Grimseeker 1

Book Three of The Dead Path Chronicles

Fiction - Paranormal
406 Pages
Reviewed on 06/27/2018
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Richard A. Valicek was born to parents of Croatian descent in Canada. He is proud of his heritage, as his great grandfather use to take care of the Austrian kings horses before the first world war. He became intrigued by great storytelling being brought to life on paper.
In 2001, Richard began taking courses in writing and graduated with a diploma in the Liberal Studies program. He slowly began to develop what would become his first major work.
His first book entitled: 'Alamptria: Red Moon Rising' was published in 2010 and it went on to win the Buzzillions Reviewers Choice Award. Richard created a world we have never seen before. His creativity spawned fictional characters that would be part of a classic tale of futuristic knights in conflict with vampires. But this is not an ordinary story of knights; they have been given great power from what Richard calls the Vim of Petoshine. The great elf wizard - Grongone; bestowed the swords of power to three knights from the city of Elysium; who would go on to shape the world to bestow freedom and peace upon Alamptria. Other knights would follow to embrace the vim. The great oracle - Felicia the golden fleece guides the knights of Petoshine.
This book is part of the Dead Path Chronicles series.

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Grimseeker 1 is a darkly paranormal fiction novel by multi-award-winning author Richard A. Valicek, and forms Book Three of The Dead Path Chronicles. This multi-layered, multi-genre novel begins on the planet of Alamptria, a high-concept world where a powerful formation of knights battle against vampires, Goncools and demons beyond belief. We follow the adventures of the knights Petoshine, Caprius, Andromin and Dragus as they travel to foreign climes, dispelling myths and fulfilling prophetic destinies wherever they go. Exciting travelogue aside, a deeper darkness is waiting to be unleashed. The demonic lord Makoor has a plot to release The Grim Seeker to destroy the knights’ home kingdom of Elysium, and this quest might just be a little too big for the terrific trio.

Richard A. Valicek packs an awful lot into this story. I would definitely recommend reading the previous novels in The Dead Path Chronicles, as I felt a little lost being thrown into such a highly detailed world and taking off at breakneck speed into adventure. That said, Grimseeker 1 is a wild ride that I couldn’t predict from paragraph to paragraph, let alone page to page. I felt most drawn to the very noble Andromin of the three knights, but every character in this chronicle felt as though it had been lifted out of mythology and given a lusciously dark new coat of paint. Valicek certainly knows his world and his classical literature influences shine through, mixing the excitement of modern vampiric dramas with old-school world-building and storytelling in the tradition of Tolkien.

Stephen Fisher

The third book of The Dead Path Chronicles by Richard A. Valicek begins with a visit to the past with our main hero, Caprius, one of the knights of the Petoshine, and wielder of one of the powerful claymore swords. He embarks on a quest to retrieve the book of Bivion. This long hidden relic needs to be found so that Felicia, the Golden Fleece, can be released from the underworld. Caprius must solve clues while outwitting the generic buffoonish henchmen of the demonic Makoor. The race begins, but does not end with the finding of the sacred tome. By accident, Caprius releases Felicia's spirit, only to find out that she now needs the staff of Bivion to restore her soul completely. He recruits the help of a friend to help him search for the artifact.

Grimseeker 1: Book three of The Dead Path Chronicles by Richard A. Valicek is a marvelously creative tale that combines fantasy and the paranormal with science fiction thrown in. Mr. Valicek does an outstanding job of moving this story along at a near breakneck pace. He continues to bounce the story back and forth between the intentions of our villains, while keeping the reader up to date with the progress of the overall plot. His diverse cast of characters, both good and bad guys, is well developed. He is able to vividly describe their actions, combined with a brash sense of humor that will have you laughing out loud. Richard A. Valicek steps up the plate with Grimseeker 1 and knocks it right out of the park. Awesome!

Romuald Dzemo

Grimseeker 1 is Book Three of The Dead Path Chronicles by Richard A. Valicek, a paranormal and fantasy tale that thrusts the reader into Elysium, a land on the planet Alamptria where King Confidus Seaton rules. It’s a tale that features vampires, magic, great warriors and a mesmerizing setting. The sons of Confidus Seaton are embroiled in a never-ending war against the vampires who follow the evil Lord Makoor. Caprius discovers the book of Bivion, which allows him to resurrect Felicia the Golden Fleece from the mysterious imprisonment that has lasted for over a thousand years. From this point, the reader is taken on a rollicking ride, an adventure with many twists, culminating in the ultimate threat to Elysium — her impending destruction by the evil one. Do Caprius and the knights have what it takes to save their beloved kingdom once more from an evil as strong as the Grim Seeker?

Richard A. Valicek has woven a story that will have fans of fantasy utterly engrossed and delighted, thanks to his excellent craft when it comes to setting. The writing evokes powerful images and takes readers to exciting places. The story is action-packed, the pacing stays fast and the conflict quickly develops into a crisis. The characters in Grimseeker 1 feel so real that readers can imagine them as people they meet daily along the way. I enjoyed how the author weaves the conflict between good and evil into the story and how he sustains the reader’s interest. You always feel something could go wrong at any moment, very soon. And a lot of things do go wrong, but Valicek knows just how to handle the complexities in his plot.

