I received the Audio Arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a review. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this opportunity.

Fateless follows Sparrow, a young girl who belongs to a Theives Guild and is tasked with retrieving a priceless artefact from the last era of Deathless Kings which changes the course of her entire life, embedding her right in the centre of a fight for the very future of the world.

The world building was the highlight of this book for me, I loved learning about the concept of the Fateless and how Sparrow’s revelations relate and challenge those notions. I loved how Kagawa tied this as well into the history of the Deathless Kings and how she detailed this history within the story made it feel very real from my perspective. I liked how the history and the historical artefacts were used to further the plot and the scenes where the characters were uncovering these stories together. The world itself also had some really cool elements, I really enjoyed the scenes where they were in the desert and I thought Kagawa did a good job at creating vivid imagery that felt fantastical, especially with the giant scorpions!

As for the not so good elements, I don’t think there was anything particularly bad about the book, but I didn’t really think the actual plot was all that interesting. It’s very formulaic and predictable, following a rather standard plotline for YA books. Even the initial set up of following a member of a thieves/assassin’s guild reminds me a lot of series like Throne of Glass. The plotline was rather predictable and I didn’t feel myself anticipating picking the book up again as I felt I knew what was going to happen. I didn’t care for the romance at all, I didn’t fee like there was any depth to the relationship, it felt very ‘baby’s first relationship’ which I don’t think is necessarily terrible for a YA book but was personally something that I did not enjoy. I didn’t think the characters were particularly well done either, Sparrow felt like a very generic main character and was rather boring. I do think that this may still be enough for the target audience as I am not a teenager so, that audience may connect better with the character, but as someone who has read many upon many of YA novels, Sparrow was a rather lack lustre main character.

Overall, Fateless was an enjoyable book, the worldbuilding in particular really shinned but the actual story and character’s itself were quite generic in comparison. I do however think that this would be a great recommendation for younger readers who are searching for unique worldbuilding and lore and aren’t too pressed over characterization.

I also listen to this via audio and I wasn’t the biggest fan of it. The author’s accent changed a lot and I feel like none of the voices she used actually fit the characters. Her male voices in particular were not enjoyable and often broke the immersion with the story.

Such a fun YA Fantasy adventure!!

I was drawn into the story immediately, and loved the vibes (it was giving Mummy, Aladdin, and Indiana Jones to me ). It also had lots of monstrous creatures (some really creeped me out!).

I didn’t quite connect to the characters as much as I wanted to, but I did love the world and story. I’m looking forward to the next one!

A special thanks to Harlequin Books and Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook to review.

3.25 rounded down

Fateless was a fun enough romp but overall underwhelming. The world building was the book’s strength while character development fell short. I’m hopeful that the remainder of the series will allow the characters to have more complexity now that the world has been established. However, this does have an age gap romance that was a bit too much for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed this book a lot, with a fun story and characters, though a bit slow in parts. But still good

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I was worried about the romance between the mc and one of characters being too fast, but it's only the first book. The narrator did a great job! They kept me very invested in the story and wanting to get to the end. I've read the author's other series and wasn't sure how I would feel about this one. I'm happy that it turned out to be a great adventure. I will definitely be reading the next one once it's out. Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Audio for the opportunity.

I've sat on this review for a while trying to come up with how I felt about this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it, either. It was too much like Throne of Glass, and a couple other books. I've forgotten which ones in the time since I finished this book and have started writing this review, honestly. It feels like the author put several fantasy books into a blender and hit "puree". Sure, it's good, but it's not as good as the ones before it. The narrator did an awesome job on the audiobook. So again, as I'm sitting here thinking about it, I can't say really what I hated, and what I liked because I can't differentiate between what was in this book and what was in the others that this one clearly took pieces from. It's ok and I will recommend it to my YA readers who enjoy fantasy since the book is pretty clean and a lot of them aren't ready for something quite as mature as Throne of Glass. In the words of the great poet, Taylor Swift, "It isn't love, it isn't hate, it's just indifference", which pretty much sums up my feelings on this book perfectly.

I picked this up on release day, excited to dive back into Julie Kagawa’s work after reading her as a teen. With Mia Hutchinson-Shaw narrating Sparrow, the story had all the energy of a classic YA fantasy audiobook. Her performance captured the spunky confidence of Sparrow, a sharp-witted thief outshining her lackluster male peers, and I loved how she carried both Sparrow’s schemes and playful banter.

The desert city setting was rich with imagery, and I could picture it vividly. Unfortunately, the story itself didn’t hold up as well. The worldbuilding felt uneven—myths, rules, and magic often appeared suddenly, explained in the moment rather than gradually revealed through Sparrow’s journey. Instead of building tension or layering clues, it felt like the rules of the world kept shifting without warning. That left me more frustrated than immersed, despite the strong narration.

In this city, everyone believes they are bound by fate, which keeps the classes locked in place. Sparrow, an orphan raised in the thieves’ guild, is expected to remain a thief forever. While this belief makes most people passive, it drives Sparrow to excel at her craft and carve out her own survival. It reminded me of the dynamic between the fated and fateless in "A Fate Inked in Blood," but here the story stops short of fully interrogating what it actually means to be fateless. I found myself wishing it had pushed just a little further into that question—it could have made the world and Sparrow’s journey even more impactful.

As always, the world building is incredible. For me, the part that fell short was the pacing of the story. Itself. I enjoyed the group of friends but felt that Sparrow being good at everything with minimal effort made her less relatable. I like to see a character grow in skills nit be an insta-pro.
Overall this is a series I see continuing as I enjoyed the world and plot. (Just wish it was a little faster paced)

Overall, I thought the story was ok, but did find myself bored at times. Probably about a 3.5 out of 5 for me. Reading the next book will probably depend on how I’m feeling when it comes out. I did enjoy the ending and am mildly curious about what happens next, but if I read book 2 it likely won’t be immediately at release.

