Download PDF Pathways The Kingdom Chronicles Book 1 eBook Camille Peters
Download As PDF : Pathways The Kingdom Chronicles Book 1 eBook Camille Peters
Eileen has never been interested in love. Ever since her father's abandonment, she's vowed to never experience such pain again. But the enchanted forest has different ideas. When the continuously shifting pathways lead her to a mysterious stranger, Eileen finds her promise to fiercely guard her heart increasingly difficult to keep.
One night when she becomes lost in a storm, the enchanted forest's pathways lead her to the castle, home to the kingdom's Dark Prince, where Eileen finds herself entangled in what many consider an opportunity but which Eileen believes to be a curse competing for the Dark Prince’s hand through a series of tests that judge one’s royal worth. Eileen is neither royal nor interested in becoming a princess. But the mysterious stranger she met in the woods has his own reasons for helping her succeed, although the cost of his assistance may be too high that of Eileen's heart, the one thing she's vowed never to give.
Inspired by “The Princess and the Pea” and "Rumpelstiltskin"
Download PDF Pathways The Kingdom Chronicles Book 1 eBook Camille Peters
"It was a rough read, with no natural flow to the story. It seemed forced, as though the author was trying to reach a word count quota. It was just ok."
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Tags : Pathways (The Kingdom Chronicles Book 1) eBook Camille Peters ,ebook,Camille Peters,Pathways (The Kingdom Chronicles Book 1),Rosewood Publications,Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends Mythology,Fiction / Romance / Fantasy
Pathways The Kingdom Chronicles Book 1 eBook Camille Peters Reviews :
Pathways The Kingdom Chronicles Book 1 eBook Camille Peters Reviews
- Like many princess stories, the main character in Pathways starts out as a peasant girl. Eileen is a skilled artist, a lot like Elaine from Goldheart, another "Rumpelstiltskin" adaptation. However, Eileen feels more like an outdated Rodgers and Hammerstein heroine. She starts out by saying she will never fall in love and winds up doing just that. Back in the '50s, that used to be a traditional character arc for women, but today, princesses make it pretty clear whether or not they want to fall in love and stick to their decision, no matter how much other people try to convince them otherwise. Not only that, but for someone who is so mistrusting of men, Eileen lets Aiden get away with some pretty shady stuff. For instance, when he first meets her, he attempts to slice off a lock of her hair without permission, misses, and accidentally slices her neck. That's not creepy at all, right? It only gets worse as the book goes on, but Eileen continues to forgive him over and over in spite of her stubbornness about love.
Romance aside, the first half of the book is incredibly slow. Eileen spends most of her time in an enchanted forest that continuously morphs its paths akin to Pan's Labyrinth. Even though the forest is different every time she goes there, she feels safe within its trees and trusts them to always guide her home. The forest guides her to beautiful areas that she draws in her sketchbook. She thinks that she was the only one who knows its secrets until she meets Aiden. Her encounters with him in the forest go on for much longer than they should with absolutely nothing of interest happening in the story. Rosie, Eileen's best friend, tries to convince her that she is in love with Aiden even though she never actually sees them together. It starts to feel as though the story is forcing Eileen to fall in love with Aiden in spite of her own wishes.
The second half of the book is inspired by "The Princess and the Pea," but without the pea or the tower of mattresses. The forest leads Eileen to a castle where she is mistaken for a long-lost princess and must compete for the hand of the prince against her own will. She soon learns that Aiden lives in the castle as well, and the rest is painfully predictable. By this point, the lack of a villain really starts to hurt the story. I saw every plot twist from a mile away, and there were no obstacles between Eileen and her happy ending. In fact, Aiden felt more like a villain than any other character, including the mean-spirited princess. I was so angry with Aiden for his actions by the end of the story that I felt like he was entirely undeserving of Eileen.
Pathways is a forced love story and very little else. It doesn't work as a fairy tale adaption because it does absolutely nothing to enhance the fairy tales that inspired it. Eileen could have been a stronger heroine if she had stayed true to her word of never falling in love, but everything in the book seems to revolve around proving her wrong. Her relationship with her parents is more interesting than her relationship with Aiden, but it never gets explored, even she obsesses over her father's mysterious disappearance. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had focused on Eileen learning the truth about her father instead of on a relationship that she never wanted in the first place. - I started this one not really knowing anything about it, but ended up loving it! Well written, this story is an interesting twist on fairy-tales, and I love the author's style! Camille Peters has created something all her own taking inspiration from stories like The Princess and the Pea†and "Rumpelstiltskin" she's worked magic, and I'm so happy I found this title!
- Talk about being sucked into a story. I was almost immediately drawn into this fairy tale world. The magic was perfect. The romance was engaging. I am so happy I read this one. The characters were perfectly flawed and I could relate to them so well. The mystery was beautifully woven into the story and I found myself wondering about things that were eventually answered for me. What a rich fairy tale world, I can't wait to go back, there are other heroes and Heroines I want to get to know more fully. What a wonderful first novel. I will definitely read this one again.
- I LOVED this fairytale romance!! The setting was so enchanting and beautiful, and the storyline was wonderfully unexpected. I really enjoy fairytale retellings and this was a fantastic one!
The forest was a favorite of mine in this tale- it was alive and had so much to do with the direction of the story. I thought the title and the theme of pathways was artfully woven through the story.
The two main characters were so likeable and relatable. I loved that both had their own prejudices and faults, and they learned to see past each of their shortcomings. So many of their obstacles seemed insurmountable, and I liked seeing the growth and selflessness that came about as the story unfolded.
I can’t wait to see what the author writes next (I believe a book about Rosie!) but there were many supporting characters I’d be happy to see a book about! - It was a rough read, with no natural flow to the story. It seemed forced, as though the author was trying to reach a word count quota. It was just ok.
- I was completely gobsmacked with Pathways! I stayed up all night reading it because I just couldn't put it down. I love fairy tale retellings A LOT - it's the main reason I read the book - but this one was just so much more because although it had bits and pieces of Rumplestiltskin and The Princess and The Pea, it was still completely unique and all her own! (I'm still blown away by the story (several weeks later) and can't force myself to take it off of my book carousel so I can see it every day and be reminded of what an outstanding book it is.) I am in serious awe of her writing talents and am grateful to have found another clean romantic fairy tale author.
Aaaand now I'm done fangirling like a teenager. ;)
***Minor Spoilers Ahead***
At the beginning of the story, it's clear that Aiden is moody and entitled- he's used to getting what he wants without question and no one tells him 'no'. He's nicknamed the Dark Prince for a reason; not the Sweet Prince or the Charming Prince. He meets a beautiful girl in the forest and wants a lock of her hair to remember her by, so he pulls out his dagger and he takes it. Done. He feels his action is okay, even though it's clearly not. He didn't mean to cut her skin in the process. That's why Eileen is so great for Aiden she humanizes him. Even though he accidentally hurt her, Eileen is intrigued by the mysterious stranger in the forest. Why does her heart pick up every time she sees him? It's not like she's never met a handsome man before. The forest trees and pathways keep leading them to each other for a reason, no matter how long Eileen tries to resist its call. Now it's time to find out if she's brave enough to pursue a relationship with him and if he can soften his heart enough to win her love.
