Fate Lashed

Ethereal Earth #2

by Josh Erikson

Some heroes are born, some are made, and some are willing to fake it for the right pay.

Gabe abandoned life as a conman after the disasters in Lincoln, and he managed to carve out a bit of peace with the scraps he had left. Unfortunately, bad guys suck at respecting personal boundaries. So together with Heather and a group of weird new companions, he finds himself shackled to a horrifying cosmic game with sky-high stakes, inscrutable goals, and rules that seem to change every five minutes. And when old gods and monsters resurface to make things so much worse, he's finally forced to admit that he might not be talking his way past any of it.

Fate itself rises to force-feed Gabe a cliché quest, leaving him only to find the artifact, get paid the fortune, and try to make it out alive.

...And, if there's enough time, maybe save the whole stupid world.

Fate Lashed is the sequel to Hero Forged and the second book in the Ethereal Earth series—an ongoing tale about the nightmares we create, those they create for us, and a few people who refuse to take any of it too seriously.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Audiobook, Magic, Supernatural, Science Fiction Fantasy, Action

377 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2019

About the author

Josh Erikson doesn't have any fancy credentials to tell you about here. He lives in rural Nebraska (US) with his wife and two children, where he mostly reads, writes, and reads about writing. His many awards and accolades include some beautiful photoshopped certificates he printed at home and a yo-yo trick contest he once won at a fun fair in a grocery store parking lot.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 stars

I’m so exultant that I followed my instinct and took another chance on this urban fantasy series.

It’s been a year since I’ve read Hero Forged, Josh Erikson’s debut and the first book in his Ethereal Earth series. I enjoyed reading the first book, Hero Forged was good, not amazing, but it showed glimpses of the potentials of better things to come for the series. I promised the author back then that I would come back to the series when I feel like I’m in the right mood, honestly speaking, though, I didn’t plan to read Fate Lashed, the sequel to Hero Forged, this soon, it’s not until my co-blogger, Emma, told me that the upcoming third book of the series— which is releasing soon—is shaping up to be so amazing that I contacted Erikson immediately telling him that I’m ready to jump back into the series. However, I certainly didn’t expect to be this impressed by the significant improvement poured into the series. I gave Hero Forged a 3.5 out of 5 stars rating, and I’m going to give Fate Lashed a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating.

“The world has so many legends. And each one has any number of cultural and regional variations that spin off and down through history until they either become something new or solidify into the strongest versions of themselves. And that’s probably super fun if you’re reading fairy tales for pleasure. But it gets much less cool if you’re studying because you’re legitimately worried about running into one of them in a dark alley.”

The story in Fate Lashed begins four months after the end of Hero Forged. Gabe has accepted the supernatural circumstances surrounding him, and now Gabe, Heather, and their new group of companions are tasked with a cliché quest: find a legendary artifact called the Igla, get paid in fortune, and at the same time, maybe even save the world. It’s not hyperbole to say that I enjoyed reading Fate Lashed SO MUCH more than the previous book. The content of the book was comparatively much more serious and darker in comparison to Hero Forged, but the well-placed humor, snarky comments, and pop-culture references that made the series FUN were still prominent in the narrative. Plus, the pacing of the plotline was terrifically well-paced that I had ridiculous difficulty putting this book down.

“Too bad this isn’t Japan,” he said. “Spike my hair up and I’d look like I walked out of a Final Fantasy game.” Both women only stared blankly back. “Seriously? Oh man, it’s this videogame series that… No. This isn’t helping me seem cooler. Lead the way.”

Well, you seem cooler to me because of this particular comment, Gabe.

The characterizations of Gabe, Heather, their relationship, and the new characters—especially Dante and Lorelei—are one of the definitive reasons why I loved this installment more. Gabe has a very compelling ‘voice’ to his narrative that I found to be distinctive and enjoyable to read, and the development of his relationship with Heather has truly become one of the main strengths of the series. Gabe’s constant moping about his relationship with Heather in his diary, CONscience, can indeed get tiring to read, but this felt deliberately done by the author to fulfill the purpose of genuine character’s growth for Gabe’s mentality, and it effectively worked. Yes, it can get a bit exhaustive, but it’s necessary. I wasn’t a fan of the longevity of Gabe’s denial of his circumstances in the first book, at least for this one, it felt more believable and empathizing. Regardless, both aspects felt crucial in order to grow Gabe’s character. It’s also refreshing to read from the perspective of protagonists that are in their 30’s and behave like one; Gabe actually reminded me of the character Lightsong from Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson in the way he uses humor and sass as a coping mechanism, and I highly appreciate this.

“If deep down everybody really is just selfish and terrible and petty, there’s no upper standard to calibrate against. I don’t like that. It would mean I have it all figured out right now, and neither nor the world can get any better than this. There’s no denying there’s a lot of dark in the night sky, but it’s comforting to know we can always navigate by the few pinpricks of light in it. Ah, that was cheesy. Sorry.”

Hero Forged and Fate Lashed has a publication time-gap of only a year, but it completely seemed like Erikson has grown so much on his storytelling skills. This improvement was remarkably displayed through the fast-paced and super exciting action sequences. Color me surprised that I found the action-packed to the core nature of Fate Lashed—without sacrificing any important characterizations—to be intense and engaging. The main quest given to Gabe and friends may be a cliché, but what happened inside the quest was not. Reading this book reminded me of the experience of playing the video game Uncharted 2; there were a lot of high-stakes and cinematic action scenes with a very aptly placed ‘breather’ scenes in-between, because of this, the action sequences—full of magic, weapons, demons, gods, minotaur, dragon—never lose its steam. Plus, Erikson’s simple and clean prose never stops making the narrative in every page flows well. The passages from CONscience that started each chapter, for example, were full of relatable emotions and social commentaries that also amplified the depth of Gabe’s characterizations.

“We live in a dichotomous world. We laud humility but reward egotism. We painstakingly insulate ourselves from danger but love living it vicariously. We hate fear but seek it like a drug. Is it any wonder that the monsters under our metaphorical bed are coming out so screwed up? If you were an ancient demon dropped into our time, how would you feel if half the people ran screaming while the other half kept asking for selfies?”

I know I’ve shared a lot of long quotations from the book in this review, I can’t help it, I actually wish I can share more of them, but this will do. Honestly, other than the minor issue caused by Gabe’s constant—but necessary—moping about Heather, everything about Fate Lashed was so utterly enjoyable to read. Fate Lashed is an exceptionally adrenaline-charged urban fantasy, a significant improvement over Hero Forged, and I’m actually annoyed that real-life circumstances forced me to put the book down so many times during my time of reading through it. Read this series if you’re looking to get into urban fantasy, if you’re already a fan of the subgenre, then you seriously have to give Ethereal Earth a read. I look forward to reading the next book, Blight Marked, as soon as possible. Until then, here’s one more quotation to end this review:

“We all believe we’re the heroes of our own stories, and that’s true as far as generic platitudes go. But if you look closely enough, you might be surprised to discover you’re also the villain of it. And that, I’m realizing, is why we need other people in our lives. To call us on our bullshit, to tell us we’re worth something, to give us hope when we’ve crushed ourselves beneath the weight of our own impossible expectations. The world sucks, and there’s no way around that. But it can be a tiny bit better if you find someone to help keep you a step ahead of your own inner bastards. Even a passing friendship can be a kind of symbiosis, and that’s where I’ve been wrong this whole time. It feels good to be fixing that.”

