A Warrior's Path (The Castes and the OutCastes Book 1)

I can offer to the author, this book and it's sequel, is that The Skull Throne has sat unread, in my kindle library, while immersed in Davis Ashura's world of Arisa. I was surprised and delighted by the scope of the story, it's characters, magical system, culture and the many plot twists! The story and characters would not let me put the book down. The viewpoints and insights shared by the various characters added to the depth of the story. This book comes highly recommended. It will surprise you.

Great characters who develop throughout the course of the series (which was actually designed as one large book, according to Dr. Ashura) and have multiple aspects to their personalities and beliefs. The pacing is quite good, never feeling slow but also taking its time to develop the characters and plot threads well. Relationships, both romantic and otherwise, are handled better than I've found in other series I've liked, such as the Mistborn series, and though sometimes juvenile, are fitting relevant to the world in which the characters live and can put you through an emotional roller-coaster. The plot is strong with well thought-out twists, but I'd argue that the characters are really the driving force behind this series (which is what I prefer, actually).

Honestly, the only complaint I have with this series as a whole is that it ends - I definitely feel that more could be written and hope Dr. Ashura will continue this story that has become one of my favorites, in line with The Kingkiller Chronicle, The Stormlight Archive, and Codex Alera.

Very good book. It had classic battles, mysteries,love affairs,political intrigue,a satisfying hero, good world building, and a unique magic/power concept. Could tell that the author was passionate about his writing. The world that he builds is expansive in concept and hopefully is explored a little more in future books. There were a few editing issues, but nothing that was game changing. Another plus for the book and what helped gain the final star was the length of the book. A good read and highly recommended.

This is fantasy with a fresh viewpoint in a different sort of world from a new talent in the field. Davis Ashura creates an interesting world, peopled by weird creatures with surprising beliefs, lovely Oasis cities defended by a valiant warrior caste with psychic abilities, thugs working to destroy those cities in concert with an insane deity, and a pigheaded caste system that some will fight to defend and others will find reason to question even while they defend it. Before you crack this book, be ready for swordplay, magic, villainy, courage, fear, endurance and conspiracy, twists and surprises, and one hell of a fight in the darkness!

I will be perfectly honest here; though the book takes off running and immediately transports the reader into the well-developed world, it took me to just under 100 pages into the story to feel like I understood enough to fully be involved in the goings-on. The world created within this novel is incredibly detailed and complex, and the cast of characters are rich and vibrant...it just took me a bit to catch up to them, so to speak. This is a very 'meaty' novel, and honestly the best comparison I can find for it is that it is very Tolkien-esque in it's style, given the level of detail. The hierarchy and politics (the Caste system as well as the mores of the Ashokan society) were depicted well, but were so unlike anything I've read that there was a bit of a learning curve in trying to understand how it worked and keep up with the novel's events at the same time.
I said all that to say this: if, dear reader, you find yourself struggling a bit in the beginning, stick with it, because it's entirely worth it in the end. Once you've gained a full grasp of the characters and the world in which they live, you'll find it smooth sailing. I certainly did.

The characters in this novel are incredibly intriguing and remarkably developed, and I found myself entirely invested in what was happening to them, even the 'minor' characters (Mr. Ashura, I will never forgive you for what you did to Lure and Brand, just saying). Not only was I quite captivated by the characters, I found myself consistently surprised by them. Things I expected to happen did not, and it was a pleasant experience, being kept on my toes!

At the risk of babbling on incessantly, as sometimes I am prone to, let me end this review by saying I highly recommend this book if you're in the mood for something different. It's remarkably original in concept and wonderfully executed. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

....and now all that's left is to wait for the sequel!

I don’t usually write reviews for books because my tastes vary wildly from other readers. I spend lot of time searching for any new fantasy series that I can enjoy and it’s not often I come across a book that I enjoyed as much as this one. Top begin with, I don’t really care for books that take forever to get started. This book had me hooked from the first page. There are some great characters and the world building was impressive and made sense.

As for the writing, Davis Ashura does a great job describing the fighting scenes, the magic system and the world in which this story takes place. I look forward to seeing how the story progresses in the next book.

This is a great book. The differences between the people are well described. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did because it was a little jumbled for me at the beginning. Now I can't wait to read the second book.

so i'm into 37% of the book based on kindle. I am not a fast reader, not yet. I am not an avid novel reader either. But this got me into the storyline now. Great book by far. It sends you off into a fantasy world of adventure, casteism, and fear. I would describe this as a mix of storm troopers, Lord of the Rings, 47 Ronin, Dr Strange, all delivered in an exciting package. Oh by the way, when you are so deep into the story and your vivid imagination is already overflowing, the author just all of sudden bring you back to reality and get you back on your bearings. He does this with his subtle dialogue. So imagine you are in an enchanted land with all your nemesis drawing their sword and gnashing their teeth, then all of a sudden somebody shouts "dumb *** (expletive}". its like somebody smacks you back from dream land... I love that ! Great book by far, can't wait for the sequel ! guess, i'll have to finish it first. First the Blend ... Suwraith Spit ! ha ! I should demand a signed copy right !

