Description
Jackson’s impressive, multi-layered debut is vividly imagined and gripping
Helen Sedgwick – The Comet Seekers
Holes between worlds are tearing through Rengas. Firestorms are raging as multiple realities battle for control of the elements.
Even the Way, the turbulent channel of water that separates Nord, Határ and Kemen, the lifeblood of the city of Tyr, is turning.
Kyira’s search for her missing brother draws her away from the familiar frozen lines of Nord and south into the chaotic streets of Tyr where games are played & battles fought. As the world tears, Kyira must choose between her family or her path before the Forbringr catches up with her.
Mirjam N –
Had a great time meeting the ringlanders for the first time and look forward to the next chapter in their story!
Well written and paced, I got through it in three sessions -and that was me pacing myself- because I needed to find out what came next.
Catarina Nabais –
Every quality box you might have, this book checks it: shipping was fast, beautifully packaged, the bookmarks are gorgeous and sturdy, and the quality of the book itself is outstanding. Well worth every penny. Will keep my signed edition close to heart.
John McCrea @ Tales from Absurdia –
Full review available at
https://talesfromabsurdia.com/book-reviews/ringlander-the-path-and-the-way-book-review/
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Ringlander: The Path and the Way – the debut fantasy novel from Michael S. Jackson – is an absolute riot.
Set in Rengas, a continent dominated by conflict, the occupying & brutish Bohr seek to quash an ongoing rebellion from the native human population. Meanwhile, an astral war engulfs the cosmos above, with the world torn apart by competing realities.
Sound complex? At first, it does come across a little abstract.
However, Jackson’s brilliant writing guides the reader deftly, navigating the various factions of Rengas, from the Tsiorc rebels to the Pathfinders of the North.
This is a fantasy novel with a truly original lore – and that’s a really exciting prospect for future entries in the series.
PaulsPicks –
When the pandemic hit I knew that I would need an escape from my four walls… away from the news, away from the socials, away from my children! Ha! Creators definitely stepped up. And I found some amazing shows to immerse myself in: shout out to Kid Cosmic on Netflix and Mare of Easttown on HBO, and a long list of comics from Boom! Studios. I found my reading would swerve between easily accessible middle grade/ YA to complex fantasy tomes… throw in a couple thrillers to clean my palate and I had a good system going to help me through these difficult times.
Ringlander is one of those books that was challenging in its approach, but satisfying in the end. I found myself on a little bit of shaky ground at the beginning of the novel as I tried to figure out who and what these giants are and what this land looks like: frozen taiga, lavish cities, and the bold move to add shifting realities that between… This was a solid undertaking that was rewarded with a story about family, love, and the changing politics of this world.
Pick up Ringlander for a trip into another world and another world and another world. Action punctuated by strong character building and a world that continues to grow and evolve.
4 out of 5 stars
Nick Borrelli (Out of This World SFF) –
I have to admit that I did not know quite what to expect with this book. The description sounded interesting enough, but I also had the feeling that this might be one of those fantasies that I’ve read a hundred or so times before where the story is kind of okay, but doesn’t really grab me. Turns out that I couldn’t have been more wrong! RINGLANDER: THE PATH AND THE WAY turned out to be one of my favorite reads of the year and a book that had me under its spell whenever I picked it up.
What made this book so great, you ask? A number of reasons actually. The very first thing that jumped out at me was the depth and richness of the world-building and by extension, the wonderful magic system. This isn’t a run of the mill fantasy where the story plods along and a few things happen here and there, this is a tour de force fantasy story that excels in the storytelling and character relationships.
The concept of alternate realities and worlds that are slowly breaking through the current world, and the possibility of those being used as potential weapons was such a cool construct and one that really had me mesmerized. Sure it’s kind of been done before, but never quite like this in my opinion. And then alongside that fantastical element of the story, there is also the very real and brutal occupation of the continent of Rengas by the merciless Bohr. It added a militaristic aspect to the story that played off the supernatural one unbelievably well.
