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Cthoma's Fated
- GenresFantasy
311 pages, Paperback
Published February 6, 2024
2 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 20, 2025
Cthomas Fated was a fantastic standalone, where you follow a miserable man and a grumpy old guy on a adventure time.
The banter between unwanted friendship and enemies are incredible funny with just as awesome characters that you hope to get.
This 300 page story is a exciting and as fast paced as it can be, so you will have no trouble with getting it done in a couple of days or a day of you are one of those who loves to sitt hours and read.
The magic system is very intriguing and would have liked to see more, but maybe before this character time. Even if I liked him, one book with him is more than enough. Because he can be a idiot.
This was a fantastic short standalone, which I recommend to every fantasy fans who likes it a bit dark. Or just in general if you want something that don't bind you to a larger series.
The banter between unwanted friendship and enemies are incredible funny with just as awesome characters that you hope to get.
This 300 page story is a exciting and as fast paced as it can be, so you will have no trouble with getting it done in a couple of days or a day of you are one of those who loves to sitt hours and read.
The magic system is very intriguing and would have liked to see more, but maybe before this character time. Even if I liked him, one book with him is more than enough. Because he can be a idiot.
This was a fantastic short standalone, which I recommend to every fantasy fans who likes it a bit dark. Or just in general if you want something that don't bind you to a larger series.
July 13, 2025
"𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒐"
"𝑵𝒐 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏'𝒕. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒓 𝑰 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕"
You know there's going to be bother when the comet's due to show up again
The story could have spanned three books (and maybe it will) but we land in what I would consider to be the middle with the protagonist being a failed hero from the get go. This book is easy to read, albeit a bit choppy (no pun intended), particularly earlier on, though I liked that there was no flowery language, and it ticks some grimdark boxes so that's always a selling point for me. Character-wise; honestly, our apathetic protagonist got on my nerves at first but that's the point, and he does give his head a shake after a little reality check. I don't mean that bit in chapter 5! Holy sh... I was not expecting that 🤐 We also have an animal companion with the cutest name and now I want a horse just so I can call it Always a Dot 🥰
I think I'd like to see a bit more narrative over dialogue next time but I enjoyed this book and I look forward to seeing what happens next, or even before!
"𝑵𝒐 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏'𝒕. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒓 𝑰 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕"
You know there's going to be bother when the comet's due to show up again
The story could have spanned three books (and maybe it will) but we land in what I would consider to be the middle with the protagonist being a failed hero from the get go. This book is easy to read, albeit a bit choppy (no pun intended), particularly earlier on, though I liked that there was no flowery language, and it ticks some grimdark boxes so that's always a selling point for me. Character-wise; honestly, our apathetic protagonist got on my nerves at first but that's the point, and he does give his head a shake after a little reality check. I don't mean that bit in chapter 5! Holy sh... I was not expecting that 🤐 We also have an animal companion with the cutest name and now I want a horse just so I can call it Always a Dot 🥰
I think I'd like to see a bit more narrative over dialogue next time but I enjoyed this book and I look forward to seeing what happens next, or even before!
February 16, 2024
Fun read
I’m new to reading Fantasy and this book was a great read to bring me deeper into the genre. Look forward to more from this author in the future.
I’m new to reading Fantasy and this book was a great read to bring me deeper into the genre. Look forward to more from this author in the future.
Want to read
January 23, 2026This is not a full review. I read through the beginning of all 300 SPFBOX contest entries. This was a book I wanted to read more of.
Every year an assassin who failed to fulfill a prophecy by killing the emperor is summoned to court to be ritualistically humiliated by the story of that failure within sight of the skulls of his co-conspirators.
This first person narrative starts at a crucial moment - the minutes before our MC is paraded before court for his (verbal only) humiliation - and so it feels active and serves as a fine introduction.
We get to know the MC by what he says and does and thinks, and we learn about the immediate world around him largely through inference. This is good! There’s no lore dumping, no drawn out descriptions, no slog of exposition.
We only learn what is absolutely crucial to understand the scene. I find that works well to create a sense of depth to the events and characters. Much has already happened, and most of it seems terrible.
This beginning reminds me of the end of Zelazny’s first Nine Princes of Amber book wherein the prisoner protagonist is brought out for a celebratory meal once every year or so to show him off to anyone doubting the rule of the regent before sequestering him again in his blind wretchedness.
Our failed assassin protagonist, however, is not harmed. He’s allowed to walk free. He’s paid for his attendance. These things all create a wonderful sense of mystery that compels me to read on.
Why wasn’t our assassin slain? Why does he walk free? He still seems to have 9 rings of power that he has been allowed to keep. Can he not take them off? Is he of no danger to the emperor? How did we get here? It’s engaging.
Several unobtrusive character details also made this opening stand out to me. Without undue explanation, it is clear that at least the ranked officials and courtiers all wear their beards long in this empire. Our MC deliberately doesn’t.
He’s set apart, as is a bizarre, almost inhuman advisor in their appearance. Nothing is over explained, and that lends this opening a feeling of oh so strange wonder. There is a subtle magic in it.
Less subtle is the dialogue. The emperor’s humiliating recitation of the attempt on his life all those years ago fell flat for me. It lacked grandeur and felt plodding and a bit vague. At least it establishes some minor details, and is brief enough.
