BOOK REVIEW: 4.5 Stars for FATED by SARAH ALDERSON

Title:    FATED

Author:  SARAH ALDERSON

Publisher:   Simon & Schuster
Release Date:  February 2012 (Australia)
Format:  Paperback, 312 pages

Acquired:  For review from Publisher

RATING:   4.5 ENTERTAINING UNHUMAN STARS!

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION:

What happens when you discover you aren't who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?

When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins –Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.

But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray - is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends.

If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?

REVIEW:

Having read and LOVED Sarah Alderson's debut novel Hunting Lila - I was excited to get my hands on Fated - Sarah's book 1 of her second series. Thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia for the copy!

FATED is a very enjoyable, entertaining and easy to read novel.  We are introduced to Evie Tremain who has recently found out she is the only Demon Hunter left in her family's bloodline. She has the ability to be a very powerful one - but must make her first demon kill so her powers kick in! Horrid thought that....seeing as she didn't even know that demons - unhumans - existed!

Evie is a very likable lead character. She's pretty down to earth. Had a really crappy time of it lately so her trust level is pretty low.  She doesn't feel sorry for herself - just wants to get on with life and move out of her sleepy town and start fresh.  But then her mother takes in a new boarder....Lucas Gray. There's just something about him that gets her intrigued and wanting more.

Lucas Gray is half Shadow Warrior half human. His parents mingled the bloodline and he was born out of it.  He has terrific skill and also rather dashing!  He has been given the task of killing the new Demon Hunter Evie.  But to do so, he needs to get close to her......which leads to complications he was not prepared for. Neither was Evie!

The romance between Lucas and Evie grows at a nice pace throughout the book. There are no forced or sudden declarations of love .... it is at a believable rate!!  No love triangles here thanks!

From demon hunters and shadow warriors, to vampires, mixens and shapeshifters.....Sarah has given us quite an eclectic mix of powerful humans and unhumans.  What she also gives us are second tier characters that attract just as much interest as the leads do.  Each character I found to be interesting and enjoyed the interaction with each.

There is a whole lot more to come in the sequel and I will be among many, I am sure, that will be super excited for it's release!

Sarah is a great author and also a very lovely person.  Click on the link to check out a fun interview I had with her recently during the Australian Fated Blog Tour.

ENJOY!

MARISSA