Title: Fated (The Will of Yggdrasil #1)

Author: Sara C. Roethle

Pub Date: February 5, 2020

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The monster at the door can be ignored. The monster in the mirror however…

A normal person would run screaming into the night, but there’s something about dark and alluring Alaric that’s giving Madeline pause, and it’s not the fact that he turns a little feline from time to time. Together they must search for an elusive magical charm, a remnant of the gods themselves. Madeline’s life depends on finding it first . . . and so does the entire fate of humanity.

This will be a spoiler free review.

I don’t think this would have been on my radar if Elise Kova hadn’t posted about it in her Facebook group. I’m part of the group, so I saw the post with the book asking if any of her readers would be willing to read and post a review of the book. It sounded interesting and like something I could quickly get through.

I’m a huge fan of Elise’s, so I trust her opinion when it comes to books. So, if she’s promoting one, or an author in general, I’m likely to check the book or the author out.

I downloaded the book and practically inhaled it in one sitting. I enjoyed this book, the world, the characters. I will say that as I was getting into it, I was a little confused. But not for the reasons you may think.

You’d think as an avid reader, my reading comprehension would be stellar. Well, in this instance, not so much. For whatever reason, I struggled with this line in the synopsis:

Previously the Bitter Ashes Series.

 Except, I didn’t read it that way. There was a disconnect or something in my brain and I read this:

Previously ON the Bitter Ashes Series.

I have nothing. I don’t know why I read it that way, but because I did, I spent a good 40 minutes trying to figure out why this series sounded exactly like the author’ Bitter Ashes Series, and how many damn times could this girl be stolen from her bed and not remember it.

40 minutes later and I felt like a damn fool and dove into the book with no more concerns or confusion. I promptly read it in one sitting and then promptly bought book 2 and started it.

Fated is a pretty quick and easy read that allows you to turn your mind off and just get lost in it. It’s cliché and full of tropes, and therefore you kind of know what’s going to happen. It has a bit of insta attraction and insta love, but I found myself not minding. It’s a paranormal? fantasy, and I’m always more forgiving of the insta love in those kinds of stories.

Also, sometimes I get tired of reading about the proper progression of healthy relationships, and I just want the unrealistic automatic attraction and love that really makes no sense. It just means I don’t have to wait for the buildup between the two love interests.

This is definitely Upper YA or New Adult – I’m not really sure what it’s classified under. The characters are older, so I’m assuming YA, but if a teen were to read this, there’s nothing too graphic. There is sex on the page, and if you know, you know, and if you don’t, then you probably shouldn’t be reading the book. Again, nothing graphic, and a lot of fade to black.

I would have liked a little more world description and character description. I struggled just a little bit to picture some of the places and some of the characters. Character wise, it’s like I can picture their overall physique, but I can’t quite picture their faces. As for the world, I get general images, with a few specific details, and then I’m kind of lost. I don’t think either of these things break this book, just a personal preference. I love the cast of characters, and their personalities and I love the feel of the world.

I’m glad I went into this book with not very high expectations. I received a free copy to review, and I’ve bought the next two in the series, so I think that speaks to how much I enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to finish the series. I’m definitely looking forward to reading other books by Sara, Tree of Ages has been on my TBR for probably forever, so maybe that will be next.

If you’re looking for a quick read with some magic, romance, hot guys, and high stakes, maybe check this series out.