Our MC’s derisiveness (when he believes he can get away with it) is to good effect, however. It speaks to his discomfort. It’s a good psychological defense mechanism.
That a pair of court guards play into this derisiveness and feed him lines so that he can respond oh so derisively diminished the effect of this opening for me.
There’s nothing about their exchange that I can say is wrong motivational, but there is something to it that felt too easy. It is designed to make our MC look indifferent and cool because he talks shit to the guards who get upset.
But this doesn’t seem to fit with the circumstances or tone of the larger scene. It’s cliché, while the rest of the chapter feels unique.
If this criticism seems harsh, that’s only because of how engaging I found much of the rest of this opening. It doesn’t waste any time, and our MCs circumstances feel extremely dangerous.
He is a special character in this world. He stands apart. He is a failure, and, I suspect, a traitor to his cause. What will he do next? So much of this opening demands I keep reading to find out. Whatever my qualms (and they may only be mine), I’m in!
Every year an assassin who failed to fulfill a prophecy by killing the emperor is summoned to court to be ritualistically humiliated by the story of that failure within sight of the skulls of his co-conspirators.
This first person narrative starts at a crucial moment - the minutes before our MC is paraded before court for his (verbal only) humiliation - and so it feels active and serves as a fine introduction.
We get to know the MC by what he says and does and thinks, and we learn about the immediate world around him largely through inference. This is good! There’s no lore dumping, no drawn out descriptions, no slog of exposition.
We only learn what is absolutely crucial to understand the scene. I find that works well to create a sense of depth to the events and characters. Much has already happened, and most of it seems terrible.
This beginning reminds me of the end of Zelazny’s first Nine Princes of Amber book wherein the prisoner protagonist is brought out for a celebratory meal once every year or so to show him off to anyone doubting the rule of the regent before sequestering him again in his blind wretchedness.
Our failed assassin protagonist, however, is not harmed. He’s allowed to walk free. He’s paid for his attendance. These things all create a wonderful sense of mystery that compels me to read on.
Why wasn’t our assassin slain? Why does he walk free? He still seems to have 9 rings of power that he has been allowed to keep. Can he not take them off? Is he of no danger to the emperor? How did we get here? It’s engaging.
Several unobtrusive character details also made this opening stand out to me. Without undue explanation, it is clear that at least the ranked officials and courtiers all wear their beards long in this empire. Our MC deliberately doesn’t.
He’s set apart, as is a bizarre, almost inhuman advisor in their appearance. Nothing is over explained, and that lends this opening a feeling of oh so strange wonder. There is a subtle magic in it.
Less subtle is the dialogue. The emperor’s humiliating recitation of the attempt on his life all those years ago fell flat for me. It lacked grandeur and felt plodding and a bit vague. At least it establishes some minor details, and is brief enough.
Our MC’s derisiveness (when he believes he can get away with it) is to good effect, however. It speaks to his discomfort. It’s a good psychological defense mechanism.
That a pair of court guards play into this derisiveness and feed him lines so that he can respond oh so derisively diminished the effect of this opening for me.
There’s nothing about their exchange that I can say is wrong motivational, but there is something to it that felt too easy. It is designed to make our MC look indifferent and cool because he talks shit to the guards who get upset.
But this doesn’t seem to fit with the circumstances or tone of the larger scene. It’s cliché, while the rest of the chapter feels unique.
If this criticism seems harsh, that’s only because of how engaging I found much of the rest of this opening. It doesn’t waste any time, and our MCs circumstances feel extremely dangerous.
He is a special character in this world. He stands apart. He is a failure, and, I suspect, a traitor to his cause. What will he do next? So much of this opening demands I keep reading to find out. Whatever my qualms (and they may only be mine), I’m in!
March 3, 2024
This story is an enjoyable read with an interesting twist, revolving around the fated hero Throug having failed to fulfil his part of a prophecy and now has become a trophy for evil forces, using him as a scapegoat. Throug is not only being held prisoner physically, but also by his own conviction. You could say that our hero has grown into the role of failure, accepted that he has hit rock bottom…
…but then the bottom unexpectedly falls out and we are thrown into a hero’s journey where Throug will try to redeem his failure, and at the same time being chased by evil minions trying to hinder him to fulfil the prophecy.
What I really liked with this book was the witty and often deadpan dialogue with characters that felt genuine (my favourite being Cassi). This story reminded me of a mix of Heart of Darkness (by Jospeh Conrad) and Metamorphoses (by the Roman author Apuleius), embedded into a fantasy setting with interesting magical artefacts left over by an ancient race. I would like to see more of this world (along with a map:).
…but then the bottom unexpectedly falls out and we are thrown into a hero’s journey where Throug will try to redeem his failure, and at the same time being chased by evil minions trying to hinder him to fulfil the prophecy.
What I really liked with this book was the witty and often deadpan dialogue with characters that felt genuine (my favourite being Cassi). This story reminded me of a mix of Heart of Darkness (by Jospeh Conrad) and Metamorphoses (by the Roman author Apuleius), embedded into a fantasy setting with interesting magical artefacts left over by an ancient race. I would like to see more of this world (along with a map:).
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews