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Mortals and Mystics #1
When Fate Aligns
One beautifully lethal hybrid-vampire. That’s all it took for Fallon’s structured, and mundane life to irreversibly change.
Fallon unknowingly helps the hybrid escape imprisonment and is thrown into a new life where she is now the hunted. A hidden world of cryptic creatures and alluring witches is unveiled to her, her mortal eyes seeing the mystics for the first time. What she doesn’t know is the hybrid sought out the one human he can both help and harm.
With only a Crimson Sword, a small group of friends, and a few useless mortal weapons, they find themselves closer and closer to death every day. Running from endless enemies—both man, and monster—to a destination unknown, Fallon must decide if she’ll risk her own life to save his...
Fallon unknowingly helps the hybrid escape imprisonment and is thrown into a new life where she is now the hunted. A hidden world of cryptic creatures and alluring witches is unveiled to her, her mortal eyes seeing the mystics for the first time. What she doesn’t know is the hybrid sought out the one human he can both help and harm.
With only a Crimson Sword, a small group of friends, and a few useless mortal weapons, they find themselves closer and closer to death every day. Running from endless enemies—both man, and monster—to a destination unknown, Fallon must decide if she’ll risk her own life to save his...
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2017
169 people are currently reading
348 people want to read
About the author
A.K. Koonce
103 books881 followersA.K. Koonce is a USA Today best selling author. She's a mom by day and a fantasy and paranormal romance author by night. She keeps the fantastical stories in her mind on an endless loop, while she tries her best to focus on her actual life and not that of the spectacular but demanding fictional characters who always fill her thoughts
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
June 24, 2019
Originally posted at:
This book has been on my TBR pile for years and I'm SO sorry I didn't get to it earlier! This was a very intriguing story with a different take on vampires and the mythology behind them. The world the author constructed left me wanting to know more.
Fallon proved to be a kick-butt heroine! She may have been raised in a dystopian world where the government controls everything about your life but the fight never left her. Her mother set these events in motion so she could have a chance at "normal" or as normal as can be the world they live in.
Number 44 really stood out to me for some reason. I like how he's also a fighter but respectful and caring of the people that helped him. The plan they set in motion was for his benefit in a way as well but he wasn't forcing Fallon into it.
The ending broke my heart! You can do whatever the heck you want to the characters but don't you dare hurt an innocent dog trying to protect their owner! I'm really interested to know what happens next!
My Favorite Quotes:
"I don't ask serious questions. Because deep down, I know it's safer not knowing."
"Sometimes you don't see the gifts you're given. You count your losses, not knowing there are more things out there worth gaining."
"But your future is here. We can't change the past no matter how often we revisit it [...]."
This book has been on my TBR pile for years and I'm SO sorry I didn't get to it earlier! This was a very intriguing story with a different take on vampires and the mythology behind them. The world the author constructed left me wanting to know more.
Fallon proved to be a kick-butt heroine! She may have been raised in a dystopian world where the government controls everything about your life but the fight never left her. Her mother set these events in motion so she could have a chance at "normal" or as normal as can be the world they live in.
Number 44 really stood out to me for some reason. I like how he's also a fighter but respectful and caring of the people that helped him. The plan they set in motion was for his benefit in a way as well but he wasn't forcing Fallon into it.
The ending broke my heart! You can do whatever the heck you want to the characters but don't you dare hurt an innocent dog trying to protect their owner! I'm really interested to know what happens next!
My Favorite Quotes:
"I don't ask serious questions. Because deep down, I know it's safer not knowing."
"Sometimes you don't see the gifts you're given. You count your losses, not knowing there are more things out there worth gaining."
"But your future is here. We can't change the past no matter how often we revisit it [...]."
January 31, 2019
As we all know, not all reads are for everyone. With that being said, "When Fate Aligns" just wasn't the read for me. While the storyline was that of a dystopian world the plot read flat. There was a overall feeling of hopelessness. There were no highs or lows just a constant string of mediocre characters, mediocre antagonists and mediocre drama. Truly, I don't even understand the reference to the title because it seems that the fates did not align for anyone including the family pet.
