Fates Entwined

by Jules Barnard

[layawaydragon]

The Good
+Unique twist on Fae
+Invested in the characters
+Not as many problems as Fates Divided
+Enjoyed the journey
+Thrilling action
+Will Read the Prequel

The Bad & The Other
-Ugh angels=blonde & white again
-Don’t like angels, hate their mythology in general
-Heteronormative gender norms, stereotypes & slut shaming
-Virgin woman with Player Guy



Most of those in the list are the same as Halven Uprising #1, Fates Divided. If you read and loved that, it's an easy choice to continue. If the rape and heteronormative bullshit worries you, there's no rape and the rest far toned down in Fates Entwined though you're stuck with the He-Man Protector and Pure Virgin. If you're all about dat fantasy plot, know that it thickens, moves forward, and thickens again like a chef going from white wash to a roux. (too bad it's still white...)

Even though it follows a different couple and acts like you haven’t read the previous work, I must stress that you read it in order. I can’t imagine trying to wrap my head around all the people, politics, ties, lies, betrayals without that foundation.

Fates Divided: Romeo & Juliet style romance; special ultra-powerful snowflake girl; hunky, tall protector; perfect first time sex; New Fae characters; Blond(e), pale Nord Fae; politics and war; blah blah blah ANGELS!!; Fantasy Racism; Rape; Heavy on the heteronormative gender norms;

Fates Entwined: Opposites Attract romance; not-so-useful shorty blonde girl; hunky, tall protector; perfect first time sex; New Fae characters; Blond(e), pale Nord Fae; politics and war; blah blah blah ANGELS!!; Fantasy Racism; Leery, Creepy Men; Not so heavy on the heteronormative gender norms;

Fates Entwined follows Reese and Keen, as Keen tries to track down and rescue Reese from her Fae kidnappers. We do see the first ultra-power royal couple Elena and Derek again, but they’re supporting this round. Which felt weird given how their special snowflakes and the plot revolves around getting them back on their thrones to fix things.

While there are successful novels following characters in the periphery of The Chosen Ones or whatever, Fates Entwined didn’t sit right for most of the book. I kept wondering where all the important people where and what the point was in following these two. Until the climax, that’s like “OHHHH”.


Given who I suspect the next couple is, things are getting more complicated (while nothing from the first two books is completely resolved anyways), more in-depth in Faeland and shouldn’t have the same issue.

To be honest, I was happy to find out what happened to Reese and Keen and thought I’d be done with the series afterwards. Even with the “Uh-oh” ending.

Then I read the blurb for the prequel novella and I’d love to know how Elena’s parents worked out together. (Though I’m sure that’d creep Elena out given the sexual content in the series, lol)

I really hope SOMETHING gets handled in the third book because too much is in the air now, adding more without closure is bound to run me off.

While less problematic, it still rates half a star lower for the un-protagonist-like feel and no longer NEEDING to continuing the series as soon as possible. But I'm still grabbing that freebie, Fates Altered and finding about how it all started. Maybe that'll help.