The beginning of this was a little slow but overall, I really enjoyed my experience reading this book. After I finally got through the first 15-20%, I completely devoured it. Fortuna is an amazing character and K.J. Sutton had me on my toes throughout the entire last 50% of the novel. I can't wait to see what happens next. I have absolutely no idea what to expect. The audiobook narrator did a great job as well. She totally kept me engaged throughout and added to my enjoyment.

Big thanks to Netgalley, K.J. Sutton and Dreamscape Media for the Audio ARC in exchange for a review.

This was a mix of a fantasy fae world and urban fantasy. Fortuna is thrown into a world she's spent her whole life essentially hiding from, in order to find her brother.

She is coerced into saying yes to marriage, in order to save her brother, and forced into a world she knows very little about.

I enjoyed this. It was a quick read, (listen) and easy enough to follow along. The narrator captured the soul of the characters and OOHHH the twist at the end... I NEVER SAW IT COMING!!

I'll be looking for the next in the series for sure!

Welp. This went from a maybe 3 star to 2 after a very.. very blatant ACOTAR rip off. And I'm not even talking like similar too, or maybe inspired by.. it was a straight up badly done rip off. I lost interest in the book after that, but I was already 85% of the way in so I finished it.

Ugh.. this book. I don't like to write mean reviews but I think I hated this book. It just felt cheap.. like the author knew all the stuff that made up popular books but didn't actually know anything about them. I love mate stories. Like true and savage kind of mates.. where once the bond snaps into place there is literally no one else and you would kill for them. Here, the author treats the word as a marriage substitute. Like, "oh, I'm writing about Faries so I have to use the word mate 50 million times."

Collith was boring as heck. Laurie mildly interesting (especially with the twist), Oliver reminds me of a kicked puppy. Damien.. uh issues. And well Fortuna was a wannabe badass who really wasn't actually badass.

I will say that the narration for the audiobook was done well, so there's that.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook.

Seeing everyone love this book I had to jump on the train. Could I put this book down? No but the whole time I'm just not in love with the main character. I care more about Oliver because I just know he's gonna be important .... And the werewolf I love him already

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audiobook.

I really enjoyed this! Slightly dark fantasy with good world building and strong characters. I will definitely be getting my hands on the rest of the series. Narrator was good as well!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The audio narration was strong and not distracting, with appropriate speed and intensity. The story is likely to be a hit with fans of Sarah J.Maas or anyone who enjoys darker, fae-themed romance and adventure. The plot takes swooping twists and turns-- some that the reader sees coming and some that are a delightful surprise. I'm likely to recommend this book and to read further in the series.

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

“You trade in edicts and secrets, mine is nightmares and terror. Nothing I see will give me a second’s pause, fairy.”

________________________

Fortuna Sworn is a normal girl living in Colorado…except that she isn’t. She is one of the Fallen; magical beings who were once angels now fallen to earth with specific powers split between them. Fortuna in particular is a Nightmare and the last of her kind. Having lost her parents to murder at a young age, it was just her and her brother until 2 years prior when he mysteriously disappeared. Spending her days working at a local bar and her nights desperately searching for her brother, she is kidnapped one night and taken to be sold as a slave to be used for her magical abilities, though her kidnappers have no idea what she is. It is here she meets the worst sort of creature…a fairy who seems to have taken a liking to her. After aiding her escape from her captors the fairy follows her and proposes a deal: he knows where her brother is and will take her to him if Fortuna agrees to marry him. Desperate to save her brother and fulfill their promise to their parents to always take care of one another she accepts, marries him, and allows him to take her to the Seelie Court under the very ground of the world she has lived in her whole life.

Once there her rescue plan begins to quickly unravel as she realizes everything is not as it seemed. Her brother is unwilling and unable to leave, her powers do not work on every one she touches, and her new mate is none other than the Seelie King himself. Cornered against a wall with claws out, Fortuna sees her opportunity to free her brother once and for all: by completing the 3 tasks necessary to become the Seelie Queen and ascend the throne beside her mate as sovereign ruler over the Bloodlines of the Court once and for all. That’s IF she can survive them.

Holy moly this book is a RIDE. I loved how it wove magical beings right into the world of humans and vice versa. I kept having to remind myself that while Fortuna was a Nightmare she was also wholly raised as a human in the world we see around us today. This added an interesting layer to her interaction with the Seelie court which operated in classic, medieval ways. It was very “A Kid in King Arthur’s Court”, but with a dark and vicious “Game of Thrones” vibes.

