Fated or Knot: A Fantasy Why Choose Romance

by Ella Hendricks

I have one night to change my fate.

The annual Omega Masquerade is my last hope to save myself from the future my stepmother has planned for me. I’ve been promised against my will to a vile pack once my first heat arrives, but I don’t intend to be around when that happens.

Once I steal enough to get by, I’m leaving my old life behind for good. Little did I realize that I would meet one of my scent matches at the masquerade. He reveals himself to be a prince in disguise, and all of my carefully laid plans are ruined as he and his three brothers try to take me away to their country instead.

I start to see a future with this pack of princes. An outcome I will have to fight for, as my stepmother schemes to take them away from me… whether they’re fated to me or not.

Enter the fantasy world of the UnseelieVerse in Fated or Knot, a sweet omegaverse with Cinderella vibes, fated mates, and purring alphas. This is a standalone why choose novel, meaning the main character has more than one love interest and doesn’t choose between them. This book is intended for audiences 18+. HEA guaranteed!

Genres: Omegaverse, Fantasy, Fae, Why Choose, Romance, Paranormal, Romantasy

764 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2025

About the author

Ella Hendricks is an author of paranormal romances with dark roots and steamy twists. She loves getting lost in fantasy worlds, especially if the monsters are naughty and the lady saves her men in the end.

She lives in Texas and is inspired by big, starry skies and hikes into places far from big cities.

Find out more about her books at: www.ellahendricks.com

Reviews

[gonzo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Over 800 pages… for what!? The story dies half way through the book. The first half had potential and I kept thinking, “this has to be getting close to the end.” Nope, only 30%. If you have a week with nothing to do and are vaguely curious, go for it 🤷🏽‍♀️

[Morally_Gray_Nola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat here, with my fingers hovering over this keyboard for a long while, trying to unravel the long list of words and emotions reading ‘Fated or Knot’ weaved so intricately in my brain.
* Flow was natural throughout.
* No loss of plot through the subplots.
* Character development immaculate
* Every MMC has personality flaws, but Lark makes them want to be better, grounds them, helps them find self-confidence, helps them see they matter.
* Lark is able to see past the poison fed to her about certain races and becomes stronger for it.
* From the crack of the first page, the flicker of the movie reel sparks to life. Bringing with the sights of the ballrooms, the handsome Princes, the fuzzy house moths, and the rich fabrics; hear the the clacking of horse hooves, the growls of the Princes, and Larks sweet, tinkling laugh; the smells of crisp grass, waterlilies and mint, smoke and mallows, and Always.

This is a long book—almost 900 pages. But, MAN, it is so dang good. Like REALLY good. It feels like binging a series. No waiting for book 2 or 3 to come out. No stressing about having to reread books to remember previous plots when you don’t have the extra time to give right now.

I definitely Recommend this book.

Basics:
Length:
* Long Novel
HEA/Cliffhanger:
* HEA
Series:
* The Omega Masquerade
Epilogue:
* No

Nitty-Gritty…
MMC:
* Fal
* Marius
* Kauz
* Tormund
FMC:
* Lark
Genre & Tropes:
* Monster Romance
* Omegaverse
* MFM+M+M
* No Crossed Swords
* Cinderella Reimagining
Triggers:
* 18+
* On Page Sex
* Sexual Assault
* Attempted Kidnapping
* Immuring
* Somnophilia
* Of sorts … conscious sex in dreams
* Magical Violence
* Violence
* Death
* Manipulation
* Bullying
* Control Through Body modification
Burn Speed:
* Medium
* At halfway mark. Once starts, it is pretty steady.
Spice Level:
*

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conflicted

I really liked the first 50% of this book, but the last 50% dragged out way too long. I found myself wishing it was done and skipping a ton of pages. I think this book could have been cut by at least 200 pages and still been a good book.

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a tricky one to rate. It started off really well and it kept my interest until around the 40% mark. This was when things slowly started to go downhill for me. First of all, the intimate relationship between the main characters came across as sudden and unnatural - the FMC didn't seem ready for that next step in my eyes. Plus, after all that build up with the step-mother and step-sister they just disappeared from the plot entirely. I read to 64% and then decided to DNF. The book was too long. I wanted a plot, angst etc not the boring day to day. Sadly, this book was not for me.

[Paige IRB · Rating 5 out of 5]

really enjoyed the world building

The world itself was so fun to get lost in. Omegaverses usually don’t have such in depth world building but this one delivered that. I really enjoyed the chemistry the fun the suspense.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok. I am going to call it here. DNFing on page 365/ 39٪

I had a small delay getting into this book, not sure if it was the book slow to warm up to me or if i was trying to read a fantasy book while not in the right head space for one. But aside from that hiccup, i enjoyed what i read.

