Fateless is the first book in a new high stakes fantasy trilogy. I was hooked from the very beginning thanks in part to its fast pacing. There’s enough world building to give reader’s a sense of the land and magic. I thought that Kagawa crafted interesting and well developed characters. I love how different they were while managing to click as a perfect found family. There’s plenty of action and adventure as well as betrayals, wild revelations, and political machinations. If you’re a fan of the movie, The Mummy, this will give similar feelings while still feeling original. The audiobook narration was enjoyable, and I felt that it fit the overall vibe of the story. It was also easy to understand and easy to stay immersed in the story. I would recommend checking this book out especially via audiobook.

This book is Assassin’s Blade meets Dune meets Ember in the Ashes. Fateless killed it with the vibes! Set against the backdrop of a harsh desert landscape, Fateless delivers a gritty assassin clan fantasy full of tension, twists, and literal heat.

If you love assassin guilds, mysterious strangers, found family, unique culture/religion, daring heists, and political culture, this one checks every box. The romance is present, but it never overshadows the immersive worldbuilding and rich cultural depth. Julie Kagawa has crafted a fantastic story that you can just dive right into and never want to resurface.

This is action-packed fantasy at its finest, with a twist of fate (or fateless) you won’t see coming. I cannot wait for book 2 and to get my special edition of this book!

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I do feel like there is a lot about the world that needs to be fleshed out but I didn't feel like I was really missing anything really vital while reading. The narrator did a great job with pacing and keeping the atmosphere.

You know that feeling when a book gives you all the right vibes? That was Fateless by Julie Kagawa for me. 👀 It’s the perfect mix of Assassin’s Blade intensity, The Mummy adventure, and Assassin’s Creed stealth and I was hooked.

From the first chapter to the very end, the story delivered nonstop action, emotional stakes, and some seriously cinematic moments. The characters had depth, the pacing was on point, and the world was so vivid, I could see every scene play out like a movie.

If you love fantasy that’s rich in atmosphere, packed with danger, and just the right amount of heartbreak—add this to your TBR ASAP. Julie Kagawa did not miss. 🔥📚

Thanks to NetGalley for an audiobook arc of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The narrator was great so no fear of zoning out just from the voice. The characters were likable and it was fun watching the journey they went on. The MC, Sparrow, was raised by the thieves guild and has become one of the best members in it. She gets called on to steal something that no one has managed to steal before.

There’s betrayals, love, sacrifices. Everything you could want in a fantasy novel. Julie Kagawa has been one of my favorites since I was in high school and she’s still holding onto her spot with every new book that she releases.

The slow burn between two of the characters is chefs kiss.

Like when every good book ends, I’m going to dread waiting for the next one to come out. The way it ended was just awesome. Definitely recommend this one to other fans of Kagawa

17-year-old Sparrow was adopted into the Thieves Guild as an infant, and has since made a name for herself based on her skill and incredible luck. When she's given a top-secret mission from The Circle, the mysterious group who runs the Thieves Guild, she knows she can't say know. But little does she know, the object she's tasked with stealing will set off a chain of events far bigger than Sparrow ever imagined. Now, she'll have to work with the assassin who was tasked to stop her and a death-defying fate chaser to save their world.

I will be honest that there wasn't anything entirely unique about this book compared to other popular fantasy/romantasy books, but I loved the vibes and the characters, the narrative kept me engaged the entire book, and I'm excited to read what comes next without being left on a giant cliffhanger.

The pacing of this felt perfect to me. There was plenty of moderation between action and development, and although there's pretty early action, it didn't feel like you were being thrown into the storyline unprepared. I loved that Kagawa builds a world rich with different cultures and religions, all built around Fate and the Weaver, but with variations. Fate is a huge theme in this book, and it was interesting to see how it affected each of the characters who come into Sparrow's orbit.

I didn't give this one a spice rating as there's really only the whisper of a romance sub-plot in the last quarter of the book. I love the emotional connection that's being built between the MCs in this book, though, so I'm excited to see how it develops in the next book.

