Book review: Fated

Hi there. How are you today, pornies? Tday I want to talk about a fantasy book that is very different to many you may have read until now. It is a novel that explores important topics and builds a fantasy world at the same time. Fated, by Devon Vesper, is book 0.5 in The God Jars Saga, which I’ll keep reviewing in the next weeks. Thanks to Gay Book Promotions for sending me a copy of this book and next ones!

• Saga: The God Jar's Saga #0
• Print Length: 72 pages
• Publisher: Magelight Press (February 11, 2019)
• Publishing Date: February 11, 2019
• Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, M/M Gay Romance
• Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Sometimes dreams come true regardless of what you choose. Kerac keeps having recurring dreams of a blond boy calling him “Papa.” Yet, he’s on the path to becoming an Aesriphos—a holy warrior priest—and Aesriphos aren’t allowed to have children due to the dangerous nature of their jobs. And Kerac’s severe social anxiety proves too debilitating for him to pursue his passion for the Aesriphos Order’s cause. Because of these issues, Kerac is ready to shirk his training for the Order and become a regular priest. At least they can have a family. It’s the only way to see his dreams come true… until he meets a fellow Aesriphos Aspirant named Darolen. Darolen’s quiet strength and uncanny ability to calm Kerac down from his panic attacks proves to be just what Kerac needs to help him grow within the Aesriphos Order. This focused attention and Darolen’s unwavering support make Kerac fall hard for the craggy warrior-mage. But the dreams of having a son still plague Kerac. He must choose between the man who makes his heart race, and the son his god keeps promising him. Available free in Devon’s Newsletter.

While being a short story, this book includes mental health and panic attacks as important elements of the plot, which not many (if any) fantasy novels use. It was a high plus and a brave decision to make! I really felt understood when reading because, although I haven’t had panic attacks like Kerac, I’ve been in similar situations and they are represented very well in the story.

I liked how Devon Vesper described these situations, how Kerac was presented and how he eventually evolved. Although Darolen certainly played an important part in it, Kerac was in control and decided what to do about his own health. Being so much misinformation about mental health and that many people think we depend on others, and some of us even thinking so, it was amazing to have a book which explained this correctly.

The romance between Kerac and Darolen was a bit rushed for me, but their chemistry was undeniable, how they become a healthy relationship despite the kind of dependency Kerac had at the beginning. They helped each other, became equals and with sexy results in the end, because you also get some good kink before this one ends.

Fated was a good introduction to the world of the Aesriphos, an inclusive novella that paints a realistic picture of mental health in a fantasy world, the right amount of world-building (the reason for a gay-lesbian group of warriors? Amazing!) and that helps you get a good idea of what is about to happen. It is focused on Kerac, his relationship with Darolen and how his mind works, as you may expect, so there’s not too much magic, adventure or fighting, but you never lose interest.

About Devon Vesper:

Born on a Navy base in Patuxent River, Maryland, Devon has traveled the world, living in Sigonella, Sicily for three years, and visiting many European countries before moving back to the states around the age of seven. She’s lived in Florida for sixteen years, Oklahoma for a year, and Pennsylvania for the rest. She graduated from surgical technology school near the top of her class in 2004, and uses her medical and worldly knowledge to enrich her books whenever possible. Since she has bipolar disorder, PTSD, social anxiety disorder, general anxiety disorder, clinical depression, and has trouble leaving her house due to all that, Devon works full time as an author and editor, and spends as much time as she can talking to other authors and her readers.

Have you read this book? Would you recommend it or not? Let me know in the comments! Kinky regards, K!

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