Final Rating:
Date of Completion: 01/09/2023
Published by: Tantor Audio
ISBN: B0BX4KL6WB
Cover:
Though this cover has strong ties to the previous one in this series, I find it way more appealing. I also like that the striking red font alludes to the story’s genre, especially since the design reveals little about the story.
Writing:
A casual writing style packed with extensive descriptions brings this story to life and expands the worldbuilding. However, I felt the excessive details made the story less engaging, as it caused a lot of telling and little showing.
If we have any chance at saving the world, we have to do it together.
Storyline:
Despite a promising start as the characters grappled with the events at the end of the previous book and the mysterious prophecy, I gradually lost interest as the story stalls for the bulk of the book. Not even the reckless decision Finley makes towards the end and the cliffhanger ending this causes could draw me back in.
Main character:
No matter how hard I tried, I could not connect with Finley in this book as I found her character annoyingly naive and immature (this is even mentioned several times!). On top of this, I was soon bored by her character’s repetitive internal monologues and hated how she slut shamed other women.
As with any society, you have those that hold on to old biases and prejudice, and then there are those who evolve and become more progressive.
Secondary characters:
The small cast of secondary characters is nicely expanded in this story with a few new characters. However, both old and new characters still lack clear personalities or roles. Even Zaid, who I liked most in the previous book, is barely present in this story, and I disliked how domineering Carrick’s character became.
Romance:
While the attraction between the characters is neatly shown and progresses slightly, they both display a few red flags that made it hard for me to root for them.
Narration & Audio:
Once again, Lucy Rivers and Aiden Snow do a great job narrating both POVs in this story as they skillfully convey the emotions and personalities of the characters. I simply struggled to find the audio engaging as I could not get invested in the story.
In essence, I found ‘A Discovery of Secrets and Fate‘ to be an underwhelming sequel. With its painfully slow pace and irritating characters, I found it hard to remain invested in the unfolding mystery. I would recommend The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent as a similar romantasy read for those who enjoyed this.
Do you agree or disagree with anything mentioned above? Let us know in the comments below. For those who have read this and want to discuss it, here are a few questions (contains spoilers!!):
Q: What did you think of the Fae realm, Faere?
My answer: The detailed descriptions in this story worked great to bring Faere to life. I especially liked how the politics and tension in that realm add some depth without being overly complex.
Q: Were you surprised by what Carrick is and his reason for helping with the prophecy?
My answer: I was surprised but also happy to finally find out more about Carrick! I thought he would be some half-human, half-god creature, and his ascension reward would be that he became a god – boy, was I wrong!
Q: Do you have any predictions on what will happen following that cliffhanger ending?
My answer: I predict that Carrick will conveniently save Finley, but Dark Fae Fallon will keep trying to kill her. This will force Finley and Carrick to spend even more time together as they continue their search for answers.
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