The Fairies and the Seelie Court themselves were brutal, but so is Fortuna. As a Nightmare she has the ability to see people’s fears, enter their mind, and manipulate the world they see around them in order to bend them to her will, all with a single touch. She is morally gray perfection and a compelling MC. I adored the layers to her. The simple truths that she held on to from childhood, the values she tries to uphold, the trauma she endured losing her parents and the magic that she conjured to help her cope with it, the compassion she has for others who may not fare as well as she does, but then also the pure rage, unfettered power, and the bone crushing vengeance that drive her to take drastic measures to get what she wants. At times I found myself yelling at her to just stop fighting EVERYONE and to accept help and allow herself to see the good beyond the Fairy, but at the same time you don’t want her to do any of those things because then she would not be the force that she is and needs to be to survive into the world she has now been thrust into.

Collith, our dear Seelie King. I’m so conflicted with Collith. Seeing him through Fortuna’s eyes we see how he did simply only ever want her and it’s beautiful. And the sparks that fly between the two of them are INTENSE. But then as Collith’s intentions are revealed you go on a roller coaster ride of emotions trying to make sense of if he is someone who can be trusted, if he has any good intentions, or if he’s simply using Fortuna as a means to an end. But then with his end goal being a better world and a better life for the fairies…one above ground and one with equality and freedom for everyone, is it a worthy enough cause to justify the hell ahead of Fortuna?

Beyond that the characters you are introduced to are nothing short of fascinating and intriguing…but at the same time concerning because who exactly can you trust in the Seelie Court? We meet Laurie, who is always there when Fortuna needs him with sage advice, a shrewd word, and an impeccable fashion sense. But where DO his loyalties lie? We also come to know Oliver; a figment of Fortuna’s imagination who she meets in a dreamscape world of her own making every time she sleeps. Reminded quite a few times that he is not real, it seems like a likely truth…until interactions they have begin to bleed over into Fortuna’s reality and then you begin to question just how much control she really has in her own dreams.

There is just SO much intrigue and there are SO many questions. Lots of these things do come to a head right in the final pages of the book and a few major bomb answers are dropped before the end to set us up for the next book in the series, but it still leaves me with a major sense of both excitement and trepidation as Fortuna’s story continues.

I was sent the Audiobook narrated by Emma Lysy by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and I will admit this was my first fiction audiobook! It was very easy to follow and the narrator was pleasantly youthful and very clear and easy to understand. There were a few times that her tone and inflection for Fortuna almost seemed a little too sinister but given the nature of the story it wasn’t too off base. This did make it easy, however, for her to “change” Fortuna’s voice as certain events of the book deeply affected and changed her. This was SO well done and illustrated the growth in Fortuna perfectly to pack an even more powerful punch by the end of the story. Overall I would certainly recommend the audiobooks for this series!!

This series got off to an excellent start. I love the entire feel of it, the dark fairy approach, the vicious Court politics, the unique and terrifying power that our main character possesses in the tips of her fingers, and the high stakes game of survival that makes you question everyone and everything at every turn. Be warned, the story does get VERY dark and is highly descriptive, but this is met evenly with the emotional depth of each character and their wants, hopes, fears, and longings. I wish there had been a bit more spice but when you consider that we went from marriage of convenience to enemies to lovers REAL quick I’m willing to wait longer to reach the “lovers” part. Overall I can’t wait to see where the author is going with this and I look forward to digging into the next book!!

Let me begin with: this is not my typical genre. I adore fantasy, and everything fae; but I often lose interest when there is alot of erotica. For many readers, Fortuna Sworn won't be considered that spicy, but as someone who doesn't read or listen to alot of erotica books, this one was a shocker. Add to the fact that I was listening to this AudioARC at work and..... awkward! That aside, this has a damn good plot and has me interested in looking into book two when my TBR pile shrinks a bit. Fortuna is a strong woman, out of her element and surrounded by enemies. All she wants is to help her brother, but he just doesn't want to be saved. Her brother was the hardest part of the story for me, he was hard to connect with and we didn't get enough time with him to sympathize or even truly understand why he wanted to stay so badly.

Three stars overall from me. I didn't dislike it or lose interest, but I'm not chomping at the bit for book 2....I'm not even sure if I'll ever get around to it. Recommended for those who like erotica and/or fated Fae. Age range I would say 16+ as there has been much worse sex-wise in some young adult.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review is going to be a two part review. First reviewing the book itself and then the audio book.

I enjoyed this book. I am giving it a 3 out of 5 stars. There’s a lot of creativity with the characters and I love that the Fae are ruthless and cruel. I love that Fortuna is right there with them. The parts with Oliver did get a little confusing but I feel like there’s more to come with that.

The audio book……. First I’ll say that I listen to a lot of audio books and this recording almost made me DNF. Not because I didn’t like the voice actor’s voice but because the quality of the recording was like nails on a chalk board. The auto tuner was not good and when you speed it up to anything above 1.25 it sounds like Alvin and the chipmunks. I listen to my books at 1.5 or higher speeds and this one just needs to better tuning. Other than that the narrator was clear and articulate.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Holly Black or Sarah J. Maas's books. It had an exciting storyline, and the world was pretty detailed. It is easy to say that it is similar to ACOTAR, but this Fortuna has powers. If she gets the opportunity to make people pay for hurting her, she does. I hope that we get to explore her dreams more in the next book.

I really enjoyed this audiobook..I couldn’t stop listening and finished it in less than two days! The narrator did a great job. I loved this world of the unfallen K.J. Sutton created. The unseelie court is intriguing and dark, and I can’t wait to learn more about it! I really liked Fortuna, she is smart, brave and selfless and does what she has to in order to save her brother. Collith is an interesting character, but I still feel there is a lot more to learn about him and his motives! I can’t wait to continue this series and hopefully get more answers and see what happens next!

4.5/5⭐ 0.5/5🌶 - NA Fantasy

Fortuna Sworn, the last of her kind, is a Nightmare. After being kidnapped to be sold on the black market by goblins she meets ts a mysterious fae. Will he be able to help her find her brother who went missing 2 years ago?

I loved this book so much! I could not put it down. I instantly fell in love with this story! I can't wait to read the next book after that ending

Perfect for fans of ACOTAR, A Deal with the Elf King, Wintersong, Raphsodic, and The Cruel Prince!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the Audiobook ARC

HOLY SWEET HOT FAE MAN!!! Callith and Fortuna are up there with my favorite OTP.
Fortuna is the last of her kind (A Nightmare) and searching for her lost brother who has been missing for 2 years. At some point in her search she is taken by goblins and sold on the black market which of course..ENTER CALLITH!!!! i don't care how bad of a Fae person he is, he has won my heart with his villianous ways and I don't think I will ever get over him. Deep down he has sympathy and can feel it!!!!!
I'm over the moon excited for the next book!

With shades of A Court of Thornes and Roses, Twilight and others in this genre, this story is of a young woman with paranormal powers, who is desired by more than one male. Fortuna is a Nightmare with the powers that go along with it and as part of an effort to save her lost brother, she makes a pact with a Fairy who, of course, desires her. Danger, brutality and desire abound in this first book in the series. I listened to the audio book and it was well done.

Finally a Sci Fi & Fantasy book that is not YA! I loved listening to this book and found myself turning the speed up, so I could find out what was happening next. I also liked the way the author wrote and found the story to be interesting and captivating. I look forward to reading more from this author!

A huge Thank You to Netgalley for giving me an audiobook copy of this book to review!

This was an amazing read!
Fortuna Sworn, a Fallen, and literal Nightmare, is on a mission. A mission to find her brother, this however has led her to gain the attention of a powerful Fae. This Fae desires Fortuna and makes no attempts to hide this. He offers Fortuna a deal she cannot refuse. soon though she realizes that it may be more than just her heart on the line, but also her life.

The audiobook narrator fits this book extremely well and did a phenomenal job! I will definitely be looking up more of her other works.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys political intrigue, a shady love interest, or has read and loved ACOTAR.

So Fortuna Sworn is a Nightmare, a supernatural creature that can find people’s fears and make them come true in their mind. Fortuna meets a mysterious fairie who offers to marry her in order to help her find her brother who has been missing for two years. You can probably fill in like 90% of the plot yourself if you have read any fairie books.

Let's jump right in with bad to get it out of the way. The plot is so copy and pasted that I am now wondering: is the Three Trials deal with Fairie like a real myth? And do they all follow the same pattern of physical/ ‘mental’ (in quotes because Fortuna’s trial was NOT mental even though it was clearly supposed to be)/ emotional? Either way, Fortuna’s trials fall very flat. However, the way these trials are treated makes it kind of clear they aren’t really the main focus of the plot.

Fortuna is the most confusing character I have ever read and that is being nice about it. Being mean about it might involve me pointing out that she is an idiot. Her mental follow through is zero, and maybe even backwards. For example, she decides at multiple moments to ‘investigate and learn about the Fae’ before taking action. All of which she immediately throws out the window when anyone says anything to her. There is a difference between being short-tempered and being stupid and Fortuna is both. She hates the fae, she loves him, she hates him, she wants to bone him. Too much wishy washy.

There are things that simply just don’t really make sense. Example: Fortuna repeats over and over again that she learned self defense from her father. She seems capable with a knife and is able to defend herself rather well. All thanks to her father, that she mentions multiple times. Her father DIED when she was EIGHT. Does that make a lot of sense that those lessons until she was eight years old would really hold a lot of weight this far into her life? NO. Stuff like this is peppered throughout the book.

But then….but then…..I kinda still enjoyed this. I knew exactly where the plot was going. I was never not once surprised. But I still liked the ride. The writing is quick and breezy. Fortuna despite being so dumb still is kinda fun. The whole concept of a Nightmare is cool. I think I have to admit to loving urban fantasy because it being modern was great. And of course, it throws in every single romance trope it can squeeze into a novel and I’m liking all of them?

Fortuna has THREE separate love interests (so far! *looking at you werewolf*) that I count in this book and they are kind of fun. We have the forced fae marriage to a mysterious powerful fae, we have a flirty and mysterious assistant to that fae, and we have a literal dream man? Who I was actually super interested in as a concept. This book felt like a set up to much more interesting stories and drama.

Anyways, I never read True Blood books but this reminded me of the True Blood show (and obviously ACOTAR because of the whole trials thing might as well be a play by play) and well that show is fun too! So yeah, I will probably check out the next book so I can yell at Fortuna some more. Also, this was apparently a debut so I can hope that some rougher edges get smoothed as we go.

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review! Thanks to Emma Lysy for narrating who did fine.

I, unfortunately, did not enjoy this book as much as I was hoping to. I listened to the audio and right off the bat, the narrator's voice just didn't match with what I wanted from the story. Usually, I get used to that over time and it doesn't make a difference, but this time the feeling never went away. Other than that, I think the audiobook itself was done well. The voice actor expressed emotion through her voice appropriately, etc.

The story itself was also hard for me to get into. I've heard some people really love this series and I think it has potential but needed more work before release. The story of the trial was too similar to ACOTAR especially with the tasks the MC was put too. It felt like I had read it before. I also finished the story with a lot of questions and NOT because I want to know what happens next but because it felt like there were a lot of plot holes and things stated that didn't match later information.

The world-building felt non-existent and the urban part of this fantasy setting felt more jarring than anything. Sometimes the Fae knew human things easily and obviously. The caves they lived in (? also weird and I have no idea what they look like) had a camera system but then later Fortuna would realize the Fae didn't understand some turn of phrase or technology.

The story contained any and all magical creatures which also felt random. There were wendigos but we're just expected to know what they are with no explanation. Also, the Fae king's goal is to basically turn the Fae into creatures content to act as humans which also makes absolutely no sense to me? This, as the first book in the series, needed to explain more of the lore of the world so everything that happened wouldn't make me go, "but that doesn't really make sense? Why would that make sense?"

The MC made a lot of weird and unexplainable choices throughout and her feelings read as really shallow. She couldn't stick to hating the Fae king for more than 5 minutes and let him bring her to orgasm every time they actually touched. I rolled my eyes a lot...

I gave this book a extra half star because I think the MC being a "Nightmare" and her powers are original and I think the story itself has a lot of potential and could lead to interesting things with really great characters. The twist at the end would have really pulled me in for the next book if everything prior hadn't been such a letdown. Unfortunately, I can't imagine dedicating myself to a six book series with this as it's jumping off point.

I will check back to see if my theory about the werewolf is correct though.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys From Blood and Ash, urban fantasy, or is looking for something like an NA version of ACOTAR.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for my ALC!

I received a copy of this audiobook from Netgalley and Dreamscape Audio. All opinions are my own!

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book, but I really enjoyed it! I particularly liked the world building and the fact that there were so many different fantasy elements that were unique. Even in the midst of a story about fae, there was something new to discover around every corner, and it made the familiar feeling to the world not quite so confining.

I really liked that Fortuna was so relatable despite her paranormal background. She made the story feel so much more real because I could relate to her emotions and she made everything hit that much harder. She was fierce and loving all at once, and I adored that about her. And her relationship with Collith isn't exactly to die for, but it's so intriguing that I cannot wait to see where things go. He's most definitely going to become a book boyfriend!

If you're a fantasy lover, you will definitely want to check this series out! The world is one of the best that I've ever read, and I cannot wait to devour the rest of the series!

Well, I finished and am slightly disappointed. Here's what I liked: The world and the magic. I love urban fantasy, so this was a nice blend of magic and reality.

Now, I wanted to like this book. I had high hopes that it would get better, but I just didn't connect with the characters or care about their issues. I actually thought all of them were horrible to each other and just plain horrible. I felt no chemistry between Collith and Fortuna. Frankly, I would push Collith off of a cliff and not spare a second thought. Are we supposed to like him eventually? He told her NOTHING. Only when she figured it out for herself would he say something. Why not just answer her questions if you don't actually mind if she knows!? Infuriating. We also get no information about how the brother became enslaved and why he is in love with the creepy faerie, but frankly, he sucked, so who cares.

Even with all of my complaints, I did enjoy the book and did want to find the answers, and did want to like the characters. Unfortunately, it didn't get there, but I am rounding up my stars because I will read the next one with hope in my heart.

People who enjoyed the Cruel Prince but want something more adult, will enjoy this.