As the mighty Bohr get more and more drunk with power and conquest over the humans they rule, they believe themselves invincible. However, there exists a small group of rebels called the Tsiorc who hold out hope that they can still save their tiny bastion of humans if they have the will. The Tsiorc gather recruits from the shells of cities that the Bohr have burned to the ground and attempt to capitalize on the anger of those who have lost so much. Maybe this will turn the tide. But can raw anger and cunning strategy win out against a foe that has never experienced defeat before?
This is just the tip of the iceberg of the phenomenal story that Michael S. Jackson has brought us in this book. So many layers upon layers of everything you could want in a captivating fantasy book. And I haven’t even touched on the characters! Not only do we get the 30,000 foot view of the story through the incredibly described action and world-building, but Jackson also gives us a deeply personal account of the three main POV characters Kyira, Fia, and Hasaan, who all have their own stakes in the deadly confrontation that may be coming.
RINGLANDER: THE PATH AND THE WAY is one of those special books that you think about wherever you are and can’t wait to get back to. Having consumed it in roughly a week or so, I can say that there’s not a single part of this book that doesn’t fully engage you and keep you entirely interested. This is an exceptional story about perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, a story that shows you glimpses of a magic that is both mysterious and powerful, and ultimately a story that will totally suck you in and have you showing up at work groggy-eyed from many late night reading sessions.
I think you can tell by now that I thoroughly loved this book. I so want to find out more about the history of Rengas and what is behind many of the mysteries that were introduced in this debut offering. I am sure that book two is going to up the ante even more and I am eager to jump right back into this world. I know that many of you have pretty imposing TBRs, but trust me and push RINGLANDER: THE PATH AND THE WAY right near the top because it is one of the most exciting and absorbing fantasy books that I have read this year. I for one really hope this book gets its due recognition because it’s a cracking read.
Abbeysbooktopia –
Ok so first up I want to give props for this being a debut fantasy novel!
I could feel the passion that was put into this story and I really enjoyed it.
I thought the world was really unique and the world building, although a little overwhelming at the start, I got used to it eventually!
There is also a glossary in the back and honestly it was super helpful and I would love for more authors to do this. I think it allows for more distinctive world building without having to do the usual info dumping!
The settings in this book were so atmospheric and really set the tone.
I love feeling the brutality of environments and our characters having to survive them.
It had some great action sequences and heart pounding moments too.
I liked all the characters and really enjoyed reading from Kyria and Fias narratives. I will say however though that there were a lot of characters that we were following, as this book is in third person I found it hard to connect with all of them because of it. I think a multiple first person POV would have made it easier for me to get more emotionally invested. That’s just my personal opinion though.
Also the pacing in some places was a little off for me, which could also come down to the fact that we switch to different characters quite often.
That and a few grammatical errors, which I’m assuming were because I have a review copy, were the only issues I had!
Overall I’m really impressed and I am excited for the future sequels.
I gave this one 4⭐️.
Arina @ Wyrm’s Worlds –
As multiversal forces reshape the land and anti-imperialist rebellion spreads throughout Rengas, political games and intimate journeys collide to deliver a thoroughly engrossing and brilliant debut.
Michael S. Jackson’s The Path and the Way unites distinct POVs to build rich lore and clever worldbuilding brimming with mayhem, myths, and magic.
A daughter and a father fight against time to find her missing brother, amidst a land torn apart by mysterious forces. An aimless idealist faces the horrors of war. A spy masking as a courtesan uncovers deadly secrets and navigates the political games of a conquered city. A demoted commander and an acient assassin dance around scheming and warmongering thirst.
Jackson binds all these separate storylines together with a common link and opens up his sprawling new world by centering its characters’ intimate ambitions. The myths and hierarchies of the world are a refreshing, brightly woven tapestry, and the themes of war, imperialism, occupation, and migration an interesting thread to unravel.
A fascinating concoction of storytelling done right!
Emi (@slavicreader) –
I was intrigued by this book ever since I saw the cover posted on Twitter. So I was really happy when the author offered me a place within The Path and the Way’s virtual tour. I’d like to thank Michael S. Jackson for providing me with a physical copy of the book to read and review. As well as all the super cool swag that came along with it! My review consists of my own thoughts, all opinions are my own.
I’d like to start off by mentioning that one of the most prevailing things about this book was the fact that I could really pick up on the love the author had for the world and it’s characters. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t by any means a gentle book or anything. But I do love it when authors really tug on the reader’s heartstrings in books. The fact the characters suffered didn’t lessen the obvious care and love the author held them in. I’ve never quite gotten those kinds of feelings from reading a book before, except maybe when reading Robin Hobb’s writing.
What also took my by surprise was the magic system and how it interacted with the story. I’m not going to give too much away as I definitely think it’s something everyone needs to discover on their own – but it was really good. Whilst it took me almost two weeks to finish reading, that was not due to the fault of the book itself. I likely would have read it much faster had I not been so busy.
One of the few things that made me struggle a bit with my reading journey was not necessarily the writing, but some of the descriptions. At first I tripped over a few things as I still wasn’t super used to the writing style, but afterwards it was all smooth sailing. Like all epic fantasy books, it takes a bit to really get into. There was a lot of military elements to it at times as well, which can be a bit hit or miss for me as I’m not into all aspects of military fantasy, but that wasn’t too bad in the end either. A lot of it was explained well enough that even I could understand it.
Conclusion: If you think the cover of The Path and the Way is stunning, then you’ll probably enjoy the story too. They often say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but this one of the rarer cases when you can. It’s a series I plan on continuing with, and hope to see it receive more love in general.
Nicole @ The Bibliophile Chronicles –
When I first heard about Ringlander: The Path and the Way I was immediately intrigued – partly because of that stunning cover – but also because it sounded like such a unique and engaging tale. In a world in which holes are beginning to tear between worlds, we follow Kyira, a young girl trying to find her missing brother. Her search will take her away from everything she knows – her home in freezing Nord to the bustling streets of Tyr. As Kyira fights to find her brother and stay alive reality begins to tear, forcing her to choose between the things most important to her: her family or her path.
The thing that struck me most about this book was how much I was torn between reading it slowly, savouring the fascinating world and magic system or racing through it because it was so compelling and I just had to know what was going to happen. This is an exceptionally addictive read, one that is well-paced and excellently plotted. The story kept me engaged throughout and as soon as I finished it I was desperate for more. The Path and the Way felt like such a fresh take on this type of story and despite it being a thicker book I read it in only a few sittings.
Jackson really excels at creating multi-layered characters and I find it rare to read a multi-POV story where I’m captivated by all of their storylines. There’s usually always one or two I am less fond of but each one was fascinating. Kyria is a particularly compelling character, battling to find her brother and succeed despite the odds being stacked against her. If you’re someone who loves books with plenty of action, this book definitely has you covered. From the very first page, there is tons to keep you hooked and turning pages late into the night.
The Path and the Way is an impressive tale and one that I did not want to end. If you’re looking for a fantasy read with detailed worldbuilding and incredible characters, this one is a must-read. The Path and the Way is absolutely one of my favourite fantasy reads of the year and I can’t wait to read more from Michael S. Jackson.
Thomas Turner –
Really enjoyable read. A lot of thought as gone in to building the world to create a multi-layered story that slowly unravels during the course of the book. There are multiple plot threads so there is something for most types of readers to enjoy whether you like character driven stories, action packed battles or large world-changing events. The scale of this series is ambitious and could grow in to something very large and sprawling. I found following the main character pov’s closely to be the best part of the story, i hope going in to book 2 that this aspect remains and so not lost under other larger events that are likely to unfold!
Highly anticipating where the story goes from here.