Quirky Cat
Holy cow. Is this happening? Are we really getting another Kinsmen novel after all of these years? For those not freaking out, let me tell you: Kinsmen is a fantasy world that I adore and highly recommend to all of my friends.
Anyway, moving on. Fated Blades, by Ilona Andrews (Ilona and Andrew Gordon), is the third novel in the Kinsmen series. This story takes place in the same world, with the same rules and magical abilities (and politics!). As such, I would suggest reading the first two novels first, as they do a fantastic job of explaining how it all works.
There are families in this world (well, universe, actually) with special powers. Commonly, only high-class families have these gifts, and they must carefully plan out their family lines to maintain their powers.
This is the life that Ramona Adler and Matias Baena have always known. They come from opposing families, and while they have never met in person, they knew enough to keep the feud going strong. That is, right up until they realized that to protect their families, they would have to work together.
“The two of them, Cassida and Gabriel, thought they could simply take everything she’d worked for. They thought she would roll over. Ramona laughed. It sounded like a promise of murder.”
Unsurprisingly, I loved Fated Blades and everything about it. Ilona Andrews has such a way of building these vast and imaginative worlds – I can't help but be utterly enchanted by them. In many ways, Fated Blades is the sequel to the Kinsmen world that I never knew I needed.
Admittedly this series is probably not for the faint of heart, as Ramona and Matias are very talented at what they do – protecting their family...and killing people. Don't get me wrong, killing people is almost always a last resort. Unfortunately, in a world such as theirs, last resorts happen more often than they would like.
The politics in this world are intense, as two significant families feud onward (with smaller families getting in the way here and there). It makes for a complex but solid foundation on which our heroes find their adventure.
This book ended up having a lot of tropes that I adored, including a take on the 'enemies to lovers' trope. It was so much fun, and I am already trying to decide when another read-through will be warranted (and whether or not I should binge the first two beforehand).
For those fantasy lovers that also enjoy a heavy dose of action and battles – this is the read for you. Ramona and Matias get into more than their fair share of fights, and they are brilliantly described. Enjoy!
“Being kind to people and paying attention shouldn’t be done with the expectation of repayment. I helped them because I could, and it made me happy.”
Interestingly, Fated Blades, besides all of the other amazing parts, is that it technically could be read as a standalone. I personally wouldn't do this, as the other two novels really set the tone while explaining A LOT about how the magical system works (not to mention how it got into these families), but it could certainly be done.
Normally it is about now in the review where I would speculate about a sequel. However, as I never expected Fated Blades to come into being in the first place, I'm not going to push my luck! The simple truth is that I will happily read anything that Ilona Andrews feels inspired to write.
Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
