ARC Review: Fates (Fates, #1)

Author: Lanie Bross
Series: Fates, #1
Publisher: Delacorte Press (Random House)
Release: Feb 11th 2014
Source: Netgalley
Pages: 336 (ebook)
( Amazon | Goodreads )

Perfect for fans of Jennifer Armentrout, Julie Kagawa, Rachel Vincent, and Sarah J. Maas, and for girls who love all things pretty, romantic and inspirational.

One moment. One foolish desire. One mistake. And Corinthe lost everything.

She fell from her tranquil life in Pyralis Terra and found herself exiled to the human world. Her punishment? To make sure people's fates unfold according to plan. Now, years later, Corinthe has one last assignment: kill Lucas Kaller. His death will be her ticket home.

But for the first time, Corinthe feels a tingle of doubt. It begins as a lump in her throat, then grows toward her heart, and suddenly she feels like she is falling all over again--this time for a boy she knows she can never have. Because it is written: one of them must live, and one of them must die. In a universe where every moment, every second, every fate has already been decided, where does love fit in?

"Different and imaginative."--Kirkus Reviews

It is never easy for me to turn down a pretty cover, despite the fact that this irrational urge has brought me more than a few disappointments. Well, that number may have to go up another notch today. To be fair, I don’t dislike Fates as much as some of the other ones, but that is hardly a compliment at all. While parts of the story remained quite entertaining to read, as a whole, there were way too many problems for me to fully enjoy it. 

Fates is written mainly in two POVs, though the first chapter is told from the perspective of neither. It is through this short and deadly encounter that we meet Corinthe, who appeared mysterious and malicious at first glance. Regardless of her wrongdoing, I was quickly captured by her seemingly cruel attitude; eager to find out the secrets of her past and the agenda she carries in each “mission”. 

As an exiled Fate, it is Corinthe’s most genuine wish that she would one day return to Pyralis, to the world where she belongs. It even seems easy now that she is upon her last task. And that is where everything goes wrong. Lucas Kaller, whose fate destined to intertwine with hers, must die in her hands, though this time Corinthe is not so sure. Their time together stumbling through worlds and crossroads shakes her belief even more. She starts to apprehend that above all – time, space, and even destiny, there is love, with a perpetuity that outshines anything else. It is at that moment that she realizes what she has to do all along. 

Fate and destiny are frequently occurring themes in YA novels, though I’m still fascinated by them every time nonetheless. Lanie Bross did not present anything particularly new in her version of defying the unchangeable, but she did give it a much more unique and fresh setting. The only problem I have is the fact that the information was passed on to readers in an awfully unorganized way. As a result, it is incredibly hard to understand why a character would decide to do one thing over the other, because either I’m not grasping the concepts correctly or the character has no rational thinking ability whatsoever. 

Lanie Bross did not make her characters easy to related to either. Although interesting, both Corinthe and Luc made me feel detached. Their personalities did not stand out from the pages, or from the secondary characters for that matter. Everything is a little too bland and uneventful for my taste. 

Last but not least, let’s talk about the romance - another instalove that basically flourished out of nowhere. Besides physical attractions, I don’t believe Corinthe and Luc have any deeper connections under the surface. It is, in my opinion, hard to develop an enjoyable and touching relationship in so few pages, especially when the book is not centered entirely on romance. That being said, I have become quite tolerant and forgiving towards not-so-great romances, but I can't say that I wasn’t hoping. 

Despite all the flaws, Fates was still a fairly pleasant read with a few plot hiccups along the way. Although I won’t be following this series any further, I am interested in what you may think about this book. After all, it is the differences in views and perspectives that make reviewing every bit as exciting as it is.

My Rating: ★★☆ (2 and 1/2 stars)

(A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)