An Endless Escape : BOOK II in the Forbidden Fate Series

The Forbidden Fate #2

by Kaven Hirning

After being separated by an evil monarch and a mysterious, kind face in The Wood, Idalia and Braizen must fight their way back to each other. With winter swiftly approaching, and new secrets revealed, the two find that they are in way over their heads. Thankfully, with the help of an animal loving viking with a penchant for violence, an overly confident bard who cannot sing a single note on key, and a few others misfits, they might just stand a chance… Or perhaps, meet their eternal doom. Join the loveable bandits and some new faces on their next adventure, where they must overcome unleashed beasts, intense hallucinations, strong drinks and a deeper dive into a world they never knew, as they try and make their way through An Endless Escape.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance

418 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2023

Reviews

[Gabby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Now I really wanted to love this. My plan on release day was to sit and finish this in one sitting. But it's just so. damn. slow. I know things are kinda happening but it feels like nothing has happened. This was a very selfish book for Idalia…she literally put the entire village at risk for some sex…. And I didn't get invested enough that that ending killed me. It should have killed but I felt nothing. Again I really wanted to love this but it was meh. I felt like I was forcing myself to read it unfortunately….

[Shego · Rating 3 out of 5]

Came for Torrent, Lin, and Lorna stayed for Ranstig, Theodore, and Nuri. I love every character, but the way Kaven writes lovable side characters is unmatched. I devoured this book in a day. 🤌🏼✨

However, the FMC was extremely unlikable and acted out of character in this one a lot. It was almost like I was reading about a completely different person.

[Sarah Jernigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book dedication states that this book is to the people who have no idea what is going on.. ever, and I can honestly say that I had no idea what was going on in this book. But the praises on the back of the book did make me laugh.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please, I beg you, use another editor next time (I’d even volunteer my services). Too many grammar/spelling mistakes that distracted me from the story.

[Shelby Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨“Hold the light, Idalia. To go against the call is to create Darkness.”✨

I would love to say this is a cozy found-family fantasy, but IT’S NOT. I WAS STRESSED TF OUT! Seriously they never caught a break. Every time things got comfy/happy, I got suspicious because I knew it was too good to be true. Other than being stressed tf out, I absolutely loved the group’s dynamic. They fr just crack jokes and shoot the shit while doing the most insane things (chapter 44 was everything lolol); I love it, and I love feeling like I’m a part of it- mostly bc of Torrent too tho I would die for that man! He’s one of my favorite side book characters.

✨ “It’s true. My muscles could bring a city to its knees, and my thighs could splinter the world in two. But I hold myself to a basic principle: Those who have the power to destroy also have the responsibility to protect.”✨ - Torrent

Braizen and Idalia not being able to touch is brilliantly painful, but I love them sm, but I was dying laughing at how down bad they got and what it resulted in lolol

✨ Her smile is an apology—or a bribe—from the gods to make me forget the hardships I’ve endured without their aid. I accept it graciously.✨

Seriously though, it was so fun, action-packed, and full of deep lore, and I’m beyond excited for the last book of the trilogy to come out, and since this is spoiler free, I will end the review with this: Thanks, Kaven, for breaking my heart! 🤠

[Mel Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book, the pace could be better. Can’t believe it’s been left on a cliffhanger - I thought it was a duology as the book came out two years ago and nothing announced for a third book but to have it end the way it did and no news of a third book is truly diabolical.

If not for the cliffhanger and sometimes slow than fast pace of the plot and developments of the book, it would be a 5.

Author made use of side characters and gave each one a personality and not typical / predictable tropes.
Created banter with each character.

4/5

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look, maybe I’m easy to please, but this was such a good time.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love you so much and I’m so proud of you exercising your creative talents! I can’t wait to see you conclude this series. They aren’t ready for it 😭

[Kecia Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love Kaven!!

I love Kaven and really enjoyed the first book. This book was hard to get through. It took two weeks of picking it up and putting it back down, I had to force myself to finish it. There's a ton of new characters, info on towns and world building I didn't quite follow. Maybe I should've re-read the first book again? For a second book, she's doing amazing. I'm so happy for her that she's a published author and to be honest, the only reason I kept reading was because I absolutely love her videos on IG.
Spoilerish-free info -
I'm not invested in the characters, I didn't cry when a certain person "died". I also may be in the minority here - but the semi-love triangle - I'm hoping Kaven pulls an SJM here and flips the love interest. The book itself was just okay, I'm still excited for her and wish her the best with the next book. No idea what the first chapter was for - maybe it'll get explained in the next book. (Unless I missed something while speed reading to just finish it?) Overall, not a 5 star but not the worst thing I've read either. Also, HOLY CRAP - SHADOW MAN. Yes please, may I have another. OK, so maybe I got invested in one character.

[B. R. Link · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaven… you and I are fighting now!

How dare you pull my emotions in so many different directions! What do you have to say for yourself huh!?

[SJBookDiary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ 1🌶️

I didn't find this book as good as the first. It dragged in some places and I've been left a little confused about some things that happened. I'm hoping book three, the finale, will fully wrap everything up!

Overall, loved the characters! The plot was a little chaotic, but fun! I still don't fully understand the FMC's powers haha, but I'm enjoying her story!

[Makenzie Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I REALLY want to like this book/series. The premise, the locations, the characters all have so much potential but we never get to enjoy it. It reads more like a synopsis with one set of dialog between each major plot point. I want to have more time with each character, in each location. I don’t feel attached to the location or characters enough to feel much when something bad happens to them. The bones are there there but the whole thing needs so much more filling out to make it truly enjoyable.

[Jyl Costanza · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I love Kaven and these characters but I was a little confused on the plot building and magic system up until 1/2 way through this book. I enjoyed the first one more but I’m excited to see how the third one will wrap up this fun debut trilogy in the BookTok community!

[Makayla Paulsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going throw up, I need book 3 immediately.

[Jill Weatherly · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO FUN as always, loved this book and all it’s reveals even more than the first.

[Abby Borchers · Rating 1 out of 5]

I simply couldn’t do it.

[rodrigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

my rating: 4.8⭐

~made me smile (0,6/0,6) yes omg jrfbewjhfe like snfjsdnfwt Torr is hilarious i fucking love him, balso that scene when they were tryna get information in Verdana and Braizen turned into a girl niewrrnfjenfwje
~got me hooked in (1/1) omg yes
~bored me (0/-0,2) nope
~writing (0,4/0,5) kaven's writing, while not professional, it's fun and enjoyable
~made sense (0,6/0,6) somethings didnt at the beggining but that's cs i didnt remember shit from the first book and as Kaven told me on insta, The drink???? The loss of memory??? Pure perfection, tbh
~favorited (0,6/0,7) kinda yea, liked this one better than AFF
~moved me (0,6/0,6) SHUT THE FUCK UP IM STIL CRYING FUCK ALL OF YOU. MY POOR BABY
~surprised me (0,5/0,5) FIRST OFF IDFK HOW BUT THESE TWO HORNY CUNTS ALWAYS FIND A WAY TO FUCK W/O TOUCHING @KAVEN_BOOKS HOW TF DO YOU COME UP WITH THAT, YOURE THE MASTERMIND, second YOU BETTER BRING HIM BACK OR ELSE ILL RIOT, I SO DID NOT SEE THIS COMMING. third, i actually liked Sai, BUT KAVEN'S MEAN AND NOW HE'S WITH RHYS' SISTER, fourth you better not make Lorna suffer in the third book
~characters (0,5/0,5) jeez who should i start with? lachlan, torr, lorna, theo/teddy, lin, rhianne, stig, sai, idalia or braizen? lets start with sai. well miss boi has me questioning some things but he grew on me eventually UNTILL MISS GIRL @KAVEN_BOOKS DECIDED TO REUNITE HIM WITH SAM CORTLAND. MAD @ U BISH. rhianne was fine, didnt pay much attention to her tbh but she was so coo for having a monster as a pet. lach, miss boi had page time (or whatever the equivalent for books of screentime is), I'm sorry for what he went trhu he the sweetest. lorna, she's my fav girl after idalia and theo, i love her KAVEN YOU BETTER NOT DO ANYTHING TO HER. theo/teddy, she was my fav in AFF and she kinda still is here hbsjbfs love her sm and wtf she has powers now? so bbg of her. stig, omg love me a bard, he's so cute aaaaaa love him sm, when he recued braze i started smiling fbjwefer love him sm and also WTF HIS NEW FOUND POWERS ARE THE COOLEST LIKE IMAGINE BEING ABLE TO CONTROL THE CREATURES, plus, he and teddy better end up together. lin, miss boy was amazing at first and he was so missunderstood but then he had to go and develop feelings for idalia, big no bestie. TORR MY BABBY @KAVEN_BOOKS I HATE YOU RN DTTM I'M MAD JAIL FOR YOU, MY POOR BABY OMG YOU BETTER BRING HIM BACK, HE NOT READY TO MEET DANIKA YET. braizen, omg my boy, love him sm hes the best. his undying loyalty towards his friends aghh love it, he's the best, also him growing boobs from theo's serum sdbfjds hilarious, also i feel like he also has powers that we don't know off. idalia my baee, tbh idk why but she felt kinda boring in the first book but in this one? SHE ATE, she's amazing and hilarious and also a mastermind like how the hell did she come up with that idea to bone Braizen like wtf so cool. also bestie's abt to fuck everything up bye bye Cyra you bitch

[Haley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read book 1 really fast, but book 2 I kept putting down for other books when it got slow and finally finished it after 2 months. I really wanted to like this more, but


(SPOILERS from here on) I think I was holding my breath until 60% for them to reunite. But true to the name, I'd get a second of hope and laughter padded by something going terribly wrong along with new information (or maybe old info my adhd couldn't recall) kept coming back up which felt like workings toward suspense and planting subtle foreshadowing for other events. But it was just so hard to get through for me, and I'm not quite sure why. Like another review on here, I felt nothing in those last pages...maybe because there was always something bad happening with no long-term reprieve. So, I was used to it by then. I do want to know more about the shadow - though I had trouble picturing what he looks like. I also love how Braizen is 100% simped out on our girl Idalia. It's not like Idalia knew what overdrawing her magic for a little woohoo (which they never got to finish 😡) would do to an entire city. I'm also totally ok with Lin and Sai both getting curious about her. Lin is giving Lucien vibes, and just like Lucien, I hope he gets something/someone good in the end.

Even though it's a lower rating because I'd change a lot about it (if I could write. Critiquing is so much easier) - including a handful of grammar and format issues, pacing, lengthy suffering to happy ratio, I'm still reading the final book because I'm in it for Braizen and Idalia. Just gimme that satisfaction of 3 whole books and a lengthy amount of happy touching for their happy ending.

[Melanie Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Endless Escape, as the second novel in this series, was just okay for me. I love Kavan and all of the videos she posts. She and I have very similar reading interests, so I expected to get something a bit more in her novels.

The cast of characters are pretty fun. There is a lot of banter going on, which is always enjoyable, but occasionally there seems to be a focus on that over the what’s going on part of the book. However, I’m convinced we all need a big bear of a man like Torrent as a friend in our lives, just to keep us upbeat and happy.

At this stage, I keep looking for more development between Braizen and Idalia. However, it’s near impossible to do when they haven’t yet figured out a way to end the curse and have seemed to put it on the back burner. If one of them falls off a cliff, and their only salvation is the other standing there, their life is pretty much over. And I feel this is a really real possibility in this book.

[BKB ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILERS!






I can’t believe they didn’t just touch and die. Honestly, I would’ve done it by now!

I also um…. Refuse to believe the final few pages happened! WTF Kaven !!!! Like I said … DIDNT HAPPEN.

Poor Lorna spent the whole book unconscious basically, B was just annoying with his wah I don’t have magic but I’m still the leader even though I have no idea what’s going on- mood but also, get over yourself <3
Teddy is dope I love that she just decided to go live in the woods like yeah same apart from the scary Others trying to kill you in 5 different ways….

Anyways Kaven I need the next book I can’t believe I’m still reading about a couple that can’t touch😩 but the lengths they will go to go to f***….. bestie risked it all for their weird clone orgy? Can’t wait to see what trouble magic gets them into next <3

[Shaunie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to the next book but the two main characters irked me this book. And the ending was just rude. Good but rude.

But especially the fmc. She literally knows basically nothing about her history (as she finds out) and magic and she literally said let's fuck around and find out all so I could feel the love of my life touch the mirage of myself because we can't touch in real life.... Dumbass. And then when shit goes to hell, she's all omg did I do this? What do you think? I wanted to shake her. And the fact that the mmc is all jealous of his friend liking her, like bro what kind of life are you going to have with her? Like logistically, especially with the fate of 2 kingdoms as the cost?

