Twisted Fate is Jessi Elliot’s debut novel, following college senior Aurora Marshall as her meticulously planned life is thrown into chaos following an encounter with Tristan Westbrook and the fae.
I love nearly all of the characters, especially Aurora, our protagonist. She holds her own against the fae with her wits, some snark and yet she’s vulnerable and relatable. There’s several characters that have an unfriendly introduction, but I grew to love them as well. The antagonist was the lone exception; Elliot crafted a great villain that I downright hated by the end. The relations between each of the characters were some of the best parts of the book for me, especially as they change as the story continues, with Aurora and Tristan being the highlight of these.
The setting is very vivid and I got sucked into Elliot’s world quickly. She presents a refreshing and unique version of the magical fae creatures. The excellent pacing complements the fantastic plot and was nearly impossible to put down, wanting to read one more chapter until I was too tired to read. The entire story invoked a roller coaster of emotions with various plot twists, especially the ending.
I’m already looking forward to more of the Twisted series!
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About the author
A Great, Twisted Story... I Can't Wait for More!
I'll be honest, I was introduced to Jessi's work through her Charlie Travesty serial that she co-authored with K.J. Sutton and I was hooked. However, that serial is one of her more recent works and I was hesitant to jump into her debut. I've never read a book with fae and I wasn't sure what to expect. But I'm so happy I picked up this book because it gives me faith as an author planning to self-publish myself.While you can tell that this book is one of Jessi's earlier works, I wouldn't say that you can tell that it's her debut. From the beginning, she's found a way to sweep you up in Aurora's story and her life. She's much like any nervous senior in college - anxious about what the world holds after she's out of university. She handles herself very well in every situation she's thrown into - including being kidnapped by the fae. Which is where this story gets its kickoff.When Aurora gets kidnapped by the fae, she's scared like anyone would be. But she's a fighter and it's something we see over and over again throughout the entire book. I like that she can look fear/death in the face and just keep on kicking. It's what we all hope we can do in dangerous situations and it's very relatable. Some people might not see Aurora as a likeable character because of her snark, but to me, that was a breath of fresh air. So many characters are prim and proper, but we never know how we're going to react to tough situations we've never been in before. I like seeing someone who reacts differently. Aurora gives you that exactly.This book also deals with some heavier subjects that aren't of the supernatural variety - and I think Jessi handles these situations very well in her writing. Grief and secrecy can be a difficult thing to write especially has a new author. But she tackled these subjects very well in my opinion.Twisted Fate was a quicker read than I expected. It usually takes me a while to read books because I'm a genuinely slow reader, but this story unfolded so easily that I didn't want to put the book down. This book could probably have used some more worldbuilding on the fae end of things, but I still enjoyed seeing Aurora and her relationship with Tristan develop. It was definitely enemies to lovers and it was fun to read all the banter slowly turn over into something more. I suspect my worldbuilding questions will be answered in subsequent books and I can't wait to see how Jessi's writing grew with the rest of this series.And let me say... that twist at the end had me reeling! I don't regret one little bit picking up this book and I can't wait to read the rest. If you like enemies to lovers tropes, very handsome brooding love interests, and twisty ends, this is the book for you. I don't know how it compares to other fae books, but I'm glad this was my introduction to that world. I'm giving this one a solid 4 stars!
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2018
- Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2018
For being her debut novel, Jessi Elliot sure was able to rope me in from the start, not hesitating to immediately start the action and thrust her protagonist, Aurora, right into her new life.
Danger, deceit, lust, and wit intertwine in this paranormal romance
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2018
As Aurora struggles to keep her sanity, her normal college life quickly slips away from her. The fae world is no joke, filled with danger and deceit. Pain inflicts her life from the start, so she must summon up her strength and courage as each new tragedy falls upon her.
Watching Aurora weave through this new world is admirable and her quick-witted comebacks force a smile on my face every time.
Jessi Elliot uses a heavy amount of dialogue, utilizing these exchanges to her full advantage by keeping the pace of the novel brisk, never allowing a dull moment to slip in. When there’s not any dialogue, we witness Aurora’s inner monologue. Her thoughts and confessions, braided in with her strong emotions for Tristan, pull you into the deep recesses of her mind.
And the lust… Oh, the lust… Aurora knows she shouldn’t feel this way about him, but Tristan’s handsome figure, devilish smirk, and quick-witted comments are hard to look away from. They take care of one another, but they also challenge each other, which is a refreshing side of their looming romance.
Although I loved the romantic scenes, with their descriptive wording and their fiery passion, I honestly thought it took up too much of the book. I found myself reading more romance scenes than action. I realize that this is technically a paranormal romance, but I found the synopsis to be misleading as I was expecting more of a storyline with Aurora dealing with the fae world, than her romantic relations. In addition to this, I felt the way her romantic relations are portrayed is problematic, as it seems to focus more on physical attraction, as opposed to an emotional one.
In all though, Twisted Fate was certainly a fun read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and romance and likes to be kept on the edge of their seat, biting their lip in anticipation.
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- Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2018
Top reviews from other countries
- MRS F M BENNIONReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2019
Highly recommend!
- Chrissy’s Book ShelfReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2020
Excellent Start To A New Series