You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!

My Patrons: Mike, Hamad, Miracle, Devin, Nicholas.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

If Gabe thought getting a God out of his head was going to solve all his problems and let him get back to a normal life, he has another think coming. Magically bulldozing the plans of all kinds of evil people means he’s still on their lists. And not for Christmas cards. If he didn’t have Heather, he’d be running close to empty, and he’s pretty sure that piece of luck might change any day now. After all, why would a succubus be hiding out with a nobody ex-con man? One who might have a very short time left on this world before some bad guy gets lucky and he gets dead? Being chased by a Troll and nearly blown up in a strip club is only the start of their problems, it doesn’t take long for the pair to realise just how much shit they’re really in. If he thought the stakes were high last time, well…it looks like these are world ending. Just another day in a life he didn’t sign up for. And can’t escape.

First and foremost this is a high action, high energy fight fest that has some serious throw downs. And more than a little destruction. There’s one scene in which a significant amount of ancient/expensive/historically important artefacts get variously crunched and my heart palpitations nearly became a full blown panic attack. Rarely do I have to yell at books that I don’t care who dies but just stop breaking things…. please stop. It's just the right kind of shiver though, enemies coming from all sides and that twitchy uncertainty about how the hell anyone is getting out alive. Gabe has some awesome moments, showcasing his ingenuity in situations where he doesn't have the power to compete. Yet. (Oh, it's coming). The plot is chaotic and fun, but the spread out nature of it occasionally necessitated some rather pat interventions. Long way from where they need to be? No need to worry, someone they met 5 minutes ago has a helicopter they can commandeer. It probably felt like more of an issue because there are a ton of new characters, so when things like this happen, you don’t know if they’re actually important or whether they’ve been chucked in because they have a private jet/helicopter. Even the ones that are on the page for longer struggle to make an impression. I’m down for putting a freaking Minotaur in a book, but while there's this whole backstory hinted at between him and some other characters, it’s not impactful enough to make you care. And everyone seems to be in the middle of an emotional crisis. There needs to be at least one character who doesn't need a serious 'are you ok, hun?' conversation.

Which brings me to my main issue with this offering: Gabe’s woe-is-me attitude and constant hand-wringing internalisations about his relationship with Heather. I get that Gabe thinks of himself as a very small fish a whopping great sea, a realisation only newly found, but it seems to have translated into a crisis of self confidence. See, I get it. But damn it’s tiring when it translates into that self depreciating humour that goes too far. The Gabe from the first book was witty and sarcastic and had this snarky commentary that make me actually laugh aloud. This one tries to be funny at all times/in every situation and it undermined the force of the bits which were actually funny. The same kind of too-much was what happened with the Heather thing. The ‘what are we?’ drama felt less like a potential loving relationship and more like a creepy obsession, that over the top she’s-too-good-for-me spiel you get from sad guys who’ve apparently been ‘friend-zoned’ but their better looking female acquaintances. Her importance to him is an essential part of his character and the plot, but it just didn’t have the necessary emotional veracity, especially because all this seemed to take away her agency. I know we see her through Gabe, but she's a badass succubus: would she really be doing anything for pity? Doesn't she know her own mind? I'm betting she does nothing she doesn't want to now she's free, especially when it comes to sex and love. Get with it Gabe!

There’s no doubt that I’m here for the long haul with this series, but for me, this one didn’t have the power of Hero Forged. That’s not to say it’s not an entertaining way to pass the time, but I was expecting this to be better than the last. Even so, Gabe might just have a whole new bag of tricks to play with...and I am there for it. Bring on the next.

ARC via author

[TS Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of the audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Josh Erikson does it again with his stellar narration in Fate Lashed, and this time with a faster-paced, action-packed and riveting plotline.

In the previous book, we got the origins story of Gabriel Delling - how he became intertwined with supernatural entities and ended up as a human with the ability to use magic (well, just somewhat at this stage). After losing the evil God from his head and spending time hiding out in a remote cabin to ruminate, he returned to civilization and in no time landed himself into trouble again. As fate would have it, the powerful inner circles of the Umbras are now contending to seek a 'Key to the Universe' which has revealed its existence just about the same time that Gabe unwittingly got himself embroiled in the affairs of these creatures from the Ether. That he survived what he did in Hero Forged, Gabe became a wildcard that fate has neither a read nor a hold on. In other words, he is the key much sought-after player in this quest for the Key, for better or for worse.

Fate Lashed improved upon almost every aspect from the previous book. From the richer worldbuilding to the well-executed pacing, and the introduction of more interesting characters. Origins stories tend to be more of a slow burn, but I can appreciate the reasons for it even though pacing usually suffers. This sequel though started with loads of action and barely took any breathers. Chaos and mayhem stalk Gabe's footsteps. Every time I thought that perhaps our main characters can relax just a little bit, I was proven wrong. Even if it's not a fight to the death, it's the appearance of some other clan trying to get Gabe to go over to their side. If I were him, I would have no idea who to trust. All except Heather, of course.

Gabe spent an entire book agonising over his relationship with Heather. The excerpts of Gabe's writing of his CONscience are now focussed almost entirely about how he was grappling with his feelings about Heather and how his abandonment issues made it hard for him to accept the truth of their relationship. Gabe's constant whining became a bit of a problem for me, and it got tiring after a while. Paradoxically, the author's narration of Gabe's inner voice was so excellent and empathetic that it felt even more real. On the one hand, listening to Gabe whine felt so real that I got annoyed. And on the other, I was amazed at how spot on Erikson's voice acting was in getting Gabe's characterisation across so well that it irritated me so much. One thing's for sure though, Gabe's character has a solid imprint in my mind now, and there were some genuinely compelling moments that I found instrumental to his growth as the main protagonist of this series.

There's nothing we love so much as the quest for truth.. And there's nothing we hate more than getting it.

Aside from that one issue, I loved everything else about this book. The humour was even better and more natural than the first one, and there were numerous times I found myself laughing out loud in public while listening to the audiobook. I loved the various references lightly sprinkled across the narrative, especially the ones in relation to Lord of the Rings. Erikson's writing is easy to read, and yet felt polished instead of simplistic. The dialogue and banter, such critical components of urban fantasy, are well-written and felt natural even while fighting or fleeing for one's life. The numerous actions scenes are so well-crafted that they wouldn't go amiss in live action movies, like Indiana Jones on steroids with magic and monsters.  Once again, all these came across extremely well because the author narrated his own work with utmost proficiency.

The Ethereal Earth series has all the necessary ingredients that make urban fantasy so fun and addictive, but the overall package feels fresh and distinctive. The empathetic and personal characterisation of Gabriel Delling balances out the narrative from just any other tropey retelling of a reluctant or accidental hero. I believe that Josh Erikson has elevated this genre with his brand of panache and talent for voice narration, and I'm in for the long haul.

You can purchase a copy of the audiobook or ebook from  Amazon.

You can also find this, and my other reviews at Novel Notions.

[Terrible Timy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was written for my blog, RockStarlit BookAsylum!

Actual rating: 4.5

I've got an ARC copy from Josh Erikson in exchange of an honest review.

"Trust is a funny thing. We just hand it to some people while making others fight for every scrap. Or we might rip it all away for a minor infraction while letting someone else trample on it again and again. Most of us prefer not to think about it unless we have to, but that's basically my entire job description."

I buddy read Fate Lashed with Filip Magnus (you might remember him from The Questioning), which was his first - hopefully I didn't make him regret his life choices - and it made me realise that reading is not necessarily a solitary activity. It's fun to share your reading experience with someone else, exchanging theories as you go, fangirling/boying about certain characters, making guesses as to who is going to die or stay alive. Also, it can help to understand some things you might didn't at first, or looking differently at something you might dismissed or completely missed. I should arrange more buddy reads in the future.

Fate Lashed picks things up a few months after the events in Hero Forged. Heather and Gabe decide to seek out a sorcerer who might be able to help them with some answers as well as giving Gabe some lessons. To do that, they need a plan and first of all passports and other official papers. What starts as a simple exchange of money and goodies, turns into an assault on their lives, delivered by a troll. They soon find themselves in the focus of four organisations: the Hags, the Merrywell Clan, the mysterious Phillip we get to know in Hero Forged and Aka Manah who joins his forces with Reznick, the bokor whose life Heather and Gabe pretty much ruined. Each of these organisations have their own agendas, but they all have one goal: to get the Igla which would provide power over the Universe. And thus the race begins.

Heather and Gabe chose their allegiations and create a team to first steal an artifact and then later to decide the fate of the Universe. The team members are: Mutambe, bodyguard of a highly ranked Umbra called Esme, who can see Fate and manipulate it to an extent. He is also a powerful hex with pretty neat tricks in his pockets. Dante, a mythological creature, a huge guy with bigger heart (not talking about intelligence), and a little anger management problem. As well as some personal ones with another team member, Lorelei and her great grandmother Hwei-ru. The latter is also an Umra, friend of Esma, history researcher who only helps the team from afar. Lorelei is her apperentice and a human with no magic abilities. She does however has an onyx ring which helps her see some things humans otherwise couldn't.

I really liked how the dinamics worked between the teammates, how their personal history played a part in the events and how it affected their relationships with each other. Maybe Mutamber is the only one we don't learn much about, but he had a great arc with Gabriel, starting from dislike and ending up something like respect.

And since I mentioned Gabriel, of course he is right in the middle of events and the team, somehow keeping it together. He didn't change much regarding his smart-ass attitude, but I think he had become more observant, maybe? Self preservation was always strong in him, although his relationship with Heather changed him considerably. They form a really good team, complimenting each other. The chemistry is undeniable, and the air always sparks when they are together. They are urban fantasy's Bonnie & Clyde. Having a constant banter didn't hurt either and makes it damn amusing to watch as they figure things out.

"Face one golem and an army of ankle-biters, and now you're King freaking Arthur. I'm sure there's a crown around here somewhere if oyu want to anoint yourself."

Fate Lashed is half urban fantasy half adventure, with a bit of Indiana Jones feel to it in places. In the first half I felt that things happened a bit too fast, there was practically no stopping in action, a moment to take a breath and it made it hard for me to really connect with the story. Once they arrived to their destination, I was finally able to really enjoy it - damn I can't use spoilers, let's just say that some awesomeness is coming your way. What I really struggled with was fully grasping the motivation of each party (I don't think we have the good guys vs bad guys scenerio here which is cool, but it's still a bit confusing to me), and how exactly the Igla can affect things. I clearly enjoyed the book, but there is something that keeps me from absolutely loving it and I don't really know what. Maybe I struggle to understand the whole cosmic stuff - the Ether, the Great Darkness, the cycle of life thing. Another thing, Erikson throws in quite a few mythical creatures but I'm not entirely sure they were all necessary for the plot. Sometimes I had a feeling they were just there for the fun of it - which is not such a big problem, just felt out of place in some cases.

As for the ending, I had a bit of pacing problem with it, felt a bit overdone and predictable in parts, but that doesn't mean it wasn't full of emotions. I think the biggest difference between Hero Forged and Fate Lashed was the amount of emotions crammed into it, and the tension all through the story which just exploded in the endgame. But my absolute favorite part - still - was the excerpts from CONscience at the beginning of the chapters. I just love Gabe's voice and the way he deals with his emotions and the situation at hand. Reding those snippets always make me wish this series was written entirely as a 1st person POV. They give such a great insight into his mind and his relationships - in Hero Forged it was about him and his dad, in Fate Lashed him and Heather. Also he is painfully honest not only about his feelings but the way he sees society, humanity and most of all himself.

"It's human nature to make snap assumptions when we meet someone for the first time, and it can take an awful lot to undo them enough to see the real person beneath. Not fair, but true."

Upon reading Fate Lashed I can say that whether Josh Erikson is a talented writer is not a question anymore (if it ever was). Hero Forged was a strong debut and he was able to raise the bar with the second book. Fate Lashed has everything we loved before and then some more: action, intrigue, sarcasm, blood and death. Sprinkled with tiny bit of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and other references for good measure. The Ethereal Earth series is something every urban fantasy lover should read.

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 reread
Same thoughts as review below.

2020 read
An excellent continuation!

We reunite with our favourite reluctant hero Gabe, and Heather (I would say side-kick but let’s be honest Gabe is her sidekick) a few months after where Hero Forged ended. They are on a quest on answers for questions risen in previous book. But it does not go as plan (does it ever) and they are tangled up in a huge plot to ostensibly retrieve a powerful item which, in the wrong hands, means the end of the world. No big stuff. It’s just that every group and faction want said item for themselves and will stop at nothing to get it. Put together with a ragtag group, it’s a race against time to get to the item first.

This was such a fun ride. The character dynamics and relationships are amazing. There’s a healthy dose of banter and dirty jokes and Gabe also serving lots of nerdy references that no one really got. I enjoyed most of the new characters, especially Mutambe and Dante, but didn’t care much for Lorelei when I smelled a weak attempt at a love triangle. It’s way too obvious Gabe is head over heels IN LOVE with Heather for that poor girl to have any chance on him. The way Gabe and Heather keep coming back to each other and saving each other (though it’s mostly Heather saving Gabe tbh), their banter, and Gabe straight up confessing to us how terrified he is to ruin their friendship and of her leaving him. Boy got deep rooted trust issues and him even constantly expecting her to ditch him for something better hurts my soul and still she never leaves his side. And then Gabe opening up about his feelings and Heather saying she knows and AAAAAAAAH I hate these stupid idiots and I just want them to be happy OKAY?. That one ended in a... weird way.

The pacing is fast and action filled, and honestly a bit of a mess in the way that nothing, nothing goes as planned. I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count all the time something went wrong or Gabe the characters should have ended up dead but somehow didn’t. The writing and humour is on point. Gabe is such a lovely narrator to follow with his wit and snark (he might even have joined my small collection of book boyfriends which is not an easy thing to do).

I had planned on reading something else between this one and Blight Marked but my heart is not ready to part with Gabey-boy just yet so I'm gonna move straight onward with that one.

[Esme · Rating 5 out of 5]

EEEEEE

I love this series. I can't possibly be unbiased about it now since there's a character with my namesake in it, but I liked this one just as much as the first.

longer review to come.

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hero Forged was a pleasant surprise for me when I stumbled upon it by accident last year (thanks to its fun sounding blurb!) so I'm happy that Fated Lashed ended up being a pretty good sequel. This is an UF series that mixes grit and humour pretty well and also has some enjoyable characters.

