Karin (book_scent)'s Reviews > Fatemarked

This series has been on my TBR for (what feels like) ages, so I'm glad the Kickstarter campaign for it finally spurred me on to pick up the first book - and I had a fantastic time with it!

Fatemarked felt epic in scope with its huge world and big cast of characters. I really liked how the history & traditions of the various kingdoms came through, giving the world a rich feel. And like with the characters, there was no clear "good" or "bad" side, because there's always nuance & context to every story.

It took me a bit to get a grasp on all of the characters, but that might be due to the fact that I was (only) listening to the audiobook. With epic fantasy, I usually like to immersion read (physical/e-book + audio), which makes it easier to follow along - something I will certainly do for the rest of the series. However, once I was better acquainted with all the characters, I could really appreciate Estes' strong & well-rounded character work. Annise was easily my favorite and I can't wait to see what's in store for her throughout the series. I also always love a good dose of sarcasm & humor, which this book provided unexpectedly, creating a good balance to the grim side of this world.

There was a long "postlude" at the end, containing 6 short stories, that offered a bit more background info on some of the characters, and I loved that. I just feel like I would've liked to read them sooner and wish they had been (somehow) woven into the main story, because they do add more context.

But overall, a highly enjoyable read with a compelling plot & characters, and a fascinating world that I can't wait to get back to. This series has great potential to become a new favorite of mine!