jaime_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the idea of this story... "How do you avoid becoming a monster of chaos when your mind is chaos itself?"
The book wasn't an easy read. There was so much going on. Fates. Dragons. Burners. Characters with ADHD. Dragons who could communicate with sign language.
Early on in the book, I wasn't sure if I would finish it. I couldn't keep up with all the different characters and the plot. But I'm really glad I kept reading. The development of the plot and characters was great as the book goes on and it was a really enjoyable read.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book wasn't an easy read. There was so much going on. Fates. Dragons. Burners. Characters with ADHD. Dragons who could communicate with sign language.
Early on in the book, I wasn't sure if I would finish it. I couldn't keep up with all the different characters and the plot. But I'm really glad I kept reading. The development of the plot and characters was great as the book goes on and it was a really enjoyable read.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
bookarina's review against another edition
4.0
Welcome to this book review!
Disclaimer; I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
First of all this book was AWESOME I loved the fact that Rysa ( the principal character in this urban fantasy) had a realistic ADHD problem which is quite rare. It was nice to see that it didn't govern her life but, that it still made her struggle as it does for many people who have ADHD. This novel was full of action and mixed with a realistic romance which made it even more enjoyable in my opinion.
The author, Kris Austen Radcliffe, really managed to transport us into a 'today like' fantasy where the fantasy parts didn't feel forced or out of place. It was an amazing read and I would've read it even faster if I hadn't had so many things to do this month.
Landon, who was the love interest in this novel, was also very entertaining to read about it, I really enjoyed how you slowly came to know him and how the character didn't know more than us about this paranormal aspect in the story. The only thing that I didn't fully enjoy was the fact that sometimes things were left somewhat unexplained but, it is possible that it's because we are going to see it more in details in the next novel in this trilogy.
I honestly recommend this book to everyone who loves this genre or anyone who is interested in dragons, romance and 'epicness'.
Thank you for reading.
Love, Bookarina :)
Disclaimer; I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
First of all this book was AWESOME I loved the fact that Rysa ( the principal character in this urban fantasy) had a realistic ADHD problem which is quite rare. It was nice to see that it didn't govern her life but, that it still made her struggle as it does for many people who have ADHD. This novel was full of action and mixed with a realistic romance which made it even more enjoyable in my opinion.
The author, Kris Austen Radcliffe, really managed to transport us into a 'today like' fantasy where the fantasy parts didn't feel forced or out of place. It was an amazing read and I would've read it even faster if I hadn't had so many things to do this month.
Landon, who was the love interest in this novel, was also very entertaining to read about it, I really enjoyed how you slowly came to know him and how the character didn't know more than us about this paranormal aspect in the story. The only thing that I didn't fully enjoy was the fact that sometimes things were left somewhat unexplained but, it is possible that it's because we are going to see it more in details in the next novel in this trilogy.
I honestly recommend this book to everyone who loves this genre or anyone who is interested in dragons, romance and 'epicness'.
Thank you for reading.
Love, Bookarina :)
nic_w's review against another edition
4.0
Games of fate is book 1 in Kris Austen Radcliffe's Fate-Fire-Shifter-Dragon series.
Rysa Torres is just trying to battle her attention and anxiety issues enough that she can get through college. But when a group of monsters, known as Burners, attack her, they activate her abilities that her mother kept from her and thus becoming a Fate.
When Ladon and his companion Dragon reluctantly rescue her, they only see their past mistakes they have made and all the trouble a fate will cause them. Eventually Ladon and Dragon see past her issues and realise she may be the key they'd been hoping for.
Rysas new abilities let her see the future and what she sees is burning world and no way to escape with danger around every corner. Will she be able to get a handle on her fate and become what she is meant to be.
Radcliffe has created a very unique urban fantasy world with paranormal beings. It is a very graphic world and she takes time to set her scenes with a lot of detail. All her characters are very defined with their own personalities and abilities and she doesn't shy away from incorporating less desired characteristics in her characters, makes for a very interesting read.
I was gifted a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rysa Torres is just trying to battle her attention and anxiety issues enough that she can get through college. But when a group of monsters, known as Burners, attack her, they activate her abilities that her mother kept from her and thus becoming a Fate.
When Ladon and his companion Dragon reluctantly rescue her, they only see their past mistakes they have made and all the trouble a fate will cause them. Eventually Ladon and Dragon see past her issues and realise she may be the key they'd been hoping for.
Rysas new abilities let her see the future and what she sees is burning world and no way to escape with danger around every corner. Will she be able to get a handle on her fate and become what she is meant to be.
Radcliffe has created a very unique urban fantasy world with paranormal beings. It is a very graphic world and she takes time to set her scenes with a lot of detail. All her characters are very defined with their own personalities and abilities and she doesn't shy away from incorporating less desired characteristics in her characters, makes for a very interesting read.
I was gifted a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.
samantha_randolph's review against another edition
3.0
I received a free eBook copy for an honest review.
Games of Fate is about a young woman named Rysa who in addition to having ADHD, is also a Fate. Yes, a Greek mythological Fate who, in her case, can see into the past, present, and future. Rysa does not know this though. It isn't until she is tortured and rescued by a way-too-handsome Ladon and his Dragon that she starts to unravel all the mysteries of who she is, both as a Fate and as a woman.
The Good:
-It has a unique concept. The idea of a Fate in this world is very different, and there are many other supernatural/paranormal beings that supplement it very well in ways you wouldn't expect.
-The romance is both a pro and a con. The pro is that the romance really is touching. Yes, it deals with paranormal problems such as Rysa seeing her and Ladon being intimate before it happens, but there is just as much, if not more, real issues like struggling with being worthy of love, trying to take care of and comfort someone you love, etc.
-The plot has a lot of potential.
The not-so-good:
-The reason I said the plot has a lot of potential and not, the plot was great, is because a lot of this story is at lightening speed and confusing. A lot of names are thrown around that you really don't know who they actually are and how they connect. The visions make it seem like there is a severe case of an unreliable narrator at parts. The story just gets very muddled the further it goes, and it seems months pass, but it really is only a few days to a couple weeks.
-With that speed, the con of the romance is that speed. They know each other for less than 48 hours and are talking love. I'm not saying the intensity isn't there, but it definitely puts a damper on the credibility of their relationship long term.
Overall, it's a bit shaky, but still holding, 3 stars. If you want something fantasy that is new and unique with a strong romance, then I would definitely tell you to give it a try, just read very slowly.
Games of Fate is about a young woman named Rysa who in addition to having ADHD, is also a Fate. Yes, a Greek mythological Fate who, in her case, can see into the past, present, and future. Rysa does not know this though. It isn't until she is tortured and rescued by a way-too-handsome Ladon and his Dragon that she starts to unravel all the mysteries of who she is, both as a Fate and as a woman.
The Good:
-It has a unique concept. The idea of a Fate in this world is very different, and there are many other supernatural/paranormal beings that supplement it very well in ways you wouldn't expect.
-The romance is both a pro and a con. The pro is that the romance really is touching. Yes, it deals with paranormal problems such as Rysa seeing her and Ladon being intimate before it happens, but there is just as much, if not more, real issues like struggling with being worthy of love, trying to take care of and comfort someone you love, etc.
-The plot has a lot of potential.
The not-so-good:
-The reason I said the plot has a lot of potential and not, the plot was great, is because a lot of this story is at lightening speed and confusing. A lot of names are thrown around that you really don't know who they actually are and how they connect. The visions make it seem like there is a severe case of an unreliable narrator at parts. The story just gets very muddled the further it goes, and it seems months pass, but it really is only a few days to a couple weeks.
-With that speed, the con of the romance is that speed. They know each other for less than 48 hours and are talking love. I'm not saying the intensity isn't there, but it definitely puts a damper on the credibility of their relationship long term.
Overall, it's a bit shaky, but still holding, 3 stars. If you want something fantasy that is new and unique with a strong romance, then I would definitely tell you to give it a try, just read very slowly.
see_sadie_read's review against another edition
3.0
2.5
I really want to give this book a low 2 star rating, because I really didn't enjoy it. But I'll drag it up to a 3 because a large part of what I disliked is the result of me not being the proper demographic for the book. Plus, the writing is honestly fine. (Though the book did feel overly long, some passages seemed to drag and deus ex machina solutions are never good, IMO.)
Before I get into the review, I'm going to talk a bit about myself. This is to centre me as a reviewer so others can understand where I'm coming from in my review...what type of reader I am. This should help others in deciding if my review would be pertinent to them or not. For those much like me I hope it will be, but it probably won't be for a lot of others.
I've not read a lot of New Adult books. Of the few I have read I found that they tend to encompass all the worst (most annoying) traits of Young Adult literature, except the heroine is in college instead of high school and they include sex, or worse, a lot of angst about if they should be having sex.
