Novella Review – Fated Blades (Kinsmen, Book 3) by Ilona Andrews (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 222 pages
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: November 23, 2021
ASIN: B09G9VJTKT
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Kinsmen series
Source: Borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 5/5 stars
“At first glance, the planet Rada seems like a lush paradise. But the ruling families, all boasting genetically enhanced abilities, are in constant competition for power—and none more so than the Adlers and the Baenas. For generations, the powerful families have pushed and pulled each other in a dance for dominance.
Until a catastrophic betrayal from within changes everything.
Now, deadly, disciplined, and solitary leaders Ramona Adler and Matias Baena must put aside their enmity and work together in secret to prevent sinister forces from exploiting universe-altering technology. Expecting to suffer through their uneasy alliance, Ramona and Matias instead discover that they understand each other as no one in their families can—and that their combined skills may eclipse the risks of their forbidden alliance.
As the two warriors risk their lives to save their families, they must decide whether to resist or embrace the passion simmering between them. For now, the dance between their families continues—but just one misstep could spell the end of them both.”
Series Info/Source: This is the 3rd book in the Kinsmen series. I bought this as an ebook for my Kindle.
Thoughts: I love Andrews and feel like this husband/wife writing team hasn’t been releasing a lot of books lately, so I was absolutely thrilled to see that this was being released. It met my expectations and I loved every moment of it.
This novella is full of non-stop action and involves two enemy families having to join forces; it has a very Romeo and Juliet type of vibe to it. The world-building is amazing, the pace is relentless, our characters are amazingly complex and I enjoyed it immensely.
I continue to love how well balanced Andrews stories are and love revisiting the sci-fi world of the Kinsmen. I would definitely recommend this to fans of the Kinsmen books but it also stands alone well on its own.
My Summary (5/5): Overall this was a quick and highly entertaining read. There is awesome world-building, lots of wonderful action, some amazing characters, a bittersweet romance, and some humor as well. I was really looking forward to this novella and it exceeded my expectations. I can’t wait until the next full length book from Andrews is released. I would recommend to those who enjoy the other Kinsmen books of course, those who are desperate for some more Ilona Andrews to read, or those would just love some fun, fast-paced space opera.
