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A review by thistlechaser
The Cruel Path by David J. Normoyle
5.0
(Book given free for review by publisher.)
Oh how I loved this story. I thought it was a sequel to the first book (The Narrowing Path, reviewed by me back in June), but turns out it was a prequel. Also turns out it was much shorter than the original (Cruel is a novella).
It's set on the same world as Narrowing: A planet with an unstable orbit. Once every few (six?) years, the planet gets too close to the sun and all life on the surface is killed off. The only way to survive is to be below the surface, within the cave structures deep under it. The caves can only hold a limited number of people, so every six years all teenage boys need to "walk the path". Basically go out into the world and kill off all the other boys or prove themselves in some other way (trade/business, etc). Only eight kids will be permitted to enter the cave. (And adults sure as heck aren't safe either. You have to have a lot of power and influence to earn a safe place.)
Cruel Path follows three brothers. Right from the beginning you know there's going to be a problem: Of the eight kids who can enter, four are picked by the four houses, and each one of those four can pick one person to bring in with them. So there's no way all three brothers can win a place -- at the very best, only two will survive, and even that is a very long shot.
My only disappointment with the book was how short it was. I hadn't realized it wasn't a full book, so it ended way, way, way before I was ready for it to.
Oh how I loved this story. I thought it was a sequel to the first book (The Narrowing Path, reviewed by me back in June), but turns out it was a prequel. Also turns out it was much shorter than the original (Cruel is a novella).
It's set on the same world as Narrowing: A planet with an unstable orbit. Once every few (six?) years, the planet gets too close to the sun and all life on the surface is killed off. The only way to survive is to be below the surface, within the cave structures deep under it. The caves can only hold a limited number of people, so every six years all teenage boys need to "walk the path". Basically go out into the world and kill off all the other boys or prove themselves in some other way (trade/business, etc). Only eight kids will be permitted to enter the cave. (And adults sure as heck aren't safe either. You have to have a lot of power and influence to earn a safe place.)
Cruel Path follows three brothers. Right from the beginning you know there's going to be a problem: Of the eight kids who can enter, four are picked by the four houses, and each one of those four can pick one person to bring in with them. So there's no way all three brothers can win a place -- at the very best, only two will survive, and even that is a very long shot.
My only disappointment with the book was how short it was. I hadn't realized it wasn't a full book, so it ended way, way, way before I was ready for it to.