Chelsea Humphrey's Reviews > Fortuna Sworn

"Fallen. I hadn't had to use that term in ages. Every species-faeries, werewolves, shapeshifters, nymphs-were descended from angels. No one knew whether it was mutation or evolution that had separated us."

Hello, and welcome to my newest obsession. Yes, we've all read countless fantasy tales in the midst of the faerie boom, but Kelsey Sutton has brought something new to the table. While she's borrowed a dash of folk lore from here and a smattering of angsty romance from there, the real standout quality of this new series is her protagonist: Fortuna Sworn, a Nightmare and last of her kind. What is a Nightmare you might ask?

"Nightmares don't sit on their victims' chests as they sleep, like it describes on Wikipedia or in books; once I touch my victims there's no need to maintain physical contact."



Basically, a Nightmare is another supernatural creature that, once he or she makes physical contact with you, they can sense your deepest, darkest fears and make you feel as if you are experiencing them. Surprisingly, Fortuna and her brother Damon were raised by decent parents who taught them only to use their powers in the most dire of situations; anything more or less and you become the monster they fear you are. Also, lying is a no no. Now that we've got that down pat, let's move along.

The premise here is that Fortuna's brother, Damon, went missing a couple of years ago and no one has seen him since-meaning no body has turned up-which has caused Fortuna to never stop searching for him. One day, a mysterious stranger arrives at our main character's place of work and offers her a bargain: in exchange for her hand in marriage, this being will take Fortuna to her brother. What follows is a descent into danger and chaos, both literal and figurative.

I don't want to give anything away, but it's safe to admit that this book has a lot of fae activity going on. I love how it felt a little darker and more mature than some of the YA faerie books being published, and while we received a lot on information in this installment, there are some major threads that need answering in the next book, which I'm desperately looking forward to. My only concern was with the trials that Fortuna has to pass in the second half of the book; they felt very similar to the ones that Feyre has to endure in A Court of Thorns and Roses, and I'd have liked the final trial to have been something a bit more unique. Overall, I adored this book and am anxiously awaiting the second!

*Many thanks to the author for providing my copy.