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Chaos Forged a Fable
Policewoman. Orphan. Single...again. This is all Maya knew. But everything is about to change.
For the first time in five years, Maya Cross returns to her family home, only to learn that her past is completely fictional. Not only are her parents alive, they’re in another world. A parallel realm. A place called Avalon.
With nothing but an odd stone and a promise, Maya crosses the barrier between worlds on a rescue mission that will change her life forever. Wild and ill-tempered territories, their eccentric rulers and strange new creatures both help and hinder as she gathers friends, foes, a few mischievous sprites and a soulmate to help her save those she loves and discover her true destiny.
For the first time in five years, Maya Cross returns to her family home, only to learn that her past is completely fictional. Not only are her parents alive, they’re in another world. A parallel realm. A place called Avalon.
With nothing but an odd stone and a promise, Maya crosses the barrier between worlds on a rescue mission that will change her life forever. Wild and ill-tempered territories, their eccentric rulers and strange new creatures both help and hinder as she gathers friends, foes, a few mischievous sprites and a soulmate to help her save those she loves and discover her true destiny.
358 pages, Hardcover
Published March 1, 2022
13 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
February 21, 2022
“Fuck, she’s still bleeding, why is she always fucking bleeding?”
Like fantasy books? Like gods and magic? Love finding new worlds to immerse yourself in? Badass female MC? Read this book.
From the beginning you can’t help but feel for Maya as she loses her mother to a whirlpool in the river out the back of their family home. The worst part? She lost her life saving Maya. Maya had woken up to weird voices that drew her to the lake, and her mum ran out to stop her and get her out, but although she was able to save her daughter she wasn’t able to save herself. Fast forward to the present and Maya discovers that her mum isn’t really dead, she’s in a place called Avalon, and unfortunately her stepbrother overhears her grandma telling her all of this, and he runs off to the portal to Avalon in the river and enters it. Now Maya is tasked with saving not only her mother, but her brother too, yikes!
Maya goes into the portal and is immediately faced with monsters that are out to kill her, because she is actually a descendant of a powerful bloodline that is long forgotten. But before she can be devoured by these creatures she is saved by Thelic, who did sit and watch her almost die until he stepped in to help (and they say romance is dead). Thelic agrees to help Maya locate her family and help her quest to save them, but things between them get steamy. So can Maya rescue her mum and brother from Avalon or will she end up being caught by her father, who wishes to use her powers and keep her there forever.
I loved it, I loved it, I loved. Please all go read this back. A million thank you’d to Kate for asking me if I’d like to read this!
Like fantasy books? Like gods and magic? Love finding new worlds to immerse yourself in? Badass female MC? Read this book.
From the beginning you can’t help but feel for Maya as she loses her mother to a whirlpool in the river out the back of their family home. The worst part? She lost her life saving Maya. Maya had woken up to weird voices that drew her to the lake, and her mum ran out to stop her and get her out, but although she was able to save her daughter she wasn’t able to save herself. Fast forward to the present and Maya discovers that her mum isn’t really dead, she’s in a place called Avalon, and unfortunately her stepbrother overhears her grandma telling her all of this, and he runs off to the portal to Avalon in the river and enters it. Now Maya is tasked with saving not only her mother, but her brother too, yikes!
Maya goes into the portal and is immediately faced with monsters that are out to kill her, because she is actually a descendant of a powerful bloodline that is long forgotten. But before she can be devoured by these creatures she is saved by Thelic, who did sit and watch her almost die until he stepped in to help (and they say romance is dead). Thelic agrees to help Maya locate her family and help her quest to save them, but things between them get steamy. So can Maya rescue her mum and brother from Avalon or will she end up being caught by her father, who wishes to use her powers and keep her there forever.
I loved it, I loved it, I loved. Please all go read this back. A million thank you’d to Kate for asking me if I’d like to read this!
August 9, 2022
3,5⭐ - it was good
Very nice and beautiful book, I loved the world and the magic ❤️
Maybe I found it a bit too cliché to my taste at points, but it didn't stop me from liking the story 😊
Very nice and beautiful book, I loved the world and the magic ❤️
Maybe I found it a bit too cliché to my taste at points, but it didn't stop me from liking the story 😊
July 31, 2022
Thanks Katieandbreypa and Kate Craft for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I started this book with a lot of expectations. The idea of characters travelling between world to discover a different society has always been really attractive to me. The mixture with myths and fairytales only made it better.
The world of the novel is really well built. The magic systems and the way in which people relate to magic are impressive. The mixture and knowledge of outside worlds in incredible. All of the characters are great examples of everything in carefully put in place.
The story starts with Maya finally being aware of her own inheritance. As such runs to the adventure to rescue his brother and learn more about her own past. Once she is this new world she finds herself in between so much more. A greater calling awaits her, a journey filled with adventure, love and friendship like she never encountered before.
A really fun read for anyone who loves a good world building.
What I liked
- the world building
- The magic system
- The creatures
What I did’t like
- The characters weren’t lovable enough
I started this book with a lot of expectations. The idea of characters travelling between world to discover a different society has always been really attractive to me. The mixture with myths and fairytales only made it better.
The world of the novel is really well built. The magic systems and the way in which people relate to magic are impressive. The mixture and knowledge of outside worlds in incredible. All of the characters are great examples of everything in carefully put in place.
The story starts with Maya finally being aware of her own inheritance. As such runs to the adventure to rescue his brother and learn more about her own past. Once she is this new world she finds herself in between so much more. A greater calling awaits her, a journey filled with adventure, love and friendship like she never encountered before.
A really fun read for anyone who loves a good world building.
What I liked
- the world building
- The magic system
- The creatures
What I did’t like
- The characters weren’t lovable enough
July 28, 2022
This month has been wonderful so far in terms of nice surprises, and this book was no exception. I feel like CFF rekindled my love for epic fantasies. It's been a while since I had goosebumps in prospect of a good heroic quest, add to that some romance and I'm sold !
The world building was phenomenal. To be completely honest, the start had me doubting if I was going to like it. The first chapters felt slow and uneventful, but oh did I regret passing that judgement 😂.
The pace in this book is insane. As in insanely fast and insanely GOOD. You can't get bored with Maya and her clique ! She's a badass policewoman who you won't find playing damsel in distress, which annoys Thelic because he always get dragged (willingly) into all sorts of trouble for her. Btw, I'd like to take a moment to appreciate the mmc in this book. Thelic is the epitome of immuable love, support and understanding. I need a Thelic. He voices his opinions loud and clear but never tries to stop Maya from doing what she wants, more like "if she's going to be reckless either way, might aswell be by her side 🤷🏻♀️" type of deal.
The dynamics their little group had were very entertaining and brought some lightheartedness to their dangerous journey. And the twists 😱 ! I wasn't suprised as much as I was excited, letting out a very audible gasp that earned me some side looks at work 😂. I regretted reading during break because I had to stop at the juiciest part 😩.
All in all, read it 😃.
Thanks to Katieandbreypa and the lovely Kate Craft for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review! I thoroughly enjoyed this ! Can't wait for book 2 !!
The world building was phenomenal. To be completely honest, the start had me doubting if I was going to like it. The first chapters felt slow and uneventful, but oh did I regret passing that judgement 😂.
The pace in this book is insane. As in insanely fast and insanely GOOD. You can't get bored with Maya and her clique ! She's a badass policewoman who you won't find playing damsel in distress, which annoys Thelic because he always get dragged (willingly) into all sorts of trouble for her. Btw, I'd like to take a moment to appreciate the mmc in this book. Thelic is the epitome of immuable love, support and understanding. I need a Thelic. He voices his opinions loud and clear but never tries to stop Maya from doing what she wants, more like "if she's going to be reckless either way, might aswell be by her side 🤷🏻♀️" type of deal.