In this world the government determines who you will unite with, what occupation you have and what you eat. Fallon Fiercely (Yep, that's her name) often goes to the lab to work with her mother, Charlotte with the pikes. A pike is a human vampire hybrid that have devices in their necks deigned to keep them from speaking. So Charlotte used sign language to speak with them. Pikes do not have names. They are only referred to by numbers and number 44 is of special interest to Charlotte and Fallon.
A plan is hatched to allow 44 to escape sending Charlotte, her love interest Ky and Fallon on the run. things don't go as planned and soon they are being hunted down. Fallon is keenly aware that her mother is keeping something from her but she doesn't know what. when it is revealed quite frankly it is anticlimactic. There is no humor, no passion, and a few weak moments of intrigue. However in the end, this is one of those novels that has potential but didn't quite realize it. Despite the interesting cliffhanger ending I will not be going on to the next book in this series. This read just wasn't for me.
In this world the government determines who you will unite with, what occupation you have and what you eat. Fallon Fiercely (Yep, that's her name) often goes to the lab to work with her mother, Charlotte with the pikes. A pike is a human vampire hybrid that have devices in their necks deigned to keep them from speaking. So Charlotte used sign language to speak with them. Pikes do not have names. They are only referred to by numbers and number 44 is of special interest to Charlotte and Fallon.
A plan is hatched to allow 44 to escape sending Charlotte, her love interest Ky and Fallon on the run. things don't go as planned and soon they are being hunted down. Fallon is keenly aware that her mother is keeping something from her but she doesn't know what. when it is revealed quite frankly it is anticlimactic. There is no humor, no passion, and a few weak moments of intrigue. However in the end, this is one of those novels that has potential but didn't quite realize it. Despite the interesting cliffhanger ending I will not be going on to the next book in this series. This read just wasn't for me.
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May 6, 2018💝FREE on Amazon today (5/6/2018)!💝
January 8, 2021
3.5
Trigger/Content Warning: (spoilery)
Twin Death, Animal Death, Parental Death
Trigger/Content Warning: (spoilery)
Twin Death, Animal Death, Parental Death
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2017
DNF. I downloaded this as part of an Insta-freebie giveaway, so I had nothing but the cover and an amazon search to decide whether to read.
INFO:
Fallon is taken by her mother to the prison-laboratory where her mother works with hybrid vampires. She doesn't know what is going on, and the hybrids are tagged with RFID trackers and silencers. Fallon lives in an oppressive communist society, so her situation is not much better than number 44, the hybrid she is attracted to. Later, as she takes a break from working in the cafeteria, she is fooled by her mother into taking part in a prison-escape.
PRO:
The combination of science fiction with paranormal elements is intriguing. I also see a little of The Scarlet Letter in this.
NEG:
Understandably, there were long passages without any speech. But I found myself skipping forward a lot. By 2/3 of the novel, I realized that the long descriptive sequences were not going away. I could live with that, but not the planned determinism even when the main characters were bucking societal conventions.
I felt like I was reading something I would be forced to read in high school.
This could be a fantastic read for most people. The book is well-written and thoughtful. I would have enjoyed it more as a novelette, so I recommend it despite not finishing.
INFO:
Fallon is taken by her mother to the prison-laboratory where her mother works with hybrid vampires. She doesn't know what is going on, and the hybrids are tagged with RFID trackers and silencers. Fallon lives in an oppressive communist society, so her situation is not much better than number 44, the hybrid she is attracted to. Later, as she takes a break from working in the cafeteria, she is fooled by her mother into taking part in a prison-escape.
PRO:
The combination of science fiction with paranormal elements is intriguing. I also see a little of The Scarlet Letter in this.
NEG:
Understandably, there were long passages without any speech. But I found myself skipping forward a lot. By 2/3 of the novel, I realized that the long descriptive sequences were not going away. I could live with that, but not the planned determinism even when the main characters were bucking societal conventions.
I felt like I was reading something I would be forced to read in high school.
This could be a fantastic read for most people. The book is well-written and thoughtful. I would have enjoyed it more as a novelette, so I recommend it despite not finishing.
August 10, 2017
I loved this book! Dystopian worlds always fascinate me. This one does not disappoint.
Controlling human government versus the entire mystical world. This government is masterfully deceptive; the citizens believe their lives are so much better now. There’s no need for money. Everyone has a job assigned based on intelligence and social standing. Food is rationed out. Requests may be submitted for a union, but are decided by the government. Even the miracle of birth must first be approved. Reminds me a bit of George Orwell’s 1984.
As we follow the group we learn more about the characters. Kyle, injured during military service, protects Charlotte and Fallon as if they are his responsibility. Charlotte is Fallon’s mother and researcher at the local pike facility. Pikes are the human-vampire hybrids renamed using numbers. Forty-four seems to be of major interest to the head researcher, Dr. Shaw. Seventeen-year-old Fallon was matched to a boy named Micah. He mysteriously disappeared.
While adventuring, Fallon learns lessons she should have been taught in school. She should already know if hybrids are blood-thirsty creatures. She should have learned about the dangers hidden in the forests. Mystical creatures are real. They can, and will, kill.
Controlling human government versus the entire mystical world. This government is masterfully deceptive; the citizens believe their lives are so much better now. There’s no need for money. Everyone has a job assigned based on intelligence and social standing. Food is rationed out. Requests may be submitted for a union, but are decided by the government. Even the miracle of birth must first be approved. Reminds me a bit of George Orwell’s 1984.
As we follow the group we learn more about the characters. Kyle, injured during military service, protects Charlotte and Fallon as if they are his responsibility. Charlotte is Fallon’s mother and researcher at the local pike facility. Pikes are the human-vampire hybrids renamed using numbers. Forty-four seems to be of major interest to the head researcher, Dr. Shaw. Seventeen-year-old Fallon was matched to a boy named Micah. He mysteriously disappeared.
While adventuring, Fallon learns lessons she should have been taught in school. She should already know if hybrids are blood-thirsty creatures. She should have learned about the dangers hidden in the forests. Mystical creatures are real. They can, and will, kill.
August 15, 2017
rcvd an advanced reader copy from the author for giving my two cents. I wasn't too sure what to think of this book when I started it. but as I delved deeper into it i felt the pain the characters went thru. we meet fallon who is with her mom at the prison of sorts where ahe sits infront of a pike...vampire...but she isn't afraid, she is enthralled by his beauty. forty-four is his name and she thinks hes beautiful. the next at work she can't stop from thinking about 44...smrg about his tugs at her. on break her mom's bff asks her to join him in mtg her mom. the next this she knows 44 has ky with a knife to his neck then her mom emerges with backpacks for them to run. it doesn't make sense but she follows her mother and does what a good daughter does..listen. a journey into the darkness to have her mom cut a chip out of 44s neck, to running from scary things in the forest, to learning 44s name is Asher, to becoming his friend, to finally finding out the truth...but at what cost and is it too late? the end made me sad and angry that I need the next book like yesterday.
August 12, 2017
What a good book. I liked what the blurb said it was about and gave it a try. I was really impressed with how well it was written and the tension involved as we watch Fallon's world go from boring to running for her life with her family and Forty-four. I loved that it mixed two genres that I love - fantasy and dystopian. I thought this world was harsh yet cool and cannot wait to see what else is lurking around it. I was offered a free copy and was really impressed. I was hooked from the first chapter as I had to learn what secrets Fallon's mom was hiding, why they were helping Forty-four escape and what else might pop up. Plus it was a clean story that I read all in one sitting. The ending was unexpected and I cannot wait to see what book 2 brings.
