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Fates #1
Fates
Perfect for fans of Jennifer Armentrout, Julie Kagawa, Rachel Vincent, and Sarah J. Maas, and for girls who love all things pretty, romantic and inspirational.One moment. One foolish desire. One mistake. And Corinthe lost everything.She fell from her tranquil life in Pyralis Terra and found herself exiled to the human world. Her punishment? To make sure people's fates unfold according to plan. Now, years later, Corinthe has one last kill Lucas Kaller. His death will be her ticket home.But for the first time, Corinthe feels a tingle of doubt. It begins as a lump in her throat, then grows toward her heart, and suddenly she feels like she is falling all over again--this time for a boy she knows she can never have. Because it is one of them must live, and one of them must die. In a universe where every moment, every second, every fate has already been decided, where does love fit in?"Different and imaginative."--Kirkus Reviews
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2014
About the author
Lanie Bross
4 books121 followersLanie Bross was born in a small town in Maine, where she spent the next 18 years dreaming of bigger places. After exploring city life, she and her husband and two young sons ended up coming right back to the wilds of Maine where they now live just one house down from where she grew up. Fate, perhaps? She loves chasing around her rambunctious kids, playing tug-o-war with her 95 pound Lab, and writing for Young Adults. Fates is her first novel.
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February 15, 2014
A knife flashed in her hand and she lunged at him.
God, he had to be crazy. She had a knife to his throat and all he could think about was how her lips would taste.
Insanity. It had to be.
But he wanted to kiss her more than anything right that second.
You had one job. One fucking job.
“You must kill the boy.”One. Fucking. Job.
This is not a story about redemption, this is the love story of the most bungling, bumbling, incompetent Fate in the entire fucking universe and the most starry-eyed boy who ever lived. This is the kind of mess of a story that results when you throw a element of Greek mythology into a blender with parallel worlds and alternate universes. While you're at it, toss in some Blood Nymphs, chaos theory, and, oh, why not, throw a gnome in there, too. Yes, a gnome.
Yes, Fate, as in the Greek Fates. At least this book tries to be. But it's not. It's true, there are figures in Greek mythology called the Fates, but they're only similar to the Fates in this book if you looked at them through a magnifiying glass that's sprinkled with glitter, unicorn horn fragments, fairy dust, and a good deal of rancid, putrid fecal matter. God fucking save us if this incompetent piece of shit were in charge of our fucking destiny.
This was her fault. She had disturbed the balance of the universe.You had one job.
The Summary: Corinthe is one of the Fates on Pyralis. At least, she was. Corinthe was exiled ten years ago when she, like Eve in the garden of Eden, started asking too many questions and was punished for her insubordinance. As punishment, she was cast out into the world of Humana, or as we know it, Earth.
Since then, she has been casting marbles (apparently human destinies are encased in marbles, who knew? Maybe we're just merely pawns in the gigantic Marble game of the Gods, but I digress) and trying to fulfil her mission of fucking with human destinies in order to return to Pyralis. And oh, how she longs for Pyralis.
She ached to return to Pyralis, to the twilight and the scent of flowers layered through the air, to the vast horizon of stars and the trees that whispered songs to her in the half darkness, and to her sisters, singing to the sky, running through the forests.In order to return to Pyralis, she has to fulfil one final mission: Kill a boy.
There's just a problem, she doesn't want to do it.
Her fate depended on his.Lucas is a boy. A special boy. A different boy. A special boy who has always known he was different.
If she did not find Luc, if she did not kill him the way the marble had indicated—the hand, the knife—she would never be allowed to return to Pyralis Terra.
He never exactly felt like an outsider, but the thought was always there, in the back of his mind: Different.He has had a rough life, his sister is a 15-year old slut (but he adores her deeply anyway). Poor little sister, she with her bellyy-button-baring shirts. She of the chain smoking habit. She's a bad one. She's going to turn out just like his no-good mother who left her children.
But Lucas is such a fucking saint, he adores his little bitch of a sister, Jasmine, anyway.
Lucas has a girlfriend, a wonderful, brilliant, beautiful girl named Karen. She is a bright star, a student who has won early admission to Stanford.
He feels indifferent towards her. Because there's just something about this girl, Corinthe, that catches his eyes. Maybe it's her eyes. Her silvery-purple eyes.
She had the craziest eyes he’d ever seen. … Gray, but tinged almost with purple, like the bay reflecting the sunset.Silvery purple?! That's just a new level of Mary Sue-ism right there. Oh yeah, it's definitely her eyes that Lucas loves.
The soft grayish-purple color of her eyes was unlike anything he’d ever seen, and he couldn’t keep from staring. Her pupils dilated and the color changed, deepening to a wild violet hue that reminded him of dark storm clouds in a summer sky.The guy can definitely wax poetic about a girl's features, let me tell you that.
The fire lit up crazy colors in her eyes—threads of silver and gold, that wild violet color—and for a second, he felt as if he was consumed by her eyes, lost in them.Or maybe it's her scent. Her intoxicating scent! *sigh*
She smelled like flowers—lilac. The word popped into his head. It was intoxicating. He wanted to bury his face in her hair and breathe her in. Do more than just breathe her in.That scent. Man, it's like...orgasmic.
The space between them grew smaller; the smell of her, that insane smell of flowers, intensified.Lucas just came a little.
For a second, her head lolled heavily against his, and he could smell her breath. Flowers.The feeling is rather mutual. Corinthe needs to kill him. She just can't do it. Mostly because she doesn't want to. Because she is fucking incompetent, and partially because she keeps fainting.
She smelled like flowers.
And then her lovely eyes rolled backward, her body relaxed, and she lost consciousness.Because it's so important to note that her eyes are "lovely" when the girl fucking faints.
There are greater stakes at play than the fate of a single human boy. One boy's life can change the fate of Pyralis.
“You will destroy Pyralis, Corinthe. You will destroy everything you love. Is that what you want? The only way to stop it is to kill him.”As their "destines are intertwined" *insert eye-rolling here*, will Corinthe fulfill her mission? Will she kill the boy?
But she didn’t know whether she could kill him.I'll give you one fucking guess.
She didn’t want to kill him.
The Setting: Ridiculous. I wasn't kidding around when I said the version of the Fates in this book is fucked beyond all recognition. This book takes the name of the Fates from Greek mythology...but there is absolutely no resemblance to the original myth. The Fates in this book live on Pyralis, which is a twinkly, warm, fluffy, frilly sort of paradise. The sort of place with eternal twilight and fairies sing on pretty flowers and everyone is happy and nobody is ever hurt and there are no emotions but that of contentment!
Yeah, that sort of bullshit.
In Greek Mythology, the Fates are represented by a the spinner, the weaver, the cutter of the threads of life...not so in this book. The Fates in this book don't exactly have Greek names.
Her sister Fates: Alexia, Alessandra, Beatrice, Brienne, Calyssa...And they wear dresses made out of fucking flower petals like a fucking Disney fairy.
In Pyralis, the Fates all looked the same. They wove white dresses out of flower petals.And you don't just have one setting because there is a fucking mess of alternate parallel universes as well, in which one is immersed without warning.
The setting in this book is disjointed, nonsensical, uncompelling, and it contributes almost nothing to the plot.
KILL HIM! FUCKING KILL HIM ALREADY: THIS BOOK COULD HAVE ENDED SO MUCH SOONER THAN IT DID. All she had to do was kill him. Kill the motherfucking boy. Just one boy. One soul in 6 (soon to be 7) billion people on earth.
Corinthe has been responsible for other deaths before. She is a Fate. She is used to dishing out destiny. SO JUST FUCKING KILL THE BOY ALREADY. From the very beginning of the book, she tries to fucking kill him. Only...only...
The way he had looked at her, the hunger in his eyes, made something ache deep inside of her.NO. NOT KISS HIM. KILL HIM.
She was an Executor, and feelings had no business in her life, but for one second, she wondered what it would be like to kiss him.
Enough, she told herself. Wherever he was, she would find him and kill him. There was no choice, only destiny.Right. Stop saying it. Do it.
There was no way she could kill him, even if she wanted to.Jesus fucking Christ.
You had ONE job.
SHE'S TRYING TO KILL ME. I LOVE HER!: Lucas, you stupid piece of shit. Lucas's brain is so firmly entrenched in his penis, it's a wonder he doesn't lose it every time he takes a piss because it seems like that's the rate at w hich he loses his abilities to think. She's trying to kill him. But he just wants to kiss her!
He pulled her hips forward instinctively, molding them against his body.Over and over and over. Don't make excuses for her. THE GIRL JUST CAME AT YOU WITH A KNIFE.
Corinthe made a sound deep in her throat, and his pulse leapt. Fire raced through his veins.
She moved closer and the knife nicked his throat.
Was she a runaway? Maybe he had startled her and she had come after him in self-defense. Assumed he was going to turn her in.She tries (very halfheartedly) to kill him, and Lucas is like, well, ok, I shouldn't trust her. BUT SHE IS SO BEAUTIFUL ;_; I can't help myself.
It had to be a misunderstanding.
Luc turned back toward Corinthe. She paused, and a gust of wind lifted strands of her hair, making it dance around her head chaotically. For a second, insanely, he wondered how it would feel to have her body pressed up against him one more time.OH FOR FUCK'S SAKES. SHE HAS A KNIFE AT YOUR THROAT.
Stop trusting her! Beautiful girls can be crazy, too, especially when this one HAS A HISTORY OF WANTING YOU DEAD.
Girl or not, injured or not, she was still trying to kill him. He was on her in an instant, straddling her waist, the knife pulled quickly from his belt and pressed against her throat.THAT'S RIGHT! GET HER!
Or not.
Corinthe grabbed his hand, forced the knife against the pulse that beat wildly in her neck. Her eyes glistened in the suns, turning a haunting shade of purple. She arched her back, lifting her chin so she was even more exposed to him.I can't think of two creatures more suited to one another because clearly both are fucking morons who don't deserve to live. Which serves just as well since neither can ever be persuaded to kill one another even if the fate of the universe hinged on it.
She looked alone and lost and wild and beautiful.
Protect her.
The crazy thought came out of nowhere.
The Romance: The only thing that this book has in terms of plot is a romance, and it is the most unconvincing thing I've ever read. The romance comes out of nowhere. It is insta-love like you have never known insta-love before.
Lucas does not feel like an authentically male voice because all he blabbers about is how pretty Corinthe is, how lovely she is, how beautiful her eyes are, how good she smells, how beautiful her body looks...most of it while she's making an attempt at killing him.
Idiot boy.
There is zero connection between them except that of "I FEEL S/HE IS DIFFERENT," and "I HAVE AN INEXPLICABLE ATTRACTION TO HIM/HER." Truly. He is fascinated about every detail about Corinthe. The fact that she has unpainted nails (god forbid) turns him on like nothing else. Everything she does is magic.
The silk wraparound skirt she had on billowed around her legs. She smoothed it down over her hips and he forgot everything—what to think, what to say, how to breathe.The entire fucking book is an exercise in madness on the part of the reader because Lucas can't be fucked to think of much else besides how beautiful Corinthe is interspersed partially by his worry about his missing sister.
Everything about her was amazing. The way she tilted her head to the side, like she was listening for something. The curve of her neck right at the shoulder, a spot he wanted desperately to touch.
Corinthe, in her own way, is completely obsessed with Lucas, as well. She feels inexplicably that he is DIFFERENT.
For ten years she’d been dwelling in this world, executing fates as the Unseen Ones willed, but none of the humans had made her feel this way before. What was different this time?There is no relationship building, no earning of trust, nothing to their relationship besides that of star-crossed lovers designated by fate.
He was different—he looked at her differently, too, as if he could see something behind her eyes.
This was such a frustratingly stupid book.
Want to read
April 8, 2013
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 25, 2016DNF a few chapters in, plus I skimmed the ending, which is enough to see this one is SO not for me. The story, writing, and romance are all over the place.
October 28, 2013
WOW....
That's is all I can say.
That's is all I can say.
October 29, 2013
I hate this feeling. This feeling of being a quitter. But at 41% on my Kindle, I just can't take this book anymore. It's an absolute mess. I don't care about Corinthe. I don't care about Luc. I don't care about the Fates. And I sure as heck don't care about Free Radicals (which really only make me think of anti-aging creams).
I think the biggest issue is that it felt like the author was making things up as she went along. Hmmm... she'll have to have a way to find him, so let's give her an enchanted locket. She can't find him right away, though, so let's send her to a strange world with killer nymphs. He's not going to trust her, so let's get his sister trapped where only his enemy can find and rescue her. And let's make up a whole lot of mess that doesn't quite fit together.
I loved the idea of it. I hated the poor follow-thru.