The dynamics their little group had were very entertaining and brought some lightheartedness to their dangerous journey. And the twists 😱 ! I wasn't suprised as much as I was excited, letting out a very audible gasp that earned me some side looks at work 😂. I regretted reading during break because I had to stop at the juiciest part 😩.
All in all, read it 😃.
Thanks to Katieandbreypa and the lovely Kate Craft for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review! I thoroughly enjoyed this ! Can't wait for book 2 !!
February 28, 2022
I instantly was transported as soon as I started reading this book. There was never a dull moment. I was so engaged that I could imagine the story playing in my head like a movie or television series. In fact, this book would make a great television series. I can't wait to read book two.
Maya is the big surprise character. There are so many mysteries surrounding her and her abilities that even she is surprised by what she can achieve. Thelic is the first person that Maya encounters when she travels through the portal. These two are great together. Not to mention that the romantic sparks between them are steamy.
Fantasy readers will want to read this book. Chaos Forged a Fable is a not to be missed, must read!
Maya is the big surprise character. There are so many mysteries surrounding her and her abilities that even she is surprised by what she can achieve. Thelic is the first person that Maya encounters when she travels through the portal. These two are great together. Not to mention that the romantic sparks between them are steamy.
Fantasy readers will want to read this book. Chaos Forged a Fable is a not to be missed, must read!
July 20, 2022
Unique fantasy story
First off, I want to say that I was drawn to this book because of that BEAUTIFUL cover 😍 and second, because I love fantasy and this is right up my alley!
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We start off with a strong FMC, Maya, in the modern day and age of London. I LIVE for a strong FMC so this was an aspect I really enjoyed in this book.
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Shortly after we're introduced to Maya and London, we're transported into a beautiful, if a little complicated, and dangerous, fantasy world. Avalon.
.
I say complicated because there are A LOT of unique names and places and it took me quite a while to understand it and get it all straight 😅
.
Of course, there's a lead MMC, Thelic, who is strong and capable and fiercely protective of Maya. I do like Thelic and Elkin but I'm most intrigued by Kadhim 👀
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This book is considered adult but I'd have to say the spice is very mild. There's no fade to black but it also wasn't very...descriptive or deep imo. In fact, I think I've come to realize that I struggle a bit with third person POV. I find it lacking the depth I need to really connect with characters individually and uniquely. I felt like this story was told to me a bit more than letting me experience it directly, if that makes sense.
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Also, get ready for a LOT of traveling. Like, the entire book, they're traveling and so, it felt a bit long and repetitive in parts for me because of this.
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This story has a lot of potential, and I understand it's the first book in a series, which means we get an overload of information. In my experience, series books do tend to improve as they go. Of course I still recommend this book for fantasy lovers! It's unique and a completely different twist on Avalon!
First off, I want to say that I was drawn to this book because of that BEAUTIFUL cover 😍 and second, because I love fantasy and this is right up my alley!
.
We start off with a strong FMC, Maya, in the modern day and age of London. I LIVE for a strong FMC so this was an aspect I really enjoyed in this book.
.
Shortly after we're introduced to Maya and London, we're transported into a beautiful, if a little complicated, and dangerous, fantasy world. Avalon.
.
I say complicated because there are A LOT of unique names and places and it took me quite a while to understand it and get it all straight 😅
.
Of course, there's a lead MMC, Thelic, who is strong and capable and fiercely protective of Maya. I do like Thelic and Elkin but I'm most intrigued by Kadhim 👀
.
This book is considered adult but I'd have to say the spice is very mild. There's no fade to black but it also wasn't very...descriptive or deep imo. In fact, I think I've come to realize that I struggle a bit with third person POV. I find it lacking the depth I need to really connect with characters individually and uniquely. I felt like this story was told to me a bit more than letting me experience it directly, if that makes sense.
.
Also, get ready for a LOT of traveling. Like, the entire book, they're traveling and so, it felt a bit long and repetitive in parts for me because of this.
.
This story has a lot of potential, and I understand it's the first book in a series, which means we get an overload of information. In my experience, series books do tend to improve as they go. Of course I still recommend this book for fantasy lovers! It's unique and a completely different twist on Avalon!
June 9, 2022
Thank you to Kate Craft and Katie and Brey PA for providing me with a copy of Chaos Forged A Fable in exchange for my honest review.
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There’s something about books whose heroes and heroines travel from our realm to a fantasy realm that just gets me. It’s what we all wanna do, right? Maybe not under Maya’s circumstances though! On top of that, we get a heroine in Maya that is in her mid to late 20’s and still kicks ass! Her age is such a tiny detail, but one I loved so much.
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Chaos Forged A Fable never stops moving. Maya, Thelic, and the rest of the gang are constantly on the move and always keeping you on your toes. One of my favorite parts of fantasy is the journey through a place wholly unfamiliar and I definitely found that here. I loved seeing all the different landscapes and people they encountered.
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The magic system set up here is so fucking cool and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Elemental magic is pretty common, but I love the idea of their abilities being an exchange of sorts. No spoilers, but Maya’s trial was probably one of my favorite scenes. I wish it had been longer!
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I do wish we got to learn more about the Five Majors and the Gouram. What we got was really interesting, so I can’t wait to learn more about that in the next installment! I also wish the romance aspect had waited just a teensy bit longer than it did, but that’s just my preference. What can I say? I like the slow burns!
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Overall, this was a great read! I love the world Kate has created and I can’t wait to see more of it. Can we please get Finkel plushies? Asking for a friend.
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Chaos Forged A Fable is available for purchase. Check out @book.cove on Instagram for more exciting news about the next installment in the series.
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There’s something about books whose heroes and heroines travel from our realm to a fantasy realm that just gets me. It’s what we all wanna do, right? Maybe not under Maya’s circumstances though! On top of that, we get a heroine in Maya that is in her mid to late 20’s and still kicks ass! Her age is such a tiny detail, but one I loved so much.
-
Chaos Forged A Fable never stops moving. Maya, Thelic, and the rest of the gang are constantly on the move and always keeping you on your toes. One of my favorite parts of fantasy is the journey through a place wholly unfamiliar and I definitely found that here. I loved seeing all the different landscapes and people they encountered.
-
The magic system set up here is so fucking cool and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Elemental magic is pretty common, but I love the idea of their abilities being an exchange of sorts. No spoilers, but Maya’s trial was probably one of my favorite scenes. I wish it had been longer!
-
I do wish we got to learn more about the Five Majors and the Gouram. What we got was really interesting, so I can’t wait to learn more about that in the next installment! I also wish the romance aspect had waited just a teensy bit longer than it did, but that’s just my preference. What can I say? I like the slow burns!
-
Overall, this was a great read! I love the world Kate has created and I can’t wait to see more of it. Can we please get Finkel plushies? Asking for a friend.
-
Chaos Forged A Fable is available for purchase. Check out @book.cove on Instagram for more exciting news about the next installment in the series.
February 4, 2022
Craft was nice enough to give me an advanced copy of her book and I immediately fell in love with this story and these characters! This was truly an amazing page turner that I didn’t want to put down.
When Maya dives head first into this new world to save her mother and brother, with little to no information, she has no idea what she’s in for. The action and her adventure immediately start and I am sucked into the world of Avalon. When she has to travel in this new world to find Fatari to find out how to save the realm, she discovers a lot about herself and she meets some pretty great, new friends.
This world that Craft has woven is so cool. The creatures, cities, and people are so incredible. There are so many characters, but they are rich and unique enough that I didn’t get confused with who is who. All the complicated relationships were super interesting and I really want to know more about some of the side characters. The twists in this book were crazy, a couple times I saw them coming, but never exactly what I thought was going to happen.
The romance, though not the main plot, was to die for and I really loved seeing their journey and how they helped each other grow. I normally don’t enjoy third person omniscient books when it changes randomly not chapter by chapter, but the author did a really good job with it. I found my self really enjoying seeing through all the characters eyes in that way. I was confused a couple times who’s perspective I was in, but most of the time it was clear.
I highly recommend checking out Chaos Forged a Fable. For all my fans of epic fantasy with a great romance, intriguing world, and enough action and plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat, this is a book for you! I can’t wait for book 2!
When Maya dives head first into this new world to save her mother and brother, with little to no information, she has no idea what she’s in for. The action and her adventure immediately start and I am sucked into the world of Avalon. When she has to travel in this new world to find Fatari to find out how to save the realm, she discovers a lot about herself and she meets some pretty great, new friends.
This world that Craft has woven is so cool. The creatures, cities, and people are so incredible. There are so many characters, but they are rich and unique enough that I didn’t get confused with who is who. All the complicated relationships were super interesting and I really want to know more about some of the side characters. The twists in this book were crazy, a couple times I saw them coming, but never exactly what I thought was going to happen.
The romance, though not the main plot, was to die for and I really loved seeing their journey and how they helped each other grow. I normally don’t enjoy third person omniscient books when it changes randomly not chapter by chapter, but the author did a really good job with it. I found my self really enjoying seeing through all the characters eyes in that way. I was confused a couple times who’s perspective I was in, but most of the time it was clear.
I highly recommend checking out Chaos Forged a Fable. For all my fans of epic fantasy with a great romance, intriguing world, and enough action and plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat, this is a book for you! I can’t wait for book 2!
September 12, 2022
Okay so the first few pages start off with a bang but, then it slowed down to a crawl.
It only really started to catch my interest after she went through the gateway, from there things began to move.
The story follows Maya and her friends as she looks for answers while rescuing her family.
Thelic and keela are most likely my fav of all the characters. They are just no bullshit, straight talkers and loyal through and through. Keela May have started of misguided, but comes to her own right path and it’s great to see how that change happens.
Thelic starts off as this Lone Ranger type and he spends time with Maya comes to realise a few important things.
I’m so glad that the romance in the book didn’t take the forefront. We do see the relationship grow and there are some steamy moments but it’s was more in the background rather than a main part of the story and I loved that. Romance is great but a lot of authors tend to spend more time on the romance and less on the story as a whole. This was not done here.
Some parts of the book were rather slow. And even after reading it and making notes along the way I still can’t figure out how she is related to the Major???
Her father came through the gate and then took the territory so he’s not related to the Major and at no point was it said her mother or grandma are. So that has me confused.
Over all I enjoyed the book and will be reading book 2 next. 😁😁😁
Thank you to the author and Katie and Brey PA for the free arc for an honest review.
It only really started to catch my interest after she went through the gateway, from there things began to move.
The story follows Maya and her friends as she looks for answers while rescuing her family.
Thelic and keela are most likely my fav of all the characters. They are just no bullshit, straight talkers and loyal through and through. Keela May have started of misguided, but comes to her own right path and it’s great to see how that change happens.
Thelic starts off as this Lone Ranger type and he spends time with Maya comes to realise a few important things.
I’m so glad that the romance in the book didn’t take the forefront. We do see the relationship grow and there are some steamy moments but it’s was more in the background rather than a main part of the story and I loved that. Romance is great but a lot of authors tend to spend more time on the romance and less on the story as a whole. This was not done here.
Some parts of the book were rather slow. And even after reading it and making notes along the way I still can’t figure out how she is related to the Major???
Her father came through the gate and then took the territory so he’s not related to the Major and at no point was it said her mother or grandma are. So that has me confused.
Over all I enjoyed the book and will be reading book 2 next. 😁😁😁
Thank you to the author and Katie and Brey PA for the free arc for an honest review.
July 2, 2022
I received a copy from my honest review.
This one was so captivating since the first chapter really, the how the plot move forward was pretty nice too, because it does give you a certain vibe and then it changes gears quickly and let you wanting more.
The world building was awesome, it made me the whole book since it's a very important part of the ambience.
The characters were so compelling too, Thelic sitting there was awesome, he was a favorite really even when he seemed a little stressed the poor soul.
Maya coming in the avalonian world and customs were interesting, she was truly struggling so hard to understand everything, but there were so similar things too to our world.
I was going so fast in this one, don't really wanting to end since it was so cool, and by the end I was left wanting the next book as fast as possible.
This one was so captivating since the first chapter really, the how the plot move forward was pretty nice too, because it does give you a certain vibe and then it changes gears quickly and let you wanting more.
The world building was awesome, it made me the whole book since it's a very important part of the ambience.
The characters were so compelling too, Thelic sitting there was awesome, he was a favorite really even when he seemed a little stressed the poor soul.
Maya coming in the avalonian world and customs were interesting, she was truly struggling so hard to understand everything, but there were so similar things too to our world.
I was going so fast in this one, don't really wanting to end since it was so cool, and by the end I was left wanting the next book as fast as possible.
February 9, 2022
This was a great read full of really good world building!
Craft twists real life history and events to work with the world she has created full of magic and elements.
I really enjoyed all of the creatures that the author painted the images perfectly. I now want my own finkel.
Great story with likeable and not so likable characters. Keela was probably my favourite with her feisty but loyal nature!
Love, magic, twists, turns, betrayals and unlikely friendships all work together to make this a great read.
I can't wait to read book 2 after that ending!
Craft twists real life history and events to work with the world she has created full of magic and elements.
I really enjoyed all of the creatures that the author painted the images perfectly. I now want my own finkel.
Great story with likeable and not so likable characters. Keela was probably my favourite with her feisty but loyal nature!
Love, magic, twists, turns, betrayals and unlikely friendships all work together to make this a great read.
I can't wait to read book 2 after that ending!
June 11, 2022
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
***
By the end of Ch. 1, I was fully hooked. There is a lot to unpack here. Things move at a pretty brisk pace at the beginning and you have a lot of information thrown at you quite fast (much like the MC). But, the world is interesting and sort of just sucks you in.
This books has a little bit of everything -- heroics, fighting, adventure, politics, magic, spicy scenes, broken families, prophecies and complex though somewhat familiar mythology. I will definitely read the next book when it's released. I need to know what happens next.
***
By the end of Ch. 1, I was fully hooked. There is a lot to unpack here. Things move at a pretty brisk pace at the beginning and you have a lot of information thrown at you quite fast (much like the MC). But, the world is interesting and sort of just sucks you in.
This books has a little bit of everything -- heroics, fighting, adventure, politics, magic, spicy scenes, broken families, prophecies and complex though somewhat familiar mythology. I will definitely read the next book when it's released. I need to know what happens next.
September 6, 2022
I enjoyed this book. I felt like it was fun, fast paced, magical read that had the reader transported right from the very beginning. Maya is a bad ass and I really enjoyed her. There is some spice in this book, but it's nothing too major. Also, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. I was definitely drawn to this book for that very reason. I would definitely recommend this book.
January 13, 2022
This is my first ever review for a book, but it had to be done. I was one of the lucky few to receive an advanced copy and I must say I was utterly blown away.
This book ticks all the boxes with rich and diverse characters, plot twists and ‘uh-oh’ moments around every bend, and world-building on another level.
I need book 2…now
This book ticks all the boxes with rich and diverse characters, plot twists and ‘uh-oh’ moments around every bend, and world-building on another level.
I need book 2…now
June 12, 2022
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll save you the suspense: I loved CFaF. One of the things I loved the most is that about 30 pages out from the end, I knew there wouldn’t be a convoluted, massive fight against the big bad villain. We’d be left in suspense for the next book without feeling satisfied this could be its own novel. Yes, that is a plus in my book.
When a book is part of a series, especially the first part, I want to finish it and immediately start reading the next one. I want to be compelled to pre-order. I don’t want to feel satisfied in the short term enough to just wait.
I wasn’t halfway through this review copy before I requested to be on the next book’s review team. It is that fun of a read!
Backing up, it’s a fantasy romance. I knew I liked fantasy and I recently discovered I like romance. I had no idea that what I need most on my reading shelf is a fantasy romance. Naomi Novik got close to what I wanted in Uprooted, but Chaos Forged a Fable takes the spicy romance aspect much further, and I am here for it.
Summary: For the first time in five years, Maya Cross returns to her family home, only to learn that her past is completely fictional. Not only are her parents alive, they’re in another world. A parallel realm. A place called Avalon.
With nothing but a strange jewel and a promise, Maya crosses the barrier between worlds on a rescue mission that will change her life forever.
There’s more to that summary, but this is the part that sings to me and explains my experience the best.
It starts off well with a tragic childhood story that this mother /reader cried over and a helpful introduction to Maya, but something was definitely off. Turns out that’s because she’s really from Avalon and has no idea of the power inside of her. In fact, no one but her nemesis really does. I’ll keep the rest vague so you can discover on your own.
I admittedly got confused by some of the rules of the powers, but to a certain point, it doesn’t matter, as I’ll probably read it again before the second book. I understood enough to follow the battles and the motley crew’s rationales, and unlike a lot of fantasy and romance, I never wondered why anyone was still there. I never had to suspend my disbelief to comprehend why their crew would stay together. There was conflict among friends with natural consequences and no eye rolling at convoluted tension.
The romance is pretty hot too, and I loved that queerness is just a part of the world without being a big thing. Plus, every side character feels nicely fleshed out and made each part of Maya’s journey an interesting read.
The second book in the series is out this September, so cozy up with Chaos this summer and get to know Maya and friends.
I’ll save you the suspense: I loved CFaF. One of the things I loved the most is that about 30 pages out from the end, I knew there wouldn’t be a convoluted, massive fight against the big bad villain. We’d be left in suspense for the next book without feeling satisfied this could be its own novel. Yes, that is a plus in my book.
When a book is part of a series, especially the first part, I want to finish it and immediately start reading the next one. I want to be compelled to pre-order. I don’t want to feel satisfied in the short term enough to just wait.
I wasn’t halfway through this review copy before I requested to be on the next book’s review team. It is that fun of a read!
Backing up, it’s a fantasy romance. I knew I liked fantasy and I recently discovered I like romance. I had no idea that what I need most on my reading shelf is a fantasy romance. Naomi Novik got close to what I wanted in Uprooted, but Chaos Forged a Fable takes the spicy romance aspect much further, and I am here for it.
Summary: For the first time in five years, Maya Cross returns to her family home, only to learn that her past is completely fictional. Not only are her parents alive, they’re in another world. A parallel realm. A place called Avalon.
With nothing but a strange jewel and a promise, Maya crosses the barrier between worlds on a rescue mission that will change her life forever.
There’s more to that summary, but this is the part that sings to me and explains my experience the best.
It starts off well with a tragic childhood story that this mother /reader cried over and a helpful introduction to Maya, but something was definitely off. Turns out that’s because she’s really from Avalon and has no idea of the power inside of her. In fact, no one but her nemesis really does. I’ll keep the rest vague so you can discover on your own.
I admittedly got confused by some of the rules of the powers, but to a certain point, it doesn’t matter, as I’ll probably read it again before the second book. I understood enough to follow the battles and the motley crew’s rationales, and unlike a lot of fantasy and romance, I never wondered why anyone was still there. I never had to suspend my disbelief to comprehend why their crew would stay together. There was conflict among friends with natural consequences and no eye rolling at convoluted tension.
The romance is pretty hot too, and I loved that queerness is just a part of the world without being a big thing. Plus, every side character feels nicely fleshed out and made each part of Maya’s journey an interesting read.
The second book in the series is out this September, so cozy up with Chaos this summer and get to know Maya and friends.
June 22, 2022
Chaos Forged A Fable ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
By: Kate Craft
Synopsis of The Book:
Policewoman. Orphan. Single...again. This is all Maya knew. But everything is about to change.
For the first time in five years, Maya Cross returns to her family home, only to learn that her past is completely fictional. Not only are her parents alive, they're in another world. A parallel realm. A place called Avalon.
With nothing but an odd stone and a promise, Maya crosses the barrier between worlds on a rescue mission that will change her life forever.
Wild and ill-tempered territories, their eccentric rulers and strange new creatures both help and hinder as she gathers friends, foes, a few mischievous sprites and a soulmate to help her save those she loves and discover her true destiny.
I really loved Maya, she's goes through so much trauma and pain, believing she is the reason her mother died. But she finds out things are not what they seem and if she's willing she can travel through a portal and rescue her mother.
On her way to Avalon, Maya encounters Thelic who saves her life and decides he will help her on her mission to save her family. I love how Maya and Thelics friendship progresses into so much more.... steamy!!!! My favorite character was Maya, she never gave up throughout the journey to get to Avalon and after having such a hard life already, she still went to save the people who mattered the most!!!
I truly loved the way Kate wrote this book, it was easy to read. I didn't feel overwhelmed even though there was a lot cities and characters, it never felt like story dumping. I loved Kate's world building throughout this book. She's a very talented writer and she puts everything together seamlessly. I truly can't wait to see what Kate comes up with in the sequel to Chaos Forged A Fable.
Thank you to Kate Craft and Katie and Brey PA for providing me with a copy of Chaos Forged A Fable in exchange for my honest review.
By: Kate Craft
Synopsis of The Book:
Policewoman. Orphan. Single...again. This is all Maya knew. But everything is about to change.
For the first time in five years, Maya Cross returns to her family home, only to learn that her past is completely fictional. Not only are her parents alive, they're in another world. A parallel realm. A place called Avalon.
With nothing but an odd stone and a promise, Maya crosses the barrier between worlds on a rescue mission that will change her life forever.
Wild and ill-tempered territories, their eccentric rulers and strange new creatures both help and hinder as she gathers friends, foes, a few mischievous sprites and a soulmate to help her save those she loves and discover her true destiny.
I really loved Maya, she's goes through so much trauma and pain, believing she is the reason her mother died. But she finds out things are not what they seem and if she's willing she can travel through a portal and rescue her mother.
On her way to Avalon, Maya encounters Thelic who saves her life and decides he will help her on her mission to save her family. I love how Maya and Thelics friendship progresses into so much more.... steamy!!!! My favorite character was Maya, she never gave up throughout the journey to get to Avalon and after having such a hard life already, she still went to save the people who mattered the most!!!
I truly loved the way Kate wrote this book, it was easy to read. I didn't feel overwhelmed even though there was a lot cities and characters, it never felt like story dumping. I loved Kate's world building throughout this book. She's a very talented writer and she puts everything together seamlessly. I truly can't wait to see what Kate comes up with in the sequel to Chaos Forged A Fable.
Thank you to Kate Craft and Katie and Brey PA for providing me with a copy of Chaos Forged A Fable in exchange for my honest review.
February 21, 2022
Bravo Kate Craft.
FINALLY, A fantasy-romance I can properly sink my teeth into. Better yet, the book stuck its claws into me and I don’t think it’s letting go anytime soon - I LOVED this book!
The story starts with a young woman named Maya Cross, and right from the get go we’re given an insight into her world, her ways and her characteristics - through movement and dialogue and little bits that the reader can pick up on. THIS is the way to bring a character to life and Craft delivers. With smarts and badassery for days, I want to BE this MC.
