Fatemarked

The Fatemarked Epic #1

by David Estes

Enter a world of magic and dragons, kings and queens, and victory and defeat, during a time when honor and valor still meant something.

No one knows why the fatemarked are born with godlike powers. Until kings start dying...
An ancient prophecy foretold their coming, the chosen few who will bring peace to a land embroiled in a century of mistrust and war. They are the fatemarked. Misunderstood. Worshipped. Hated. Imprisoned. Their time to step into the light has come.

Roan Loren...
He has hidden his mark of power his entire life, fearing the damage it might cause to those around him. When a series of ill-fated events send him on the adventure of a lifetime, Roan must face the truth of who he really is and what role he must play in the future of the Four Kingdoms.

Annise Garic...
Reluctant princess. Fierce brawler. When her family members start mysteriously dying around her, Annise is forced to decide whether to abandon the kingdom she's despised her whole life, or stand and fight for what is rightfully hers.

Grey Arris...
Thief. Orphan. Womanizer. Everything goes wrong the night Grey abandons the western princess during their midnight rendezvous in the cryptlands. Hunted by the law and a murderer of myth and legend, he must find a way to protect his sister and become the man he was always meant to be.

Rhea Loren...
Beautiful. Spoiled princess. Seeker of vengeance. Rhea's world of luxury and fame is turned upside down when she's accused of fornication, a crime carrying a brutal punishment: the scarring of one's face. As Rhea seeks to come to terms with her new life, she must choose whether to rise above or spiral down into darkness.

As their paths intertwine, they will soon learn that the fate of the Four Kingdoms is in their hands...

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Dragons, Magic, Audiobook

472 pages, ebook

First published March 1, 2017

About the author

Get a FREE short story from David Estes' #1 Amazon bestselling epic fantasy series, Fatemarked, when you sign up for his mailing list: https://www.subscribepage.com/b2v6v3

David Estes has written more than 40 science fiction and fantasy books. He loves chatting with his readers, all of whom he considers to be his friends. David lives in Hawaii with his beautiful Aussie wife, Adele, his moody cats, Bailey and Luna, and his rambunctious sons, Beau and Brody.

Join 3,000+ David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite in David Estes' official fan group at:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/7...

Books by David Estes:

-The Fatemarked Epic- For fans of A Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and The Way of Kings! Four kingdoms. A century-old war. One ancient prophecy that could change everything.

-The Kingfall Histories- a follow up series to the #1 Amazon bestselling series, The Fatemarked Epic

-Strings- “A wonderful retelling of the Pinocchio story…I simply couldn’t put this book down.”—Rysa Walker, bestselling author of TIMEBOUND

-The Dwellers Saga and the Country Saga. Voted books to read if you enjoyed the Hunger Games on Buzzfeed and Listopia.

-Salem's Revenge trilogy- the witch apocalypse begins!

-Slip Trilogy- "Someone must die before another can be born..."

-The Adventures of Nikki Powergloves- Kid superheroes? 'Nuff said.

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars ⭐️



What is it that comes rolling across the plains to kill



Okay, there are so many characters in the book. It's not really confusing because we go back in forth through each little groups journey which eventually connects them all in one shape or form.

We have:

1) Bane
2) Roan
3) Gwen
4) Grease
5) Annise
6) Arch
7) The Armored Knight / Arme/Tarin
8) Sir Dietrich
9) Zelda
10) Sir Drunk Craig
11) Rhea
12) Bear Blackboots

Okay, so there are a lot more but these are the ones I like the most.

Actually, I absolutely loved, Annise and The Armored Knight (Tarin). Annise is bad to the bone and I loved that the author added a plus sized hero to the book. I mean she's always talking down about herself looking like a pear, etc. But she can kick major butt! And The Armored Knight gets on to her about this, he is sent to protect her. The Armored Knight is bad to the bone himself and um, (I have a little crush on him) ❤ There is a mystery about him but I won't even let that slip, it's something you need to read for yourself.

Annise and Arch are brother and sister and when something happens, they need to take over as King and Queen. <--- another bunch of stuff you will have to read.

There are people in this world that are marked with different abilities and they are called "Fatemarked." Most of these people are put to death or used in other ways.

The book goes back and for talking about war with the other people since something out there is killing off all of the important people. So the other important people are trying to get a foot in the door until they are killed off. lol <--- I'm great at explaining things :-D This is how I go about not giving out spoilers, I make it so confusing you have to read the book to see what I'm talking about.

Anyway, there is a revelation later on about the thing that is killing people and I knew it!!!! I knew where that was going, but it took me a little bit. It is sooooooooo good, but nobody better not kill off Tarin or Annise or I will crack some heads!

I really do enjoy the other groups of people too but the group with Annise in it is so much better. Her and Tarin make the whole book for me. Oh, and the fatemarked people and all they can do is really cool, well maybe not so much all of the gifts.

I look forward to what else we have in store and I hope Annise and Tarin kick arse!
=)

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

AMAZON: REVIEW

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[David Estes]

UPDATE September 2, 2024: That's right, I'm updating this again for a very good reason. I wasn't happy with my last Kickstarter campaign. The product simply wasn't good enough, but now I'm here to correct that mistake. This time the ENTIRE Fatemarked Epic will be sold as a deluxe, illustrated, collector's edition boxed set with slip case. This boxed set is going to be a work of art, with a five-figure art budget to provide AT LEAST 20 color interior illustrations, a new color map end sheet included in all five books, "hidden" art on the page edges, and many more bells and whistles. You can check out the pre-launch page at the link below and sign up to be notified when the campaign goes live for purchase: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

UPDATE February 11, 2022: You're probably wondering why I'm updating this five-year-old review. Good question! For the first time in my 11-year writing career, I'm running a Kickstarter! And what better book to highlight than the one that has sold more copies than all of my other first-in-series books combined--Fatemarked! The Kickstarter gives you, the reader, an opportunity to get your hands on SIGNED copies of several brand-new editions, including a pre-numbered, faux-leather, collector's edition! And all versions will include YOUR NAME in the book as one of my Kickstarter supporters, how cool is that? You can check the whole event out here, including a video from me about why I'm doing a Kickstarter now and why writing is so important to me: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

UPDATE November 9, 2017: Whew, what a journey this year has been! Releasing 5 books in The Fatemarked Epic (more than 4,000 pages!) in less than a year was no easy feat, but with the upcoming release of Lifemarked (Nov. 21st), I made it! Fatemarked is now a #1 Amazon bestseller in NINE categories (Military Fantasy, Medieval Fiction, Arthurian Fantasy and several others), and I couldn't be happier with how this series has been received by readers. THANK YOU for all your support. For those who love epic fantasy in the vein of series like The Lord of the Rings or A Throne of Glass, here are all the linksies to The Fatemarked Epic:

Fatemarked- http://amzn.to/2kkKdhm
Truthmarked- http://amzn.to/2lmSO0M
Soulmarked- http://amzn.to/2kEnKcN
Deathmarked- http://amzn.to/2qGTlMy
Lifemarked- http://amzn.to/2h08DcI

March 1st, 2017: A note to my readers: This book has been a long time coming. I've had it in my brain for a few years, but was too scared to write it. Why? Because I'm a huge fan of epic fantasy sagas like The Lord of the Rings, The Way of Kings, and A Game of Thrones, and I didn't want to screw it up. Well, finally, in early 2016 I gained the confidence I needed, rolled up my sleeves, and got started. This series is going to be long, because it needs to be. It's going to be epic, because it needs to be. But I will NOT make you wait for the sequels, because I hate waiting as much as you do. The first five books (three full-length novels and two volumes of short "origin" stories) will be released in March of 2017, with the remainder of the series released in less than a year.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot to like about this book.

1) It has interesting characters.
2) It has characters that have some sort of a code-of-honour.
3) It has a big mysterious knight.

There is a LGBTQ character in this book (though it is very mild). I saw a review where someone got to this part of the book and DNF it because he couldn't handle the idea of two men kissing, then he gave it 1-star. Imo, if you don't finish it don't rate it.

And now to my reason for only giving it 3-stars;

I had become interested in the story and it's characters and was looking forward to see what was going to happen next. Then at 70% the book just stops, and we get a heading;

Postludes.

Basically, these are 6 free short stories about the characters that I had just got to know over 70% of the first book. It gives you a load of background that I really didn't need to know and tells you that the characters are pivotal to the story. I would have much preferred these to have been worked into the main story, rather than being added as an afterthought. And they take up 26% of a kindle book that was already quite lengthy.

Anyway, I did like the main story but have knocked off a couple of stars because of the unsatisfactory conclusion. I may well try out the other books in the series at some point, but not for a while.

Thanks for reading.

[Karen’s Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I heard that David Estes was writing a new high fantasy series, I was thrilled because I knew he was a huge Lord of the Rings fan, as am I! I loved his sci-fi series, Slip, and his dystopian series, the Dwellers and Country saga so I knew a fantasy from him would be nothing short of amazing!

And wow!! Yes! Fatemarked is his best work to date!! In Fatemarked, we are introduced to the land of the Four Kingdoms and the Kings and Queens and princesses and princes. We also meet several of the Fatemarked, those with marks on their skin who have special powers, for good or bad, light or dark...

And yes, there be dragons!! There is ancient prophecy, and knights, and sword fights, and jousting. And so much action!!

We meet Roan, one of the Fatemarked, along with one of my favorite heroines, Annise! These two are my favorites, but the cast of Fatemarked is huge and I had so many other characters that I was rooting for, like the snarky Prince Gareth, Gwendolyn, Rhea, Arch, the Armored Knight, Grease, and so many others!!! Even Bane! David has a way of making his characters flawed but very human, and very relatable. No one is perfect in the Four Kingdoms.

The world building is incredible and definitely epic! I loved going back and forth to the map to track each character's journey.

And the writing!! The writing is astounding and David has completely surpassed himself with this series! I can't wait to continue this journey of the Fatemarked!!

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Fantasy lovers at late have been almost spoiled with a plethora of well written fantasy with excellent world building and interesting characters. Based on this I jumped into Fatemarked with quite some enthusiasms. Unfortunately while some elements within were interesting, execution was sorely lacking in the book.

The story revolves around four (or five) characters, initially separate but brought closer together toward the end. The plot itself feels like a weird mixture of Song of Ice and Fire, just done to be more suitable for younger/less sophisticated audiences. Each character is unique and has their own plotline, but unfortunately none of them are interesting.

