FINAL Path Keeper BT Poster

SourceFormatPagesPublisherGenrePublication Date
Random Things ToursEbook392BHC PressYA/Fantasy/RomanceMay 28th, 2019

43502260What if all our lives were mapped out before birth? Does anyone have the power to change their destiny?

Ella hates London. She misses her old life in Spain and is struggling to get over her past—until she meets Zac. He’s always loved her but isn’t meant to be part of her story. Not this time. Not ever. Little does she know that his secret is the one thing that will tear them apart and force her to live in a world that no longer makes sense. A world full of danger, lies and magic.

THE PATH KEEPER is a passionate tale of first loves, second chances and the invisible threads that bind us. Can love ever be stronger than fate?

At first glance, a romantic YA title which centres around forbidden love that spans centuries yet quickly becomes controversial by making use of content that requires a trigger warning.

Trigger Warning

I took a chance with this title and personally, I quite enjoyed it, trigger warnings and all. Admittedly, whilst The Path Keeper does not tread on paths and plots wholly new, the spin on fallen angels and the unrelated to the romantic aspect of the story conflict was interesting! And maybe that’s what made this story more than just an urban fantasy chick flick- in between the love interest, there was more than one conflict presented and the overall story pulled all of the points together perfectly.

So, what are we dealing with in the story? First, Ella, our main character is quite a firecracker of a 17 year old and I could level with her nicely. Yes, she got a bit OTT at times but it’s understandable… Especially when your love interest frustrates the hell out of you and your mother is a shallow accessory to society and you don’t know your real father! Not good! 

Talking of love interest- Zac is one of those uber brooding types that could easily weasel their way to anyone’s panties but dude, he makes some bad decisions. Now, granted, his whole existence is a bit more than even he or anyone else ever realizes. In a twisted way he makes sense to himself and he tries to follow the rules that have been set… however cruel they may sound. Cruel… yes, our lives are just a constant obstacle course of utter P&S but the take on fate in this book puts the laws of the animal kingdom to shame! I can understand why some would find some of the reasonings in this book unnecessarily wicked, but cruelty aside… I liked how the author has pulled on elements from reincarnation and fate and mapping our lives… It’s a mind-bending concept and if real? Well, we shall see when we all get to that point! 

This story is ultimately about fate… and the love that reincarnates as generations pass. Interestingly, whilst it’s not my first choice of a plot device, I was eagerly engaged by the past lives and ‘indirect’ timetravel element Simmonds decided to use in this story. They’re all very unique to each other and yet link perfectly with each other in the past and with the future. There was a whole lot of story within this book and the characters really delivered an enriched visual of what was, what could have been and what never was.. the emotion was real! 

So, yes, in many ways, The Path Keeper is not just a story about 2 young people who can’t keep their hands away from each other. It’s also about lessons learnt, mistakes made and importantly- admitting that mistakes were made. It’s about redemption and second chances. I have to say, and dare I say it even, that the occasional sexy time felt unnecessary for me.. with the story itself and all of the different conflicts it presented, the love could have remained pure and innocent and that would have worked beautifully, too… Alas, sex sells, it’s everywhere and in everything so I have no further comment on that. But, I don’t think I would recommend this title to a 15 year old… not to a 15 year old… but, that’s just me. 

Overall, pleasantly surprised by this book and I can’t wait to see what the sequel delivers because not only was The Path Keeper a fast paced read, it delivered some serious bang with the ending! Intrigue aplenty!

NJ Simmonds Author PictureNatali Drake, who writes under the pen name of N.J. Simmonds, has written articles for various UK newspapers and online publications. In 2015 she co-
founded the online magazine The Glass House Girls and is a regular contributor. Originally from north London, she now divides her time between her two homes in the Netherlands and Spain with her husband and two daughters.