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Rating: 4/5 stars
I have low key wanted to be an ARC (Advanced Review Copy) reader for a while, and so when author K.E. Austin posted the call for ARC readers for her debut novel, which is comparable to A Court of Thorns and Roses and Hunger Games, I jumped at the opportunity.
I will admit, however, that despite my eagerness to help out a fellow author, when I first began reading this Enemies-to-Lovers romantasy, I was genuinely afraid that I wouldn’t be able to give a good review. With that said, if I can’t give a good review, I won’t write one at all. So, I am here to tell you what my qualms about the book initially were and why it is worth reading.
Initially, I felt like the story starts out a bit weak. Like, her mom is dying, and she is out of medicine, but she remembers reading a fairy tale once about an elixir that might save her life, so she ignores the advice of the apothecary and her mother to listen to what quite possibly is a fictional book that she found in the book shop? The problem I had was less with the premise, but with the fact that it felt underdeveloped. Like, why did she trust this possibly fictional book enough to abandon her sick mother to get a mythical item? It didn’t feel like it was explained enough for me to buy in at first, beyond the book in the shop serving as a macguffin to get her going. It felt confusing to invest so much into a potential cure that really sounded imaginary, even in terms of a fictional novel, and that made me want to roll my eyes at just about all of Elowyn’s subsequent poor decisions. And there seems to be many, especially at first.
For this reason, I found it difficult to buy into not just Elowyn’s motivations, but all of the characters’ throughout the first third of the book – including the male main character and antagonists – convinced that all of their actions were merely plot devices. Adding to this feeling, transitions between scenes felt choppy initially, causing the book to read like a series of disparate events, as opposed to consequential based on the characters’ actions.
BUT. I kept reading. And at around the 35% mark of the book, when the mystery about Elowyn’s connection to the Faeries began to unfold, I began to feel more invested. But it wasn’t until about halfway through the book that I really began devouring it. Frankly, I had a similar experience while reading ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses, actually basically all of Sarah J Maas’s series if I am honest) and almost gave up on that series after the first book, so by that comparison, halfway through the first book of a multi-book series isn’t bad. I think it takes time to develop the groundwork of world building in a fantasy series, and maybe it’s more reflective of my need to be more patient as a reader lol
I am so glad I did continue reading because (without giving anything away) – in the end it all makes sense. It’s true that Elowyn is impulsive and rather reckless, but these are features of her character, and allow for her to grow substantially throughout the story. Likewise, the male main character’s actions become completely logical, when the mystery of the book becomes revealed, and then I found the romance to be so much more compelling. The book is a slow burn, and while there is some spice, I would have liked to see the love scene developed a bit more.
Also, while the fight-for-survival style trials of the book are comparable not only to Hunger Games but could also be compared to Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series and Nisha J. Tuli’s Trial of the Sun Queen, I found the trials in A Fate So Wicked to be unique how they integrate the seven deadly sins. Particularly the fourth trial was something that was totally unlike anything I have read before, and that helped to keep me guessing at what would happen next for the remaining trials, making the book that much more thrilling to read.
The conclusion of the book is totally satisfying, while also setting up much more to look forward to in the next book in the series! If you enjoyed ACOTAR or Throne of Glass, I recommend A Fate So Wicked!
Would you read this book? Have you read any of the comp books that I mentioned (ACOTAR, Hunger Games, Throne of Glass, or Trial of the Sun Queen)? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a reply below.
If you are interested, you can pick up your copy of the book through Amazon.com using the link below.
Lisa Futscher 