A very good start to a fantasy series. I really enjoyed the narrator and she did a great job of switching up the voices to where you felt transported into the world. I think the story did have a lot of concepts going on and at first it was a little jarring but as it went on it got more character focused and the story became focused as well and it picked up for me. I would give Fortuna Sworn 4 out of 5 stars and will be continuing the series.

This book definitely has all the hype! Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me…. While I loved the main character I just felt like it moved a bit fast and wanted more world building and character development to feel closer to the story and more invested in the characters. I will probably continue with the series at some point and you may still love it so don’t completely discount it!

Honestly, this book is quite forgettable. I got distracted so many times while listening to it. Also, the narrator is the same voice from The Hating Game, and I hated that book, so I think that might have been a negative bias. All in all though, Fortuna was annoying, her brother needed to be more fleshed out, her love interest was boring, and it all just felt underwhelming.

This book has a very interesting storyline that had me keep seriously wanting more. It was filled with mystery, trickery, deceit, and trials. It sort of reminded me of ACOTAR and The Cruel Prince.

Our MC, Fortuna, is such a unique character. She is unlike any of the heroines I have previously read about. Her power (as a nightmare) is just so freaking cool.

I don’t know how I feel about Collith yet, but I am very intrigued by his character. I’m hoping there will be more romance and spice between him and Fortuna in the next books. I’m loving the tension between them.

The narrator, Emma Lysy, did such a fantastic job! It took me a little bit to get used to her voice as Fortuna, but she totally kept me engaged throughout the experience.

Overall, this was such a good start to the series. I’m pretty excited to get my hands on the next one!

I'm hooked. I did not know about this series but I am so glad I do now. You had me at Fae. Fortuna is so complex and wonderful. I love her sharp tongue and take no crap attitude. She is exactly what I want in a leading lady. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give anything away. The story is paced well and I was not bored even for a moment. I love that there are more magical beings than your typical ones. They weren't far-fetched either (again I don't want to give anything away.) Everything makes sense in this story and the character development is fantastic. From the first words that Collith spoke I knew he was going to be intriguing. The scary turns and lush romance had me turning the page figuratively since I listened to the audio book. There are plenty of "bad guys" to thoroughly give me anxiety, which will keep me coming back for more as I now realize this is a series with MORE books.! This is exactly what I wanted to read after Sarah Maas

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook for Fortuna Sworn! I wasn't expecting to see this book listed for review since it's been out for awhile, but I am happy I got the opportunity to reread/listen to Fortuna Sworn.

Emma Lysy is the narrator for Fortuna Sworn (and the other books in the series), and does a fantastic job of giving Fortuna (our main character) a distinct voice that is much like I imagined while reading the book the first time. She also is great at given the other characters unique voices and accents. It's read at a great pace and is still as enjoyable sped for those who like to listen to their audio at a faster speed. I look forward to rereading/listen to the series with this narrator.

Ugh. I don't know. I want to like it but I just can't. The main character is interesting and the world the author has set up is cool. But the sex scenes are oddly place and unsatisfying. Like eating a meal where the chef started with the spices and then randomly threw some ingredients in to hold it together. It doesn't work but I could overlook it for the story's sake. But then it got icky when she finds her lost brother.

I don't know how to describe what is wrong with this story, but it's not good and the audio narrator does not help.

The Cruel Prince meets ACOTAR in this dark, gritty fantasy following Fortuna Sworn as she exchanges in her in marriage to find her missing brother and she is swept into the world of fae in the Unseelie court. Fortuna Sworn is such a captivating fantasy read. With so many twists and turns, I couldn’t wait to see where the story went. The world and court is so beautifully developed, and Fortuna is such a strong narrator. She is so filled with anger at this court and these people who have taken her brother, and I was really pulled into the story. The magic too, I loved. The creatures and fae were unique. And since the story is told through Fortuna, it’s so hard to see who to trust. I want to know so much more about the fae Collith, her husband. There were times he felt like he cared strongly for Fortuna and others he stood against her, and with all his contrast, I just wanted to see more of him and what his motives are. This story is dark and gritty, taking on a heavier look at the fae court. The cliffhanger too was so good at the end. Everything ties together so well and the built up for all the action is wonderfully done. I’m wildly intrigued by this series and can’t wait to get into the next one!

Fortuna Sworn is a great book. The narrator is excellent, and the story lends itself to the magic and drama with great detail and a sarcastic heroine that isn't afraid to leap into battle for those she loves. I love sarcastic characters, and Fortuna has some excellent dialog that hits this one out of the park. The opening comes in strong and the plot keeps things moving. I loved all the aspects included with the Unseelie court and fae. Can't wait to see what happens next. There is some mild spice.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

You can’t put “faerie court” and “trials” in a premise for a New Adult fantasy series and not immediately bring to mind the em dash-filled stories of SJM. Fortuna Sworn is a much more urban fantasy take on this idea of a self-sacrificing heroine willing to put herself at the mercy of conniving faeries to save her family. But in terms of ACOTAR clones that have dominated the genre in the same way vampire stories spawned uncontrollably in the wake of Twilight, this first novel in a series is just… okay. It’s the kind of book my younger self would have loved, so a small part of me feels inexplicable sense of nostalgia for this 2020 release.

