And then Thirianna was a seer...
I must confess that this novel is better written than the last one, but it still suffers from an uninteresting cast of childish characters, a plot which feels incredibly silly and an ending that's just disappointing.
April 9, 2014
This novel is the second of the Path of the Eldar omnibus, which is what I will be basing this review off of. Overall though, it was breath-taking.
Following the second main character of the trio of friends the book revolves around, Thirianna, it captivates her struggles for complete control of the mind and inner peace with amazing finesse. The novel goes through every stage of her being, from the beginning of one of her closest friend's return, to the end when an Imperial Naval Fleet launched an attack on her home. Gav Thorpe is one of my latest authors to read from, but I'm going to admit he did a fine job with Path of the Seer. It's also extremely hard to fully amplify the rich-cultured language the Eldar have, as well as translating it for readers to grasp. I can't wait to finish Path of the Outcast, the following novel to this one, and see how it's work turns out!
Following the second main character of the trio of friends the book revolves around, Thirianna, it captivates her struggles for complete control of the mind and inner peace with amazing finesse. The novel goes through every stage of her being, from the beginning of one of her closest friend's return, to the end when an Imperial Naval Fleet launched an attack on her home. Gav Thorpe is one of my latest authors to read from, but I'm going to admit he did a fine job with Path of the Seer. It's also extremely hard to fully amplify the rich-cultured language the Eldar have, as well as translating it for readers to grasp. I can't wait to finish Path of the Outcast, the following novel to this one, and see how it's work turns out!
November 3, 2011
I was initially apprehensive in picking up this book as I had known some not so good review being said about the first book of the series. And thus imagine the suprise I got when I start to go through path of the seer with the Main character in this book, Thiriana. It was a very good description on the training of the seer as well as giving the 40k reader an insight into the culture and lifestyle of the enigmatic eldar race. I feel that it was so well written that it made me fell like picking up my eldar 40k army to play again and even to decide to pick up its former book-the path of the warrior and to wait for the next few in the series.
June 27, 2013
Following in the elegant and understated style of Path of the Warrior, this novel is too introspective for the grim darkness of the far future. I think the weakest part of the book for me was the main character because I couldn't sympathize with her and at times I actually disliked her. The book has a very interesting portrayal of how Eldar deal with post traumatic stress disorder and how they compartmentalize their feelings by adopting a new 'personality' when they wear their war masks. The most interesting part was the presentation of absolutely heinous war crimes perpetrated on defenceless civilians and how the main character reacted- Monstrous AND priceless.
July 1, 2014
I really enjoyed this book, mainly because I'm an Eldar player, and also because it was nice reading something that didn't involve the Imperium for once. I found it a little slow to start and the main character not very likable, but then it started to quicken it's pace, and the main character starts to grow on you. I also don't feel like you need to have read the other books in the trilogy to understand what's going on, which is always a plus.
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