I think the biggest issue is that it felt like the author was making things up as she went along. Hmmm... she'll have to have a way to find him, so let's give her an enchanted locket. She can't find him right away, though, so let's send her to a strange world with killer nymphs. He's not going to trust her, so let's get his sister trapped where only his enemy can find and rescue her. And let's make up a whole lot of mess that doesn't quite fit together.
I loved the idea of it. I hated the poor follow-thru.
February 10, 2014
*I made it up to 30% before I called it quits.
Loretta: So, is Fates an action-packed story?
Me: No.
Loretta: Are there a lot of deaths in it?
Me: No.
Loretta: Are there any awesome creatures in it?
Me: Probably not.
Loretta: Oh...Well is the main character a badass heroine?
Me: Nope. Not even close.
Loretta: What kind of story is this?!
Me: It's a love story.
Loretta: But I thought it was an action-packed fantasy novel with a bunch of deaths!
Fates had so much potential. I mean, there's this chick who makes sure people died. How cool! And sad. This could have been creepy and awesome but unfortunately, the author made this too much about the romance and not enough about the deaths. The protagonist (I don't even remember her name. It's something ridiculous) is an annoying idiot. All she ever does is complain and causes problems and then this guy, Luc (I think) still chases after her. AND THAT'S IT. THAT'S FUCKING IT. It's all just insta-love and romance and "You have to die so that I can go home but I love you sooo soooo much. Even though I just met you like two seconds ago." It's annoying to have to read about a story that had so much potential go to shit because the amount of romance, insta-love, and just plain pathetic characters that it makes me want to scream.
Loretta: So, is Fates an action-packed story?
Me: No.
Loretta: Are there a lot of deaths in it?
Me: No.
Loretta: Are there any awesome creatures in it?
Me: Probably not.
Loretta: Oh...Well is the main character a badass heroine?
Me: Nope. Not even close.
Loretta: What kind of story is this?!
Me: It's a love story.
Loretta: But I thought it was an action-packed fantasy novel with a bunch of deaths!
Fates had so much potential. I mean, there's this chick who makes sure people died. How cool! And sad. This could have been creepy and awesome but unfortunately, the author made this too much about the romance and not enough about the deaths. The protagonist (I don't even remember her name. It's something ridiculous) is an annoying idiot. All she ever does is complain and causes problems and then this guy, Luc (I think) still chases after her. AND THAT'S IT. THAT'S FUCKING IT. It's all just insta-love and romance and "You have to die so that I can go home but I love you sooo soooo much. Even though I just met you like two seconds ago." It's annoying to have to read about a story that had so much potential go to shit because the amount of romance, insta-love, and just plain pathetic characters that it makes me want to scream.
January 30, 2014
Fate is just one big giant mess. It has all the things that a YA fantasy cliche' has. Useless Mary Sue character, sketchy world building, instant love, unbelievable evil villains and more.
The thing is, I've always imagined the fates as those scary witches they showed in Disney's Hercules or Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters so it is kind of unreal to think of them as anything else.
Corinthe is one of the sister fate banished to earth for being too curious. Honestly, the real reason she was banished was kind of sketchy. And since she's desperately trying to find her way back to an eternal life in Pyralis Terra, she had to fulfilled people's fates. And those fates does not just include death, there are some that I didn't really get.
Such as how can breaking up a teenage couple are so important enough that she had to do it?
Yes, as you can see things get pretty downhill from there. The male love interest falls head over heels for her instantly and decided to snoop around. Eventhough, he just found out that his girlfriend was hooking up with someone like seconds ago. And don't even get me started on their first encounter. He was helping her when she was involved in a car crash and she thought that he's cute. And after being rescued from the wrecked car, she literally ran helter skelter like some crazy person to get away. Seriously?
I'm sad to say that this book is certainly not for me and I'm just amazed how such YA books featuring so bland characters can be published yet again.
March 14, 2014
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And now it’s time to play counter literary history. In which McBeth’s opinions about the witches (better known to literary snots as the three fates) is impeded. Undoubtedly, this would’ve occurred if he had gotten his slimy paws on Fates by Lanie Boss and think of how that would’ve ruined your high school literature experience.
Dear lord, people. It’s books like this that make me think anyone can get traditionally published. People who snot about independent books not being professional…well, hello have you read Fates?
I haven’t read something that just made me want to throw it at the wall well….I’ve blocked it out the last time I threw a book at the wall. Needless to say, its going to be on my Quarterly Report.
So, what’s Fates about? Well, Cornithe is almost near the end of her penance for not breaking the rules and decides to fuck up again. That’s basically it.
And yes, I’m going to be using the word fuck a lot in this review. And I’m sorry about this, but my sheer hate for this book won’t let me be PG so there you’ve been warned. Children, cover your eyes.
I think what makes me the angriest about this piece of shit was that there was potential. The three fates are shrouded with so much mystery there are so many ways that Bross could’ve gone with this one, but of course she had to go with the stereotypical YA she falls for a boy oh its magic plot.
You know sort of plot I’m talking about. Where the stupid YA heroine falls in love with someone she’s not supposed to and OMG if they’ve together they’ll destroy the world. This is even a worst version of that storyline and I really didn’t think that possible.
To be honest, when I picked it up I sort of expect it to have the problems of that storyline. Stupid heroine. Abusive male lead that has an amount of siblings to rival the Duggars and random bad guy that appears that threatens their fragile love. It’s the same old story over and over again, though admittedly it can be some what interesting if done right.
We don’t even get that bland story.
Instead, we get something blander than that and almost incomprehensible.
My blog with gifs
Booklikes without gifs
And now it’s time to play counter literary history. In which McBeth’s opinions about the witches (better known to literary snots as the three fates) is impeded. Undoubtedly, this would’ve occurred if he had gotten his slimy paws on Fates by Lanie Boss and think of how that would’ve ruined your high school literature experience.
Dear lord, people. It’s books like this that make me think anyone can get traditionally published. People who snot about independent books not being professional…well, hello have you read Fates?
I haven’t read something that just made me want to throw it at the wall well….I’ve blocked it out the last time I threw a book at the wall. Needless to say, its going to be on my Quarterly Report.
So, what’s Fates about? Well, Cornithe is almost near the end of her penance for not breaking the rules and decides to fuck up again. That’s basically it.
And yes, I’m going to be using the word fuck a lot in this review. And I’m sorry about this, but my sheer hate for this book won’t let me be PG so there you’ve been warned. Children, cover your eyes.
I think what makes me the angriest about this piece of shit was that there was potential. The three fates are shrouded with so much mystery there are so many ways that Bross could’ve gone with this one, but of course she had to go with the stereotypical YA she falls for a boy oh its magic plot.
You know sort of plot I’m talking about. Where the stupid YA heroine falls in love with someone she’s not supposed to and OMG if they’ve together they’ll destroy the world. This is even a worst version of that storyline and I really didn’t think that possible.
To be honest, when I picked it up I sort of expect it to have the problems of that storyline. Stupid heroine. Abusive male lead that has an amount of siblings to rival the Duggars and random bad guy that appears that threatens their fragile love. It’s the same old story over and over again, though admittedly it can be some what interesting if done right.
We don’t even get that bland story.
Instead, we get something blander than that and almost incomprehensible.
May 14, 2015
Fates no es libro que trata sobre mitología, no es un libro que tenga un trama alguno, es sencillamente
un libro donde dos personajes están destinados a estar juntos.
Además de una portada hermosa que tiene este libro, lo que más me llamó fue a sinopsis, además de que está basada sobre la mitología, en este caso; griega.
Un gran error en este libro fue la mitología.
Se supone que debería estar basada en la mitología griega, pero no es para nada de mitología, solamente ponen criaturas sobre la mitología griega; duendes, gnomos, ninfas, etc... pero ni explican el hecho de porqué están ahí, porqué llegan a ser cómo son, porqué están específicamente en ése mundo. Solamente lo dieron por hecho y listo. Gran error.
No solamente ahí termina todo, otro error fue el trama.
Corinthe fue una Parca que fue exiliada hacia Humana por un estúpido error, para volver a su hogar debe matar a Lucas.
• Corinthe fue una Parca. Primer error.
No se explica nada sobre los Parcas, los mundos, las dimensiones, ni siquiera sobre las luciérnagas que tiene que guiar Corinthe ya que es una Ejecutadora en Humana. Los hechos del libro solamente ocurren pero no dan información alguna sobre ello. Además de que Corinthe solamente quiere volver a su hogar no dan ningún detalle de cómo es o cuál es su objetivo en todo el libro.
• Corinthe es una Ejecutadora.
Una vez que Corinthe fue exiliada, Miranda -su tutora- le enseño todo lo que debía, pero además de eso, le enseño a llevar acabo muertes y por último a matar. El único trabajo de Corinthe es llevar a acabo muertes para poner en “equilibrio el mundo” pero para volver a su mundo, su última tarea es: Matar a Lucas.
Los personajes
Corinthe es una chica que lleva a cabo todas las tareas que le manda Miranda, en esa parte no la culpo, si fuera ella haría lo que fuera para volver a mi casa; el único lugar que conozco. Corinthe es un personaje demasiado vacío, no se siente ni una chispa de ella, es demasiada ingenua además de que se deja llevar por todo y es muy lenta para procesar algo que pasa, no piensa y solamente se atina a lo que pasa y da todo por hecho.
Lucas ugh, ugh, ugh. Típico chico con un pasado tan pero tan oscuro que no puede ver la luz del día. Lucas fue sencillamente lo que volcó el vaso. No dicen nada sobre el hecho de que Lucas pueda viajar en las dimensiones y que se pueda conectar con todos en cada mundo que va. Digo, por lo menos debe haber alguna razón del porqué él pueda y otros no, ¿no? Éste personaje fue otro vacío, no sentí nada respecto a Lucas, peor aún fue el instalove entre éstos personajes; Corinthe y Lucas.
¿Qué más romántico que pensar en los labios de alguien cuando te quieren matar? Cito:
No lo voy a negar, las partes de las peleas fueron la única cosa interesante en todo el libro además de Rhys pero aún así no me convenció del todo el libro.
Después de eso, el libro se pasa el 90% solamente hablando de las descripciones físicas de Corinthe y Lucas, creo que me aprendí ya de memoria los físicos de ambos ya que solamente hablan de eso. Error número dos.
• El trama.
Como he dicho antes, no se dice nada sobre la mitología griega, ni un pequeño detalle, ni nada de información, pero peor aún son las descripciones que se hacen por todo el libro.
Las cosas que pasan: Las dimensiones, cada rasgo y detalle de cada mundo que van pasando Lucas y Corinthe solamente están ahí, no describen demasiado; peor aún. También se centra más en los diálogos que tienen éstos dos personajes que todo al rededor y qué es o cómo llegó todo ahí. Además de que es demasiado aburrido todo lo que pasa, y las cosas pasan de un segundo a otro; sin sentido alguno.
Este libro es sencillamente de dos personajes que están destinados a estar juntos pero una bruja malvada se lo impide, todo un cuento de princesas.
Es increíble qué tan rápido se puede llegar a amar a alguien. Cito:
Bueno... Ya sé que puedo amar a alguien que he visto solamente cuatro veces, ya sé que puedo amar a alguien que me ha intentado matar más de tres veces, ya sé que puedo amar a alguien porque solamente es el “destino.” Error número tres.
En fin, Fates ha sido un libro que me ha decepcionado más allá de todo, además de que tiene una portada hermosa y un título increíble (es una pena), el trama arruinó todo además de los personajes y más aún todos los detalles del libro, peor aún fue poner esto que es basado en mitología griega cuando no lo es para nada. Fates un libro vacío que doy gracias por haberlo terminado, aún así espero leer el último; Chaos ya que odio dejar incompleto una saga.
No sugiero este libro.
Además de una portada hermosa que tiene este libro, lo que más me llamó fue a sinopsis, además de que está basada sobre la mitología, en este caso; griega.
Un gran error en este libro fue la mitología.
Se supone que debería estar basada en la mitología griega, pero no es para nada de mitología, solamente ponen criaturas sobre la mitología griega; duendes, gnomos, ninfas, etc... pero ni explican el hecho de porqué están ahí, porqué llegan a ser cómo son, porqué están específicamente en ése mundo. Solamente lo dieron por hecho y listo. Gran error.
No solamente ahí termina todo, otro error fue el trama.
Corinthe fue una Parca que fue exiliada hacia Humana por un estúpido error, para volver a su hogar debe matar a Lucas.
• Corinthe fue una Parca. Primer error.
No se explica nada sobre los Parcas, los mundos, las dimensiones, ni siquiera sobre las luciérnagas que tiene que guiar Corinthe ya que es una Ejecutadora en Humana. Los hechos del libro solamente ocurren pero no dan información alguna sobre ello. Además de que Corinthe solamente quiere volver a su hogar no dan ningún detalle de cómo es o cuál es su objetivo en todo el libro.
• Corinthe es una Ejecutadora.
Una vez que Corinthe fue exiliada, Miranda -su tutora- le enseño todo lo que debía, pero además de eso, le enseño a llevar acabo muertes y por último a matar. El único trabajo de Corinthe es llevar a acabo muertes para poner en “equilibrio el mundo” pero para volver a su mundo, su última tarea es: Matar a Lucas.
Los personajes
Corinthe es una chica que lleva a cabo todas las tareas que le manda Miranda, en esa parte no la culpo, si fuera ella haría lo que fuera para volver a mi casa; el único lugar que conozco. Corinthe es un personaje demasiado vacío, no se siente ni una chispa de ella, es demasiada ingenua además de que se deja llevar por todo y es muy lenta para procesar algo que pasa, no piensa y solamente se atina a lo que pasa y da todo por hecho.
Lucas ugh, ugh, ugh. Típico chico con un pasado tan pero tan oscuro que no puede ver la luz del día. Lucas fue sencillamente lo que volcó el vaso. No dicen nada sobre el hecho de que Lucas pueda viajar en las dimensiones y que se pueda conectar con todos en cada mundo que va. Digo, por lo menos debe haber alguna razón del porqué él pueda y otros no, ¿no? Éste personaje fue otro vacío, no sentí nada respecto a Lucas, peor aún fue el instalove entre éstos personajes; Corinthe y Lucas.
¿Qué más romántico que pensar en los labios de alguien cuando te quieren matar? Cito:
“[...] Tenía un cuchillo en la garganta y lo único que podía pensar era en cómo sabían sus labios.
Locura. Eso tenía que ser.
Pero él quería besarla más que nada justo en ese segundo.”
No lo voy a negar, las partes de las peleas fueron la única cosa interesante en todo el libro además de Rhys pero aún así no me convenció del todo el libro.
Después de eso, el libro se pasa el 90% solamente hablando de las descripciones físicas de Corinthe y Lucas, creo que me aprendí ya de memoria los físicos de ambos ya que solamente hablan de eso. Error número dos.
• El trama.
Como he dicho antes, no se dice nada sobre la mitología griega, ni un pequeño detalle, ni nada de información, pero peor aún son las descripciones que se hacen por todo el libro.
Las cosas que pasan: Las dimensiones, cada rasgo y detalle de cada mundo que van pasando Lucas y Corinthe solamente están ahí, no describen demasiado; peor aún. También se centra más en los diálogos que tienen éstos dos personajes que todo al rededor y qué es o cómo llegó todo ahí. Además de que es demasiado aburrido todo lo que pasa, y las cosas pasan de un segundo a otro; sin sentido alguno.
Este libro es sencillamente de dos personajes que están destinados a estar juntos pero una bruja malvada se lo impide, todo un cuento de princesas.
Es increíble qué tan rápido se puede llegar a amar a alguien. Cito:
“—Te amo.
Sonrió tan alegremente que él apenas podía creerlo. Apenas podía pensar ver o moverse. Lo supo. Le creyó.
—También, te amo —dijo y la alcanzó.”
Bueno... Ya sé que puedo amar a alguien que he visto solamente cuatro veces, ya sé que puedo amar a alguien que me ha intentado matar más de tres veces, ya sé que puedo amar a alguien porque solamente es el “destino.” Error número tres.
En fin, Fates ha sido un libro que me ha decepcionado más allá de todo, además de que tiene una portada hermosa y un título increíble (es una pena), el trama arruinó todo además de los personajes y más aún todos los detalles del libro, peor aún fue poner esto que es basado en mitología griega cuando no lo es para nada. Fates un libro vacío que doy gracias por haberlo terminado, aún así espero leer el último; Chaos ya que odio dejar incompleto una saga.
No sugiero este libro.
August 11, 2016
I always feel really sad whenever I DNF a buddy read. Luckily, my buddy Dyan agreed that we both should mark this one as a DNF read. It was that boring.
I read until 38% before finally giving up. You can find our joint mini review here. The gist is that we both:
- disliked the heroine, Corinthe, for acting much too desperate and annoying
- thought the plot was unique, but other factors overruled it
- liked her hero, Luc, at first, but realized our disdain for him
I read until 38% before finally giving up. You can find our joint mini review here. The gist is that we both:
- disliked the heroine, Corinthe, for acting much too desperate and annoying
- thought the plot was unique, but other factors overruled it
- liked her hero, Luc, at first, but realized our disdain for him
November 22, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: A beautiful, touching story about a girl learning to love in a strange situation. This was engaging and brilliant, and fans of Delirium by Lauren Oliver will enjoy it!
Opening Sentence: Principal Sylvia Patterson pulled her office door shut, checked the lock, then hitched a stack of folders slightly higher in her left arm as she made her way down the empty halls of Mission High.
The Review:
Fates is about a girl named Corinthe, who has been ostracized from her home land after doing a forbidden thing, and forced to live on Earth (Humana) as an Executer. She helps make sure fate happens, and certain destinies that are uncertain are resolved the way they are meant to be. Living with her guardian Miranda, she is beginning to feel better about her exile, although still she yearns dearly for home. All she wants is to be finished with her tasks and to go home to Pyralis. Then, finally, gets her last assignment, to kill a human boy, is given to her. Strangely, though, the task that she is most resolved in is the one that spirals most out of control.
One of the things that I rave about in this book is the gorgeous, unique writing style. It was like music, and it flowed so brilliantly, like honey. I was very impressed!
Corinthe is so determined to get home, and it’s obvious in every word that all she wants is that. Slowly it begins to change, and in subtle ways her focus begins to divert as she falls in love with Luc. She denies it, at first-she is new to living like a human, naive to this world. But Luc represents the good things about humanity: kindness, perseverance, bravery in a tough life.
Luc was the character I was able to identify with more, perhaps because his voice was purely human. Corinthe had an almost alien way she describes the story, and Luc I had more empathy with. His mother walked out on the family when he was young, his father is always drunk, and his sister keeps getting hooked on drugs. It’s not exactly a peachy life looking out for them, but Luc gets by. Usually when you first are introduced to a character you are more uncaring about their life, but I was definitely touched by this kid’s story.
The story kept going down paths that I didn’t expect at all, making me surprised, scared, `and everything in between. It kept consistent, though, and never went too far off the track, to the point I was confused. No, this was perfectly understandable.
I have one complaint, though. The characters, the setting, the plotline, everything was fabulous except for one thing…the length. I felt like there were enough pages, but the story happens in such a relatively short period of time that just more would have been great. While it was obvious that Corinthe and Lucas were falling for each other, it would have been great if they could have had more time together.
All in all, this one is an enthralling, engaging story with lots of action, betrayal, and love around every corner. The release date will be a miracle for readers everywhere. I congratulate this author on her debut feat!
Notable Scene:
She reached out and wrapped her fingers around the stem, right below the petals: the only flower that would ever grow, the only thing that could save her, here, underneath her fingers. She gasped. The flower’s pulse was so strong it almost knocked her over. She could feel her hand burning.
She would die, but it was worth it. Because Luc would save his sister. It would be Corinthe’s gift, to thank him for what he had given her.
She had finally found something more than fate to believe in.
FTC Advisory: Delacorte Press/Random House provided me with a copy of Fates. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A beautiful, touching story about a girl learning to love in a strange situation. This was engaging and brilliant, and fans of Delirium by Lauren Oliver will enjoy it!
Opening Sentence: Principal Sylvia Patterson pulled her office door shut, checked the lock, then hitched a stack of folders slightly higher in her left arm as she made her way down the empty halls of Mission High.
The Review:
Fates is about a girl named Corinthe, who has been ostracized from her home land after doing a forbidden thing, and forced to live on Earth (Humana) as an Executer. She helps make sure fate happens, and certain destinies that are uncertain are resolved the way they are meant to be. Living with her guardian Miranda, she is beginning to feel better about her exile, although still she yearns dearly for home. All she wants is to be finished with her tasks and to go home to Pyralis. Then, finally, gets her last assignment, to kill a human boy, is given to her. Strangely, though, the task that she is most resolved in is the one that spirals most out of control.
One of the things that I rave about in this book is the gorgeous, unique writing style. It was like music, and it flowed so brilliantly, like honey. I was very impressed!
Corinthe is so determined to get home, and it’s obvious in every word that all she wants is that. Slowly it begins to change, and in subtle ways her focus begins to divert as she falls in love with Luc. She denies it, at first-she is new to living like a human, naive to this world. But Luc represents the good things about humanity: kindness, perseverance, bravery in a tough life.
Luc was the character I was able to identify with more, perhaps because his voice was purely human. Corinthe had an almost alien way she describes the story, and Luc I had more empathy with. His mother walked out on the family when he was young, his father is always drunk, and his sister keeps getting hooked on drugs. It’s not exactly a peachy life looking out for them, but Luc gets by. Usually when you first are introduced to a character you are more uncaring about their life, but I was definitely touched by this kid’s story.
The story kept going down paths that I didn’t expect at all, making me surprised, scared, `and everything in between. It kept consistent, though, and never went too far off the track, to the point I was confused. No, this was perfectly understandable.
I have one complaint, though. The characters, the setting, the plotline, everything was fabulous except for one thing…the length. I felt like there were enough pages, but the story happens in such a relatively short period of time that just more would have been great. While it was obvious that Corinthe and Lucas were falling for each other, it would have been great if they could have had more time together.
All in all, this one is an enthralling, engaging story with lots of action, betrayal, and love around every corner. The release date will be a miracle for readers everywhere. I congratulate this author on her debut feat!
Notable Scene:
She reached out and wrapped her fingers around the stem, right below the petals: the only flower that would ever grow, the only thing that could save her, here, underneath her fingers. She gasped. The flower’s pulse was so strong it almost knocked her over. She could feel her hand burning.
She would die, but it was worth it. Because Luc would save his sister. It would be Corinthe’s gift, to thank him for what he had given her.
She had finally found something more than fate to believe in.
FTC Advisory: Delacorte Press/Random House provided me with a copy of Fates. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
December 27, 2013
1.5
You can find this review and more on http://nobentspines.blogspot.com/
Review:
There’s absolutely no question I adore Greek Myths. I mean come one guys…Medusa? Hades? Persephone? Hera? Aphrodite? How can you not find these guys interesting? In FATES, we discover a twist on the classic three fates story. The classic fates are Clotho (spinner), Lachesis (allotter) and Atropos (unturnable). In FATES there are wayyy more than three. Corinthe is just one of the ‘sister fates’ and the first on to be cast out from her home for being ‘’too eager, too curious, too questioning.’’
Corinthe has finally reached her last job. All she has to do? Kill the one guys who just may understand that she has never had a choice, never been given a choice.
Onto what I though. The romance in this book seriously confused me. There was no romance, maybe a little bit of attraction and some kinship because they were sorta on the same boat and then, out of nowhere, BAM! They’re in love and willing to give up everything to be with each other. Suddenly, everything they ever believe in cease to exist and the only thing that matters in each other. Falling in love with the girl who tried to kill you, does freaky things with water and offers no explanation….you see why I am a tad bit puzzled when it comes to the ‘romance.’
Also, I felt that the action in this book very near boiled down to very little. When our two main characters got into something big it only lasted for a little while, while the sections where they talk about their confusion about their attraction to the other character lasted much longer. Normally this rally wouldn’t bother me much if the love made sense but in FATES it really didn’t. I like action, near deaths and plot twist as much as the next person but sadly, this book just didn’t do it for me.
I need to feel some sort of connection to the characters. I need to care whether they live or die or if they get home or not or whether their siblings survive. As you are probably guessing, I didn’t.
So here’s what I liked. I liked that Luke wasn’t a killer and the fact the Corinthe respected that. I like Luke’s devotion to his sister. I like the guy whos name started with an A who risked everything, even his sight to be with his one true love and in the end when she betrayed everyone and him the most, he still thought love was worth it. I like the spin on the Fate’s story even if FATES wasn’t the book for me. I like the fact that in the end, the world isn’t perfect.
~Jackie
You can find this review and more on http://nobentspines.blogspot.com/
Review:
There’s absolutely no question I adore Greek Myths. I mean come one guys…Medusa? Hades? Persephone? Hera? Aphrodite? How can you not find these guys interesting? In FATES, we discover a twist on the classic three fates story. The classic fates are Clotho (spinner), Lachesis (allotter) and Atropos (unturnable). In FATES there are wayyy more than three. Corinthe is just one of the ‘sister fates’ and the first on to be cast out from her home for being ‘’too eager, too curious, too questioning.’’
Corinthe has finally reached her last job. All she has to do? Kill the one guys who just may understand that she has never had a choice, never been given a choice.
Onto what I though. The romance in this book seriously confused me. There was no romance, maybe a little bit of attraction and some kinship because they were sorta on the same boat and then, out of nowhere, BAM! They’re in love and willing to give up everything to be with each other. Suddenly, everything they ever believe in cease to exist and the only thing that matters in each other. Falling in love with the girl who tried to kill you, does freaky things with water and offers no explanation….you see why I am a tad bit puzzled when it comes to the ‘romance.’
Also, I felt that the action in this book very near boiled down to very little. When our two main characters got into something big it only lasted for a little while, while the sections where they talk about their confusion about their attraction to the other character lasted much longer. Normally this rally wouldn’t bother me much if the love made sense but in FATES it really didn’t. I like action, near deaths and plot twist as much as the next person but sadly, this book just didn’t do it for me.
I need to feel some sort of connection to the characters. I need to care whether they live or die or if they get home or not or whether their siblings survive. As you are probably guessing, I didn’t.
So here’s what I liked. I liked that Luke wasn’t a killer and the fact the Corinthe respected that. I like Luke’s devotion to his sister. I like the guy whos name started with an A who risked everything, even his sight to be with his one true love and in the end when she betrayed everyone and him the most, he still thought love was worth it. I like the spin on the Fate’s story even if FATES wasn’t the book for me. I like the fact that in the end, the world isn’t perfect.
~Jackie
January 27, 2014
I don’t know if I like this one as much as I would have liked to, I mean I love the blurb and the cover but once I got started I just for some reason could not get into it. Might have been ME, and I need to re-read. Sometimes I am just in the mood for the book I am reading. But I know I want to read it because really there was nothing bad to say about it. It was a great story line, the plot was awesome and Bross has a very great job at making you feel part of the book!
You will follow Corinthe in this one, a girl who is not human but punished and exiled to the human world to make sure fates develop according to plan. But when she is tasked to do the last task ever so she can be sent home she never thought it would be something she could not do because of feelings. She does not have them and for a boy, a human boy names Lucas. What will she do? It’s a decision you don’t want to miss out on!
Well as I already said I just could not get into this one, but I did enjoy the flow of the book! I just can’t seem to put my finger on why I was not falling into it, but there is so much imagination in this one and adventure as well. You will love Lucas and all he has to encounter after falling into a world he never knew a thing about. Lucas and Corinthe will battle lots through out the book as well has there feeling or each other. But will there fates already be writing or can they help the ones they love and there self?
When two worlds collide thing will take a turn for the worse and people will have to make life decisions and they might not just be what they want them to be. I can’t want for the next ne I know I will have a better time getting into because Bross is a great writer! And the ending to this one is wow!
You will follow Corinthe in this one, a girl who is not human but punished and exiled to the human world to make sure fates develop according to plan. But when she is tasked to do the last task ever so she can be sent home she never thought it would be something she could not do because of feelings. She does not have them and for a boy, a human boy names Lucas. What will she do? It’s a decision you don’t want to miss out on!
Well as I already said I just could not get into this one, but I did enjoy the flow of the book! I just can’t seem to put my finger on why I was not falling into it, but there is so much imagination in this one and adventure as well. You will love Lucas and all he has to encounter after falling into a world he never knew a thing about. Lucas and Corinthe will battle lots through out the book as well has there feeling or each other. But will there fates already be writing or can they help the ones they love and there self?
When two worlds collide thing will take a turn for the worse and people will have to make life decisions and they might not just be what they want them to be. I can’t want for the next ne I know I will have a better time getting into because Bross is a great writer! And the ending to this one is wow!
August 9, 2014
1.5
Corinthe is a fallen Fate who was exiled in the human world and became an Executor, the one that assures the fate of a certain person will be carried out to what is destined to them. After several years of doing this, she was told that she can go back home by executing this one job: To kill someone.
At first, I liked Fates, I like how it begins, the premise, even the execution and I note-to-self that I will love this one because it was really interesting even though the concept was quite not original. Then, add these characters with hidden agenda and the twists. But after some time reading, I'm starting to have a headache, a real bad headache because of the confusion it brings: bad confusion. wth. I can't connect the events that are happening in the book. I can't think of ideas with regards to those, like "what's that supposed to mean".
There is a term Free Radicals; yes the book supplied what's the meaning of this but it was still vague and I find myself uttering 'what' a couple of times. There are other technical terms I forgot which I didn't have concrete descriptions about them. And oh, okay, I remember two things, The Forest of Blood Nymphs and The Land of Two Suns which still I don't get at the moment. Fates can go from Pyralis Terra to the Humana (Earth) through the Crossroads. And in Crossroads you will pass through the two places I mentioned above and I can't help myself to search explanations why these two? I know that, since this is a fiction, you can create a whole new world but can you please make reasons why they are somehow connected to others? I didn't see it in this and feels like I am lost.
Corinthe is a fallen Fate who was exiled in the human world and became an Executor, the one that assures the fate of a certain person will be carried out to what is destined to them. After several years of doing this, she was told that she can go back home by executing this one job: To kill someone.
At first, I liked Fates, I like how it begins, the premise, even the execution and I note-to-self that I will love this one because it was really interesting even though the concept was quite not original. Then, add these characters with hidden agenda and the twists. But after some time reading, I'm starting to have a headache, a real bad headache because of the confusion it brings: bad confusion. wth. I can't connect the events that are happening in the book. I can't think of ideas with regards to those, like "what's that supposed to mean".
There is a term Free Radicals; yes the book supplied what's the meaning of this but it was still vague and I find myself uttering 'what' a couple of times. There are other technical terms I forgot which I didn't have concrete descriptions about them. And oh, okay, I remember two things, The Forest of Blood Nymphs and The Land of Two Suns which still I don't get at the moment. Fates can go from Pyralis Terra to the Humana (Earth) through the Crossroads. And in Crossroads you will pass through the two places I mentioned above and I can't help myself to search explanations why these two? I know that, since this is a fiction, you can create a whole new world but can you please make reasons why they are somehow connected to others? I didn't see it in this and feels like I am lost.
February 10, 2019
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
MY THOUGHTS
I felt as if I was on a teeter-totter the whole time I was reading this book. Whenever I began to enjoy reading this book, I would be high up on the teeter-totter until something would happen in the book and bring me back to the ground. This would happen over and over again throughout the book, which makes me so sad! I wanted to enjoy this book! In fact, there were occasions that I was really close to enjoying it! But there was always something that would prevent that.
The Writing
The writing was one of those somethings and it's what really makes me so sad about not liking this book. Lanie Bross is obviously a great writer! I could clearly picture what was happening and she has such a great imagination! But, oddly enough, I am not a fan of her writing style. The book is written in 3rd person which is not my favorite point-of-view. I can deal with it if it follows only one person or it alternates every chapter (with the character's name before the chapter). But this book did not follow one character and while it did alternate every chapter, there would occasionally be chapters where more than one character was followed. This just made it very hard for me to connect with the characters or even care about them. What made it worse, though, was the fact that the antagonist was a character that was followed and we would hear the thoughts of. This erased a lot of mystery in the book.
No Explanation
This isn't a big one, but there were words used that were never explained. Same thing with people. Names were brought up but it was never told who they were. It got very confusing at times.
The Romance
The romance was what really drove me mad! I can deal with the writing, I can deal with no explanations, but the romance was constantly dragging me back down to the ground. I could be enjoying a scene and BOOM, here comes insta-love. Yes, there was insta-love.
"Corinthe shook her head. She must have hit her head in the accident: he was human, and she could hardly even tell the difference between humans. But something about this boy seemed different." -Page 8
"He stared hard at her month and fought the intense desire to hear her whisper his name instead." -Page 65
Both of these quotes are from when they don't even know each other!
But it gets worse:
"But he wanted to kiss her more than anything right that second. Press his lips against the soft curve of her neck." -Page 100
To set the scene: Corinthe is trying to kill him. This chick has a knife at this guy's throat and instead of think "Woah, this chick is trying to kill me! I need to fight back!" He's thinking about kissing her. And these ridiculous emotions cross the character's minds all throughout the book.
Even more ridiculous, there wasn't even really a romance until the very very end.
But, as I said, there were parts that I actually enjoyed.
The Ideas
I loved the premise to the story and all the imagination involved in the creation of it. The idea of fate in this book was enormously fascinating!
Fantasy Elements
I can't go into full detail about this, because of spoilers, but there are other worlds in this story and made me super happy! This kind of thing in books is one of my favorite plot-like aspects to be found in books! The middle portion of this book, where this was, was my absolute favorite and I was really enjoying myself throughout it! Sucks that the romance ruined it.
The Ending
I HATED the romance aspect to the ending, but other than that, I really liked the way things ended. It sounds really bad, though, if you know what happens.
IN CONCLUSION
I have a weird relationship with this book. I enjoyed some parts--like the premise, the fantasy elements, and the ending--but was not a fan of the writing style or lack of explanations. But the romance was particularly irritating. I would like to think that the middle portion of the book would redeem it, but I can't get myself to give this book a higher rating. To be honest, the book isn't really that memorable. Maybe it's because of the fact that I never could connect with the characters, but I don't think I'll remember this story in the long-run.
As for the next book, I won't read it.
1. I liked the ending of this book.
2. I have a feeling that book 2 might have more romance.
But Lanie Bross is talented and if she ever writes anything else, I'll probably look into it.
MY THOUGHTS
I felt as if I was on a teeter-totter the whole time I was reading this book. Whenever I began to enjoy reading this book, I would be high up on the teeter-totter until something would happen in the book and bring me back to the ground. This would happen over and over again throughout the book, which makes me so sad! I wanted to enjoy this book! In fact, there were occasions that I was really close to enjoying it! But there was always something that would prevent that.
The Writing
The writing was one of those somethings and it's what really makes me so sad about not liking this book. Lanie Bross is obviously a great writer! I could clearly picture what was happening and she has such a great imagination! But, oddly enough, I am not a fan of her writing style. The book is written in 3rd person which is not my favorite point-of-view. I can deal with it if it follows only one person or it alternates every chapter (with the character's name before the chapter). But this book did not follow one character and while it did alternate every chapter, there would occasionally be chapters where more than one character was followed. This just made it very hard for me to connect with the characters or even care about them. What made it worse, though, was the fact that the antagonist was a character that was followed and we would hear the thoughts of. This erased a lot of mystery in the book.
No Explanation
This isn't a big one, but there were words used that were never explained. Same thing with people. Names were brought up but it was never told who they were. It got very confusing at times.
The Romance
The romance was what really drove me mad! I can deal with the writing, I can deal with no explanations, but the romance was constantly dragging me back down to the ground. I could be enjoying a scene and BOOM, here comes insta-love. Yes, there was insta-love.
"Corinthe shook her head. She must have hit her head in the accident: he was human, and she could hardly even tell the difference between humans. But something about this boy seemed different." -Page 8
"He stared hard at her month and fought the intense desire to hear her whisper his name instead." -Page 65
Both of these quotes are from when they don't even know each other!
But it gets worse:
"But he wanted to kiss her more than anything right that second. Press his lips against the soft curve of her neck." -Page 100
To set the scene: Corinthe is trying to kill him. This chick has a knife at this guy's throat and instead of think "Woah, this chick is trying to kill me! I need to fight back!" He's thinking about kissing her. And these ridiculous emotions cross the character's minds all throughout the book.
Even more ridiculous, there wasn't even really a romance until the very very end.
But, as I said, there were parts that I actually enjoyed.
The Ideas
I loved the premise to the story and all the imagination involved in the creation of it. The idea of fate in this book was enormously fascinating!
Fantasy Elements
I can't go into full detail about this, because of spoilers, but there are other worlds in this story and made me super happy! This kind of thing in books is one of my favorite plot-like aspects to be found in books! The middle portion of this book, where this was, was my absolute favorite and I was really enjoying myself throughout it! Sucks that the romance ruined it.
The Ending
I HATED the romance aspect to the ending, but other than that, I really liked the way things ended. It sounds really bad, though, if you know what happens.
IN CONCLUSION
I have a weird relationship with this book. I enjoyed some parts--like the premise, the fantasy elements, and the ending--but was not a fan of the writing style or lack of explanations. But the romance was particularly irritating. I would like to think that the middle portion of the book would redeem it, but I can't get myself to give this book a higher rating. To be honest, the book isn't really that memorable. Maybe it's because of the fact that I never could connect with the characters, but I don't think I'll remember this story in the long-run.
As for the next book, I won't read it.
1. I liked the ending of this book.
2. I have a feeling that book 2 might have more romance.
But Lanie Bross is talented and if she ever writes anything else, I'll probably look into it.
August 10, 2015
I received Fates in return for an honest review a long time ago. Corinthe made a mistake that she’s spent the last 10 years living with away from the only home she’s known among the human world. At last the chance to get back into Pyralis Terra has presented it’s self where she now has the chance to complete one task and she will be able to go home. However her task is to kill the boy who helped her in the accident, and she also helped find out that his girlfriend wasn’t right for him. Setting out to kill the Luc will prove harder when he fights back and a chance lands the duo in an alternate world.
As the pair lands in another world Corinthe knows that she needs to finish her mission before it’s too late and return to Pyralis at last. However the more time she spends with Luc the harder she finds it to want to kill him. Luc and Corinthe aren’t the only ones who have travelled to another world his younger sister is here and at the hands of Blood Nymphs who are draining her blood turning her into one of them. Luc is determined to save Jas before it’s too late but he can’t deny the attraction between him and Corinthe either. Will they be able to save Jas? What about the hornet bite that is slowly killing Corinthe? Will she ever find her way back home?
I like Corinthe she just wants to go home, even if it means killing someone to allow her to return. However that was before she started to get to know him and find herself falling in love with him. Luc has issues but after his mom died, his dad kind of fell off the wagon and he’s raising his rebellion younger sister so he deserves a little slack. I like watching the relationship develop between Corinthe and Luc it’s sweet even if it starts out a little rough it works by the end.
I’ve had this one on my kindle for far too long because I started it once before and it just didn’t grab me. I decided it’s been long enough time to give it another go and found it pleasantly surprising. I’ve not ready many mythology books about the fates but I do know a little about them and think the author did a great job putting her own unique spin on the concept. Fates is a fast paced loaded with suspense action and just enough romance to give the story the perfect blend. I really liked the characters they are well developed and easy to connect with it wasn’t hard to get drawn into their story. The authors writing style is captivating it was easy to get lost and I found it hard to put down Fates and ended up reading it in one afternoon. I really enjoyed Fates it’s a fast read. This is my first book by the author but I’m looking forward to checking out the next book and seeing what happens with Corinthe and Luc.
As the pair lands in another world Corinthe knows that she needs to finish her mission before it’s too late and return to Pyralis at last. However the more time she spends with Luc the harder she finds it to want to kill him. Luc and Corinthe aren’t the only ones who have travelled to another world his younger sister is here and at the hands of Blood Nymphs who are draining her blood turning her into one of them. Luc is determined to save Jas before it’s too late but he can’t deny the attraction between him and Corinthe either. Will they be able to save Jas? What about the hornet bite that is slowly killing Corinthe? Will she ever find her way back home?
I like Corinthe she just wants to go home, even if it means killing someone to allow her to return. However that was before she started to get to know him and find herself falling in love with him. Luc has issues but after his mom died, his dad kind of fell off the wagon and he’s raising his rebellion younger sister so he deserves a little slack. I like watching the relationship develop between Corinthe and Luc it’s sweet even if it starts out a little rough it works by the end.
I’ve had this one on my kindle for far too long because I started it once before and it just didn’t grab me. I decided it’s been long enough time to give it another go and found it pleasantly surprising. I’ve not ready many mythology books about the fates but I do know a little about them and think the author did a great job putting her own unique spin on the concept. Fates is a fast paced loaded with suspense action and just enough romance to give the story the perfect blend. I really liked the characters they are well developed and easy to connect with it wasn’t hard to get drawn into their story. The authors writing style is captivating it was easy to get lost and I found it hard to put down Fates and ended up reading it in one afternoon. I really enjoyed Fates it’s a fast read. This is my first book by the author but I’m looking forward to checking out the next book and seeing what happens with Corinthe and Luc.
October 30, 2013
I received this ARC at NYCC.
Corinthe is a fallen Fate. Now exiled to Earth, she is responsible for guiding people to their destinies, whether it be a new relationship or their deaths. She has labored for the past ten years believing that she will eventually be permitted to return to her home on Pyralis and rejoin her sister Fates.
But things begin unraveling as soon as she meets Luc. You see, after ten years on Earth, she is starting to become more and more human, and that includes the capability to fall in love.
Fates has a very interesting premise, but I think it fails a little in the execution. The explanation of Fates and Executors and Guardians and Radicals never meshed very well, and I started getting very confused as I got closer to the end. Knowing that this is the first in a series leads me to believe (or hope) that some of the questions I had will be answered in future books.
I read another review that said she felt as though the author was making things up as she went along. It did seem to be that way at times, because everything felt way too coincidental. Things make sense later, once you get closer to th end, and you realize just how everything ties together. But the overarching question, which will hopefully be brought up later, is WHY. Why is this happening? What does it all mean? I really don't want to have to wait over a year to find out what the heck is going on.
It was very difficult to feel for any of the characters. Corinthe seemed very cold, and although Luc was a bit more sympathetic, and his drive to save his sister was admirable, I didn't really connect with him, either. Their love, which is apparently universe-destroying in its epicness, felt very shoe-horned in, the way relationships in YA novels so often seem to be. They're in love because they are, and it's true love and we're helpless against it, even though we hate each other and Corinthe spends about half the book planning to kill Luc.
Overall, it wasn't terrible, but it will probably be easier to judge its worth when taking the series as a whole.
Corinthe is a fallen Fate. Now exiled to Earth, she is responsible for guiding people to their destinies, whether it be a new relationship or their deaths. She has labored for the past ten years believing that she will eventually be permitted to return to her home on Pyralis and rejoin her sister Fates.
But things begin unraveling as soon as she meets Luc. You see, after ten years on Earth, she is starting to become more and more human, and that includes the capability to fall in love.
Fates has a very interesting premise, but I think it fails a little in the execution. The explanation of Fates and Executors and Guardians and Radicals never meshed very well, and I started getting very confused as I got closer to the end. Knowing that this is the first in a series leads me to believe (or hope) that some of the questions I had will be answered in future books.
I read another review that said she felt as though the author was making things up as she went along. It did seem to be that way at times, because everything felt way too coincidental. Things make sense later, once you get closer to th end, and you realize just how everything ties together. But the overarching question, which will hopefully be brought up later, is WHY. Why is this happening? What does it all mean? I really don't want to have to wait over a year to find out what the heck is going on.
It was very difficult to feel for any of the characters. Corinthe seemed very cold, and although Luc was a bit more sympathetic, and his drive to save his sister was admirable, I didn't really connect with him, either. Their love, which is apparently universe-destroying in its epicness, felt very shoe-horned in, the way relationships in YA novels so often seem to be. They're in love because they are, and it's true love and we're helpless against it, even though we hate each other and Corinthe spends about half the book planning to kill Luc.
Overall, it wasn't terrible, but it will probably be easier to judge its worth when taking the series as a whole.
October 30, 2013
This was a really entertaining book and a unique take on the Fates (otherwise known as Moirai from Greek mythology). The worldbuilding was solid and interesting enough to really grab me from the beginning, and even though some developments seemed very "convenient" to say the least, I can honestly say that I had fun reading this one.
The story is told in dual third person perspective, alternating between the point of view of Corinthe and Lucas.
Corinthe is one of the sister Fates. She's been exiled from Pyralis for being "too eager, too curious, too questioning". And she can't go back until the Unseen Ones permit it. She and her sisters keep the universe in balance by making sure that all destinies are fulfilled - "most destinies would be fulfilled on their own, but the clouded marbles, the damaged ones that she and her sister Fates gathered, needed extra attention." Corinthe is now an Executor and her job on Earth is carrying out unfulfilled destinies. She lives among humans, blending in and pretending to be one of them.
It had been ten years since Corinthe's exile as an Executor, ten years of completing assignments, and now it's finally time for her to return home. She has one last job to do and then she can go back to Pyralis. Only this job will prove to be the hardest of all. To live, she will have to kill the one she loves. And what she doesn't yet know is that there's a lot more at stake than just her and the boy's destiny.
Now, if you're familiar with the Fates from Greek mythology, you know that they were three sisters: Clotho (spinner), Lachesis (allotter) and Atropos (unturnable). You also know that they controlled the metaphorical thread of life of every mortal (possibly even Gods). The Fates is this book, though, are a bit different. First of all, there are more than just three (though we only get to meet one, Corinthe). And second, their "jobs" are different. While Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos each had a specific "job" to do - one was responsible for birth, one for the length of life, and one for death - The Fates we meet in this story deal with destinies, making sure that everything goes smoothly and according to the "big plan". They intervene when their help is needed, they make people fall in love or break up, they cause seemingly accidental deaths, etc. In other words, they're like puppet masters I guess. I kind of liked that concept, though I wish we'd get to meet the other sisters, too. In a way, we only got to explore one side of the story. We met Corinthe and her guardian, Miranda, and we learned everything about Pyralis, the Unseen Ones, the Tribunal and the Radicals from them. We know what Miranda's take on the whole *predetermined fate* was, but we didn't get to meet a character that would explain/argue the other point of view. I thought that would've made the story more three-dimensional. Additionally, I really wanted to learn more about the Unseen Ones and the Tribunal.
I liked both the lead characters - Lucas a little bit more than Corinthe - but I can't say that I felt a strong connection to them. I didn't find their story particularly emotionally engaging, or their relationship convincing enough. Their strong attraction to one another felt rushed, even odd at times. Consequently, while I wanted to find out how their story ended, I wasn't very invested in it all. I did, however, really enjoy the passages describing Corinthe's first experiences on Earth, how she perceived this "foreign, terrible world full of obscene noises and blasts of light" (Pyralis is more like a calm and pure oasis compared to Humana), and how she slowly adapted. She seemed lost at first - terrified even - but being a strong and resourceful girl, she learned to face her fears and overcome obstacles. And, inevitably, she became more and more human with each passing day.
Luc was described as a regular run-of-the-mill kind of guy. Not stupid, but not particularly clever either. He lives in a small apartment with his sister and dad, isn't especially popular at school and his only talent is being good at soccer. His girlfriend, on the other hand, is a very popular and rich hottie who lives in a glamorous mansion with live-in housekeepers. She's smart, talented and beautiful. Lucas' family is slowly falling apart - with his dad hitting the bottle again and his sister doing drugs at the age of 15 - while Karen's family is picture perfect. Needless to say, they're worlds apart. He knows he is extremely lucky to be with a girl like that, and yet something is missing.
I really loved Lucas' devotion to his younger sister. He really loves her and cares for her, and it kills him to see her fall apart in front of his eyes and not be able to do anything about it. He is a good guy with lots of baggage and little hope, but he stays strong and does everything to keep the pieces of their fractured family life together. He's very selfless and caring. I really admired that about him.
Like I said before, the world building in Fates is on a decent level. There are two main realms in this book; two worlds - Pyralis and Humana (Earth). There are also other interesting dimensions, filled with intriguing, magical creatures (such as the blood thirsty Blood Nymphs). The part of of the world building dedicated to these dimensions was intricate and breathtaking, even if a little bit over the top at times. I loved the mythology, especially the fact that so much of it was eerie and dangerous. Some passages - particularly those describing how Blood Nymphs were made - were downright bone-chilling and disturbing. Sick, even!
Free will vs predetermined fate. The power struggle between The Tribunal, the Unseen Ones and the Radicals. Convoluted yet intriguing political games, backstabbings and deception. Ambition and revenge. Manipulation and seeds of destruction. Love and death. Fates has it all and more! If you enjoy books built around mythological concepts, magical settings and characters, and plot lines filled with adventure and drama, you will love this one!
The story is told in dual third person perspective, alternating between the point of view of Corinthe and Lucas.
Corinthe is one of the sister Fates. She's been exiled from Pyralis for being "too eager, too curious, too questioning". And she can't go back until the Unseen Ones permit it. She and her sisters keep the universe in balance by making sure that all destinies are fulfilled - "most destinies would be fulfilled on their own, but the clouded marbles, the damaged ones that she and her sister Fates gathered, needed extra attention." Corinthe is now an Executor and her job on Earth is carrying out unfulfilled destinies. She lives among humans, blending in and pretending to be one of them.
It had been ten years since Corinthe's exile as an Executor, ten years of completing assignments, and now it's finally time for her to return home. She has one last job to do and then she can go back to Pyralis. Only this job will prove to be the hardest of all. To live, she will have to kill the one she loves. And what she doesn't yet know is that there's a lot more at stake than just her and the boy's destiny.
Now, if you're familiar with the Fates from Greek mythology, you know that they were three sisters: Clotho (spinner), Lachesis (allotter) and Atropos (unturnable). You also know that they controlled the metaphorical thread of life of every mortal (possibly even Gods). The Fates is this book, though, are a bit different. First of all, there are more than just three (though we only get to meet one, Corinthe). And second, their "jobs" are different. While Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos each had a specific "job" to do - one was responsible for birth, one for the length of life, and one for death - The Fates we meet in this story deal with destinies, making sure that everything goes smoothly and according to the "big plan". They intervene when their help is needed, they make people fall in love or break up, they cause seemingly accidental deaths, etc. In other words, they're like puppet masters I guess. I kind of liked that concept, though I wish we'd get to meet the other sisters, too. In a way, we only got to explore one side of the story. We met Corinthe and her guardian, Miranda, and we learned everything about Pyralis, the Unseen Ones, the Tribunal and the Radicals from them. We know what Miranda's take on the whole *predetermined fate* was, but we didn't get to meet a character that would explain/argue the other point of view. I thought that would've made the story more three-dimensional. Additionally, I really wanted to learn more about the Unseen Ones and the Tribunal.
I liked both the lead characters - Lucas a little bit more than Corinthe - but I can't say that I felt a strong connection to them. I didn't find their story particularly emotionally engaging, or their relationship convincing enough. Their strong attraction to one another felt rushed, even odd at times. Consequently, while I wanted to find out how their story ended, I wasn't very invested in it all. I did, however, really enjoy the passages describing Corinthe's first experiences on Earth, how she perceived this "foreign, terrible world full of obscene noises and blasts of light" (Pyralis is more like a calm and pure oasis compared to Humana), and how she slowly adapted. She seemed lost at first - terrified even - but being a strong and resourceful girl, she learned to face her fears and overcome obstacles. And, inevitably, she became more and more human with each passing day.
Luc was described as a regular run-of-the-mill kind of guy. Not stupid, but not particularly clever either. He lives in a small apartment with his sister and dad, isn't especially popular at school and his only talent is being good at soccer. His girlfriend, on the other hand, is a very popular and rich hottie who lives in a glamorous mansion with live-in housekeepers. She's smart, talented and beautiful. Lucas' family is slowly falling apart - with his dad hitting the bottle again and his sister doing drugs at the age of 15 - while Karen's family is picture perfect. Needless to say, they're worlds apart. He knows he is extremely lucky to be with a girl like that, and yet something is missing.
I really loved Lucas' devotion to his younger sister. He really loves her and cares for her, and it kills him to see her fall apart in front of his eyes and not be able to do anything about it. He is a good guy with lots of baggage and little hope, but he stays strong and does everything to keep the pieces of their fractured family life together. He's very selfless and caring. I really admired that about him.
Like I said before, the world building in Fates is on a decent level. There are two main realms in this book; two worlds - Pyralis and Humana (Earth). There are also other interesting dimensions, filled with intriguing, magical creatures (such as the blood thirsty Blood Nymphs). The part of of the world building dedicated to these dimensions was intricate and breathtaking, even if a little bit over the top at times. I loved the mythology, especially the fact that so much of it was eerie and dangerous. Some passages - particularly those describing how Blood Nymphs were made - were downright bone-chilling and disturbing. Sick, even!
Free will vs predetermined fate. The power struggle between The Tribunal, the Unseen Ones and the Radicals. Convoluted yet intriguing political games, backstabbings and deception. Ambition and revenge. Manipulation and seeds of destruction. Love and death. Fates has it all and more! If you enjoy books built around mythological concepts, magical settings and characters, and plot lines filled with adventure and drama, you will love this one!
January 11, 2015
Fates and Chaos are the first and second books of the Fates series by Lanie Bross and I have decided that I am going to do this review combining both books since I was able to read these books back to back. I have to admit, I enjoyed both books but I think Fates (book 1) edged out Chaos by a smidge. Please be warned – there are some things that I might mention that could be spoilers so definitely continue reading at your own risk.
Fates kicks off the series by introducing the reader to Corinthe. I was immediately drawn into her story because of the way Bross introduced us to who she really is and although there are a number of other characters, this story really belongs to Corinthe. See, Corinthe was a Fate and has been exiled to Humana for the last 10 years and her role as an Executor has been to help fate along so that she could eventually go back to Pyralis Terra…or so she thought.
Turns out she was really just a pawn in a larger objective that her Guardian, Miranda had been plotting in support of the rebellion. Miranda has invested a lot of time and effort into getting Corinthe to do what she wanted her to do and Lucas, who is introduced early on in the book, plays a large part in making sure Miranda’s plans work out. Miranda has tied their fates together by bringing Luc’s sister, Jasmine, into the mix and as he and Corinthe search for a way to save her.
As the story moves along, we find out what Miranda is really up to but I think the thing I enjoyed most about this book was the world building that Bross did throughout as she described each of the worlds that Corinthe and Luc moved through in an effort to save his sister. We also see the way that Corinthe changes as she begins to realize she wants more than just to go back to her sister Fates…now she has realized that Luc is just as (if not more) important to her.
As Fates comes to a close, things are a bit crazy for these characters and Corinthe gives the ultimate sacrifice to save Luc’s sister. With that in mind, Luc has decided he is going to do whatever he can to bring her back.
Chaos is Luc’s opportunity to bring Corinthe back but there is an added twist. Because Jasmine doesn’t remember anything about what happened when she was taken by Miranda, she is unaware of what Luc has been up to. All she knows is that Luc is acting weird, her dad is going to rehab, and now there are some people she doesn’t know following her around trying to hurt her.
As Jasmine tries learns more about what she missed during the days of her captivity and why time is jumping around so much, she ends up relying on a guy named Ford to help her out. He definitely has a story and we know very little about him. As the stories intertwine, the things Luc does have an impact on Jasmine as he causes time to jump around on her. The jumps help her figure out who she is, what is going on, and what she needs to do to get things back to normal.
As for the characters, I liked Jasmine but I had a hard time believing that she is 15. Maybe the intent was to have her seem older due to the life she has had but she always seemed much older than her actual age. Ford was an interesting character as well. We don’t really learn a lot about him outside of the fact that he is a Radical who believes like Miranda does, that no one should dictate how others live or die.
Similar to Fates, Bross does a great job of building out the worlds in this book. I also thought the story had some good progression. One of the things that does happen that did drive me crazy is the insta-love…both between Luc/Corinthe and Jasmine/Ford.
I can’t say much about the details in this book only because I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone. I found these books to be entertaining and the story interesting. There is plenty of action and a bit of romance all tied together into a story with wonderful world building and an interesting take on fate. Consider checking this series out when you can.
Fates kicks off the series by introducing the reader to Corinthe. I was immediately drawn into her story because of the way Bross introduced us to who she really is and although there are a number of other characters, this story really belongs to Corinthe. See, Corinthe was a Fate and has been exiled to Humana for the last 10 years and her role as an Executor has been to help fate along so that she could eventually go back to Pyralis Terra…or so she thought.
Turns out she was really just a pawn in a larger objective that her Guardian, Miranda had been plotting in support of the rebellion. Miranda has invested a lot of time and effort into getting Corinthe to do what she wanted her to do and Lucas, who is introduced early on in the book, plays a large part in making sure Miranda’s plans work out. Miranda has tied their fates together by bringing Luc’s sister, Jasmine, into the mix and as he and Corinthe search for a way to save her.
As the story moves along, we find out what Miranda is really up to but I think the thing I enjoyed most about this book was the world building that Bross did throughout as she described each of the worlds that Corinthe and Luc moved through in an effort to save his sister. We also see the way that Corinthe changes as she begins to realize she wants more than just to go back to her sister Fates…now she has realized that Luc is just as (if not more) important to her.
As Fates comes to a close, things are a bit crazy for these characters and Corinthe gives the ultimate sacrifice to save Luc’s sister. With that in mind, Luc has decided he is going to do whatever he can to bring her back.
Chaos is Luc’s opportunity to bring Corinthe back but there is an added twist. Because Jasmine doesn’t remember anything about what happened when she was taken by Miranda, she is unaware of what Luc has been up to. All she knows is that Luc is acting weird, her dad is going to rehab, and now there are some people she doesn’t know following her around trying to hurt her.
As Jasmine tries learns more about what she missed during the days of her captivity and why time is jumping around so much, she ends up relying on a guy named Ford to help her out. He definitely has a story and we know very little about him. As the stories intertwine, the things Luc does have an impact on Jasmine as he causes time to jump around on her. The jumps help her figure out who she is, what is going on, and what she needs to do to get things back to normal.
As for the characters, I liked Jasmine but I had a hard time believing that she is 15. Maybe the intent was to have her seem older due to the life she has had but she always seemed much older than her actual age. Ford was an interesting character as well. We don’t really learn a lot about him outside of the fact that he is a Radical who believes like Miranda does, that no one should dictate how others live or die.
Similar to Fates, Bross does a great job of building out the worlds in this book. I also thought the story had some good progression. One of the things that does happen that did drive me crazy is the insta-love…both between Luc/Corinthe and Jasmine/Ford.
I can’t say much about the details in this book only because I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone. I found these books to be entertaining and the story interesting. There is plenty of action and a bit of romance all tied together into a story with wonderful world building and an interesting take on fate. Consider checking this series out when you can.
January 29, 2014
Corinthe didn't like her life among the humans. An exile from Pyralis, she didn't have any plan for herself other than carrying out the orders that she received from her guardian and making sure that all orders were executed. When she knew she could go home if she accomplished a task that seemed very different from all previous orders, she didn't hesitate before accepting it. Could she finally return home?
For me, I had a somewhat difficult time connecting with Corinthe. I wouldn't say she wasn't nice but because she's from Pyralis, she didn't start out having much emotions. I still remembered how I cringed when I first read about the way she dutifully followed her order and then walked away from a scene of chaos and death. So, it wasn't easy for me to believe that she would not only develop deep human feelings but also keep making one selfless choice after another when she was working on her final assignment.
It's bizarre to watch Corinthe develop feelings for Lucas. In the years that she was being exiled, Corinthe had never liked any humans. So, it's plain weird to see her unable to stop thinking about Lucas. And then when she knew what she must do to fulfill her last assignment, she thought she could carry out her order but her body seemed to be yearning for something else. Her feelings were all jumbled up and things no longer seemed easy for her. I felt just as confused as Corinthe when life took a tricky twist and she was being thrown into one challenge after another. And because she could not deny her feelings, she began taking action that she had never considered doing before and I wasn't sure if she had actually transformed to become more noble or if she was just being confused/disoriented/fascinated by her side of humanity.
I felt bad saying this but... I felt a little let down after reading the story. I guess I had a certain expectation about how love might fit in after reading the book blurb and when I didn't feel convinced about the notion of love here, I was disappointed. While I was convinced that the main characters were attracted to one another, I couldn't say I believed that they were in love with one another. And when the plot kept pushing me to assume that these characters were in love, I felt like I was being forced to accept something that I believed otherwise.
What I did like about the story was how the ideas of fate and free will as well as the concept of order and chaos were being explored. Things weren't as plain as they seemed and I liked that the secondary characters offered a wealth of insights to help me see why creation and destruction could be so closely intertwined and related to one another.
Many of the events happening across the worlds (Earth, Pyralis, and other realms) were interesting but because the element of time seemed to be moving differently across the worlds, I felt a bit confused when in the end, it was being revealed to us that only one day had gone by according to the way how time was being measured on Earth.
While I didn't enjoy the story as much as I'd hope, I could see how the story could be appealing to fans of YA Fantasies. The ending did make me wonder if certain secondary character(s) might play a bigger role in the next installment and so I think I'll want to get hold of a copy of book two when it becomes available.
--
Originally posted on LeisureReads.com
A copy of the book was provided by publisher for review purposes.
For me, I had a somewhat difficult time connecting with Corinthe. I wouldn't say she wasn't nice but because she's from Pyralis, she didn't start out having much emotions. I still remembered how I cringed when I first read about the way she dutifully followed her order and then walked away from a scene of chaos and death. So, it wasn't easy for me to believe that she would not only develop deep human feelings but also keep making one selfless choice after another when she was working on her final assignment.
It's bizarre to watch Corinthe develop feelings for Lucas. In the years that she was being exiled, Corinthe had never liked any humans. So, it's plain weird to see her unable to stop thinking about Lucas. And then when she knew what she must do to fulfill her last assignment, she thought she could carry out her order but her body seemed to be yearning for something else. Her feelings were all jumbled up and things no longer seemed easy for her. I felt just as confused as Corinthe when life took a tricky twist and she was being thrown into one challenge after another. And because she could not deny her feelings, she began taking action that she had never considered doing before and I wasn't sure if she had actually transformed to become more noble or if she was just being confused/disoriented/fascinated by her side of humanity.
I felt bad saying this but... I felt a little let down after reading the story. I guess I had a certain expectation about how love might fit in after reading the book blurb and when I didn't feel convinced about the notion of love here, I was disappointed. While I was convinced that the main characters were attracted to one another, I couldn't say I believed that they were in love with one another. And when the plot kept pushing me to assume that these characters were in love, I felt like I was being forced to accept something that I believed otherwise.
What I did like about the story was how the ideas of fate and free will as well as the concept of order and chaos were being explored. Things weren't as plain as they seemed and I liked that the secondary characters offered a wealth of insights to help me see why creation and destruction could be so closely intertwined and related to one another.
Many of the events happening across the worlds (Earth, Pyralis, and other realms) were interesting but because the element of time seemed to be moving differently across the worlds, I felt a bit confused when in the end, it was being revealed to us that only one day had gone by according to the way how time was being measured on Earth.
While I didn't enjoy the story as much as I'd hope, I could see how the story could be appealing to fans of YA Fantasies. The ending did make me wonder if certain secondary character(s) might play a bigger role in the next installment and so I think I'll want to get hold of a copy of book two when it becomes available.
--
Originally posted on LeisureReads.com
A copy of the book was provided by publisher for review purposes.
February 19, 2014
3.5 Stars
'Fates' is the first book in a young adult fantasy series that questions the very concept of fate, destiny, and free will. It follows Corinthe, a Fate who is exiled to Humana (Earth) after making a mistake. Now she's an Executer - she makes sure that certain fates are done according to the plan. She's assured by her Guardian, Miranda, that after these past ten years on Earth, Corinthe can return home to Pyralis Terra after completing two final assignments. Enter Lucas Kaller - an average guy with family issues - who just happens to be Corinthe's final assignment. To kill him. Strange things are beginning to happen to Corinthe since she meets Luc - she experiences human emotions, physical issues like needing to sleep and becoming injured, and the most frightening of all - love. Corinthe realizes that she's becoming something between a Fate and a human. She's fallen in love with a mortal boy who fate says she must kill in order for her to go home. Can fate ever be wrong? Is it possible that some things are more powerful than destiny?
I found this to be a fascinating book that not only deals with mythology but with deep life questions. The characters are both well written - Corinthe is an interesting leading lady for the book. She's unique in so many aspects, yet easy to identify with at the same time. I enjoyed watching her relationship with Lucas develop and grow. The chapters are told from varying views - they alternate between focusing on Corinthe and Lucas, but are written in the third person. I think that this writing style gave the book a bit of a original feel that gives insight into both the plot and the characters. The author uses vivid descriptions and details throughout the story, so it was easy to envision the worlds that were created in the book. I loved learning all about Corinthe's world, along with all the other worlds that are discussed. Their intricate details and histories made the book all the more exciting and fun to explore. Aside from dealing with the mythology concerning the Fates, the book talks a lot about fate, destiny, and free will. These are really deep topics and made me take a long and honest look at the various opinions about these beliefs as well as where I stand with them. It's kind of mind boggling when you think about it, so I'm glad that the author wove the deeper topics into a lighter story about love and alternate worlds. It's a good debut novel for a promising series! Recommended for fans of mythology and YA fantasy fiction.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
'Fates' is the first book in a young adult fantasy series that questions the very concept of fate, destiny, and free will. It follows Corinthe, a Fate who is exiled to Humana (Earth) after making a mistake. Now she's an Executer - she makes sure that certain fates are done according to the plan. She's assured by her Guardian, Miranda, that after these past ten years on Earth, Corinthe can return home to Pyralis Terra after completing two final assignments. Enter Lucas Kaller - an average guy with family issues - who just happens to be Corinthe's final assignment. To kill him. Strange things are beginning to happen to Corinthe since she meets Luc - she experiences human emotions, physical issues like needing to sleep and becoming injured, and the most frightening of all - love. Corinthe realizes that she's becoming something between a Fate and a human. She's fallen in love with a mortal boy who fate says she must kill in order for her to go home. Can fate ever be wrong? Is it possible that some things are more powerful than destiny?
I found this to be a fascinating book that not only deals with mythology but with deep life questions. The characters are both well written - Corinthe is an interesting leading lady for the book. She's unique in so many aspects, yet easy to identify with at the same time. I enjoyed watching her relationship with Lucas develop and grow. The chapters are told from varying views - they alternate between focusing on Corinthe and Lucas, but are written in the third person. I think that this writing style gave the book a bit of a original feel that gives insight into both the plot and the characters. The author uses vivid descriptions and details throughout the story, so it was easy to envision the worlds that were created in the book. I loved learning all about Corinthe's world, along with all the other worlds that are discussed. Their intricate details and histories made the book all the more exciting and fun to explore. Aside from dealing with the mythology concerning the Fates, the book talks a lot about fate, destiny, and free will. These are really deep topics and made me take a long and honest look at the various opinions about these beliefs as well as where I stand with them. It's kind of mind boggling when you think about it, so I'm glad that the author wove the deeper topics into a lighter story about love and alternate worlds. It's a good debut novel for a promising series! Recommended for fans of mythology and YA fantasy fiction.
Disclosure: I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2014
Review Courtesy All Things Urban Fantasy
I had high hopes for FATES when I read the description and was very excited to start reading it. Now that I’m finished, though, I can’t help but think I’d have liked it more if the description matched the actual story told.
For some authors (and I’m thinking of Kevin Hearne here), throwing characters into different planes of reality are almost seamless. Atticus shifting from one plane to the next just feels right in his world. In FATES, however, it’s more confusing than anything else. The world building is rich in detail but it doesn’t seem to have any real flow to it – every new place they land is filled with peril so all they’re doing in that plane is trying to get out before they die from something. The feeling I came away with was that the author had all these great ideas for her world-building and tried to get to all of them in the first book.
It was also hard for me to connect to the characters in FATES. As hard as it was to connect to Corinthe, I felt like I might have if she was more consistently…other. Raised by another from her world and kept mostly out of human contact outside of her mission to ensure fates are fulfilled, I expected her to be staid and stilted when around humans. She was…except when she wasn’t. The inconsistency kept me from bonding with her (that and the whole going from obsessively trying to kill someone to wondering what it would be like to kiss him thing.) That might work for some authors but in FATES, it fell a little flat.
There weren’t really any secondary characters of note. Luc’s sister is a shadow – plot device more than active character in the plot just like Miranda and Rhys. They’re there, they serve a purpose, but not much else than that, though Rhys comes closest to being a fleshed out character. And I won’t comment on the Free Radicals other than to state the obvious feeling that I needed to moisturize.
I’m sure there’s an audience out there for FATES, but I won’t be included in it. I think this series will have to carry on without me.
I had high hopes for FATES when I read the description and was very excited to start reading it. Now that I’m finished, though, I can’t help but think I’d have liked it more if the description matched the actual story told.
For some authors (and I’m thinking of Kevin Hearne here), throwing characters into different planes of reality are almost seamless. Atticus shifting from one plane to the next just feels right in his world. In FATES, however, it’s more confusing than anything else. The world building is rich in detail but it doesn’t seem to have any real flow to it – every new place they land is filled with peril so all they’re doing in that plane is trying to get out before they die from something. The feeling I came away with was that the author had all these great ideas for her world-building and tried to get to all of them in the first book.
It was also hard for me to connect to the characters in FATES. As hard as it was to connect to Corinthe, I felt like I might have if she was more consistently…other. Raised by another from her world and kept mostly out of human contact outside of her mission to ensure fates are fulfilled, I expected her to be staid and stilted when around humans. She was…except when she wasn’t. The inconsistency kept me from bonding with her (that and the whole going from obsessively trying to kill someone to wondering what it would be like to kiss him thing.) That might work for some authors but in FATES, it fell a little flat.
There weren’t really any secondary characters of note. Luc’s sister is a shadow – plot device more than active character in the plot just like Miranda and Rhys. They’re there, they serve a purpose, but not much else than that, though Rhys comes closest to being a fleshed out character. And I won’t comment on the Free Radicals other than to state the obvious feeling that I needed to moisturize.
I’m sure there’s an audience out there for FATES, but I won’t be included in it. I think this series will have to carry on without me.
March 9, 2021
“She finally found something more than fate to believe in.”
Fates has been on my bookshelves a very long time. It has travelled all along them as I arranged and rearranged it throughout the years. Therefore, I was so excited to read it, and you know what? I really enjoyed it! Since it was published in 2013, I thought it would not be special. But, I was pleasantly surprised.
Its storyline is actually pretty unique and original. I really like the mythology elements with the main character being a Fate — she helps keep order within the universe. The settings and creatures were very reminiscent of Wonderland, and I adored those vibes.
The only thing I felt was too cliché was the instant attraction between the main characters. But, it may be explained in the next book, Chaos, since the theme has much to do with, well, fate.
Notes:
Corinthe: exiled 10 yrs ago, “too eager, too curious, too questioning,” only Fallen Fate in history
Pyralis
Lucas/Luc: sister recently OD’ed, poor, alcoholic dad, in relationship with Karen
Unseen Ones: unknown beings who controlled the whole universe and ensured order
Humana: earth, human world
Miranda: Corinthe’s guardian, born from chaos
Tess: closest thing to Miranda’s offspring, a creation
Tribunal: want to coexist with the Unseen Ones
Rhys: weak Radical, a healer
Blood Nymphs: humans who are changed to Nymphs
Messengers are released to signify fate had been appeased and order had been restored to the universe.
Sister Fates’ job is to sort imperfect marbles to give to the Messengers.
When the universe was in balance, there were fewer marbles. Destiny was in natural order.
The marbles which fall off the edge of the waterfall were deaths, births, falling in love, accidents, chance meetings.
Corinthe was no longer a Fate, but a Executor. She had to carry out orders, carry out unfulfilled destinies.
But, she began to worry about the humans (lives impacted, ended and begun). She feels she may be turning into one.
She has to “stitch” in the natural earth to revitalize herself.
There were infinite realms in the universe connected by one membrane: the Crossroad.
Whenever there was an aberration in the universe’s scheme, when balance is disrupted, Free Radicals were born.
Miranda gives her a compass locket necklace to navigate the Crossroad to go home after her final task is done. Corinthe must kill someone, the first time she’d been called to kill someone by her own hand.
Corinthe’s fate was to die. If she killed the boy, she’d live - swapping fates. If she goes against her fate, she could upset the balance. Miranda wants the Free Radicals to regain what they’ve lost. She’s afraid of extinction. She banked everything on Corinthe disrupting the balance, creating tiny moments of chaos.
Corinthe tries to kill Luc. She goes into the Crossroad to find him after he jumps away from her. They arrive in the Nymphs’ forest. Corinthe finds Jasmine inside a huge flower in the process of being transformed into a Blood Nymph. She tries to free her, but the Nymphs stop her. Then, hornets drive them away and sting Corinthe.
Luc wakes in a hot place filled with sand, cliffs and black ocean water. Miranda, it seems, appears and informs him Corinthe is responsible for what’s happening to Jas in The Forest of the Blood Nymphs. After trying to climb a cliff; he falls into the water (Ocean of Shadows, made up of Figments - there are also Figures who warred with them) and his memories.
Corinthe is awakened by Beatis, a gnome. He says she’ll die from the venom and that she has different blood. She gets away from him and goes into the Crossroad to find Lucas.
Rhys finds Lucas. They are in the Land of the Two Suns. Rhys promises to give him a map to find his sister. Luc spots Corinthe. After a little fight, she passes out. She dreams of the day she was exiled. She let a destiny slip by. Miranda was there as soon as she opened her eyes in Humana.
Rhys tries to nurse her back to health. She shows Jasmine to Luc. Rhys informs them of the Flower of Life, which can cure any poison. Corinthe made a plan to trick him to going to Pyralis and restore her rightful place after she completed her mission.
Corinthe and Luc set out on their journey.
Miranda and Rhys meet. She feels guilty for siding with Ford (Rhys seems to have saved her in the past by reversing time). They loved in the past. She hopes once Corinthe kills Luc, balance will be altered because she went against the Unseen Ones. She has no reason to distrust Miranda. Rhys reminds her of the greatest force: love.
Luke thinks about the day his mother left, 10 years ago.
Luc stole Corinthe’s necklace and left. Miranda appears and gives her a key after yelling at Corinthe not to stitch her (Corinthe felt her chaotic strength). She reminds him she must kill him and tells her he’s in Kinesthesia, which represents logic and process - it was a world t the cd fee of the universe, kept everything in rhythmic harmony.
Corinthe finds Lucas. Then, Kinesthesia falls apart. She finds the keyhole to escape into the Crossroad.
They are in a place of mist filled with voices. But then, they are back on Karen’s houseboat. Corinthe thinks they may be in a world of missed chances. She explains this can’t be because things are supposed to be fated; there isn’t supposed to be choice. They almost kiss, but are interrupted by Karen. Then, they are back in the mist. The next moment, back at the Marina, and Luc is stabbed in the gut. It wasn’t real.
Corinthe is transported to San Fran. She goes to her home and finds Miranda hurt. Miranda dies.
Luc ends up back with the Figments. His shadows reunite with him, but not for long. He bumps into Rhys, who’s explains the Figures and Figments of the new generation like to be with one another - just like he can see at the current party. Luc realizes he loves Corinthe, and that she is his Other.
Luc notices Rhys’ chain. He tells Luc the story about turning back time for Miranda, for love. He takes the locket.
Corinthe feels she’s knows what it’s like to really care about someone because of Luc. She cries for the first time and submerges herself in water. She doesn’t have strength. She hears her music box playing, then silence.
Miranda faked her death. She wanted Corinthe to feel guilty, to finally kill Luc. She wants to show the Unseen Ones that destruction can be orchestrated. She wants control and to be more powerful. Corinthe’s fate was to actually die by Luc’s hand. They make it to Pyralis.
Corinthe finds the flier and accepts to die for Luc to save his sister.
Luc makes it to Jas and tries to rescue her. Just as the Nymphs try to attack, he makes it out and to Pyralis Terra. The 7 statues stop him, but then listen to his situation and let him pass. Luc finds Corinthe with the flower and feels used. Miranda arrives and calls Corinthe a liar. They fight and Corinthe throws herself in front of the knife to stop Luc from killing Miranda. They confess their love and kiss. Corinthe dies, and he promises to get Rhys to turn back time again to save her.
They are back in San Fran. Jas is recovering. Their dad is trying to get clean. Luc tries to find the Crossroad, only to see it’s gone. He promises to fix things.
Fates has been on my bookshelves a very long time. It has travelled all along them as I arranged and rearranged it throughout the years. Therefore, I was so excited to read it, and you know what? I really enjoyed it! Since it was published in 2013, I thought it would not be special. But, I was pleasantly surprised.
Its storyline is actually pretty unique and original. I really like the mythology elements with the main character being a Fate — she helps keep order within the universe. The settings and creatures were very reminiscent of Wonderland, and I adored those vibes.
The only thing I felt was too cliché was the instant attraction between the main characters. But, it may be explained in the next book, Chaos, since the theme has much to do with, well, fate.
Notes:
Corinthe: exiled 10 yrs ago, “too eager, too curious, too questioning,” only Fallen Fate in history
Pyralis
Lucas/Luc: sister recently OD’ed, poor, alcoholic dad, in relationship with Karen
Unseen Ones: unknown beings who controlled the whole universe and ensured order
Humana: earth, human world
Miranda: Corinthe’s guardian, born from chaos
Tess: closest thing to Miranda’s offspring, a creation
Tribunal: want to coexist with the Unseen Ones
Rhys: weak Radical, a healer
Blood Nymphs: humans who are changed to Nymphs
Messengers are released to signify fate had been appeased and order had been restored to the universe.
Sister Fates’ job is to sort imperfect marbles to give to the Messengers.
When the universe was in balance, there were fewer marbles. Destiny was in natural order.
The marbles which fall off the edge of the waterfall were deaths, births, falling in love, accidents, chance meetings.
Corinthe was no longer a Fate, but a Executor. She had to carry out orders, carry out unfulfilled destinies.
But, she began to worry about the humans (lives impacted, ended and begun). She feels she may be turning into one.
She has to “stitch” in the natural earth to revitalize herself.
There were infinite realms in the universe connected by one membrane: the Crossroad.
Whenever there was an aberration in the universe’s scheme, when balance is disrupted, Free Radicals were born.
Miranda gives her a compass locket necklace to navigate the Crossroad to go home after her final task is done. Corinthe must kill someone, the first time she’d been called to kill someone by her own hand.
Corinthe’s fate was to die. If she killed the boy, she’d live - swapping fates. If she goes against her fate, she could upset the balance. Miranda wants the Free Radicals to regain what they’ve lost. She’s afraid of extinction. She banked everything on Corinthe disrupting the balance, creating tiny moments of chaos.
Corinthe tries to kill Luc. She goes into the Crossroad to find him after he jumps away from her. They arrive in the Nymphs’ forest. Corinthe finds Jasmine inside a huge flower in the process of being transformed into a Blood Nymph. She tries to free her, but the Nymphs stop her. Then, hornets drive them away and sting Corinthe.
Luc wakes in a hot place filled with sand, cliffs and black ocean water. Miranda, it seems, appears and informs him Corinthe is responsible for what’s happening to Jas in The Forest of the Blood Nymphs. After trying to climb a cliff; he falls into the water (Ocean of Shadows, made up of Figments - there are also Figures who warred with them) and his memories.
Corinthe is awakened by Beatis, a gnome. He says she’ll die from the venom and that she has different blood. She gets away from him and goes into the Crossroad to find Lucas.
Rhys finds Lucas. They are in the Land of the Two Suns. Rhys promises to give him a map to find his sister. Luc spots Corinthe. After a little fight, she passes out. She dreams of the day she was exiled. She let a destiny slip by. Miranda was there as soon as she opened her eyes in Humana.
Rhys tries to nurse her back to health. She shows Jasmine to Luc. Rhys informs them of the Flower of Life, which can cure any poison. Corinthe made a plan to trick him to going to Pyralis and restore her rightful place after she completed her mission.
Corinthe and Luc set out on their journey.
Miranda and Rhys meet. She feels guilty for siding with Ford (Rhys seems to have saved her in the past by reversing time). They loved in the past. She hopes once Corinthe kills Luc, balance will be altered because she went against the Unseen Ones. She has no reason to distrust Miranda. Rhys reminds her of the greatest force: love.
Luke thinks about the day his mother left, 10 years ago.
Luc stole Corinthe’s necklace and left. Miranda appears and gives her a key after yelling at Corinthe not to stitch her (Corinthe felt her chaotic strength). She reminds him she must kill him and tells her he’s in Kinesthesia, which represents logic and process - it was a world t the cd fee of the universe, kept everything in rhythmic harmony.
Corinthe finds Lucas. Then, Kinesthesia falls apart. She finds the keyhole to escape into the Crossroad.
They are in a place of mist filled with voices. But then, they are back on Karen’s houseboat. Corinthe thinks they may be in a world of missed chances. She explains this can’t be because things are supposed to be fated; there isn’t supposed to be choice. They almost kiss, but are interrupted by Karen. Then, they are back in the mist. The next moment, back at the Marina, and Luc is stabbed in the gut. It wasn’t real.
Corinthe is transported to San Fran. She goes to her home and finds Miranda hurt. Miranda dies.
Luc ends up back with the Figments. His shadows reunite with him, but not for long. He bumps into Rhys, who’s explains the Figures and Figments of the new generation like to be with one another - just like he can see at the current party. Luc realizes he loves Corinthe, and that she is his Other.
Luc notices Rhys’ chain. He tells Luc the story about turning back time for Miranda, for love. He takes the locket.
Corinthe feels she’s knows what it’s like to really care about someone because of Luc. She cries for the first time and submerges herself in water. She doesn’t have strength. She hears her music box playing, then silence.
Miranda faked her death. She wanted Corinthe to feel guilty, to finally kill Luc. She wants to show the Unseen Ones that destruction can be orchestrated. She wants control and to be more powerful. Corinthe’s fate was to actually die by Luc’s hand. They make it to Pyralis.
Corinthe finds the flier and accepts to die for Luc to save his sister.
Luc makes it to Jas and tries to rescue her. Just as the Nymphs try to attack, he makes it out and to Pyralis Terra. The 7 statues stop him, but then listen to his situation and let him pass. Luc finds Corinthe with the flower and feels used. Miranda arrives and calls Corinthe a liar. They fight and Corinthe throws herself in front of the knife to stop Luc from killing Miranda. They confess their love and kiss. Corinthe dies, and he promises to get Rhys to turn back time again to save her.
They are back in San Fran. Jas is recovering. Their dad is trying to get clean. Luc tries to find the Crossroad, only to see it’s gone. He promises to fix things.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2016
Corinthe is a fallen Fate, exiled to the human world. She becomes an Executor and must make sure that certain fates go according to plan. A final task is given to Corinthe in order for her to go home: kill Luc. Corinthe meets Luc and there is an instant connection. She begins having doubts and finds herself feeling emotions she has never felt before.
I was expecting a lot more from 'Fates'. The synopsis made it sound appealing and interesting. The overall plot was very confusing. Alternate universes were thrown in the book and did not really contribute to the plot. There was a term called 'Radicals' in the book and I wasn't completely sure what a 'Radical' was. The romance between Corinthe and Luc wasn't much of a romance. It was a cliche star crossed lovers romance. Although I didn't like the book very much, I did like the idea of fate and free will. My favorite quote from the book is, "The universe, she had learned, contained ripples and grains of doubt. Just like the marbles, destiny wasn't flat and one-directional. It was round and could be seen from infinite different angles, full of shifting, swirling gradations. Every rule seemed to have its exceptions."
I was expecting a lot more from 'Fates'. The synopsis made it sound appealing and interesting. The overall plot was very confusing. Alternate universes were thrown in the book and did not really contribute to the plot. There was a term called 'Radicals' in the book and I wasn't completely sure what a 'Radical' was. The romance between Corinthe and Luc wasn't much of a romance. It was a cliche star crossed lovers romance. Although I didn't like the book very much, I did like the idea of fate and free will. My favorite quote from the book is, "The universe, she had learned, contained ripples and grains of doubt. Just like the marbles, destiny wasn't flat and one-directional. It was round and could be seen from infinite different angles, full of shifting, swirling gradations. Every rule seemed to have its exceptions."
November 25, 2013
This book started out with great potential and I was really enjoying Corinthe and Lucas. I felt so bad for Corinthe who seemed like she made such a tiny mistake and was punished incredibly harshly for it. I wanted her so badly to get her happy ending and go back to Pyralis. Lucas I felt bad for in a different way, he was so damaged from what happened with his mom that he almost didn't know how to function normally. I loved that he adored and took care of his sister although it did bother me how uncaring his sister was at times. Where the book really lost it for me was once they got to the end of the journey it took a very weird twist and alot of it felt rushed to me. They were building this beautiful relationship trying to get back to his sister and then it just got lost. The world switching got confusing and they got separated, and especially once Corinthe got to Pyralis it was too rushed. It was shaping up to be a 3 star book but because of that I have to give it 2 stars. It doesn't seem to have a sequel so I can't even hope for that and with the rushed ending it just didn't work for me.
June 8, 2015
From what I've seen in the reviews, the opinions about this book are either love or hate and nothing in between. Personally, I thought it was amazing, but I can definitely see where the other people are coming from.
My favorite part about this book was the atmosphere of it. Bross was really able to capture this feeling and tone that set the mood for the whole book. The setting was beautiful and her prose and diction to describe just about every scene were almost always breathtaking. I loved that part at least.
What bothered people seems to be the characters and the plot though. I actually was surprised when I really liked the characters. They both suffered in different ways but I didn't get annoyed by the cliches of their situations. As for the plot, I thought it was original, if a little bland at times. It started out a little slow at first, but picked up really eventually, and that's all you can ask for sometimes. The set up should take long when there are different worlds that need describing, right?
So I'm not sure that I would recommend this based on how strongly people seem to hate it, but I enjoyed it enough to read it twice.
My favorite part about this book was the atmosphere of it. Bross was really able to capture this feeling and tone that set the mood for the whole book. The setting was beautiful and her prose and diction to describe just about every scene were almost always breathtaking. I loved that part at least.
What bothered people seems to be the characters and the plot though. I actually was surprised when I really liked the characters. They both suffered in different ways but I didn't get annoyed by the cliches of their situations. As for the plot, I thought it was original, if a little bland at times. It started out a little slow at first, but picked up really eventually, and that's all you can ask for sometimes. The set up should take long when there are different worlds that need describing, right?
So I'm not sure that I would recommend this based on how strongly people seem to hate it, but I enjoyed it enough to read it twice.
July 25, 2015
I liked this book it was pretty good. I felt like the beginning was strong the middle
Was ok and the ending was pretty decent. I am still unsure about how I feel about corinthe and luc. But I am interested to see how it plays out. Obviously there is another book coming or even out with an ending like that.
Was ok and the ending was pretty decent. I am still unsure about how I feel about corinthe and luc. But I am interested to see how it plays out. Obviously there is another book coming or even out with an ending like that.
January 6, 2017
I have no words to describe how amazing this book is. Luc and Corinthe seem like halves of a heart that need to be together, yet, fate won't have it. This forbidden romance between them made this book all the more sweeter.
February 9, 2014
Interesting premise but the plot was so confusing that I just ended up frustrated and annoyed. Love the cover!
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