https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246583486-a-trial-of-fate
Valdor Series: Book One
book blurb:
Our world is dying.
Skylar Cathal is a twenty-two-year-old half-human, half-shifter with a curious mind and knack for bending the rules. Gilen Warrick, Skylar's childhood friend and the next Alpha of the Solace pack, wants more than just her friendship—but fate has a will of its own.
When Skylar is marked as the shifter champion, she must overcome her darkest fears to leave her home and those she loves behind. Daxton Aegaeon, High Fae Prince of Silver Meadows, has sworn to protect Skylar as his ward, but only she can protect her heart.
One night can change your life . . . one decision can change everything.
A Trial of Fate is the first book in the Valdor series, an epic romantic fantasy that follows a "spitfire" heroine who defies her darkest fears in order to save those she loves. This book will appeal to fans of character-driven adventurous romantasy tails such as Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, and A Ruin of Roses.
Contains mature themes.
*Netgalley ALC 9/12 *Romantasy *slow burn *Shifter romance *Fae *Magical World *Dying world
*Chosen one *Epic Quest *fated mates *drama *violence & 💀 *Trigger warnings
*Age Gap (😂) *broody MMC *deadly trials await *PTSD *small amount of spice
*Loss of parents (past but mentioned throughout) *Found family *Love triangle *protective MMC
*Touch her and 💀
Thoughts:
Skylar (FMC) is a strong, fierce warrior she is part shifter part human and her father was the packs leader prior to his death, she was taken in by her Uncle and his wife and they raised her with their daughter. Throughout the book we know that Skylar has more power than many of the other shifters she has some healing magic along with some other things but we don't fully know what her capabilities are yet.
Coming up on the ceremony where their clan's younger members might shift for the first time Skylar becomes aware that one of the other pack members Gillan might see her as more than just a friend... she's a romantic at heart and wants a love match... could he be her fated mate? Once the members of their pack shift for the first time it becomes more apparent if they find their fated mate they will feel it and their animal form will agree... but something happens prior to the ceremony that will change everything for Skylar.
Their world is dying there is a magical curse on the land that has been held back for hundreds of years by the powerful Fae Queen with the help of other high Fae royalty... but it is only a bandaid it is not a true fix and she can't hold back the curse from creeping further into their world forever. Every 100 years the Fae cross the magical barrier that was built to seperate the Fae, Shifters and humans to keep the peace in search of what they hope will be the last time... They need a shifter (who has not yet shifted) to go through a series of trials in the hopes of breaking the curse and saving their world.
Only problem is it is a mission no one has ever succeeded at before... in fact no one has even gotten through the first trial... but their sacrifice is enough to help the Queen hold the curse back for another 100 years until the next Shifter selection arrives.
In a moment kind of like The hunger games Skylar's younger cousin (who is more like her sister) is chosen and Skylar comes forward to take her place... from there the story kind of goes down a different road for awhile, There are some repetitive areas like discussing that the shifters often wear loose clothing or walk around naked for easier shifting, and there were some parts of the story that lagged I think some of these sections could have been edited down.
Daxton (High Fae Prince) is a legendary warrior, over 500 years old and hot as sin... Skylar is immediately drawn to him and this has her questioning if she and Gillan are meant to be... but Skylar shouldn't really be worried about men troubles she needs to figure out how she is going to save the world and Mr. Broody Fae and his younger brother are going to help train her she needs to focus on this at all costs... only Gillan keeps trying to interfere with her plans (and some things happen to delay the trip).
Skylar is very inquisitive almost to the point of being obnoxious... like girl settle down they will tell you what they can tell you when they can. There is again a lot of hanging out and chatting I would have liked the book to progress further towards the actual trials that she needs to go to but she doesn't even start training until the last few chapters and then they get side tracked again... so I think it's just going to be one of those series that is going to take forever and a day to actually get to the first trial.
I haven't read the bigger romantasy's so I don't have a lot to compare it to but I enjoyed the book well enough to want to find out what happens next... I just hope that they actually get to a trial in book 2.
I got this from Netgalley as an ALC and I think the narrator did a great job and definately made the characters come to life.
Have you read this series? What did you think?
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