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A review by callie_books
Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars rounded down
Deathly Fates is the story of Siying, a priestess trained to shepherd the dead home, and Ren, a prince who is suspiciously not dead. Together, Siying and Ren make the journey home, stopping to exorcise evil spirits and learning dangerous secrets about Ren and the royal family along the way.
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this! I think for a debut novel, this was absolutely great. I loved both of our leads - Siying was strong, determined, and courageous, and I loved her internal monologues while slowly falling for Ren, but also determined to complete her job (and save his life in the process). Ren was adorable, funny, and charming, and I loved his honesty about his feelings towards his family/royal duty and how he grew throughout the course of the story.
I loved the world building and setting description as well - I felt like I could envision where Siying and Ren were at each stop along their journey, which is something that's really important to me, especially in fantasy novels. I also felt like the magic system / Siying's role as a priestess was quite clear and overall, everything was easy to understand.
I rounded this down from 5 stars only because at times, the plot felt a little repetitive, and while I loved Siying's determination and courage, I also found myself thinking a couple of times that trouble that she and Ren found themselves in could have been avoided, or at least easier, if she had slowed down and thought a little more instead of rushing in.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read! The world was interesting, and while I don't know if the author has any plans for this to be a series or just a standalone, I think there's SO much potential for a sequel, or more. I'd love to read more about Siying and Ren, especially with Ren's growth in this book.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Deathly Fates is the story of Siying, a priestess trained to shepherd the dead home, and Ren, a prince who is suspiciously not dead. Together, Siying and Ren make the journey home, stopping to exorcise evil spirits and learning dangerous secrets about Ren and the royal family along the way.
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this! I think for a debut novel, this was absolutely great. I loved both of our leads - Siying was strong, determined, and courageous, and I loved her internal monologues while slowly falling for Ren, but also determined to complete her job (and save his life in the process). Ren was adorable, funny, and charming, and I loved his honesty about his feelings towards his family/royal duty and how he grew throughout the course of the story.
I loved the world building and setting description as well - I felt like I could envision where Siying and Ren were at each stop along their journey, which is something that's really important to me, especially in fantasy novels. I also felt like the magic system / Siying's role as a priestess was quite clear and overall, everything was easy to understand.
I rounded this down from 5 stars only because at times, the plot felt a little repetitive, and while I loved Siying's determination and courage, I also found myself thinking a couple of times that trouble that she and Ren found themselves in could have been avoided, or at least easier, if she had slowed down and thought a little more instead of rushing in.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read! The world was interesting, and while I don't know if the author has any plans for this to be a series or just a standalone, I think there's SO much potential for a sequel, or more. I'd love to read more about Siying and Ren, especially with Ren's growth in this book.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.