August 11, 2017
I enjoyed this book. It was a fast read for me (roughly 200pgs on Kobo, 250 maybe?). It's written in 1st person, in case that's a deal breaker for anyone. I found the theme of division, and exclusion/oppression, due to differences to be a spot on observation of humans in a general sense. How quick we are to use/abuse something that benefits us, but then once it's served its purpose, get rid of it because it's not something we understand and therefore fear.
Quote: "Our heritage, skin tone and religion is no longer the focus of animosity. But there will always be someone to hate …"
It ends on a cliffhanger, but it's part of a series... so that is to be expected.
Quote: "Our heritage, skin tone and religion is no longer the focus of animosity. But there will always be someone to hate …"
It ends on a cliffhanger, but it's part of a series... so that is to be expected.
May 15, 2018
I downloaded When Fate Aligns as a free ebook from Amazon. Not really sure how I feel about this book, and I especially didn't appreciate the cliffhanger ending. The narrative style is tell, rather than show, but the story is well done. As a reader, I was sucked into the plot--but I still had a bit of a disconnect as I never really knew what was going on in the storyline (lack of communication between the protagonists) as the characters were so secretive--I was pulled along for the ride instead of experiencing it. Great plot, but I'm still somewhat baffled by the execution. It was a freebie when I got it, so worth the try.
August 23, 2017
I got this book as an ARC reader in exchange for a review. This world s completely different than our, full of all kinds of mystics. Humans have hunted he vampires almost to extinction. Humans no longer marry but the government selects a mate for you. Fallon's mother is experimenting on hybrids which is were she meets Asher. They free him and run t where they hope to be safe. The author gets the reader involved in the story, hoping they will all survive and live happily ever after. Unfortunately,some stories have a sad ending and this is one of them.
August 30, 2017
When Fate Aligns is the first book in what is sure to be a must read series for all paranormal fans. The story is fast paced with edge of your seat twists and turns you won't see coming. The in depth characters are likeable and relatable and will have you quickly invested in their story. You will be captivated from start to finish. I enjoyed the world the Author created in this book and look forward to more in this series.
September 1, 2017
Though I did find that this book was a little slow to start the action quickly picks up and you want to keep turning pages to learn how everything is going to connect and come together. In a time where the government provides all and all you have to do it try and survive. But is everything really how it should be? Can there be more than what everyone has been taught and given? You will want to follow this tale and I look forward to the next book.
September 3, 2017
I just loved this book, you immediately get the feel of the dystopian type of world that Fallon lives in and the lives of those around her. The pace is great and there are plenty of twists, surprises and addictive reading within the book. I can not wait to read the next in the series and I am sure I will read it in one sitting just like I did this one!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 23, 2017
First time reading from the author.
I thought the story was good. It starts off at a slow pace and picks up as you keep reading. It kept me pulled in till the end, when started reading. I thought some of the characters were likable.
Got ARC for an honest review. Never read one like this, it was different and made for a good read.
Thank you for sharing your book with me.
I thought the story was good. It starts off at a slow pace and picks up as you keep reading. It kept me pulled in till the end, when started reading. I thought some of the characters were likable.
Got ARC for an honest review. Never read one like this, it was different and made for a good read.
Thank you for sharing your book with me.
August 30, 2018
Action Packed
This was a fantastic read, the characters were amazing and well written. The story line was even better, constant action, unexpected twists in the journey they are taking. Tragedy, budding love, heartache and constantly fighting for their loves! This was a seriously amazing book! Can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
This was a fantastic read, the characters were amazing and well written. The story line was even better, constant action, unexpected twists in the journey they are taking. Tragedy, budding love, heartache and constantly fighting for their loves! This was a seriously amazing book! Can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
June 27, 2018
had a hard time getting into the book the first 4 to 6 chapters had me groaning and cursing the book could not keep my focus. had to adjust to the me/i style of writing but once i got into it i had a hard time putting it away. it is worth it to read this series.
September 11, 2019
A refreshingly new twist to dystopian society
This was a good read, fast paced but did not leave you with tons of unanswered questions. Timed very well. The main character is forced to grow up. No spoilers, but damn A.K..