I bought the audiobook for this after seeing one of my favorite narrators for this book and was pleasantly surprised. this is not the best book if you are looking for the battles though it has plenty of them but the social structure of the Castes and the racial interactions are what this story is about. I truly was mesmerized by the story.

I loved this book. It started out as most epic fantasy books but then had the added twist of showing it from the "bad guys" point of view. This gave it a very good twist. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the sequel. I look forward to the final book in the series!

I made it halfway through the book before I just decided that it if had not caught my interest by that time, I would invest no more time in it. I am sure that many will enjoy it. The writing is good. I do suspect that with the complexity of the story it is likely better to wait until the series is complete before undertaking it. My only objection was that the author felt it necessary to try to develop an entirely new language with which to describe things. For me, it added nothing and made the book more laborious.

This is a story about many people, relationships, creatures, and a psychotic "mother" of beasts called "chimeras." Humans have developed powers, but that does not mean they are immune to societal conflict. Even among the chimeras, there is conflict and deceit. And the greatest conflict of all, the fight between mankind and chimeras. But which side is really evil? Which side really understands the philosophy of the "First Mother" and "First Father." This is a very detailed, action filled story set in a city of its own and the wastelands outside the city, all in a world that feels as if it is real. Fantasy readers should love the world building as well as the character's development not only as individuals, but with their powers as well. I can't wait to read it again.

When I am kept wondering, "...what's going to happen next?," I am all in! Davis Ashura kept me turning the pages rooting for the underdog while considering the fantastic twists on new possibilities for an alternative reality. It is clear Ashura crafts his words carefully--writing because he loves to present readers an opportunity for a unique adventure in a new world painted in their minds: a definite must-download and recommend to friends!

This book was not for me. As my title says I would rename this book to "A series of fictional biographies". It seems about 1 part story line, to 10 parts life stories about people who don't even matter in the story. I felt like at first the carrot (story line) tied to the fishing pole (flufagraphies) was just in front of my hands, but after a few hours into the story the carrot was miles away and became not worth it to skim through all the charactor's stories. Clearly many people like this book, I'll even consider my opinion wrong due to the review count. But if you have a hard time getting into a new story you may want to venture elsewhere first.

In times where it appears there are so many fantasy novels around that the genre feels watered down, here comes a novel that is original and with enough depth that a reader would want to see a series unfolded in the size and magnitude of Wheel of Time or Sword Of Truth series. Download it today, and begin your journey.

I think I'll keep this simple and to the point. I am an avid reader of fantasy and sci go. That being said, I've been let down many times by New books and New authors who have little talent and even less by the way of a realistic world and dynamic characters. Davis quickly had me enthralled by this new world and I'm anxious to learn more!

In times where it appears there are so many fantasy novels around that the genre feels watered down, here comes a novel that is original and with enough depth that a reader would want to see a series unfolded in the size and magnitude of Wheel of Time or Sword Of Truth series. Download it today, and begin your journey.

I think I'll keep this simple and to the point. I am an avid reader of fantasy and sci go. That being said, I've been let down many times by New books and New authors who have little talent and even less by the way of a realistic world and dynamic characters. Davis quickly had me enthralled by this new world and I'm anxious to learn more!

Very good fantasy! The characters are distinct and the world building very well done. There is an epic conflict and also a variety of personal ones. I heartily enjoyed it and am downloading the 2nd book now.

Really loved this book. The story unfolded beautifully. Sometimes I feel writers spend so much time setting up a world that nothing happens for the first 100 pages. Not so in this case. There's action from the beginning but time is taken to develop the characters and bring the world to life. Wonderful storytelling!!!

If you have read Princess of Wands and Queen of Wands, you will remember a scene at a Con where article submissions are being critiqued and mostly dumped. Illegible to banal to ludicrous. Examples given by the author could have been plucked from this "book." Furthermore the quality of the thing is as low as you can get. Literally "pulp" fiction. The pages look and feel like newsprint, and the cover is no better. In sum, lousy writing, wrapped in a substandard package. The formatting is not the standard you find in normal publications, but is formatted more like a letter, with each paragraph indented. The content is no better. I got suckered in once again by reviews claiming a wonderful read. It is in fact unreadable by anyone with at least a nodding acquaintance with actual literature. In other words, this is dreck.

Normally I read romance novels, but my friend told me to give this a try. What a surprise!!! I can hardly put it down. I need more hours in the day. Happy to have discovered this book and new genre. Loved the characters. I'm in love with Rukh. I can't wait until the next book of this series comes out....