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Ill-Fated

by Evelyn Ink (Goodreads Author)

4.43 of 5 stars 4.43 · rating details · 14 ratings · 9 reviews

“The stars have aligned to make my life grim and loathsome,” fourteen year old Leila Edgewick stands on the brink of disaster, balancing the fate of Bainland and her father’s legacy against a vague, ill-fated prophecy. A meaningless number, a luckless red moon, and worst of all– a star that falls south– send Leila on a quest she does not expect to survive.
Simultaneously,...more

Paperback, 335 pages

Published August 2012

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Apr 30, 2013 Justine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-to-review, favorites

I thought that Ill-Fated was an absolutely brilliant novel, and I would highly recommend it to just about anyone. Although it may be a little slow at the beginning, I found that the story picks up very quickly, and I became immensely immersed in the reading.

Both Leila and Sam are wonderful characters. Leila is strong, smart and funny, and makes for an excellent heroine. Sam, even with his memory lapses, proves to be a charming and clever character that you cannot help but love. Put the two of th...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Cherese Vines rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 12 and up

Recommended to Cherese by: Evelyn Ink

Shelves: action, adventure, family, friendship, monsters, mystery, romance, suspense, scandalous

By Evelyn Ink
Quests, adventure, scandals, danger, magic, romance, strong heroes, expertly interwoven storylines, mystery, and monsters. This book has it all.

Ill-fated follows Leila as she begins a perilous quest to prove her worth and right to rule as the heir to the Bainland throne. At only fourteen, this would seem like a daunting task, but every ruler before her has done the same at fourteen. Leila has been training for this for most of her life. It should be routine, if a bit dangerous, exc...more By Evelyn Ink
Quests, adventure, scandals, danger, magic, romance, strong heroes, expertly interwoven storylines, mystery, and monsters. This book has it all.

Ill-fated follows Leila as she begins a perilous quest to prove her worth and right to rule as the heir to the Bainland throne. At only fourteen, this would seem like a daunting task, but every ruler before her has done the same at fourteen. Leila has been training for this for most of her life. It should be routine, if a bit dangerous, except the falling star that is to determine her course falls dead South. Southland is rumored to be full of dark magic and unsavory characters. So Leila sets off with only her awesomely fast horse, an unlucky number and a chip on her shoulder.

In Southland a boy about Leila's age has been wandering around with no recollection of his name or orgins. Each day he awakes without a memory of the day before or anything about himself, but strangely has general knowledge of Southland, figures, and writing. The captain of the ship he's on calls him Sam. But "Sam" is sure that's not his name nor does he belong with the crew that seem a lot like pirates. After jumping ship, Sam meets an old woman who helps him realize that he has a mind-lock. Until he can find someone to remove it, he will never remember much.

So Sam sets off to find help after a "sapping" that only temporarily clears his head to remember more than one day. His quest crosses Leila's quest and adventures abound in this dangerous frontier-like land of Southland where towns are a day's ride on horseback from each other, and it's legal to kidnap unescorted children and sell them into drudgery.

I really liked this book. In the beginning, the reader only gets vague directions on what her quest is, and like Leila we have to learn as we go. I absolutely loved Leila and Sam's characters. Leila is a strong female hero without being inaccessible or overly tough. She has some vulnerablilities that make her believable. Sam is optimistic but realistic in the face of his limitations. He comes up with plans and is very smart and perceptive. He also has a cute sense of humor especially with Leila. They have great chemistry. I am looking forward to their next adventures. I wasn't ready for the story to end. I was actually surprised when it did end. I thought the ending kind of jipped me. Not to give away too much, but the heroes didn't get their due in the climax like I thought they should have.

The plot is exciting and moves well. All goals are accomplished in interesting ways. I've been paying attention to world building and the author has built a well thought out world. It is filled with things we know but with uniquely different names and twists. The "magic" in Southland is inventive.

There are some plot details I wondered about with characters introduced early on and their roles later in the book. The old woman whom Sam meets, Captain Oren and Ash don't seem to have their stories complete or their actions clarified. However, these and other characters are entertaining and have distinctive personalities.

Descriptions were colorful and there are just enough of them. As the landscape changes, I was able to keep up because it is gradual and presented well.

I gave Ill-fated 4.8 out of 5. It is a colorful, a bit dangerous but not too scary, and a good read for ages 12 and up.

I would love to read more adventures with Leila and "Sam". Waiting for "adventure and romance on the high seas!"(less)

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Apr 30, 2013 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fourteen year old Leila Edgewick has been training for her entire life for one thing, her quest to prove her worth to the Bainland throne. Her mission leads her to the magical and dangerous lands of the South. The same direction that the last questling never to return traveled towards.

On her journey, Leila meets a boy named Sam whose memory has been erased by black magic. Leila offers to help Sam retain his memory in exchange for his guidance through the South. Follow the two on their exciting...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Scarlett rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: from-author, reviewed

Originally posted on my blog Books Before Bed here.

I was approached by Ms. Ink to do a review for her recently published book and was immediately captured by the synopsis. It sounded like just my type of adventure book and I was eager to try it. (side note: don't you just love this cover! The first one I was not a fan of, but regardless liked the synopsis as stated before, but this cover I think grabs the idea of the book and portrays it beautifully!)

In terms of strengths, in descending order, I...more Originally posted on my blog Books Before Bed here.

I was approached by Ms. Ink to do a review for her recently published book and was immediately captured by the synopsis. It sounded like just my type of adventure book and I was eager to try it. (side note: don't you just love this cover! The first one I was not a fan of, but regardless liked the synopsis as stated before, but this cover I think grabs the idea of the book and portrays it beautifully!)

In terms of strengths, in descending order, I would go: world building, characters, plot.

To expound: Ms. Ink deftly introduced us to a whole new world without having to do too much explaining. It wasn't anything overly complex (those can sometimes get tiresome to keep straight) but it was just different enough that I had the fantasy vibe that I so love when I read it. There were different words for things that we have in every day life (woolies, which I assumed were sheep, and popina for kitchen) that were surprisingly frequent throughout the book and could even be made into a dictionary, but here again was the strength, a dictionary wasn't needed! Being able to balance that was very well done and I enjoyed the world that was created.

The characters in this book were quite likable. Leila was brave and quite often reckless. She had her redeeming qualities and was an easy enough protagonist to follow, though sometimes she acted her age of just 14 years. Sam was an easier person to like and the narration jumps between their two points of view. This was deftly done as well and only once or twice did it take me a moment to realize who it was that was thinking something (the changes aren't necessarily by chapter or divided by icons, but happen all throughout the story). There is a bit of a romance brewing, but it felt forced sometimes, and other times there was the tension that makes me go squee inside, but it kind of got skimmed over, so not as much fulfillment there as I would have liked.

There were other characters throughout that, even though they were only present for a short time, made an impression. Some had too short of a time, however, and I wish more could have been done with them.

For plot, I was really grabbed at the beginning of the story and quickly read through almost the entire first half in a matter of days. The pacing was well done, new characters were introduced, and atmosphere was present, which was much appreciated. However, and this is why my review is for a 3 star rating, the end just wasn't as strong as the beginning lead me to expect. Things became a little too easy to guess what would happen and fell a little too easily into place. Even if there were other books after this one, and the ending, though it concludes, leaves that opening, I wanted more from this first book. It didn't fall flat, per se, but the ending didn't live up to its potential. Good, but not great.

Overall, I would recommend this book. I was very impressed with the skill of Ms. Ink's writing and enjoyed the time I spent with her characters. As she continues to refine her craft she is one to watch!(less)

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May 01, 2013 Darlene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: smashwords, free-for-review, adventure, fantasy, ebook, ebook-i-own, alternate-world, magick, not-gender-biased, steampunk, strong-fem, text-to-speech-enabled, young-adult

This was a fun fantasy. It took me away from our world to a world just getting started in technology and science, with magick blending right in. The main characters were a fun, adventurous girl, Leila, and her brain-challenged friend, Sam. They are on an ill-fated quest. Who would want to do that? But these two manage to get into more trouble and have more fun in the process than seems possible. They meet some unsavory types that want to do them harm and other that just want to help but figuring...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Larissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wasn't expecting to like this book so much. How much is that? I enjoyed this book more than the Hunger Games, A Song of Fire and Ice Series, and Divergent, all of which I have read recently. The characters were likable and relatable, the story was fast paced and creative, and the writing was excellent! Evelyn Ink's writing never took me out of the story, it drew me in and pulled me forward. I rarely give 5 stars, (five are reserved only for well worn classics that I always have to have on my b...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was a lot of fun! The narrator's sense of humor was evident from the get-go, and I loved the words the author invented to help create a special world for the characters. Leila, the main character, is a good alternative to the insipid heroines of books like "Twilight." I appreciate how she is such a physical character, capable of defending herself. The entire book was full of rollicking adventure and I look forward to a sequel!

