Fates

I Bring the Fire #4

by C. Gockel

The Leader Who Rules Chaos, Rules the Realms…

Two years ago Loki, God of Mischief and Chaos, destroyed a large chunk of Chicago’s financial district and then vanished into thin air. He still has not been found. Odin, ruler of the Nine Realms, is desperate. To find Loki, he sends his son Thor on a dangerous quest to consult the all-seeing Norns. But Thor needs humanity’s help...

Loki’s former lover, veterinarian Amy Lewis, is carrying all of Loki’s memories--but missing some of her own. Hoping to keep Loki from Odin’s machinations, she agrees to help Thor on his journey.

Bohdi Patel’s memory was wiped by Loki’s mischief. He thinks Amy and Thor are both crazy to want anything to do with Loki. But he needs to find his parents, and he’s been told the Norns will answer any question--for a price.

When Chaos is the goal, only one thing is certain: Amy and Bohdi are about to get into worlds of mischief.

THE I BRING THE FIRE SERIES:
I Bring the Fire Part I (Free eBook!)
Monsters: I Bring the Fire Part II
Chaos: I Bring the Fire Part III
In the Balance: I Bring the Fire 3.5
Fates: I Bring the Fire Part IV

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Mythology, Paranormal, Adventure, Romance, Supernatural

498 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2014

About the author

C. Gockel got her start writing fanfiction, and she is not ashamed! Much. She received emails, messages and reviews from her fans telling her she should 'do this professionally'. She didn't; because she is a coward and life as a digital designer, copywriter and coder is more dependable. But in the end, her husband's nagging wore her down: "You could be the next '50 Shades of Gray' and I could retire!" Unfortunately, the author isn't much for writing smut. She is sad about this; she'd love for her husband to be able to retire and just work for her so she could nag him.

At the moment, Ms. Gockel is working on the next installment of her Archangel Project series.

Ms. Gockel loves to hear from readers. She can be reached by email at: cgockel.publishing at gmail.com

Her Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/CGockelWrites

Reviews

[Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series MUST be read in the published order! The first book is I Bring the Fire Part I : Wolves (A Loki Story). The second book is Monsters : I Bring the Fire Part II (A Loki Story). The third book is Chaos: I Bring the Fire Part III (A Loki Story). The companion novella is In the Balance: An I Bring the Fire Novella (IBF 3.5). This is the fourth book. The next book will be Warriors and there is a sneak peak at the end of this book :)

I really adore the Loki of this series. There is something sweet and innocent about him even though he has seen and done so much that should have truly made him into the unfeeling uncaring monster he is sometimes portrayed as. I find that very refreshing and amusing.

This book does a lot of time jumping through flashbacks... But not in a bad way. Every single one is needed for greater understanding of both the characters and the situations they find themselves in. I like that you get to see a lighter and better side of Thor in this book. Usually Thor annoys the living crap out of me no matter how he's written but here I found myself actually finding him to be a sympathetic and endearingly honorable character which can only be attributed to the awesomeness of Gockel's writing prowess. (Though I hate Odin more than normal and worse every book lol) Even Frigga is a somewhat sympathetic character under Gockel's adept pen :)

There is no contest really. This is my favorite Loki series ever and it always will be! I would recommend it to people who like mild SciFi and fantasy... But truly it is a comedy of errors on a grand scheme. I am never dissapointed by one of these books... They are thought provoking and funny ... Laced with sadness and joy. Pretty much something for everyone is found within the pages of these books. I really will be waiting on pins and needles for the next book to be released!

***This series is suitable for adult readers

[J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her Loki stories are pretty awesome. Characters are well developed. Humorous story line. Gave it only 3 stars as I felt this one wasn't as good as previous stories in the series.

[M F · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I really like about this series is even though the books are funny and quirky and sometimes a little bit ridiculous (like Thor's belief that there are sprites trapped inside phones and stuff), they don't shy away from actually ADDRESSING major issues. They don't turn those into jokes. Gockel seems to know exactly when things need to be serious and when to make them a joke.

I also like that Amy is unapologetic about her feminism and often calls people out when they're being unkind, even if they're not necessarily doing it deliberately. I think she's a really great example of a feminist character because she's never stereotypically extreme, she just CARES so much -- and she's willing to admit when she screws up.

Like, this ENTIRE scene:

"Women shouldn't have to be warriors to be respected!" Amy yells.

Bohdi thumbs the wheel on his lighter. He's only half-baiting her when he says, "Why only women?" No one, man or woman, who's not gung-ho should have to go through fucking bloody boot camp.