I am not a big retelling fan but i have so never read a fae Omegaverse book before so the retlling vibes kind of balanced out my uncertainty on how the OV bits would fit with fae lore. Dont ask because i dont get it either. I liked the characters, they were fun and I ended up liking how the OV and fae aspects were woven together. I was rooting for the five main characters.

I was devouring thjs book and it was giving high 4 to 5 star vibes, but aside from one big Omegaverse thing, the plot feels like it is over.

Like every thing the blurb talks about has came and gone and I feel like we should be in our HEA epilogue right now but somehow there is 61%/ like 500 pages still to go.

I put this book down for a bit to eat dinner and now I am hesitant to pick it up again. It feels over and the fact it is not even close is filling me with dread. I cannot see how anything that has been mentioned in this book as a plot point to this page can not only fill 500 more pages but also do it in such a way where it don't lose interest and start disliking this book.

So I started reading reviews to see if this was a me thing or a book thing, and basically every 1 to 3 star reviews said the same thing. The first like 30% was great then nothing else happens.

I just cannot do it. I am DNFing this book now while I still enjoyed it and am willing to try another book from this author.

[Ines · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw the wordcount of this book I decided to reboot the app just to see if that wasn’t a mistake. 252k words make this story into a massive standalone! So, if you’re a reader who doesn’t like to wait for the next book in a series but still loves a lot of storyline to go through, this book will be perfect for you.

I always enjoy a nice fairytale retelling, and I really loved the start of this fantasy omegaverse cinderella story showing the life of our leading lady Lark. She’s a rather cliché omega, so as a character she feels quite neutral to me, but I like her lifestory and how her fated mates fill out the roles of protective princes. This story takes a lot of time for character and relationship building, so you definitely end up with a pack of very distinctive characters. It’s hard to pick out a favorite, because it’s obvious they each provide something unique to their new family.

It was a bit peculiar to read an omegaverse standalone without epilogue, but I believe there might be more standalones in this series in the future, showing more about their future.

[Sue Harbers · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you think about great world building, this book is it! It’s long for a reason and it’s incredibly detailed. Lark is a wonderfully flawed character and so are most, if not all, her mates. Her Stepmother has had her under her thumb for almost her entire life and Lark has struggled with how to undo that. It’s amazing how much control her Stepmother managed to have, plus that of pack Ellisar. But when you have four amazing mates and a royal family to back you up, even the unachievable can be possible. Slow burn but lovely story!

[thenerdybookworm_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lengthy Cinderella omegaverse retelling, with amazing characters and fantastic world building.

Lark has endured endless torture from her stepmother and stepsister. Instead of waiting around for a prince to save her, Lark already has an escape plan. But fate has other ideas and she finds herself scent matched to not one but four princes.

I love a good fairytale and this one did not disappoint. Evil steps, handsome princes, found family, and some mystery….throw in the omegaverse trope and it’s a done deal.

[Little Shining One Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank fate I found this book!!!

This book is a treasure.

I was enthralled by this story the characters and their dynamics. It had everything.

I enjoyed the subtle but clear cinderella vibes and fantasy world the author created

5 star read and i can't wait to read more from this author

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

This book is massive! I will admit there were a few moments that had my attention wandering, but they were after the 50% and it is hard to keep relationship-building interesting when you have 4 guys to get through and it is all one-on-one time. So, it is understandable and if I had been in a different mood, I probably would have enjoyed it more???

All of the guys were so dear. It is pretty much instant devotion, with a little pushback (that made sense!) from one of the guys, with the feelings and trust building slowly. It is an adorable story.

Really enjoyed this one and I'll read more of this author's books in the future.

[Darcy’s Good Opinion · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 🌟

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Spice: 3.5/5

Omegaverse
Fae Romance
Royalty
Cinderella retelling
Monster & Shifter
Villains
Knots, Heats, and Nests
He Falls First
Friends to Lovers

This book had amazing world building and fabulous characters. A great read.

[Ash · Rating 1 out of 5]

hella long book for the story told, long as hell chapters (why does a chapter have to take 30 mins to read). just no.

[Dai Sims · Rating 2 out of 5]

By making this very simple plot into a 800+ pages long book, the author turned what could have been a very cute and sweet book into a self contradicting overly complicated annoying train wreck that only gets worse the longer it goes on.

All of a sudden I'm supposed to feel sad for her selfish bully of a step sister because her mom also mistreated her (on a far lesser scale than what she did to Lark)?! IT'S NOT LIKE HER MOM COMMANDED HER TO BULLY AND ABUSE LARK, SHE DID THAT ALL ON HER OWN AND NOW SHE JUST GETS ADOPTED INTO THE ROYAL FAMILY!?! I truly can not fathom how the author thought we'd see the way That fishcake treated Lark and then somehow root for her by the end.

Single-handedly one of the most annoying books I've read in a while and I read trash waaaay too often.

[Midnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Triggers at bottom

NGL, I thought this was a novella, just by judging the cover. Boy, was I wrong LOL. I went into it expecting a quick read, which is why their quick fondness for her made sense. But, then, the pages kept turning and I realized it was a regular book (wrong again), which made the slow character build-up make sense. When I realized it was all a surprise because I had no idea just how long the book was (and it showed no signs of stopping), I quit trying to make sense of it and just enjoyed the ride. Having said that, there was room for improvement, but the numerous small details I loved made it all worthwhile to read the whole thing. A book this big and drawn out is not for everyone, but I didn't mind since I read manga, and those can go on forever.

The Plot
The FMC, Lark, is enslaved by her evil stepmother. This is probably the evilest stepmother I have read in a Cinderella retelling, so far. You don't learn until much later on just how evil she is, but, trust me, she is. Anyway, Lark decides to escape her by going to the ball and robbing everyone blind to then sell the stuff and escape to an omega sanctuary. Unluckily/luckily for her, one of her scent matches finds her at the ball. They meet up with the rest of his brothers and convince her to go home with them to become part of their pack. Her stepmother and stepsister go with them. I don't want to ruin anything by spoiling it, but I want to say here that the guys figure out what's going on and actually DO something about it, instead of just brushing it off or acting dumb. I REALLY liked that about this book. The guys noticed something was off and immediately wanted to help, so they did. They get to where they're going, and she learns that she gets to become a princess since they are princes. Yay!

The Characters
First, I want to say one of my favorite parts of the story, the princes in the kingdom are trained from birth in different roles to help their omega queen rule. It doesn't matter where she comes from; she can be a beggar on the street, and as long as she is their scent match, she will become queen. Each of them has a specific job to make sure she can do her job well and that she has all the support she needs. I freaking loved that about this book.

Fal is the pack lead and is in charge of keeping the other alphas in check, along with making sure the omega is looked after. He's the backbone, the one in charge of keeping everything together. In this case, he is a dark elf who is flirtatious, loves theater, and is a social butterfly. He's the only one who uses an alpha bark on Lark and is the last to admit his feelings.

Tormund is a redcap, not actually sure what that is, but he seemed like a fire demon or something. He is in charge of the queen's comfort. He helps get her room settled, gets her food, and makes sure she has everything she needs so she doesn't stress. Tor was the giant fluffy guy who was being trained to be a killer, but had too much heart, so his role was changed to caregiver.

Kauz is a dreamwalker and has bat wings with stars painted on them. He's also a beta, and therefore always has a clear head for things and keeps everyone level-headed when they are stuck in a rut. He's in charge of not only dreams and sleep but also the queen's mental health and keeping her safe from enemies by entering their dreams as well. He's the one who always comes to her side for everything and figures it all out.

Marius is the dark, growly, unhinged kelpie. I can't say too much without ruining it, but he was my favorite. He is the queen's protector. He's been trained from a young age to be her sword and shield.

Lark is the FMC and omega, obviously. While she does do all the normal whining and such, there really isn't a whole lot of nesting or anything since she doesn't have a heat until 98% of the way through the book. That's also when they bond. She doesn't stand up for herself and doesn't do a lot of self-growth necessarily, but she doesn't sit and wallow in the past for chapters on end, which is nice. She also works with the guys and does nice things for them instead of them doing everything for her, which was a nice change.

The Romance
Huge sections of the book are dedicated to growing not only the characters, but also their love for each other. It was believable and really cute in some places. There are spicy scenes and they are graphic, in case that's something you aren't into. She goes on a date with each of the males and they get to know each other in different ways. Since this was an omegaverse it makes the pace believable.