I listened to this one on audio, narrated by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw. She's a new narrator to me but I would for sure listen to her again. Her tempo and inflection were appropriate for the scenes, and as the only narrator, she did a great job creating uniquely identifiable voices for each of the characters.

Read if you like:
Thief FMC
Chosen one
Found family
Unlikely allies to lovers
Slow burn romance
Desert setting
Undead adversary
Fate
Single POV

Julie has done it again ! 400 pages of the mummy meet mission impossible and I am here for it. The main character is funny, daring and realistic in the death imposing doom of trials she is going through. The book is fast past making you not want to put it down. I can't wait for the next in the series.

The fact that the release is in July is fitting for how much desert-like weather happens in this novel.🔥☀️🍳☀️🍳


Pre orders are up 📖 Make sure to pick up your copy on July 15th!


Once you read the novel you'll understand why the title is soo fitting.

I am hoping Raithe and Sparrow art prints will be made!



#fateless #juliekagawa #newseries #arcreader #fanstasy #yanovels

The idea/premise of the book is what pulled me in on top of the gorgeous cover!

I have to be honest, I felt like this was so much wording building with hint of plot. Don’t get me wrong, for a world with these complexities and the characters in it I think it’s necessary to a degree but I don’t feel like I got that far into the story even 1/4 the way in..

There are a few parts that could have used more descriptions or just sit on that point a little longer meanwhile I’m listening to repetitive descriptions of the outside.. idk.. it’s fine..

This was a very captivating start to a new series!
Our main character Sparrow has basically grown up in a thieves guild. Now, she is one of the best. When The Circle (a group of mysterious people who run the guild) singles her out for a mission, she gladly takes it to prove her worth. But this mission may be more than anyone (besides The Circle) bargained for. Sparrow has brought back an item that could resurrect one of the Deathless Kings and change everyone's lives.
Sparrow is a good character. She's determined to prove herself within her community, but she has learned that it's everyone for themselves. I enjoyed watching her start to trust other people and learn that maybe it's ok to put yourself out there for others. One of my favorite characters was Hallick - a fate chaser (I think they are called). He was goofy and loyal. Our other more main side character was Raithe. He was an Ilvan who live across the desert. He was tall, dark, handsome and mysterious. He started out chasing Sparrow, but ended up having to work with her and Hallick.
I was able to start enjoying myself quite early on in the book - I love heists and Sparrow's mission is so intriguing. I don't want to give away anything that isn't in the synopsis, but the first half really kept my interest. The second half kind of slows down, but is still interesting and you can tell it's bringing us into the second book.
The audiobook narrator was great. She was a little dramatic at times, but it just added to the whole atmosphere of the book.
I am quite curious to see what happens in the second book!

4.5/5 stars | what a WILD adventure!

This was a freaking blast of a book, and I adored so, so much of it. This has a lot of video game inspiration infused throughout, and as a gamer, I appreciated this and felt it all throughout my experience with the book. Sparrow is a thief, and believes herself to be fated to work for the thieves guild for her entire life, never wanting or reaching for anything more. Little does she know, she has so much more to offer the world than she ever imagined… and fate doesn’t have anything to do with it at all.

This has the perfect balance of action, world building, magic, creatures, betrayal, friendship, budding romance, and epic feels. While the world felt reminiscent of lots of series I’ve enjoyed, the monsters and creatures made it entirely unique, and made the entire story unfold in ways I could never expect. I loved the found family between our main characters, and I loved all the gradual and immersive introductions to the different clans, species, and cultures throughout the world. The narrator for this audiobooks as also WONDERFUL and kept every ounce of my attention at every turn.

I really don’t have much of anything bad tos at about this book, just that I did want to feel a bit more I vested in the romance, and I’m excited to see Sparrow grow in her abilities. The very nature of who she is has made it rather… easy for her to get by compared to her companions, and while I don’t overly take issue with this, I think she has a lot of potential to grow into something even fiercer and more complex.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins for this eArc! I can’t wait to see what happens next!

📚Book Review📚
🤐Spoiler Free🤐
⭐️4 Star⭐️

Thank you so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to Fateless by Julie Kagawa. I really enjoyed the narrator of this audiobook book, the narrator kept my attention the whole way through this story with how they told it.
From the beginning of this book I was really interested in this story and the creativity behind it with the deathless kings, demon hour and the different species. I really liked the three main characters in this story in the beginning and then as the book went on I kept finding little things that kept annoying me a bit with the choices they kept making. I also wish I got to see more between Sparrow and her love interest in the book, it was a very slow burn between them and would have loved to see more of them together.
I did really enjoyed this book, I think I would have liked it more if it was a little less YA but I still think it was an amazing story and perfect for people who love world building and lean more towards YA fantasy books!
Thank you again to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this fun audiobook!📚💕

TROPES:

-Slow Burn❤️‍🔥
-Enemies To Lovers🗡️
-Fae🧚
-Chosen One✨
-Prophecy📃

Fateless
By Julie Kagawa
Narrated by Mia Hutchinson-Saw
4 ⭐️

🥷 Thief guild FMC
🩻 Necromancy cursed underground city
🐈‍⬛ Golden retriever/black cat vibes
💎 Artifact treasure hunt doomed to not go as planned
☠️ Morally bound assassin in the shadows
🩵 Found family

The best thief in the guild gets sent on an impossible mission no one else has ever successfully completed before. (May the odds be ever in your favor Sparrow.) With secrets galore, a power hungry cult, and many overlooked, regular people who refuse to be condemned, this action packed adventure had me hooked. The audiobook was a good listen. I feel like Hutchinson-Saw delivered a solid narration and did the characters justice. I fully recommend this action packed series start. And bonus: no heart wrenching cliff hanger. 🎉

Thank you NetGalley, Julie Kagawa, and Harlequin Audio for this audiobook ARC.

3.5/5⭐️ Fateless by Julie Kagawa
🌶️ - no spice

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin audio for the audiobook Arc of Fateless.

This book had a lot of originality. The world felt unique but familiar which was kind of nice. The overall vibes of the book felt like the Mummy movies to me which was fun especially with the journey through the desert.

I found the characters hard to connect with. I like the idea of the fate hunters and the fateless and how that all connected into the overall world building. But honestly, there was no one I felt like stuck out except for maybe Haleck. The best way I can describe it is everyone felt like a side character to me.

The performance of the narrator was wonderful. She brought the story to life in a wonderful way.

Overall I think this might be a great book for some people, for me, it has potential, so I will read the next one, but it’s not a favourite out of the gate. I would definitely recommend giving this one a try if you enjoy the Mummy.

I had a hard time getting into this book. I didn't feel a great connection to the main character and the eventual love story felt too quick without any real substance.

4.25 ⭐️

I thought Fateless was such a fun read. I absolutely loved the obvious inspiration Julie Kagawa took from the Assassins Creed franchise. I’m a big fan of those games, so I knew straight from the dedication that I would like this book.

The pacing was pretty good, though I do wish a little more time was spent in the forgotten city of the Deathless King. There was a lot of potential there, but they moved through it so quickly that we as the reader didn’t really get the chance to explore it. Other than that, the pacing was good. I also thought the world building was interesting. I loved seeing these different creatures and learning the history of the world and the Deathless Kings.

I liked Sparrow as an MC a lot. She was young and prone to mistakes, of course, but she was a great character. I really liked the MMC and the side characters as well. I enjoyed the found family aspect a lot.

Fateless is a really gripping and fun start to a new fantasy series, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where the rest of the series goes!

Thank you Harlequin Audio for the early listening copy of Fateless! All opinions are my own!

Thank you Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this book. I was so excited to see a new book by Julie Kagawa and was so happy to be approved for an early copy. This is yet another great series starter with a wonderful world building, characters, and plot that moved fast from start to end. Based on the ending, I am looking forward to the next book.

Sparrow has just joined the Thieve’s Guild, and she is looking forward to gaining the members’ admiration by going on a mission. However, the mission she accepts is to go to the Deathless King’s city and from there, the adventure begins.
First of all, this book was really hard for me to get into. The first hour of listening wasn’t pulling me in, as it was all description and no dialog. Eventually, once the journey started, things got more interesting, but honestly I’m having a hard time remembering much about it. I had never read a book by Kagawa before, so I was excited to get this one, however it left me feeling so-so at the end, and I probably won’t be reading the sequel.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins publishers, and Julie Kagawa for allowing me to read this AUDIO ARC in exchange for my honest review. The narrator Mia, did an excellent job, and I enjoyed listening to her and her pace. I want to state, I am so thankful to have listened to this story. It is a high stakes, enemies to loves, found family, fast paced, amazing world building and the story line is amazing. Julie does such an amazing job, that you could envision yourself as Sparrow - so much so, that I recall saying out loud "Oh, thats scary!". I was sucked into this story line chapter 1 and it kept its pace. I was engaged and interested throughout. I especially loved the first couple of chapters that built the characters, world and explained the background. The MFC is amazing and I really was invested in her journey! The ending will keep you wanting more, and excited for the next book! Hang on tight, you're about to go on an adventure! I finished this audio in 2 days! I love this book so much, I will be purchasing a special edition from Litjoy! I cant wait for book 2! 5/5

Fateless is a masterful blend of pulse-pounding adventure, dark intrigue, and immersive worldbuilding—and Mia Hutchinson-Shaw’s narration brings every moment vividly to life. Julie Kagawa has crafted a gripping fantasy full of cursed tombs, dangerous relics, and a heroine who’s as fierce as she is flawed, and the audiobook takes it all to the next level.

As Sparrow journeys into the deadly ruins of the Deathless Kings alongside a ragtag group of thieves—and the mysterious, brooding assassin Raithe—Shaw captures every layer of the story with nuance and energy. She gives Sparrow a voice that’s tough yet vulnerable, perfectly conveying her inner conflicts, fierce loyalty, and undeniable bravery. The emotional beats hit even harder thanks to Shaw’s subtle delivery, and the action scenes are nothing short of cinematic.

Each character feels distinct, with Shaw modulating tone and rhythm to bring out unique personalities, whether it’s the cunning members of the Thieves Guild or the terrifying forces lurking within the tombs. The pacing is tight, and the tension builds steadily as secrets unravel and fate tightens its grip.

Whether you're here for the morally gray characters, the high-stakes heist, the slow-burn tension between Sparrow and Raithe, or the rich fantasy lore, Fateless delivers it all—and the audiobook version is the perfect way to experience it. A thrilling start to a dark, magical journey that I absolutely could not stop listening to.

Fateless is the story of a young thief, with extremely good luck, that finds herself in the middle of an evil plot to destroy the world. Sparrow, an orphan, raised within the thieves guild, is tasked with stealing impossible to retrieve items, and yet she completes the tasks with strange ease. Unfortunately for Sparrow, her talents have put her in a dangerous predicament.

Sparrow is an interesting character. She is a street smart yet extremely naive thief who becomes entangled with an assassin, a warrior who rides giant insects, and a comic relief fate chaser. The characters come together to try and stop an evil plot to destroy the world, because the only one who can truly put a stop to it all is the Fateless.

Fateless is a YA fantasy, and reads appropriately for that age group. There is not a lot of world building, which was a negative for me, the scenes felt a little shallow, and the pacing was a bit too quick. All of those elements are good your a younger age group, but bad in general. The world is extremely atmospheric though. While the scene don’t provide the in-depth information, the scenes are set very well, I felt like desert sands and the heat, I just wish I felt more connection to the other elements of the story.

There is a romantic sub-plot, but sadly that also felt a bit shallow, but as this is a series, I have hope for the progression of the characters, the plot, and the world and I’m excited to continue.

Overall, I would recommend this book. It has a great plot and is beautifully atmospheric, and great for teen readers. The audiobook is also extremely well done and allowed for an immersive experience in the story.




Fateless is a YA fantasy and does not contain any spice.



I received both a physical and audiobook advanced reader copies of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you to Epic Reads/ HaperCollins for my physical ARC and Netgalley/ Harlequin Audio for my audiobook ARC.