Name: Fates
ISBN: 9780385742832

Lanie Bross

Corinthe, a former Fate and now Executor, responsible for carrying out unfulfilled destinies on Earth, finds herself falling for Lucas, a human boy whose death she is supposed to enact as her last act before returning to Pyralis.

Fates

Monicap

I really liked this book. The characters, the story, the writing, all of it.

Also, if insta-love MUST happen, this is the way to do it. Start with the characters lusting after one another pretty hard, it makes the leap to love a tad easier to believe. 

But while all the constituent parts of this book were great and bound together in a way that flowed and was lovely... nothing about this book made it stand out. 

So, not five stars worthy, or favorite shelf worthy. Sorry.

(view spoiler)[I especially Miranda and Rhys, they were two of my favorite characters. And I feel the time travel element will make the next book stand out. (hide spoiler)]

Cindy Lee

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.

Fates could have been something wonderful. Instead, I got a confusing story with a case of instant romance on my hands. It really could've been something a whole lot better. 

Fates is a story about Corinthe who makes sure the world is balanced. She was banished from where she lived a long time ago into the human world. Without her knowing, she became part of a brewing rebellion that was in the works for ten years. Corinthe had been trying to go back to Pyralis for years and now her last task before her return is to kill Lucas Kaller. 

And yeah, you guessed it! She falls in love with him on sight. Well, she doesn't know what love feels like but she feels something she's never felt before. Cue me hitting my head on the table. It wasn't long before they were each other's everything and they were like fated lovers. 

Besides the romance, the story was also really confusing. It never explained the background of Pyralis, the Radicals, the Unseen Ones, or anything. They just throw these terms at you and you're expected to know them. By the end of the book, I still don't know who the Radicals and Unseen Ones are. Of course, you know, you probably can't see the Unseen Ones. Travelling between Crossroads was also pretty weird. I don't get what makes them so dangerous. I hope the author could've explained this unknown world a lot better than she did. 

Fates was just a disappointing book. It had a promising premise and I really hoped I would like it. The instant love and the confusing terminology ruined the book for me. I didn't get to enjoy the book much when I was questioning everything in the process.

Rating: D

Jessica Nottingham

It's true that Fates drew me in with its gorgeous cover. I mean look at that thing of beauty! It called to me. It held the promise of myth mixed with adventure. Little did I know that between these pages was a veritable labyrinth of a story. One that, no matter how much more I read, I wasn't able to find my way out of. This wasn't a fun read, my friends. Not at all. It was maddeningly confusing, and I am honestly surprised that I made it to the end. I did make it to the end though, as I had promised a review for this book. So please pardon the rambling below.
 
To be completely honest, this book had potential at the beginning. The reader stumbles upon Corinthe as she is fulfilling her duty as an Executor. As the one who makes sure that Fate takes its proper course. I was thrilled with this idea. Greek myth speaks of The Fates often. Of those very powerful beings who hold the very existence of every person on Earth in their hands. Why wouldn't that extend to our every day lives? It made sense to me that there would be someone here to make sure that everything went according to plan. It fits perfectly with the idea of free will vs. fate. So yes, that I loved.
 
Then things took a very odd turn. Suddenly Luc was in Corinthe's path, and nothing made sense anymore. These two fall in insta-love and, worse yet, the reader never really gets to know them because they hardly have time to get to know one another. I never felt anything for either of these characters. No hate, or anger, or even happiness when things went right. I felt like I was stuck in the middle of a story that had the right to do whatever it took to make it to the ending. Corinthe needs to kill Luc to get home? Okay. We still need romance though, so let's have him fall head over heels for her for no reason. Also, because this book is of the Paranormal persuasion, let's add in gnomes, hornets, and all manner of other things but not explain any of them at all. Sound good? That's this book.
 
Which basically meant that the first third of the book was slow, as it was building up to something bigger. The middle was confusing as all get out, and I had so many questions that I couldn't keep them all straight in my mind. Finally, as I neared the ending, everything just somehow magically wrapped up. I never had any of my questions answered. I never met half of the beings who were referred to in this book. Most frustrating of all, I didn't even feel anything at an ending that should have made me feel at least a little bit sad. What's a reader to do?
 
Apparently this is the first in a series, but I won't be reading past this. When it comes to first books, I'm generally pretty forgiving. I'll let a lot slide in the name of future installments. Fates, though? Too much left undone. Too many plot holes. Not enough interest left at the end.

Fates

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