Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher:
UK Release date:
Genre: YA
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review
Until now, he's existed only in her dreams - but fate is about to bring them together.
I shove through the crowd, knocking into girls and bouncing off boys, until one in particular catches me, steadies me.
I feel so secure, so at home in his arms.
I melt against his chest-lift my gaze to meet his. Gasping when I stare into a pair of icy blue eyes banded by brilliant flecks of gold that shine like kaleidoscopes, reflecting my image thousands of times.
The boy from my dream. The one who died in my arms. (Goodreads)
Having read and really enjoyed Evermore, I've had a bit of an up and down journey with Fated. The writing style, which was in the present tense, was sometimes surprisingly jarring and off putting due to sentences that could go on for lines and lines, and the overuse of ‘–ing’ words. It just felt like a few sections of the book were written at different time periods or in different moods, because the style wasn’t fully consistent. But I know this isn’t representative of Alyson Noel's usual brilliant writing, and I’m willing to trust that these kinks will get worked out in the next books. Plus, I loved the Native American aspects to the story.
The setting really suited the magical themes of the book, drawing on animal guides, healing and the Day of the Dead to add magical context and depth to the story. The wild lands that Daire explores on horseback and visits for her quest sound so beautiful, despite being very remote and harsh. For me, these elements made up the best parts of the book and helped to keep me engaged with the story.
I have to admit I also had a love/hate affair with Daire. She could be extremely whiny and selfish, and a bit of a brat at times. When she acted like this I wanted to throw the book in frustration, and hopefully hit Daire with it and knock some sense into her. However in the second part of the book her character definitely changed and she became much more grown up and responsible and I started to like her a lot more.
Paloma is Daire's grandmother - and amazing. She's sympathetic, wise, and understands the balance of freedom and discipline. Her ancestral roots means she is into dreamcatchers, healthy diet, growing your own food, herbal potions, communing with dead relatives and so on. She was very cool, and it was Paloma that encouraged and guided Daire as she learnt to control her magical powers and venture into the spirit world.
Dace and his twin brother Cade were like polar opposites. Whilst Dace radiated kindness, his brother oozed false charm. Although with such a pleasant front and charming manner, it would have been hard to have imagined Cade as anything other than nice, if it wasn't for Daire's mysterious dream about the twins. Although her dreams included some steamy romance with Cade, she took time to get to know and trust him in real life, and I look forward to seeing where their relationship goes in the next book.
Fated journeys into the spiritual realms for a magical story.
Rating: 3.5*
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