Heather’s Bookshelf: Fate Accompli: The Water Nymph Gospels Book 1
Author: Keith R. Fentonmiller
Released: 05/18/21
Genre: Historical Fantasy
“He felt deceitful and ashamed. Breaking the curse was possible in the same sense it was possible that a purse with a thousand gold florins might fly off a passing chariot and land at his feet. When Carlotta learned the enormity of their task, she would hate him, and he wouldn’t fault her for doing so.”
“Fate Accompli follows two main storylines set in 1603 Tuscany as well as at Mount Olympus. The tales are interwoven with Greek myths and focus on two main characters and their families. Andolosia Petasos is cursed to a family forced to forever make hats and Carlotta Lux is cursed to a family of women forever hunted by Apollo.
Andolosia’s curse begins when his ancestor steals Hermes’ teleportation helmet and becomes intertwined with Carlotta’s curse after he is commissioned by the famous Medici family to make a special hat. The story delves into how the curses originated and how they end up still affecting the main characters in the present timelines. The strangers must stick together if they are going to break through their respective curses.
Meanwhile, Moira takes a job as the weaver of fates in Olympus. She becomes torn between what she knows she should do and the demands of the Gods. Her actions lead down a path that determines the fates of many of those around her.
Trigger Warning: There are a lot of adult themes and kind of disturbing storylines: sexual situations, adult language, violence, threat of rape, animal sacrifice
Overall, I enjoyed this interesting combination of Greek mythology and Italian 1600s art and corruption. I felt that the start of the story was a little confusing and hard to get it to, but I quickly became intrigued by the story and interesting characters. The various timelines and points of view kept the pace of the story moving while also giving insight into backgrounds and character motivations. I really enjoyed the storyline behind Andolosia’s family curse and how Hermes came to be. I also really enjoyed the banter between Andolosia and Carlotta. There were parts of the story that seemed a little drawn out, but overall I thought the characters were intriguing enough to pull through. I did feel that the resolution of Hermes and Apollo was a little abrupt, but the rest of the ending was super satisfying. It wrapped up the story in a way that was not sugar coated and felt genuine to the rest of the tale. If you like Greek mythology and appreciate an interesting take on some classic tales, then you would enjoy this story!
(I ended up checking out this book on mixed platforms: written and audiobook via Audible: I don’t usually do Audio books, but found the narrator really fun to listen to)
I received a copy of this story in audiobook and e-versions in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A story based in Greek mythology that takes a little bit to get into, but is an intriguing ride with a satisfying end.
Want to learn more about the author?
Check out my interview with Keith R. Fentonmiller:
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here and don’t forget about Audible:
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
