Fate & Furies| Review
- dessimalakov
- Mar 2, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 3, 2024
An epic romantic fantasy and third instalment of The Legends of Thezmarr Series
Author: Helen Scheuerer
Series: The Legends of Thezmarr , Book 3
Release Date: February, 22nd 2024
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 2
Official Description:
With darkness cursing the world around her, Althea Zoltaire is desperate for vengeance. But as she hunts Wilder Hawthorne across the kingdoms, brutal secrets begin to unravel.
Not knowing what – or who – to trust, Thea and her companions find themselves entwined with a destiny far greater than one man. Together, they must navigate the haunting revelations that could shatter the very foundations of the midrealms. Yet it’s not only the world at stake, but Thea’s heart too. As everything teeters on the verge of destruction, her fate collides once more with Wilder’s.
Will their reunion ignite the fiery passion between them amidst the ashes of betrayal? Or will it end in a heartbreaking, deadly showdown? In a journey fraught with danger, where the lines between enemies and allies blur, Thea must decide where her loyalties lie, and who will stand at her side against the looming evil.
Warning : This article might contain spoilers !!
#1: First thoughts fate and furies helen scheuerer
I eagerly anticipated the release of the latest installment in The Legends of Thezmarr series, having read the first two books back in January. The story picks up after a year following the climactic events of the previous book, and our FMC, Thea, still reeling from the betrayal of her mentor and love interest, Wilder, embarks on a mission to capture him.
Thea, along with her friends Kipp and Cal, has spent the past year fighting off Wraiths and gaining a notorious reputation across the Kingdoms. Stripped of her storm-wielding powers and her sense of self, Thea is on a journey to confront Wilder, who after a little cat & mouse game (leaving her suddenly a present on her name-day) suddenly allows himself to be captured, pleading with her to hear him out. As Thea struggles with her conflicting emotions, doubt creeps in as she learns about Wilder's year spent preparing her for her destined role as Warsword. Overwhelmed by guilt, she decides to free him during the Eclipse festivities.
I was initially surprised by the author's choice to have a one-year gap between events, especially given the fact that Thea's lifetime is already so short but I had trust in the process. As the plot progressed I realised unfortunately that the explanation for Wilder's delayed revelation did not really justify the prolonged absence. The lack of a compelling reason for his delay and the rapid change in Thea's attitude towards him left me somewhat sceptical. And while my hopes for the book were incredibly high (given the fact that I devoured the previous books) this sense of... dissatisfaction remained throughout the plot.
I believe I can speak for everyone who has already read the books that I couldn't wait for Thea to be called to the Grand Rite to finally become a Warsword. When it finally happened, it felt... rushed. Wilder, who was supposed to wait for Thea to complete the Rite, got gravely injured. So while I wanted to enjoy the Thea's Rite experience, my attention was completely stuck on Wilder and what would happen to him and I caught myself almost skipping the pages just to move the plot along.
#2: Character Development and Romance
I am incredibly sad to admit that I didn't feel the chemistry between Thea and Wilder anymore. It is totally understandable that Thea would have felt hurt and betrayed by Wilders disappearance. So I was a bit thrown off when Wilder's first behaviour upon their reconnecting was to speak in a sarcastic way. Maybe he felt that he could take the heat out of the situation by teasing her?
While Wilder was trying to explain his reasons for leaving and reassuring her of his feelings - Thea was adamant of blocking him off. That to me felt a bit immature and wasn't really true to her character. The way she was portrayed in earlier books was someone who was constantly questioning everything, wanting to talk things out. So wouldn't you want to at least hear him out? Once she realised the truth behind his actions, she was ready to rip off his clothes. This sudden shift from total resentment to fiery passion didn't feel genuine.
I also had a bit of a hard time to digest the new character portrayal of Anya, Thea's lost sister and the supposed "Daughter of Darkness".
Who I really loved, were the side characters. Kipp has quickly become my favourite character in the entire series and I really love that we get to explore more his background.
I am also quite intrigued by Wren and Torj. There seems to be a beautiful romance blooming in the background that we haven't been able to observe yet.
So my hopes for the next book is that they will get a lot more screen-time.
#3: Final Thoughts
While there were many open questions, inconsistencies and hiccups along the way, I still managed to enjoy the book even if didn't manage to maintain the same quality of the previous books. The book ended on a cliffhanger with Wilder being captured and injured yet again and Thea on her way to rescue him.
The biggest surprise at the end though was the new character that was introduced, namely the mysterious Shadow Prince that many rebels have mentioned throughout the book. Turns out that this supposed Shadow Prince is Talemir, Wilder's former mentor, friend and ex-Warsword who is also shadow-touched.
I really hope that Thea & Talmemir will manage to free Wilder and heal him - but even more that if they manage to do so, that they will find a way to extend their remaining time together as Thea's fate stone predicts her demise in just a year.
If you liked this review of Fate and Furies or have any questions or comments, let me know ! fate and furies helen scheuerer
Disclaimer: I have added an affiliate link for your convenience so you can directly purchase the book if you are intrigued. This also means that I will receive small commission. This does not affect inclusion in my reviews or the overall rating of the book.
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