Fortuna Sworn is the last of her kind, what the Fae call a Nightmare. Her younger brother Damon disappeared two years ago and so when a strange Fae called Collith offers to take her to him, in exchange for her hand in marriage, she barely hesitates.

But when Fortuna descends into the Unseelie Court she finds her 'husband' is not who she thought he was and her brother is the willing slave to a vicious Fae. her only hope to release Damon is with the help of her servant Laurie, her dream friend Oliver and some of the human and shifter slaves in the court.

I enjoyed this, it sort of reminded me of Julie Kagawa's series the Iron Fey as Fortuna faces vicious, hostile Fae, but the three-way love/lust triangle (square?) between Fortuna, Collith, Oliver and Laurie doesn't bode well for future novels in the series.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This started off so well but by halfway I think it was trying to do too much too fast and it lost detail,and plot because of it, I loved the characters and it was an interesting story, it just needed a lift more work on the second half I felt , 3.5 out of 5, I think a bit of work and could easily be a 5 star story. Enjoyable still though.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Nightmares may be lies, but we don’t have to be liars.

I’m not going to info dump the blurb, so I’ll start by saying that Fortuna Sworn was... something else. While fantasy isn’t my usual genre, I’ve read a few and Fortuna Sworn seems to be a good combination of standard fantasy constants and a unique spin on certain aspects of the genre. Faeries. Other fantasy beings. Unseelie and Seelie courts. A world adjacent to the human one. Corruption. Some budding romance from more than one suitor. A little bit of blood. A little bit of violence.

Fortuna is a fantasy being that I’ve personally never read about before, so her skills and power were intriguing to me. She is a strong character and she is loyal to a fault. It’s something that I appreciate about her and even though she is not PERFECT, she is growing and learning even in book one. I don’t want to give away too much, but I will say that there are a few options at love interest and quite a few options at a series villain. In this book a lot of character development and story frame-working takes place..

FS is the first book in a series, and as I said before the author spent much of the time building the world of the Unseelie court and planting plot seeds. I’m not much of a flower gal, but I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t excited to see what blooms from those seeds left in the dark underground of the court.

The pacing of this book is pretty quick, but there are a few slower parts in order to feed the reader information, which works well with the fast pace of events taking place. I spent most of this book thinking, “what is happening? Who can we trust? Who is the love interest!?” Then the other half I was just impressed by the world that KJ Sutton is building.


To add, since my review may not make it clear. I truly enjoyed this book. I wanted to say so much more about this story, but it’s nearly impossible to without spoiling it. Just know that Fortuna Sworn is a determined heroine. The world is a dark yet fantastic one, and KJ Sutton is an author to add to your to read list NOW!

I have loved this author's work in the past so it was a no brainer when I saw this to immediately pick it up and try it. I love her unique take on things that seem mundane and making them into something new and imaginative. She manages to create endearing characters that stick with you long after the story has been finished and settings that are so descriptive that they take your breath away and you feel like you are transported right into the heart of them.

Fortuna Sworn was definitely a story that I won't soon be forgetting. Set in a world of fae and all the heartbreaking, frustrating, and manipulative (and some might even say evil) things that happen when the fae get involved in just about anything, Sutton still managed to create a spin on not only the fae but other supernatural creatures that will not only fascinate you but leave you turning the pages as fast as you possible can.

Completely delightful and left wanting more, Fortuna Sworn is definitely any fans of the author or those wanting to try her for the first time, will enjoy.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the book. It was was interesting and the plot was good and the ending was surprising and intriguing, I really want to read the next book asap.

About characters.... I felt no connection to Fortuna. I felt like she was cowardly when she needed to be strong, there were some scenes , when she acted bipolar and it really irritated me. However, I liked her chemistry with her personal guard, I hope they will be friends :).

Chemistry between Fortuna and other male characters /there is more than one in this book/ doesn’t exist /yet?/. Fortunately. Collith is the obvious first choice but there were some some intimate scenes with another man too. For someone who doesn’t like love triangles was this a little problem.

I loved the ending, and it’s probably the reason why I am sure I will read the second book.... the little twist made me really curious and I was left with a question.... What’s going on??

What an original an unique story! This was very, well written and really drew me in from the start. I like that as much world and character building there was, it never felt bogged down by details. The action starts immediately and really just kept going all the way to the end.

I never really knew what direction it was going to take. I like that it was a surprise, but at times I wasn't sure I liked the circumstances. By the end of this book, I don't know how the heroine is going to be happy, which makes me wary.

Fortuna is stuck in a world she doesn't want to be in. With a man, or I should say fairy, she doesn't want to be with, but I also can see where he will eventually be someone she does want. Or will she? I'm not even sure of that.

Like I said, I have no idea where the author will take this but she has got me hooked. I need to know what happens in the next book. This is only the first book and does end on a cliffhanger.

I. Need. ANSWERS.

I was so addicted to this book when I was reading it. I stayed up through the night, only to feel sad that I had to go to sleep. I immediately started reading again whenever I had the spare time.