I'm really just living for the side characters and I want to see the big picture once it's all said it done. The two MC's need to get their shit together.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked this!!! It was a little slow at first and I have to admit that I didn’t remember much of the plot of book 1 so it was hard to get into and understand what was going on. Might re-read before book 3 comes out. However, once it picked up pace I really enjoyed it. The writing was good in book 1 but it’s much improved in this one. I really love where this is going plot wise. The characters are great. I love the found family aspects. Also, I now have a crush on Lin?! Who would’ve thought. But Torrent is my number 1 himbo baby girl. Kaven that ending destroyed me, I need book 3 ASAP. Also, thank you for putting a hot shadow man, as you should. I CACKLED imagining Braizen as Sammy from Scooby-Doo with boobs. Amazing litterature.

[Jenessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Forbidden Fate series was very much a set up book.
While chaos definitely ensues, and our fave band of heroes keeps getting torn apart, brought together, then torn apart again, the bigger plot of the story moves forward.
The cliffhanger left me wishing I had book 3 in my hands right now!
Im interested to see how the relationships play out and I'm hoping some of the new found feelings from certain characters Kaven introduced actually serve the plot in book 3. It creates a delicious tension that has me feeling like, "wtf is going on" 😂
Like book 1, my favorite part with the story and Kaven's writing is the dialogue and personality she gives her characters. This is a great fantasy series for someone just diving into the genre.

[Emory Harty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a lot harder to follow than the first and kind of choppy? And I mean seriously, can Braizen and Idalia just freaking touch already! 😤 I have a feeling their curse will be broken at the very end of the next book and I’m already fuming about it. Overall, I still really enjoyed this one; the humour was top notch and I don’t know how I’m supposed to fill the hole in my heart left by Torr’s death. I’m interested to see how the group’s dynamic changes without him. I can’t wait for the next book, Kaven 🫶

[Bookworm_Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaven Hirning certainly knows how to write excellent banter! The stakes in this book were also significantly raised. I am a bit concerned that we are now 2/3rds of the way through the series and still know almost nothing about the magic system - some was revealed, but not enough, in my opinion. Characters were conveniently shady and reserved in their exposition, but we are at a point (in my opinion) where there are too many plot holes, not enough substance to support a series wrap in one more book. The ending had me ranting and raving at 1am though!

[Karmen Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

This is a solid book for lovers of fantasy. The first book was so good I could not put it down; however, the sequel didn't quite hit for me. For me, it took a while to get into it and I found it a little harder to follow since it's been a while since I read the last book. I almost needed some subtle recaps like most sequels have. I also think I needed more payoff in the end for spending so long of the book with them separated. Overall, I will still read the next book when it comes out, but so far the first one was better..

[chasingreadingdays Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still love the FMC. the story grew so much as did the world. I'm excited for book 3.
I LOVED book 1. This was a slower book and feels like a set up for book 3. But I love the trust the FMC and MMC have. The family dynamics. The sacrifice (RIP) the magic. Love a man in awe of her. The ending was abrupt and I WAS NOT READY for the story to be over. Eagerly awaiting book 3

I love the they can't touch *hand flex* Mr. Darcy vibes but I'm so ready for these two to be able to touch.
The longing to cup his face, snuggle at night, graze his hand for comfort. 😣 I hurt for them.

[Brittanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! 😭 *insert Jennifer Lawerence gif*

Gosh this book was better than the first but also kind of frustrating 🫠 Idalia girl... to put a whole village at risk for some 🍆 like come onnnn I was literally yelling no no no the whole time 🤦‍♀️ granted I get it cause character development and all you know but my lord woman!
But truly I'm here for the found family trope 🥹 these side characters have been some of my faves since ACOTAR I love them so much!
I'm trying to wait patiently for book 3 but like please hurry 😭😭😭

[Naroa Majada · Rating 3 out of 5]

me voy a cagar en la madre que parió a la pava que ha escrito este libro NO PUEDO MAAAAAS, SE SUPONE QUE ERA EL SEGUNDO Y EL FINAL Y TODAVÍA HAY MÁS MIERDA QUE DESCUBRIR.
a tomar por culo ya, no leo más, que se quede en el olvido me tiene harta ya esto, tanta discusión tanta discusión DOS LIBROS ENTEROS Y NI UN SOLO ROCE MECAGOENLAHOSTIA, NADA DE NADA MAS QUE GENTE LOCA.
Buenas noches y que todo esto haya sido un sueño y no recuerde nada por mi propia salud mental.

[Harlee K · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Okay, I gushed BIGGGG time over the first book, and I loved this one too! For as fun and cozy as the first book was, this one packed a punch. To the gut. Lots of times.

If you enjoyed the first book, a Forbidden Fate, the sequel is a MUST READ because we learn a ton about the lore, the politics, and the world, and it is just delightful.