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/ From The Bookshelf

Book Review: The Fateful Dance

Rating:
☆☆☆☆☆ 3/5
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Title: The Fateful Dance

Author: Natalie Demoss

Publication Date: September 22, 2021

Genre: Fantasy

Cover:

When I first viewed the book, I assumed it was for a younger audience as the cover has a juvenile presentation. It would be in Demoss’ best interest to invest in a different cover, if possible, that better appeals to the target audience.

Premise

When a seer delivers a chilling prophecy to an elven king and queen, they must flee their kingdom, Aiheoven, to hide in the human realm in the secluded Scottish Highlands. Their mission is clear: wait for the birth of the warrior queen who will save the kingdom from the evil elven Queen Malorra. Will the warrior queen be born before Queen Malorra takes power? Can her family protect her from the evil queen’s underlings until she is old enough to take her rightful place on the throne?

Why I chose this book:

Author Natalie Demoss requested this review, and the premise sounded promising.

First Impression:

I liked the opening scene with the seer and how Demoss set the reader up for a story filled with anticipation. However, I hoped for more emotion from the king and queen and better insight into how they felt. After all, they were ripped from their world and thrown into another with no guarantee of return.

What I loved:

I love the idea of a group of people waiting on the birth of a warrior queen to save them. With each birth in the story, there is breathless anticipation in the air as the family waits to hear if a son or daughter has been born. The value placed on females in the elven culture is quite beautiful, especially when compared to our world, where so much historical emphasis has been placed on the male heir.

As the title implies, the use of dance is a critical element in the story, as the main character, Isla Cowan, is a gifted dancer. Demoss uses this love of dancing later in the book as Isla learns a variety of fighting mediums. The blending of the two is unique.

Additional Thoughts:

While I liked the story, I struggled with several aspects. First, I expected the elven dialogue to have a more formal quality to distinguish it from the modern dialogue used by those from the human realm. The flow of the story was also interrupted by the shifting perspectives. While the story advanced with one character’s perspective, it backtracked with another character’s perspective. I found the forward and backward movements in the story to be distracting. Finally, I felt underwhelmed by the climax of the story. When a story centers on a confrontation between two individuals, the reader has a certain expectation for that scene. Demoss incorporated another story angle, but it was not the moment I was hoping for.

Quotable Quotes:

• “I think most people can sense good and evil to some extent, although they probably don’t realize it.”
• “Some monsters come in the form of humans.”
• “I understand. Imagine how surprised I was to learn that humans were real when I was a kid. They were the stuff of nightmares, always trapping us to force favors out of us or coming after us with iron or silver weapons. I didn’t realize how easily we could coexist.”
• For some reason, she was drawn to it and stopped to inspect it. It had runes down the blade that read, ‘In strength, there is gentleness. In brutality, there is mercy. In victory, there is humbleness.’ The intricately decorated hilt featured a dragon, wings outstretched along the chappe. It was the most beautiful sword she had ever seen. Keir took it down and handed it to her with a smile. She swung it experimentally. The balance felt right.

Who might enjoy this book:

The Fateful Dance is ideal for readers who enjoy a mix of modern fiction and fantasy.

Overall Impression:

Three stars. Demoss offers readers an enjoyable story that is perfect for a weekend read. She creates an interesting situation by placing a modern female lead in a fantasy world that relies on her to save it. Certain elements would benefit from an additional rewrite, including dialogue, perspective taking, and the story’s climax along with a new cover, which is why I could not give The Fateful Dance a higher star rating. The foundation of a solid story is present, though, and can easily be transformed into a more polished version of itself.

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