Melinda Hills

The Knightmasters are busy trying to protect the kingdom of Elysium in Grimseeker 1: Book Three of The Dead Path Chronicles by Richard A Valicek. A growing menace from Makoor in the Mountain of Drone is threatening the lands surrounding Elysium, where vampires are steadily increasing their numbers in an effort to take over the world. With the help of Thumpedor, King of the Woods, Andromin and Dragus save Calista and try to return to civilization to get help. Meanwhile, Caprius uncovers a haven for vampires that he hopes to destroy, but he must first save the life of one of his friends, not knowing there is a terrible secret that could change everything.

One good thing to come about in the course of Grimseeker 1 is the restoration of Felicia, the Golden Fleece. This is achieved through desperate efforts to find the missing book of Bivion and the staff that will provide her with tremendous power. The knights and monks can only hope that the awakening of the Golden Fleece means the return of the holiness of Petoshine and an end to the dark menace of Makoor, and an era of peace on the planet Alamptria.

Richard A Valicek has created a diverse and quite unique world in Grimseeker 1 where old and new blend with vampires for exciting action. As the third book in the series, Grimseeker 1 seems a bit difficult to follow, due to a large number of characters and what must have been previous action that would explain what is happening. With Valicek’s ability to tell a riveting story, it certainly would be worth the effort to start at the beginning of the series to truly appreciate the story being built.

Rabia Tanveer

In Grimseeker 1: Book Three of The Dead Path Chronicles by Richard A. Valicek, when an assassination attempt by Rover Honsel and Hanone Bigidrey against the Elysian Council fails, the two men are sold for gold to the country of Colidronia for experimentation. However, when the bodies of these two men are not returned to Elysium, the king sends his son and brave knight, Caprius, to investigate and see what has happened. However, when Caprius arrives at Colidronia, he is engaged in several encounters that stop him from investigating and finding out what he actually needs to know. There is a lot taking place and not much pointing out as to what has really happened. There is a diabolical plan against Elysium cooked up by Makoor (the demonic lord) and his henchman, Titanis Clore. Can Caprius uncover this plan, discover the identities of everyone involved, and save his people before it is too late? Will he even get the chance?

Grimseeker 1: Book Three of The Dead Path Chronicles by Richard A. Valicek is a fast paced paranormal novel that follows the dynamic and complex stories of multiple characters quite successfully. Valicek's Grimseeker 1 has a complex story that compelled me to read on. Although this is the third novel in the series, and I have not read the previous novels, I had no issues catching up and becoming invested in the characters. There were a lot of characters, but all of them were given a great deal of page space and that helped me to understand them better. The writing itself was crisp and fast paced, the dialogues were entertaining, and the characters were relatable. A really interesting and compelling novel!

K.J. Simmill

Caprius Seaton is a Grim Seeker, or so he had been told. But this phrase meant nothing to him and he had bigger matters to attend to. He sought the book of Bivion; the one thing able to return the golden fleece to existence. With it in hand, Felicia's spirit would finally be freed from the dungeons of nothing-land. But sometimes legends can fall short of their believers' expectations and sometimes, although legends are born, they can only be forged in the heat of conflict. Makoor's dark power is preventing Felicia's golden nature from materialising. In order for her resurrection to be complete, the staff of Bivion must be returned to her, allowing her to break free of this dark thrall. Caprius agrees to undertake the quest to the unfamiliar lands, but something stirs in the mountains of Drone. Strange and sinister happenings threaten the land; the darkness and its minions are becoming bolder, and he is needed to attend to matters closer to home. Join Caprius as he tries to quell the rising threat in Grimseeker 1 by Richard A. Valicek.

Grimseeker 1 is book three of Richard A. Valicek's The Dead Path Chronicles. Having not read the previous books by this author, I was pleased to discover Grimseeker 1 read as stand-alone. Richard A. Valicek's writing is filled with brilliantly scripted dialogue which not only advances the story and explains lore, but allows the reader to develop a feel for the characters. Grimseeker 1 possesses a world filled with conflict, light versus darkness, Elysians vs Bramonians, and the knights of Petoshine against the vampires and the endless evil that threatens the land. You will easily be drawn into the tale of the three brothers and their allies. There is some fantastic myth and world building, along with some tech to keep any fans of science fiction happy. A good science fiction, paranormal, fantasy combination and a strong tale in its own right.

Justine Reyes

Grimseeker 1: Book Three of The Dead Path Chronicles by R.A. Valicek begins in a tent in the middle of a battlefield. We are introduced to two characters, Bramonians who are meeting for the first time, Tessa and Brutus. After they become acquainted, the pair begins to plot the assassinations of the Seaton brothers, Caprius, Andromin, and Dragus, the sons of King Confidus Seaton who leads the land of Elysium. Elysians and Bramonians had once held a treaty called the Cranopleton, but that pact had long been terminated.