The thing is that I'm a woman in my mid-thirties who has been married for a dozen years. I can no longer relate to this whole internal agony over such a decision. It's not that I don't respect it as an important one, but whole plots that hinge on or are simply cluttered with an endless litany of yes, no, yes, no, maybe, I want, I don't want, I crave, I don't crave, I cry, I push him away, I pull him near, I give in, I regret, I make a big deal of my own decision, etc drives me away as a reader. So, from the get go, I'm always a little wary picking up a NA book. I always hope for the best. Why else would I bother? But I'm more often than not disappointed.
Despite my misgivings about it being NA, I had such high hopes for this book. It has dragons in it! Yes, fates too and they're cool...but DRAGONS, my favorite mythical beast.
The plot is basically that a new Fate is born and a human/dragon pair rescue and fall in love with her. There's a bit more to it, but not much. The vast majority of the 300+ pages is dedicated to worshipping Rysa.
Now, I understand that the target audience is women in their early twenties who are likely in the stage of life when they are looking for someone to make them feel special. However, I eventually started gagging on all of Ladon's obsessive appreciation of her and how he wanted to protect her, coddle her, make her happy, bla, bla, bla.
It's not that I mind it in and of itself, but it was ennnnddddllllesssss. And being coupled with Rysa's cliché, no man looks at ME that way, no one's ever told ME that I was pretty, I'm ugly, awkward, a spaz, etc pushed it into annoying overdrive.
Then there was the ex-boyfriend issue. Apparently, he was a selfish and unconcerned lover, as many young college-aged men are wont to be. But is bad sex really worth counselling, low self-esteem and a hesitancy to trust any other men? Seems a little extreme. The guy certainly deserved to be slapped something fierce, but it hardly equates to grievous harm.
If she'd been raped or abused I could see it, but being so emotionally damaged over something so slight makes her seem very, very weak. It makes it feel like she has no emotional armour or resilience, which is one of the most important parts of a heroine's strength. I simply don't like to waste my time with female leads of the victim variety and a woman who is so easily injured and has NO CONTROL OVER ANYTHING, even what's in her own head is nothing but a victim. She's no fun to spend time with or root for.
Additionally, there is no downtime in the book. It's run, cry, confusion, on a constant stream. It's too much. The only exceptions are when Rysa repeatedly just lets bad things happen to her because she suddenly and inexplicably can't think straight, or can't remember, or can't control herself, or someone else can control her mind. Victim. Victim. Victim. Blerg.
Irritating me more even than all that, was the subtext of her sexuality. Whenever she was conscious she pushed Landon away, but whenever she was unconscious, she was literally crawling all over him, rubbing, kissing and seducing him. As if to suggest that any "good girl" couldn't possibly also be sexually forward and secure in her own desires. In order to be that, she has to be unconscious and devoid of responsibility.
I mean she had to be punished with bad sex and emotional damage for daring to have sex in the past! If I really wanted to drag this point out, I could break the events down further to show how they reinforce this same idea. For example, the one time she pseudo-initiates sex, it is immediately followed with tears, fear and guilt because some horrible realisation crashes down on her as a direct result of allowing herself to "impulsively have sex with Ladon." However, the one time her frail sensibilities are essentially overwhelmed by his intense passion they get their happy night together.
This is a trope I see a lot of and HATE. I'm not a prude but I must ask, is this really the message we want to still be sending young women approaching their own sexual maturity? That in order to enjoy, or even personally want sex they have to abdicate all responsibility for it and they'll be (deservingly) punished if they don't? I'd hoped we'd grown beyond that.
There was also the small matter of the insta-love, or at least baseless love. Since the action essentially never stops, there is no point at which the characters could slow down and have a conversation. They were never given the chance to get to know one another, so what was their love based on? I especially felt this lack of development in Ladon/Dragon's extreme loyalty and dedication to her and her safety and happiness.
Now I can't blame all of my dislike on being too old to appreciate the genre tropes. And honestly, that's most of what I dealt with here. I also spent a lot of time gagging on the incredibly descriptive, purple prose used to describe Rysa's experiences or visions. And while I understood that she was tied to chaos, I was quickly annoyed with the pages and pages of confusion and discordant havoc. There were lot of times that I simply couldn't understand what was supposed to be happening or had simply reached my limit of 'it's all crazy and unexplainable because of her ADHD.'
Speaking of her ADHD, I thought that it was over emphasised, even before she went all Fate, vision-laden über ADHD. It just felt like one more way to weaken her so that Landon could more fully protect her.
