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valerious's review against another edition
5.0
This book was a religious experience
It got me hook by the first line and I can’t explain how good it is till the end. All the characters are there for a reason (yes I believe even the dumbest one) and I’m telling you this so you know: you’ll have strong feelings about it, from page 1
It got me hook by the first line and I can’t explain how good it is till the end. All the characters are there for a reason (yes I believe even the dumbest one) and I’m telling you this so you know: you’ll have strong feelings about it, from page 1
whiskyandrhyme's review against another edition
5.0
I think I may have found my new favorite series in Katie Collupy's The Shadow Sequence. The world building, the complex characters, the deep and dark messages running in-between the pages will ensnare you from the first lines.
I'm a sucker for grimdark fantasy with ensemble casts flung far across the world—I mean, come on, the first time they're all in the same room is a theme that gets me every single time. So when I first saw that these were big aspects of Heir of Fates, I knew I had to check it out. Little did I know how it would absolutely suck me into it's world. The worldbuilding alone has me craving lengthy history books of this world and to understand every aspect of its cultures, religions, and motivations. It's multifaceted and complicated, but clearly well thought-out and understood by the author. Any questions I have arise from wanting to know more, not from lack of planning or plot holes.
Collupy has a masterful writing style, bringing unique personalities and voices alive on the pages even with such a large cast of characters. While there are four major points of view in the first story, no character feels neglected in her hands. Their motivations and characterizations clear by the end of the first book, even if they were present for one interlude chapter or handful of pages. But she also doesn't hit the reader over the head with the information in swaths of exposition dumps. Instead it is expertly revealed not just through their thoughts and voices, but their actions and reactions to the world and people around them.
It's dark and mesmerizing, leaving you with more questions than answers, and a ravenous hunger for more the second you finish it. I can't wait to see what is in store with the rest of The Shadow Sequence, and I eagerly await the next part of our journey into the unknown.
I'm a sucker for grimdark fantasy with ensemble casts flung far across the world—I mean, come on, the first time they're all in the same room is a theme that gets me every single time. So when I first saw that these were big aspects of Heir of Fates, I knew I had to check it out. Little did I know how it would absolutely suck me into it's world. The worldbuilding alone has me craving lengthy history books of this world and to understand every aspect of its cultures, religions, and motivations. It's multifaceted and complicated, but clearly well thought-out and understood by the author. Any questions I have arise from wanting to know more, not from lack of planning or plot holes.
Collupy has a masterful writing style, bringing unique personalities and voices alive on the pages even with such a large cast of characters. While there are four major points of view in the first story, no character feels neglected in her hands. Their motivations and characterizations clear by the end of the first book, even if they were present for one interlude chapter or handful of pages. But she also doesn't hit the reader over the head with the information in swaths of exposition dumps. Instead it is expertly revealed not just through their thoughts and voices, but their actions and reactions to the world and people around them.
It's dark and mesmerizing, leaving you with more questions than answers, and a ravenous hunger for more the second you finish it. I can't wait to see what is in store with the rest of The Shadow Sequence, and I eagerly await the next part of our journey into the unknown.
gattolinos_nerdy_nook's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
For a debut novel Heir of Fates does a stellar job of grabbing the reader's attention and not just by giving us one or two POVs, but four to explore this vast world through.
And vast this world is. The magic system is unique with different races and communities having different beliefs and magic. Silas, Maura, Seraphine and Nerisha are all great characters to follow and the explore the world. Because they are quite different from one another this leads to many interesting plots and stories to explore.
I cannot wait until for the sequel to see what happens and explore even more of the world and lore.
And vast this world is. The magic system is unique with different races and communities having different beliefs and magic. Silas, Maura, Seraphine and Nerisha are all great characters to follow and the explore the world. Because they are quite different from one another this leads to many interesting plots and stories to explore.