This was a good read, fast paced but did not leave you with tons of unanswered questions. Timed very well. The main character is forced to grow up. No spoilers, but damn A.K..
August 30, 2017
Oppressed and repressed races collide in a love story for the times. Despite a rocky start jn life, i cant wait to see what the futuere holds for fallon and asher.
September 27, 2017
A fairly decent read from a first time author for me. A fantasy story that was fast paced and interesting to me. A not to be missed story.
February 6, 2018
Not what I was expecting but pretty entertaining and moving. Very captivating. I couldn't put it down because so much happens and I really love the characters.
January 6, 2019
Not her best work
This book feels very stilted. All throughout, the conversations, people, the descriptions... All very meh.. and even worse it ends in a stupid pseudo-cliffhanger.
This book feels very stilted. All throughout, the conversations, people, the descriptions... All very meh.. and even worse it ends in a stupid pseudo-cliffhanger.
January 5, 2021
Once again I have found a good book in this story. I found it hard to put it down until the end.
December 19, 2017
I have been in a reading funk, this book as helped me get over it. I started reading it and finished it almost the same day. I couldn't put it down. My favorite reads are supernatural stories and this is a great one. I love the take on a hybrid-vampire, it's like nothing I have read before. It is very well written and easy to read and keep up with the story that keeps you wanting more. I have recommended this book to my friends and would recommend it to anyone that loves the genre of supernatural. I am very excited for the second book and can't wait to see what happens next. I haven't written much about the characters or the story because I don't want to include spoilers. This book is great and I wouldn't have rated it 5 stars if i didn't love it.
August 30, 2017
To say I love looking for new authors is an understatement. I voluntarily read this ARC by this author and couldn’t put it down. Koonce definitely knows how to capture the audience and her characters run the full scope of development. I’m normally found reading in the paranormal genre, but this covered people living in a dystopian environment as well, and it all meshed together seamlessly. This story had me crying more than once, laughing at others, and gasping at the ending. I can’t wait for the next book in the series and highly recommend this for you reading pleasure. This is a book for all ages.
September 18, 2017
This was an interesting read. I really enjoyed the dystopian world the author created and was very intrigued by the concept of mystics.
I found the description some what of a let down since there's no all that much that happens in this book.
Fallon goes through the majority of the book not even knowing what they're doing. She doesn't even have any theories, and she's just.. fine with it.
There's some mention of how she's beginning to really want some answers, but obviously not enough to question anyone. I found this kind of confusing.
By the time the explanations finally came I just felt so let down. Kind of like... that's it?!
We've read 75% through this book having the questions build up exponentially and that's it?!
That being said, I enjoyed their travel through the forest. I enjoyed watching Asher and Fallon form their relationship and become closer.
The ending of the book is probably the only spot where something actually happens. It's like.. nothing.. nothing.. nothing, huge fight scene, multiple people dead, world imploded, BAM, the end.
So yeah, all in all, a bit of an odd book as far as structure, plot and development. I did like it, and I think I'll even go read the sequel now since I'm curious about what's to come, but it was definitely an odd read for me and not something I'd usually be in the mood for.
I found the description some what of a let down since there's no all that much that happens in this book.
Fallon goes through the majority of the book not even knowing what they're doing. She doesn't even have any theories, and she's just.. fine with it.
There's some mention of how she's beginning to really want some answers, but obviously not enough to question anyone. I found this kind of confusing.
By the time the explanations finally came I just felt so let down. Kind of like... that's it?!
We've read 75% through this book having the questions build up exponentially and that's it?!
That being said, I enjoyed their travel through the forest. I enjoyed watching Asher and Fallon form their relationship and become closer.
The ending of the book is probably the only spot where something actually happens. It's like.. nothing.. nothing.. nothing, huge fight scene, multiple people dead, world imploded, BAM, the end.
So yeah, all in all, a bit of an odd book as far as structure, plot and development. I did like it, and I think I'll even go read the sequel now since I'm curious about what's to come, but it was definitely an odd read for me and not something I'd usually be in the mood for.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews