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The Gods of Fate #1
Foresight
An epic battle between good and evil rages as modern-day Grace Archer fights to defend Pandora's Box from Lilith, the one goddess just crazy enough to open it. Can Grace find the strength to protect the box? Can she control her powers before losing her mind?
178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2010
1 person is currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
Sherry D. Ficklin
44 books669 followersSherry is the author of over a dozen novels for teens and young adults including the best selling Stolen Empire series. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she's on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.
Sherry also writes contemporary romance under the pen name SJ Noble. You can find her at her official website, www.sherryficklin.com, or stalk her on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/sherry.ficklin.
Sherry also writes contemporary romance under the pen name SJ Noble. You can find her at her official website, www.sherryficklin.com, or stalk her on her Facebook page www.facebook.com/sherry.ficklin.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 31, 2010
Foresight by Sherry D. Ficklin
Publisher: Dragonfly Publishing
Genre: Paranormal, Sci-fi/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length(174 pages)
Rating: 4 suns
Review By: Dogwood
When Grace thought she would barely make it through graduation, it was only because she was bored, she had no idea she literally would barely make it out alive. Graduation is supposed to be a happy, relaxed day. All Grace could think about is how badly she wanted to get out of there and eat a cheeseburger with fries, little did she know, that wasn't going to happen. Right away you are slammed into a mythological world full of demon vampires and a prison escapee named Lilith who wants nothing more than to have Grace's blood on her hands, literally. Grace makes it out of graduation with the help of a hunky looking guy named Chris, and her Aunt Phoenix. Grace's parents died she was just a little girl, so she was raised by her Aunt Phoenix in a small town in Colorado. Most of her life seemed pretty normal, until today, when she found out, this isn't her real life at all.
Grace's mother is actually the goddess Pandora. Lilith is desperate to find out where Pandora hid her box, and Grace's blood is the only access to it. If the box is opened, then we all know the ending to that story, it's the end of the world. Grace discovers her Aunt is actually a faerie, who was best friends with her mom. Chris is also a faerie, but we will get back to him later. By the way, it's actually an urn too. Apparently the gods don't like calling it a box. Grace has spent a lot of her life in special classes teaching her things like how to shoot a bow and arrow, and studying mythology with her aunt. She had no idea she was being trained the whole time. Now it is up to Phoenix and Chris to save mankind, which happens to be their job, by taking Grace to Faerie City. Lilith is unable to gain entrance, so they just have to wait it out until the eclipse passes. Which happens to be the only time in a couple hundred years before the urn can be opened again. If only it were that easy right. It is quite the adventure trying to make it to the closest gateway to Faerie City. Grace continues to learn more about herself, and we get in on the secret as well.
Chris is a handsome faerie with the uncanny ability to sway people's thoughts and feelings. At first Grace was a bit annoyed with him, but suddenly she is falling for him. Is it all part of his plan, or is it for real? Although Chris looks about the same age as Grace, he is actually a bit ancient. So he was around when she was born, and made a vow to Pandora to protect Grace no matter what. And that is just what he intends to do. He wont let anything get in his way of saving her and humanity.
Throughout the story you will meet quite a few gods and faeries that make the story terribly interesting. It's nonstop action with a bit of romance thrown in. Just enough romance in my opinion. I like that it doesn't overpower the main plot of the story. Grace is a fantastic character, that you really want to like, but sometimes she does things a normal person would do, that just drives you crazy. There will be a few times you are yelling at her not to do something, but alas, she does it anyway. She is a sweet girl that makes it hard to stay mad at her for long. I did find it strange how quickly she bought into the whole lifestyle, but heck, what else did she have to lose, she just graduated and has no plans. I probably would have been hoping it was true too. Lucky for her it is.
I gave this book 4 suns, simply because I felt this story was missing a few important scenes. Everything flowed nicely, but just a bit too quickly. Normally, when I read a book, I am thinking, OK let's get to the point. This time I was wondering how we even got there. I realize they were running for their lives, but it would have been nice to have more details here and there between the important stuff, just to make it more believable to me. There were a lot of unanswered questions for me about her father, so I would have loved to have more detail there. Not to mention the huge cliffhanger left at the end of the book. OK, OK, not huge, but a cliffhanger nonetheless. Of course this only leads me to believe that this is a series, and there are more to come. If so, boy I can't wait, and I might just have to change my rating to a 5. The author does a great job at telling the story, describing the scenes perfectly. Not too much detail, but just enough that I could visually see it. I also thought she did well expressing Grace's different emotions throughout the story. I know I would be feeling a wide range of them, so I am glad she showed that, without it seeming like a roller coaster ride.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I even chose finishing it over sleep. I would recommend it to just about anyone. There are a few scenes I felt were a bit gory for me, so it might not be good for someone very young, or someone who is squeamish. If you like mythology, fast-paced fighting scenes, and emotional romances, all with some juicy gossip, this is the book for you. I personally guarantee you will enjoy it!
Publisher: Dragonfly Publishing
Genre: Paranormal, Sci-fi/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 14+
Length: Full Length(174 pages)
Rating: 4 suns
Review By: Dogwood
When Grace thought she would barely make it through graduation, it was only because she was bored, she had no idea she literally would barely make it out alive. Graduation is supposed to be a happy, relaxed day. All Grace could think about is how badly she wanted to get out of there and eat a cheeseburger with fries, little did she know, that wasn't going to happen. Right away you are slammed into a mythological world full of demon vampires and a prison escapee named Lilith who wants nothing more than to have Grace's blood on her hands, literally. Grace makes it out of graduation with the help of a hunky looking guy named Chris, and her Aunt Phoenix. Grace's parents died she was just a little girl, so she was raised by her Aunt Phoenix in a small town in Colorado. Most of her life seemed pretty normal, until today, when she found out, this isn't her real life at all.
Grace's mother is actually the goddess Pandora. Lilith is desperate to find out where Pandora hid her box, and Grace's blood is the only access to it. If the box is opened, then we all know the ending to that story, it's the end of the world. Grace discovers her Aunt is actually a faerie, who was best friends with her mom. Chris is also a faerie, but we will get back to him later. By the way, it's actually an urn too. Apparently the gods don't like calling it a box. Grace has spent a lot of her life in special classes teaching her things like how to shoot a bow and arrow, and studying mythology with her aunt. She had no idea she was being trained the whole time. Now it is up to Phoenix and Chris to save mankind, which happens to be their job, by taking Grace to Faerie City. Lilith is unable to gain entrance, so they just have to wait it out until the eclipse passes. Which happens to be the only time in a couple hundred years before the urn can be opened again. If only it were that easy right. It is quite the adventure trying to make it to the closest gateway to Faerie City. Grace continues to learn more about herself, and we get in on the secret as well.
Chris is a handsome faerie with the uncanny ability to sway people's thoughts and feelings. At first Grace was a bit annoyed with him, but suddenly she is falling for him. Is it all part of his plan, or is it for real? Although Chris looks about the same age as Grace, he is actually a bit ancient. So he was around when she was born, and made a vow to Pandora to protect Grace no matter what. And that is just what he intends to do. He wont let anything get in his way of saving her and humanity.
Throughout the story you will meet quite a few gods and faeries that make the story terribly interesting. It's nonstop action with a bit of romance thrown in. Just enough romance in my opinion. I like that it doesn't overpower the main plot of the story. Grace is a fantastic character, that you really want to like, but sometimes she does things a normal person would do, that just drives you crazy. There will be a few times you are yelling at her not to do something, but alas, she does it anyway. She is a sweet girl that makes it hard to stay mad at her for long. I did find it strange how quickly she bought into the whole lifestyle, but heck, what else did she have to lose, she just graduated and has no plans. I probably would have been hoping it was true too. Lucky for her it is.
I gave this book 4 suns, simply because I felt this story was missing a few important scenes. Everything flowed nicely, but just a bit too quickly. Normally, when I read a book, I am thinking, OK let's get to the point. This time I was wondering how we even got there. I realize they were running for their lives, but it would have been nice to have more details here and there between the important stuff, just to make it more believable to me. There were a lot of unanswered questions for me about her father, so I would have loved to have more detail there. Not to mention the huge cliffhanger left at the end of the book. OK, OK, not huge, but a cliffhanger nonetheless. Of course this only leads me to believe that this is a series, and there are more to come. If so, boy I can't wait, and I might just have to change my rating to a 5. The author does a great job at telling the story, describing the scenes perfectly. Not too much detail, but just enough that I could visually see it. I also thought she did well expressing Grace's different emotions throughout the story. I know I would be feeling a wide range of them, so I am glad she showed that, without it seeming like a roller coaster ride.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I even chose finishing it over sleep. I would recommend it to just about anyone. There are a few scenes I felt were a bit gory for me, so it might not be good for someone very young, or someone who is squeamish. If you like mythology, fast-paced fighting scenes, and emotional romances, all with some juicy gossip, this is the book for you. I personally guarantee you will enjoy it!
September 6, 2010
Grace Archer has just graduated from high school. A time that should be full of celebration. But she's just learned that her mother was Pandora (yes, that Pandora). At all cost she must protect her mother's urn and defeat the evil Lilith.
Foresight is a fast, fun read. A fantastical story that is wonderfully descriptive. Grace is a very interesting character, she is strong with a great personality. Very mature when her world is turned upside down, but also fun and snarky too. I look forward to seeing how her relationship with Chris will progress. This was a surprising read for me, I ended up really loving the story. I also loved that there was a mix of the fae and Greek Mythology. If your a fan of either I think your really gonna enjoy this story.
Foresight is a fast, fun read. A fantastical story that is wonderfully descriptive. Grace is a very interesting character, she is strong with a great personality. Very mature when her world is turned upside down, but also fun and snarky too. I look forward to seeing how her relationship with Chris will progress. This was a surprising read for me, I ended up really loving the story. I also loved that there was a mix of the fae and Greek Mythology. If your a fan of either I think your really gonna enjoy this story.
August 15, 2010
I love mythology of all different origins and after reading the description of this book I was eager to give it a go. I haven’t read many modern fictional stories containing gods and goddesses (the only one that comes to mind is the middle grade Percy Jackson series) and was delighted that the author was using this subject as a basis for a young adult series. The story starts very quickly and throws the reader into the midst of a plot filled with action. I love that any background information we need to know is given to us as it’s given to the main character, so we are learning what’s going on right along with her.
There are a lot of different characters in this book, so some of them are only able to make brief appearances; I hope to see many of them expanded on in the future books in the series. The love interest, Chris, is one character that remains a bit mysterious and I want to know more about him and where he comes from, what his story is. The main character, Grace, is a determined young hero and her decision making is what drives the story along. Her decisions have dire consequences to herself and those around her and one of those decisions is left open for the next in the series which is intriguing.
Grace learns who she really is, a crucial element for any coming of age novel, and even though this is a fantasy, all of the elements put together seem real. The bits and pieces we get of all of the characters are enough to assemble a real cast of characters that could eventually span a lifetime of stories. The author has chosen a great storyline to weave in countless characters, plots, problems and disasters, love, wars, and parallel worlds. It wasn’t bogged down with too much description, something that can drive me crazy in other fantasy stories. The only drawback to the book is that it was over too quickly for me. I could have eagerly read another couple hundred pages and still want more.
There are a lot of different characters in this book, so some of them are only able to make brief appearances; I hope to see many of them expanded on in the future books in the series. The love interest, Chris, is one character that remains a bit mysterious and I want to know more about him and where he comes from, what his story is. The main character, Grace, is a determined young hero and her decision making is what drives the story along. Her decisions have dire consequences to herself and those around her and one of those decisions is left open for the next in the series which is intriguing.
Grace learns who she really is, a crucial element for any coming of age novel, and even though this is a fantasy, all of the elements put together seem real. The bits and pieces we get of all of the characters are enough to assemble a real cast of characters that could eventually span a lifetime of stories. The author has chosen a great storyline to weave in countless characters, plots, problems and disasters, love, wars, and parallel worlds. It wasn’t bogged down with too much description, something that can drive me crazy in other fantasy stories. The only drawback to the book is that it was over too quickly for me. I could have eagerly read another couple hundred pages and still want more.
September 8, 2010
Review of Foresight, Book I in the Gods of Fate Trilogy
By Lora Deeprose
FORESIGHT, Book I in the Gods of Fate Trilogy, by Sherry Ficklin is a refreshing new edition to the YA fantasy genre. Sherry handles the coming-of-age story of Grace Archer with humour, intelligence and a beautifully imagined mythology. Ms. Ficklin’s voice is refreshing in its lack of brooding angst so often de rigueur in YA literature and instead captures the cockiness and frailty of Grace Archer as she steps over the threshold of childhood into adulthood.
I applaud Ms. Ficklin for creating a modern Hero’s Quest and casting a female in the lead role, one who relies on her own strength and intelligence instead of waiting for someone to rescue her. Feisty Grace battles evil, goes toe-to-toe with arrogant ancient gods, and struggles to come to terms with her growing magical powers, all the while falling in love with a most delicious faerie imagined.
Foresight’s appeal crosses all age groups and has enough nail-biting drama and heartbreak to have you turning the pages and wanting more. Foresight definitely earns 5 out of 5 and I am very much looking forward to Book 2 and the return to Grace Archer’s epic story.
By Lora Deeprose
FORESIGHT, Book I in the Gods of Fate Trilogy, by Sherry Ficklin is a refreshing new edition to the YA fantasy genre. Sherry handles the coming-of-age story of Grace Archer with humour, intelligence and a beautifully imagined mythology. Ms. Ficklin’s voice is refreshing in its lack of brooding angst so often de rigueur in YA literature and instead captures the cockiness and frailty of Grace Archer as she steps over the threshold of childhood into adulthood.
I applaud Ms. Ficklin for creating a modern Hero’s Quest and casting a female in the lead role, one who relies on her own strength and intelligence instead of waiting for someone to rescue her. Feisty Grace battles evil, goes toe-to-toe with arrogant ancient gods, and struggles to come to terms with her growing magical powers, all the while falling in love with a most delicious faerie imagined.
Foresight’s appeal crosses all age groups and has enough nail-biting drama and heartbreak to have you turning the pages and wanting more. Foresight definitely earns 5 out of 5 and I am very much looking forward to Book 2 and the return to Grace Archer’s epic story.
August 31, 2010
Foresight is a great young adult novel about recent graduate Grace Archer's adventures with the mythical: faeries, demons and Gods. Facing off against evil, Grace learns about her own secret history and discovers abilities that she never knew she had. The characters were well-developed, the action exciting, and the story engaging. It was a quick, fun read for the weekend.
February 23, 2013
This short novel packs a punch. I appreciate the skill that the author employs in taking faerie and Greek mythology and building a unique story of her own. Young adult heroine, but the story avoids all the YA conventions.
Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com.
Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com.
November 11, 2010
(Originally posted by me to The Book Bundle)
The action kicks off straight away, with mysterious people crashing in to Grace's graduation in the opening chapter. Grace is understandably upset by this, and when she wakes up at home after being knocked unconscious, she starts demanding answers. Grace is forced to deal with the idea that her mum was a Greek goddess as Phoenix and Chris whisk her off towards the safety of a fae city. This tension of running away is kept up through the whole book. The characters are constantly aware of being hunted, and gearing up for a confrontation. When Grace begins to have dreams that seem to foretell the future, her fear of the things she's seen coming true adds to the tension - I thought that was done very well. When they eventually reach the safety of the city, Grace hurries to master her new powers in time to help save her friends.
Something I didn't really like was the romance between Chris and Grace. I thought it happened too fast, and just didn't seem too realistic at first. The rest of Grace's character is better - she definitely acts like the 18 year old girl she is supposed to be. Grace won't put up with being treated as unimportant or unworthy just because she's young and new to her powers. I especially liked her verbal confrontation at the very end of the book with one of the other gods.
I also liked the combination of Greek gods with the fae - I haven't seen that before, and it was an interesting mixture.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I would get in to it for a little bit, then get distracted. It took a while to read.
I think fans of YA would like this book - I definitely feel like it is a YA book, not so interesting for older readers.
The action kicks off straight away, with mysterious people crashing in to Grace's graduation in the opening chapter. Grace is understandably upset by this, and when she wakes up at home after being knocked unconscious, she starts demanding answers. Grace is forced to deal with the idea that her mum was a Greek goddess as Phoenix and Chris whisk her off towards the safety of a fae city. This tension of running away is kept up through the whole book. The characters are constantly aware of being hunted, and gearing up for a confrontation. When Grace begins to have dreams that seem to foretell the future, her fear of the things she's seen coming true adds to the tension - I thought that was done very well. When they eventually reach the safety of the city, Grace hurries to master her new powers in time to help save her friends.
Something I didn't really like was the romance between Chris and Grace. I thought it happened too fast, and just didn't seem too realistic at first. The rest of Grace's character is better - she definitely acts like the 18 year old girl she is supposed to be. Grace won't put up with being treated as unimportant or unworthy just because she's young and new to her powers. I especially liked her verbal confrontation at the very end of the book with one of the other gods.
I also liked the combination of Greek gods with the fae - I haven't seen that before, and it was an interesting mixture.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I would get in to it for a little bit, then get distracted. It took a while to read.
I think fans of YA would like this book - I definitely feel like it is a YA book, not so interesting for older readers.
August 9, 2010
Although I have little personal interest in mythology and the Greek Gods, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and a pleasure to read. I feel many teens who enjoyed the Lightning Thief series by Rick Riordan will enjoy this adventure/romance because of the tie to Greek Mythology. Girls will especially be drawn to the romantic nature of the story.
Congrats Sherry on your first book!
Congrats Sherry on your first book!
November 16, 2010
I really enjoy books that contain elements of mythology interwoven into them so found myself drawn into this book. The combination of Greek Gods and Fae made for a unique tale.
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http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot....
April 23, 2011
It was interesting. A good knowledge of mythology definately helps understanding some of the relationships and how and why the characters are together. It started off really good, but at the end kind of garbled up trying to come to a close. Overall not a bad read.
July 17, 2011
I loved this book! Her characters are awesome! I didn't hate Lilith quite as much as I would have liked to but this is a YA book so I used my imagination. All in all, an easy read with great dialog and a great story line.
November 8, 2022
A good read!
Can she find the strength to defeat the crazed demi-goddess?
Can she learn to control her powers before she loses her mind?
It was a good, short and enjoyable story. Fast-paced - within moments, the action begins and a whole new world is unraveled.
If you're looking for a quick read then thus is definitely it.
Full of gods, goddesses, fate, demons, powers, Fae and love.
Perfect for readers of fantasy romances/Greek mythology retellings.
Can she find the strength to defeat the crazed demi-goddess?
Can she learn to control her powers before she loses her mind?
It was a good, short and enjoyable story. Fast-paced - within moments, the action begins and a whole new world is unraveled.
If you're looking for a quick read then thus is definitely it.
Full of gods, goddesses, fate, demons, powers, Fae and love.
Perfect for readers of fantasy romances/Greek mythology retellings.
Read
September 24, 2010I wanted to really really love this book. It was written by a friend.
It was very poorly edited for which Ms. Ficklin isn't to blame. I felt there were too many characters, too much idle chatter, too many overused words, and many parts of the book made no sense at all. I felt the characters all acted like Terminators on steroids.
There were certain sentences that showed me Sherry has the making of a good writer, but without proper editing it will be a slow grind.
The part of the book that bothered me the most was that of an 80 year old pervert hitting upon a 17 year old girl. It turned my stomach!!!! All she needed to do was not mention the age of the main male character and it would have made a big difference.
The other problem was why try and cram every character used in every teen best seller? We had fairies, vampires, greek gods, demons,monsters, demigods......
It was very poorly edited for which Ms. Ficklin isn't to blame. I felt there were too many characters, too much idle chatter, too many overused words, and many parts of the book made no sense at all. I felt the characters all acted like Terminators on steroids.
There were certain sentences that showed me Sherry has the making of a good writer, but without proper editing it will be a slow grind.
The part of the book that bothered me the most was that of an 80 year old pervert hitting upon a 17 year old girl. It turned my stomach!!!! All she needed to do was not mention the age of the main male character and it would have made a big difference.
The other problem was why try and cram every character used in every teen best seller? We had fairies, vampires, greek gods, demons,monsters, demigods......
July 23, 2011
Review written by Morgan Wylie
Wow! What must it feel like to discover that your mom was the Greek Goddess Pandora? This novel is a fantastic YA (young adult) read. It is smart, witty, and snarky. In the midst of great change, turmoil, and adventure Grace is able to be strong, embrace her new heritage, laugh and even find love.
I think most people have at least a vague knowledge of Greek mythology, but Sherry was able to add relatable personification to many of the Greek gods and goddesses in a fun, memorable way. I definitely recommend this series if you like to read YA fantasy. It’s a fast and fun read, I didn’t want to put it down, but luckily I had the next book in the series ready to go...
Read the entire review at ParaYourNormal
Wow! What must it feel like to discover that your mom was the Greek Goddess Pandora? This novel is a fantastic YA (young adult) read. It is smart, witty, and snarky. In the midst of great change, turmoil, and adventure Grace is able to be strong, embrace her new heritage, laugh and even find love.
I think most people have at least a vague knowledge of Greek mythology, but Sherry was able to add relatable personification to many of the Greek gods and goddesses in a fun, memorable way. I definitely recommend this series if you like to read YA fantasy. It’s a fast and fun read, I didn’t want to put it down, but luckily I had the next book in the series ready to go...
Read the entire review at ParaYourNormal
May 15, 2013
I liked this one much better than Mrs. Ficklin's Military Brats book. It's a fantasy based on the Gods of Olympus. It's a cute story. There were still a few awkward rushed parts, but not a bad read. Some parts just felt like there was no build up at all. I will have to read the other two in her series to find out what happens. The cliff-hanger ending has left me curious.
July 28, 2012
I love the twists on mythology in this book. Very creative and action packed!
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August 29, 2017it was a really good book i loved it
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews