And this is the author's debut? I cant wait to read their next book. Wow! I really enjoyed the story and the magic in this book. I'm going to put spoilers.

So first the plot:
The setting takes place in the kingdom of Sian and the country of Wen. Wen wants to become independent and so war and fighting is going on.
Siying is a ganshi priestess that can reanimate the dead. She takes jobs where she retrieves the dead for people. Her current job is to fetch a dead Sian soldier in Wen and bring them back to the palace. However, she finds out he isnt actually dead and that he is really the second prince of Sian, Ren. His brother, the first prince Liqin, is the one who orchestrated the fake message to get Ren killed. Siying must help Ren gain enough qi to become a real living human again. They must exorcise evil spirits to use their qi. Throughout the journey, Ren realizes that he should actually be the future king and take over after his father. Siying also starts to care about Ren too and worries about his qi. When they end up in Baimu, Siying's home, her ill father is poisoned by Liqin and so he gives Ren all of his qi so Ren can live and become the ruler Sian needs. Siying decides to take revenge and bring an undead army to the palace to kill Liqin, but Ren helps her realize that murder isnt the answer. Luckily, they succeed in removing Liqin from the throne. Ren follows through on promises and Siying opens up a ganshi priestess school. They finally kiss and I hope they live happily ever after.

Okay on to the things I didn't really like first:
They knew each other for less than 2 weeks and Ren said he was falling in love with her. He couldve just said he was starting to develop feelings. Didnt have to be instant love. Luckily 6 months go by before they kiss so it was kind of slow burn ish but not really.
I feel like some parts of the story were quite preditable. I knew Ren and Siying would end up liking each other. She would save him. Baba would give his qi to Ren. Ren decides to become the king. However, I do like the way the author wove the story to go about those things so it was still an enjoyable read.

What I liked
The magic! I think the reanimating of corpses is so interesting. Scary but cool.
We also get some horror in this book. Chanhua and Yuyan are depicted a bit horror-like. I could feel Siying's fear in the forest and the mansion. I really enjoyed this aspect a lot. Didnt expect it but loved it!
Just an overall fast paced story. Didn't feel bored at all.

100% recommend this book if you like Asian fantasy and even horror too!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting read! The book had a relatively quick pace, which I loved. However, as a result, the beginning lacked a little depth and I think some of the more nuanced themes were flattened. However, this is a great, romantic read with a fresh interpretation and showcase of Chinese mythology.

this book was pretty good! it was a very solid fantasy and i loved the concept that she was a ganshi priestess! ren was really sweet and funny and i loved his relationship with siyang. i will say that while this book was good, it didn’t stick out to me that much. i felt like the dialogue and structure of the plot gave a very typical ya book feel. however, i still think this book was pretty good and i would recommend it!

I absolutely adored this story 🫶! Siying is a priestess with necromancy abilities hired to find the Prince Renshu’s body and return him home for a high price. However Prince Renshu isnt like any of the dead she’s ever dealt with. The two become reluctant allies for their own personal objectives. I thought their dynamic was great and loved all the ✨yearning✨.
The stories that unfolded throughout were emotional, dark and dealt with difficult themes. The political intrigue and various mysteries also reminded me of Apothecary Diaries in a good way. Tesia Tsai’s prose is lovely and addictive.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC!

4.5 Loved this journey. She is a necromancer and her job is to deliver and deal with the dead, but he is not dead... he is not going to die, as long as he is using her talisman and her KI. While they need to get home and discover what plot is behind, they deal with side quests, hunters who know who they are and that the Prince lives, and their relationship becomes closer. I love an asian lore fantasy setting.

What a fun book! I’m also going to be so honest and say that the whole time I imagined Siying and Ren as Maomao and Jinshi from Apothecary Diaries throughout this book lol! Their dynamic was so funny, comforting, and romantic yet they were determined in finding out who killed the prince, why, and navigating their own struggles as complex characters. I’m wondering if there will be a second book that continues with the problems that come with necromancy and being a monarch in court. This was such a fun book though and incredible for a debut novel! I can’t wait to read more from this author!!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this incredible debut!

