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Fate's Forsaken #0.5
Poison
This book was part of a fantasy bundle that has been since discontinued, and is no longer available in text format. However, it is available from Audible in audiobook format, narrated by Derek Perkins.
Years before the Whispering War, there was a girl named Olivia. Her family murdered, her home destroyed -- a darkness she can't control. Olivia has never quite fit in amongst the lords and ladies of the seas... but things are about to get worse. Forced into the service of a powerful enemy, she must use her gifts to kill. The darkness grows fiercer with every step; each murder drags her closer to edge of villainy. Only one force in the Kingdom might have the power to save her, but she knows it's too late. Olivia has already fallen to the darkness -- into the jaws of a monster she calls The Poison.
Years before the Whispering War, there was a girl named Olivia. Her family murdered, her home destroyed -- a darkness she can't control. Olivia has never quite fit in amongst the lords and ladies of the seas... but things are about to get worse. Forced into the service of a powerful enemy, she must use her gifts to kill. The darkness grows fiercer with every step; each murder drags her closer to edge of villainy. Only one force in the Kingdom might have the power to save her, but she knows it's too late. Olivia has already fallen to the darkness -- into the jaws of a monster she calls The Poison.
Audiobook
First published March 11, 2014
About the author
Shae Ford
11 books211 followersShae Ford is a USA Today bestselling author from a not-so-small town outside of Ft. Worth, Texas.
Her debut series, "Fate's Forsaken," follows the story of a young man who is gifted with extraordinary powers, but plagued by rotten bad luck. Having the chance to share his many (mis)adventures with readers all over the world has been the opportunity of a lifetime, and a journey she'll never forget.
To learn more about Shae's books, contact the author, or sign up for her newsletter, please visit www.ShaeFord.com.
Fate's Forsaken Series:
Book 1: Harbinger
Book 2: Slight and Shadow
Book 3: Dragonsbane
Book 4: Daybreak
Fate's Forsaken rating FAQs (taken from the official website):
Fate’s Forsaken was written with the Young Adult audience in mind, and contains no graphic nudity, sex scenes, or cussing. Though the characters must often overcome hardships, and their stories touch upon difficult themes, Shae’s purpose in writing the series was to provide her readers with an uplifting adventure, the means to escape the troubles of the “real world” — and perhaps even make a few friends along the way.
Anomaly Series:
Book 1: Charlie the Anomaly
This post-apocalyptic gunslinger series is set in ruins of north Texas. Taking place about 400 years in the future, readers will get to see what the world looks like after civilization is destroyed-- and read about how it all ended. Tag along with Charlie while she sets fires and wreaks havoc on the villains of the Nothing!
R-rated for violence, PG-13 for language, No nudity or sexual situations
Her debut series, "Fate's Forsaken," follows the story of a young man who is gifted with extraordinary powers, but plagued by rotten bad luck. Having the chance to share his many (mis)adventures with readers all over the world has been the opportunity of a lifetime, and a journey she'll never forget.
To learn more about Shae's books, contact the author, or sign up for her newsletter, please visit www.ShaeFord.com.
Fate's Forsaken Series:
Book 1: Harbinger
Book 2: Slight and Shadow
Book 3: Dragonsbane
Book 4: Daybreak
Fate's Forsaken rating FAQs (taken from the official website):
Fate’s Forsaken was written with the Young Adult audience in mind, and contains no graphic nudity, sex scenes, or cussing. Though the characters must often overcome hardships, and their stories touch upon difficult themes, Shae’s purpose in writing the series was to provide her readers with an uplifting adventure, the means to escape the troubles of the “real world” — and perhaps even make a few friends along the way.
Anomaly Series:
Book 1: Charlie the Anomaly
This post-apocalyptic gunslinger series is set in ruins of north Texas. Taking place about 400 years in the future, readers will get to see what the world looks like after civilization is destroyed-- and read about how it all ended. Tag along with Charlie while she sets fires and wreaks havoc on the villains of the Nothing!
R-rated for violence, PG-13 for language, No nudity or sexual situations
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 4, 2019
Interesting choice of a magical world and its inhabitants. Whisperers? Forest people? Poison?
Logic? No, of course not. A killer comes and tries to poison you? Give her a fighting training and recruit her!
Q:
Had she been her own creature, she might’ve had her own color. But Olivia wasn’t her own creature.
She belonged to The Poison. (c)
Q:
The Poison had lapped viciously at her memories over the years. It drove out all of the little things until she could only recall one: a single moment, a furious burst of tears that’d washed a little girl away — leaving a cold shell in her place. (c)
Q:
“But m — m’lady, you can’t start nabbing the lords. Someone’s bound to notice —” (c)
Q:
He was a whisperer: part of a race of men gifted with extraordinary powers of the mind. Olivia had seen whisperers called craftsmen who could build anything they imagined. There was a clan of craftsmen in Copperdock that made the finest ships in the seas — ships that didn’t bow to tempests or split against the rocks, vessels every bit as swift as the creatures that glided beneath the waves. (c)
Q:
Tristan was the third sort of whisperer — the sort gifted in war … the sort that was nearly impossible to kill. (c)
Q:
Now that everybody was, at long last, occupied with something else, she could finally have a few hours to herself.
She could lay still and enjoy The Poison’s lingering ache … (c)
Q:
It was an old thing, a patient thing. The forest held so many secrets that she doubted she could’ve counted them all. (c)
Q:
I’ve always found it curious that men should put such value in something that can be easily replenished — that they should choose to spend their time amassing these various metals when everything worth a copper simply can’t be bought. (c)
Q:
It was so plain and dark a space that Olivia would’ve been less surprised to find a company of trolls trading tales before the hearth — bracing their festering, hairless arms against the crude mantle, leaking their foul breath between their fangs. (c)
Q:
Strange that two such staunchly habitual men would die in the very act of breaking their habits... (c)
Q:
“perhaps if you’d hold me for a moment, I might find the courage to face it.”...
“Do you see the word fool embroidered upon my tunic, madam?” (c)
Q:
“Most men find charm to be an entrancing quality. But I’m afraid it has rather the opposite effect on me. I find charm to be highly suspicious, in a person. I don’t like charming people, and I don’t trust them.” (c)
Q:
With the closing of her chamber door came instant relief: a slight rain pattered against the sill of an opened window, the flames snapped furiously in the hearth. (c)
Q:
We’re going to turn spirits into the Kingdom’s currency, you see. We’re going to turn its sorrows into gold. (c)
Q:
“Very well. Then I suppose I’ll have to be content to be your lover … ah, you aren’t in the habit of killing your lovers, I hope?”...
“Don’t be silly. What if I wanted one of them again, but couldn’t have him because I’d already slit his throat?” (c)
Logic? No, of course not. A killer comes and tries to poison you? Give her a fighting training and recruit her!
Q:
Had she been her own creature, she might’ve had her own color. But Olivia wasn’t her own creature.
She belonged to The Poison. (c)
Q:
The Poison had lapped viciously at her memories over the years. It drove out all of the little things until she could only recall one: a single moment, a furious burst of tears that’d washed a little girl away — leaving a cold shell in her place. (c)
Q:
“But m — m’lady, you can’t start nabbing the lords. Someone’s bound to notice —” (c)
Q:
He was a whisperer: part of a race of men gifted with extraordinary powers of the mind. Olivia had seen whisperers called craftsmen who could build anything they imagined. There was a clan of craftsmen in Copperdock that made the finest ships in the seas — ships that didn’t bow to tempests or split against the rocks, vessels every bit as swift as the creatures that glided beneath the waves. (c)
Q:
Tristan was the third sort of whisperer — the sort gifted in war … the sort that was nearly impossible to kill. (c)
Q:
Now that everybody was, at long last, occupied with something else, she could finally have a few hours to herself.
She could lay still and enjoy The Poison’s lingering ache … (c)
Q:
It was an old thing, a patient thing. The forest held so many secrets that she doubted she could’ve counted them all. (c)
Q:
I’ve always found it curious that men should put such value in something that can be easily replenished — that they should choose to spend their time amassing these various metals when everything worth a copper simply can’t be bought. (c)
Q:
It was so plain and dark a space that Olivia would’ve been less surprised to find a company of trolls trading tales before the hearth — bracing their festering, hairless arms against the crude mantle, leaking their foul breath between their fangs. (c)
Q:
Strange that two such staunchly habitual men would die in the very act of breaking their habits... (c)
Q:
“perhaps if you’d hold me for a moment, I might find the courage to face it.”...
“Do you see the word fool embroidered upon my tunic, madam?” (c)
Q:
“Most men find charm to be an entrancing quality. But I’m afraid it has rather the opposite effect on me. I find charm to be highly suspicious, in a person. I don’t like charming people, and I don’t trust them.” (c)
Q:
With the closing of her chamber door came instant relief: a slight rain pattered against the sill of an opened window, the flames snapped furiously in the hearth. (c)
Q:
We’re going to turn spirits into the Kingdom’s currency, you see. We’re going to turn its sorrows into gold. (c)
Q:
“Very well. Then I suppose I’ll have to be content to be your lover … ah, you aren’t in the habit of killing your lovers, I hope?”...
“Don’t be silly. What if I wanted one of them again, but couldn’t have him because I’d already slit his throat?” (c)
March 26, 2024
This was an interesting little story that I’m not sure if I enjoyed or nat. I definitely didn’t like the main character and every time she seemed to be redeeming herself it didn’t come true. It interested me enough though that I’ll try the next book
July 20, 2016
Poison is a short Novella that covers the rise of Countess Dimier aka Olivia and this provides a good look into one of the characters from The Fate's Forsaken series! :D It insight into her motivations and the reasons behind them in a very clever way and charts how she has so much physical and political power throughout the lands! :D
Olivia comes across as one of those characters that you should feel sorry for but when you are about to she always goes off and casually knocks someone on the head but at the same time you can see how the woman she becomes came about! :D At the same time we get appearances by characters like Tristan and co and she gets her thumbscrews into Tristian! :D
Witty clever and fun and very clever insights into a murderous character! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
Olivia comes across as one of those characters that you should feel sorry for but when you are about to she always goes off and casually knocks someone on the head but at the same time you can see how the woman she becomes came about! :D At the same time we get appearances by characters like Tristan and co and she gets her thumbscrews into Tristian! :D
Witty clever and fun and very clever insights into a murderous character! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2016
I'm new to the Fates Forsaken a friend suggested read "Poison" as its a prequel to "Harbringer". I think it's the second time I've fallen in love with a poisoner. Fitz Chivalry being the first, now Olivia. Who feels she is lost to the Poison and only looks forward to her assignments and next victim. The next in the Shrew which turns out to be much more than she expects. Now I want to break the rule and read "Harbringer" immediately but better choose a short book for rules sake.
October 16, 2018
Really loved the novella. I wish the Fates Forsaken series was a continuation but unfortunately it's not - unless she's the dragon girl, which I doubt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 3, 2020A nice look into the backstory of the series' more interesting characters. The first time Garron and D'mere meet is quite entertaining to read.
September 27, 2021
An excellent peek into a new fantasy series. :)
June 16, 2016
I enjoyed this brief glimpse into the world before
Harbinger
happened. That ever so brief vignette into the backstory of one of the characters, specifically the Countess, has me intrigued and hoping that Ford writes more of these little backstories.
This and the first two books in the series have my attention enough that I will certainly finish the series and be on the look out in hopes we get more prequel novellas.
This and the first two books in the series have my attention enough that I will certainly finish the series and be on the look out in hopes we get more prequel novellas.
September 1, 2015
see FIERCE: Sixteen Authors Of Fantasy
October 11, 2015
A bit of a deus ex to get us rolling, and some impressive chance, but nothing worse than is usual for a mid-level fantasy book. Interesting, and some interesting value balancing. Not bad.
May 21, 2016
Short book, interesting. I actually kind of liked it, I don't think it really adds anything to the series, but I found the backstory to be interesting, you can see where a few things come from.
Read
November 16, 2017It is a difficult task for a writer to start with an unlikable protagonist but still draw readers into the story. Not successful for this reader.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews