Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai, a recently published YA fantasy debut. The stunning cover on this one completely drew me in, and I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see if the story was just as beautiful. What did I think? Read on to find out!
A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison.
As a corpse-driving priestess, a holy servant paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses due to his declining health, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince.
But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince’s head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying’s commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won’t stay alive for long―not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body.
In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince’s death―secrets that could endanger both Siying’s father and their entire kingdom.
***Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an advanced copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***
I really enjoyed my time reading Deathly Fates. The characters were lovable, and the plot was engaging. I always wanted to know what would happen next upon reaching the end of each chapter. The setting was also so interesting, and I enjoyed learning more about its history and politics as the story moved forward.
My favorite thing about Deathly Fates was how well the author wrote the creepy parts. A large part of the story was focused on purifying “evil” spirits so that their qi could be used to save the prince. There were some truly harrowing scenes during the face offs with the ghosts. They were written in a way that built the suspense and horror of the moments while also preserving empathy for the reasons the spirits wanted vengeance. Additionally, the use of the undead during some of the fight scenes was just super cool, more than a little grotesque, and fun to read.
On to the characters! Siying was a great protagonist in Deathly Fates. She was goal-oriented, incredibly driven, and didn’t mind bending the rules a bit to get things done. Most importantly, she loved her family and did everything within her power to keep them safe and healthy. Her journey in this book was an interesting one. She had to come to terms with the fact that not everything will go her way even when she was determined to make sure it would. Loss was a huge part of her story, as well, and acceptance of loss as something she couldn’t control was very hard for her. Enter Ren, the undead prince. He was Siying’s opposite in almost every way. He came across as unmotivated, kind of lazy, and quite unsure of himself, at least at first. In his mind, there was nothing worse than becoming king, which was why he planned to let his brother do it. I liked his journey of becoming surer of himself and understanding that his heart, which was so full of care for others, was the perfect reason he should be king.
The two characters had a really great dynamic together. There was lots of banter, and I had fun watching the two of them grow closer over the course of the story. At first, Ren was just someone Siying had to deliver to get her payment. He definitely made her work for it, too, because she was always saving him. lol. As they grew closer, it became apparent how much each had changed the other for the better. Their closeness and romance did feel earned, too, because it developed organically over the whole story. This didn’t feel like insta-love. Thank goodness.
The plot of Deathly Fates was engaging and pretty fast-paced, but most of it was predictable. The villain was obvious from quite early on, and the encounters with the ghosts did get repetitive after a while, even if I did enjoy them. The latter half of the book had me hooked, though, as things changed from the generic quest-like search for qi into something much more personal for the characters. Overall, the story held my interest despite its predictability, and I thought it really used the premise, characters, and setting to the fullest.
All in all, Deathly Fates was a really great debut for Tsai. I look forward to seeing what this author comes out with next. Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
There you have it! My thoughts on Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai. Have you read this book or plan to pick it up? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!