The book also has the same problem a lot of such books have. Rysa is essentially psychic, but for more than half the book she somehow still manages to misread every obvious signals Ladon throws her. And there are a lot of really obvious ones and very very few contradictory ones. The man wants her with every fiber of his being, practically from the moment he meets her and he's pretty clear on that. But still Rysa, who can see the past, the present and the future and knows they'll end up together in some way at some point continues to think of herself as nothing but an unwanted burden to him. Um...either she's REALLY dumb, which we're told she's not or this is a giant fault line in the plot to keep the angst high and the story rolling along.
Lastly, I was left wondering about all the characters who were introduced and then dropped. What happened to Gavin, Marcus and Harold? They all just kind of disappeared.
I did like that there is an effortless gay couple. By effortless, I mean that no big deal was made of it. It was as unworthy of extra attention as any het relationship and I appreciated that. I know that mentioning it at all counters that same easy existence, but I can't compliment it if I don't and I'd like to see more such inclusions in fiction, which requires that people make it known that they like finding it.
All in all, not a winner for me personally. But I'm owning up to the fact that it really might be me, not the book that was the problem...Or, at least, the pairing of me and this book. I know a lot of people really like the heavy-handed romances. To each their own.
vera_ann's review against another edition
5.0
When I first heard what this book was about I was excited to get to read it. It sounded interesting and different then some of the other epic fantasy, paranormal romance, urban fantasies that I have read lately. When I was done reading it I was glad I did! It is a great read and great writing. It has fantasy, paranormal, and romance aspects! It has dragons, fates, shifters, and more! I would suggest this read to my friends that are straight Fantasy fans and to my friends that are fans of paranormal romance/urban fantasy.
The writer does a great job of having the reader see through the eyes of the character she is writing from. When seeing through the perspective of the ADHD main character it is sometimes erratic and I was just as confused as the character about what was going on. When seeing through Landon's perspective some things were cleared up. There was just enough explanation to follow the story and not reveal anything too early.
Excellent Read!
The writer does a great job of having the reader see through the eyes of the character she is writing from. When seeing through the perspective of the ADHD main character it is sometimes erratic and I was just as confused as the character about what was going on. When seeing through Landon's perspective some things were cleared up. There was just enough explanation to follow the story and not reveal anything too early.
Excellent Read!
greeneyedramaqueen's review against another edition
5.0
I received this book free from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
I loved this book! I love how American Sign Language is a part of this book, because I have a deaf older brother and I have yet to read a book that incorporates it at all! I also love that the main character is afflicted with ADD but amidst all the other problems, she is able to get through that. I love the dynamics of Rysa, Ladon and Dragon together and I loved all the mystical aspects and how they ended up coming together. I felt as if I kept learning new details all throughout the book and each one made the story better and made me also want to learn more! Great Fantasy Read!
I loved this book! I love how American Sign Language is a part of this book, because I have a deaf older brother and I have yet to read a book that incorporates it at all! I also love that the main character is afflicted with ADD but amidst all the other problems, she is able to get through that. I love the dynamics of Rysa, Ladon and Dragon together and I loved all the mystical aspects and how they ended up coming together. I felt as if I kept learning new details all throughout the book and each one made the story better and made me also want to learn more! Great Fantasy Read!
elizabethotvos's review against another edition
3.0
Games of fate is a book about a girl named Rysa who struggle with ADHD and she is also a fate, but that information has been kept from her. She soon finds herself in trouble and is saved by Lagon and his dragon. Together they will discover who she is as a fate and a women. I liked the idea of the story and found it interesting.
The book was a bite hard to read and understand what was happening as it bounce around from the past, present and future and a lot of names were used before you knew who they where. Overall I think it was fun to read, but found I had to read slowly.
The book was a bite hard to read and understand what was happening as it bounce around from the past, present and future and a lot of names were used before you knew who they where. Overall I think it was fun to read, but found I had to read slowly.
reader44ever's review against another edition
4.0
This book was amazing; I loved it! All the characters were engaging in one way or another: I adored the good guys and detested the bad guys (but only in the sense that they were bad guys...both the good and bad guys were very well characterized). The story was riveting, the plot had twists and turns that I never saw coming: it was great! Sadly, there were a few parts that did not seem as well written as the rest of the book. I was confused in places (I am mentally disabled) but thankfully these points in the story were very short-lived and did not detract from the overall good feelings I felt while reading this story. I was always able to gather enough context in these confusing paragraphs to keep up with the action. I can't wait to read more of this series and hope [a:Kris Austen Radcliffe|6447357|Kris Austen Radcliffe|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1359779456p2/6447357.jpg] writes fast. :)
**This book was gifted to me in exchange for my opinion/review.
**This book was gifted to me in exchange for my opinion/review.
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