The audiobook quality was great! I found the narrator easy to listen to. I listened at around 1.5-1.7 speed, which is typical for me.

I really loved this book. It has everything I look for in a good adventure. Thieves, assassins, reluctantt heroes, betrayal, adventure and friends found along the way. Sparrow is a plucky master thief on a mission to prove herself . She meets so many people along her journey that either help her or try to kill her. She faces betrayal, heartbreak, magic, and overwhelming odds while somehow creating a family of friends along the way. I can't wait for the next book

🌟Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!🌟

At first this story gave Assassin Creed vibes (or the first book in the SJM TOG series) and I ate it up!
sadly, as the story continued it seemed to fall flat for me.
By the end I didn't feel for anynof the characters and was a bit bored.

I always find myself loving her books and this was no exception. I read it in one day because I just could not put it down and I loved the characters and the world building a lot

LOVED IT! Julie Kagawa is always a favorite. In Fateless, she explores an epic story with a romantasy twist. Great world building and character development. Just the perfect amount of angst and adventure. Can't wait for the next book!

I NEED MOOOOOORE!!!! This was so good! Extremely well written! I would and will compare this to Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland. I need more please and thank you ♥️

Wow. I absolutely loved this book. Easily my favorite from this author so far. It gave me very loose “The Mummy”, “Shadow of the Tomb Raider”, and “Assassin’s Blade” vibes while maintaining its completely separate identity. I haven’t read anything else quite like it before. The characters were well written and developed. I am very good at guessing the plots and this one wasn’t too obvious with where the story was headed. The narrator did a great job telling the story. I was engrossed from start to finish. I would have loved to have spent more time with the fmc’s jobs in the beginning chapters of the book and would have liked more exploration with the underground city, but I can also understand now why the exploration and task executions weren’t a big focus in the first several chapters. I will absolutely recommend this book and I cannot wait to read more!

Wow a good family full of secrets! One of my favorite YA reads of this year! The main character and those around her are just fascinating, The world building is full of history we are yet not fully aware of, slowly piecing bits and pieces through the different characters cultural views. A diverse and dynamic storyline that shocked me pretty early on, drawn in by the family-ish gild, and stayed because of the action, betrayal, found family, characters, and the ever expanding plot! A definite must read for YA readers!

If you are into stories packed with action from beginning to end and love the vibes of The Mummy movie then I will totally recommend this book ☝🏼!!!!

The world was my favorite part so many vivid scenes I could picture every scene perfectly since the author did an amazing job in describing everything with perfection. The mythical creatures were fascinating at times I couldn’t stop turning pages.

I love the little sprinkling of romance in this story and really looking forward to see how this story develops in the future books.

The narration was amazing the narration did an amazing job bringing all these characters to life and it wasn’t difficult to follow along with the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fateless by Julie Kagawa = pure YA fantasy fun! 🏜️✨ Think Aladdin + The Mummy + early 2010s YA nostalgia ala Throne of Glass 📚💫.
Loved the career thief FMC 🗡️💎—action-packed, clever, and always entertaining. While there’s a slow-burn romance 💕, it never takes over (thank goodness 🙌). This one leans more high fantasy ⚔️ than romantasy, and it felt super refreshing!
I listened to the audiobook 🎧 and the narrator really brought the desert world and characters to life. Totally added to the adventure!
🔥 Pros: fun throwback vibes, nonstop action, awesome protagonist, great narration.
❄️ Cons: a few slower spots + sometimes the world building descriptions were a bit much for me 🤷‍♀️
Overall = a blast of an audiobook listen 💥 and a unique fantasy adventure I’d recommend to any YA fantasy fan! Will definitely be recommending this one to my students soon✨📖
Huge thanks to Julie Kagawa, the publisher, and NetGalley for the advance audio copy!

@miahutchinsonshaw did an amazing job with the audio version to really bring everything to life. I thought her different variations of voices were really spot on! The main narrator tone was perfect and appropriate for the 17 year old FMC! I loved her voice for Raithe and all of the other ones fit those characters so well. I was so impressed.
Usually I find I might like the voices, but find they don't "fit" quite right, but Mia slayed this assignment!
This was listed as teen/YA. This is one of the few fantasies that was appropriately labeled as such. (There is no way l'd let a 14 year old read most "YA" books) but this was an epic fantasy story with a great group of characters. The romance was clean and more wholesome. Besides a couple chaste kisses, it was handholding and butterflies.
I'm all for a fun spicey Romantasy if I know that is what it is a head of time, but it's really important for parents/families of teens to have accurate labeling and to know what the still-a-child is reading. This was a much-needed breath of fresh air!
The author had a lot of detail throughout the book that made you feel like you were right there in demon hour under the blazing suns and down underground in the lost city and out riding on a giant insect or lizard with sand blowing everywhere and battling an army of the undead.
Between her writing and the narrator's voices, I felt like I was watching a movie in 3D imax. I definitely got "The Mummy" vibes too. It would make for an epic movie.
Thank you to @juliekagawaauthor @harlequinbooks and @netgalley for this ALC!
I'm really excited for the next two books!

Thank you to Harlequin Audio for the ARC!

OMG I am kicking my feet, giggling. I loved this story! We get to see the FMC actually be talented and skilled, not just told. The world-building gets so much attention, but not in an overbearing way, but in a "hey so this is why the story is happening and also I loved this world" from the author kinda way. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, worried for the Sparrow and whether she would survived. I do like how naive she was, because while I loved this story, it was so obvious who the bad guy was. But, had she been smart and not just talented, we wouldn't get a story, so that's fine.

If you liked The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, I think you'll like this one.