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A review by mallenp22
Fate Calls the Elf Queen by J.M. Kearl
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
My main issue with this book is the pacing and it ultimately felt like a whole lot of nothing happened. The concept was good but the execution felt flat. I was excited for this book to come out after reading it I was disappointed. The story just seem to drag on and on with nothing happening. For~80% of the book I just kept wanting to fast forward. Its like the author forgot what happened in the first two book decided to do a 180 and change all of it.
It felt like a filler book where it was just setting up for the next, all that happened could of been condense for a better reading experience. If you were to skip 80% of the book and only read the ending you wouldn't miss much. Its like the author decide the everything that happened in the first two books didn't matter at all and shoved Hel and Valeen getting back together. Its like reverse character growth, they basically going back to how things were when they were Gods.
While I spent 80% of the book wishing to fast forward because all of it was pointless, I spent the rest of the 20% of the book pausing every few chapters to digest where the author was going. Undoing everything in the first two books. At this point I just would of rather she started out with Hel and Layala romance since the beginning.
Summarizing the whole book below and you will have not missed anything if you don't read it.
Layala spent 60% of the book denying who she was and then all of a sudden just accepted it. Taking unnecessary risk and not caring if she got hurt and how that would affect other. Thane spent the whole book avoiding her telling her that he would wait until she remembered and choose him. He remembers more than her about the past. Hel appeared at the castle and force them to accept that he will stay to help Layala train. Thane remembers being betrothed to Varlett. The demon prince is after them because they stole his ring, Valeen was being black mailed if she didn't give the woman the ring she would tell the council she killed Synick. With the demon prince after them they form a sort of truce to train Layala.
Layala got bitten by a pale one because of her stupidity, since Thane had told her a million times not to go out without sufficient guard. Even knowing who was after her. When she got back to the castle she went to Hel for help to saved her not Thane. Since she was no longer save in there Thane broke up with Layala to get her to leave with Hel for her protection. Layala was heart broke and after a few weeks she started to develop feelings for Hel. They hid from the demon prince and trying to get her memories back. Training is going well and she is remembering more.
They snuck into the Drakonan vault for Valeen's journals in hopes it will help her remember faster. And she finally remembered why she left Hel, she saw Hel and Varlett in bed together talking about he never loved her and was only with her to get a child. He had made a bet with his Uncle Synick to see who would succeed. Layala confronted Hel and they then piece together that Varlett was the blackmailer, with the demon ring she staged it so Valeen would believe Hel used her and didnt love her. War took her away and stayed by her side since they were friends, they never slept together while they were War and Valeen. It wasn't until they were reborn as Layala and Thane that they actually slept together.
There is a line in the book that sums it up pretty well Thane was the love and mate of Layala life, but Hel is the only one for Valeen the goddess of night. Valeeen/Layala choose Hel they want back to the castle and they killed the demon prince. He vowed to get revenge and said he knows who Hel's father is and were he mother is. Varlett bound her life to Valeen so anything that happens to one will happen to other so they cant kill her. Together Hel, War and Valeen return to Adalon to get revenge on the Gods. Once they open the portal Synick and Katana appear.
It felt like a filler book where it was just setting up for the next, all that happened could of been condense for a better reading experience. If you were to skip 80% of the book and only read the ending you wouldn't miss much. Its like the author decide the everything that happened in the first two books didn't matter at all and shoved Hel and Valeen getting back together. Its like reverse character growth, they basically going back to how things were when they were Gods.
While I spent 80% of the book wishing to fast forward because all of it was pointless, I spent the rest of the 20% of the book pausing every few chapters to digest where the author was going. Undoing everything in the first two books. At this point I just would of rather she started out with Hel and Layala romance since the beginning.
Summarizing the whole book below and you will have not missed anything if you don't read it.
Layala spent 60% of the book denying who she was and then all of a sudden just accepted it. Taking unnecessary risk and not caring if she got hurt and how that would affect other. Thane spent the whole book avoiding her telling her that he would wait until she remembered and choose him. He remembers more than her about the past. Hel appeared at the castle and force them to accept that he will stay to help Layala train. Thane remembers being betrothed to Varlett. The demon prince is after them because they stole his ring, Valeen was being black mailed if she didn't give the woman the ring she would tell the council she killed Synick. With the demon prince after them they form a sort of truce to train Layala.
Layala got bitten by a pale one because of her stupidity, since Thane had told her a million times not to go out without sufficient guard. Even knowing who was after her. When she got back to the castle she went to Hel for help to saved her not Thane. Since she was no longer save in there Thane broke up with Layala to get her to leave with Hel for her protection. Layala was heart broke and after a few weeks she started to develop feelings for Hel. They hid from the demon prince and trying to get her memories back. Training is going well and she is remembering more.
They snuck into the Drakonan vault for Valeen's journals in hopes it will help her remember faster. And she finally remembered why she left Hel, she saw Hel and Varlett in bed together talking about he never loved her and was only with her to get a child. He had made a bet with his Uncle Synick to see who would succeed. Layala confronted Hel and they then piece together that Varlett was the blackmailer, with the demon ring she staged it so Valeen would believe Hel used her and didnt love her. War took her away and stayed by her side since they were friends, they never slept together while they were War and Valeen. It wasn't until they were reborn as Layala and Thane that they actually slept together.
There is a line in the book that sums it up pretty well Thane was the love and mate of Layala life, but Hel is the only one for Valeen the goddess of night. Valeeen/Layala choose Hel they want back to the castle and they killed the demon prince. He vowed to get revenge and said he knows who Hel's father is and were he mother is. Varlett bound her life to Valeen so anything that happens to one will happen to other so they cant kill her. Together Hel, War and Valeen return to Adalon to get revenge on the Gods. Once they open the portal Synick and Katana appear.