Review: Fates by Lanie Bross

Title: Fates (Fates #1)
Author: Lanie Bross
Publisher: Delacorte Press (Random House)
Acquired Via: Around the World ARC Tours
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Perfect for fans of Jennifer Armentrout, Julie Kagawa, Rachel Vincent, and Sarah J. Maas, and for girls who love all things pretty, romantic and inspirational.

One moment. One foolish desire. One mistake. And Corinthe lost everything.

She fell from her tranquil life in Pyralis Terra and found herself exiled to the human world. Her punishment? To make sure people's fates unfold according to plan. Now, years later, Corinthe has one last assignment: kill Lucas Kaller. His death will be her ticket home.

But for the first time, Corinthe feels a tingle of doubt. It begins as a lump in her throat, then grows toward her heart, and suddenly she feels like she is falling all over again--this time for a boy she knows she can never have. Because it is written: one of them must live, and one of them must die. In a universe where every moment, every second, every fate has already been decided, where does love fit in?

My Review

Fates by Lanie Bross is a young adult paranormal romance novel spun with a smidge of Greek mythology. It is also incredibly tiresome. I know, I know, I seldom write reviews like this, but Fates did have some promise in the beginning, but ultimately left me underwhelmed.

I suppose that I should start off by sharing what I enjoyed about Fates. First, Corinthe's job as an Enforcer was interesting. It was up to her to see to it that births, deaths, relationships, etc., happened as they were supposed to according to some greater plan. I also liked reading about the different worlds that were described in the book and how mythology was woven into it all.

Now to more unpleasant things in Fates. I did not care for any of the characters, except maybe the minor character, Rhys. The relationship between Lucas and Corinth was extremely unhealthy and uncomfortable for me as a reader (she was trying to kill him), and I have no idea where the feelings formed. Honestly, I would not ever in a milion years give the time of day to anyone who came after me with a knife.

The pacing of Fates also did not work for me. Everything moved so quickly that I was left scratching my head. It was like riding a roller coaster in the dark without buckling in first - it's easy to get lost, and you have no idea where the hell you're going or what's happening. This rushing about is what contributed to me not giving a damn about the romance or connect with any of the characters. Or care what was going on.

I'm not saying that Fates is a bad book, but it was not anything I liked reading. I hate to be so hard on a debut novel, but I'm even at a loss as to how to recommend this to other readers. I don't want to discourage anyone from picking Fates up by any means, but I have no idea who I would give this book to.

- 1.5/5 Stars -

Buy Links
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To satisfy FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received an advance copy of the book briefly for reviewing purposes through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for an honest review. The book was likely provided to the tour by the publisher or author, which has in no way affected the outcome of my review. All opinions expressed are rambling, honest, and completely my own.