I cannot wait until for the sequel to see what happens and explore even more of the world and lore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Misogyny, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship and War
Minor: Mental illness, Slavery, and Death of parent
arealmofbooks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
kaelahoran's review
4.0
This ended so chaotically and I LOVED it! Even though Heir of Fates has a slow start, I think that this book can be a great way for anyone to get into epic fantasy. The world building with the hints of history and lore was so interesting and wonderful. The plot was always plotting and kept me intrigued all the way to the end of the epilogue. There are hints of romance throughout and reading a fantasy book based in a queer normative world >>>>. And the characters definitely feel young and naive - which was the author’s goal - and I just can’t even imagine what traumatic thing they’re going to to through to get out of that mindset. I can just feel that this series will grow and get better every book and I can’t wait to Katie to gift us the next one.
Thank you so much to the author for giving me an arc for a voluntary and honest review !
Thank you so much to the author for giving me an arc for a voluntary and honest review !
julievandemoere's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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? No
4.5
Thank you to the author for giving me an eARC to review!
4.5/5⭐
Heir of Fates is a grimdark, multi-pov, suspenseful (and quite funny) fantasy set in an elaborate world with a lot of magic.
At first I was a little confused at how all the pov's would come together but they did, and they did it in a wonderful way!
I truly fell in love with the characters in this book and the ending broke my heart into a million pieces. Really, Katie, why?😭
I would say the story is plot-driven but is carried by the characters. The plot was a little confusing to me at first but it got clear and twisty really quickly. There is a really good set up for the second book!
I feel this could be a book for everybody, there's a lot to like🥰
4.5/5⭐
Heir of Fates is a grimdark, multi-pov, suspenseful (and quite funny) fantasy set in an elaborate world with a lot of magic.
At first I was a little confused at how all the pov's would come together but they did, and they did it in a wonderful way!
I truly fell in love with the characters in this book and the ending broke my heart into a million pieces. Really, Katie, why?😭
I would say the story is plot-driven but is carried by the characters. The plot was a little confusing to me at first but it got clear and twisty really quickly. There is a really good set up for the second book!
I feel this could be a book for everybody, there's a lot to like🥰
allie8973's review
5.0
Multiple perspective but each character has a distinct voice. Can't wait to see where the characters go. Love Maura and her shadow
ljkerrybooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC of this book to review!
This was a unique story that really threw you into a world full of intrigue. The twists were great, with a large world thats full of dark secrets and betrayal. Loved the different creatures in this world and I liked how all the characters appeared to be on the same path. I liked the representation and inclusivity. The ending was shocking.
There were a lot of POV's in this book and I think the one that was most striking for me was Silas. His story had me immediately invested in the book because he had the most at stake and he was so detached from the world I wanted to see him succeed. Maura was another striking character. And I felt bad for Nerisha. With Seraphine being awesome too. All of the main characters beyond these were awesome.
As for negatives, I found there were too many POV's, it was difficult for me to keep track of so many. If it was just the main four (Silas, Maura, Seraphine and Nerisha), then I probably would have had an easier time. And I felt like the book could have been a little shorter, for me it started to drag towards the end.
These negatives could have been due to my unfamiliarity with the genre, as this is the first time reading Grimdark Fantasy, so I don't know if this is the norm.
Overall, I recommemd this book. I can't wait to see where else this leads and can only wait with excitement to see what other adventures are in store for this massive multi-verse.
This was a unique story that really threw you into a world full of intrigue. The twists were great, with a large world thats full of dark secrets and betrayal. Loved the different creatures in this world and I liked how all the characters appeared to be on the same path. I liked the representation and inclusivity. The ending was shocking.
There were a lot of POV's in this book and I think the one that was most striking for me was Silas. His story had me immediately invested in the book because he had the most at stake and he was so detached from the world I wanted to see him succeed. Maura was another striking character. And I felt bad for Nerisha. With Seraphine being awesome too. All of the main characters beyond these were awesome.
As for negatives, I found there were too many POV's, it was difficult for me to keep track of so many. If it was just the main four (Silas, Maura, Seraphine and Nerisha), then I probably would have had an easier time. And I felt like the book could have been a little shorter, for me it started to drag towards the end.
These negatives could have been due to my unfamiliarity with the genre, as this is the first time reading Grimdark Fantasy, so I don't know if this is the norm.
Overall, I recommemd this book. I can't wait to see where else this leads and can only wait with excitement to see what other adventures are in store for this massive multi-verse.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest, Mental illness, and Misogyny
magmatoes's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I went into this book expecting relatively standard fare in terms of fantasy storytelling, but what I got was something much richer. The world that Collupy is building is expansive and engaging, leaving the reader wanting to know more. It was the sort of world where, if it were real, I could spend hours exploring and uncovering what it has to offer. Frankly, it's the sort of thing where I just want a book of history and lore. The story itself is as robust as the world in which it takes place. Collupy artfully weaves together the stories of four very different individuals and the fates that bind them. Each character, including minor ones that barely have any presence in the story, was well developed, complex, and dynamic. These characters were given an authenticity through their individual wants, needs, and motivations that made them feel like real people existing in their world (totally team Maura over here). Overall, the twists and turns the story provides kept me engaged, eager to turn the page and find what awaited. And that ending! Oh that ending. How it has left me hungry for book 2.
*ARC in exchange for honest review.
*ARC in exchange for honest review.
gloommistress's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Thank you to the author for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own!
As a lover of epic fantasy, Heir of Fates promised me everything I love in a book: high stakes, compelling mythology, and the politics that I always crave from fantasy novels. While I absolutely ate this book up, I do think it fell slightly flat in some ways.
I will say that the interludes were my favorite parts of this book. While I was originally caught off guard by the new POVs these interludes introduce, it was nice to see the world expand organically. In particular, I was really fascinated by Lenora and Noelle’s chapter. I wanted so much more of them—thought I suspect they’ll be much more present in the second novel given the ending of HoF —and just thought that their experiences were so much more interesting than some of the POV characters.
Which leads me to our cast. Like most fantasy books, you are introduced to a lot of characters very quickly. It’s difficult to discern motives for most of them, and some characters—Aurelia, for example—seemed to hold a great purpose but ultimately did nothing in the grand scheme of things. I found myself enjoying Nerisha and Serephine’s POV chapters the most. Nerisha, in particular, was my favorite character and the one I found myself rooting for the most. She’s everything I like from a protagonist: strong, smart, and not afraid to speak her mind. I will say I didn’t enjoy her place at court and that it did strike me as strange that she was forced to perform tasks and duties as what could essentially be considered a lady-in-wait despite her status as the king’s adopted daughter.
I so badly wanted to like Silas, but a lot of his reasonings for doing things didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t like being in his head as much as I enjoyed Nerisha and Serephine’s perspectives, and I felt like he wasn’t as compelling as the badass women who makeup the rest of the main cast.
I think the plot has some minor inconsistencies within it and I was confused by the timeline of this story. A lot of unexplained things happened in this novel as well. I understand wanting to lead up to book two and the rest of the series, but I wish there had been more explanation to some things than what we got (the creature Silas encounters at the very beginning of the book, for example).
I also am wary to call this a true grimdark, at least as this book stands by itself without its sequels. I’ve read grimdarks and HoF just falls short of what I would consider one.
That all being said, this is an incredibly ambitious fantasy novel that was addicting to read and, despite some of my grievances with the cast and the plot, something that I enjoyed. I also greatly appreciated the queer representation within this novel—especially the relationship that blossomed between Seraphine and a character I won’t name to avoid spoilers (though I will say that I would LOVE for that character to get a POV chapter in future books). It was wonderfully done and honestly, I just eat up any book with a healthy dose of yearning in it.
All in all, I’m looking forward to seeing where the author takes this story and will read the sequels!
(PS: please give Nerisha a happy ending, I’m begging)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Minor: Slavery and Colonisation
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