Fortuna Sworn wants to be a fantasy romance, but struggles with how to create any scenes between Fortuna and her two apparent love interests that establish an emotional connection. She enters into an arranged marriage with the Unseelie King despite there being really no upside to this relationship for him. Their scenes together are dry with a smattering of sudden and unexplainable smut. And I was never convinced that either character could feel anything beyond lust and a kind of vague respect for each other’s mystical, magical powers.

Then there’s the baffling concept of Oliver, which is a bag of worms I almost don’t even want to mention. Oliver, to make very clear, is a figment of Fortuna’s own subconscious that she considers her best friend. She can visit him in her dreams because she is a Nightmare and has created him inside her own dreamscape. Okay, I can buy that. It’s like having an imaginary friend, which isn’t completely outlandish given the fragmented, trauma wrought childhood Fortuna experienced. Ways to cope.

Where I really struggle with Oliver’s existence is that he is not treated as a form of subconscious comfort for Fortuna. Instead, he is established as an actual, viable love interest. Which means Fortuna is romantically involved with herself. There’s just no part of me that can comprehend the romantic love and physical attraction she feels for him as a wholly distinct person removed from herself. Frankly, it’s more uncomfortable the longer I try to parse out what this even implies.

Oliver rant aside, everything else here is very cut-and-dry New Adult fantasy. There’s a protagonist with rare powers as the result of her being one of the last of her species. She’s willing to lay it all on the line to save her brother. And she is swept into court intrigue under the guise of a forced marriage to the Unseelie King. It’s not uninteresting, but it’s still not something I’ll remember beyond this first book. I can see SJM fans connecting with this story, or even fans of YA fantasy looking to dip their toes in the age range just outside their typical reads. But I can’t envision myself sticking around for what I know to be an at least six-book series with the potential for more dream smut with Oliver.

Thank you to the publisher Dreamscape Media for providing an audiobook ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

I had been waiting so long to read this book so I was so excited when I managed to snag an audiobook copy of it, shooting it up to the top of my list. I didn’t really know much about it past it involving Fae and romance, but now having binge-listened to it, I can say that overall I really enjoyed it and plan to continue reading the series.

If you liked ACOTAR, then you’re likely going to enjoy this book. It had A LOT of similar elements. Though the setting starts off as an urban fantasy with all kinds of creatures including goblins, werewolves, vampires, and fae, it’s not long before Fortuna is whisked away to the land of the Fae. Other elements include competing love interests, sacrifices for family, and trials. Despite how similar it is to ACOTAR, it is definitely not YA (though it’s debatable that ACOTAR is YA in the first place 😅). It has darker themes/elements and more spice. Be sure to read the trigger warnings for it!

Now to some of the reasons why it didn’t get that last star. I think this book started off really strong and it’s part of the reason why I binged it. But the middle kind of dragged on. There was certainly action in it, but Collith as a love interest was very frustrating. He left Fortuna in the dark a lot, which in turn left us in the dark a lot. I still don’t even know what he’s thinking and hope that book 2 brings more clarity. While it was harder to get through the middle of the book, the end REALLY picked up. When I had no more left to listen to, I was so disappointed because I felt like, “YES! Finally! This is the string I want to pull at and see what happens!” But thankfully, there are more books to satiate my craving already out 😁

The other reason this specific version of the book didn’t get 5 stars was the narrator. There was nothing wrong with her voice and when she described other people aside from Fortuna, she was great! But when she described Fortuna’s thoughts or what she said, she always sounded so exasperated and annoyed, which ended up annoying me. At first, it was kind of fun, but I just kept imagining how I would have heard it differently if I had read it vs me listening to it. That said, I truly had fun with this book and think it’s worth the read!

Read if you enjoy:
🧚‍♂️Fae
🧚‍♂️Marriages of convenience
🧚‍♂️Mate bonds
🧚‍♂️Paranormal creatures
🧚‍♂️Love triangles
🧚‍♂️Trials
🧚‍♂️Hot-and-cold love interests

WOW. i was absolutely blown away by this audio.
I’ve been hearing about this series for a while, and just had yet to pick it up, as I am a terrible mood reader and have such a hard time sticking to my TBR. Luckily I got approved for this audio, so I figured what better time than now? I am so mad at myself for waiting so long to start the series! Guys trust me, you want to read this one. It is that good. The Audio Was amazing, the narrator put enough emotion into her voice that I actually could relate to the story, because there is nothing worse than a monotone and boring narrator. That is not the case here. Highly recommend the story, five out of five stars!
If you enjoy:
Fantasy
steamy romance
enemies to lovers
Fae
Unique worlds
Unique magic systems
Badass FMC
THAN YOU NEED TO READ THIS ONE!!!

This was a fun and engaging fantasy tale of nightmares and fae. Definitely a series I am going to want to follow, particularly after that twist of a cliff hanger!!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The world, plot, and characters were so engaging and well done, The twists the author added in were so well done, it really added to the story. Also, so many questions I need answered! I’m definitely interested in continuing the series.

I did have a few issues with the pacing and some of the conclusions to what felt like major events. Some events had so much buildup and turned out unsatisfying or anticlimactic. I also felt the progression of the main relationship to progress strangely, too fast in one scene then back to square one the next. I’ll go into more details below!


I also liked the narrator, their voice and cadence enhanced the story. Again, there was some slight echoing but that may be more an issue with the platform rather than the audiobook itself.

SPOILERS!!!
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Specifically, the third trial just felt like a let down. There was no grand conclusion or struggle, she just realized it wasn’t her brother and killed right away. I wish there was more internal conflict, it feels more true to her character. Especially as she refused to kill in the trial just before. There were other moments as well, but this one stood out the most.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fortuna Sworn has such a pretty freaking cover. Besides that, it also has an amazing story within it. Seriously, I fell in love instantaneously and now I need the sequel in my hands. In this, you will meet a ton of characters. Some are good, some are bad, and they mostly have powers. Especially our main character, Fortuna.

Now her power is so freaking cool, but I think I would slightly freak out if I had it myself. She is a creature known as Nightmare and everyone knows Nightmares are completely scary and nothing good comes from them. So, it's safe to assume that she is someone you don't want to piss off. Throw in a marriage and things are starting to spice up for me.

The romance was so good but way too slow for me. I liked the teasing and tension filled moments, but I needed some more romantic things to come my way. Hoping the sequel will give me all the juicy details that I craved in this one.

Other than that, the Fae courts also intrigue me. I really liked how everything was written in this one and I'm a little nervous for the next book. Especially with how this one ended. I really need to get my hands on Restless Slumber, because not knowing what is coming next will try to kill me.

So, in other words, I really enjoyed the heck out of this book. The narrator did an amazing job and I need more stat!

Pros:

- LOVED the idea of her being a Nightmare. We don’t often see creatures like her.
- great world building
- appreciated that the author included nasty Fae characters (let’s be real Faery is not a fairytale lol)

Cons:

- this felt a lot like reading a version of ACOTAR. Fae royalty steals her away with a vow, Fortuna having to complete three trials to save a loved one AND those trials being VERY similar to Feyre’s trials. Corlith has all the potential to be this dreamy, broody bae but I can’t stop comparing him to Tamlin and his passive demeanor against his Fae counterparts.

I'm pretty much sold.

The characters, the drama, the world, the sarcasm. Delicious.

I liked:
-Fortuna. Even her name was cool. She's definitely still growing, but I liked where she's going.
-Laurie. Every single scene he was in, I adored. We don't see him nearly as much as we should, and even within the first book, my opinion of him changed so many times.
-The world. It was stifling and eerie and never really felt like home, I loved it.
-This book was so dramatic. I listened to the audiobook, which made it even better. 10/10.

Disliked:
-Oliver. Just... something about him. Every single time we get sucked into a dream with him I get annoyed. We also have really no idea what he and their childhood friends to lovers thing was a little off-putting. I will say, I loved the world that he created in his dreams, sounds beautiful.
-Colith. I'm not completely sure I like him yet. His first impression is great, but as we got more to know him... he didn't really strike out to me as Laurie and Fortuna did. He just kind of serves the purpose of the mate-bond troupe and nothing else. Even his spicy scenes with Fortuna seem lacking, everything reliant on their mate-bond.
-Damon. I don't really have words for him right now.

I have so many questions:
-Why the hell Colith took her. Why he married her. He mentions that he does it to protect her and that he does it because he "just wanted her" but then proceeds not to explain any of her ulterior motives.
-Viessa. Just her whole thing.
-What exactly is happening with Laurie. What's good?
-Just pretty much, all of politics.

This book was different enough from other fae books to keep me devouring but had enough of the tropes I love to make it seem fun and familiar. I enjoyed how strong of a character Fortuna is and she made good choices with what knowledge she had. I enjoyed the magic system and all the creatures in this book. The ending was unexpected and I will definitely be continuing with this series!

3.5 stars

Got to love a dark Faerie romance! I love how much folklore is incorporated throughout the book.

The main character Fortuna is a nightmare, a creature that can make you see your worst fears. I haven't heard much about nightmares before so I really enjoyed reading a book where the main character is one. She is a let the world burn for the people I love kind of person.

I do wish there was a little more relationship building throughout the storyline. I had a hard time connecting with the love interest and Fortuna. It seemed a little rush from my view. I also found a disconnect with her and her brother. I think the relationship I may have enjoyed the most was the made up guy in her head.

I would recommend this book for fantasy lovers!

The beginning of this was a little slow but overall, I really enjoyed my experience reading this book. After I finally got through the first 15-20%, I completely devoured it. Fortuna is an amazing character and K.J. Sutton had me on my toes throughout the entire last 50% of the novel. I can't wait to see what happens next. I have absolutely no idea what to expect. The audiobook narrator did a great job as well. She totally kept me engaged throughout and added to my enjoyment.