Thoughts
I would not have read this if I had known how long it was. But after reading it, I'm glad that I did. Did the story slow down and the main plot get lost? Yeah, it did. But I was so interested in the guys and watching them grow that I just didn't care. It was such a cute world filled with unicorns to ride, wings that flutter when the FMC gets excited, males with stars for eyes, moth helpers in the castle, a male who cares for baby hedgehogs, all sorts of things. There were just a lot of little things that kept me interested, even if there were a LOT of grammatical errors. If you love fantasy and fluff, this is right up your alley.

Trigger Warnings
Rape- While the FMC is never raped, it is mentioned quite a few times how her first heat was sold off to some alphas and how they have been taunting her for four years about what they were going to do to her when it happened. I think it was mentioned once that one of them would kiss her and touch her in public if he found her, but it's never on page
Slavery- Her stepmother has her magically enslaved to do her bidding, and she is SEVERELY mistreated
Torture- Happens on page to the bad people, and you could also call the FMC's treatment by her stepmother to be torture
Poisoning- FMC's family is killed by poison off-page
Crippling injury- FMC has a crippled leg due to things that happened and it's sad but I won't spoil it

[Galateea · Rating 5 out of 5]

When can I say no to RH omegaverse?



And we also get fae?

Make that never EVER.

Now - shockingly- my only complaint is that the book is too long.



Yes, yes, I KNOW! What kind of monster complains about the length of a book, right? Especially me of all people. But hear me out. This could have been an amazing duology. The story could have easily been split into two separate books and it would have made more sense.

Somewhere between 35% and 60% could have been the first book and the rest of it an amazing sequel. And because this didn't happen, we all got something like a Bactrian camel.

For those of you who didn't like Discovery Chanel and National geographic as a kid, this is a two-humped camel.

The plot peaked around halfway through the book and it seems like it was a wrap with everything leveled out, but then we get another plot twist that requires the second half of the book to be finished.

This plus the length, makes my slightly OCD brain grumble. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not complaining too much since I didn't have to wait at least another year for a sequel, the plot was MORE than OK, the characters more than amazing and the action more than satisfying.

The chemistry between the characters was there shining like a big ass beacon and all of them had distinctive and very well thought out personalities. So much that I couldn't decide which one among Fal, Marius, Kauz and Tormund - aww, Tor-Tor the teddy bear - was my favorite.

One of the most common issues I grumble about when reading reverse harem books - quite vocally in fact, since I've been frequently told that some of my reviews are scathing - is that a lot of authors have problems with separating the characters involved the trope. So when, aside from the name and the scarce physical description, the MLs blur together and I cannot distinguish them otherwise because they seem like carbon copies of each other, then I start getting pissed.

And trust me,



For instance, let me give you a random example about how lovable one of the ML is:

“My lady, I have traveled to a cave and spelunked for an arduous period of time to bring you this.”He opened the box, taking out a squat and fat prism-shaped crystal.

I gasped as he pulled it free and it caught the light. It was a clear blue-purple color throughout, with no hint of imperfections, truly a gorgeous shade that merged our coloring.

He assumed a pose of supplication, offering it up to me. “By that I mean, an incredible lengthy and difficult journey of, um, three hours through a well-lit tunnel. And though the trip was long and the choices sparse, I have returned to the surface with a cool fucking rock. Should you accept it and we make stone match jewelry from it, you will make me a reformed and happily claimed tomcat.” He flashed a grin up at me. “What do you say?”

How romantic. Who could say no to that?



The book did give Cinderella vibes with the nasty Stepmother/whiny stepsister and the bullying - torture really - but you know the author nailed it when you hate the villains so much that you want them to die as slowly and painfully as possible. And even better with a cherry on top, because the world building was divine and the plot was plotting big time and with a lot of sense.



So even though all the MCs had their flaws, some big, some small, the character development is simply sublime and you can see the efforts everyone did to become a better version of themselves and be happy together. We of course, also get a HEA which was much deserved for these mated sweethearts.

5 well-deserved stars from me.

It also helped tremendously that no one is unbearably shallow, stupid and with an annoying overestimation of their abilities as it is the trend lately with almost all of the booktok overhyped trash favorites.

[Jessica Fowler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is long. Like exceptionally, excessively, boringly (at times) long. At 750 pages, the core story could and should have come in closer to 400 pages to be a solid great book.
The author just pushed a bit too much. Oddly, I usually think short books lack sufficient relationship building but this book has individual interactions that are long and drawn out and inappropriately overwhelming compared to the core plotline. The progression of the antagonist arc, though well ended, is like an after thought. There isn't sufficient action to support the overall length of the book.