As events unfold Maya is forced to travel to another realm called Avalon. It’s in this frightening and wonderfully exotic place that the story truly takes off. But don’t worry, Craft doesn’t make you suffer and wait. No, we’re there right alongside the MC when she meets her first Avalonian in Chapter 2. It’s that quick. Craft doesn’t mess around with over explanation or repetitiveness - but somehow doesn’t lose any of the awesome world-building or description.
Soon enough we meet Thelic…yum. I need this man in my life. Thelic begins the story as a reluctant companion of Maya. He’s curious about their connection but ultimately knows the woman is going to bring all sorts of trouble into his relatively peaceful life. He’s not wrong. Watching these characters grow together was *chef’s kiss* awesome. He is tall, dark-haired, strong, skilled (and not just with a weapon *wink wink* and ruggedly handsome with exceptional protective instincts…everything I personally want in a man. Still he develops a respect for Maya that…just yes. Okay we love him.
There’s action, adventure, awesome creatures, epic characters and so much more to explore. All in all this was a great read and I’m so so excited for book 2!
FINALLY, A fantasy-romance I can properly sink my teeth into. Better yet, the book stuck its claws into me and I don’t think it’s letting go anytime soon - I LOVED this book!
The story starts with a young woman named Maya Cross, and right from the get go we’re given an insight into her world, her ways and her characteristics - through movement and dialogue and little bits that the reader can pick up on. THIS is the way to bring a character to life and Craft delivers. With smarts and badassery for days, I want to BE this MC.
As events unfold Maya is forced to travel to another realm called Avalon. It’s in this frightening and wonderfully exotic place that the story truly takes off. But don’t worry, Craft doesn’t make you suffer and wait. No, we’re there right alongside the MC when she meets her first Avalonian in Chapter 2. It’s that quick. Craft doesn’t mess around with over explanation or repetitiveness - but somehow doesn’t lose any of the awesome world-building or description.
Soon enough we meet Thelic…yum. I need this man in my life. Thelic begins the story as a reluctant companion of Maya. He’s curious about their connection but ultimately knows the woman is going to bring all sorts of trouble into his relatively peaceful life. He’s not wrong. Watching these characters grow together was *chef’s kiss* awesome. He is tall, dark-haired, strong, skilled (and not just with a weapon *wink wink* and ruggedly handsome with exceptional protective instincts…everything I personally want in a man. Still he develops a respect for Maya that…just yes. Okay we love him.
There’s action, adventure, awesome creatures, epic characters and so much more to explore. All in all this was a great read and I’m so so excited for book 2!
May 31, 2022
ARC Review
Disclaimer: I willingly volunteered to receive this ARC and in exchange I am to give my 100% honest review on it. I am not paid at all nor in any way to write this.
~
I loved the story. It's full of adventure, relationships, just a bit of spice, painful betrayals and loss. Maya then learns that she's more connected to the world than she thought.
The world building is phenomenal. Each region is different in it's own way. There's a lot of biomes and regions, but they're transitioned so smoothly so I didn't really feel overwhelmed. There's also various creatures introduced. Some I loved and want to see irl (such as the adorable finkels), and some that I don't want to be within 50 miles of or just exist irl
Each character has their own personality. My favorite character would have to be Keela. I didn't like her at first, but she just grew on me and her character development was good as well.
The fantasy element here involves the manipulation of the 4 basic elements by contracting themselves to elemental beings in exchange for a bit of their life span. I feel like this concept has not really been explored enough yet since there's no situation involving decreasing of lifespan yet, so I hope that the "magic" element here would be explored further in the future.
Every now and then, some people would mention "fable". I know what a fable is, but it means something else in the context of the book, and I couldn't really seem to grasp it just yet. Either I need to reread the book again or wait for the sequel to come out.
Overall, I loved this book so much. Everything from the world to the characters, to the story and the plot twists caught my eye. I'd highly recommend this book and I can't wait for the second book to come out
Disclaimer: I willingly volunteered to receive this ARC and in exchange I am to give my 100% honest review on it. I am not paid at all nor in any way to write this.
~
I loved the story. It's full of adventure, relationships, just a bit of spice, painful betrayals and loss. Maya then learns that she's more connected to the world than she thought.
The world building is phenomenal. Each region is different in it's own way. There's a lot of biomes and regions, but they're transitioned so smoothly so I didn't really feel overwhelmed. There's also various creatures introduced. Some I loved and want to see irl (such as the adorable finkels), and some that I don't want to be within 50 miles of or just exist irl
Each character has their own personality. My favorite character would have to be Keela. I didn't like her at first, but she just grew on me and her character development was good as well.
The fantasy element here involves the manipulation of the 4 basic elements by contracting themselves to elemental beings in exchange for a bit of their life span. I feel like this concept has not really been explored enough yet since there's no situation involving decreasing of lifespan yet, so I hope that the "magic" element here would be explored further in the future.
Every now and then, some people would mention "fable". I know what a fable is, but it means something else in the context of the book, and I couldn't really seem to grasp it just yet. Either I need to reread the book again or wait for the sequel to come out.
Overall, I loved this book so much. Everything from the world to the characters, to the story and the plot twists caught my eye. I'd highly recommend this book and I can't wait for the second book to come out
August 8, 2022
I would say, fantasy authors are the most imaginative people. I'm so amazed by their creative minds and how engaging and inventive they are. Truly gifted & talented human beings. Thus, I enjoyed every bit of this book. Kate Craft is absolutely genius.
I LOVE:
▫️The exciting adventures of our main character from our world to another realm, as if I was watching a movie.
▫️The world building was amazing. It was vividly described. I got fascinated by each territory. Most especially the Marble City, Fortus. I fell in love w/ its crystal & white stone lay, pearly gates & ivory-white colours.
▫️Maya's character development. Love the way she discovered & utilized her powers. How she struggled to save her loved ones & how determined she was in finding the truth about herself.
▫️Thelic's love & concern towards Maya.
▫️Found friendship between our characters: Maya, Thelic, Elkin & Keela.
▫️Adorable yet powerful Finkels, Loki & BB.
▫️The strong elemental powers. The magic system was superb!
▫️Some of my favorite scenes are Batshari encounter & Mikosh test to Maya's true blood relation to Fatari.
▫️Unexpected twist. It broke my heart.
I WISH:
▫️To have my own Finkel sprites. 😅🥰
▫️There could've been more solid foundation to Maya & Thelic's relationship.
TW: broken family, betrayal, battles, chaos, death
*𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊. 𝘐 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵/𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘦'𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴!
**𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 & 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙞𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮.
I LOVE:
▫️The exciting adventures of our main character from our world to another realm, as if I was watching a movie.
▫️The world building was amazing. It was vividly described. I got fascinated by each territory. Most especially the Marble City, Fortus. I fell in love w/ its crystal & white stone lay, pearly gates & ivory-white colours.
▫️Maya's character development. Love the way she discovered & utilized her powers. How she struggled to save her loved ones & how determined she was in finding the truth about herself.
▫️Thelic's love & concern towards Maya.
▫️Found friendship between our characters: Maya, Thelic, Elkin & Keela.
▫️Adorable yet powerful Finkels, Loki & BB.
▫️The strong elemental powers. The magic system was superb!
▫️Some of my favorite scenes are Batshari encounter & Mikosh test to Maya's true blood relation to Fatari.
▫️Unexpected twist. It broke my heart.
I WISH:
▫️To have my own Finkel sprites. 😅🥰
▫️There could've been more solid foundation to Maya & Thelic's relationship.
TW: broken family, betrayal, battles, chaos, death
*𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊. 𝘐 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵/𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘦'𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴!
**𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙥𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 & 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙞𝙖𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮.
May 20, 2022
(slight spoiler alert)
When Maya is thrust into another world in search of her mother and brother, she has no idea of the adventures awaiting her. She also has no idea about the truth of who she really is. As she embarks on a quest that becomes increasingly complex as time passes, she realizes that there is a lot more at stake than just the lives of her mother and brother. Maya is not just born of this strange new realm, she is also destined for a specific purpose in it.
I loved this book! The worldbuilding is amazing and unique. It was so refreshing to dive into a new fantasy that is not part of the Fae realm (don't get me wrong, I love the Fae as much as anyone else but there are so many books about them nowadays). Avalon is a fantastic world, intricately linked to our own but so so different, filled with strange creatures, humans and the Outlanders (or gypsul as they call themselves). I especially enjoyed the elemental magic system and the Finkles.
I fell in love with almost all the characters, even the less 'nice' ones and the twisty betrayal at the end just about broke my heart. They were all well written, with their distinct personalities, quirks, hopes, fears and agendas. I do wish the romance between Maya and Thelic was built up a little slower and less physically but that being said, I like them together so much. I can only hope they last.
I definitely am going to be reading the next books and I'm only sad that I started reading the series before all the books are published.
When Maya is thrust into another world in search of her mother and brother, she has no idea of the adventures awaiting her. She also has no idea about the truth of who she really is. As she embarks on a quest that becomes increasingly complex as time passes, she realizes that there is a lot more at stake than just the lives of her mother and brother. Maya is not just born of this strange new realm, she is also destined for a specific purpose in it.
I loved this book! The worldbuilding is amazing and unique. It was so refreshing to dive into a new fantasy that is not part of the Fae realm (don't get me wrong, I love the Fae as much as anyone else but there are so many books about them nowadays). Avalon is a fantastic world, intricately linked to our own but so so different, filled with strange creatures, humans and the Outlanders (or gypsul as they call themselves). I especially enjoyed the elemental magic system and the Finkles.
I fell in love with almost all the characters, even the less 'nice' ones and the twisty betrayal at the end just about broke my heart. They were all well written, with their distinct personalities, quirks, hopes, fears and agendas. I do wish the romance between Maya and Thelic was built up a little slower and less physically but that being said, I like them together so much. I can only hope they last.
I definitely am going to be reading the next books and I'm only sad that I started reading the series before all the books are published.
August 26, 2022
Fantasy/Romance
Bit of 🌶🌶
Gods and Magic
Strong Female MC
Epic Journey
A whirlwind of fantasy, a dash of romance and a sprinkling of perilous danger.
Chaos Forged A Fable is a brilliant fantasy novel with all the makings of what promises to be an excellent series. Craft’s world building was fantastic, her characters were real, and the plot pace and twists kept me on my toes.
As a reader you’re thrown into Avalon and learn alongside Maya the history of the realm, how the element magic functions (this was a standout for me, Craft has made a common magic very unique!) and face the trials and tribulations she faces. It’s frustrating, incredible and leaves you with more questions than answers - the exact same position as Maya. Hopefully as the series develops these questions will be answered.
The romance, while not a main aspect to the book, was quite fast paced. This definitely isn’t a bad thing, even if it isn’t my personal preference (love a good slow burn). It developed very quickly but Maya and Thelic do have a chemistry when reading - Craft wrote them very well. There’s a few spicy moments that really do their relationship justice and add to their overall chemistry. They’re not included just for the sake of it - they give the reader an insight into Maya and Thelic’s feelings and how the relationship is progressing under the stress of what they’re facing.
Finally, a moment of appreciation for the map! We love a map! And that ending? Phew, I’m in need of that next book, stat!!
Bit of 🌶🌶
Gods and Magic
Strong Female MC
Epic Journey
A whirlwind of fantasy, a dash of romance and a sprinkling of perilous danger.
Chaos Forged A Fable is a brilliant fantasy novel with all the makings of what promises to be an excellent series. Craft’s world building was fantastic, her characters were real, and the plot pace and twists kept me on my toes.
As a reader you’re thrown into Avalon and learn alongside Maya the history of the realm, how the element magic functions (this was a standout for me, Craft has made a common magic very unique!) and face the trials and tribulations she faces. It’s frustrating, incredible and leaves you with more questions than answers - the exact same position as Maya. Hopefully as the series develops these questions will be answered.
The romance, while not a main aspect to the book, was quite fast paced. This definitely isn’t a bad thing, even if it isn’t my personal preference (love a good slow burn). It developed very quickly but Maya and Thelic do have a chemistry when reading - Craft wrote them very well. There’s a few spicy moments that really do their relationship justice and add to their overall chemistry. They’re not included just for the sake of it - they give the reader an insight into Maya and Thelic’s feelings and how the relationship is progressing under the stress of what they’re facing.
Finally, a moment of appreciation for the map! We love a map! And that ending? Phew, I’m in need of that next book, stat!!
August 29, 2022
Maya is a policewoman living in London. After five years Maya returns to her family home, only to uncover that her families past is full of secrets. She'd believed that she'd lost her mother to a tragic accident during her childhood... but she is about to learn that this is far from the truth.
Maya is an incredible character. This author is amazing at building strong, relatable characters that you root for. She has had a difficult life, trying to move past the trauma and pain of losing her mom so young. When she discovers there is a chance to find her again, she doesn't hesitate to enter a whole new realm on a quest to discover the truth.
Upon entering Avalon, Maya encounters a man, Thelic, who saves her life and offers to embark on this journey with her. Their chemistry was strong from the start. Thelic is an incredible MMC - strong, loyal, and always has Maya's back in any situation she gets herself into. Throughout her journey, she finds a host of new friends. Each one adds to the story in their own way, and I truly loved watching the relationships develop.
My favorite part of the story was the incredibly unique magic system and Maya's powers. The world building was so well done! There was no information dump - we learn organically as we read and I was so intrigued and couldn't put the book down - wanting to know more. There was also a great twist at the end and it set up perfectly for book 2.
I loved every minute of this novel... and I need book 2 NOW!
Thank you to Kate Craft and Katie & Brey PA for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
Maya is an incredible character. This author is amazing at building strong, relatable characters that you root for. She has had a difficult life, trying to move past the trauma and pain of losing her mom so young. When she discovers there is a chance to find her again, she doesn't hesitate to enter a whole new realm on a quest to discover the truth.
Upon entering Avalon, Maya encounters a man, Thelic, who saves her life and offers to embark on this journey with her. Their chemistry was strong from the start. Thelic is an incredible MMC - strong, loyal, and always has Maya's back in any situation she gets herself into. Throughout her journey, she finds a host of new friends. Each one adds to the story in their own way, and I truly loved watching the relationships develop.
My favorite part of the story was the incredibly unique magic system and Maya's powers. The world building was so well done! There was no information dump - we learn organically as we read and I was so intrigued and couldn't put the book down - wanting to know more. There was also a great twist at the end and it set up perfectly for book 2.
I loved every minute of this novel... and I need book 2 NOW!
Thank you to Kate Craft and Katie & Brey PA for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
September 29, 2022
This is an epic quest! Hobbit meets the Grishaverse.
This adventure will keep you on your toes!
This review might have spoilers. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It is written well without visible grammatical or spelling errors. This book flows at a medium pace with a perfect satisfying delivery.
This is an epic quest! Hobbit meets the Grishaverse.
Our heroes are a mixed cast of characters. Mayara, our main Character, is a young woman who has been living a lie as a human. Her ordinary world as a police woman comes to an end when her brother decides to look for her mother who disappeared in a mysterious lake.
The author created a world worth of adventuring into. There are several political factions in this world. Also different racial casts fighting to have a place in this world that might end at any given moment, due to Chaos.
There are magical elements to the story. The banter among our heroes makes our characters so much more richer. Each location becomes more dangerous than the previous, as the story moves forward in their very long and difficult journey.
Mayara must find her brother and her mother then defeat her power seeking Father but that isn't enough… no, the real villain here is Chaos. And for that she might have to sacrifice everything.
This is a story of trust, friendship, adventure, and love.
RATING:- 5 STARS
GENRE:- Fantasy Fiction
FORMAT:- EBOOK
AUTHOR: Kate Craft
PLOT: 5/5
PACE: 3/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 4/5
ORIGINALITY: 5/5
TROPES: Partners in fighting, magical heroine, fated mates
This adventure will keep you on your toes!
This review might have spoilers. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It is written well without visible grammatical or spelling errors. This book flows at a medium pace with a perfect satisfying delivery.
This is an epic quest! Hobbit meets the Grishaverse.
Our heroes are a mixed cast of characters. Mayara, our main Character, is a young woman who has been living a lie as a human. Her ordinary world as a police woman comes to an end when her brother decides to look for her mother who disappeared in a mysterious lake.
The author created a world worth of adventuring into. There are several political factions in this world. Also different racial casts fighting to have a place in this world that might end at any given moment, due to Chaos.
There are magical elements to the story. The banter among our heroes makes our characters so much more richer. Each location becomes more dangerous than the previous, as the story moves forward in their very long and difficult journey.
Mayara must find her brother and her mother then defeat her power seeking Father but that isn't enough… no, the real villain here is Chaos. And for that she might have to sacrifice everything.
This is a story of trust, friendship, adventure, and love.
RATING:- 5 STARS
GENRE:- Fantasy Fiction
FORMAT:- EBOOK
AUTHOR: Kate Craft
PLOT: 5/5
PACE: 3/5
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: 4/5
ORIGINALITY: 5/5
TROPES: Partners in fighting, magical heroine, fated mates
March 5, 2022
«“Thank you.”
“For the dance?”
Maya stomped on his foot. She meant for everything, all he had done to help her so far, and all he was about to do.
“Keep doing that and I won’t have any toes left,” he grumbled.”»
I’m incredibly grateful to have received an ARC of this book!!
For lovers of fantasy this is a must read: the worldbuilding is extremely accurate and well structured, it leaves you wanting for more. Furthermore i’ve always had a soft spot for the power of controlling the elements🥺
The main character Mayara (Maya) is a policewoman who is thrown into another world (Avalon) to rescue her brother after finding out some shocking truths about her life and her family.
Here the first “castor” (people who can control elemental powers) she encounters is Thelic: a broody and grumpy sweetheart that will accompany Maya through her adventures because of a deal they made.
The duo will soon become a trio with Elkin (Thelic’s witty and womaniser bff) and then a whole group with new and promising characters.
Maya is a stubborn and a bit reckless main heroine (who likes to give Thelic frequent heart attacks😂) and that accepts the responsibilities coming from her powers with surprising bravery.
What surpised me, besides the accurate worldbuilding and the attention to details is the style of the author, which is smooth and easy to read. If i had to take a guess, I wouldn’t have thought this was a debut novel😅 can’t wait to see what Kate has in store for us😌😍
“For the dance?”
Maya stomped on his foot. She meant for everything, all he had done to help her so far, and all he was about to do.
“Keep doing that and I won’t have any toes left,” he grumbled.”»
I’m incredibly grateful to have received an ARC of this book!!
For lovers of fantasy this is a must read: the worldbuilding is extremely accurate and well structured, it leaves you wanting for more. Furthermore i’ve always had a soft spot for the power of controlling the elements🥺
The main character Mayara (Maya) is a policewoman who is thrown into another world (Avalon) to rescue her brother after finding out some shocking truths about her life and her family.
Here the first “castor” (people who can control elemental powers) she encounters is Thelic: a broody and grumpy sweetheart that will accompany Maya through her adventures because of a deal they made.
The duo will soon become a trio with Elkin (Thelic’s witty and womaniser bff) and then a whole group with new and promising characters.
Maya is a stubborn and a bit reckless main heroine (who likes to give Thelic frequent heart attacks😂) and that accepts the responsibilities coming from her powers with surprising bravery.
What surpised me, besides the accurate worldbuilding and the attention to details is the style of the author, which is smooth and easy to read. If i had to take a guess, I wouldn’t have thought this was a debut novel😅 can’t wait to see what Kate has in store for us😌😍
May 19, 2022
Book Review:
Books are a gateway. A black hole of endless possibilities. A place where soulmates meet and friendships thrive. A place where villains might prosper and heroes could fall. Here, worlds begin and reality fades. Here, lies imagination. — KATE CRAFT
“When a connection between two souls is made, it’s palpable, you can feel it around them. So, why wait?”
—KATE CRAFT
Fifteen years ago, the whirlpool was forming and suddenly Maya lost her mother. It’s still a mystery to Mayara, the whirlpool and where it has disappeared taking along her mother?
Now after fifteen years, Mayara has been a part of London’s Metropolitan police for five years now. Currently working with Jason, they have a good bond. She take break from work and decided to spend some time with her family so after all these years trying to get around the mystery of whirlpool. Some revelations regarding her birth was made and in despair, Yali gave her hope but Avalon, her true origin and gateway made her really chaotic and curious at the same time. As she ventures on the odyssey to find Fatari so that she can rescue Jaseen and Jacob.
Navigating her way through different realms, she finds out about her true self and establish deep bonds with the People of different realms. Yet the truth and secrets are waiting to be unleashed. She maybe danger to some, while she is a ray of hope for some. Will she be able to avenge the kidnapper of Jaseen ? Will she be able to rescue them and make their way out of these realms? Or the war will prevail and evil reign will shatter all the realms ?
Books are a gateway. A black hole of endless possibilities. A place where soulmates meet and friendships thrive. A place where villains might prosper and heroes could fall. Here, worlds begin and reality fades. Here, lies imagination. — KATE CRAFT
“When a connection between two souls is made, it’s palpable, you can feel it around them. So, why wait?”
—KATE CRAFT
Fifteen years ago, the whirlpool was forming and suddenly Maya lost her mother. It’s still a mystery to Mayara, the whirlpool and where it has disappeared taking along her mother?
Now after fifteen years, Mayara has been a part of London’s Metropolitan police for five years now. Currently working with Jason, they have a good bond. She take break from work and decided to spend some time with her family so after all these years trying to get around the mystery of whirlpool. Some revelations regarding her birth was made and in despair, Yali gave her hope but Avalon, her true origin and gateway made her really chaotic and curious at the same time. As she ventures on the odyssey to find Fatari so that she can rescue Jaseen and Jacob.
Navigating her way through different realms, she finds out about her true self and establish deep bonds with the People of different realms. Yet the truth and secrets are waiting to be unleashed. She maybe danger to some, while she is a ray of hope for some. Will she be able to avenge the kidnapper of Jaseen ? Will she be able to rescue them and make their way out of these realms? Or the war will prevail and evil reign will shatter all the realms ?
June 3, 2022
This is a fantasy fiction of two worlds with a female protagonist. Maya is a policewoman from earth travelling to parallel world for truth. This is the first of two books and the 2nd will be out sometime around September.
Fantasy is a tricky genre to choose especially in the first published book but Kate has done complete justice to it. The storyline flows with an ease and even though there are a lot of unknown parallel world terms mentioned, it was very easy to follow.
This is my first book by an indie author so I started it with open mind. The author surprised me as she has done a fantastic job is keeping the readers gripped to the story until the last page and made us long for more. A lot of imagination, research and detailing has gone in this book. I loved how descriptive each new region, travel routed and species were, reading her description brought them in front of my eyes.
I am trying hard not to reveal much on the story but there are few spicy scenes and a death in this story - calling them out if they could be triggers to you.
And Thelic…. ooff this character made me a fictoromantic. Sorry Adam (from Love Hypothesis) it is Thelic from now on. The character just felt so real. In fact I had to read the wiki how page on “how to cope up with being in love with a fictional character”.