Over Thor's shoulder, Bohdi sees Ami's eyes go wide. She puts a hand to her mouth. "Oh. You're right, I shouldn't have said it like that."

Bohdi blinks. She didn't ignore or contradict him.

I just have a lot of feelings about how even though she's very outspoken about her beliefs, she listens to people and she acknowledges when she's wrong, without compromising. Amy just means a lot to me as a character.

Sadly this book has much less Loki (as well you may expect) and I missed him; it's also quite a long one compared to the others and I was up until like 3am because I make bad life choices. Even so, I enjoyed it. Amy's able to carry a story on her own -- she's brainy, way too excited about science, passionate, and she can stand up for herself. She doesn't lose anything of herself in her feelings for other people.

Amy Lewis appreciation group right here, to be honest.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loki, the god of Mischief and Chaos, disappeared two years ago and noone has seen him since. Odin, ruler of the Nine Realms, sends his son Thor to find answers from the norns. Amy, who got Loki's memories before he vanished, doesn't want Oden to get his hands on Loki so she decides to help Thor with his mission. Bohdi Patel, who lost his memories when Loki disappeared, doesn't understand how Thor and Amy want anything to do with the trickster god, but he needs to find his parents, and the norns are said to answer any question - for a price. But is the price too high?

Amy, Bohdi and Thor is in for an adventurous ride in Asgard, and there are times when I'm sitting with my heart in my mouth! Back in Chicago, Steve Rogers and Amy's grandmother Beatrice tries to help them in any way they can. At the same time Steve is considering running for mayor.

My suspicion from the previous book in the series turns out to be correct, but that would be a spoiler to reveal. It certainly makes me curios for the next book!

[Dev · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I've said before, when I first read this series I was really mad when Loki died at the end of the 3rd book and I was almost like 'do I even want to keep reading?', but now I think I might like the second half of the series even better than the first because you still get Loki's POV with Amy having flashbacks of his memories but you also get Bodhi who I think is an awesome character AND I feel like Amy becomes a bit more proactive when Loki is gone. Like with Bodhi I think she speaks up more and also takes more of a lead in the planning, which I guess makes sense because Loki was so old and so much more experienced in everything and her and Bodhi are more on even footing, but still I think it's nice. Definitely a lot of worldbuilding going on in this one with Amy and Bodhi spending most of their time in other worlds and also more flashbacks that show Odin being an absolute bag of dicks. Really love this series and I think it has a good balance of the mythology and the author's original characters.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grrr, I could have sworn there was another book in this series waiting for me to read, but the next book won't be out until September (that seems to be par for course on all the books I want to read).

I wasn't sure how I would like having a new character in the mix, especially one instead of Loki, but I certainly enjoyed Bodhi. I liked all the adventures these characters had, but I also enjoyed the quiet moments that allowed us to get to know these characters a bit better.

I enjoyed the snippets of flashbacks into Loki's life through the memories he gave Amy, but I would have preferred a few less of them right before an action sequence or confrontation, as they stopped the flow of the story a bit.

[Becki Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros: as others have said, the author is not shy about discussing difficult subjects (misogyny, rape, war, PTSD) and this is both important and helps create detailed characters. Love that Thor is a goofball, like that Ms Gockel has clearly researched multiple mythologies and has so adeptly put them together.

Cons: there was an awful lot going on in this book, it got a bit convoluted and I really had to force myself to continue in parts. I’m also partially concerned I missed a book despite having read the previous 3 as there were a few things that popped up where I could swear they haven’t been mentioned before.

Overall, enjoyed although the spider chapter was the definition of NOPE.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this installment of the story. I will eventually want an ending-ending but so long as the writing is this good & the books are still coming I'll keep reading without a hint of resentment.

I'd almost forgotten Mr Squeakers, and there is effective world building. As you can probably tell, being a prolific reader doesn't necessarily make me a good reviewer.

I'm so glad I came across C Gockel's books. Watching the second Thor movie again just made me want to re-read her books!

[Michelle Fritz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just as good as the rest of the series! Bodie sure is a well thought out character! He gives a new twist on our hero. We're seeing major changes for Amy and watching her adapt to them in her own special way.

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the fourth in the "I Bring the Fire" series. This series tells the tale of Ratatoskr, the true hero of the Norse sagas and myths.

Amy and Bodhi, the occasional sidekicks of Ratatoskr, travel to Nornheim to see if they can offer their assistance to our Sciuromorphic hero. Being mere sidekicks, they get in much trouble and eventually end up in other parts of the nine realms. Naturally, they need Ratatoskr to rescue them many times throughout the course of the book, and his selfless, furry, twitchy-tail, humble squirrelly self comes through for them.

This series of books is an excellent dual-path story involving the Norse myths. The primary path is a modern-day urban fantasy, where Loki, trolls, and various other elements of Norse myth come to Chicago and other parts of the world. The secondary path is what *really* happened in the various smyths and tales, usually presented as one of Loki's memories. This is an inventive way of presenting the stories and Gockel does a superb job of weaving these paths together into a coherent whole, and including lots of interesting characters, settings, and plotlines. When I finish one book, I am soon looking to the next.

And especially, I am looking forward to seeing how Ratatoskr solves the problem of Ragnarok.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went immediately from book 3 to 3.5 to 4 (this one). It was a good decision. I will admit, I felt the frequent and long flashbacks were overload at the beginning of Fates. I wanted to know more about present-day characters. Maybe if the flashbacks had been trimmed down and if we got more present-day between them, my initial response to the book would have been better. However, after our characters get off-world, it smooths out.

It's nice to see the dynamics shift between Amy and Bohdi. And getting to see Amy interact with these characters she's had flashbacks of was satisfying. Most of the book is devoted to Amy and Bohdi and a string of unfortunate, impossible events. Steve gets a little time but it is utilized well, as his character starts to develop in some promising ways - straight-laced government man was starting to get wearisome. It's neat to see Gockel using the concept of trinities in the series and we get some interesting parallels between Odin/Loki/Hoenir and Steve/...well, maybe filling that out would be spoilers? In any case it's enough of a presence to tease and intrigue without distracting or getting heavy-handed.

*Spoiler-foreshadowing*
The raw human component which is so compelling throughout this series is still present in Fates, but I think with Loki being a less defined entity (Where is Loki? Who is the new Loki? What will it all mean? How will new Loki deal with his identity and will he be affected by Amy's housing of his memories...was it a copy/paste or more of a move-all-to-a-new-location?) this makes his angst, richness and depth fade. Instead of being felt by the reader, it is discussed by the characters. It is a helpful perspective for the reader to have, but it doesn't have the emotional payoff in this book like you feel in the others. However, I'm trusting that this payoff will be in the next installment and bigger for waiting to pull that trigger.

Really though, to those of you who read the reviews of a series before diving in (which is EXACTLY what I do), go ahead and take the plunge. There is humor and unexpected gems throughout each book. The characters are worth knowing and just when you think you've pegged Amy in a hole, you remember that even chaos is intrigued by her so don't get comfortable. Reading is the main way I take care of myself and this series is nourishing in the best of ways. So, get after it.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better!

There was a lot of character development in light of the changes of the last book. Amy now carries Loki's memories, which makes her very knowledgeable about the Nine Realms and what goes on within it, at least from the past Loki's point of view. She has also completed school, which has shaped her into a more confident woman in some ways. Yet, through all of these changes, you know that she has retained that same innocence that made it safe for her to approach a unicorn. Then there is Bohdi; his development is fascinating. He is a character with no memories, and from what slight glimpses we saw of him before he is no longer the same. Yet he is a mix of new and old. He is seeing the Asgard world and its people through a human perspective and understanding and it is bringing a new twist to what he can accept and agree with in their culture. On top of that he is being assailed by thoughts and actions that he can't remember learning and he isn't sure if the Bohdi Patel that was would have knew either. All around the characterizations of these two make the book so interesting and keep you wanting to learn more.

As always brewing in the background/coming into the foreground is the magical issue at heart. Loki swore he would see Asgard burn which means that he is against Odin this go around. But that doesn't keep Odin from trying to find the new Loki and sway him otherwise, as the side that has Loki wins. However, Odin is not alone. Many are looking for the new Loki to exploit his chaotic talents to their side and the result is violence and magical breakdown across the realms. It looks like war is coming to the Nine Realms and for once there is a major player that Odin can't entirely count out, a race he fears. Humanity is grown to enormous numbers and they are angry at the war that keeps leaking into their own realm, causing deaths they have no defense against. Humanity is starting to look to rise up, and Odin fears that they will win; with Loki on their side that could be assured.

This next trilogy looks to be even better than the last, with new characters I can't wait to learn about, and old ones that I am wholeheartedly invested in. Can't wait to see where Gockel brings it next!

[Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think my biggest problem is that I just don’t like Bodhi. He seemed nice and fun in his tiny parts of book 3 (and 3.5), but has basically been rewritten as womanising asshat for this book. Am I supposed to think he’s witty and snarky and cool? Because I don’t. I also hate the minority battles he and Amy keep falling into, but the difference between the two of them is that Amy immediately sees his point of view and apologises, whereas Bodhi keeps not caring about the problems women face at the hands of men because apparently being an Indian man is so much worse.

Everyone seems to go out of their way to remind the reader that Bodhi has reasons to hate Loki (supposedly wiping his memory, nothing we know for sure that Loki did or meant to do), but Bodhi is surrounded by people who trust Loki and repeatedly tell him that Loki saved the Nine Realms, so it seems very strange that Bodhi completely ignores this from the people he trusts and respects and continually insults Loki and anyone who sticks up for Loki.

Pleeeeaaaase let his personality be overwritten by Loki’s soon. Loki’s previous incarnation had his unlikeable parts, but mostly he was sympathetic and likeable. Bodhi not so much. If we’re sticking with Bodhi’s personality for the rest of the books, I’ve finally found a reason to drop this otherwise guilty pleasure of a series.

I loved the whole escape plot and the many varied attempts and the final success. It’s also interesting to see beings nominally on Odin’s side turning against him to help Amy and Bodhi instead. It’s building up to be a very chaotic showdown.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

This suffered from being 50-75 pages too long. It got off to a good start, and ended well, but the middle dragged badly (I figured out who Bohdi was long before the reveal, which made the drag worse). And while it was good to see the old characters again, I really don't like Bohdi that much, which is a pity as he's kind of here to stay.

[Jan Niblock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book moves so fast and is so full of adventures, which are great because Amy and Bodhi are doing them together. I really like seeing them work together but I could not believe how many situations that they end up in throughout the story. But I really enjoyed seeing how they were able to resolve each and every one of them. What is a very nice play from the author is the way Bodhi and Amy are both almost touching on the truth but it seems to slip away at the last minute. This keeps the story very interesting. The many other universes that co-exist at the same time concept has always intrigued me.

I really like the character of Amy, she is so smart, strong, and resourceful but still so unsure of herself. She has no clue that she is a beautiful person. Her personality keeps me drawn to her in a way that I find myself cheering for her and hoping that she finds that love she wants. Bodhi has a similar insecurity streak and that is what makes him very charming. But I am probably as frustrated as they are and those dangling endings are almost as bad as a cliffhanger. I hope the next book comes out soon. I really want to know if Loki is going to be found and when or if he is found, what is his fate.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just keeps getting better

This series has more twists and turns and moves faster than the Indy 500. You get a hint of something and think you have it figured only to discover maybe you don't. Definitely going to be watching for the next one in the series as I really like her Loki.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah! Must read the next one! I hate starting a series before all the books are released...
---------------------
I feel like this is the slowest one of the series, plot-wise. But that just makes me want to get to the next one that much more quickly.

[Ambra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this one even more than the others! :) I love Loki but Bohdi was a new and fresher character. Great book :) can't wait to read Warriors...

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay, so much fun!

[Dearbhla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aw man, I'm all caught up on the series. Let the waiting begin :)

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoying this series. I do love my trickster gods, and she's got the 'voice' of Loki just right. It doesn't come off as fan fiction as so many others do.

[Angel Zacharia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I lost interest the moment I found out that there won't be Loki. Didn't finish.

[Sara Dirham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, BRILLIANT! I love this series so very much!! The characters are alive and original.

[Jen Weston · Rating 1 out of 5]

No longer a fan

I regret buying these books, the editing process leaves a lot to be desired & the military scenes are just wrong. I ignored those things because I enjoyed the story & characters. I sent the author a message letting her know that I really enjoyed her books. I politely suggested that she might want to consider having a veteran proofread future works to make those scenes more realistic.

The mythology is meticulously researched, but I am pretty sure she has never seen a firearm in person & it shows. I was very polite and I praised her stories. Her replies were rude , enough that I regret reading stories I once enjoyed. I will never buy another book from her. I recommended that she turn off the messaging feature on her page if she doesn’t know how (or want) to handle anything but blind praise. I did praise her, but I politely pointed out how she might improve future works.

She writes about Bodhi being IN MOS with someone, as if it were a place. It is not the school where you learn military specialty after boot camp. AIT (Advanced Individual Training) is where you learn your MOS.

In another book, the ice caves when the characters are told to shoot tracer rounds to scare the Yetis and only switch to live fire and kill/injure them if the tracers don’t scare them away. Sorry, but tracer rounds will kill you just as dead, they just provide a pretty light show before they do. They are simply live rounds with a small amount of pyrotechnics in them.