Character wise we get a bit of a mixed bag. Lark herself is a solid FMC. Resilient, amusing and interesting, the details of her past are surprising and satisfying for her character arc. MMCs are less impressive overall. Kauz is the most steady and the most selfless in his care for Lark, despite his slightly self serving past relationships. Marius, even in his grumpy early days, seems the most honest and he is the most loyal and devoted in some ways. Even their lowest moment isn't truly mean toward Lark, it's just him trying to be honest. Fal is my least favorite. He's the oldest but he is the most obnoxious and ridiculous, purposely needling the others and mocking them without good reason. He's very greedy at times and demanding in an only child manner. Tormund is the most complicated because of his simplicity. I don't know what the author was thinking. She wrote a character who describes getting angry once when he thought someone was going to call him stupid but this character seems to have the IQ of an 8 year old. I find him very uncomfortable as a romantic partner for Lark.

For side characters, the queen is pretty terrible. Her greedy bullying tendencies caused everything for Lark. She adds zero value to the storyline and is completely self-centered. Her only "selfless" moments feel more like quid pro quo exchanges - I will call you daughter and heir but only if you fawn over me. The kings are odd. Elion is practically non-existent and seems to hold little true value for the country. Thalas is perfect. I do love his immediate action, love and care. Theodred is kinda dickish. He could be replaced with a guillotine and no one would really miss him. Renneny is much like Fal - childish and ridiculous. His lack of communication is impressive in it's awfulness. I'd rather spend time with unwashed Cymora.

Speaking of Cymora, the antagonist is probably the best developed character in the book as well as the worst. We hate her so easily but her reasoning is non-existent. There's a vague comment about showing someone but it's never fleshed out. Her lack of motivation is annoying. The tree dudes are similar - we hate them happily but they have no motivation. It makes no sense.

The editing is decent. The pacing is a bit slow. Overall it's not a bad book but it's a lot more book than story. But dang if I don't want to know what happened to Glory!

[Kayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

BIG book alert!

The positive reviews were right, this is a great story and every page was a delight. It read more like a fantasy RH romance than omegaverse, but in a good way! Those OV elements were definitely still there and strong, but with world building that far surpassed what this genre normally entails.

This book is a story. With a constant progression of the plot, while layering on great elements. The storyline has a clear development and truly the 850+ felt well used and not just for fluff. Could some of the elements been removed? Sure. But they didn't take away from it either.

I really liked Lark. She was a well built FMC with flaws & all. She showed character development from the start to the end, and I really appreciated the way she was written. For the MMC's we have Klaus, Marius, Fal, and Tor. They were all great and very unique. Now Fal is my favorite, just because he had a lot of amazing one-liners thrown in there. His personality was the most outgoing and he is easy to love. Klaus had more presence in the first half of the book, so I did miss him more towards the end. HOWEVER, he was so great in the beginning that it made him shine throughout. Tor is a gentle giant through and through. Just an overall sweetheart, you gotta love him. Finally, we have Marius. Close second favorite, as I love an angsty dude. He had the most character development of the guys, and I thought he really helped build the overall vibes of the story.

Honorable mention goes to the daddy gang.

The only reason I don't give this a 5 star rating is that the drama, while well done and fitting of the story, kept feeling like it never fully hit a crescendo. It was still good, but I missed some of the angst that was lightly removed to keep this an overall sweet story. I also wish there was an epilogue here...with this big of a novel to be finished at the scene where it was just didn't fully itch the spot for me. Still good, but would've like to see a little peak into the future as there was such great building into what that would look like.

This is a fantastic read and I highly recommend!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute Cinderella retelling

This was a great Cinderella-Omegaverse retelling. There were so many times in this book that I felt a bit stabby at Lark’s stepmother and stepsister.

After Lark’s father passed away when she was really young, she accidentally vowed to her stepmother to always do whatever she wanted to – now essentially making her a slave. Being a pixie and an omega, she is forced to hide her wings when they go off to a big party at the capital and make her step-sister LOOK like an omega with her magic to try to catch an alpha mark. But Lark has bigger plans, she intends to use what little of her magic is left to illusion magic to go to the ball herself and then run away to a safe place.

Things seem to be going well until she catches the eye of an alpha – who ends up NOT being a Seelie fae, but unseelie who she is drawn to but terrified of. Running away, she is found by another unseelie fae who takes her to his hotel and gets her a room. Still intending to run away, she discovers that the unseelie men she met last night are actually the royal princes, along with their other two brothers. Fal, Tormund, Marius, and Kauz believe that Lark is their scent match, and they whisk her away to Seria to be their pack princess – but unfortunately her stepmother and stepsister find them and demand to be taken along.

This begins Lark’s journey with Pack __ on a discovery of finding her scent matched mates, along with other secrets that she had been told to forget, and like with most journeys, there would, of course, be trouble and turbulent waters ahead.

I loved each of the main characters – along with a lot of the side characters. This was a fun journey that I was happy to be taken on. The book is REALLY long though, so be prepared to be enraptured for a while.

Overall, this story was exciting, romantic, sweet, sexy, and of course had a plot twist… or two! Enjoy the read!

[Lory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book completely took me by surprise—in the best way possible! The blurb initially piqued my interest, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the thrilling, emotional, and utterly addictive journey that awaited inside these pages. I was hooked from the very first chapter and couldn’t tear myself away!

Lark is the heart of this story, and what a heroine she is. Flawed, strong, kind, and determined—she’s endured nearly two decades of cruelty from her stepmother and stepsister, yet somehow remains unbroken. She just wants freedom. And trust me… she gets it. If Cinderella had been a fae omega with four fae mates and a master plan of her own, you’d have Lark. But this story is so much more than just a fairytale twist. Lark isn’t waiting around for a prince to rescue her—she’s already got her own escape in motion. But fate has other plans when she meets her scent match, who just happens to be a prince. Or rather, four princes—Fal, Marius, Kauz, and Tormund—each one deliciously complex, flawed, and fated. Their road to a happy ending is anything but easy, and I loved every twist, turn, and emotional hurdle along the way.

And let’s talk drama—there’s plenty! A diabolical stepmother, long-hidden secrets (ohhh, that step-sister reveal!), a slow-burning found family dynamic, and a sprinkle of mystery that keeps you turning pages late into the night.

If you're the type of reader who loves a complete story arc in one book, no frustrating cliffhangers, and plenty of action, heart, and steam—this one is for you. Think classic fairytale meets fantasy romance with an edge, and you’ve got the magic that is this book.

As always, this review is 100% voluntary—no compensation involved. Just a reader who stumbled upon something unexpectedly magical and had to share the love.

Go read it—you won't regret it!

[Amanda Crossland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining

I agree with many other reviewers of this book. Lark the female lead character is introduced as a meek, and quiet. Never stirring up trouble, can never say no to a request from her step mother due to a magical compulsive spell. She was 6 at the time and of course agreed to be obedient and always do what her step mother tells her. The things Lark experienced that we got to read about was what drew me in to the book. I Love to get lost in a character, their thoughts, emotions and actions are all in sync. The abuse we read about, what her step mother forced her to do. It was almost too much and then all in one moment her life changed. Drastically. It was amazing to read Pack Sorlies point of views. Each of the men had a different distinct quality and far side. They were Larks perfect March. Surprise they knew each other as small children so the reunion was bitter sweet because we found out later her unseelie side and memories had been hidden. Truthfully, after they got back to the palace, I found the plot of the story kinda stalled. Lark, goes on dates with her mates to get to know them. We hear many many many times about how she needed a heat suppressant magical ratio that this got old as well. There had to be a conclusion to pack Elisar, her step mother Cyemora, and Laurel. So at about 86% of the book is when the action happens. I felt it was almost over to quickly. Lark goes into heat immediately at the end, and it was actually described well enough without the same over used words over and over. I’m glad some of it was skipped and just talked about in quick passing. Over all I do think it was an interesting spin on Cinderella, a little long but still entertaining.

[Helen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an epic book! I had to blink twice when I saw the amount of pages but it was great that it was all one book instead of split into a series of three which to be fair it could have been!

It definitely has Cinderella vibes although instead of a fairytale, it is more of a Faerietale! I loved that there was even references to the lost slipper although that is in a later ball rather than the first one where Lark, our heroine meets Fal, one of her handsome fae princes for the first time. I did think there was a slight little mermaid vibe too, although rather than losing her voice it was more of a loss of her free will.

The world building and character building in this story were absolutely amazing, I really fell in love with these characters . You would expect Lark, with what she had endured at the hands of her stepmother to be broken and she almost was, but there was a bit of steel left in her backbone that kept her going , she refused to break completely. I loved all 4 Princes, I normally have a favourite mate in RH but I really couldn't pick a favourite in this, they were all equally amazing! The story is one heck of a story, from start to finish I was completely engrossed and although it has cinderella vibes the story just isn't that simple there is so much more to the story than that. Vows, contracts, grievances, heroes and villains, made this an entertaining and exciting book, perhaps one of my favourites that I have read so far this year. I really hope there is more coming from this world, perhaps with Princess Glory the missing Princess. We never did find out what happened to her!