The premise of the story was pretty fun. Gabriel Delling, self proclaimed professional con artist and former vessel to an evil God, has spent a bit of time laying low after the events of the previous book but soon finds himself sucked back into the thick of the action as a bunch of different factions see him as the ideal pawn to capturing one of the most powerful artefacts in creation. Lucky for Gabe he still has his succubus companion, Heather, to help him stay alive. The downside is that his enemies from the last book have not forgotten about him and are very much interested in obtaining the magical object he is seeking for themselves. It was just another day of saving the world for our reluctant hero!

This series is so fun mostly because Gabe is a charming and amusing narrator who is easy to root for in his adventures despite the fact that he is a morally grey con artist. It helps that he mostly found himself up against some crazy villains! It also helps that he has a great dynamic with his succubus companion. There is a nice blend of slow burn romance and witty banter between the duo.

My feeling is this book was not quite so fun as the first instalment in the series. I think that was because the action was not quite so interesting in the middle stages of the story. Though it also likely hurt that Heather did not play a massive role in the second half of this book. I want more Heather not less! The villains are a fun and menacing bunch so they were definitely not the issue and the lead characters and general feel of the story is good so I definitely think it was just the slightly dull action scenes and the frequency of them which held the story back a touch. The dialogue in this series is always a lot more fun than the fighting!

All in all this was still an enjoyable read and I'll definitely be picking up the next instalment of this series when it gets released.

Rating: 3.5 stars. I'll round up to 4 since this story does have some really good elements.

Audio Note: Josh Erikson narrates this series himself and he does a great job of it. He is good with the general narration and good with the various characters voices. He might actually be an even better audio narrator than he is an author! Definitely the best self-narrated performance I've come across from an author in all my years of listening.

[Rob Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever wondered what it would be like it Avengers Infinity War was done in an urban fantasy style full of demons, gods, magic, and minotaurs?... No? Well Josh Erikson has you covered anyway!

Fate Lashed is the follow-up to Hero Forged. My guess is book 3 will be called something like God Touched or God Bound or something. I'm calling it! I listened to the book on audible and it was read by the author himself who really does a damned good job of it.

Book 2 picks up pretty close to where book 1 left off. Conman and living ex-machina, Gabe and his best friend the succubus, Heather are living a life of seclusion as they prepare for what is undoubtedly to come. They joke and flirt and fill the scenes with sexual tension, all while getting into ridiculous amounts of trouble. Their relationship really is quite a lot of fun and is a major focus of the book.

But the easy life can't last. Soon the pair are thrust into a cosmic scavenger hunt for a magical doohickey that can alter the fate of all reality. Along the way we meet some new friends, some new enemies, and a couple of quite creepy old ones. There's hyjinks, plenty of action, and also a lot of emotion. This one certainly goes out of its way to tug on the ol' heart strings.

So I've said before I'm really not a fan of Urban Fantasy in general. Before these books I've been able to count the number of series I've liked on two fingers. But I really did find myself engrossed in these two books. The characters are likable, even when they're being obnoxious. The story is engaging and fun. And it alternates well between taking itself seriously and not.

Honestly, my only gripe (and this is most likely completely personal) is that some of the references to popular media felt forced.

So if you've read book 1... I highly suggest reading book 2. If you like Urban Fantasy, I highly recommend giving this series a try. And if you don't like Urban Fantasy, why not give it a try anyways.

4 stars.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review is here on my blog!~

This is the continuing adventure of Gabe, a conman from the midwest who was inadvertently pulled into the world of the supernatural when he gets a very powerful evil god stuck in his head.

Gabe and Heather are recovering from the events of book one, trying to lay low since there’s a pretty sizable bounty on their heads, but are hired by a group of witches and tasked with breaking into an unbreakable vault to collect an item before anyone else does.

They are teamed up with a minotaur with anger-management issues, a hexen (sort of like a shaman, I think), an ancient spectre, and her granddaughter, a human scholar. They are tasked with first retrieving a magical artifact, which is used to get into the unbreakable vault, and then getting there before the aforementioned evil god who no longer resides in Gabe’s head can get there so that he can’t get all of his evil shenanigans under way.

This was a well written and fast paced sequel, and I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I didn’t find that I latched onto it quite as hard as I latched onto Hero Forged. Not at first anyway. By about the halfway point though, I was hooked! It was an exciting romp through a few different locales with all kinds of baddies on their tails.

Gabe and Heather are still together but not really together, and this one added a bit of a third wheel to that entire scenario, which I wasn’t a huge fan of, at first. I didn’t especially love Lorelei as a character, and it seemed unnecessary to have her in the middle of the other two. The whole triangle ended up uh… actually really kind of weird as well, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t bother me overmuch. I still enjoyed myself quite thoroughly.

This one was something like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom meets a Final Fantasy game. I often think that many books would make really great movies, but I think that this series would make an amazing anime. Someone should get on that!

The narration was again awesome. Josh Erikson puts emotion where it needs to be, and emphasis where it needs to be. That’s one of the pros of having an author be the narrator. Not all authors are good narrators though, but I’m glad to say that this is one author narrator who pulls it off very well! The last 1/4 or so of this book was full of emotion and I got suitably misty-eyed.

And so, all told, this was a really fun sequel to Hero Forged, which forges the way (#notsorry) for many, many more adventures for Gabe and Heather and whichever company of odd heroes they manage to recruit when the time comes. I definitely had 4.5/5 stars of fun with this one. Can’t wait for more!

This review is based on a review copy of the audiobook. :)

[Rusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year, Hero Forged by Josh Erikson surprised a lot of people (myself included). As a debut novel, the book was well received and became a semi-finalist in the current SPFBO contest. I was especially impressed with the audiobook, especially since the author self-narrated it.

In Fate Lashed, we pick up where the last story left off after Gabe and Heather have spent a brief time in seclusion. Unfortunately for them, that time of quiet comes to an abrupt end, and the two of them find themselves in a the-fate-of-the-world-is-on-your-shoulders situation. They are quickly enlisted to join a team to retrieve a long-lost artifact that is believed to hold much power. To reach that goal we meet many new allies, new enemies, and others that we never know for certain whether they are friend or foe. Plus, a number of the characters from Hero Forged are back.

What makes this book most impressive is that it takes some key elements that worked very well in Hero Forged and dials each of them in to be even better in Fate Lashed.

Of particular appeal to me are the excerpts from Gabe’s book-in-writing called ConScience, many of which are as though his words are spoken directly to the reader. Honestly, this is one of the parts of the audiobook that appealed to me the most. These passages come off as vulnerable, honest, personal and at times therapeutic. In these glimpses into the mind and heart of Gabe his words express a depth that goes far deeper than the persona he shows to everyone else. Much of the writing in Fate Lashed (as in Hero Forged before it) is very conversational and authentic, and these are the points when that shines the most.

In addition to the ConScience excerpts, we see so many layers to who Gabe is becoming. He still has the same sass and wit, but there is so much more to him. We see him questioning the core of who he is. What does he want in life? Does he want a relationship, and with who? Can he be something other than a selfish con-man? What will he do with some power? What matters most to him? Why does he tend to put himself down so easily? In some ways, Gabe offers himself as a mirror to let readers see the best and worst of themselves, while quietly encouraging us all to be better than we are. It is so easy to cheer for this guy.