This was a very solid book. I really enjoyed it and found it very easy to read, always wanting to know what would happen next. Siying and Ren were great main characters who both grew a lot throughout the book. Around the end there were some turns that I enjoyed but I also moved really fast at the end, so some things felt like of abrupt. But other than that, I really enjoyed this!

This was a fairy tale-esque journey, and I really enjoyed it! It was simple and easy to understand, while also maintaining the stakes.

The prince was a favorite character of mine, he made an excellent romantic lead. I also liked that there wasn't any insta-love between them; while there may have been a connection, the affection felt earned.

The female main character was nuanced and had her own goals outside of the romance, which I appreciated. I think this is a very solid debut, and anyone who enjoys YA fantasy or fairy-tail like stories would enjoy picking this up.

This is a strong debut from Tesia Tsai. The world is built beautifully, and the FMC and MMC are both very believable in their values and loveable. Siying is a priestess who needs to save her ailing father, so she accepts a job to collect a corpse and bring him back across enemy lines, except there’s one problem. This is corpse is very much more alive than dead. Siying and Ren embark on a journey to help bring him back to life to finish what Ren started, and to help Siying save her dying father. There is action, romance, and political intrigue, all wrapped up in a beautifully written fantasy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. I highly recommend if you looking for a fantasy novel with a unique, bold FMC and an action packed adventure.

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for this ARC!

At first, this story intrigued me, but when I went to start it I wasn’t feeling it. I am picky when it comes to fantasy, and this story just wasn’t hitting.

But, I am the person who is willing to give something a second chance, so I have put this book on my list of books to try reading again. I’m hoping that my interest comes back, because I do think this story sounds fascinating

"We're all born with our own paths, Siying. Each path will come with its challenges and triumphs, and you may even become lost at times. But remember this: Every path ends the same way. That is a fact of mortality... The only question that matters is, how will you walk yours?"

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for offering me a chance to read this ebook in advance in exchange for my honest review! I'm on a quest to read more diverse narratives and I'm so glad to have found Deathly Fates!

I'll start off by saying that I know absolutely nothing about Chinese folklore or necromancy, but the blurb caught my attention right away and I was hooked before I'd finished the prologue.

Kang Siying is a priestess who takes contracts to reanimate the deceased and usher them back home. She's good at her job, having learned from her father, but she is still struggling to balance the demands of her work with her filial obligations. What was supposed to be a fairly standard job to recover a soldier fallen in battle immediately turns into a race against time and a battle between the desires of the living and the dead as this fallen soldier turns out to not only 1) be the prince of her kingdom, but 2) not quite as dead as he initially seemed.

This is a beautiful debut by Tesia Tsai with a charming cast of characters, vivid descriptions of tension, battle, and environment, as well as just enough drama to pull you straight through the plot without turning the story dense or frustrating. I had a suspicion fairly early on that I knew where the plot was going to take me, but it was an extremely enjoyable ride nonetheless. If this is her debut, I'm genuinely excited to see what Tsai has up her sleeve in the future because this was such a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

This is a book where the implausible feels possible and it was extremely challenging to put it down once I'd sunk into it.

I really liked this book ! It took an unexpected turn and made the story so much more interesting.
In an Chinese folk inspired world, Siying, a Ganshi priestess is tasked with retrieving a corpse from an enemy territory. As her father is sick and in need of medical help, the reward offered for this task is more than enough to pay for treatments. But the corpse comes back to life. Siying and Ren then undertake a journey to restore Ren’s qi to keep him alive.

There’s also a lot of political intrigues which kept the story engaging. The pacing was quite fast, and the writing was nice. I really enjoyed how Siying’s and Ren’s relationship developed over their quest. It didn’t feel too fast. Both characters went through a lot of growth which was nice to read. They had to learn to trust each other. In their journey, Siying and Ren meet people who then help them to uncover the whole royal conspiracy. I really liked the ending as I felt that it tied well the story ! I definitely recommend this YA fantasy romance.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book. Opinions are my own.

I loved the cover and title.

The writing was suspenseful and full of action and I loved the prologue. Very beautifully written 💛

I loved the concept of helping ward the dead and ringing bells to warn the living .. I was intrigued

Siying has helped her father shepherd the dead and when he becomes ill she must do whatever it takes to help her father.


I loved siying and her love for her father.i found it interested a world where the dead needed to be shepherded.

Great fantasy and loved the adventures siying got into , the people she met and her potential for love 💛

Love a strong female lead with a sense of duty and practicality. A lot of these fantasy books set in Chinese inspired environments that I've read recently tend to follow similar story elements such as imperial battles, a journey through the countryside, and romance with a royal, which there's nothing wrong with, but it would be nice to see something a little different. However, the necromancy powers of the main character were definitely unique and interesting to read about. Overall this was a solid story with well written characters and I'm looking forward to seeing what this author will write next. I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me early access to this book.

This book was incredible! It had such a unique to me concept, something I’ve never quite read before, so I was really excited for it. I absolutely loved Kang Siying. She is a strong female lead who is loyal as heck and wants to help her dad. Her and the princes journey together was really fun to see, and the secrets that are unraveled changed everything!

this book was so good i ate it up in a DAY. which is like, rare, for context. listen, i have been SO excited since the moment i found out about this novel and cannot express how excited i was to get the arc (thank you netgalley gods!!!) because the concept was so insanely cool. it 100% didn't disappoint, and, quite literally, surpassed my expectations. i ADORED the side characters, the journey, the varying settings... and my god was i obsessed with our main cuties. this book stirred tears, shredded by heart, made me laugh and cry, and was everything i want out of a novel. i cannot recommend her ENOUGH. GO READ HER (or at least read her if you get arcs or when she comes out <3)

Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai

A debut young adult read that is fantastical and amazingly written! I completely forgot that this was a debut honestly cause the authors writing is Amazing! You will fall in love with the characters and the world!

I loved how our female lead could balance falling for the Male lead while also completing her mission or well missions! I also enjoyed how our male main character could admit to his faults and how he didn’t think he could rule!

Ultimately a great YA debut!

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating: 4.5/5

This book is stepped in Chinese folklore and history, weaving together court intrigue, the supernatural and romance artfully.

Likes:
- I really enjoyed learning more about Chinese folklore and mysticism. Chinese words were woven in and explained well enough through context clues that I knew what they were without having to stop and look them up.
- I felt the romance was done nicely in this book. It followed a realistic timeline (based on what the MC's went through) and didn't seem contrived or rushed.

Dislikes:
- Honestly, there wasn't much negative about this book, other than perhaps certain things were a bit predictable. But that didn't take away from my enjoyment during reading.

Overall, another solid book to add to my collection. The characters were very likeable, realistic and complex. I'm excited to see what other books this author will bless us with!

Kang is a death-driving priestess tasked with guiding souls home—but when her latest assignment unexpectedly revives a fallen soldier, everything changes. What follows is a fast-paced, emotionally rich journey filled with magic, moral dilemmas, and an unlikely bond that slowly transforms both characters.

I loved the unique magic system and the dynamic between Kang and the soldier. I wanted a bit more world-building but the story kept me hooked from start to finish.

Perfect for fans of character-driven fantasy with heart and high stakes!

You guys needdddd to read this books omg. Book like this are literally why I love to read. Everything about this book leaves you wanting more. In fact my only criticism of this book is that I wish the ending was longer. Ren and Siyang were such interesting characters and I loved watching their character arcs. The themes surrounding freedom, grief, and duty were also done so well and all the side characters were so fun to read about, though I do wish they were a bit more developed. The romance was also so cute I love slow burn I love reluctant allies I love grumpyxsunshine and I love this book has these tropes without being about the tropes. When the final copy of the book releases you better believe I’ll be rereading this i don’t know how my next read is going to top this one.