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The Knights of Alana #1
Daughter of Fate
When Knights attack the temple of Skystead, seventeen-year-old Pela is the only one to escape. Her mother and the other villagers are taken, accused of worshiping the False Gods. They will pay the ultimate price – unless Pela can rescue them.
Pela has never left the safety of her town, let alone touched a sword. What chance does she have against the ruthless Knights of Alana? She’s not a hero.
But she knows one.
Her uncle Devon was a mighty warrior once, in times when magic filled the world. Age has withered his strength and he retired long ago, but maybe he will answer the call of family.
Can Pela convince him to stand against the darkness one last time?
Pela has never left the safety of her town, let alone touched a sword. What chance does she have against the ruthless Knights of Alana? She’s not a hero.
But she knows one.
Her uncle Devon was a mighty warrior once, in times when magic filled the world. Age has withered his strength and he retired long ago, but maybe he will answer the call of family.
Can Pela convince him to stand against the darkness one last time?
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 3, 2019
496 people are currently reading
560 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Hodges
54 books297 followersAaron Hodges was born in 1989 in the small town of Whakatane, New Zealand. He studied for five years at the University of Auckland, completing a Bachelor's of Science in Biology and Geography, and a Masters of Environmental Engineering. After working as an environmental consultant for two years, he now spends his time traveling the world in search of his next adventure.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
November 21, 2024
The opening book in the Aaron Hodges’ series, “The Knights of Alana”, DAUGHTER OF FATE is a fun and exciting immersion into the land of fantasy.
Characters from previous series are included in this book and while it might be beneficial to have read the prior series, I found that DAUGHTER OF FATE was a fun read as a stand-alone.
The age-old premise of good vs evil and light vs dark weaves a fast-paced adventure embracing people of the realm, royalty, and knights.
Characters from previous series are included in this book and while it might be beneficial to have read the prior series, I found that DAUGHTER OF FATE was a fun read as a stand-alone.
The age-old premise of good vs evil and light vs dark weaves a fast-paced adventure embracing people of the realm, royalty, and knights.
May 4, 2021
Another great trilogy in the Three Nations by Aaron Hodges. This one is the Order of Alana. If you read the previous trilogy I reviewed by this author, then you know all about Alana, the daughter of the Tsar. Well, in this one, she's already long dead and now considered a goddess. Her story has, of course been twisted in the retelling and in the using of it, so much so that even Alana wouldn't recognize her own story. Her brother Braidon certainly doesn't. And Devon, the great man who loved her until her death certainly didn't. This time around, it's Braidon's story and that of his queen, Marianne. The Knights and the Elders of the Order play a large part in this. And we have Red Dragons again this time. There's even a demon. This author writes very well in this YA fantasy genre. Recommended.
August 19, 2019
I loved this book! A non-stop action story with colorful brought to life characters. A retired hero warrior. A young girl determined to save her kidnapped mother. A Sellsword with his own hidden agenda. All come together in an extraordinary story that kept me engaged in a true page turner. Oh, and did I mention an "Awesome" magic system?
July 28, 2019
This was an impulse read after a Kindle Unlimited recommendation, unfortunately I didn’t realise that there were a couple of series before this book and it would have been better if I had read them first, as much of the story revolved around what happened in those books.
I suppose this isn’t a bad fantasy and every now and then an incident would peak my interest, but I really struggled to keep reading.
The description of the book implies that ‘Pela’ is going to be the heroine of the story, but for most of the book she is a very minor character. If she had been more involved earlier in the story she may have provided a focus that would have grabbed my interest.
I’m afraid by the end of the book I could only describe the story as ‘messy’, culminating in a rubbish cliff-hanger ending, so I have given two stars and I won’t be trying the next book.
I suppose this isn’t a bad fantasy and every now and then an incident would peak my interest, but I really struggled to keep reading.
The description of the book implies that ‘Pela’ is going to be the heroine of the story, but for most of the book she is a very minor character. If she had been more involved earlier in the story she may have provided a focus that would have grabbed my interest.
I’m afraid by the end of the book I could only describe the story as ‘messy’, culminating in a rubbish cliff-hanger ending, so I have given two stars and I won’t be trying the next book.
June 13, 2019
Took a minute to get caught up but loved the story.. Devon is still the same and with the new characters the story flowed. Sorry for Braidon he deserved better..
June 10, 2019
This is book one in the Knights of Alana series and starts with an attack on the island of Skystead, where the main character, Pela, lives with her mother. Her mother and other villagers still worship the old gods and are caught in their ruined temple by a group of Knights of Alana. They are all accused of worshipping the now called False Gods and are taken captive and pushed onto a boat. The three Gods were worshipped at a time when magic was alive throughout the world. The sacrifice of Alana put an end to magic and the Gods.
Pela was the only one that managed to escape. Her mother had shouted at her to get her uncle, Devon. Devon, to anyone who may have read other books by the author, will know the history of Devon and his Kanker (really large and magically enhanced hammer)! In this book, it is now some thirty years after the previous books and Devon has lived on Skystead, hidden and living a quiet life. Devon immediately accompanies Pela in pursuit of her mother. They run into a small group of Knights near the village square and their priest who is using a few of the hostages to set an example.
You get to see Devon back in action, with an unusual replacement for his kanker and also a small group of untrained villagers and one sellsword traveling with him to try and rescue Pela’s mother and the other villagers, if they can. The story follows Pela, Devon and their small group as they follow the trail of the Knights, in search of her mother. It takes them to the castle stronghold of the Knights and Devon has to come up with an idea of how to proceed from there.
One of the youngest Knights has a large role in the storyline and has been given the job of taking a special prisoner to an important sacrificial event. Devon and Pela will find themselves crossing paths with the priest Devon previously showed mercy upon. Devon is no longer as strong as he used to be, age having started to catch up with him. Pela is young and untrained in any sort of fighting, at her parent’s request, not wanting her to have their life or to lose hers. She now has to find the warrior within her to save her mother and the others and also to keep her faith.
This is a great start to a new series, which also has characters of old that you may know and recall the actions of. A bit of the past and lots of the future. Lots of action in this series, if this first book is anything to go by. You don’t have to have read the previous series’ by the author to know about Devon or Alana, as there is plenty of background information given in this book. Look forward to see what happens with the main characters in this story as the series progresses. I received an ARC copy of this book from the author and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
Pela was the only one that managed to escape. Her mother had shouted at her to get her uncle, Devon. Devon, to anyone who may have read other books by the author, will know the history of Devon and his Kanker (really large and magically enhanced hammer)! In this book, it is now some thirty years after the previous books and Devon has lived on Skystead, hidden and living a quiet life. Devon immediately accompanies Pela in pursuit of her mother. They run into a small group of Knights near the village square and their priest who is using a few of the hostages to set an example.
You get to see Devon back in action, with an unusual replacement for his kanker and also a small group of untrained villagers and one sellsword traveling with him to try and rescue Pela’s mother and the other villagers, if they can. The story follows Pela, Devon and their small group as they follow the trail of the Knights, in search of her mother. It takes them to the castle stronghold of the Knights and Devon has to come up with an idea of how to proceed from there.
One of the youngest Knights has a large role in the storyline and has been given the job of taking a special prisoner to an important sacrificial event. Devon and Pela will find themselves crossing paths with the priest Devon previously showed mercy upon. Devon is no longer as strong as he used to be, age having started to catch up with him. Pela is young and untrained in any sort of fighting, at her parent’s request, not wanting her to have their life or to lose hers. She now has to find the warrior within her to save her mother and the others and also to keep her faith.
This is a great start to a new series, which also has characters of old that you may know and recall the actions of. A bit of the past and lots of the future. Lots of action in this series, if this first book is anything to go by. You don’t have to have read the previous series’ by the author to know about Devon or Alana, as there is plenty of background information given in this book. Look forward to see what happens with the main characters in this story as the series progresses. I received an ARC copy of this book from the author and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
November 19, 2019
Aaron Hodges has once again provided a brilliant work of fiction. I am addicted, and cannot wait to see where the story goes from here. I recommend you read The Legend of the Gods trilogy first. You will not regret it, as it is excellent, and there are tie backs in this story to events that occurred in those books. I received a free copy of the audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 10, 2019
Exciting
What a great story. Great adventures and dragons, an evil queen, what more can one ask for. Truly enjoyed it. Must read the next one.
What a great story. Great adventures and dragons, an evil queen, what more can one ask for. Truly enjoyed it. Must read the next one.
June 10, 2019
Loved it!!! Loved it!!!! Could not put it down. Left me wanting more!!
June 3, 2019
One of my favorite characters, Devon, is back in this book that takes place years after magic is defeated. He’s got a few aches and pains as he’s older, but he still has that desire for a battle, so when his “niece” Pela’s mother is taken prisoner by the Knights of Alana, he’s quick to go after them. There was nonstop action almost from the first page, and it was really hard to stop reading when I had to. The whole book kept my attention throughout and was just a great fantasy read. I’m looking forward to more books in this series.
June 4, 2019
Awesome
Awesome read with twists and turns as treachery abounds while knights of Alana and people of the kingdom fight for right if religion.
Awesome read with twists and turns as treachery abounds while knights of Alana and people of the kingdom fight for right if religion.
September 2, 2023
(ARC -- This was given to me for an honest review.)
4.25*
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I completely change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring down a lot)
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
------------
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Notes: A continuation of the story started in the 'Sword of Light' trilogy and continued in the 'Legend of Gods' trilogy.
Do you need to know the other books to enjoy this one? No
----
Pros:
Continues the story of the Three Nations, that started in Stormweilder (SoL 1). -- This book is set decades after LoG, that was set decades after SoL and what you need to know is told in the book. -- I've not read all of the others, and did not find that a hindrance to understanding any plot points in the story.
Enjoyable characters.
Good dialogue.
Believable world. -- Good world-building.
-
Personal likes:
I like series that interconnect / explore the same world / connect with earlier series, so this was a draw for me.
--
Cons:
Ended on a cliffhanger.
4.25*
(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I completely change my mind on a series, so want to change my scoring down a lot)
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)
All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked
------------
First time read the author's work?: No
Will you be reading more?: Yes
Notes: A continuation of the story started in the 'Sword of Light' trilogy and continued in the 'Legend of Gods' trilogy.
Do you need to know the other books to enjoy this one? No
----
Pros:
Continues the story of the Three Nations, that started in Stormweilder (SoL 1). -- This book is set decades after LoG, that was set decades after SoL and what you need to know is told in the book. -- I've not read all of the others, and did not find that a hindrance to understanding any plot points in the story.
Enjoyable characters.
Good dialogue.
Believable world. -- Good world-building.
-
Personal likes:
I like series that interconnect / explore the same world / connect with earlier series, so this was a draw for me.
--
Cons:
Ended on a cliffhanger.
June 17, 2019
Screaming and sonny, those two words ruined the book.
If you were playing the drinking game and sonny or scream was your picked word, well you'd be drunk before finishing chapter one. Everyone is screaming every male is referred to as sonny. It's sad! A Dragon doesn't appear until 3\4 of the way through and then briefly, disappointing , specially when looking at the cover. The title is misleading. I struggled to finish the book. Won't be reading the second, it's just not worth my time.
If you were playing the drinking game and sonny or scream was your picked word, well you'd be drunk before finishing chapter one. Everyone is screaming every male is referred to as sonny. It's sad! A Dragon doesn't appear until 3\4 of the way through and then briefly, disappointing , specially when looking at the cover. The title is misleading. I struggled to finish the book. Won't be reading the second, it's just not worth my time.
May 14, 2020
This first book in the new series The Knights of Alana takes us back to the Three Nations and we read about characters we have met in the previous Three Nations series but we also encounter new ones in this really gripping edge of the seat, jam-packed with action novel. The so called knights of Alana have not only become very powerful but their elders have become ruthless and many were zealots. They were hounding anyone who still worshipped the three Gods of old whom supposedly Alana had killed on the day when magic left the Three Nations. Kyssa and Pela, her daughter, still go to meditate in the old temple, but one day whilst doing this the temple ruins are attacked by the knights of the order and everyone is taken prisoner except for Pela who manages to escape. However, Pela is young, has never left her own small village and was not a warrior but she goes for help to her uncle Devon. The one time hero of the Three Nations renowned all over for the killer with his massive warhammer as well as the consort of Alana. However, Devon is older now and has left the wars behind, seeking only to live his last years in peace but he would not see the last members of his family killed either. So Pela and Devon embark on a journey across the sea to confront the order and bring back their people, namely Pela's mother, Kryssa. I loved the tension in the story, the courage of our small group of fighters, the way they watched out for each other in the face of the cruelty, betrayal and danger they faced throughout the book. I am dying to get my hands on the rest of this very gripping series as I am sure Pela's story at the hands of the evil order is not yet over and I loved to see the courage Pela showed especially during the last massive battle!
September 2, 2019
Ok, I have what should be your next book to read, no matter how big your “To Be Read” pile is. It’s Aaron Hodges’ Daughter of Fate (The Knights of Alana, Book 1), and it’s absolutely fantastic. Pros I’d s wonderfully crafted character, and the same goes for the supporting cast. Added to a superbly written plot and set in a wonderfully crafted world (the same as in prior works though this series can totally stand-alone) this is pure bliss for fantasy story lovers like me. Those experience with this author will rejoice at returning to this world, and be somewhat surprised by how things have developed (though I’m no spoiler so that’s all I will say). Those who are new will simply rejoice by a great new series (though, while not needed, I suspect many will end up reading other series by this author set in the same universe). As for this story, 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, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
September 11, 2022
There wasn't much that stood out as particularly awful about this book. But there wasn't much that stood out as particularly compelling either. It was mostly just bland.
It also could have really, really used some better editing. Of note:
*"the (emotion) in (his/her/their) eyes was palpable." This phrase is used repeatedly. "Palpable" means "able to be touched." Which is why when you're describing an emotion as palpable, it implies an emotion *in the atmosphere.* Not in someone's eyes.
*there is one scene in which the phrase "Caledan cursed" (or "he cursed" with the antecedent of "he" being Caledan, or "Caledan said, and cursed" etc) is repeated on average twice a paragraph.
*"We won't be in their yolk again!" I was really, really confused about what this bit of dialogue was even saying. And then it occurred to me. He meant YOKE. Not an egg yolk.
It also could have really, really used some better editing. Of note:
*"the (emotion) in (his/her/their) eyes was palpable." This phrase is used repeatedly. "Palpable" means "able to be touched." Which is why when you're describing an emotion as palpable, it implies an emotion *in the atmosphere.* Not in someone's eyes.
*there is one scene in which the phrase "Caledan cursed" (or "he cursed" with the antecedent of "he" being Caledan, or "Caledan said, and cursed" etc) is repeated on average twice a paragraph.
*"We won't be in their yolk again!" I was really, really confused about what this bit of dialogue was even saying. And then it occurred to me. He meant YOKE. Not an egg yolk.
June 19, 2019
Heroes and Betrayal
This book takes place years after Alana sacrifices herself to save Devon. Now Devon is living a quiet life until his granddaughter Pela comes running to him. While at meditation Pela and her mom Kryssa along with other villagers were attacked by the Knights of Alana. Kryssa makes Pela run to Devon and thus begins a quest to rescue Kryssa. The small group of Devon, Pela, the huntress Genevieve, Tobias a farmer and Caledan a sellsword set off to rescue Kryssa and the other captured villagers before the fanatical Knights of Alana sacrifice them.
I loved this book. I have read Aaron’s other series that lead up to this book and absolutely love the characters.
