David Estes’s – Fatemarked (book 1 of the series) was an amazing read. A high fantasy based series, with brilliant characters and wonderful plot lines, several layers thick. The plots covered a swath of main characters, that I enjoyed immensely. My personal favorites were Gwen and Roan. I give the first book a 4/5.
With a name like Fatemarked, it expectantly, brings the reader through our own fate. Are we the maters of our compass? Or, does some bigger picture out of our view, bring us to precise points in time for a higher purpose? A question that’s been chewed over for centuries already and will continue well after we pass on from this place.
*Alert* Spoilers past this point. *
In book 1, Fatemarked, we are introduced to a new world comprised of various countries in endless years of war. ‘Fatemaked’ humans are created, with peculiar markings on their skin, bestowing them with unique abilities. Some can control fire, while some are made of stone and difficult to kill, while others, (The Peacekeeper) can heal. I enjoyed the variations in geography and climates, particularly the Iron Forest, the northern frozen tundra to the southern deserts of the of Phanes.
The land is overrun by a Hundred Years War e every region of the four kingdoms is at war with some other region, just because that’show it’s been so long. No one remembers what peace felt like and generation after generation continues the viscous circle of killing each other.
Roan Loren is our main character for this book and we discover that, fatemarked, he can heal himself from any grievous wounds. He can also use it to heal other people. We also meet Bane, fatemmarked with death and a deadly ability to kill without mercy. A long forgotten prophesy by the Oracle, declares that peace will return to the four kingdoms with Bane and Roan working together towards this goal. As opposing sides of the human spectrum, life and death, they have no choice but to find a way to work together. Bane must kill 8 war mongering rulers, 2 from each kingdom, according to the prophesy.
Bane and Roan become difficult for each other as Bane attempts to kill one of Roan’s friends, the prince of the King of the East. Roan refuses to let him die and injects enough life back into him that he eventually recovers. The duo spend much of the book at odds with each other over what is right and wrong.
This book is filled with a great sense of humor and I enjoyed the comebacks between characters. I can’t wait to finish the rest of the series.
