This was a stunning, lyrical read that balanced storytelling, myth and magic beautifully. From the structure that flits between time and places, to the voices of key players such as Zeus and The Fates, it was an intricate and cleverly woven read.

The character list was small, but this worked as we got to know and understand the characters as they embarked on the journey. I both loved and hated the petulant and churlish Zeus, and admired the strong, loyal and brave Atalanta.

This novel is about female empowerment, about forging your own destiny and being human.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Rosie Garland and Quercus Books for this ARC!

Embracing the rich tapestry of Greek mythology, Rosie Garland's 'The Fates' offers a captivating perspective on the enigmatic sisters who weave the destinies of mortals and gods alike. Drawing upon the ancient myths of Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, Garland breathes life into these timeless figures, imbuing them with depth, personality, and a sense of agency that transcends their traditional portrayal as old crones.

Following The Fates, Atalanta, Meleager, and Zeus, the narrative weaves together their intertwined fates, offering a fresh take on familiar legends. While some readers may initially find the pacing challenging, Garland's meticulous attention to detail ultimately enhances the connection to the characters, allowing readers to immerse themselves in their struggles and triumphs.

'The Fates' is a exceptionally solid and enjoyable exploration of the more mysterious characters of Greek mythology, and I recommended for anyone with an interest in the ancient tales of gods and mortals."

The Fates is one of the most unique mythology retellings that I have seen in a crowded field. The author cleverly entwines the legends of Atalanta and Meleager with that of the Fates, entities older than the Gods or mortals whose purpose is to weave the lives and deaths of mortals for eternity.
The story is told from the perspectives of several point of view characters including Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos (The Fates), Atalanta, Meleager and even Zeus himself. The story also jumps around in time which felt a little unsettling at first and until I got a better handle on what was going on, it felt quite confusing at times, but as the book unfolded and I got to see what the author was doing it made more sense.
The writing is beautiful, filled with lush descriptions and evocative turns of phrase. The characters are compelling, especially Atalanta whose story resonated with me even more strongly that that of the Fates and I really liked that the author was able to create a new twist on her story that worked perfectly in the context of the story she was telling.
'I grew up free of the falsehood that girls are timid, so I became brave. I grew up free of the falsehood that girls are feeble, so I became brawny. I grew up free of the falsehood that girls are weak-minded, so I became clever. I grew up free of the falsehood that girls are inferior, so I became Equal-in-Weight.'
As with many modern retellings there is a strong feminist slant which is particularly fitting here but there is also a lot of discussion about love in many of its forms particularly in the relationships between Meleager, Atalanta and Antiklea.
'I can bolt my heart and deny the truth of my feelings. Or I can admit complexity into my life. I can admit that I love Mealager and Antiklea: differently, but equally. It is the only way I can describe it. I love Meleager with the spear of my spirit. I love Antiklea with the arrow of my heart. '
If I had to pick a flaw with this book it is that the pacing is quite uneven The book starts a little slowly then slows down even more in the middle before picking up again and feeling almost rushed at the end. It is a small quibble with a book that I enjoyed very much and one that I would definitely recommend.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This book was amazing! I was a little skeptical with the poetic nature of the writing but after reading it for an hour or so I actually really had fun reading this kind of style! I had recently got back into my Greek Myth retelling kick and this was the perfect book to itch that scratch. It had the story of Meleager and Atalanta ( A story I always love reading) but with a twist and that twist was so fun to read. I really enjoyed the interchangerable chapters where we'd have his and hers POV but then we get the Fate's narrative and their history and We see arrogant Zeus's narrative, to some it may seem a little chaotic but it's Greek Mythology of course it's going to be chaotic! Overrall I absolutely loved it and I will 100% be buying myself a copy when it releases!

Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(This review contains spoilers for the book!)

I honestly have no idea where to start on this review, because I have a lot of very conflicting opinions on this book.

As you can probably tell from the rating, this wasn’t a favourite. It wasn’t bad, by all means! But I think that, in the end, everything I feel about this book boils down to how inconsistent the quality of my reading experience was: the highs were very high, but the lows were almost insufferable.

Let’s start with the good stuff first. From the get-go, I was super intrigued by the premise itself: I love retellings of Greek myths, but I’ve never seen anyone decide to centre a story around the Fates before! And I’ve never really read more than short summaries of the myths surrounding Atalanta or Meleager before, so I was excited to dive deeper into their story.

I’m a big fan of the story’s non-linear narrative – how very appropriate for a story told partially from the perspectives of the Fates, beings that transcend time and space. I don’t necessarily agree with which parts were chosen to be told on which order, but overall, the non-linear structure worked to great effect.

I also really liked the writing style! It’s worth mentioning here that the prose is extremely purple, so if you have trouble with that, then this book might not be for you. However, as I was reading, I kept thinking that there was something quite familiar about the writing: a turn of phrase here, a particular word choice there, some of the more foreign sentence structures. It’s been almost a decade since I studied Ancient Greek, but Blythe’s phrasings sometimes sounded to me exactly like something we’d translate in class, which I thought was really neat and which really help sell the Ancient Greece setting.

I adored all the POV chapters told from the Fates’ perspective, and those were without a doubt my favourite parts of the entire book! I thought the hidden-scheme-and-amnesia plot was quite clever and a good choice for further intertwining the stories of the Fates and the stories of Atalanta and Meleager. I also really enjoyed the Clotho/Atalanta twist, and while I didn’t see it coming, looking back, it was clear to see the foreshadowing throughout the book prior to the reveal.

I think Blythe’s portrayal of Meleager and Atalanta individually was very compelling, but I remain unconvinced – or perhaps more accurately, simply apathetic – of their love story. It was super cool to see some nice polyamory rep, in the form of Atalanta’s relationships with both Antiklea and Meleager, as well as the two love interests’ acceptance and support of each other, but I find myself wishing that the development of both relationships had been given more space, had been made grander perhaps. And, I gotta say, I really wish we got to know Antiklea better, in order to learn why Atalanta loves her so, instead of just establishing their relationship early on and pretty much leaving it at that, with only few glimpses into Antiklea’s personality.

Now, onto the not so good stuff. Aside from the relatively minor issues previously mentioned, I have two fairly major ones to discuss. Let’s start with the less egregious offender: the rushed ending. In my opinion, Blythe completely botched the pacing of the ending, and Atalanta’s journey into the Underworld to save Meleager felt more like a jaunty day-trip than a harrowing set of trials. Perhaps this was done on purpose, perhaps it wasn’t meant to be portrayed as a Herculean task for Atalanta specifically, but in that case, I have to heavily disagree with Blythe’s choice here. There was simply not enough build-up, there was no tension, no sense of any true danger at any given moment, which meant that the payoff, Atalanta successfully returning Meleager to the world of the living, simply didn’t feel satisfying at all.

As for my primary issue with this book? Mother. Fucking. Zeus. What an awful guy – this we all know. That’s not my problem. My problem is that Blythe chose to give him extremely bad, entirely unnecessary POV chapters. Like, I cannot overstate how bad these chapters are. Luckily they were all very short, probably about 3-5 pages each, but man, reading them was like pulling out teeth and hair and nails, slowly, one at a time, without painkiller. Reading these chapters was like reading the inner-monologue of a toddler throwing a temper tantrum mixed with a rich white fratboy’s boredom and entitlement. I swear to all that is both holy and unholy, it sometimes took me more than 30 minutes to fight my way through these chapters because I kept getting distracted by other things, simply because everything in me was fighting against reading about this divine man-child. I am not kidding when I say, that every time Zeus’ POV came up, I seriously considered DNF’ing the book. There was no real reason to include his POV, there was nothing there that couldn’t have been alluded to in other ways, and I think that the inclusion of his POV chapters was a major misjudgment on Blythe’s part, a misjudgment which heavily drags down the quality of the entire book, as well as my final rating. In short, it’s just a damn shame.

This book was hard to read and hard to rate.

The timeline was extremely difficult to understand at times. What I thought was the main storyline disappeared,and we didn’t get back to it until 3/4 through the book. And I found it really hard to stay engaged and interested.

But suddenly it was almost over, and everything made sense and I was so emotionally invested and needed to know what was going to happen. Hence the 3rd star being added to my rating.

The story follows the Fates, Atalantis, Meleager and some of the Gods over a significant period of time, with the human characters experiencing many challenges throughout their lives right from their time of birth.

It’s important to pay attention to the small details because things that feel unimportant will really all come together towards the end of the story and have so much meaning.

This book is not for anyone wanting a simple easy read as it is tough.

This was quite a fun read but there was too much going on. The constant back and forth between narrators and timelines was too much to follow.

If I hadn't just read Jennifer Saint's Atalanta just three months ago, I might have enjoyed this book more. I did love how Meleager was a more central character and had his own chapters. It set this book apart from the many, many other Greek mythology retellings, which purely focuses on the female persepctive (which I totally love, BTW)

This was an excellent telling of a tale that was full of mythological references, elegant prose, and relatable characters. On par with works like Circe and Clytemnestra, this work allows readers to gain the perspective of scorned female characters, and provides a compelling storyline to enhance the experience. An absolute must-read for historical fiction lovers!

I am a sucker for greek mythology, and this book hit the spot for me!

I found it really refreshing to be on the fates, as they are normally very minor background characters in a lot of the other retellings i have read, if mentioned at all!

Its a captivating read which i really recommend if you are are lover of mythology retellings!

So im a sucker for Greek mythology so I was immediately intrigued by a new take on the Fates.

I really enjoyed the story and the interpretation of the Fates as well as some other characters.

But I found it a strange read, in that for no reason I just didn't love it, I'm still mulling over why and if I figure it out I let you know, but until then ...... 🤷‍♀️

The changes in perspective and timeline were a bit, but it all made sense in the end.

A few wee spoilers......

The depiction of Zeus is honestly on point, but at the same time terrifying...... a sadistic psychopath with supernatural powers.

Loved the depiction of Charon, cheeky and friendly, but partial to a wine lol

And Hades was great too.

Gutted that all the rest of the gods seemed to be trash as well, not a redeemed character among them.

Anyway, I did enjoy it and am grateful for the opportunity to read.

It was great to see a focus being put on The Fates, something you rarely see in this new love for Greek mythology. And then to see it linked to the story of Atalanta was another unique choice. A good read that will definitely have its audience.

I enjoyed the premise of this book but I don't think it was for me. I expected a bit more for a story about such a powerful trio.

I was very confused throughout the book and found that the first third dragged quite a bit. The paced picked up after this.

Overall I didn't hate this, but I didn't love it either.

Garland provides a unique twist on the fates, incorporating them into the myth of Atalanta and providing them a voice in a leading role. The non-linear story is weaved together with lyrical writing and multiple perspectives. I personally enjoyed the exploration of gender and sexuality in Atalanta's story and the bond between the fates. However, some characterisations could have been developed more as it was difficult at times to differentiate between the voices. Overall, I would recommend this to lovers of Greek Mythology who are looking for an easy mythical tale.

The Fates by Rosie Garland
Rating 4 stars
This book swept me into the realm of Greek mythology with a story we all thought we knew. The Fates how many of us can conjure the fates when we are asked to describe them.. go on I dare you.

But that would not be the truth would it? This book delves into the truth behind the fates and this retelling was well worth it. I enjoyed it immensely. The Gods are as wacky as they are in myths and the heart of the story is beating throughout even if I thought I knew the story it held my attention fully. I can already think of at least a few of my friends who would love this book when it comes out and I cannot wait to put another Greek mythology retelling on their radar.

Out April 9th thank you netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read the book.

Post will be up 30/3

I thank Netgalley and Quercus Book for the digital copy of the book.
I wanted to request this book mainly for the mythological retelling of the Fates. Characters that have always intrigued me because mysterious and powerful.
The myth of the Fates is also intertwined with the stories of Atalanta and Meleager, criticizing the masculinist vision of mythology.
"The Fates" deals with such themes as fate, time, love and power.
I appreciated how in this book Zeus is the antagonist and is afraid, which is rare in this kind of stories.
Although the beginning is a bit slow and I thought to abandon it almost immediately, in the middle of the book things become more eventful and less confusing, thus attracting the attention of the reader.
The level of english is quite complicated, I recommend it only to those who have a good knowledge of the language and to those who have already read many fantasy in the language. There are some technical words that are difficult to understand even in context.
Although a nice reading, suitable for those who are passionate or just curious about Greek mythology and want to deepen the story of the three sisters Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos.

I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling!
The characterisation of the three sisters as younger women instead of the normal old crones was great and gave them each an individual voice. I do really enjoy multi POV, Atalanta's voice in this was strong and more focused on her character than her heroics. The portrayal of Zeus was possibly my favourite, there's no animated glittery nice guy here!
The writing was lyrical and atmospheric and paired beautifully with the lush world building.
The twist was so good and pulled all the threads and pov's together perfectly. I had a great time with this and was consistently entertained!
Thanks very much to Quercus Books and Netgalley for the advanced digital copy all thoughts are left voluntarily.

Dnf at 21%

Unfortunately I am just not picking this book back up.
I think I really wanted this book to be about the Fates and it's at this point not really about them. The Fates, to me, are so interesting because even Zeus fears them, there is nothing of that in the book yet.

I might eventually decide to buy and read this book, but not right now.

3 stars because I don't think the book is bad I am just not feeling it

Greek myth retellings are a firm favourite of mine, so I had a feeling I'd enjoy this one.

Despite being titled The Fates, this book offers quite a few other perspectives. The story largely follows Atalanta and Meleager throughout their lives, broken up by chapters told from the point of view of the mysterious Fates and the god we all love to hate, Zeus.

I really enjoyed the non-linear plot of this book, it keeps you guessing and keeps you invested by only revealing little clues as to where the story might go. I also adored the poetic prose. It was delicious (and I immediately went and bought some of the author's books because I loved her style so much).

While it is definitely a feminist retelling of the Atalanta myth, often touching on themes that many women will relate to, it is a lighter version of the Greek myths. I also really liked the chapters from Meleager’s pov too, and the theme of trying to master your own fate, despite what the world tells you.

I had a lot of fun reading this, and I got the feeling that Garland might have had a lot of fun writing it. Fans of myth retelling will enjoy this I’m sure, but equally, I think it’s a really nice one to start with if you’re new to the genre. It will whip up emotions in you without entirely breaking your heart like some of these books do.

This book has an interesting premise and I liked how the fates look was written but it ended up as a did not finish as the jumping of POV’s and time points for stories was too much to keep up with.

Even when giving space between chapters, the more I read the more confused I was.

The idea and the way the characters voices came through was brilliant, it was what kept me in the world of the book but the jumping between characters/time felt like the story kept pushing from being in the world properly.