ARC Review--Fateless by Julie Kagawa

 

Deep in the forgotten city of the Deathless Kings, an ancient relic of untold power waits—for one bold enough to steal it.

When seventeen-year-old Sparrow joined the Thieves Guild she made a vow of binding loyalty to their cause. So when a mission comes along from The Circle, a group of mysterious, dangerous beings who control the Thieves Guild from the shadows, Sparrow is determined to cement her place in the guild.

What ensues is a death-defying adventure that has Sparrow and her band of thieves venturing into the heart of the forgotten city of the Deathless King. The fate of Sparrow, her companions, and Raithe, the enigmatic yet alluring assassin Sparrow is forced to join forces with during their quest, all hang in the balance as they find themselves battling ancient forces within the tombs and facing the unwavering hold of fate.

Perfect for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Sabaa Tahir, this new fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Julie Kagawa will sweep readers into a bold and exciting new world, where a twisted game of destiny has far-reaching consequences.

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Julie Kagawa returns to the fantasy genre with her latest release, Fateless! In this entirely new series, we are presented with a world that is reminiscent of her favorite videogame, Assassin's Creed. While I have never played it myself, I found it easy to believe that this book was inspired by the game! Throw in magic, a cast of wonderful characters, action, and you pretty much have the perfect Julie Kagawa novel!

Sparrow is the best thief around in the Thieves Guild, having been raised by the leader, Vahn, when she was a baby and her mother died in a tragic accident. Raised to be the very best, she gains the attention of an elite group, The Circle, that is so secretive that no one knows much about them. When she receives their request to steal an item to prove her worth, she accepts.

But it's not long before things go terribly wrong. She soon learns that she was betrayed and that the Circle isn't just a super secret group, they are powerful and plan to resurrect the Deathless King and bring about chaos and destruction onto the world and Sparrow helped them in their task.

It's then she meets Raithe who comes from another kingdom who was sent to prevent the Deathless King from rising, but when things have already been set into motion, he's now dutybound to help Sparrow stop it. Gaining new allies, Sparrow and her companions set out to find a way to put a stop to the Deathless King, but Sparrow is being hunted by the very being she is trying to run from and she will play a critical role in the grand scheme of things.

This book was pretty exciting! I will admit, it took a bit for me to get into it. I'm not a videogame person, but I was vaguely familiar enough with Julie's favorite game to see some of the nods to the game throughout the story. We are also treated to a great action packed adventure set in a fantasy world where there are plenty of creatures who want to kill you just for breathing! It was a read that kept me turning the pages.

I really enjoyed these characters as well! Sparrow meets Halek and Raithe who couldn't be more opposite if you tried. In fact, they kind of reminded me vaguely of Puck and Ash respectively. More in the sense that you have Halek as a comedic relief and Raithe is the silent and broody type who doesn't say much. I don't think we're headed into love triangle territory again, but it's too soon to tell at this point. I'm thinking no, just based on how the story went, but it really is just too soon to tell!

That being said, the romance between Sparrow and Raithe was very subtle and sweet. You can tell it was coming really, but the gradual development made it melt-worthy! I do suspect--from experience of reading too much--that there will be some kind of wedge to come between the two in the next book though. It just feels like the kind of thing that is meant to happen at this point! Another thing we will have to wait and see what will happen!

The pacing to this one was spot on! With so various missions and goals, the characters are set off for adventure and danger galore! It was a read that kept me turning the pages, eager to see what the final outcome would be. I knew it was a trilogy going in, so I was more so wondering how far we'd get into said adventure. There was plenty of excitement to be had throughout and plenty of puzzles to be solved for the future. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what the final outcome will be after that explosive ending!

Julie Kagawa has been one of my favorite fantasy authors since the very beginning! Her books are always filled with a perfect balance of action, adventure, humor, romance, magic...pretty much everything I look for in a read and it always turns into a favorite read and Fateless is no different! I cannot wait to see where she will go with this new series!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Fateless releases July 15, 2025