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A review by whatsheread
Fateless by Julie Kagawa
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I love Julie Kagawa's stories, and I always get excited whenever she has something new coming out. Her worlds are always so vibrant and full, and her characters are ones you can root for. The same holds for her latest novel, FATELESS. Think of it as a gender-reversed Aladdin, except Aladdin is a much better thief and needs to save the world from a ruthless god instead of a sorcerer. Plus, there is no genie, but there is a master assassin, a mercenary, and a man who does nothing but follow his instincts. (Okay, so not Aladdin, but I have never played the games she mentions as her inspiration, so I had to think of something else.)
In FATELESS, Ms. Kagawa does more than play with the idea of fate. She also adds what some might construe as a critique of organized religion and the dangers of religious indoctrination. After all, it becomes pretty easy to explain away a genocide if that is what Fate deems should happen. It also prevents people from striving to improve themselves because, after all, Fate said you should be a janitor and that is your lot in life. This is how we find Sparrow as she struggles to overcome a lifetime of being told, and accepting, that she is nothing but a thief and therefore has no other role to play in the events of the world.
Sparrow is most definitely the type of character that you want to cheer on and support through her trials and tribulations. She may know she is the best thief in the Guild, but her self-doubt is apparent upon your very first introduction to her. Years of neglect, childhood trauma, and religious indoctrination prevent her from seeing herself as worthy of anything, even love. She has spirit, though, and that serves her well. It is the only thing that drives her forward at times, as she deals with the ramifications of her entire world crashing down around her. Literally.
Raithe is the other main character, but he remains a mystery given that Sparrow knows very little about him. We know he is gentle and has nothing but the best intentions, ruthless when he needs to be, knowledgeable, and an assassin. That he was supposed to kill Sparrow, we understand; that he now loves her after just meeting her and then fleeing with her is less understandable.
The insta-love of their relationship is not necessary to the story but included nonetheless because you can't have a fantasy novel without romance anymore, or so it seems. Their insta-love is even less likely given the horrors Sparrow has experienced in a short period. There is no way that girl is even remotely thinking with a clear head or heart. It would be better if what they were feeling was nothing but the need to feel alive that occurs after a life-or-death situation, but I fear that is not what Ms. Kagawa has in store for the couple.
In many ways, FATELESS feels like a standalone. Even though it is the first book in a new trilogy, the ending is as open as many other novels. You don't have a lot of answers yet, but you don't need them either. Sides are drawn, each character chooses a side, and that is that. I've read other stories that end with less resolution than that.
Because it is a trilogy, though, I feel that Ms. Kagawa must have more in store for her characters other than the ultimate faceoff between good/Sparrow and evil/ruthless god. There has to be more there to spread it out among three books, something to which we have not yet been introduced. Ms. Kagawa's other novels have all been relatively complex, intricate, and twisty in all the right places. FATELESS is less so, but I have to believe that more is coming. I have faith that the next two books are going to be powerhouses with more surprises and all the action you desire.
In FATELESS, Ms. Kagawa does more than play with the idea of fate. She also adds what some might construe as a critique of organized religion and the dangers of religious indoctrination. After all, it becomes pretty easy to explain away a genocide if that is what Fate deems should happen. It also prevents people from striving to improve themselves because, after all, Fate said you should be a janitor and that is your lot in life. This is how we find Sparrow as she struggles to overcome a lifetime of being told, and accepting, that she is nothing but a thief and therefore has no other role to play in the events of the world.
Sparrow is most definitely the type of character that you want to cheer on and support through her trials and tribulations. She may know she is the best thief in the Guild, but her self-doubt is apparent upon your very first introduction to her. Years of neglect, childhood trauma, and religious indoctrination prevent her from seeing herself as worthy of anything, even love. She has spirit, though, and that serves her well. It is the only thing that drives her forward at times, as she deals with the ramifications of her entire world crashing down around her. Literally.
Raithe is the other main character, but he remains a mystery given that Sparrow knows very little about him. We know he is gentle and has nothing but the best intentions, ruthless when he needs to be, knowledgeable, and an assassin. That he was supposed to kill Sparrow, we understand; that he now loves her after just meeting her and then fleeing with her is less understandable.
The insta-love of their relationship is not necessary to the story but included nonetheless because you can't have a fantasy novel without romance anymore, or so it seems. Their insta-love is even less likely given the horrors Sparrow has experienced in a short period. There is no way that girl is even remotely thinking with a clear head or heart. It would be better if what they were feeling was nothing but the need to feel alive that occurs after a life-or-death situation, but I fear that is not what Ms. Kagawa has in store for the couple.
In many ways, FATELESS feels like a standalone. Even though it is the first book in a new trilogy, the ending is as open as many other novels. You don't have a lot of answers yet, but you don't need them either. Sides are drawn, each character chooses a side, and that is that. I've read other stories that end with less resolution than that.
Because it is a trilogy, though, I feel that Ms. Kagawa must have more in store for her characters other than the ultimate faceoff between good/Sparrow and evil/ruthless god. There has to be more there to spread it out among three books, something to which we have not yet been introduced. Ms. Kagawa's other novels have all been relatively complex, intricate, and twisty in all the right places. FATELESS is less so, but I have to believe that more is coming. I have faith that the next two books are going to be powerhouses with more surprises and all the action you desire.