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The Frost Arcana #1
What Fate Portends
"Faeries liked to tease the weak, but they loved to annihilate the strong."
Seven years ago, the exposure of the paranormal led to the tumultuous downfall of human society. Now, the legions of the fae rule the broken world, and humanity has nothing left but a handful of protected cities and a heaping helping of regret.
Enter Vincent Whelan. Half fae and former cop, he's become the best-known stretch scavenger in Kinsale, North Carolina, braving the "stretches" outside his city to recover precious items lost in the collapse. He makes good money. Lives the good life. Has a good future in store. As long as he can ignore his traumatic memories of the past.
But when a new job with an odd twist blows onto his doorstep, Vince finds himself unwittingly drawn into a vast conspiracy lurking underneath Kinsale's thin veneer of civilization. Old friends suddenly return to haunt him. New enemies appear at every turn. And Vince fears he isn't prepared to confront either one.
But if he doesn't put his detective hat back on and solve this case on a tight deadline, then what's left of the city he calls home might just crumble to dust.
What Fate Portends is the first novel of The Frost Arcana, an action-packed urban fantasy series set in a post-apocalyptic world.
Seven years ago, the exposure of the paranormal led to the tumultuous downfall of human society. Now, the legions of the fae rule the broken world, and humanity has nothing left but a handful of protected cities and a heaping helping of regret.
Enter Vincent Whelan. Half fae and former cop, he's become the best-known stretch scavenger in Kinsale, North Carolina, braving the "stretches" outside his city to recover precious items lost in the collapse. He makes good money. Lives the good life. Has a good future in store. As long as he can ignore his traumatic memories of the past.
But when a new job with an odd twist blows onto his doorstep, Vince finds himself unwittingly drawn into a vast conspiracy lurking underneath Kinsale's thin veneer of civilization. Old friends suddenly return to haunt him. New enemies appear at every turn. And Vince fears he isn't prepared to confront either one.
But if he doesn't put his detective hat back on and solve this case on a tight deadline, then what's left of the city he calls home might just crumble to dust.
What Fate Portends is the first novel of The Frost Arcana, an action-packed urban fantasy series set in a post-apocalyptic world.
216 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2018
379 people are currently reading
614 people want to read
About the author
Clara Coulson
27 books247 followersClara Coulson is an author of action-packed urban fantasy and paranormal thriller novels with sarcastic main characters and supernaturally empowered villains.
Currently living in the Middle of Nowhere, Virginia, Clara spends most of her time dreaming up bizarre paranormal scenarios and adapting them into novels and reading through the enormous backlog of books on her shelves.
Clara likes silly cats, pepperoni pizza, and collecting an absurd number of notebooks and BIC pens that she has no real use for.
Currently living in the Middle of Nowhere, Virginia, Clara spends most of her time dreaming up bizarre paranormal scenarios and adapting them into novels and reading through the enormous backlog of books on her shelves.
Clara likes silly cats, pepperoni pizza, and collecting an absurd number of notebooks and BIC pens that she has no real use for.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
July 9, 2018
4 Stars
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book from the author. This has not influenced my review.*
Set in a post-apoc world ruled by powerful fae, this urban fantasy about a half-fae ex-cop had me gripped from start to finish. The pacing was balanced with just the right amount of action-packed and magic-filled fight scenes, intriguing moments of mystery and creeping around, and slower scenes of character introspection.
The main character, Vince, was one I could root for. He was just a tiny bit snarky, but not too much. He wasn’t overly perfect, but he was a good guy. He clearly has some emotional scars in his past, but the reader didn’t get to learn much about that yet. I’m hoping to get to know him a bit more in the next book. Saoirse was also easy to root for. She was kind and understanding but also kicked butt and didn’t back down against all the fae bad guys, even though she was just a human.
There was no romance in this book, but it’s still early in the series, so there’s always a possibility of a future romance subplot, whether with Saoirse or someone else. (I wasn’t clear on whether Vince had ever had feelings for her or not.)
I can tell you what this book did have though: faeries! And these were some intense, scary, powerful fae. The main character included. It was also clear that the author did some research to create her version of things, with the different types of fae and their homelands and histories.
As for the setting, it was a post-apoc world with some safe cities that are protected and run by the faeries. Society was a little different, but not drastically so since there was still an economy and homes and businesses within the safe cities. This is another thing I’m hoping to get to know more about in the next book.
Also, as I’m finding is typical for this author’s books, there was some relevance to the real world. Not in a preachy way, just things like prejudice.
Overall, this was a solid start to a new post-apoc urban fantasy series!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes urban fantasy, post-apoc settings, and fae.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
Review:
*I received an ecopy of this book from the author. This has not influenced my review.*
Set in a post-apoc world ruled by powerful fae, this urban fantasy about a half-fae ex-cop had me gripped from start to finish. The pacing was balanced with just the right amount of action-packed and magic-filled fight scenes, intriguing moments of mystery and creeping around, and slower scenes of character introspection.
The main character, Vince, was one I could root for. He was just a tiny bit snarky, but not too much. He wasn’t overly perfect, but he was a good guy. He clearly has some emotional scars in his past, but the reader didn’t get to learn much about that yet. I’m hoping to get to know him a bit more in the next book. Saoirse was also easy to root for. She was kind and understanding but also kicked butt and didn’t back down against all the fae bad guys, even though she was just a human.
There was no romance in this book, but it’s still early in the series, so there’s always a possibility of a future romance subplot, whether with Saoirse or someone else. (I wasn’t clear on whether Vince had ever had feelings for her or not.)
I can tell you what this book did have though: faeries! And these were some intense, scary, powerful fae. The main character included. It was also clear that the author did some research to create her version of things, with the different types of fae and their homelands and histories.
As for the setting, it was a post-apoc world with some safe cities that are protected and run by the faeries. Society was a little different, but not drastically so since there was still an economy and homes and businesses within the safe cities. This is another thing I’m hoping to get to know more about in the next book.
Also, as I’m finding is typical for this author’s books, there was some relevance to the real world. Not in a preachy way, just things like prejudice.
Overall, this was a solid start to a new post-apoc urban fantasy series!
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes urban fantasy, post-apoc settings, and fae.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
August 8, 2018
3.75 stars rounded up
I loved Coulson's City of Crows series... so much that after I finished book #5, seeing that no new books are available, I ended up buying this first book of her new series (it's sold for only .99).
I wholeheartedly enjoyed it too!! For one, as a reader, it's clear from the beginning that Vince Whelan, half-fae half-human, has power that he has kept a secret. It's a little different situation than Cal Kinsey from City of Crows (). I liked how Vince still chose his humanity, and of course, ended up trying to defend his town from a fae threat.
I liked the myth creatures incorporated here, which includes the famous Queen Mab as well as Tuatha Dé Danann. I liked the world built, a post-apocalyptic dystopian world, where fae ruled the world. Apparently after humans claim war against supernatural creatures, the fae army destroys humans and government as retaliation.
I admit that I was a little confused at first -- I deliberately didn't read the blurb, so I didn't have initial knowledge about the context -- because Coulson didn't explain the world setting, only based on what Vince said here and there during his interaction with others. BUT, Coulson's writing intrigued me greatly that I powered through.
The book doesn't have cliff-hanger, which means it's okay for me to stop now and don't immediately jumped into the next book. I want to, but I have other books lining up for me to read as well *laugh*. But I will definitely follow this series too!
I loved Coulson's City of Crows series... so much that after I finished book #5, seeing that no new books are available, I ended up buying this first book of her new series (it's sold for only .99).
I wholeheartedly enjoyed it too!! For one, as a reader, it's clear from the beginning that Vince Whelan, half-fae half-human, has power that he has kept a secret. It's a little different situation than Cal Kinsey from City of Crows (). I liked how Vince still chose his humanity, and of course, ended up trying to defend his town from a fae threat.
I liked the myth creatures incorporated here, which includes the famous Queen Mab as well as Tuatha Dé Danann. I liked the world built, a post-apocalyptic dystopian world, where fae ruled the world. Apparently after humans claim war against supernatural creatures, the fae army destroys humans and government as retaliation.
I admit that I was a little confused at first -- I deliberately didn't read the blurb, so I didn't have initial knowledge about the context -- because Coulson didn't explain the world setting, only based on what Vince said here and there during his interaction with others. BUT, Coulson's writing intrigued me greatly that I powered through.
The book doesn't have cliff-hanger, which means it's okay for me to stop now and don't immediately jumped into the next book. I want to, but I have other books lining up for me to read as well *laugh*. But I will definitely follow this series too!
July 28, 2025
I like Whelan, a former cop who's the child of a High Sidhe of the Unseelie court. In this, he stumbles upon an attempt to awaken the Tuatha De Danan from their long slumber - an act with terrifying consequences. Not wanting to see his childhood home destroyed in the resulting conflagration, Whelan puts his life on the line to stop it, revealing more of himself than he ever intended.
November 21, 2019
Surprisingly good, but then I do love my snarkiness and sass when it comes to my urban fantasy.
Want to read
October 30, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/30/2019)! 🎁
May 27, 2021
Good series about a part fae former cop who now scavenges the wasteland outside his city for things to sell. Set in a post-apocalyptic US.
September 26, 2018
Twas the price seduced me 99p ;) it was enough for me to eventually shelve my resentment over this new series taking over from the City of Crows series that after fast regular releases was left with one hell of a cliff-hanger and no word of future releases! - Something that makes me very wary!
I liked it. A lot slower paced than the City of Crows series, there is some action but found this more plot driven. It's more inside Vincent's head than conversation which added to the sense of there being a lot of theorising and explaining of the world. An interesting world; post-apocalypse/faerie take over with 'safe areas'.
Known characters from folklore are referred to or appear such as Queen Mab. If you're a follower of the fae these will likely resonate more with you, being less familiar I did feel I was missing some of the significance. Not everyone's level of influence was explained or easy to determine but that's a small niggle.
Vincent is a paranormal, a half-blood which has been revealed to his detriment however his true potential remains secret to even close friends. His powers are referred to frequently but we only get glimpses of his powers and no real visual to his true form.
There's no romantic plot in this one. Friendship is rekindled with human mentor Saoirse whose a great strong capable female character. This may lead to romance but too early to say, and either way she makes a great partner.
Aspects of this reminded me of Rhys Ford's Kai series, a very different character and vibe but fans of one may like the other. No cliff-hanger ending, it stops on a quiet note and works as a one off, it left me planning to read on but not craving the next book.
I liked it. A lot slower paced than the City of Crows series, there is some action but found this more plot driven. It's more inside Vincent's head than conversation which added to the sense of there being a lot of theorising and explaining of the world. An interesting world; post-apocalypse/faerie take over with 'safe areas'.
Known characters from folklore are referred to or appear such as Queen Mab. If you're a follower of the fae these will likely resonate more with you, being less familiar I did feel I was missing some of the significance. Not everyone's level of influence was explained or easy to determine but that's a small niggle.
Vincent is a paranormal, a half-blood which has been revealed to his detriment however his true potential remains secret to even close friends. His powers are referred to frequently but we only get glimpses of his powers and no real visual to his true form.
There's no romantic plot in this one. Friendship is rekindled with human mentor Saoirse whose a great strong capable female character. This may lead to romance but too early to say, and either way she makes a great partner.
Aspects of this reminded me of Rhys Ford's Kai series, a very different character and vibe but fans of one may like the other. No cliff-hanger ending, it stops on a quiet note and works as a one off, it left me planning to read on but not craving the next book.
August 24, 2019
Wonderful worldbuilding, and an excellent take on the consequences of paranormals emerging in human society. The foreground story is quite good too, with a mystery to unravel that may or may not have run its course by the end of the book. Should be a fun series.
January 16, 2020
This is a great action packed urban fantasy that had me on the edge of my seat the whole read! Gripping and filled with magic and mystery and some great characters, you will not be able to put this down neither!
June 8, 2020
I love when I find new authors to enjoy, especially when they have such extensive backlogs as Clara does. Really excited to see where this series goes next.
August 15, 2020
A bit slow to start off though made up for it after a few chapters.
June 21, 2019
Having read and loved Clara Coulson's other series, I knew that the standard of writing is excellent. And indeed I was not disappointed. Vince is a bit of a loner and his story took a little while to get off the ground but considering that the fae are usually one of my least favourite supernaturals to read about, I really loved the world, especially the post apocalyptic setting, I always like it when it is so believable and this really was. A great first book and I am looking forward to the next one.
March 23, 2019
The author was offering this as a freebie/loss leader intro into the series so I went into it not expecting to much and boy was I pleasantly surprised. I'm not usually much on post-apocalyptic worlds but this wasn't grimdark or dystopian hopeless like so many are. I enjoyed this. I liked the world building and I liked the two main characters, Vince Whelan (it's his point, first person) and his former partner on the police force, Saoirse.
Several years back the fae attacked Earth and it ended in nuclear war and the humans lost now owing fealty to the fae queens, including the Unseelie queen Mab. Vince Whelan used to be a cop but when paranormals were outed, his half fae, half human nature came to light. HIs human father lost everything and eventually passed. Vince was nearly murdered by his former friends, wrapped in iron (which burns fae and can be fatal) leaving him scarred, during the Paranormal purge (which did end up failing).
Vince now lives close to the bone, appearing fully human and willing to sneak back into the abandoned Raleigh NC through the dangerous wastes to help refugees recover some of what they left behind (as he's less likely to be taken out by vampires, ghouls, werewolves or dangerous fae) and the story opens with this in media res.
He's offered what looks like a simple job right in his hometown of Kinsdale NC, to find out who bought an antique harp at great cost and he'll be very well paid. He agrees and things go very quickly sideways and he's embroiled in something very dark and dangerous. It brings him back with his former partient, Saoirse after violently parting ways with her seven years ago when the other cops attacked him.
Together, they have to keep one step ahead of the fae after Vince and stop whatever is going on, which is far worse than he could have imagined when he took the job.
I really liked Vince (though he does, early on, have some quirks I'd almost call girly but that sounds terribly sexist of me but I don't normally see too many men covering their mouths squealing in fear or biting their fingers but okay whatever). I like that we don't really know what kind of fae he is until the end (I guessed wrong about that, right about what the harp was). He's engaging as is Saoirse.
Unlike so many freebies I've picked up which were either good but forgettable or just plain bad, this one really drew me in and I am looking forward to read more of this series. This was a lot of fun.
Several years back the fae attacked Earth and it ended in nuclear war and the humans lost now owing fealty to the fae queens, including the Unseelie queen Mab. Vince Whelan used to be a cop but when paranormals were outed, his half fae, half human nature came to light. HIs human father lost everything and eventually passed. Vince was nearly murdered by his former friends, wrapped in iron (which burns fae and can be fatal) leaving him scarred, during the Paranormal purge (which did end up failing).
Vince now lives close to the bone, appearing fully human and willing to sneak back into the abandoned Raleigh NC through the dangerous wastes to help refugees recover some of what they left behind (as he's less likely to be taken out by vampires, ghouls, werewolves or dangerous fae) and the story opens with this in media res.
He's offered what looks like a simple job right in his hometown of Kinsdale NC, to find out who bought an antique harp at great cost and he'll be very well paid. He agrees and things go very quickly sideways and he's embroiled in something very dark and dangerous. It brings him back with his former partient, Saoirse after violently parting ways with her seven years ago when the other cops attacked him.
Together, they have to keep one step ahead of the fae after Vince and stop whatever is going on, which is far worse than he could have imagined when he took the job.
I really liked Vince (though he does, early on, have some quirks I'd almost call girly but that sounds terribly sexist of me but I don't normally see too many men covering their mouths squealing in fear or biting their fingers but okay whatever). I like that we don't really know what kind of fae he is until the end (I guessed wrong about that, right about what the harp was). He's engaging as is Saoirse.
Unlike so many freebies I've picked up which were either good but forgettable or just plain bad, this one really drew me in and I am looking forward to read more of this series. This was a lot of fun.
August 19, 2018
"What Fate Portends" is a very readable, entertaining book. The story is set in an interesting world, one that combines the supernatural coming out of the closet and a post-nuclear zombie-war type setting. That is, humanity is confined to small enclaves, government is collapsed, modern technology is mostly unreliable and so on. Vincent is a good main character. I like that he's had training in his magic, but mostly tried to use it as little as he can get away with it.
I like that the story is set 7 years after things started settling down, so thing have settled into a new type of normally.
The story itself could have been a bit better. The pacing was good, the mystery was nicely resolved, but not entirely by the main character. There was a bit of pure (unexplained) luck and a bit of deus ex machina along the way. Vincent winds up being a pawn in a larger game, which is great for the series, but it was a little heavy handed in this book.
Overall, the readability outweighs those few concerns and I'll be picking up book 2.
I like that the story is set 7 years after things started settling down, so thing have settled into a new type of normally.
The story itself could have been a bit better. The pacing was good, the mystery was nicely resolved, but not entirely by the main character. There was a bit of pure (unexplained) luck and a bit of deus ex machina along the way. Vincent winds up being a pawn in a larger game, which is great for the series, but it was a little heavy handed in this book.
Overall, the readability outweighs those few concerns and I'll be picking up book 2.
June 24, 2018
As always, I am hesitant when an author I like starts another series when I already love the series he/she is writing currently. Will I like it as well as the one I’m currently loving? Will the series have as good writing as the one I love does? Well, in the case of this new series, I needn’t have worried. From the moment I first started this book, I was drawn in and it didn’t let me go until I was finished. I loved Vincent, the world, the plot…well, just about everything in this book. And, to be honest, post-apocalyptic genres are not my favorite. However, since the author writes extremely well, I didn’t care about that. The world building was interesting, the cast of characters intriguing (especially the one at the end!), and the setup for future books was tantalizing. I can’t wait to see what is coming next in this series. Highly recommend!
November 11, 2023
3.5⭐️ - First read: August 2020 (ebook). Second read: November 2023 (audio)
July 14, 2025
Review:
Dear Clara Coulson,
Your book was a pick for a buddy read at Goodreads book discussion group which I belong to. I thought that the book had an interesting premise, I enjoy urban fantasy subgenre and I like seeing fairies as characters in my fantasy books. In short, this book had all the ingredients to deliver a great read for me. Had it actually delivered for me? Not completely no and the main reason why I was not completely satisfied and left pretty hungry at the end of the book is the last sentence of the blurb.
When the blurb calls this book *action-packed* it really really means that. In fact I struggle to point out to what else this book delivered besides non stop action.
There was certainly some world building done in the first and second chapter - in fact I was very eager to see what exactly Fairies did to make sure the Human world of this book did not completely fall into oblivion ( I hope this would be shown in the next books of the series, I just doubt this alone would make me continue with the book). There were also a couple of touches of the world building throughout the story, but thats about it.
The moment Whelan takes on the case, which of course turns out not be what it initially seemed, the fighting begins. It is understandable timeline wise, because vast majority of the book takes place during either one or two days, so him fighting to solve the case and keep himself and his old friend who showed up to help him makes sense. However book page wise, it was over 200 pages of fighting and I am sorry, but I desperately needed for the writer to allow me to take a breath and relax a little bit. This never happened and it sounds as if it won't happened inn the next four books of the series which are already written.
I really liked the main character. His past trauma could have been explored in more depth I thought but again, maybe it will be done in the next books. This book made me dizzy as I said in our discussions during the read therefore I am not going to continue with these series.
Grade: C
Dear Clara Coulson,
Your book was a pick for a buddy read at Goodreads book discussion group which I belong to. I thought that the book had an interesting premise, I enjoy urban fantasy subgenre and I like seeing fairies as characters in my fantasy books. In short, this book had all the ingredients to deliver a great read for me. Had it actually delivered for me? Not completely no and the main reason why I was not completely satisfied and left pretty hungry at the end of the book is the last sentence of the blurb.
When the blurb calls this book *action-packed* it really really means that. In fact I struggle to point out to what else this book delivered besides non stop action.
There was certainly some world building done in the first and second chapter - in fact I was very eager to see what exactly Fairies did to make sure the Human world of this book did not completely fall into oblivion ( I hope this would be shown in the next books of the series, I just doubt this alone would make me continue with the book). There were also a couple of touches of the world building throughout the story, but thats about it.
The moment Whelan takes on the case, which of course turns out not be what it initially seemed, the fighting begins. It is understandable timeline wise, because vast majority of the book takes place during either one or two days, so him fighting to solve the case and keep himself and his old friend who showed up to help him makes sense. However book page wise, it was over 200 pages of fighting and I am sorry, but I desperately needed for the writer to allow me to take a breath and relax a little bit. This never happened and it sounds as if it won't happened inn the next four books of the series which are already written.
I really liked the main character. His past trauma could have been explored in more depth I thought but again, maybe it will be done in the next books. This book made me dizzy as I said in our discussions during the read therefore I am not going to continue with these series.
Grade: C
January 9, 2019
Pleasantly surprised about how slick this was. There is a well thought out backstory/world peeking through the somewhat straight forward story here.
Vince is an ex cop in a post-apocalyptic world. Seven years ago, he was just a rookie cop. But then it was revealed that paranormals (various kinds of fae, sidhe, trolls, etc). He was caught up in the great Purge...a war between humans and paranormals that ended with the Queens claiming territory to protect amongst stretches of ghoul-haunted abandoned area, and then mostly leaving the humans to govern themselves.
Vince makes his living going into those abandoned areas and retrieving valuable objects for clients. A client comes to him after a successful run who wants him to retrieve an object...only not from the abandoned area, but from a powerful shadowy criminal.
This sets in motion challenges, battles and events that will force Vince to reassess the life he's chosen, who he's pushed away, and his own powers.
Vince is pretty slick. But what kept me reading were the twin strands of his healing relationship with his former cop mentor, Saoirse and digging deeper in to the European sidhe/fae based world Vince lives in (there's barghest and Manannán mac Lir, sidhe, Tir na nOg, Tuatha de Danaan, etc).
I appreciated the emotional depth of the way Saoirse and Vince interacted, despite it not being obviously romantic, there's definitely a bond there that satisfied my desire for tension.
I'll definitely be reading on in the series. What Fate Portends is 99 cents on Amazon, so for UF lovers, it's an easy entree into the series.
Vince is an ex cop in a post-apocalyptic world. Seven years ago, he was just a rookie cop. But then it was revealed that paranormals (various kinds of fae, sidhe, trolls, etc). He was caught up in the great Purge...a war between humans and paranormals that ended with the Queens claiming territory to protect amongst stretches of ghoul-haunted abandoned area, and then mostly leaving the humans to govern themselves.
Vince makes his living going into those abandoned areas and retrieving valuable objects for clients. A client comes to him after a successful run who wants him to retrieve an object...only not from the abandoned area, but from a powerful shadowy criminal.
This sets in motion challenges, battles and events that will force Vince to reassess the life he's chosen, who he's pushed away, and his own powers.
Vince is pretty slick. But what kept me reading were the twin strands of his healing relationship with his former cop mentor, Saoirse and digging deeper in to the European sidhe/fae based world Vince lives in (there's barghest and Manannán mac Lir, sidhe, Tir na nOg, Tuatha de Danaan, etc).
I appreciated the emotional depth of the way Saoirse and Vince interacted, despite it not being obviously romantic, there's definitely a bond there that satisfied my desire for tension.
I'll definitely be reading on in the series. What Fate Portends is 99 cents on Amazon, so for UF lovers, it's an easy entree into the series.
June 2, 2019
Now this is a clever idea. Most paranormal authors imagine a world where the non-human live alongside humans, but here the humans, confronted by dozens of videos showing non humans existed, totally freaked out, started a war with them, and eventually used nukes. It’s just stupid enough for humanity to do.
And really, one of the few who could clean that kind of mess up quickly and easily would be a faerie queen using magic. Doing so, Mab took out the entirety of Washington DC.
Super neat idea.
The world, such as it is after the purge, with millions dead, is now small protected city enclaves surrounded by miles of deserted and empty land. And humans are still terrified of non humans, maybe even more so. The law abides with not much order. There’s no government or higher appeal courts and now money rules even more openly. The gated communities can pay for fae guards and magic wards.
So when his colleagues discover Detective Vincent Whelan is half fae, they do not treat him well. But he survives.
He starts a business collecting sentimental items from the no-go zone; he’s one of the few who can traverse it. His latest job is to collect a harp, but not from outside the city. The harp has been sold at an upmarket auction. But it’s a lot of money, so Vincent curbs his morals, and takes the job. He’ll need help so he contacts his old partner Saoirse after seven long years of silence.
I really liked this; the pace is fast, the world building good and the characters excellent. I’ll be looking for more in the series.
4 stars
And really, one of the few who could clean that kind of mess up quickly and easily would be a faerie queen using magic. Doing so, Mab took out the entirety of Washington DC.
Super neat idea.
The world, such as it is after the purge, with millions dead, is now small protected city enclaves surrounded by miles of deserted and empty land. And humans are still terrified of non humans, maybe even more so. The law abides with not much order. There’s no government or higher appeal courts and now money rules even more openly. The gated communities can pay for fae guards and magic wards.
So when his colleagues discover Detective Vincent Whelan is half fae, they do not treat him well. But he survives.
He starts a business collecting sentimental items from the no-go zone; he’s one of the few who can traverse it. His latest job is to collect a harp, but not from outside the city. The harp has been sold at an upmarket auction. But it’s a lot of money, so Vincent curbs his morals, and takes the job. He’ll need help so he contacts his old partner Saoirse after seven long years of silence.
I really liked this; the pace is fast, the world building good and the characters excellent. I’ll be looking for more in the series.
4 stars
October 1, 2019
4.5 of 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I love it when an author has thought up a new world or place and given it new laws and rules, new beings and things to imagine. I love it even more when they think it through so that when I am in the midst of a story, it all makes sense in its own way and I don’t see gaping holes in the logic. I also love it when the author lays a backstory that is complicated enough that I KNOW I need to read more to fully understand the characters. When it is a series, I really enjoy knowing there are more books to read when the world has been laid out well enough that I can see there are many many directions the story can go from there. These things are all true for What Fate Portends.
The story was a bit slow at first, and I didn’t really get hooked until about halfway through the book. I can see how it was necessary, but the fact it took so long to get hooked is my only criticism. It was essential for the author to lay out an intricate backstory because the world of “other” in this novel is complicated, impossible to explain, and very old with many players. If the beginning of the book was shorter or less intricate, the last half wouldn’t be believable.
My advice? Read it! If you like magic or paranormal books, read this book all the way through, and see if by the end it has you hooked. I bet it will. Happy reading!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
I love it when an author has thought up a new world or place and given it new laws and rules, new beings and things to imagine. I love it even more when they think it through so that when I am in the midst of a story, it all makes sense in its own way and I don’t see gaping holes in the logic. I also love it when the author lays a backstory that is complicated enough that I KNOW I need to read more to fully understand the characters. When it is a series, I really enjoy knowing there are more books to read when the world has been laid out well enough that I can see there are many many directions the story can go from there. These things are all true for What Fate Portends.
The story was a bit slow at first, and I didn’t really get hooked until about halfway through the book. I can see how it was necessary, but the fact it took so long to get hooked is my only criticism. It was essential for the author to lay out an intricate backstory because the world of “other” in this novel is complicated, impossible to explain, and very old with many players. If the beginning of the book was shorter or less intricate, the last half wouldn’t be believable.
My advice? Read it! If you like magic or paranormal books, read this book all the way through, and see if by the end it has you hooked. I bet it will. Happy reading!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
July 10, 2018
I already knew that Clara Coulson is a solid writer, but switching from a beloved series (City of Crows) to a new one is always risky. You’re always comparing the new series to the old one. I’m relieved that Coulson’s writing prowess continues in this new series, and the flavor is different enough from City of Crows, that it doesn’t feel rebranded.
The world building is fun, and we’re thrust into the action right away. That action sets the tone for the rest of the story, and we immediately like the protagonist. But Vince has secrets. Secrets that can get him killed, and throw the world into chaos. Protagonists just have the worst luck, right?
As usual, the characters are compelling, suffering from foibles, and they overcome these foibles to show us their hidden strength. It’s easy to identify with Vince as he struggles to live in his society. This is true urban fantasy, whereas City of Crows is hidden urban fantasy. The supernatural creatures live along side humans.
Another great read from Clara Coulson, and I look forward to reading more in this series. Although I received an advance reader copy from the author, the editing and formatting is suburb. Five stars, and a must read for fans of urban fantasy.
The world building is fun, and we’re thrust into the action right away. That action sets the tone for the rest of the story, and we immediately like the protagonist. But Vince has secrets. Secrets that can get him killed, and throw the world into chaos. Protagonists just have the worst luck, right?
As usual, the characters are compelling, suffering from foibles, and they overcome these foibles to show us their hidden strength. It’s easy to identify with Vince as he struggles to live in his society. This is true urban fantasy, whereas City of Crows is hidden urban fantasy. The supernatural creatures live along side humans.
Another great read from Clara Coulson, and I look forward to reading more in this series. Although I received an advance reader copy from the author, the editing and formatting is suburb. Five stars, and a must read for fans of urban fantasy.
August 19, 2019
What a great read, it had me hooked from the first chapter.
In a post-apocalyptic world run by Fae, Vince Whelan is a half-fae ex-cop private searcher for hire. Did you leave something behind when you fled the purge or left to go to the protective city? Vince is the man for the job as a searcher of the stretches. Running from starving ghouls or outsmarting werewolves, it's all in a day's work for Vince. Vince has always done the most to hide his fae side but since being outed during the purge, and forced to flee until the war between human and fae was over, he takes extra precautions to ensure that as few people know about his true nature as possible. Having no lost love for the Fae, Vince's loyalty lies on humanity's side, the side of his father, and he will do all he can to protect his friends and the town he calls home.
This book was action-packed, full of on the edge of my seat moments that got my heart racing to the point of having to put the book down, and also moments of laughter from the visual imagery of different scenes.
I can see myself reading this book again and I look forward to reading other works by this author.
I received this book free from Hidden Gems for my honest review.
In a post-apocalyptic world run by Fae, Vince Whelan is a half-fae ex-cop private searcher for hire. Did you leave something behind when you fled the purge or left to go to the protective city? Vince is the man for the job as a searcher of the stretches. Running from starving ghouls or outsmarting werewolves, it's all in a day's work for Vince. Vince has always done the most to hide his fae side but since being outed during the purge, and forced to flee until the war between human and fae was over, he takes extra precautions to ensure that as few people know about his true nature as possible. Having no lost love for the Fae, Vince's loyalty lies on humanity's side, the side of his father, and he will do all he can to protect his friends and the town he calls home.
This book was action-packed, full of on the edge of my seat moments that got my heart racing to the point of having to put the book down, and also moments of laughter from the visual imagery of different scenes.
I can see myself reading this book again and I look forward to reading other works by this author.
I received this book free from Hidden Gems for my honest review.
January 13, 2020
(Status: currently read up to Book 4 of The Frost Arcana series)
I love Clara Coulson and she never disappoints me in her writing.
Definitely another masterpiece of a series which reminds me of a very nicely developed Urban Fantasy TV show, only this series is somewhat mixed with the usual Urban Fantasy modern feeling as well as a post-apocalyptic theme.
The good thing about this, without spoiling, is how she's taken the Post-Apocalyptic theme and hasn't gone down the usual road of super dark and The Walking Dead style. It's more of a hopeful outlook into the magical future without entirely forgetting that it's still a pretty hard life.
The reason I love Clara's writing is how she develops her characters so well without having to shove romance into our faces. She's perfectly happy to have both platonic as well as romantic subplots without distracting the entire overarching story.
Can't wait to get my hands on Book 5 and hope this series continues to book 25 and more xD
I love it so much!
I love Clara Coulson and she never disappoints me in her writing.
Definitely another masterpiece of a series which reminds me of a very nicely developed Urban Fantasy TV show, only this series is somewhat mixed with the usual Urban Fantasy modern feeling as well as a post-apocalyptic theme.
The good thing about this, without spoiling, is how she's taken the Post-Apocalyptic theme and hasn't gone down the usual road of super dark and The Walking Dead style. It's more of a hopeful outlook into the magical future without entirely forgetting that it's still a pretty hard life.
The reason I love Clara's writing is how she develops her characters so well without having to shove romance into our faces. She's perfectly happy to have both platonic as well as romantic subplots without distracting the entire overarching story.
Can't wait to get my hands on Book 5 and hope this series continues to book 25 and more xD
I love it so much!
July 20, 2018
I’ve really enjoyed other novels by Clara Coulson, so I grabbed at the opportunity to start a new series by her, The Frost Arcana, of which What Fate Portends is its first book. This book is great on many levels, as an action-packed story, as an urban fantasy, as a suspenseful tale and as a post-apocalyptic story. It’s star, Vincent Whelan, easily passes my “Dresden Test”, namely is the lead character as good or better than Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden? The cast of supporting characters is superb and the plot is well written and nicely addictive, with string hints of what’s going to likely be a great series story arc. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises - the book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
January 14, 2020
Fun fairy tale
I loved this book, more than I expected. I picked it up on a whim, seemed an interesting premise. What I got was a combination of two genres I love. Post-apoc & urban fantasy.
Vincent is a half human/half fairy. He is a former cop who does his best to hide his true fairy nature. The world has fallen after a Great War between humans and the fairy world. He spends his days recovering lost artifacts for mundanes. That is until he is hired to recover a harp that is more than it appears.
One of the things I loved is how he eventually starts working with a former partner. There is chemistry there, but the story doesn’t derail into a love story. There a mutual respect between the two that even though there is something more there, they stay focused on the task at hand.
I would recommend checking out this story, I know I’m going to be picking up the next installment.
I loved this book, more than I expected. I picked it up on a whim, seemed an interesting premise. What I got was a combination of two genres I love. Post-apoc & urban fantasy.
Vincent is a half human/half fairy. He is a former cop who does his best to hide his true fairy nature. The world has fallen after a Great War between humans and the fairy world. He spends his days recovering lost artifacts for mundanes. That is until he is hired to recover a harp that is more than it appears.
One of the things I loved is how he eventually starts working with a former partner. There is chemistry there, but the story doesn’t derail into a love story. There a mutual respect between the two that even though there is something more there, they stay focused on the task at hand.
I would recommend checking out this story, I know I’m going to be picking up the next installment.
July 1, 2018
I received an ARC of this book from the author.
I'm a bit of a Clara Coulson fan girl having devoured all things Cal Kinsey I was unsure if Vincent Whelan would hit the same highs for me, all I can say is OH YES he does. The opening chapters dragged me into Vincent's day job, kinda slow initially then, Nosferatu, running like a maniac and a few werewolves later he strolls up to Kinsale (Kinsey, Kinsale wonder if that leads anywhere) chats with a headless horseman and heads home, you gotta read it just for the first couple of chapters.
Vincent then gets sucked into a situation that goes from bad to deadly before you know it, throughout all this, he starts to unfold and you get to know him and his world, all the action and information flow, I was sucked in and I'm hanging out for the next book.
I'm a bit of a Clara Coulson fan girl having devoured all things Cal Kinsey I was unsure if Vincent Whelan would hit the same highs for me, all I can say is OH YES he does. The opening chapters dragged me into Vincent's day job, kinda slow initially then, Nosferatu, running like a maniac and a few werewolves later he strolls up to Kinsale (Kinsey, Kinsale wonder if that leads anywhere) chats with a headless horseman and heads home, you gotta read it just for the first couple of chapters.
Vincent then gets sucked into a situation that goes from bad to deadly before you know it, throughout all this, he starts to unfold and you get to know him and his world, all the action and information flow, I was sucked in and I'm hanging out for the next book.
May 16, 2019
Ooooh, five stars! If my heart purred, I'd be humming a happy tune! This is one of those books to get lost in for sure. As the faerie world attempts to take over the human world, paranormal and humanity clash. It happens after the purge, and we are thrown into a world left to deal w it's aftermath. We follow Vincent Whelan, ex cop half fae/half human. And his former cop lady boss, Saoirse. (Pronounced Ser-sha, it's Irish). Actually most of these characters are Irish descendents, it's a subtle note in the book.
This book is satisfying in wit and humor. Relatable on most accounts. And questions the base of humanity at it's best ...and worst. I'll likely continue w this series. I have a secret passion for all things fae, Unseelie and Seelie Court related. Totally thrilled to find this series, I'm ready for more!
This book is satisfying in wit and humor. Relatable on most accounts. And questions the base of humanity at it's best ...and worst. I'll likely continue w this series. I have a secret passion for all things fae, Unseelie and Seelie Court related. Totally thrilled to find this series, I'm ready for more!
January 2, 2020
Finally, a book that doesn't make me want to throw my tablet across the room! I had a run of really bad luck in picking books lately. In a desperate effort to find something worth reading, I started looking at free ebooks on Amazon. This stood out as not just more of the same old crap. No over-sexed floozy with a fashion obsession and without 2 brain cells to rub together. No rippling abs, wet panties (GROSS!) or watering mouths. Just a GOOD fantasy story with a likable main character and a truly different magical world. I love Vince, and I feel for him. He's a strong man (well...half man) who has had a pretty terrible time in the past. Still, he's a good guy who is willing to risk his own comfort (and even his life) to help those who may not have his back. I liked Saoirse too, even if I had to google how to pronounce her name. I will definitely buy the next book in this series.
July 2, 2018
I received an ARC edition of this book from the author.
This story has great world-building and I found the MC, Vince, to really fit well with the post-apocalyptic fae world. Because the story is told in 1st-person POV, we are basically taken along for the ride with the mystery. The story does a good job a building a base for the series without dumping too much information into the first story (still plenty to be discovered in the future books). I really liked the touch of faerie myth in the story, not enough to rely too heavily on the myths but enough to add a touch of familiarity.
I will say this story dragged at points for me, not that the story wasn't interesting or well paced, but it just felt long given the page count.
This story has great world-building and I found the MC, Vince, to really fit well with the post-apocalyptic fae world. Because the story is told in 1st-person POV, we are basically taken along for the ride with the mystery. The story does a good job a building a base for the series without dumping too much information into the first story (still plenty to be discovered in the future books). I really liked the touch of faerie myth in the story, not enough to rely too heavily on the myths but enough to add a touch of familiarity.
I will say this story dragged at points for me, not that the story wasn't interesting or well paced, but it just felt long given the page count.
February 16, 2019
Fun Fantasy
Vince Whelan is an ex-police detective living in a post-apocalyptic town who happens to be half-fairy. He doesn't advertise this fact. He runs a shop stocked with scavenged goods and makes extra money venturing outside the protected zone retrieving items people had to abandon when they fled to safety. Since human civilization fell, the world is ruled and inhabited by fairies, elves, trolls, and other supernatural beings. Vince is offered a job locating a missing harp that is too lucrative to pass up. So what could go wrong? An interesting and entertaining fantasy book. This is book one in the Arcana series, and I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
Vince Whelan is an ex-police detective living in a post-apocalyptic town who happens to be half-fairy. He doesn't advertise this fact. He runs a shop stocked with scavenged goods and makes extra money venturing outside the protected zone retrieving items people had to abandon when they fled to safety. Since human civilization fell, the world is ruled and inhabited by fairies, elves, trolls, and other supernatural beings. Vince is offered a job locating a missing harp that is too lucrative to pass up. So what could go wrong? An interesting and entertaining fantasy book. This is book one in the Arcana series, and I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
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