I'm really glad my parents didn't mislead me my entire life for a plot that will make a trail of bodies. Just how much money it takes to survive in the US these days. So time to read about Raul in "Forged for Destiny" by Andrew Knighton, dude has a rough go of it.

Living through the sack of your city is horrifying. Especially when you add leaving a friend to die and stealing a random kid to the mix. Jump forward 18 years to a sleepy village and Raul has grown to be a nice lad. Just some odd things are happening. A random gem encrusted sword, illegal texts, the play his ma is funding that tells of the return of a foretold king. Yea he's the chosen one. But all that shine has just a bit of tarnish.

Reasons to read:
-Just a nice kid being gaslit by his parents/abductors
-Revolution against folks deleting your culture
-Dang they might have a good reason for it
-Everyone actually having evidence that this is really sus

Cons:
-In this economy lying for a job isn't the worst idea, hopefully with a smaller body count in reality if done though

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit, and Andrew Knighton for giving me an eARC of Forged for Destiny in exchange for my honest Review.

Forged for Destiny is the first book in a new fantasy trilogy that has the chosen one trope but with a twist. This is a book of character development. You have to go in blind because there is not a whole lot happening really with the plot. There are small things here and there, but it is really the character development that this book focuses on and getting Raul to where he needs to be. This book is a slow read because of that, and it is not necessarily a book that will draw you in and be difficult to put down. Now, that is not to say that this book is not good, because I really enjoyed watching Raul as he figured out who he is and what he wants to do with this "destiny" that he has been given. This is a book that follows a trend that I have seen a lot more of in recent fantasy books where instead of having this action-packed first book, a set-up-focused second book, to get us to this epic finale, the first book ends up taking on a bulk of the setup. This is something that I cannot decide if I love or hate, but I think that is because the second and third books in this new trend (that maybe I just made up in my head) have not been published yet. But I will say that while I found this book to be on the slower side, it showed a lot of promise. I loved where Raul's character ended up, and I truly want to see how he continues to develop as a character as he starts to make his own decisions rather than going with what he is being encouraged by others to do. I also cannot wait to see how his interpersonal relationships continue to develop, especially after the end of this book. While I do hope that there is a little more action in book two or at least a bit of a quicker pace, I will say that this book and the concept behind it have drawn me in. Where I stand, I am not sure there ever was a good guy in the situation between empires and conquerors, so where do they go from here, who knows? Also, this book has some pretty powerful themes that go along with that last statement, where I am interested to see where Knighton takes these themes next because there is a lot of potential with these themes, and it really makes the readers think. I know it got me thinking, that is for sure.

I was hoping to really enjoy this book but was not totally satisfied with this one. I thought it really was a rather slow paced at times and rather unnecessary details in the telling of the story. Not that I think it was badly written or anything but just wanted to get on with it at times. Found myself being a little bored at times as well. The characters are what you would expect in a story like this, I think. Didn't dislike them for the most part but didn't find them to be that extraordinary or anything. Thinking about it though this book will have its admirers, I think. As always thanks to the netgalley and the publishers to read a decent book.

{3.5/5}

CW: violence, some gore, death, war

Read via NetGalley.

Thank you to Orbit for reaching out with an eGalley of this book! “Forged for Destiny” releases April 15, 2025!

**A note about my blurb and review— I don’t do spoilers, and I’ve written this review based on what’s revealed in chapter 1. However, my blurb and review will both tell you a little bit more than the author’s breakdown, so read at your own risk. I don’t think these are spoilers, but you might.

What if the prophecy about the chosen one was built on a lie? Eighteen years ago, as the kingdom of Estis was destroyed by war, a minister and a solider escaped with a baby. So began their plot to bring Estis back to life. When Raul accidentally discovers the prophecies, it launches his family into the midst of a destiny that they built themselves. Except, Raul truly believes that he’s the one destined to lead Estis back from the past.

I’m so conflicted about this book, and that’s largely because it’s moderately well written. The story itself is interesting enough. The premise is great. The characters, though, spend a vast majority of the book being very true to who they are as people and those people are, on the whole, really unlikable.

The puppeteer, the doormat, the child, the selfish one. Not one of them embodies anything particularly noble or heroic, and that’s the point, I think. There are no heroes. But there are choices, and we get to see these characters make them. See them turn themselves into something worth reading about, or not. If you can suffer the fools long enough to see them develop, the reward is worth it. The whole execution really reflects Raul’s development, and, even as unbearable as I found them at times, it’s well done.

I think the reason Raul specifically is so unlikable to me is that we all know he’s wrong. He’s not actually the chosen one. But he uses it like a shield and he’s so blazingly confident in a lie that it’s hard to read. It’s probably what his father was feeling the whole time, but I couldn’t cope. It’s a lethal combination— ignorance and confidence. Were he any less well written I probably would’ve spent the entire book rooting for him to get killed off and replaced with someone more competent. And we, the readers, have the horrible misfortune of knowing it’s a lie *the entire time*. We don’t get the slow creep of suspicion, the gut punch reveal of the betrayal. We just know, and we have to sit with it, and it’s awful (the writing is great, but those feels are not). And it’s particularly terrible because, outside of him being forced into a position where he has to do important things, we probably wouldn’t dislike Raul as a character. Honestly, we’d probably pity him a little bit. ‘Poor, naive boy, he means well but he’s a little clueless.’ But in this role, in this position as a grand savior of the nation, he’s so blindly unaware of how much he’s been manipulated for his entire life, and it stings.

The pacing comes across as a little slow at times, but it’s engaging enough overall that I kept reading. It does end up being very cyclical, though, which is why it felt so slow. Most of the actual action comes at the end, but again a lot of this book is kind of ‘how to be a hero 101’ for our MC, so it’s very fitting.

I love the magic here, the charms and the divination. I want to know more about it and what it does and how it’s used. It’s a nice thread that runs throughout the whole book in a story where the rest of the world building is fairly understated. Since most of what we see is charm based, it feels really reminiscent of some folk traditions, which I really enjoyed.

The ending is what really saved the book for me. Up until that point, it was a very ‘take it or leave it’ read for me. In books as much as life, apparently, I’m not overly willing to suffer a fool, and Raul is, as many 18 year olds are, a fool of the highest degree. By the end, though, we see him finally starting to get it together, and it made me want to see what he might become in the future if he continues to grow and develop. So if character development is your thing, or you just want to have a behind the scenes look at how heroes are made, this might be the story for you.

Forged for Destiny
by Andrew Knighton
Medieval Fantasy
NetGalley eARC (Invite)
Pub Date: Apr. 15, 2025
Orbit Books
Ages: 16+

Raul's birthmark is exactly what the prophecy describes, thus marking the young man as the last surviving heir of King Balbainus and it is said that the heir will lead his people to freedom by defeating the Dunholmi government that had conquered the people eighteen years ago.

Under the care of his adopted parents: an older warrior, and a seer, Raul has been trained to fight and to see signs in the world around him. But Raul doesn't want to be a fighter because his heart is soft. He is caring, but he is willing to play along until he can find a peaceful way.


Yeah, I can't say much about this book because at around twenty-five percent I so wanted to DNF. Even though the first chapter had action and suspense, I got bored and started to skim. Nothing was going on except rambling pointless dialogue, narrations that went around and around like a textbook, and Raul's daily life and those around him, who were all flat, as was the world.

Kicking myself for not tossing this book when I first wanted to, I skimmed even faster because I was so far into it and hoped in those last chapters I would find out why so many people rated this three or more stars... And even after finishing, I still have no idea why.

Nothing grabbed my attention until the end... spoiler.... then the story left off as a minor cliffhanger...

As for the twist... 'eye roll'...

There is violence, a little gory, so this isn't suitable for readers under sixteen.

As for a next possible book, I won't be reading it!

1 Star

Who is this book for? Readers nostalgic for ye olde pseudo-medieval-Western-European feudal fantasy with a naive white male farmboy going on his coming of age hero's journey while a rebellion against an evil emperor / king / duke / governor etc. is brewing. Except that he doesn't have any special magic, just his wits and combat training.

This book is competently written with distinct characters: we have a cynical seeress, a gay jaded veteran stoic warrior, a young naive farmboy who dreams of being the hero and saviour of the people, an ambitious theatre girl, an antagonist duke / governor who's appropriately evil but not cartoonishly so, etc.

My problem with it is that it reads very paint by numbers, doesn't hold my attention, doesn't surprise me with plot twists, doesn't make me emotionally invested in the characters or the story. It's very workmanlike. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing stands out either. Even the big titular "plot twist" doesn't seem to impact the story in any manner. Maybe except that our "chosen one" isn't especially strong in the force or possess any magic, but you can be a chosen one without any special skill, just ask Frodo.

The protagonist's inner monologue is fairly repetitive and circular, going from "we have to save the people! oh no, I killed some guards, that's bad! nvm, I did what I had to do to save the people!" It's shallow and doesn't really present compelling character development.

3.5 star rounded up, because even though it's meh, it's not like "I'm coming out in 3 weeks and I have a single digit number of reviews" level of meh. I gave it a honest try, because I do have nostalgia for standard pseudo-medieval sword&whatever fantasy. But the book did not impress me.

Thank you Netgalley & Orbit for the ARC.

Eighteen years ago the city of Pavuno was invaded by the Dunholmi. The royal family was killed. A baby was saved by a diviner and a soldier. The baby will grow up to play a very big part in overthrowing the Dunholmi. He is the chosen one.

I really loved this take on the chosen one trope. I liked the writing style. I just didn't love the characters. The only one I really liked is Valens. I didn't like Raul. I disliked his character enough that I don't see me continuing the series. He's the chosen one. He's supposed to be someone people want to follow. I thought he was wishy-washy. One minute full of self-doubt, then the next doing something really stupid because he's the chosen one and he can save the world.

Interesting twist on the chosen one trope. The rebellious power of books and knowledge! Dramatic action.

Very interesting book about what it means to be a hero. Can a hero be made or do they have to choose that fate. A kingdom has been overthrown and as it crumbles a warrior and a fortuneteller of sorts run off with an orphan and escape into the rural areas of the land. They have plans to rescue their country from it's conquers but it will take 18 years to make it happen. What does it mean to be a parent? They will find out. Raul raised as a tavern keepers son will be thrust into a glorious destiny that he was prepared for. He is after all the birthmarked focus of a prophecy, destined to free his homeland. Or is he? The more he struggles to fulfill his role, the more he begins to doubt if he really is meant for all this. Is this nicely packaged prophecy the truth or is he just a pawn. The young man is well trained for sure but naïve and fragile in many ways. Will he embrace the rebellion? This book is very character driven with a wonderful cast full of motives, regrets and passion. The world itself it complex and fascinating. All in all a well written and fascinating book, well worth the read. Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

ARC provided by the publisher-Orbit-in exchange for an honest review. I thought this book was good. Had many aspects that stood out and was a neat twist in the “chosen one trope”. I did feel there was some rushing in the world building but otherwise an enjoyable read.

This book was filled with battles, adventure, and uncertainty. It kept me wondering which way things were going to turn with each chapter. Absolutely loved it and cannot wait for the next!

I thought this book was a interesting take on the “chosen one” trope. In this story the prophesied one to take back the land for a conquered people is artificial engineered with a birthmark that is in actuality a branding that was given to him as a baby and other evidence planted to make him and the people believe that he is the one to fulfill this.

The problem (for those who created these signs) is he is a kindhearted young man of 18 when the story opens after the prologue and in a lot of ways he is not a good fit for the role. By the end of this book there is a great stopping point but there appears to be more of the story. Hopefully the author is able to write more stories in this world. It gets four stars because while it is entertaining, and I did finish, I didn't find myself constantly thinking about these characters and world throughout my day like I would for a five star book.

Andrew writes an action packed, new spin on an old trope, book of charms, magic and what would happen if a chosen one was created, not born.

This book has slowly become a new favorite because it's covertly sharp-whitted, and very well written. Your not bogged down by unnecessary verbiage, but the language is crisp and authentic and you want to befriend some of the characters because of their realism and their personality that shines.

I want to read more in this world, so keep wm coming...