I received this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Fateless by Julie Kagawa Series: Fateless #1
Published by HarperCollins on 2025-07-15
Age Range: 13+
Length: 400 pages
Reviewing eARC from Netgalley
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2025, 2025 New Release Challenge
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Deep in the forgotten city of the Deathless Kings, an ancient relic of untold power waits—for one bold enough to steal it.
When seventeen-year-old Sparrow joined the Thieves Guild she made a vow of binding loyalty to their cause. So when a mission comes along from The Circle, a group of mysterious, dangerous beings who control the Thieves Guild from the shadows, Sparrow is determined to cement her place in the guild.
What ensues is a death-defying adventure that has Sparrow and her band of thieves venturing into the heart of the forgotten city of the Deathless King. The fate of Sparrow, her companions, and Raithe, the enigmatic yet alluring assassin Sparrow is forced to join forces with during their quest, all hang in the balance as they find themselves battling ancient forces within the tombs and facing the unwavering hold of fate.
Perfect for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Sabaa Tahir, this new fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Julie Kagawa will sweep readers into a bold and exciting new world, where a twisted game of destiny has far-reaching consequences.
High-stakes adventurous fantasy! Fateless by Julie Kagawa is the first in a new YA fantasy series that follows Sparrow as she sets out on an adventure centuries in the making. Sparrow is an orphan of the Thieves Guild who has been given a solo mission to retrieve a special artifact from a mythical underground city. The catch is that everyone who has previously been sent has not returned. Retrieving the item proves easy for Sparrow, but awakening the Deathless King was not what she signed up for.
Sparrow is an interesting and relatable character to follow. She has spent her life as a thief and the prodigy of the guild’s master. With an every man for himself attitude, Sparrow has kept herself alive. But this new mission, and the consequences of it, send her spiraling. She spends a majority of the book searching herself to determine what she believes and who she is.
While I like Sparrow, I love her new found friends. Halek is a Fatechaser, someone who literally chases Fate daily with a come what may attitude. He shows up towards the beginning of the story and travels to the Underground city with Sparrow. He provides some comic relief and levity to an otherwise heavy plot. Raithe is my favorite. He is an Iylvahn assassin (Fae-like), sent to stop Sparrow from finding the artifact and raising the Deathless King. His role in the book plays heavily into Sparrow’s character development. Then there is Kysa, who the trio meet as they trek across the desert ocean. She’s a fierce fighter with tightly held beliefs.
The story itself reminds me a lot of The Mummy and Tomb Raider, maybe even a little Indiana Jones thrown in. I loved the rich background Kagawa adds to the plot as well as the intricate belief systems. It really adds to the story to know what each of the characters are fighting for. The plot is fast-paced, full of twists and turns, and even a touch of romance.
Overall, I really enjoyed Fateless. This is my first Kagawa book, and it will not be my last. I’m on a waitlist now for the first book in her Iron Fey series. But back to this one….I loved the high-stakes adventure, the sweet, slowburn romance, and the found family/friends Sparrow collects during her journey. If you enjoy adventurous fantasy with rich background, I highly recommend it.
About Julie Kagawa
Julie Kagawa, the New York Times bestselling author of the Iron Fey, Blood of Eden, Talon, and Shadow of the Fox series was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.
When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.
To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full time.
Julie now lives in horse country in Kentucky with her husband and a pair of Australian Shepherds.
I’ve always wanted to read this author’s books. Someday.
I’d been saying that as well. This one was a good first for me 🙂
Oh nice! I read this one so early in the year, I’m going to need a refresher by the time I get the sequel! lol. I love Kagawa’s books! All are fantastic, especially her Iron Fey ones and of course her Blood of Eden! I love that she said she would never write a vampire book and then wrote 3. Lol. But this one was really good to and likely the start of another new fave! Nice review!
I really enjoyed it. I think I finished it in two days 😂 I loved the world she created and all the characters.
I have loved all the books I’ve read by this author, Need to get ahold of this one. Such a pretty cover. Great review!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2025/09/13/e-galley-review-ghost-business-boneyard-key-2-by-jen-deluca/