This book takes place years after Alana sacrifices herself to save Devon. Now Devon is living a quiet life until his granddaughter Pela comes running to him. While at meditation Pela and her mom Kryssa along with other villagers were attacked by the Knights of Alana. Kryssa makes Pela run to Devon and thus begins a quest to rescue Kryssa. The small group of Devon, Pela, the huntress Genevieve, Tobias a farmer and Caledan a sellsword set off to rescue Kryssa and the other captured villagers before the fanatical Knights of Alana sacrifice them.
I loved this book. I have read Aaron’s other series that lead up to this book and absolutely love the characters.
June 21, 2025
2-2.5 Stars
This book had all the things that I should have loved in a story. But, despite all the action, I was actually kinda bored- and the dragons only appeared for a couple of short moments.
In the authors note, Hodges talks about planing on having the next book out in 3 months, and the writing and story really feel like that's all the time they put into it. I expect longer between books because writing is a long artistic process that I deeply respect.
I don't know really, I was just bored and didn't feel I had the time in the story to care about any of the characters deeply. It felt like a lot of telling us, instead of showing us. Maybe I would feel different if I had read the other books in this universe first.
This book had all the things that I should have loved in a story. But, despite all the action, I was actually kinda bored- and the dragons only appeared for a couple of short moments.
In the authors note, Hodges talks about planing on having the next book out in 3 months, and the writing and story really feel like that's all the time they put into it. I expect longer between books because writing is a long artistic process that I deeply respect.
I don't know really, I was just bored and didn't feel I had the time in the story to care about any of the characters deeply. It felt like a lot of telling us, instead of showing us. Maybe I would feel different if I had read the other books in this universe first.
August 23, 2019
Welcome back to the world of the Three Nations! Daughter of Fate is full of non-stop action, as Pela and Devon set out on a quest to rescue her mother from the clutches of the Knights of Alana. Yes, that is Devon from the Legend of the Gods trilogy. We meet a couple other familiar characters along the way, but you don’t have to read the previous trilogies to appreciate this one. The Knights of Alana made me angry because of how messed up their views were of Alana and her sacrifice. They make a worthy adversary and it was easy to hate them. This book is well written, and as always I enjoyed the world of the Three Nations. I highly recommend this book!
July 7, 2023
Well…I was totally unprepared for how exciting and action-packed this book was gonna be 😮 Sometimes, it is good to judge the book by its cover!
Really happy I picked this one up! Now, I must get the rest of the books stat!
But really, I appreciate the accessible writing… accessible doesn’t mean it wasn’t great! It was very engaging, it fed my mind with vivid imagery and scenes. I enjoyed the storytelling and the story… and the characters… sure, the tropes are there but what can I say? I’m a sucker for them when they’re well done!
This book packed a lot of punch considering the page count. Looking forward to reading the next books and will start looking into more books for Aaron Hodges!
Really happy I picked this one up! Now, I must get the rest of the books stat!
But really, I appreciate the accessible writing… accessible doesn’t mean it wasn’t great! It was very engaging, it fed my mind with vivid imagery and scenes. I enjoyed the storytelling and the story… and the characters… sure, the tropes are there but what can I say? I’m a sucker for them when they’re well done!
This book packed a lot of punch considering the page count. Looking forward to reading the next books and will start looking into more books for Aaron Hodges!
November 27, 2024
This was a fun read, lots of the things I love in a fantasy book. Pirates, adventure, dodgy priest guys, a mysterious sell sword, so much goodness. Something happened (no spoilers) but when it did I yelled “I knew it!” I love a book that makes me excited like that.
Going in I did think the story was more about Pela. However Devon seemed to be the focus. I didn’t mind it, Devon is awesome, but I do hope Pela has more focus in the next book.
I didn’t know there was a series before this one with some of the same characters, so that’s exciting. I’m keen to try more by this author so will for sure be going back to that series before moving onto book 2.
Going in I did think the story was more about Pela. However Devon seemed to be the focus. I didn’t mind it, Devon is awesome, but I do hope Pela has more focus in the next book.
I didn’t know there was a series before this one with some of the same characters, so that’s exciting. I’m keen to try more by this author so will for sure be going back to that series before moving onto book 2.
June 4, 2019
He is back. It took a long time for Mr Hodges to get this book done. Wow it was totally worth the wait. Be ware this book is a total page turner. This book does not disappoint. It has great characters and a wonderful storyline. Combine that with a marvelous world you get a great read. Probably one of the best I've read this year. Can't wait for the next installment.
I was given a copy of this book for an honest review. Here it is... Read this book.
I was given a copy of this book for an honest review. Here it is... Read this book.
December 17, 2019
Excellence!
Alan Hodges has a winning series starting with "Daughter of Fate". I couldn't stop reading it. The plot and characters just captured me emotionally and I had to see if the bitch queen got here in the end. Alan apparently likes to "play" with his audience as it's left for another book to devour before finding out. AND find out I shall... I highly recommend starting this series.
Alan Hodges has a winning series starting with "Daughter of Fate". I couldn't stop reading it. The plot and characters just captured me emotionally and I had to see if the bitch queen got here in the end. Alan apparently likes to "play" with his audience as it's left for another book to devour before finding out. AND find out I shall... I highly recommend starting this series.
March 6, 2020
Beliefs were not allowed by the King and anyone that did believe and practiced was killed. A small village was invaded and people killed and some to kill later. Pela and her mother was in the church when they came and her mother pushed her through an opened to get out of the building. So much happening that the King didn't know about and then people thought him dead because of some pirate ship. Is he dead? Elders have magic? What a wild ride. Good reading.
August 16, 2023
...
this was a really good read and i recommend it to anyone who likes adventure novels. That being said, it was just more of the same. This series seems to follow a format and each book in it is just more of the same concept repeated over and over again. That is not really a bad thing, it just gets old after a while if you are reading the books one after the other. I will need to take a break at this point and return to this series after i have read a few other books.
this was a really good read and i recommend it to anyone who likes adventure novels. That being said, it was just more of the same. This series seems to follow a format and each book in it is just more of the same concept repeated over and over again. That is not really a bad thing, it just gets old after a while if you are reading the books one after the other. I will need to take a break at this point and return to this series after i have read a few other books.
October 23, 2024
Well, first off there are 6 books ahead of this one in this world. This is book one of its trilogy. If you start with this one that's fine there is enough back story to not be completely confused. This definitely didn't end up the character's story in which I thought it was going to be. Good over all story though. Going to get book two in this trilogy because I need to know if everyone else died or not.
July 29, 2019
Carrying on from where the Legend of the Gods trilogy ends but thirtyish more years in the future we see a few characters from that series in this first book. The world has gone a bit crazy with magic gone with the crazy cult of the knights of alana causing most of the hysteria.
This is an excellent beginning to the next chapter in this world along the lines of an epic fantasy story.
This is an excellent beginning to the next chapter in this world along the lines of an epic fantasy story.
August 29, 2020
The Knights of Alana is a good series but i liked the first and second of the Three Nations Trilogies better. This one wasn't as interesting as the first two and i didn't like what became of Braidon. Overall, Sword of Light was best of the three trilogies. I am moving on to the Descendants of The Fall series by this same author. I have liked all of his books so far.
September 3, 2024
I got this book as a B&N Nook Free Friday selection. I didn’t realize that even thought it is book #1 in a series, it’s part of a larger universe with books that came before. There is a lot of missing backstory if you have not read those other books. Also, the story ends on a very massive cliffhanger. Things don’t get resolved at all.
June 19, 2019
Epic adventure
I was loving this book, until the end. Not only was it a cliffhanger, it had a terrible ending. I can't believe how it ended! The first part world be five stars, but the end would be one.
I was loving this book, until the end. Not only was it a cliffhanger, it had a terrible ending. I can't believe how it ended! The first part world be five stars, but the end would be one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews