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A review by moonlightcupofcocoa
Fateless by Julie Kagawa
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC. As always all opinions are my own.
This was my first Julie Kagawa book and I am hooked!
As a huge fan of the Assassin's Creed series from the very first game (how in the world is the series 18 years old!?), when I read the author notes I got both excited and a tiny bit scared. I had seen some books being compared to the AC series before but ultimately failing to deliver. But I am glad to report back that, yes, Fateless more than delivers.
The series explores a rich, immersive, albeit harsh fantastical universe that lives in the shadows of the now dead Deathless Kings. We follow Sparrow, a young thief who'd spent her entire life working for and living with the Thieves guild. Her fate seems sealed until she receives a curious mission from the Circle, the mysterious group of individuals that seems to control the Thieves Guild from the shadows. And that's when all hell breaks loose.
I really enjoyed the world-building here. The attention to detail was evident, from the varying cultural and religious interpretations of "Fate' to the weather and impact of the harsh changing ecosystem and environments as a consequence of the death of said Deathless Kings. The writing is very atmospheric that I could practically see, feel and even smell, what the characters are being exposed to. Which wasn't always pleasant for the poor souls, let me tell you.
The characters are fun. I appreciate that the FMC actually showed vulnerability. In fact, her character development was done so well, I cheered for her aloud while reading towards the end. "FINALLY YOU GET IT!" In a very good way, haha. Her growth made sense and was handled very carefully and tastefully, in my opinion.
There are some spots where I felt the pacing was a bit slower, but this was usually followed with epic fast-paced action-packed scenes right after that they didn't really make me lost interest or anything. Especially that those scenes were important for character growth across the board.
Overall, I am very excited to read the sequel and I know I'll be recommending this to so many people in my life.
This was my first Julie Kagawa book and I am hooked!
As a huge fan of the Assassin's Creed series from the very first game (how in the world is the series 18 years old!?), when I read the author notes I got both excited and a tiny bit scared. I had seen some books being compared to the AC series before but ultimately failing to deliver. But I am glad to report back that, yes, Fateless more than delivers.
The series explores a rich, immersive, albeit harsh fantastical universe that lives in the shadows of the now dead Deathless Kings. We follow Sparrow, a young thief who'd spent her entire life working for and living with the Thieves guild. Her fate seems sealed until she receives a curious mission from the Circle, the mysterious group of individuals that seems to control the Thieves Guild from the shadows. And that's when all hell breaks loose.
I really enjoyed the world-building here. The attention to detail was evident, from the varying cultural and religious interpretations of "Fate' to the weather and impact of the harsh changing ecosystem and environments as a consequence of the death of said Deathless Kings. The writing is very atmospheric that I could practically see, feel and even smell, what the characters are being exposed to. Which wasn't always pleasant for the poor souls, let me tell you.
The characters are fun. I appreciate that the FMC actually showed vulnerability. In fact, her character development was done so well, I cheered for her aloud while reading towards the end. "FINALLY YOU GET IT!" In a very good way, haha. Her growth made sense and was handled very carefully and tastefully, in my opinion.
There are some spots where I felt the pacing was a bit slower, but this was usually followed with epic fast-paced action-packed scenes right after that they didn't really make me lost interest or anything. Especially that those scenes were important for character growth across the board.
Overall, I am very excited to read the sequel and I know I'll be recommending this to so many people in my life.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Abandonment, and War