Overall - must read.. can’t wait for book 2. Obsessed with this one.
Fantasy is a tricky genre to choose especially in the first published book but Kate has done complete justice to it. The storyline flows with an ease and even though there are a lot of unknown parallel world terms mentioned, it was very easy to follow.
This is my first book by an indie author so I started it with open mind. The author surprised me as she has done a fantastic job is keeping the readers gripped to the story until the last page and made us long for more. A lot of imagination, research and detailing has gone in this book. I loved how descriptive each new region, travel routed and species were, reading her description brought them in front of my eyes.
I am trying hard not to reveal much on the story but there are few spicy scenes and a death in this story - calling them out if they could be triggers to you.
And Thelic…. ooff this character made me a fictoromantic. Sorry Adam (from Love Hypothesis) it is Thelic from now on. The character just felt so real. In fact I had to read the wiki how page on “how to cope up with being in love with a fictional character”.
Overall - must read.. can’t wait for book 2. Obsessed with this one.
June 12, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Overall, I really liked the book. The characters were fun, engaging, and memorable. *Spoilers from this point onward* The MC (Maya) is basically plopped down into the world and discovers bits and pieces at a time. I likes how the author balanced necessary exposition without it being story dumping. It was very naturally woven into the story as we watch Maya experience this whole new world. While reading the story, it was like seeing a whole new world through Maya's eyes. The whole world was very mysterious and I like how Maya was not this "perfect character" she is strong willed. Maya is hot headed and makes "mistakes". It just make it a more relatable and enojoyable read. Also a bit of romance is present but is not heavy on the smexy.
My only thing that I did not enjoy was that sometimes the point of view would shift mid chapter. Sometimes this made it confusing to figure out whose perspective we were reading. This is the only thing that kept this book from being a 5 star read from me. This wasn't a super big problem, just made me slow down and try to figure out who was talking.
I would definitely recommend Chaos Forged a Fable as a worth while and enjoyable read for any looking for relatable characters in an engaging new world. Looking forward to book 2!
My only thing that I did not enjoy was that sometimes the point of view would shift mid chapter. Sometimes this made it confusing to figure out whose perspective we were reading. This is the only thing that kept this book from being a 5 star read from me. This wasn't a super big problem, just made me slow down and try to figure out who was talking.
I would definitely recommend Chaos Forged a Fable as a worth while and enjoyable read for any looking for relatable characters in an engaging new world. Looking forward to book 2!
August 23, 2022
"Chaos Forged a Fable" is the first book in "The Chaos Covenant" series, written by Kate Craft.
Maya Cross is used to being on her own, she lives for her job in the police force and struggles to visit her family after her mother's strange death. When she finally returns home, she has trouble understanding the shocking revelations her grandmother finally discloses. Without having a moment to digest the information, Maya is forced to travel to another Realm, to save her brother, armed only with a stone. She has no idea what waits for her in Avalon, and she surely was unprepared for the predators and dangers that Avalon presents.
I picked up this book after seeing a great review on Instagram and I have to say it did not disappoint me! Craft's ability to build such a rich fantasy world is surely impressive; I loved the different customs and cultural diversity in the territories that make up Avalon. It reminded me of the Game of Thrones books, honestly. I also loved Maya, or Mayara, she is the epitome of a female badass MC: she is brave, she is fearless, she is loyal, and she is passionate. I flew through the pages; I found the story itself completely original, without clichés, full of action and humor. If I could give 6 stars, this book would certainly merit it, it was that great and I just can't wait for the sequel!
Maya Cross is used to being on her own, she lives for her job in the police force and struggles to visit her family after her mother's strange death. When she finally returns home, she has trouble understanding the shocking revelations her grandmother finally discloses. Without having a moment to digest the information, Maya is forced to travel to another Realm, to save her brother, armed only with a stone. She has no idea what waits for her in Avalon, and she surely was unprepared for the predators and dangers that Avalon presents.
I picked up this book after seeing a great review on Instagram and I have to say it did not disappoint me! Craft's ability to build such a rich fantasy world is surely impressive; I loved the different customs and cultural diversity in the territories that make up Avalon. It reminded me of the Game of Thrones books, honestly. I also loved Maya, or Mayara, she is the epitome of a female badass MC: she is brave, she is fearless, she is loyal, and she is passionate. I flew through the pages; I found the story itself completely original, without clichés, full of action and humor. If I could give 6 stars, this book would certainly merit it, it was that great and I just can't wait for the sequel!
July 31, 2022
Chaos Forged a Fable by Kate Craft is a wonderfully written adventure that is set in a brilliantly inventive world. Being someone who always wanted to suddenly find themselves transported to a fantasy setting, I loved that it started in our world, with Maya as a regular police officer, who then found herself able to travel to a parallel world.
The world of Avalon was very well built, and the descriptions enabled me to paint a vivid picture of the towns and keeps in my mind. I will admit I did find the magic system confusing at times, but it was extremely inventive and totally different to any I have read about before. Equally the creatures of Avalon were unique and exciting and helped to make this book a totally individual fantasy story.
There were some great characters in this book, and I have always loved fantasy stories that involve a quest and a journey with a group of travellers who meet by chance. It was fun to read about how their relationships develop, particularly Maya’s and Thelic’s. Elkin and Keela were also great characters and their addition to the group really enhanced the narrative. This book was a fun adventure in a unique world, with a bit of romance thrown in.
The world of Avalon was very well built, and the descriptions enabled me to paint a vivid picture of the towns and keeps in my mind. I will admit I did find the magic system confusing at times, but it was extremely inventive and totally different to any I have read about before. Equally the creatures of Avalon were unique and exciting and helped to make this book a totally individual fantasy story.
There were some great characters in this book, and I have always loved fantasy stories that involve a quest and a journey with a group of travellers who meet by chance. It was fun to read about how their relationships develop, particularly Maya’s and Thelic’s. Elkin and Keela were also great characters and their addition to the group really enhanced the narrative. This book was a fun adventure in a unique world, with a bit of romance thrown in.
March 6, 2022
“𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐚. 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞….𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬”
Description:
Maya Cross, a policewoman. And an orphan, living her normal life like any other else until for the first time in 5 years she decided to go back home only to learn something shocking. Her parents are alive and they’re in another world. Avalon. Maya then decided to go on a mission to save them.
Jesus.Lord.This.is.amazing. YALL ISTG THIS BOOK🤌🤌🤌.Not only it’s perfectly written,the world building and the characters and the story itself has me HOOKED onto this book.I really love how this book is written and the characters especially Maya is to DIE for.Honestly when I read books I tend to find something that the author can add to make it better but this?THIS NEEDS NO MORE ANYTHING BECAUSE ITS PERFECT.I couldn’t even put it own because I was too eager to know what happens next and the plot twist and the rollercoaster of feelings I’ve felt throughout the whole book is what makes it all worth it yall.
Special thanks to the amazing author who is also a friend for sending her amazing book to me.💕
Description:
Maya Cross, a policewoman. And an orphan, living her normal life like any other else until for the first time in 5 years she decided to go back home only to learn something shocking. Her parents are alive and they’re in another world. Avalon. Maya then decided to go on a mission to save them.
Jesus.Lord.This.is.amazing. YALL ISTG THIS BOOK🤌🤌🤌.Not only it’s perfectly written,the world building and the characters and the story itself has me HOOKED onto this book.I really love how this book is written and the characters especially Maya is to DIE for.Honestly when I read books I tend to find something that the author can add to make it better but this?THIS NEEDS NO MORE ANYTHING BECAUSE ITS PERFECT.I couldn’t even put it own because I was too eager to know what happens next and the plot twist and the rollercoaster of feelings I’ve felt throughout the whole book is what makes it all worth it yall.
Special thanks to the amazing author who is also a friend for sending her amazing book to me.💕
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