This book is very much more action-based than the former book both in frequency and scale. In general, this isn’t necessarily good news for me, and there were some times when it was a bit much, but these scenes were well done and featured a motley crew of interesting monsters and creatures.

Overall this is a great new Urban Fantasy series by an up-and-coming author. Do yourself a favor: if possible, listen to the audiobooks for this series. The author/narrator gives each character his/her/its own voice and puts so much personality into each line. Plus, the writing style of the book somewhat seems like it was written so that it would be read out loud.

Bravo, Mr. Erikson! You are now 2 for 2. This was highly enjoyable and I will quickly swoop up book #3. I highly recommend this book. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

(I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

[Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a fantastic sequel to Hero Forged. Loved it. Review to come.

[Calvin Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to the author for providing an ARC for review.

Josh Erikson has given us a sequel that improves on everything the first book did well. 2018’s Hero Forged was a uniquely styled urban fantasy that provided readers a great deal of fun. 2019’s Fate Lashed takes everything that Erikson did in his debut and turns it up to 11. From the cinematic quality of the prose to the deep character development to the witty banter, Erikson’s second novel hits perfectly in nearly every way.

It’s difficult to know exactly where to start singing Erikson’s praises as it regards this novel. From the very first pages we’re presented with an astoundingly well-voiced main character. The third person limited perspective is done so well that there were moments talking about the book with others when I had to pause and really think about whether the book was written in first person or third person. Gabe’s internal thoughts are done incredibly well. This allows humor to come off perfectly. The entire novel is wonderfully humorous without becoming a comedy. There are moments that approach just on the far side of breaking the fourth wall, but never cross the line. The strong character voice doesn’t only benefit the humor and tone of the book, it also allows for brilliant character development. Erikson has done a stellar job of allowing us to see Gabe grow. We see growth for him not merely as a character on a page or as someone who is learning more about the world in which he lives, but as a human being. This feeling of growth as a person is part of what makes Fate Lashed connect so well.

The plot itself is also beautifully crafted and amazingly well-paced. While I criticized Hero Forged for having some pacing problems in the end game, Fate Lashed is perfectly paced throughout the entire novel. The final 30% flew by for me and the ending had me laughing at moments and aching at others. The prose is nothing short of cinematic and I could easily see Fate Lashed being turned into a movie—preferably an anime. Just a couple of these elements coming together would have made an excellent read. Erikson’s ability to pull all these things together and execute on them so well is what truly sets this novel apart.

The criticisms I have are few and far between. There is a bit of a love triangle in parts, and my own feelings on love triangles are decidedly against. I also continue to long for more explanation on how in the world magic actually works. Not only do I enjoy magic in fantasy, and learning how that magic works, but magical stuff plays an important enough role in this novel that there were a couple times that I felt like Gabe’s inability to use magic was a convenient plot device more than a logical or reasonable result of the way magic worked.

Don’t hesitate to pick up Fate Lashed as soon as you can. It’s wonderfully humorous and witty, a brilliantly crafted story with a pulse-pounding finale. The voice and cinematic quality of the prose are outstanding. Yet in all of this, it’s also a deeply personal story about the life of Gabriel Delling—and I think that’s what makes it work so well.

4.5/5 stars.

5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing

[Jon Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best Urban Fantasy series going today. Get in.

[Filip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josh Erikson continues to amaze with this follow up to one of the finest urban fantasy debuts out there. Fate Lashed picks up from where Hero Forged closed, with protagonist Gabe and his faithful partner-in-crime, the succubus Heather trying to learn more about the mysterious powers possessed by the cocky conman with a heart of gold.

I listened to the audiobook, kindly offered to me by the author in return for an honest review. What I found was a continuity of all the voices from the first book, as well as a variety of new, unique voices for many of the newcomers. Josh Erikson again voices this one, if that wasn’t clear already and I am continually astonished by his range – he has talent in spades, and I would be happy if someone paid him to read other books, as well. The voice of Akamanah continues to be a blast to listen to, he’s just so delightfully evil. Slimy, sinister Philip, too…but I could go on and on all day long; Josh nails every single character, imbuing them with life only the way their author could.
While Hero Forged took its time to set up the world, Fate Lashed doesn’t pull any punches – the action starts early on and does not let off as the book progresses well into its sixteen hours or 375 pages. Gabe is no longer quite the freshly faced newcomer to the supernatural world of the Umbra. Though he’s by no means an expert, he now takes most of the reality-warping madness that makes its way into his life in stride. What more can a guy ask for, really?

The emotional heart of the novel is the relationship between Gabe and Heather. Whenever they’re working to save each other’s skins, bickering like an old married couple, having a heart-to-heart conversation that leaves much untold, these two characters have an enormous amount of chemistry going on between them. The “will they, won’t they” trope is well-known but Josh makes it feel fresh; whether because one half of this relationship is a succubus or because he’s got a knack for the kind of dialogue that’s thick with unspoken meaning, I can’t quite decide. Maybe it’s both these factoring into it. But one thing’s for sure, the development of this relationship is even more rewarding here than in Hero Forged.

I was quite pleased with the plot. Great factions within Umbra society are angling to gain an item of cosmic importance, the Igla; to that end, the leader of the Crones, Esme, has entered into an agreement with two other Umbra factions, one represented by your friendly neighbourhood evil god, Akamanah, the other – by salesman-next-door type of mystery-man, Phillip (if the personality and name remind you of this reviewer, it’s mere coincidence). The agreement? Choose human champions and set them one against the other in a race to decide which of these three faction will wield the reality-altering artifact.

Gabe and Heather are, quickly wrapped up into serving the interests of about all three of these factions (and a smaller faction, to spare!), but they’re not alone. Mutambe, a hexen (minor sorcerer using hexes and trickery), the leader of the team Gabe and Heather agree to work for; Dante, a minotaur who definitely doesn’t look like Dante from Devil May Cry but, I’ve been told by author Josh Erikson, will strike out on his own in upcoming series Revenant May Die*; and Lorelei, the grand-daughter of an Umbra and capable academic scholar whose abilities are invaluable in the search for the Igla. Some excellent team dynamics are on display, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the members of this team move forward come whatever’s next for the Ethereal Earth series.
Of the twists I saw coming along the way, all of them did an excellent job of developing the characters further and moving events swiftly along in an exciting direction. Those that I didn’t see coming were even more thrilling and well set up along the way, on reflection.

Erikson delivers masterful pacing with every chapter – not a dull moment is to be had, our group of characters forced from one conflict into the next, many of the entirely unexpected.
I went through this novel as a buddy read with Timy from RockStarlit BookAsylum(check her blog out!) It’s nice to have someone to talk through different points of the book, and swap thoughts and theories with. I did some serious theorycrafting as to the cosmic order of things in the Ethereal Earth series, based on what we have so far seen, and Timy humoured me for the better part of twenty minutes. Thanks, Timy!

Without further ado, I give this novel a 5/5! Fate Lashed is a solid read with excellent characters and dialogue, non-stop action, and a world you’ll enjoy diving into time and time again!

You might enjoy this novel if:
• You like a good, solid urban fantasy with a dash of Indiana Jones-y adventure;
• You are possessed by a need to discover amazing audiobooks;
• You’re looking to cope with reality after a god’s left a god-sized hole in your head;
• You’re just generally sad and find Josh Erikson’s voice soothing and entertaining enough to draw you out of the haze of daily existence;
• Y—what the hell, who wrote that last one, these are supposed to be mildly amusing!
• And more, prob’ly!

