Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Review (Debut Author Giveaway Hop): Forged by Fate by Amalia Dillin


Welcome to my stop on the Debut Author Giveaway Hop. This hop is co-hosted by Mary at BookHounds/BookHounds YA and Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

What You Can Win

Today I'm giving away Forged by Fate by Amalia Dillin. It released earlier this year, and I was very impressed by the book when I read it, so I decided to promote it on this hop. The information about the book and my review is below:



Title: Forged by Fate (Fate of the Gods #1)
Author:
Amalia Dillin
Publisher: World Weaver Press
Release Date: March 5, 2013

After Adam fell, God made Eve to protect the world.

Adam has pursued Eve since the dawn of creation, intent on using her power to create a new world and make himself its God. Throughout history, Eve has thwarted him, determined to protect the world and all of creation. Unknown to her, the Norse god Thor has been sent by the Council of Gods to keep her from Adam's influence, and more, to protect the interests of the gods themselves. But this time, Adam is after something more than just Eve's power — he desires her too, body and soul, even if it means the destruction of the world. Eve cannot allow it, but as one generation melds into the next, she begins to wonder if Adam might be a man she could love.

Every god, from each of the world's pantheons, mythologies, and religions — they’re all real in this enthralling fantasy romance that spans centuries.


My Review

I was quite excited to be approached by Amalia Dillin about reviewing her debut novel, Forged by Fate, because I've known her on Twitter for several years and remember her talking about writing this book. Though I generally have doubts about reading the books of people that I know and enjoy, it was not so in this case. I've been reading her blog for years, and she's done a great deal of research on Thor and other gods. Research is king with me, and I was right in my assumption that Forged by Fate would be good. Not only was it well-researched, all aspects of the novel were tied together seamlessly, and the characters were complex and well-constructed.

Forged by Fate may be mostly about Thor, Adam, and Eve, but it covers more religious mythologies than just what is found in the Prose Edda and Bible. There is tidbits of ancient Egyptian theology, the Olympians, and a smattering of Eastern religions with appearances from Celtic and African gods. It is a heavy load to juggle, but Dillin weaved them together in such a way that their interactions with one another really made sense. I think it is amazing when anyone can take mythologies that already exist and make them into something else without really compromising the structure of the original.

I also loved the characters in Forged by Fate. Thor and Eve's various reincarnations were the main characters in the novel. I loved how Thor was so conflicted between his love of Eve and his ties with the Æsir. I also enjoyed reading him interact with Ra and Athena. Eve is also interesting to read. She retains some memories from each of her past lives, and it only makes sense that she would worry about becoming insane - which she did in her life before her current one as Abby. Adam was a bit of a conundrum because I was unable to tell if he had changed his ways in his current life or if he had only become more devious. Perhaps I will see in the sequel, Fate Forgotten.

I think any fans of reimaginings or mythology will love Forged by Fate. It's rare to come across a novel this well-researched, yet relatively true to the original stories while taking its liberties. Dillin is definitely an author to watch, and I look forward to reading her future endeavors.

- 4.5/5 Stars -

Buy Links
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Kobo



Giveaway

If the winner is from US or Canada, I will be giving away a paperback copy of the book. If the winner is international, it will be an ecopy. (I've been having some trouble with my international vendor.)

Ends at 12:01am EST on December 12th

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thank you so much for visiting Bibliophilia, Please! While you're hanging about, you should check out the giveaways on my right sidebar. Once you are done with that, please be a dear and go visit these fabulous bloggers.


To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received a digital copy of this novel for reviewing purposes from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.

16 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for the giveaway. The cover of this one is gorgeous. I think I have a thing for trees.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for including the Goodreads link. I put it on my TBR shelf.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This sounds terrific!! My daughter and I saw Thor 2 last weekend and she was questioning me on mythology. She would probably enjoy this book also---she's 16. Thanks!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I already had this marked on my TBR list, so it would be great if I could win this! I love this book. Thanks for all your wonderful reviews.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great review sounds like a great book.
    Tammy Hudson
    HUBTIVOLI1@YAHOO.COM

    ReplyDelete
  6. This sounds so cool! I hadn't heard of it, but the combination of all the biblical/mythological stuff sounds like it could be so interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Adam, Eve, Thor and other mythology... this sounds intriguing! I definitely need to read Forged by Fate! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sounds really interesting, and I'm glad the author did her research with the mythology presented here! Thanks for the fantastic review.

    Jeann @ Happy Indulgence

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am definitely interested in the mix of mythology/ religion. It sounds so cool! I loved your review.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Added to my TBR. Sounds interesting. thank you for the chance :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ooh! I have this on my wishlist actually.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sounds like a great read, thanks for the chance to win!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Sounds like a great book :D Thank you for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for the chance to be included for your giveaway.

    ReplyDelete

You are going to put words in my box?! *squeezes you* Now I shall stalk YOUR blog!