The Braided Path
#4563.90 of 689 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 2004–2005 Reading commitment Medium Chris Wooding Last reviewed 2026-09-11
Overview
The Braided Path is a complete three-book secondary-world epic fantasy trilogy by Chris Wooding (2004-2005), published by Gollancz. Set in the feudal-Japan-inflected Near World, it follows the fall of a matriarchal empire and the weaving-based magic wielded by its Weavers. It was Wooding's first adult fantasy work, distinguished from his prolific YA output.
Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
The Braided Path Chris Wooding
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Weavers of Saramyr | 2004 | 1 | core | 3.79 (1,369 ratings) |
 | The Skein of Lament | 2004 | 2 | core | 3.97 (869 ratings) |
 | The Ascendancy Veil | 2005 | 3 | core | 4.03 (739 ratings) |
Complete Gollancz-published secondary-world epic fantasy trilogy (2004-2005) set in the feudal-Japan-inflected Near World, with a weaving-based magic system practiced by the titular Weavers. Wooding's first adult fantasy work, distinguished from his prolific YA output.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Braided Path? The Braided Path's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for The Braided Path? Publication order, starting with The Weavers of Saramyr. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Braided Path finished? Complete (2004–2005).
- How much reading does The Braided Path take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is The Braided Path ranked? #456 of 689 ranked universes on this site, based on 2,977 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #456?
Ranked #456 of 689 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.90 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (2,977 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #455, Seraphina (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 3 books · Complete · 3k ratings · Ranks #456 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- The Skein of Lament (2004)
- The Weavers of Saramyr (2004)
- The Ascendancy Veil (2005)
Documented internal/story order
- The Weavers of Saramyr (2004)
- The Skein of Lament (2004)
- The Ascendancy Veil (2005)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.90 across 2,977 ratings on 3 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit The Braided Path (Chris Wooding) accepted 2026-09-11
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia: Braided Path Tier 2
- Chris Wooding official site: The Weavers of Saramyr Tier 2
- Reader rating aggregator: Chris Wooding author list Tier 3
Last reviewed: 2026-09-11
Rule: Core Canon is the complete three-book sequence: The Weavers of Saramyr (2004), The Skein of Lament (2004), and The Ascendancy Veil (2005), all published by Gollancz.