Editorial Review: Equal Fate by Jeska Layne
This coming-of-age story folded into a multi-faceted alternative world with a curious magical system that itself can kill those who use it too much is an interesting blend of found family and unwanted destiny.
Hunted for his entire life, Kyros never accepted that he was normal – so when he discovers that he is a mage of epic proportions and a first-tier bloodline to boot it’s not so much a surprise as it is a confirmation of everything he’s wondered about.
Magic is not just real but very dangerous, his magic is strong, and multiple powerful factions have very strong feelings about him – Kyros learns these things in a blow that turns his world upside down. Kyros has always had dreams and vague flickers of a horrific sight that he knows in his soul really happened, and the years of severe abuse at the hands of adults in the string of orphanages he was confined to pale in comparison to those bloodied memories.
Kyros and his only friend Cobalt are whisked away into the magical world and into a loving home with Spade. The teachers at school are strict and Kyros lags behind Cobalt in terms of popularity thanks to the cover story he needs to stick by to protect his very life. By allowing everyone to think that he is a seventh-tier bloodline for years, no one pays him too much attention. If they knew who he really was, who his father really was, he’d never make it to graduation. His savior at school comes in the form of Velin, master of assassins.
Though Spade isn’t too pleased about the mentorship, Kyros has never been happier – he’s always known he was cut out for this kind of work. As the years pass and Kyros learns, trains, and kills the world around him only gets stranger – and the High Keeper’s resolve does not falter. When all converge and they can no longer avoid the inevitable, will Kyros be able to save everyone? Can he even save himself?
In a story of twists, turns, and complex world-building – nothing has a simple answer.
This coming-of-age story folded into a multi-faceted alternative world with a curious magical system that itself can kill those who use it too much is an interesting blend of found family and unwanted destiny. Jeska Layne writes passionately and the reader is easily pulled into the world of Kyros, Cobalt, and the Immortals.
Equal Fate, Destruction of the Immortals Book 1, is an easy-to-read and action-packed homage to the fantasy genre.
Fans of magic–meets–technology, elemental interplay, and morally grey characters would do well to pick up this series debut. The magical world is no fairy tale, and Equal Fate explores and challenges expectations with striking characters and a great plot.
