The Fates are here, people. And they mean business.

All the feels I have right now are rattling around my brain making it impossible for me to be subtle about anything. So let me give a brief breakdown of why this book is pure awesome.

Greek motherfucking mythology! (see? no subtlety. I just can’t.)
It’s what I’m all about and this book delivers.

You like the tale of The Fates?
It’s here. (And just plain brilliant.)
It’s not something I knew a lot about and I was pleased to learn more about it.

Kickass heroines with a light trigger finger?
Meet Ava.
She’ll mope around one minute and then burn the skin from your face the next. She’s a tad off kilter, but considering her past, I think you’d understand.

Sexy heroes who get things heated and then stop abruptly?
Ari, the gentleman.
Oh, Lord help us. He is just amazing. I don’t find one fault in the boy. (But considering who his parents are, I guess you couldn’t!)

Strong family situations that make you cry?
The Alexanders and all the other Greek family members are simply a heartwarming crowd.
It reminded me of the family from My Big Fat Greek Wedding and I just fell completely in love with every single one of them. Ari’s parents are the perfect models on how to raise your kids. They are lenient where need be and strict when it comes to important shit. They get stuff done.

Adorable sidekicks, best friends, and difficult ex-girlfriends?
Mrs. Mann has you covered in every area possible. Meet August, Rory, and Julia.
Very rarely does a book get the characters right on every mark, but this one does. I could honestly read an entire book about Rory and be absolutely content. I love him. If I can’t have an Ari, I want a Rory.

Exceptional writing that delivers on every level?
Welcome. You’ve come to the right place.
The story is weaved phenomenally and it was hard to put this book down. I found myself thinking about it at work and wishing I had brought my Kindle with me. (I missed the latest episode of Pretty Little Liars to read this. I deliberately missed it. That means something.)

Cliffhangers that make you want to drown your e-reader in the nearest Siren’s lagoon?
Unfortunately, yes. (But so worth it.)
Those last few chapters are killing me. That’s all I’m gunna say.

Oh, y’all. This is just one of the coolest books I’ve read in a while. There is something to be said about books that are unique. Books that can take a simple fable and spin it into so much more. A Beautiful Fate is exactly that.

Romance. Action. Beautiful storyline. It’s all here and better than ever. ( )

*Originally Reviewed at Witchmag's Boekenplank*

*I received a free copy as part of the blog tour in exchange for my honest opinion*

To be honest, this book and I had a rocky start. There was something with the beginning that made it hard for me to concentrate. I’ve never created so many notes within such a short amount of pages because I could not focus. It also took me some time to get accustomed with the writing style of Cat Mann, which felt different somehow. Not strange or weird, just different. Enfin, after a while the book and I managed to come to an understanding, to form a careful bond. Along the road we experienced the usual ups and downs, cause no relationship (except in fairy tales) is perfect. However the book and I did manage to part as friends and I might get a new friend if I manage to track down his friend, A Broken Fate.

As I said there were some down moments I encountered while reading. Besides the rather difficult beginning, I also felt that at times the story was too lengthy. I mean, it’s nice to read about the daily life of Ava, but that’s not what I came here to do. I came here to read about action, adventure. Greek mythology. Which means that sometimes things have to HAPPEN, at least more interesting or exiting things than the “mundane” lives of teenagers. Been there done that. It also felt like the book consisted of two parts, which could easily have been made in two books. The story is long enough for that to be possible. (can’t believe I’m actually suggesting something like this, then again I was always good in torturing myself ^^) It would feel better that way.

Okay now the ups. Lets start with Ava, who’s obviously not a people person, as she said herself. She’s not someone who easily shares her feelings or makes a connection with other people. You can actually see it in the way she “thinks”. This made it a bit harder for me to form a connection. Even after I got to know her, she managed to astonish me, I was speechless. O.O WOW! She’s so different from the usual female main characters you can find in the Young Adult / New Adult genre. She’s a true kick-ass amazon who will keep on fighting till her last breath to protect the ones she loves. And I loved her the more for it.

The plot too was a definite up. I mean descendants from famous Greek mythological creatures? That’s my kind of story! I also liked the detailed way Ava’s powers were written. It’s original and amazing. Then we have the way how slowly, oh so slowly all the pieces of the puzzle are revealed. It kept me reading, wishing things would hurry on, but enjoying the story nonetheless. I truly could not put it down, even when the book and I had one of our disagreements again.

But then….. The absolute up, the summit was definitely the ending. WOOOOOOOW! Talking about cliffhangers! I can’t remember ever reading one this colossal. Ever. It’s killing me from the inside and the next book has not been published yet…. NOOOOOOOO Thankfully there was a blurb for the next sequel that saved me from being left hanging, much (something I absolutely CAN’T stand). Still, me needs to know the whole truth! I want the next book!

Conclusion

3 HEARTS. Despite the antagonizing ending, the fantastic story, the amazing heroine and the fresh way mythological creatures are used in this book, I can’t give it more hearts. The downs were a bit too steep for me to do that. Still, I can easily recommend this book who love to read about the daily lives of teenagers, mixed with some paranormal stuff. ( )

Ave Biao is finishing her senior year of high school without parents, at a new boarding school, and having to deal with her guardian grandmother who is not the most friendly person. Tormented by dreams about her mother’s death and a pair of giant daunting scissors, she is constantly awakened in the night by her own screams and tears.

A Beautiful Fate is a New Adult paranormal romance which incorporates a modern family setting with aspects of ancient Greek lore. With a plot full of suspense, romance and history this book has a lot to give.

I flew through this book in about two sittings and it was only divided because I had to go somewhere. I absolutely loved the romance in this story, it was full of turmoil and passion. The characters were compelling and kept my attention throughout the details of the plot.

I found that the romance was a big portion of this installment, the building of relationships seemed the primary focus while the suspense fell a little short. Yes, there was a lot of moments that caused me anxiety but most had to deal with the characters and their relationships versus the plot line of good versus evil. Ava is dealing with a lot and you can feel her panic, sadness and giddiness through the writing style of the author. I loved that. Ari and Rory, the main male characters, are both great, and really there isn’t a love triangle which is so common in books within this and the YA genre.

I cannot wait until the next book is available, the plot was not left on a complete cliffhanger but there is a lot that is still going on. ( )