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Apr 19, 2013 Ariella rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this book. I love all the characters. I can't wait to see what the author offers next. Overall this book was great I'm giving this book 5 stars.

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Feb 10, 2013 Cherie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Loved this one! Full review to come.

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May 18, 2013 Margaux Miller-espinosa rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 14, 2013 Deborah marked it as general-library · review of another edition

May 13, 2013 Lisa marked it as to-read-ebooks · review of another edition

Shelves: _aㅣya, _fㅣindies, _fㅣebooks, _s3, _sㅣnot-started, _plㅣfreebies, _tㅣadventure, _tㅣsteampunk

May 11, 2013 Karna marked it as to-read

May 10, 2013 Maghie Ghali marked it as to-read

May 10, 2013 Vicki marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 10, 2013 Alexandra marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: own-it-on-kindle

May 10, 2013 Patricia marked it as mine-to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: form-freebies

May 09, 2013 Rene marked it as to-read

Shelves: own

May 09, 2013 Elle marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, freebie, own-a-copy, sci-fi

May 09, 2013 Sarah Fae Books-Graham marked it as to-read

Shelves: evip, owned, books

May 09, 2013 Katiria marked it as to-read

May 03, 2013 Angela marked it as to-read

May 02, 2013 Kimberly marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Apr 30, 2013 Cathi marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Apr 18, 2013 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Apr 17, 2013 Biena Magbitang marked it as to-read

Apr 02, 2013 ♈Adrianne marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: on-my-kindle, own, paranormal-romance, steampunk

Mar 30, 2013 Katelyn marked it as to-read

Shelves: owned

Mar 25, 2013 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mar 15, 2013 Jennifer Hampton marked it as to-read

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About Evelyn Ink

Evelyn Ink was formally trained to be a parachutist, but found it did not fit her longstanding desire to avoid heights and thus decided to study the much less vertically horrifying subject of English Literature.

Due to the web of conspiracy which surrounds Evelyn Ink, she rarely appears in public, but when she does it’s best to avoid her on account of her enduring history of social disrepute. Ther...more Evelyn Ink was formally trained to be a parachutist, but found it did not fit her longstanding desire to avoid heights and thus decided to study the much less vertically horrifying subject of English Literature.

Due to the web of conspiracy which surrounds Evelyn Ink, she rarely appears in public, but when she does it’s best to avoid her on account of her enduring history of social disrepute. There has been more than one regrettable event regarding bent cameras and shattered umbrellas.

It’s hard to say how old she is, but I would guess she was born well before you were. Her childhood home, deep in some unknown, but undoubtably pleasant countryside, was turned into a plastic bubblepuck factory forcing her family to move far into the Stonegrave Mountains. These Mountains were unfortunately chosen to be used as an experimental avalanche catastrophe (EAC) site and once again the Ink Family was forced to move. It seems ill-fortune struck again and again as they were repeatedly obligated to change locations: once due to a plague of urban badgers, a fracking sinkhole, and then again when a tuna factory’s waste disposal sight was established just outside their home.

As an adult she has continued on in this nomadic lifestyle, crossing oceans and continents when necessary. Necessary being: under the scrutiny of the press, unwarranted investigations, and an ill-timed anarchist fan base. Evelyn was quoted saying,

Mrs. Ink also prefers the term “vacation” to “exile.”

That said, Mrs. Ink continues on writing and publishing while in exile . . . sorry, on vacation, with her husband, who (name unknown) is thought by many to be both an anarchist and mad philosopher.

You may choose to follow Evelyn Ink on her blog, although due to her absolute terror of electronics and a crippling phobia of the social media (technical term: Socmephobia), her blog posts tend to be infrequent and erratic. Also, due to several post exile investigations and her current relocation program, she is generally prevented from giving specific information regarding her whereabouts (Though, by the hollowly echo and vintage-like hum of a rotary phone, I would suspect from our last conversation, she is somewhere deep underground).

This report was conducted by:
Mr. Edwin Riddle
Of Public Relations, Personal Investigates, and Subterfuge.
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