• Path of a Novice

  • Silvan Series, Book 1
  • By: R.K. Lander
  • Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May
  • Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (713 ratings)

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Path of a Novice

By: R.K. Lander
Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May
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Publisher's summary

A fearless warrior. An implacable traitor. The path toward a destiny only a god foresaw.

Fel'annár is a gifted immortal warrior embarking on his first patrol into the Deep Forest. Half-Silvan, half-Alpine, he battles the enemy from without, and the prejudice from within. But he learns more than just warfare when an arcane power begins to emerge, one he cannot control.

While friendships are forged, a destiny unfolds, one that is tied to a past he knows nothing about. For others, though, it is only a matter of time before the truth is revealed, and the danger becomes real.

If you love high fantasy worlds with compelling characters on a dangerous mission, you can't miss Path of a Novice, book one in the epic fantasy series The Silvan Saga.

©2017 Ruth Kent (P)2019 Tantor

What listeners say about Path of a Novice

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

ONE OF THE BEST!!!

I have almost 900 books in my library, and that doesn't count on all the 100s of books I've listened to on the romance/escape package. I have taken the time to write maybe 3 reviews, not because I don't care but when 1000 other people are saying the samething, I don't really see the point. I just happened to go back a check if the the final book had been added and noticed that there are still very few reviews. What is wrong with you people, buy the book, it's worth a hand full of credits. I'm not going into the stories details, but the author is truly gifted and you will not be disappointed. I am not one of those people who goes back to re-read/ re-listen to a lot of books (probably why I have so many in my library) but for the books in this series I will definitely make an exception. Hope my review helps with your book choice. Happy listening :)

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42 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An epic story!

I read Path of a Novice several months ago, and was immediately drawn into the story, the characters, and the world they live in. Once the audiobook was released, I had to listen to it - it brings the book to life even more.

I love that Path of a Novice is written with a style that is more reminiscent of Tolkien than many of the more modern fantasy stories. There is a level of detail that paints each scene on a canvas, while the story itself grabs hold of you and refuses to let go. I don't mind that the point of view changes, because it helps the reader become more invested in characters that are important to the continuing story, but who might otherwise be overlooked or sidelined. Having that glimpse into the larger political and social background adds gravity to what might otherwise come across as a simple coming-of-age story.

Overall, the narration was well done. The only time I felt distracted from the story was when Daniel May voiced female characters (of which there aren't many) - they didn't sound as natural as the male voices. For that, I deducted one performance star.

Path of a Novice is a compelling start to the series, and I look forward to reading and listening to the rest of the story!

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Audiobook, Wonderful Story

This is an excellent audiobook that brings book 1 of this wonderful, epic fantasy story to life. Kudos to the narrator for daring to give a different voice for every character that speaks, his range is impressive. Don't believe any negative reviews of this audiobook. Be patient as the author gradually builds up the story to its apex in the later chapters. Chapter 15 is my favourite to listen to, it's so dramatic & heart-wrenching and can bring tears to one's eyes. A worthy purchase.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Way too much "TELL" and Way too little "SHOW"

Let me start by saying, I’ve returned it to get my credit back. It had the makings of being a decent read but has way too many major distracting flaws. The biggest flaw of this book is that the author tells the reader what to think about the major character through the POV of the side characters and that is unacceptable. There is zero character development that the reader gets to see, you have to learn it from what the side characters have concluded which is really lazy of the author. The pacing of this story is way too fast, there are time jumps all over the place, another lazy way imho for the author to move the story along and avoid developing the main character.

This book also suffers from having a way too perfect main character and it actually makes me dislike him. The author focuses too much on the beauty of the main character, I don’t understand why that was so important. I saw other reviews mention that this was done for women readers, this is very insulting. And btw, I’m a woman and I don’t find this focus the least bit appealing. The writers prose is “too much on the nose” in an annoying ingratiating way. It was very predictable and feels like wish fulfillment on the part of the author. I really regret having taken the time to listen to it. This is my first and last book by this author.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Just bland..

I have restarted this three times because there is not much story compelling the reader. It’s like a few conversations to hint at pushing a plot forward then a time jump; new characters, another vague conversation and a time jump and a character jump. No real reason to follow the protagonist other than he’s evidently beautiful (repeatedly beat into the dialogue), fights well (because he spent his time dancing, or training in the woods alone) and the mystery of why he looks like the other guys, but that gets revealed pretty early on. Hard to want to keep reading about a vapid but apparently good looking blonde bastard with green eyes who had no real conflicts other than being a orphan and a bastard. Neat.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

The last half of the book is indeed epic and SO glad I spent the credit and a book with a fraction of reviews. Solid and really can’t wait for more 👍🏼👍🏼

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic!

Oh, this was so good! Great story and great performance. I can’t wait to see what else this writer will do.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL SERIES

Fantastic story and well performed by Daniel Thomas May, one of the best narrators! Excellent plot with interesting characters. Lots of action and kept me awake the whole night to finish it. I'm purchasing the next two books - thank goodness the rest of the books are already published. Bravo to R K Lander, a brilliant writer. Most enjoyable.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Wonderful Story told by A Talented Narrator!

I had read the book several times in anticipation of the next addition to the story. wait for young Fel'annár's tale to unfold. R. K. Lander has created a world full of wonder and strife. I was honestly sad everytime the book would be near its end.
No matter how many times I read the story I would get lost in the tale. As if each time was my first. I would get lost in the life like characters and their entertaining wit. In the different cultures of Silvan and Alpine.
All the Narrator did was bring the story to life!
Through him I watched Fel's story unfold in my mind. I could see the Great Forrest and Silvan villages. I could see Alpine cities and warriors at work. I could see Sand Lords and Deviants attacking and seeking Immortality.
All I can simply say is I can't wait for the next installment of Fel'annár's life to unfold!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
  • v
  • 08-13-19

Could not get into it...

Way too little action for me. And way too much jumping around.
Give it a listen, I'd recommend this for female listeners but not so much for male.

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3 people found this helpful