Especially the early parts of the book are very weak, so much so that I was tempted to give up on it. About half way through, I began to suspect that the author had been waiting to write a book for a long time and crammed in every idea he has ever had into the first 100 or so pages. The result is the book reads like a morning cartoon with its rapid fire pacing. While sometimes this can be exciting, here you jump from one large event to another at a pace that makes you not care about any of them. There are way too many weird and annoying contradictions - the 'elf' side character is a good example of first being outright hostile to suddenly opening up about her personal life that contradicts everything that has been said about her earlier. Or one of our main characters being brought to the king as a suspected spy, and next paragraph is invited to take part in the war council planning and is questioning the King in a manner that makes no sense - other than to provide a segue for exposition.

The end of the book is stronger than the beginning, but it does not save the book nor does it really make me want to keep up with the series. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughts:

I am not going to do my traditional backstory as there is just too much involved with this story so I am just going to give out thoughts.

There are four kingdoms that are wanting to rule and a slew of characters that are involved. Main characters are Roan, Bane, Annise, Arch, Tarin the Armored Knight, and they all cross paths within this story. All the characters have their own background and you learn about each one along with how they affect the story as it moves along. There are also tons of supporting characters too which are involved in the story that keeps this book moving at excited speeds!

This book was a fun and exciting story as there is tons of action that lies within including dragons that make an appearance. I was impressed by how easy the book is to read - the author makes the story simple so that the reader can understand what is going on. Usually with high end fantasy stories it takes lots of concentration to focus on what is happening within the stories but not this book - the author has a simplicity about him that just flows along in the book. The author is also visual meaning everything that happens in the story I could visualize it happening on a movie screen.

The author also includes maps of the kingdoms and gives detailed info on the kingdoms and the characters. I was impressed by how fast I read this story but I just became caught up in it and had a hard time putting it down! The pace is fast and there are tons of sword clashing and fighting within this book as well. I am looking forward to continuing on with the series at some point as this story has set the tone for the rest of the series I am sure as I want to see what happens next! Giving this book five "Sword Clashing" stars!

Highly Recommend!

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four Kingdoms. A Prophecy. Knights. Jousting. Dragons. A Metal Forest. Royalty. A Killer Plague. Curses. And so much more...

Fatemarked should be the definition of epic high fantasy. The Hundred Years War has been raging across The Four Kingdoms, creating nothing but violence and vengeance for all of its peoples. But, there is a prophecy saying there will be peace brought to the land from a chosen few, the Fatemarked. It is also destined that one will be the King's Bane, who will create death and fear, and another will be the Peacemaker, who will have the ability to heal. And so starts this epic journey...

This book follows five different perspectives: Roan, Annise, Bane, Rhea, and Grease. Coming from all different backgrounds and areas of the land, their stories are all intertwined with War and the Prophecy. And each has an important role to play.

I LOVED this story! The pacing was perfect, I was never bored, and really wanted to read this straight through the first time I read it. The author has created an immense and detailed world that was easy to escape to. This is a book I could read over and over again (I have read it 3 times to date).

Things I loved about Fatemarked:

--The Characters They were awesome, so very distinct, and the author nailed all their voices. Even the ones I didn't really like were interesting and contributed to the story. Annise and Roan were easily my favorite characters.

"Prince Gareth Ironclad’s horse, a black stallion that never seemed to tire, pulled up beside them, keeping stride. “Ho, plague child!” Gareth called. Roan pretended not to hear him. “Drowned rat?” Gareth said. Roan could see the prince smiling on the edge of his vision. He pretended to only just hear him. “Did you say something?” he asked."

--The World Building The world building is really rich and detailed, and was my favorite thing about this book. One thing I really love is how each Kingdom has its own ruthlessness. None of them are really good per se. It seemed the Eastern Kingdom was a little better at first, but then you here about this strange tradition where the first born must die for his younger brother to become king. Really interesting stuff!

--The Writing The writing in this was absolutely beautiful and also horrific (depending what was happening on the page). The writer managed to capture every emotion and made me feel whatever the characters were feeling, immersing me into the story.

"Roan tried to think, but it was difficult when his head was pounding. He reached up to feel the side of his scalp, which was bulging and crusted with blood. His ear was badly damaged too, and he wondered if his hearing would be affected. Not that it mattered.
He touched his face to find his once-smooth skin covered in bumps on top of bumps, each filled with heat. He scrubbed at them with the heel of his hand, which was also bumpy and burning. He had the sudden urge to run. To where, he did not know.
As Roan fought weakness and fear to push to his knees, the wind howled over him, and he shivered."

--The Pacing The pacing was perfect. There was plenty of action, but also time to give the reader the information that was needed for the story. There was no Infodumping, though, which I really appreciated. The battle scene at the end was especially good, with a great build up and set up, and then great action during, with mind blowing moments!

--The Plot and the Twists Loved it. Everything made sense, and I didn't find any plot holes. I don't feel like there was anything superfluous in the story, either. Everything pertained to the plot and characters. And the twists were mind-blowing!

--The Feels This book was constantly bringing out some kind of reaction in me. Amazingly, a lot of the time, it was laughter! Even though this novel is very dark, it is lightened up at moments with some great one-liners!

“They cheered louder than ever before.”
“And blew you kisses and displayed their bosoms and offered themselves up for your spawn.”

"“Good. Now, we have a battle to plan.” “Battle?” Roan exclaimed. “What battle?” The king sighed. “Do we have something to seal his lips with?” he asked no one in particular."

What I didn't like about Fatemarked: Absolutely nothing. This was an amazing read for me. There's so much about these characters and the world to explore. I want MORE MORE MORE!! (Luckily, Estes is bringing out a few of the sequels SOON!)

A great high fantasy story needs an incredible world built with lots of adventure, action, death, and dire circumstances with unique, amazing characters, and I feel this was all done very well in this book. And now, another favorite quote to leave you with:

"Annise was on a roll and not about to stop now. “The princess of the north once devoured an entire royal feast in one sitting. And then she ate the plates and silverware,
not to mention the table and chairs.” “A healthy appetite, by my reckoning,” Tarin said.

**I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a HONEST review**

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This indie fantasy holds its own against traditionally published books today. It had decent editing but could use a little more to really make it shine. The magic system is cool, and the characters are developed enough to make you care about them. The worldbuilding is slightly underdone but not bad, and the politics aren’t very intricate. (Everyone is hell-bent on war.)



I had a hard time getting into at first, which has more to do with my mood than any fault of the book. The book ends at 70 percent, followed by six short stories that are (mostly tragic) backstories for various characters.



Language: Mild
Sexual Content: Off-page
Violence: Lots of violence but not described in great detail
Harm to Animals: I think a dog is beaten.
Harm to Children: Children are murdered and their bodies roasted. At the end, we learn this was actually a lie.
Other (Triggers): Domestic abuse, death of loved ones, war, homicidal religious fanatics, disfigurement, curses

[Dustin Breese · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just couldn’t get into it. For sure it is a teen book, or at very best young adult focused. The prose is very mute. The characters have potential, but aren’t developed to where I have a love or hate for any of them. I’m struggling to know what the world really looks like.

Stopped reading at 25% point after a street urchin is questioned by the king for being a spy and is suddenly part of the king’s war party, and continually keeps burping out questions to the king’s court and being annoying and the king and princes just keep entertaining him with explanations on the revenge they seek.

Sorry, but can’t fathom reading 4000 pages more to get the whole story.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fatemarked is the first book in a brand new epic fantasy series by David Estes and it is an excellent addition to the genre. It has something for everyone from great world building, plenty of action, well developed characters, superpowers, and a dash of romance. This is a must read! I need book two, Truthmarked!

[Khanh Nguyen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, and I made it through roughly two hundred pages, but there are quite a few problems.

Before I go on in what might seem like a slanted and relentless tirade, I do want to commend the author on one point. The idea of the marks is quite original and has large potential, and refinement of the idea can create the core of an interesting world, similar to Allomancy in the Mistborn series. However, as we will see, this was not even remotely accomplished.

First is how stiff and awkward the prose is. There are moments where the author shines and draws the reader in, but for the most part the prose does not facilitate the flow of the story and forces the reader to stop and navigate their way through the cramped style. The dialogue is where the prose suffers the most in my opinion. For example, the jokes and banter of the prince with the main character feels very rigid and forced, and most everybody speaks the same way. The disorganized structure of novel also makes for a confusing and hard to follow plot, following too many characters in chapters that are not fully fleshed out. That problem was furthered by a convoluted plot that does not connect at all. While the classic multiple "unrelated" threads coming together has great potential, it is extremely difficult to execute well, especially in the first third of the story, and here the author failed to execute it well.
Worldbuilding wise the book also suffers quite a bit. For a fantasy author, the world is as big as the author wants it to (as long as theres a valid reason) and limiting to simply four kingdoms on a square continent with generic names is a great disappointment already. However, this is not a loss unto itself, as quality can triumph quantity, but here the author fails as well. The prose provides very little descriptions of the world, most prominent in the utter lack of description in the port city to the east ran by the witches leaving the reader of a blank and empty city. Where there are descriptions, the prose is confusing and repetitive, such as the contrived description of the flowing metal in the elven city.
However, this could be forgivable once more if there was originality or good detail. Again though, the author failed. The use of Tolkien stock like elves and dragons is very difficult to implement without falling into tired old cliche, seen in prominent modern examples where those are used well being satire fantasy like Discworld. Politically there is nothing unique about each of the kingdom. They are all monarchy. Historically, while many European states were monarchies, one would be hard-pressed to view the elective Polish monarchy or the unique Parliament-King relationship in England as generic, yet in this series there is very little difference between each of the kingdoms. While there is the argument of the Egyptian knockoff that the novel starts out with, changing name and settings does not equal variety. There also other issues that demonstrates the author's poor grasp of military history and economic history, with only charges and generic weapons instead of the diversity in weapons like pikes versus billhooks in history or the difference between manufacturing and trading free cities like Hamburg or Lubeck, and agrarian states like Imperial Russia. All of this contributes to a setting that does not have the vibrancy of an adaptation of history, but instead a one-dimensional and trope-ridden adaptation of the average fantasy world based on myths about medieval Europe.
The characters are also extremely one-dimensional and wooden, on top of feeling arbitrary. For example, one of the main character immediately falls in love with a woman who is cold, martial, and have a dark past but secretly has a soft heart, and he does so for no real reason other than because she's pretty. Not only is that shallow, but its also been done to death. The other main character is understandably upset at seeing her mother being executed, but the author chose to have her wax and wane dramatically between being upset and being perfectly normal, making it impossible for the character to be taken seriously. Furthermore, the character does absolutely nothing but pout and be a nuisance, and similar to the other characters in the book are extremely unlikeable. The bearer of the Deathmark is probably the most interesting out of them all, but that was again reduced by the prose.
Lastly, I have to condemn the shameless clickbait and the audacity of the author to compare themselves to Brandon Sanderson and even GRR Martin. This is a bold statement that would have to be backed up with more than abundant evidence, and even then is not a good idea. At best doing something like this makes the author seems arrogant, and at worst foolish and arrogant, and I think the readers of my review wouldn't have a hard time guessing what my opinion on the author is.

[Jeffrey Caston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this book 10 stars if I could.

Books like this remind me that my love of reading was spawned by epic high fantasy. And Estes masterfully executes a concept that, in my humble opinion, separates the good fantasy from AMAZEBALLS fantasy—making the characters and their relationships and problems and challenges the center of it. And making it relatable to us. May sound simple enough, but I’ve read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy and a lot of it gets caught up in the setting or the magic or whatever.

Fatemarked doesn’t do that. I think it does everything right as to what fantasy should be. I know this is just one person’s opinion, but I found the relationships and the theme heart-achingly amazing. I found it moving when showed me a princess who didn’t fit the typical mold and all the crap she went through. I bristled at the Northern Kingdom’s petty brutality. The Western Kingdom’s absolutely infuriating hypocrisy masquerading as piety and goodness all too relatable. Of all the locations, I found I would want to live in the Eastern Kingdom if given the chance to dive into this world. I love it when fantasy can make me feel that. Estes creates distinct cultures and people. I could feel the north’s cold. I held my breath in wonder at the imagery of plants and metal synergizing in the Eastern Kingdom. And I got invested in the story-line. I love this book and I am 100% sure I am going to love this series. I’m personally going to put this up there with the Belgariad and the DragonLance and Joe Lallo’s Book of Deacon series in terms of my passion for the story and my respect for the skill creating it.

This book, to me, didn’t create characters, it created people. They felt as real in my mind as though I could run into them on the street or to whom I could offer my sword (if I carried a sword… which I don’t, but if I did… You get the idea.)

What else can I say to gush about this first book… Hmm… Oh yeah! Maps! I love having maps in fantasy books. Sometimes I feel there is something lacking in it if the book doesn’t have a map of the world or the locations where it takes place.

The book is admittedly long. But with the world building and the action and the immersion in the people’s… I mean characters’… lives, it doesn’t feel it. Not one bit. But one thing I also appreciated and contributed to the length of the overall book were the “postludes.” These were basically origin stories for some of the more important supporting characters. I’m SOOO glad these are in here. They added another depth and richness to the story. Having read those, I understand the supporting characters’ motivations and actions and the roles they played. It made a good book even better. Particularly because it gave further evidence that Estes put a LOT of effort and attention into the story and the world-building. The world-building in particular I thought was really well done. Very creative. Believable. Interesting. Immersive.

Anyway. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. Well done, David Estes. Well done. You’ve got a new fan in me.

[A Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a lot of fantasy works, and this is one of the best I've ever read. The characters are relatable, well-written, and varied, and the author really brings them to life. The setting is interesting and the magic (fatemarks) are super cool, as well as the variations on the beliefs surrounding these marks. There may be some similarities to GoT, but they aren't major; and this work surpasses GoT in that it doesn't rely on graphic sex and rape to sell. Will absolutely be reading the rest of his works - highly recommend!

[Karin (book_scent) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has been on my TBR for (what feels like) ages, so I'm glad the Kickstarter campaign for it finally spurred me on to pick up the first book - and I had a fantastic time with it!

Fatemarked felt epic in scope with its huge world and big cast of characters. I really liked how the history & traditions of the various kingdoms came through, giving the world a rich feel. And like with the characters, there was no clear "good" or "bad" side, because there's always nuance & context to every story.

It took me a bit to get a grasp on all of the characters, but that might be due to the fact that I was (only) listening to the audiobook. With epic fantasy, I usually like to immersion read (physical/e-book + audio), which makes it easier to follow along - something I will certainly do for the rest of the series. However, once I was better acquainted with all the characters, I could really appreciate Estes' strong & well-rounded character work. Annise was easily my favorite and I can't wait to see what's in store for her throughout the series. I also always love a good dose of sarcasm & humor, which this book provided unexpectedly, creating a good balance to the grim side of this world.

There was a long "postlude" at the end, containing 6 short stories, that offered a bit more background info on some of the characters, and I loved that. I just feel like I would've liked to read them sooner and wish they had been (somehow) woven into the main story, because they do add more context.

But overall, a highly enjoyable read with a compelling plot & characters, and a fascinating world that I can't wait to get back to. This series has great potential to become a new favorite of mine!

[Kimberly Vanderbloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blessed with the chance to get an early copy of this fantasy because I won a blog contest. I entered thinking there was no way I would win but I decided to take the chance. I won and I was thrilled. I had to dive in to the Four Kingdoms and see what it was about. I've heard a little bit about it over the past few months and I knew it would be added to my TBR. I have to say that I was absolutely blown away. It is my new all time favorite high fantasy series. It is actually now in my top five favorite series. The writing is phenomenal and flawless. The story was intense and easy to follow. The characters and world were developed so well that at times I forgot where I was. I just fell in love with everything. I can't wait to read the rest of the series because I have to know what happens. It is hard to put in to words how much I loved this book.

My favorite character is hard to choose but I'm going with Roan. He was easy to relate to and you are hoping that he figures things out. He is developed, complex and is a reluctant hero. I loved his snarky banter with Gareth and I loved how he was always conflicted with being the clown and the hero. My second favorite character is Rhea. I cringe with what she goes through but it was intriguing to watch her evolution. She is going to be the character that I following closely because she is going to be a force. It is not to say that I didn't like the rest of the characters but these two were my favorite. There wasn't a character that I didn't like.

My favorite moment was the ride back to the castle with Roan and Prince Gareth. It was hilarious and a special moment between two characters. You really got a chance to know both of them in that short time. I believe it was the first time that we got to see a glimpse of the true Roan. It was still really funny.

Overall I am going to recommend this book to all of my fantasy loving friends. I probably going to tell every single person that will listen about this book. I just can't get over it. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I actually pre-ordered the whole set because well I can't get enough.

[Julie Bird · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe this was going to get much better later on in the book, but at 30% in, I just didn't care anymore.

[Victoria Zigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was totally awesome! The worldbuilding was amazing, the characters are all quite interesting and believable, the plot contains the perfect balance of action and quieter scenes where you can catch your breath while learning more about the characters and their world, and the descriptions are fantastic (in fact, those with weak stomaches may find them a little too good, since there are wonderfully described scenes of violence and blood in this story, as well as the more pleasant images the author paints for us during the tale). On top of that, while the ending is clearly left open for the continuation of the series, things are also wrapped up well enough to avoid an actual cliffhanger ending, which meant that - though I was a little disappointed to find the book was over - I felt satisfied with the way the story ended. I highly recommend this book, and can't wait for the next book in the series to be available!

*NOTE: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion of the book, or the contents of my review.

[真里 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Back in the 1990s, my dad used to drive this rusty POS Monte Carlo. It was beat-up, the seats were discolored, and the interior smelled of cigarettes. The leather steering wheel was ripped, and the dash had footprints all over the passenger side from kids resting their grubby shoes there. It struggled to start, puttered to a stop, and was generally a rickety pile of junk.

But my dad loved it, and he sunk money into saving it until he almost went broke. Now it's probably sitting in a dump somewhere, stripped for parts.

Fatemarked reminds me a lot of that Monte Carlo.

Estes compares himself to the likes of GRRM and Tolkien, and that's a very high bar to set for anyone, much less his amateur self. When you market yourself and your writing as worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as such talented, beloved authors, you're either setting yourself up for groundbreaking success or abysmal failure. This was abysmal failure.

As someone who writes as a hobby, I know that writing takes a lot of time and energy. It takes passion, work, and research to create an interesting, multifaceted world. I don't like to give low ratings, but I think it's my responsibility as a reader to provide my uncensored opinion. I also think it's a writer's responsibility to consider both criticism and praise with equal weight.

Ignoring the fact that Estes is not an established writer, I had high hopes for Fatemarked. Surely, such a bold statement was supported by at least a shred of evidence. Plenty of self-published authors are capable of writing decent or even great books, so why not David Estes, I thought.

Although readers are introduced to several of the main characters immediately, it's hard to feel anything for them. The two characters whose chapters I was able to read before giving up (Roan and Annise) were not interesting to me in the least.

Roan, despite living a good deal of his life on the streets, is clueless about the world. His behavior doesn't befit his background, and his only motivation to continue living is that "his mother sacrificed her life to save him." And he gets fixated on an elf girl for no reason other than that she's hot. He comes across as an annoying kid who is incapable of in-depth thought.

Annise, we are told, is pretty badass. But all she does is feel sorry for herself, cry, and eat. I wouldn't care about any of that if her "martial prowess" and toughness wasn't mentioned so much.

And for the writing itself, much of it is just plodding from one plot point to another. The organic metals and their relationships with elves sound cool, but the details of it are still hazy from not being described. The cities and world lack character, substance, and feeling. I can hardly remember any of the details of any of the cities because it was all hastily described and then put aside to make room for stilted banter.

Estes seems to play it safe with his writing and, as a result, has yet to develop his own style. That's a shame because I think if he had done so, it might have drawn more out of the characters and world that he has prepared.

My advice: don't compare yourself to other writers. If you're really playing in the same field as an established and respected author, you won't have to say so. Let your writing speak for itself.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fatemarked is the sort of book that the term “epic adventure” was coined to describe. Huge in scope, it chronicles (what are presumably) the end years of a Hundred Year, three generation, war that has devastated four kingdoms. The cast is vast, but surprisingly easy to remember and come to love. This is so, perhaps, because each is doing radically different things and functioning in easily discernible cultures. As a result each character has a very distinctive flavor that keeps them from blurring into each other.

The strong characters inhabit a gritty and remarkably detailed world that is fraying under the strain of generations of warfare. The world building is probably Estes most remarkable accomplishment. Many authors manage to create colorful kingdoms in which to plant their stories, but here Estes had to make four of them and they are far from clones of each other. One of the ways in which these kingdoms differ from each other is in how they deal with the “fatemarked” of the title—individuals born with a birthmark that brings highly focused magical power to the person so marked. I don’t want to spoil the novel, but keep this factor in the back of your mind as you read it. It helps to illuminate the cultural prejudices of each kingdom.

Like many works of High Fantasy, Estes’ series revolves around a prophecy predicting that certain fatemarked people will bring the hundred year war to an end. This is the story of those people. In true Tolkein-like fashion, “series” might be the wrong word for the books. While the first novel didn’t precisely end with a cliffhanger, it didn’t provide a satisfactory ending either. It seems that Estes is writing a book in six parts rather than a novel with five sequels.

As a final note, I’d like to comment on the six short stories that are included at the end of the novel. Each of these adds context to the series by giving the backstory on many of the characters. They are not necessary to enjoy the series, but they do answer some questions about how the various people got to where they are at the beginning of the novel. Like the book, they are well-written and enjoyable.

[Ms. Just One More Book (Kris Miller) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world where corrupt rulers dominate the Four Kingdoms, the Hundred Years Wars has ravaged more than three generations of kings, queens, and citizens. The cycle of vengeance and violence continues.

An ancient prophecy by a legendary oracle promises the return of peace to the Four Kingdoms by a chosen few, the fatemarked. Those marked at birth and blessed with specific magical powers. One shall be the King's Bane, bringing death to the warmongering rulers, he is dark and death. The other shall be the Peacemaker, blessed with the ability to heal, he is light and life. Opposite sides of the same coin, Bane and the Peacemaker are tasked with the fate of the entire world.

As they fight to achieve their destinies, adversity will hinder them in every realm. To truly achieve the oracle's prophecy of peace, both the King's Bane and the Peacemaker, as well as all the other fatemarked, will need to overcome those who seek to destroy everything in their pursuit for power.

In 'Fatemarked', book one of the Fatemarked Epic, David Estes has wrote a thrilling journey comparable to George R.R. Martin's 'Game of Thrones' and Brandon Sanderson's 'The Way of Kings'. A fantastical world is brought forth, with interesting and relatable characters. A thrilling plot that is filled with suspense, political intrigue and magic, with a suspenseful and exciting climax that will have you furiously ripping through the pages. Fatemarked is a fantasy lover's dream!

[James Harwood-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off a shout out to the podcast wizards, warriors and words. Without listening to that, who knows when I would have discovered this gem. It was highly recommended. “Brilliant”was how it was described. And it was.
A lot of books use the “for fans of game of thrones” tag line. One almost becomes dismissive of it. Not this book. This is as close as it gets.
Shifting character chapters, intriguing kings, powerful women and mysterious pasts.
Definitely one series I will suggest and recommend. :)

[Jodi Woody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge David Estes fan so of course I joined his mailing list to hear about all of his new books. In one mailing he was giving away some ARC copies of his newest book. Most of his books, and my favorites are dystopian for YA. “Fatemarked” is the first in a series of epic fantasy. I entered the drawing and won a copy. I was a little nervous due to the different genre of this one. I so loved it! I do enjoy a good fantasy and this one does not disappoint. One of the things I like about Mr. Estes’ writing is he has a tongue in cheek type of humor. He understands people and relationships. So my rating is a strong five star. I can recommend for teens and up. Now I have to try and be patient for the next one.

[Rob Hayes]

Completely forgot to update GR lately. I recently listened to this one. A classic coming of age fantasy story with some memorable characters.

[Steven J Luttrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable!

If you read a lot of fantasy you know what i mean when i say enjoyable. Some fantasy books or series' in my opinion get way too into their "world" and not as much into the characters or the storyline. Or maybe it's because they spend so much time describing every little thing in so much detail it detracts from the storyline.
In this book it's pretty straight forward. The 4 kingdom's are all quite different and the author gives you a nice blend of good and bad characters from 3 of the 4 kingdom's in this first book of the series.
The concept behind the "Fatemarked" is pretty cool. While after only the first book you don't meet them all it leaves you wanting to!
I purchased the entire set of the Fatemarked series and can't wait to continue this adventure.
If you're into adventure books I highly recommend this series.

[Sheree Bonita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved a lot of the characters and can't wait to read more.

[Francisca Liliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

“I am human—I want what I cannot have, and I have no interest in that which is mine.”

So, there I was, minding my own business, breaking my book buying ban per usual, and I come across a self-published novel with a stunning cover. What is this? Oh, it’s free on Kindle Unlimited? Done. I download it and decide I’m going to read the first page. I won’t read the whole book. I’ve got two other books I’m in the middle of. Three days later here I am writing a review for a book that I said I wouldn’t read. This is my lot in life as a mood reader.

Fatemarked is a self-published novel by author David Estes. The novel is a multi-perspective epic on an ancient prophecy, foretelling the rise of the Fatemarked. Individuals with a mark only revealed by fire that grants them powers. In some parts of the world, they are worshiped, in others they are murdered at birth. The rulers of the land begin to die, and the people turn on one another. Magic is on the rise and those who are close to it are going to change the world.

Let’s first talk about what I most loved about this debut, the characters. Estes has an addictive way of showing the humanity in his characters. One particular perspective I latched onto is Annise, a princess living under the thumb of an abusive father and king. She isn’t your typical fantasy princess in the sense that she is a great beauty. She is described as pear-shaped, muscular, and tall, exhibiting behavior usually reserved for peasant boys. One aspect I enjoyed about her character is that because of past and current bullying, she is consistently using humor to berate herself before others can do so. As someone who has experienced and implemented this kind of self-deprecation, I loved this representation. It added layers to her character, and it was a beautiful thing to witness her grow and turn her insecurities into strengths. The secondary characters such as Gwendolyn, The Armored Knight, Gareth and Arch are all just as well rounded, with demons of their own to slay. Estes creates a beautiful and loving sibling relationship between Arch and Annise that was established with only a few pages. They spend most of the book apart, and yet Estes is able to make the reader feel the thread binding the two together through the whole novel.

Fatemarked is unexpectedly funny! These characters are so sarcastic with one another, poking jibes, and swapping insults. Estes creates some genuinely humorous interactions between the characters that had me laughing through the whole book. He uses humor as a bridge to connect the characters with each other, creating wholesome and heartfelt friendships and romances. Romance plays a part in this novel, but it’s more of a sub-plot than a main focus, which I always appreciate in my reads. I love a good romance, but I like it far more if it is used to be a brick in the journey and not the destination end.

What is most mind-blowing to me is that most of what these characters do is travel. Sure, there’s an assassination or two and a big battle at then end, but mostly these characters are just traveling from one point to another. Many of these points of view can be summed up in a few sentences, but they are packed with emotional turmoil, self-discovery, and world building. The world itself is large, but it’s not complicated. There are a lot of different cultures and people, fighting in an endless war led by tyrants and decades-long grudges. There are certain people born with Fatemarks, but according to where in the world they are they can be called Skinmarks, Tatooya, or Sinmarks. Those who have these marks have as much chance of being killed as they do of being revered depending on where they are born. There are lands riddled with disease and pox, mad dragons that grow two heads, and religious zealots implementing laws to rule with fear, as well as a forest of trees merged with ore and animals with metal claws.

As much as I would like to rant on and on about how great this book is, there are a few issues and criticisms I must address. I mostly read this through my kindle edition while listening to the audio periodically. The audiobook is fantastic! Loved the narration, however my kindle edition did contain typos. It wasn’t something that happened often, and I loved the story so much it really didn’t bother me. I understand that this is a self-published novel, and if a book that contains typos can still hold my interest, I’m not going to hold it against them. The writing isn’t what we call purple prose. There’s not much about it that I haven’t read before, but the dialogue! The dialogue shines in this book! Estes uses most of his prose to build the characters, and that is what keeps this story going. Another reason I love this book so much is the amount of autonomy these characters have over their choices. Events happen to them for sure, but they are also changing their own fates. There were some moments that the cheese was strong, but it was few and far in between. I would read a moment that made me cringe, then immediately afterwards would read the next scene, and think “This is brilliant work” Which I think can be said about any debut. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how Estes writing grows with this series.

For this last bit I would like to take a moment to talk about the short stories at the end of Fatemarked. They are titled as postludes and contain points of view from people we know from the first book. Some are alive and some are dead, giving us a secret peek into what truly happened during events that were mentioned but not fully explained in the novel. I loved these! I desperately wished they were spread throughout the book in a similar way that the Stormlight Archives has them. These stories have new perspectives that changed my perception of some of the characters I loved and/or heard about. I would’ve loved to have had that extra layer of world-building and character growth during my reading experience. I’m glad that they’re included, and I get that extra scoop of world-building ice-cream I’d been craving. I just wish they had been interludes instead of postludes, but this is my own personal opinion. Regardless of my own preferences, the short stories had the desired effect. Now I want to go back and reread Fatemarked, knowing what I know now. Whatever special spark the prose I mentioned is missing can be found in these short stories! It really solidified this book as an epic story that I can see branching out into multiple books.

If you’ve made it this far into my word vomit, I congratulate you with the most epic of virtual high fives. Read this book. It deserves to be read! It is highly addictive with a fun world, great characters, and truly epic happenings. I’m so excited to continue this series and I’m hoping that with each book I will be closer to that mind-blowing spark I know it has the potential to have!

[Patrick Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story has lots of potential, but I was not a fan of how he created mysterious backstories for many of the characters, but instead of interweaving their history within the story, they were all told via a series of postludes that were in total about 1/4 the length of the actual novel. I also felt that for the size of the book and the world, there were too many POVs.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait to start book 2

Powers that come through skin marks--some good some not. Magic, dragons, love, betrayal, war. Four Kingdoms with 4 different ideologies. Loved it!

[John Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book, but it’s definitely a set up book for the rest of the series. Basically about a group of kids who are born with a mark that gives them certain powers. It’s prophesied that they will destroy the powers that be.
Not a whole lot to explain since that is the exact premise of a lottttt of fantasy. But I still enjoyed it plus the character work was outstanding. The ending of the book held about 5-6 prequel chapters that give back stories to your favorite characters which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m definitely excited to continue.

Similar series you may enjoy:
Illborn by Daniel T. Jackson

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid story

The story had good shape, with surprises and building drama. It had some tropes (the prophesied boy who had hidden magical powers) so I took a star off for some creative lack, but it wasn’t just another copycat story. I took another star off for characters that felt a little too obvious and single faceted. But it wasn’t bad. Just not fully nuanced.