*I might’ve made up the bit about Revenant May Die but I’m hoping that this review will inspire yet more greatness in Josh Erikson.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hero Forged made me smile and cheer for Gabe. Fate Lashed continues his misadventures in an equally humorous way.

Gabe would love to live a regular life, but cosmic forces and Umbras have different plans for him. His new mission is simple - he needs to recover Igla, the key to the universe, and save whole creation. Easy-peasy. 

Helped by his succubus friend/girlfriend Heather and a group of weird companions (stunning Asian scholar, a mythical beast, and a Hexen), Gabe needs to steal stuff, talk his way out of troubles and decide whom to trust.

I’ll be frank - Fate Lashed didn’t resonate with me the way Hero Forged did, probably because I had no emotional attachment to the wide cast of new characters. Constant jokes felt tiring in places and weakened some twists. But because this is Erikson, the novel has an emotional center that keeps it grounded and focused. The first book brought Gabe and Heather together. The sequel shows them trying to figure out what’s really between them.  

The story that unfolds leads them to test their strange relationship against impossible obstacles.  Ancient gods, Umbras, mythical creatures, monsters all want to get Igla, and things get insane. The novel embraces horror, heist and comedy but doesn’t drown in it. It takes notes and makes them into something its own. We also get a solid development for both Gabe and Heather, and the strong ending opens a lot of exciting possibilities for sequels.

While it doesn’t land every joke, it also elicited no groans. Fate Lashed has enough heart and depth to make it more than a worthy follow-up to the original.

[Kevin Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

And Josh Erikson does it again!

The first thing you need to understand is I'm not normally a fan of urban fantasy. The tropes, protagonists, and lack of world building depth typical of the genre just don't usually appeal to me.

Similarly, I generally tend to steer clear of fiction audiobooks read by the author. I've seen a lot of authors who think they should narrate their own books, and it's usually because they feel they know how everything (and everyone) is supposed to sound and don't want an uninvested narrator to "mess it up."

The thing many of these authors miss is that a big part of the fun of audiobooks is getting to listen to someone else's interpretation of the book. In some ways (much like a movie), it's like experiencing an entirely different story.

That said, however, Josh is a fantastic narrator! His voices are top notch, his vocal inflections are almost flawless, and his tempo changes are perfect.

More than that, though, his exact tonal changes don't always perfectly reflect the text. It's almost like he has somehow divorced himself from what he knows about the story as the author and has reinterpreted the whole thing as a narrator to provide a whole new experience!

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. If Josh's books weren't so damned amazing, he could have a brilliant career as a professional narrator or voice actor!


Now for the story.

I honestly don't know what I was expecting from this book, but it certainly wasn't what I got! This is such a fantastic story!

After Hero Forged, I had serious concerns about how he could possibly step it up. The story, the stakes, the scope, the conflict of the first book were so awesome, so epic, I expected that for sure this one would fall short.

Well, in true Josh Erikson fashion, every one of my expectations was blown completely out of the water and shattered into a million pieces.

The sheer epic scope of this story is mind-boggling!

Now, is the prose flawless? Is the grammar perfect?
No.
But with the POV style of the book (very tight third person), it absolutely works and doesn't detract from the story one little bit.

I'm not normally fond of chapter titles or headings, or bonus text at chapter openings. I find they usually contain spoilers, and I have a hard enough time being surprised without them.

I love the chapter openings in this series, however. Through these excerpts of the main character's fictional non-fiction book, "Con Science," we get these wonderful glimpses into Gabe's psyche and motivations and it adds so much to him as a character!

And speaking of Gabe.
Generally, I don't appreciate character contradictions and inconsistencies. In most books, these come off as sloppy. They feel like mistakes or writing inconsistencies.

Not so here.

Here we have a protagonist that prides himself on his pragmatic belief that heroes are idiots who get people killed, yet constantly finds himself heroically protecting or saving the people he cares about.

Similarly, he's this anti-confrontational guy who just wants to find the loophole to get out of every situation, yet has this deep-seated honorable streak (that he almost constantly tries to deny) that brings him to the head of almost every conflict.

On the surface, these contradictions could easily seem like glaring mistakes in the writing. But with how Gabe is written, all of this comes together to create this awesomely complex, conflicted character that (when I don't want to slap him) I can't help rooting for, crying for, and laughing with (or in some cases at!).

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say this. The plot line of this story is hugely epic (absolutely a worthy successor to Hero Forged), the world building gets deeper and more immersive, and we get to see an impressive array of new magical abilities and phenomenal new plot twists that will keep the best of us guessing.

I love the new characters (Um, hello, can you say MINOTAUR!), I love the deeper dive into Gabe and Heather, and I absolutely love the further development of the villains.

To say nothing of those who I'm not actually sure yet if they are villains or not!

And finally, the ending. I mean, wow. Just. Wow.

If you've read Brandon Sanderson then you've read books by an author who really knows how to stick an ending. And I'm here to tell you that Josh Erikson does it better!

I can't even imagine where this series is eventually going to go, but I have supreme confidence that when we get there the series finale is going to completely blow my mind!

Now I just have to wait for the next book to be published!
(and the next, and the next)

[Wolfmantula · Rating 5 out of 5]

For more reviews, go to www.wolfmantula.com/book-reviews
Follow me on Twitter @wolfmantula

📖/🎧 Kindle Whispersync

The story starts 4 months after Hero Forged. Gabe, who is now with Heather and a group of special colleagues, makes a blood contract to go on a quest to find a legendary artifact to save the world (cliché yes, even the author admits it, which makes it all the better) while being attacked by all kinds of creatures sent by Aka Manah, some of which, I had to look up to see what they were. This is Urban fantasy mixed with supernatural at its finest, and low-key progression fantasy.

“The wise man treats every meal as his last, and savors the sauce of mortality.”

Erikson has honed his writing skills in such a short period that Fate Lashed doesn’t feel like it’s just his second book. It feels like more than just a year and several books have passed between Hero Forged and Fate Lashed with how much improvement has been made. That is not a slight, because I thought Hero Forged was great!

“We live in a dichotomous world. We laud humility but reward egotism. We painstakingly insulate ourselves from danger but love living it vicariously. We hate fear but seek it like a drug.”

It’s hysterical with Gabe and Heather’s quick-witted, snarky comebacks. It’s fast-paced and has a bunch of exciting action scenes that kept my eyes glued to my phone and ears focused in on what was happening. The pacing was fantastic as well, there was never a dull moment and everything seemed to happen at the perfect time. The character development of Gabe is probably what stands out the most in this sequel, as his growth as a person and as a friend while coming into his own, learning how to fight and use magic, makes this even more special.

“We all believe we’re the heroes of our own stories, and that’s true as far as generic platitudes go. But if you look closely enough, you might be surprised to discover you’re also the villain of it.”

Kudos to Erikson, who once again, does a fantastic job narrating his own book. This was really was a top notch job! There were some spots near the end that really made you feel the emotions of the characters involved that gave me a bit of goosebumps.

[BriarGrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fate Lashed is an excellent addition to the Hero Forged family, so if you loved Josh Erikson's first book (Hero Forged), then get right on to reading this. If you haven't read Hero Forged, now you know you have 2 excellent books in a series and more to come. This is a fun and fresh take on urban fantasy, and in Fate Lashed we get to learn more about the Ether and the Umbra, Gabe and Heather are back, and we have some new characters -- like a freakin' minotaur. Our hero's resident snark is intact, but as the stakes get amped up, will he be able to keep up? You'll find out when you read Fate Lashed!

Note - I discovered the book via TBRindr and received an advance copy.

[Ridel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detail Missed

Fate Lashed improves on the author’s Hero Forged debut. The pacing is spot on, getting quickly into the plot and minimizing the mundane aspects of the protagonist’s life. Three additional viewpoints keep up the tension while expanding the scope. These secondary characters are much better than the previous one-dimensional villain. However, I also raise the quality bar for sequels, and while the foreshadowing remains clumsy and twists obvious, it’s the worldbuilding I take issue with.

Fate Lashed introduces a supernatural equivalent of the United Nations, but membership is ill-defined, and the politics are simplistic. We’re told this gathering is important, but what we’re shown is the opposite. Only five distinct individuals get a speaking role, three of whom we already know. The result feels narrow-minded and low-budget. Similarly, authorities such as the Knights of Soloman and their Chinese counterparts are alleged to police these superpowered individuals, but even ignoring their incompetence, there’s not enough detail for these organizations to feel real. Many factions feel static. If the main plot doesn’t focus on them, they don’t take any initiative and act. The author is stingy with the details when he should be generous.

Much of this stems from wishy-washy magic. This sequel focuses more on combat, but the reader never grasps the core principles. The protagonist is unique because he’s a cheater, but we don’t know the rules! The author wanted to keep the hero in the dark, but failed to leverage the additional POVs to inform the reader. As a result, when the protagonist is clever and applies his con artist talents to the magical realm, it comes across as forced contrivances and plot armour. Fate Lashed corrects many of its predecessor’s flaws, but the author's attempts to expand the supernatural world fall short. In his hurry to trim the fat and keep the novel lean, he forgot the exposition.

Recommended, with Reservations.

[RealF0x · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars out of 5

Fate Lashed in my opinion was a step up from Hero Forged, Fate Lashed starts with a bang(literally) and keeps its momentum throughout the book, and Gabe actually is a part of the adventure and does help, unlike most of the first book in which he was mostly along for the ride.
Heather is still a kickass and the new characters were all interesting in their own way(I especially liked Dante the Minotaur and Lorelei.some characters though like Reznik were still a little two dimensional and had no depth to them.

Gabe grows as a character and it was funny how he repeatedly denies that he is doing the right thing by giving excuses.
Gabe and Heather's relationship wasn't definable by the start of this book and still isn't at the end but it is obvious that Gabe loves her despite the brief relationship between Gabe and Lorelei.

Summary: every big power is after Igla(which is a linchpin of reality and thus very powerful) and to avoid total destruction the big powers agree to each pick an avatar and whoever avatars gets the Igla he decides what to do with it. Gabe and Heather get drag into this and after many adventures and betrayals(the most painful one by Lorelei), Gabe absorbs the Igla through the Qi dragon(which was the key to opening the temple that Igla was in it and gets branded into Gabe's hand) with the help of Aka Manah(who has his own plans for sure). Heather dies defending Gabe but Gabe manage to resummon her again in Lorelei's body(a bit creepy).

P.S:
I feel i have done injustice if I didn't mention the experts at the beginning of each chapter. the overall quality and theme of them was amazing and incredibly touching.

[Jonathan Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars

[Gabriel d'Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly fun and interesting. I really want to see to where this story goes.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author provided me an advanced copy for an honest review.

Hero Forged was my favorite self-published urban fantasy of last year, so I was extremely eager to read the next in the series. After much contemplation, I ended up just liking this sequel.

We return to Gabe and Heather's world on a quest to retrieve an extremely powerful artifact that could disrupt the livelihood of everyone on the planet. Retrieving this item will reward them with a hefty bounty - enough money to live extravagantly for the rest of their lives. There's no way they can turn it down, and of course, they don't. Along the way, they'll gather more teammates, battle skilled villains, and figure out their complicated relationship.

Much of what I enjoyed in the first book returns in Fate Lashed. Gabe and Heather are still that excellent duo sharing witty remarks between each other. The action sequences are well done and interesting. At one point, they're basically doing battle in a museum that haves them taking advantage of their surroundings. Their quest is also high stakes. Instead of Gabe attempting to save his own life, the retrieval of this artifact may protect everyone on Earth. The writing has remained excellent as I had hoped.

New characters are introduced to accompany the duo on their quest - a beastly minotaur, an attractive, quiet, and intelligent artifact expert, and a commanding hex soldier. There are several groups competing to capture this artifact, including the returning Aka Manah who is inhabiting the body of Gabe's father.

So what didn't work for me? Mostly, it came to little progress being made in Gabe's knowledge and skill of magic and his relationship with Heather. The dynamic relationship between the duo that is prevalent in parts of the book are filled with enjoyable quips and interactions, but most of the book features the rest of the cast of characters. When Gabe and Heather do appear together, it can often become awkward with Gabe not knowing how to handle the relationship. This is further complicated with the introduction of the other female team member, and basically diverts into a love triangle that is more reminiscent of a teenage obsession rather a relationship between two thirty-something adults. The story mostly takes place in China, yet the setting is forgettable and the unique characteristics of the country and culture could have been more prominent. The rest of the cast of characters become mostly obsolete by the end of the story, and it doesn't seem like their companions will be making a comeback in future novels, which makes the time spent with them seem less fulfilling.

This is the second book in a planned ten book series, so my gripes can be a bit understood as the world is still developing and major events and developments can't occur too quickly, yet I still wished this book had longer lasting effects. The book even mentions how the reader should be annoyed because the magic system is not explained, yet instead of making me empathetic, made me more disappointed in that I have to wait to understand it more.

The world still intrigues me, the writing is still excellent, and the duo are still engaging, so I'll for sure be continuing the series despite not being in love with this entry.

[Jim strange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast and a Furious

This is a wonderfully confused, crazy, and cynical romp. Bringing together the twists and turns of a mystery with the crazed characters and mayhem of dungeons and dragons quest, the author takes you on a wild ride where reality is not at all what it seems.

[Gordon Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do wish otherwise good writers would stop trying so hard to be creative. Let’s take “Fate Lashed” as an example. It’s a non-standard love triangle driven by a main character with commitment issues. It’s also a classic Modern Epic Fantasy containing huge numbers of supernatural beings of varying levels of power, with the fate of the universe at stake. This leads to a whole lot of wonderful battle scenes, lovingly described in intense detail.

The main character is a classic archetype: a human with magic powers that he can’t seem to summon except when they choose to show up. This leads to all sorts of trouble, between the uncertainties of his ability to hold his own in the clinch, and the reaction of other characters when he comes through or fails to come through.

And then there’s his relationship with the other main character, a succubus with an amazingly human personality. The two of them relate through an entertaining and never-ending joust with words, as he strives to maintain a human-like relationship by not succumbing to her magical charms. Great stuff.
But then Mr. Erikson has to get creative. First there’s a prologue about an initiate climbing a mountain to achieve nirvana or whatever. When he reaches his goal, it’s not exactly like he expected. All very entertaining, but we never see this setting or this character again in the story. Red herring number one.

Then there’s the opening to every chapter, which is a segment from a book supposedly written by the main character about events which happened either before or after the present tale, we’re not sure which. After a while the reader begins to suspect that the author is using this as an excuse to insert his own ideas and impressions into the story, instead of letting the characters show us.

Then, once in a while, there are a few further insertions that happen “Elsewhere” which confuse us even more.

However, once we plough through all this extraneous setup material and the story gets going, it really rocks. So, I went back and checked. If you were to pull all the extra material out, it wouldn’t affect the story at all. Except for an annoying habit the main character has of stopping in the middle of the tensest moment for a page’s worth of agonizing about why he is in this situation and how he got here and what he could have done differently, this is a good story, with lots of action and empathetic characters. The interpersonal conflict is especially enjoyable, and the dialogue is sharp and often witty.

This is a very good writer who needs to learn to trust his narrative voice and stop trying to impress us with supplemental intellect and creativity. Believe me, it just gets in the way.

This book was originally reviewed on the Reedsy Discovery site.

[Steph Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I beta read this novel and received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review is unbiased and represents my own personal opinions.*

As a Dresden Files fan I can confidently say that I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, Hero Forged. This second book in the series is even better!

I’d recommend reading the first book first, because a) I have literary OCD and cannot understand why you wouldn’t read a series in order and b) you would miss out on the fantastic character development and worldbuilding that the author is layering book-on-book.

Gabe and Heather return for a new adventure that is way over Gabe’s competence level (zero) and above Heather’s pay grade (also zero), as usual. And they muddle through it with the now-familiar blend of quick-thinking, unexpected action and witty banter that has become their trademark style (like a certain Chicago-based wizard, or Sunnydale-based slayer).

The stakes are, naturally, higher and instead of defying a mad, evil god they have to embark on an epic quest to find a mythical artefact that might help to stave off the end of the world as we know it. Whilst still also dealing with a mad, evil god. Well, someone’s gotta do it!

If you like your urban fantasy to be fast-paced, action-packed, surprisingly touching at times, and rife with sarcastic humour, then look no further… this is the author you’re looking for.



“Aww, did the little lady hurt the great big man?” She asked as she reached out and gently touched his chest.
Gabe scoffed. “You’re no more a ‘lady’ than I am ‘great’ or ‘big’. Let’s focus on the imminent danger, huh?”
“I just feel like we spent an awful lot of effort working on your fighting skills for such a poor showing the first time out,” she replied.
“If you can’t handle this guy, how are you going to face anything scarier?”
“A month is not that long,” he said. “And you taught me a little Tai chi and sword stuff, so don’t act like you uploaded kungfu directly into my brain. If the guy had pulled out a katana maybe it would have gone better. But you of all people should know that I’m still pretty well useless for anything we’ll realistically run into. Why do you think I keep hanging around you?”

– Josh Erikson, Fate Lashed

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
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[John Gerber · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is rare that there is not somewhat a lull in the second book in a series. "Fate Lashed" is the exception. It builds on the first book, "Hero Forged" and ratchet it up for a great story that the reader is bound to enjoy. Never think that you have author Josh Erikson figured out, as he puts one plot twist after another into his tales. In the end, the twisting ideas and realities make sense. Well, as much as anything can make sense that deal with fate, gods, etc. Just know that Josh will not let you down.

There are many elements if you told me "I am writing a story, and I am going to structure it this way and on the audible and I am going to read it," I would have cautioned the author against. The story and author seem determined to prove the expected ways are not always the right path to take. I do not want to include any spoilers. So let us use for example (for audible fans) address an author who reads their own book? That is like being your own lawyer. Yet, Josh Erikson makes it work. At this point, there is no one who can represent these characters better in audible then Josh.

The characters are wonderful. New and interesting characters are introduced and old favorites (who you likely hate) come back. They all make for a great high adventure tale with lots of twists. Finally, Josh Erikson stays true to Gabe and Heather, who in the end are the two main characters readers will keep coming back to the series to enjoy their interactions and adventures together. If you enjoyed the first book, you are going to love "Fate Lashed." My only complaint, I wish I was coming late to the series and all the books were already written and ready to be enjoyed.

[Paul Henderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series from Josh Erickson and it is better than the first in two ways. One, it introduces and develops more characters into the mix and the interactions between them are beginning to pay dividends. I care more about the characters now, and seeing Gabe in reaction to other characters who are not throwaways helps to give him depth. The wise-cracking relationship between Gabe and Heather is still mostly cliche in a Ginger Rogers Fred Astaire way, if occasionally amusing, but it feels more authentic at this point.

There is also an enhanced world building in this book that picks up and expands where the first one started. The introduction and expansion of the various factions in the Ether is a development that will pay off in future books and adds to the richness of the magical landscape.

The problem in the writing of the first still remains however as Erickson has not gotten any better at writing action scenes. They are uniformly too long and nearly impossible to follow and visualize. Even though they are taking place with magical items in an setting often outside reality the writer has to give the reader enough references and cues to believe that the fight is plausible and that the stakes are high.

There is also a lot of plotting and running from one fight to another in the mode of a video game. It is a tactic that is referred to in the text itself as Gabe refers to battle with Bosses and his skill at gaming, but as a plot device in a novel it gets tedious. The events can seem to be strung together to show a character simply leveling up as he defeats level after level of bad guy.

As of March 2021 there is at least one book after this one in the series.

[Cody Wachsmuth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This genre frequently presents with two dimensional characters in colorful worlds, as if many of the authors haven't actually met and gotten to know real people so they don't know how to write them. Female characters end up faring the worst from this issue. So when I picked up this book to find that the main female character was a sex demon... and that the audiobook was narrated by the author himself (something I've only heard Neil Gaiman do successfully) I almost returned the book and moved on, but I didn't, and I'm glad. The characters are three dimensional, something that I think comes from the slightly longer than average books for the genre. The author even apologizes for the lengths on his website, while saying he's not going to stop or shorten them, to which I say: thank God.
There's many reasons why I've stopped reading the over-rated Dresden Files, and Erikson somehow manages to draw heavy influences from Butcher without also being influenced by Jim's love of churning out books without a shred of character development. And the main character isn't a complete insufferable sexist (lookin' at you, Dresden).
Is it perfect? No. But it is a breath of fresh air and a wonderful story. This sequel did not disappoint.
Thank you, Josh Erikson.

[Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: +7/10

Another cracking read in the series. Seamlessly transitions and still retains the pace with a couple of new twists. Kinda Tomb Raider'esque feel to the book.

Writing/Plot/Pace: +7/10

Writing continues smoothly similar to book 1. Pacey and action packed from cover to cover. Though the plot hasn't progressed as much as I'd have liked. Most of book was on a quest, that at the end is only a step and we don't get to see the next stage of the plot, which is a tad disappointing. Rather than moving to next stage, we feel like we've just finished Level 2 in same stage. Though the setting is a bit novel, the lack of overall progress is prominent after finishing. Still....there's enough to hook you into reading the final book.

Characters: +6/10

This is my biggest gripe. L:overable as they may be, the character development is stagnant. Gabe's helpless smartass persona is starting to wear thin and the supporting cast has no development either. There is no maturity individually or collectively. Hopefully next book improves on this.