Grimseeker 1 is full of political intrigue, action, gore, and vampires. I suppose the latter two go hand in hand. Although this is the first book of The Dead Path Chronicles I’ve read, Valicek does a great job of not alienating readers. I picked this book up and kept reading because I felt as though I was given enough information and backstory to comprehend everything going on. Valicek carefully and precisely describes the events which lead up to what is happening in Grimseeker 1’s third installment. I absolutely loved reading the Hanone and Rover plot; it was brilliant!

One of my favorite things about Grimseeker 1 is how well fantasy and science fiction are fused. I never thought that vampirism and technology could meld together so well, but it truly did. Imagine a world where the chemical weapon of choice is vampirism! It is such an awesome and terrifying concept. Read Grimseeker 1: Book Three of The Dead Path Chronicles if you’re looking for action and adventure.

Sarah Westmoreland

Andromin, Dragus, and Caprius Seaton are the three princes of the kingdom of Elysium, the sons of King Confidus Seaton. Endowed with powerful Claymore swords, the three princes are sworn to protect the people of Elysium from all threats, whether those threats be enemy peoples or the undead. While hunting down some criminals whose freedom threatens the way of life in Elysium, Andromin and Dragus discover a terrifying den of the undead; vampires, to be specific. Despite their best efforts, their attempts to eradicate the nest before the infestation can spread are unsuccessful. The people of Elysium, and all the known realms, are in danger from this imminent threat. At the same time as all of this is occurring, Caprius also struggles to help the newly returned Golden Fleece to acclimate to her sudden freedom, in spite of the darkness that has followed her out of her otherworldly prison, a darkness that is refusing to let her go.

The third book in The Dead Path Chronicles by Richard A. Valicek, Grimseeker 1 continues the epic story of the three royal brothers. This imaginative sci-fi story is an interesting read, exploring a fascinating world where magic, science, and religion all have their own unique hold. It is well written, with interesting descriptions and realistic banter between the characters. The characters are well developed, unique individuals who each have their own quirks and mannerisms. The plot is very detailed with lots of attention-grabbing twists and turns. Altogether, it is a very pleasing read!

Jamie Michele

Grimseeker 1 by Richard A. Valicek is the third book in The Dead Path Chronicles, following the intrigue of Elysium, a land on the human planet of Alamptria that is under the autocratic rule of King Confidus Seaton. His three sons are in possession of swords potent with power as Caprius, Andromin, and Dragus are assigned the dangerous but necessary task of fighting off the undead and their phantasmic ruler, Makoor. With Makoor hell-bent on the complete and total annihilation of Elysium by his vampire army, the Seaton knight-princes are forced into multiple battles and must overcome a host of deadly obstacles in order to keep Makoor at bay and the planet of Alamptria safe.

Grimseeker 1 by Richard A. Valicek packs a huge punch in the third part of an ambitious series that combines elements of the supernatural, science fiction, and epic fantasy all into one. The characters are well portrayed and I particularly enjoyed the introduction of Calista, who is first suggested as something of an apparition; a prophetess coming in a dream. Her revival in the flesh was wonderfully gratifying and I was fist pumping as it played out. Valicek's writing is tight and entertaining and, even as multiple subplots unfold, the story is easy to follow and not bogged down with verbosity and unnecessary details that have a tendency to destroy the pacing in epics. That said, the descriptive elements are incredibly well done and both the characters and dialogue feel genuine and wholly authentic. I'd recommend this series to readers who enjoy a great story that comes in fun-sized installments.

Peggy Jo Wipf

Richard A. Valicek continues the fight for the Seatons to preserve humanity against the evil lord, Makoor, and the vampires in Grimseeker 1. King Confidus Seaton has sent his sons on various missions, but finds he is having to fight his own battles in the Castle of Elysium. The clash with the vampires is a never-ending battle, but many of the characters are wrestling with demons of their own. These unseen battles are found in visions and nightmares which haunt the warriors when they desperately need their rest. After their missions, the warriors celebrate the return of the Golden Fleece to her full power. Caprius and Melina are given the promise of their coming child. Dark days are sure to come before the final deliverance from these vicious, undead creatures.

Grimseeker 1 (Dead Path Chronicles #3) takes the reader straight on from Serenity Incident (Dead Path Chronicles #2) or you can read this on its own. Richard A. Valicek magically engulfs you in a world of knights, vampires, dark lords, and the Golden Fleece. He keeps the action going as he jumps from one Master Knight to another as they ward off vicious vampires and cloned key characters. I found Valicek's descriptions of vampires quite ferocious and well developed. The one thing I loved most about this book is how Valicek gives each character a mystical trait; he doesn't tell all their secrets. He unfolds the story layer by layer, keeping the reader guessing what the next scene will disclose, and if the balance is leaning more towards evil or good. I finished Grimseeker 1 satisfied with the ending and looking forward to Dead Path Chronicles #4.