Anyway, unless you get her books for free, spend money on another author who is a little more gracious to fans who spend their hard-earned money on their books. An author who is a lot more polite about polite suggestions from a fan who only wants to see the author become even better!

[Tina Silvens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fates is the fourth installment in C. Gockel’s I Bring the Fire series and is just as thrilling and captivating as the first three. The book is filled with exciting action and devious surprises, which makes it impossible to put down.

The story follows the god Loki and his young companion Amy as they embark on a dangerous mission to save two worlds. Loki is forced to use a powerful magical artifact to bring balance and prevent a war between the Norse and Celtic deities. He and Amy face many obstacles on their quest and must rely on their wits and courage to succeed.

The characters are well-developed and fascinating. Loki’s personality lends an air of mystery and danger, while Amy is brave and kind-hearted. The other gods and goddesses also add a lot of flavor to the story and make for some enjoyable interactions.

The action scenes are well written and always keep the reader engaged. Gockel’s descriptions of the various landscapes and places visited by Loki and Amy are beautiful and vivid.

Overall, Fates (I Bring the Fire #4) by C. Gockel is an amazing book that fantasy fans will especially enjoy. The story is filled with adventure and excitement and the characters are all fully realized and memorable. Highly recommended!

[Nigel Owen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Loki is gone I did not realise how much it added to the story. I found this extremely boring:

1. Plot elements which go nowhere, umm lets spend excessive++ pages running from spiders.
2. Foreshadowing of where Loki is so strong you may as well just state it. It makes Amy a blind idiot.
3. Bohdi is incredibly boring.
4. It's liked we skipped a book or maybe I accidentally skipped because it was so boring. When was Steve running for Mayor, i'm not American but I think it takes more effort then some government agent just deciding to.
5. The Loki flashbacks never end I have not counted but they are long and boring.

I liked the earlier books in the series, the work environment was a bit YA, the plot a bit simplistic but the characters kept me going and it fitted in with the Gods been a tad simplistic. They weren't works of art but they kept it going.

Disclaimer: Only managed to get 2/3 into the book. Maybe the last bit is amazing.

[Jim Kratzok · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series has got it!

OK, it's not really deep literature, but it's fun. Loki us still missing and presumed dead until his current incarnation is located. While it seems obvious that he's already here, no one seems to recognize him in his new body. Even he doesn't know it. Bohdi, had his own memories wiped, Amy is carrying a copy of Loki's memories, they both have an "interest" in each other but the luck of the God of Chaos seems to be rather poor when it comes to relationships. So, I suppose this could be considered a Y/A novel. There are minor elements of raunch and violence but not extreme amounts. It's also pretty funny. I could see this as a TV show a la "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" but dealing with Norse gods instead of vampires.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 star. Enjoyed the adventures of Bohdi & Amy in the other realms. I enjoyed getting to know Bohdi. Amy was as delightful as ever. But I missed Loki. And flashback memory Loki doesn’t cut it. Memory Loki was a great way to give us insight into Loki and why he was the way he was when we had actual Loki. Now he is gone memory Loki just isn’t the same. Even though most of the story is about Amy & Bohdi’s adventures most of it seemed to be from Bohdi’s POV and I wanted more from Amy’s perspective because I love Amy’s views, her passion, her honesty and her inappropriate scientific delight in the midst of danger. Also loved Thor and the whole sprites in phones thing which was very reminiscent of the the Loki, elves and Car incident. Hate Odin.

[Jeff Skott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fates was an incredible book, and it continues the trials of Amy Lewis as she fights for herself, for Earth and the wonderful cast of characters around her. This was perhaps the hardest of C. Gockel's books to read, but the one I most appreciate in many ways. She creates Nornheim down to its smallest details and that takes time and I'm a slow reader, so there is patience required, but she does it again so beautifully and you feel real pain and real hope and just a bit of everything good and bad throughout the read that by the end you are exhausted, but did I mention hope? Hope lingers throughout and will play its way forward. Excellent book, takes a bit of slogging through, but worth it. Thank you!

[Leni Iversen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't like this anywhere near as much as the first three books. Too many flashbacks and hectic action sequences, not enough Loki (ok, that one's understandable). Odin was being too blatantly evil, Asgardian society too ridiculously sexist, and Amy too dense. The whole thing also felt like too much of an interlude, and we've already had an interlude in the 3.5 novella. I almost gave this two stars, but it hasn't turned me off the series, so it can't have been that bad. I just really hope that book 5 isn't going to be Amy and Bohdi just getting increasingly angsty about their personal lives while Odin commits war crimes.