“One for the fire, two for the storm.” 🤍

Magic, prophecies, forbidden love and a darkness threatening to destroy everything - sounds like quite the adventure, right?

Reading Fate and Fury was like going on an unexpected journey without knowing what awaits when you get there. The description might prepare you for a few plot points but it doesn't prepare you for the feelings of anguish and pure internal (and external, depending on the situation) torment that Katerina and Niko experience throughout the story. The depiction of said feelings was vivid and you could almost feel what they were feeling. It was PAINFUL at times like give them a break please 😭

The writing in this book was beautiful. It's descriptive in nature, so I will say it might not be for everyone. However, when it comes to fantasy - even more so, fantasy with rich lore as its basis - I find myself enjoying and almost craving vivid descriptions, the writing which will make me feel jealous I am not actively part of this world. Not that I'm asking to come face-to-face with the ever-growing Darkness... I think I'll leave that in the capable hands of Katerina and Niko. 🫣 The descriptions are not burdening the book, in fact they enrich this world and paint it with beautiful colours.

"No matter where she was, he was home." 🤍

I enjoyed the multiple perspectives! This is one of the few cases where we , aside from the main character's perspective, we get POVs of the villain(s) of the story whose intentions/actions/thoughts are not a predictable black & white hue. Even the villains of the story had their own reasonings - some were more twisted than others but you do get exposed to their side of things. One of the revealed villains though I could do without....thanks! 🙃 Selfish purposes. 

The lore and backstory of this world were so interesting to read about - saints, prophecies, different roles for each character. We get exposed to pieces of this backstory slowly throughout the book and each time it added a bit more to what we knew.

I would have liked, perhaps due to the description of this book, to spend more time at the actual trials. I found fascinating the political side of this story - when our two main characters attended the trials and they interacted with the ruling figures/establishment. I thought they would play a larger role; however, it was in the beginning and didn't take up much time. It was such a promising point, which I was looking forward to, and there was not enough time spent there. Obviously, the plot ventured towards a different direction - which IS hinted at - but the trials were a personal preference of mine.

Overall, such an enjoyable first instalment in this duology! Given THAT cliffhanger... could the second book please magically appear in front of me?? Because what do you MEAN we have to wait?? 🥲

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Emily Colin, and Black Orchid Books for sending me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review - all the aforementioned opinions are my own.

Go read this! 🤍