In the year 2026, there is a civil war raging in the USA. The nation is split up into two parties. There is the army of the Glorious Path which is a militant religion based on the teachings of a former US soldier, and what's left of the US Federal Government. 
 Six years ago fifteen-year-old Callum Roe and his younger brother, James, were captured and forced to convert to the Glorious Path. While working in the Path's dog kennels, Cal became very close to becoming one of the Path's deadliest secret agents. 
 When Cal comes across a stray dog named Bear he kills the commander who wants to train him to be a vicious attack dog. This sends the two of them on the run, and sets in motion a series of incredible events that will test Cal's loyalties and end in a fierce battle that the fate of the entire country rests on. 
 The Darkest Path is the third novel that I've read of Jeff Hirsch. All of his novels have a certain brutality to them. Yet, at the same time I find myself wanting more from them in the end. That is again the case with this novel. 
 This book reads like a cross between a dystopian and post-apocalyptic novel. The world building is done fairly well. You get a general sense of your surroundings, but the details to the scene are missing. With a dystopian novel I'm looking for a real sense of overwhelming doom from the looming governmental threat. I felt that this is where The Darkest Path lacked the most. 
 In general, I felt like this was on the lighter side of this genre, even with the darker touches thrown in every now and then. The shining light to this book for me was Bear. Anytime an animal is used as one of the 'main characters', I become a sucker. It was executed very well in this book. 
 In the end, I did enjoy reading The Darkest Path. I don't think this book is apart of a series. I do wish the author had fleshed out more of the journey. The end happened rather quickly and I think it would have had a much stronger impact if it had been longer. I encourage fans of this author not to miss this novel.