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sdb27's review against another edition
5.0
Fun, breezy read. Looking forward to book 2 (although apparently book 3 is overdue... hope there's news of it soon?).
cdmcnutt's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so different from any fantasy I have read. The beginning strikes you in the gut immediately. The magic system is easy to follow. The journey is not the most action-packed, but it’s a fun one to tag along with. The ending… Well there’s no happily ever after. But it makes me so excited for the rest of the series!!
mckaylaboyd's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
_ash0_'s review against another edition
DNF@53%
I cannot read any further. I pushed myself upto this point and without an audiobook, I am pretty sure I would have DNFed after reading couple of chapters. I picked this book only because I heard this is a chosen one story where the chosen one dies and his friend needs to fulfill the prophecy. I love Sam from LOTR so I thought a book where Sam is hero would be perfect for me.
The most irritating thing in this book was that the dead chosen one's head was carried around by his friend throughout this book and that head kept making annoying statements. It was almost like a parody book or like a mock buster movie. I couldn't take anything seriously, neither the threat nor the magi. The characters were like caricatures and none of the conversations sounded meaningful or interesting. I wish the book was much darker in tone and the author had made the world a bit more scary in order for us to realize what could go wrong if chosen one fails. The king and queen were acting like cartoons and I didn't even like the main protagonist. Didn't like it one bit. Very very disappointed!!
I cannot read any further. I pushed myself upto this point and without an audiobook, I am pretty sure I would have DNFed after reading couple of chapters. I picked this book only because I heard this is a chosen one story where the chosen one dies and his friend needs to fulfill the prophecy. I love Sam from LOTR so I thought a book where Sam is hero would be perfect for me.
The most irritating thing in this book was that the dead chosen one's head was carried around by his friend throughout this book and that head kept making annoying statements. It was almost like a parody book or like a mock buster movie. I couldn't take anything seriously, neither the threat nor the magi. The characters were like caricatures and none of the conversations sounded meaningful or interesting. I wish the book was much darker in tone and the author had made the world a bit more scary in order for us to realize what could go wrong if chosen one fails. The king and queen were acting like cartoons and I didn't even like the main protagonist. Didn't like it one bit. Very very disappointed!!
trekfangirl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
oaksashton's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
I enjoyed book, especially the audio book narrator giving a whole performance lol!
titannineteen's review against another edition
4.0
This book was very odd. It is a bit slow to build up and some very strange things happen that seem to have no real purpose at the moment. It is meant to be a series so perhaps this stuff is cleared up later. Nothing in this book was predictable. At times I hated it and others I found it charming. Ultimately I liked that it kept me on my toes and the ending drew me into the series. Unfortunately, probably going to have to wait awhile for the rest of the series.
maregred's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Classism
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Injury/Injury detail
bethtabler's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for my open and honest review.
If you would like to read more of my reviews or various other bookish things please come by my blog
at https://beforewegoblog.com/
Kel Kade's book, Fate of the Fallen, is a book of tropes turned on their head and flipped all around. For example, how many books have you read about a small-town farming boy and his trusty best friend that learns that he has a magical destiny and is fated to either destroy or save the world? How about that farming boy that was raised by a wise old man who happens to be a wizard. And that wizard has kept it a secret all these years. These tropes are here, sort of.
Here is where this story gets good...
Kade has taken these time old formulas and flipped them all around. Instead of the small-town boy fulfilling the prophecy, he dies in the second chapter. His best friend has to take his head and do all he can do to help save his friends and family. Imagine if Frodo died, and Samwise Gamgee had to take over his quest alone while carrying Frodo's magically bespelled. The old male father figure wizard trope is instead replaced by a female who is a witch. It entirely changes the tone of the story, for the better. And the prophecy is going to come true no matter what. No matter what.
I can't tell you much more about the plot because this is a story that even merely alluding to events in the story that will ruin it. Just know that hackneyed tropes are thrown out the window for fresh and bright storytelling that is enthralling and heartbreaking at the same time. There was more than one time during this story, where I had to put the book down and say out loud, "Damn."
The side characters are just as exciting as the main protagonist, and I enjoyed the interactions and reactions that Kade has written. The dialog and prose of the story flow from moment to moment but is not jam-packed with so much action and detail that the reader gets tired. It is just enough to keep you only slightly breathless, but always wanting more. Another thing is this story is funny as hell. It had me guffawing and howling a couple of times. Kade really taps into the snark on this one.
Fate of the Fallen is a story that I just loved. It is everything a reader wants out of a fantasy romp. It has great characters, exciting twists, funny dialog, and a protagonist that you want to know more about. Definitely one of the best books I have read this year and I can't wait to read more from Kade.
If you would like to read more of my reviews or various other bookish things please come by my blog
at https://beforewegoblog.com/
Kel Kade's book, Fate of the Fallen, is a book of tropes turned on their head and flipped all around. For example, how many books have you read about a small-town farming boy and his trusty best friend that learns that he has a magical destiny and is fated to either destroy or save the world? How about that farming boy that was raised by a wise old man who happens to be a wizard. And that wizard has kept it a secret all these years. These tropes are here, sort of.
Here is where this story gets good...
Kade has taken these time old formulas and flipped them all around. Instead of the small-town boy fulfilling the prophecy, he dies in the second chapter. His best friend has to take his head and do all he can do to help save his friends and family. Imagine if Frodo died, and Samwise Gamgee had to take over his quest alone while carrying Frodo's magically bespelled. The old male father figure wizard trope is instead replaced by a female who is a witch. It entirely changes the tone of the story, for the better. And the prophecy is going to come true no matter what. No matter what.
I can't tell you much more about the plot because this is a story that even merely alluding to events in the story that will ruin it. Just know that hackneyed tropes are thrown out the window for fresh and bright storytelling that is enthralling and heartbreaking at the same time. There was more than one time during this story, where I had to put the book down and say out loud, "Damn."
The side characters are just as exciting as the main protagonist, and I enjoyed the interactions and reactions that Kade has written. The dialog and prose of the story flow from moment to moment but is not jam-packed with so much action and detail that the reader gets tired. It is just enough to keep you only slightly breathless, but always wanting more. Another thing is this story is funny as hell. It had me guffawing and howling a couple of times. Kade really taps into the snark on this one.
Fate of the Fallen is a story that I just loved. It is everything a reader wants out of a fantasy romp. It has great characters, exciting twists, funny dialog, and a protagonist that you want to know more about. Definitely one of the best books I have read this year and I can't wait to read more from Kade.