This book just pulled me in. While at first I wasn't so interested, as soon as Fortuna used her Nightmare powers I was hooked. I became to curious as to what her story would develop, and the strange man who helped save her. We don't spend much time in the human world. It goes by quite fast, but it's still enough for us to remember the characters introduced there. Most of this book takes place in the Unseelie Court, which is as much as I'll tell you as anything more is so spoilery. Just take my word for it that it gets intense and you actually get invested into Fortuna's character.

Speaking of characters... I LOVED both Fortuna and Collith! They were both so different and so alike at the same time. From their first meeting all the way to how it goes down in the end, I remained to still love them both. I enjoyed Fortuna's slow trusting of Collith, but not to where it felt she was being dumb. She is smart and calculating, but then discovers that she also has limits. She tries to figure things out on her own or deduce how to possibly use something to her advantage. She is such a strong heroine, but she also has weakness and faults as well. She's such a relatable character, and I can't wait to see more of her. Collith is just SWOONWORTHY. I fell in love for both his character and gorgeous descriptions. He's a man who hides secrets and has trouble being fully honest. It leads to some really interesting character AND relationship development between him and Fortuna. I can't help but understand why he does the things he does, but I still feel upset. That's also how Fortuna feels from the beginning. They're such a dynamic duo it's INSANE.

Honestly. Read. This. It's so worth it! I don't think I've ever read a book so fast (ok that's a lie but it was still fast ok). I had a lot of fun even though it's such a slow burn book. By the time I reached the end, I had so many questions and was ready to pick up the next book. This is not a book you want to miss!

I'm pretty disappointed.
In the beginning, it seemed so promising, but going on the story became too fast-paced, too shallow.
I could see, I could feel a huge, raw potential at my fingertips. Such a pity that the Author did not seize it fully. With more patience in nurturing it, and more attention to the depth (of the characters, of the worldbuilding) this could have been a great story (as the twist at the end that after all the frustration made my interest spark again).

A thrilling, fast-paced fantasy novel revolving around the supernatural world of the Fair Folk and their twisted ways. Sutton does an excellent job with the character development of the MC, Fortuna, and her clever thinking and reluctance to trust gives her a solid personality. Collith, though slightly underdeveloped, has a mysterious aura that seemed cliche at first, however, it quickly evolved into something greater and more captivating. Sutton's writing artfully aided in the beautiful world-building aspect of the book- unfortunately, the story behind the faerie race was not explained thoroughly. The Unseelie and Seelie Courts were not further touched upon leaving room for confusion. Additionally, the book seemed to gloss over what could be considered crucial plot points. Despite this, the plot twists were gripping and propelled the plot forward until the very end. Overall, a wonderful fantasy novel with a touch of ACOTAR vibes from Sarah J. Maas' series. Definitely will be looking forward to the next book!

An adult fantasy novel set largely in the Unseelie Faerie court, Fortuna Sworn is a sizzling read. The titular character is a Nightmare, and has the ability to tap into peoples fears by touching their skin, and then to convince them that they are living that fear, an awesome power no doubt, but one that is not without its drawbacks, as it makes contact with other beings difficult to say the least. The book opens in a type of black market setting, where our heroine has been captured and is on sale to the highest bidder, Before making her escape she encounters a mysterious Faerie , and when she returns to her normal life in the human world she is shocked to find he has tracked her down. He offers her the one thing she most desires, a way to find her brother who disappeared some time ago, but in exchange she must marry him. Despite knowing this is a bad idea, she is desperate to save the brother she promised to protect when their parents died, so she agrees and is taken to his homeland where the real adventures of the book begin. This book is not for the faint of heart, as well as several steamy scenes there are descriptions of torture , and overall the book has a quite a dark tone. The story is well told , and moves along at a good pace and I found myself eager to know more about some of the secondary characters we meet along the way, particularly Ollie who seems to live only in Fortuna's dreams, and the mysterious Laurie who she meets in the Unseelie court. The world building is good, and the author was able to create a vivid impression of the harshness and dangers of life among the capricious and often cruel Unseelie court. There is also a suggestion that there are more books to come featuring Fortuna and I hope this is true as I would definitely read them.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This is a first read for me by this author. The blurb really intrigued me. This at first sort of had ACOTAR series vibe in the beginning. I loved the initial banter between the main couple. I wanted more of a background or initial introduction/buildup in the story. I have to say a good chunk of the middle part was a bit slow. I thought this going to be a standalone, but it turns out its book 1 in a
unknown # in a series. I just can't pinpoint exactly why I'm feeling indifferent about this book. This was an ok first book for me.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Fortuna Sworn was interesting, for sure. I liked the way this author wove together a wide variety of mythological beings. An enjoyable fantasy story.

Rarely have I finished a book in one sitting, but I couldn't put this book down. the author created such a unique world out of well known mythical creatures (fairies, werewolves, vampires).
I do wish there had been a little more background given about the fae since this story was primarily about them and their customs. We all know what fairies are, but the author made them into fallen angels and assumed the reader knew the difference between (or even the existence of) the Unseelie and Seelie Courts.
Another wish was for the setting to change a little. Almost the entire book takes place underground in the Unseelie Court. Perhaps this was used as a literary device to extend Fortuna's sense of claustrophobia and discomfort to the reader, but I really found myself drinking in the outdoor scene once Fortuna breaks the surface for a few minutes in the middle of the book.
I look forward to the next book in the series, can't wait to learn about the Seelie Court!