[Charlotte Battersby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lengthy book took me by surprise! The blurb caught my attention but wasn't expecting the captivating journey I encountered! Everything about this book kept me glued to the pages. The world building, the seelie and unseelie, the relationships, the characters and the fab pacing to the story! It didn't feel dragged out for a second, the relationships got the individual attention to develop and it kept you wanting to read more. The spicy scenes were great too, starting off slow burn then turning into medium/fast once they got to know each other better. Plus every character got their past revealed, little plot twists throughout and just enjoyed every page of this book.

Lark's personality development throughout the book is done really well. She truly blossoms into herself true omega self with the help of her fated mates. Fal, Kauz, Marius and Tormund all were fleshed out greatly and you got attached to them as characters. I loved Fal's leadership in putting his brothers' needs before his own. Kauz's sweetness and empathy was always touching and loved his spicy scenes! Marius and Tormund are my two favourites out of all the brothers. I loved how protective Marius was and how meeting Lark helped him come out of his shell and truly feel like enjoying life again. Tormund was such a sweetheart! His love for animals and gentle ways clashing with his race was just sweet to read about.

I can't recommend this book enough. Absolutely will read more stories by this author in the future!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella Hendricks is not new to me. I've read a previous series of hers and enjoyed it, so when I realized she was putting out a fae fantasy with hints of Cinderella. She made it into an omegaverse, sign me up. I didn't realize what a behemoth Fated or Knot was. This book is huge! And no wonder, Hendricks has created a very detailed world with a shocking variety of fae. All kinds of shapes, sizes, colorings, and species. OMG, the backstory was fantastic. There were heinous villains, epic twists, and a great magic system. All of that on top of the omegaverse details that I enjoy. Ella got really creative with this world. There are mating marks, designations, symbols, dream magic, heat suppressant tattoos, and more.


The characters were great. Lark was sweet. When everything about her past came out, I wanted to rage on her behalf. It was truly horrific. Her harem consists of a pack of brothers whom I all adore. I especially loved the bond the brothers had—very playful even if a few fights broke out. The best part would have to be the found family aspect of the story. There are a lot of characters in this book (only the MCs have POVs), and it is a huge family with close-knit bonds. I really liked the princes' family. It's big, the bonds are tight, and everybody is in everybody's business. I especially liked the sisters; they were a lot of fun.


Fated or Knot was quirky and unique, and I loved it. The Cinderella aspects were immediately recognizable, and Ella's take on OV was refreshing but familiar.

[Briann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fated or Knot is a standalone fae omegaverse reverse harem with a spelled omega, four fated mates, and a happily ever after. This is the first book I've ever read by Ella, and as a lover of the story of Cinderella, when I read the synopsis and it said it had “Cinderella vibes,” I knew I had to read it.

The story revolves around Lark, an omega pixie, who, after years of abuse from her stepmother and the threat of a breeding contract, decides that during the annual Omega Masquerade—where omegas find their scent matches—she’d sneak in, steal what she could from the attendees, and escape to a safe city, where she could live free of her stepfamily. Of course, things don't go as planned. Everything changes for Lark during a single dance. After that, the Cinderella aspect fizzles out and the real story begins.

The author takes her time building both the world and the relationships, which I appreciated. That being said, this book is massive—about 252k words and 848 pages—so there were a few times I felt like giving up. There were a lot of things and characters that confused me and made it hard to follow at times. But once I got into it, I couldn't put it down.

My only complaint is the length. I personally would’ve rather it be split into multiple books, especially since it seems like there's more story to tell.

If you have a lot of time and want to get lost in a good book with lots of steam, definitely give this one a read.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely ADORED this book! The world building is so interesting in the sense that it takes elements of a lot of common fantasy tropes/species and melds them all together in a way that makes sense while also adding a few new(at least to me) elements and it works so well.
When I read a book where the FMC is bullied it can be such a hit or miss for me, but this book does a really good job of making sure it’s a present part of the plot while also making sure it’s not the only part. I also like the vow element to explain why she’s such a strong willed character who still differs to her step-mother. I was concerned when it felt as if the plot had concluded while I was only 30% into the book, but a new element was quickly introduced that built on the previous plot. Most of the books I read would’ve ended after the first plot was completed, so it was refreshing that this book kept building until there was a much more satisfying ending that allowed for the main characters’ relationships to actually develop.
I enjoyed all of the small details that made each of the mmc’s species unique and all of the small pieces of lore we got about the world. At no point during this read did any of the information feel forced or out of place, every piece of information we, as the readers, learned about this world had a reason to be thought about/said/experienced.
Overall I’m obsessed with this book and will definitely be keeping an eye out for future books in this series!

[Julorie Siefert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lark at a young age, too young to understand in the throes of depression over the death of her father, gave a vow to her step-mother. This vow left her unable to go against her step-mother wishes. Just like in the story Cinderella, her step-mother and step-sister who were mermaids were going to The Omega Masquerade Ball using Lark’s magic to create an illusion that her step-sister was a delicate pixie and her step-mother would be a rare female alpha so they could get a rich man to mate with them before the illusion wore off. Lark was going to sneak into the ball too not to find a rich man but to pick-pocket the rich men so she could get enough money to buy a ticket for the magirail ride to get away before her step-mother gave her to an odious pack.
Little did Lark know what fate was waiting for her at The Omega Masquerade Ball, her scented matches. She tries to escape from them but she is caught and thus begins the story of Marius, Fal, Kauz, and Tormund. This story of the relationship development between Lark and her mates along with their unique individual personalities. The cruelty of her step-mother and her deception and interference. Plus, throw in the surprise her step-sister had never let anyone know about. Then how the fathers of Marius, Fal, Kauz, and Tormund intertwine I guarantee you will not be putting this book down.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay listen—this book is long. Like cancel your weekend long. I definitely had a few “am I actually going to finish this?” moments… and then suddenly I was 600 pages deep and emotionally attached to a girl, four fae princes, and a magical house full of nosy siblings.

Lark was such a surprisingly grounded heroine. She’s been through it and carries that trauma in quiet, realistic ways. Watching her grow into herself without losing her softness was one of my favorite parts. And the princes? Each one brought something different—sweet, grumpy, chaotic, broody—and the found family dynamic between them all was just so satisfying.

The worldbuilding is rich and detailed without being overwhelming. It’s definitely one of those stories where everything unfolds slowly, but it never feels like it’s dragging. It’s more like you’re living in the world for a while. I actually loved how much time it took to build trust and connection between the characters—it made every moment feel earned.

Would I have trimmed a few chapters? Probably. But did I love it anyway? Absolutely. If you’re in the mood for slow burn, fae magic, emotional healing, and a pack of men who actually grow as people, this one is totally worth the time. Just maybe stretch your wrists first.

[Heather Stout · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. It was almost a 5 star except for a few things. First of all the five grammar errors. Then the fact that I recently tried to read Heart of the Raven Prince and found a lot of similarities between stepmother and stepdaughter between the two books. But the biggest icing on the cake is making Tormund a redcap, without the redcap lore. A redcap is meant to be a murderous goblin who uses his redcap to soak the blood of his enemies. It's a living breathing part of him. This doesn't exist for Tormund. Instead he has fire based magic... I feel like maybe the author should have made him an Ifrit? Or perhaps the salamander fae could be both Unseelie and Seelie? I don't know but redcap doesn't fit. Not to mention when you first meet Tormund he reminds me almost too much of Lorcan from The Fifth Nicnevin series. He changes a bit over time, but that first moment it's almost uncanny how similar they are.

The above might seem like a lot, and perhaps that might have brought the score further down for other people. But honestly the story is immensely well put together. It kept me really entertained, and sincerely if it hadn't been for those things it would probably be a 5 star for me.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blown away by the size of this book and the depth of the story…

This book suprised me as soon as I started reading… in a very good way.

I loved the fairytale retelling within the omegaverse and fae world. You get the insta love with scent matches but there was so much going on with Lark that each of the princes had to court her and wait before they could act on their instincts.

Each individual relationship within the pack was so unique and sweet to see unfold as the chapters flew by. Even digging into the stepfamily came with some twists and surprises.

I really really hope there will be more stories in this world/series. I loved the writing style, the bonds that are created and nurtured and the large family was great.

A rh romantic omegaverse fantasy. Lots of magical creatures living side by side, magic, redemption, fated mates, sweet dates, betrayal and action.

Multiple povs told in first person

Pack Sorles -

Lark - aka Metalark, p’nixie, omega
Crown Prince Falindel - aka Fal, dark elf, pack lead
Prince Marius - kelpie, protector, Niall is his kelpie side
Prince Kauzden - aka Kauz, dreamlander, magician heir
Prince Tormund - aka Tor, redcap, gentle giant and in charge of household

Steam - knotting, nesting, no mm or pregnancy