[Werthead]

The Empire of Saramyr is vast, rich and powerful. The Blood-Empress Anais tu Erinima is one of the most powerful and respected rulers in Saramyr's history, and her rule seems secure. However, the nobility learns that Anais' daughter Lucia has magical powers, marking her out as an Aberrant. Amongst the people of Saramyr only the Weavers are allowed to wield magic in the service of the Empire, and Aberrants - especially women - are to be killed on sight. Anais' determination that her daughter will follow her onto the Imperial Throne splits the nobility and incurs the displeasure of the Weavers, and the seeds of civil war are sewn.

Meanwhile, a young woman named Kaiku and her handmaiden Asara are the sole survivors of a devastating attack that leaves her home in flames and her family murdered. Taking refuge in the wilderness, Kaiku learns that she also harbours the powers that mark her as an Aberrant, but as she travels through Saramyr, trying to find the secret her father unearthed that got him and his family killed, she gradually learns that the Aberrants are not the wanton forces for evil the Weavers have presented them as, and that the Empire is facing many threats to its existence from within and without.

The Braided Path Trilogy was originally published between 2003 and 2005, consisting of the novels The Weavers of Saramyr, The Skein of Lament and The Ascendancy Veil. In 2006 the three books were re-released as a thousand-page omnibus simply entitled The Braided Path. It's well worth tracking down the omnibus edition with its plethora of maps and a very handsome cover.

The Braided Path is an epic fantasy and contains all the requisite battles, political intrigue and memorable characters the subgenre demands. It also has some nice twists on the conventions of the genre. The technology level is higher than normal, with rifles and cannons coming into use, and the culture of Saramyr skews towards Asia by way of Renaissance Italy. The Asian feel of the books makes itself known in the types of monsters that appear, the use of spirits and spirit magic and the types of languages that are featured in the book. Given that Asian-influenced fantasies can easily turn into The Lord of the Rings But With Ninjas!, the author avoids that temptation and successfully gives the trilogy a rich atmosphere.

The trilogy is deftly paced, with an enormous number of characters, conspiracies, plots, subplots and factions featured in its relatively modest length (the entire trilogy is shorter than a lot of Steven Erikson's individual Malazan novels, for example). It takes the reader on a wild and enjoyable ride, and it certainly reminded me of how good epic fantasy can be in the right hands. In fact, alongside The First Law Trilogy, The Ten Thousand and The Lies of Locke Lamora, The Braided Path is probably the most outright enjoyable work of epic fantasy I've read in the last few years.

There are a few minor niggles with the book. Occasionally the prose feels a little too modern, and the use of the word 'genetic' at one point feels slightly out of place. Wooding also hints at many other places in the world where stories could be waiting to be told but doesn't expand on them, although it's more of a compliment that he makes the world a living, breathing place that feels like it existed before the story begins and is still there when it ends. American readers may also feel short-changed that the trilogy is not available, at this time, from an American publisher, although copies of both the trilogy and omnibus are available as imports from Amazon.com.

The Braided Path (****½), in its omnibus format, is an excellent work of epic fantasy fiction and I heartily recommend it.

[Abyss]

Reading this now. Halfway thru and totally enjoying.

Thanx Wert'.

- Abyss, now craving chin-chin'ese food.

[Cluracan AbSylvas]

Really enjoyed the trilogy... I loved the build-up of strong female protagonists with such different characteristics, and really appreciated the freshness of the setting/world-building.

I did, however, have to take a LONG break half-way through book 2. I bought the Omnibus edition and it was HUGE to chew through. I needed a vacation at the midway point to go off and read something completely different. Coming back to finish the series with fresh eyes and head was really helpful.

Definitely worth the spend, and a worthwhile pick-up.

-- Clu

[Abyss]

I'm noticing Wooding writes female characters really well.

- Abyss, ..at least, thinks so from a male perspective....

[Abyss]

Okay, finished. I was totally impressed. This is solid fantasy. Enjoyable read, great world, neat characters who evolve nicely over the course of the book (the ones that survive, anyways). The setting is a neat asian/renaissance italy combo. The magic and other supernatural elements work very well.

For an author who got his start with YA material, Wooding had no trouble moving to an adult story here. I had the omnibus version, which reads very well.

If some of his 'twists' are a bit predictable, they don't suffer because he writes them solidly. Pace is great - no endless treks through desert, deep instrospection only when appropriate and he writes great action scenes, including... y'know how Pat in his reviews always compares massive seige scenes in fantasy books to MEMORIES OF ICE... well, this series has one that i put on that level.

Recommended.

- Abyss, going to track down more of his work now.

[Pig Iron]

Been reading this too on Wert's recommendation, halfway through and it's very good but I have to take a break as I just got another fat book that I have to read featuring tech-using dinosaurs and a green man with tusks and split-personality disorder and that's just from the prologue ...

[Abyss]

Pig Iron, on Aug 19 2009, 02:28 PM, said:

Been reading this too on Wert's recommendation, halfway through and it's very good but I have to take a break as I just got another fat book that I have to read featuring tech-using dinosaurs and a green man with tusks and split-personality disorder and that's just from the prologue ...

Pig Iron... you're on my List.


- Abyss, now with MORE vengeful wrath...

[caladanbrood]

I'm very glad people are liking this trilogy. I read it as it was released and it's one of my favourite series. Really love some of the characters, may in fact have to give it a re-read after DoD is finished.

Glad Wert has picked up on it, because no one ever listened when I told them it was good

[Abyss]

caladanbrood, on Aug 19 2009, 05:42 PM, said:

I'm very glad people are liking this trilogy. I read it as it was released and it's one of my favourite series. Really love some of the characters, may in fact have to give it a re-read after DoD is finished.

Glad Wert has picked up on it, because no one ever listened when I told them it was good

I'll start a discussion thread over in the main forum. Great books, would like to chat about.

- Abyss, industrious.