Fates

December 1, 2013
This debut fantasy series opener flies over half the universe, but it delivers some depth amid all the chaos. Corinthe longs to return to her home planet of Pyralis. She's the first Fallen Fate in history, banished to Humana (Earth) for losing one of the marbles of fate. There, she follows orders to engineer the fates of humans. Meanwhile, Luc, a star soccer player hoping to escape his impoverished, fractured family, strives to keep his little sister, Jasmine, out of trouble. When the two meet, they are immediately attracted to each other, but Corinthe has little idea what that means. She has been ordered to fulfill one last assignment: to kill Luc. At this point, the story takes off into serious fantasy, as Luc and Corinthe fall into a Crossroad between planets and begin a journey to rescue Jasmine, who has been abducted and imprisoned in a flower, there to be turned into a vicious Blood Nymph. Bross takes readers to several different and imaginative worlds and introduces a solid cast of secondary characters. The sudden twists and turns into new worlds become dizzying as the story progresses. Readers who persevere will see Corinthe progressing toward an understanding of love as she slowly becomes more human and realizes that order and obedience might not be the paramount ideals of the universe. An interesting read for patient romantic-fantasy fans. (Fantasy. 12 & up)

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May 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Supernatural being Corinthe has been exiled to Humana (Earth) from the realm of Pyralis Terra. In Pyralis, she was a Fate, but now she must act as an Executor, who makes sure that nothing interferes with the working of destiny, thus ensuring the balance of the universe. Sometimes this means engineering an unsuspecting human's death in an accident. For 10 years, Corinthe has carried out her orders, hoping to return to home, and at last she receives her final assignment: she must kill teen Lucas Kaller. When the girl attempts to assassinate him, he escapes through a gateway to other worlds, and she pursues him. However, Corinthe and Luc are being manipulated by other beings attempting to alter the balance of the universe, and to complicate the situation further, they are falling in love with each other. The detailed descriptions of the colorful alternate worlds in which the protagonists find themselves is a strong point, but these worlds don't seem to have any connection with each other. The invented mythology is often confusing, and the budding romance between Corinthe and Luc doesn't seem plausible. Paranormal fans may initially be attracted this title but may not stick around for the projected second and third books in the series.-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2014
Grades 10-1 Are we doomed to live out a scripted life, or can we change our futures? Because she questioned the rules, Corinthe has been cast out of her home world and sent down to live among humans. To earn her way home, she must ensure that certain events come to pass. She is determined to follow the rules this time, until she meets Luc and realizes she is destined to kill him. With doubts setting in and forces beyond her control using her to secure their own ends, the stakes are raised. Bross has done a lot right: backstory hints lend mystery and depth to secondary characters, the plot moves along at a good clip, and the book ends with plenty of story left for the sequel. Corinthe and Luc are a bit too perfect, but perhaps they might get the necessary depth as the story continues. By the conclusion, many characters are fighting against their fates, but the one fated thing readers are aware of does come to pass, despite everyone's best efforts. Can we change our destiny? Only time (and book two) will tell.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)