Review: All Things Writing Review of The Third Fate
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 29, 2012
The Third FateSo I have to be honest: I'm not a "vampire" girl. I didn't get in to Twilight. I never really saw the point of the Vampire Diaries, and while I like True Blood, in the end I could take it or leave it. When I picked up Nadja Notariani's (try saying that name five times fast!) book, The Third Fate, I wasn't sure if it would be my cup of tea. After all, the male protagonist is...you guessed it...a vampire! However, he's a Scottish vampire with a sexy accent that gives him total bonus points! It was a little like reading a character who could have been in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.Of course, I would never let such a thing sway my opinion on a book though...at least, not much! So when I tell you that I really enjoyed the tale of The Third Fate, even with the vampire element, you know I mean it.Here's the low down on the story as printed on the book:Cautious and quiet by nature, Paige Kinnell watches life unfold from the sidelines, maintaining her simple existence as a shield to hide behind. But underneath her shy, careful ways, Paige senses a disconnect with the world around her, indulging instead her ever curious interest in the legend and lore of time nearly forgotten.One chance encounter with an ancient of the undead begins an unraveling of reality as Paige knows it, leaving her to sort through dreams and enchantments, discovering along the way that one's Fate can be mere illusion, and that the consequences of opening her heart to another may cost dearly.Cael Maccinnis, the handsome Highlander she's met, seems the answer to every unspoken longing of her heart, even as he awakens dark, secret desires buried within her soul. As strange and unnerving changes begin occurring in her mind and body, Paige has no choice but to face her life's unnatural turn and confront the frightening implications. For within Paige's past a secret lay dormant, hidden even from her. This truth, guarded well and wielded by the Fates themselves, becomes the catalyst invoking the power of The Third Fate.Nice, huh?I found this book to be a fast read with lyrical prose and vivid descriptions of its hero/heroine. Paige and Cael are definitely well developed characters who evolve and change as the story progresses.  In a book with paranormal elements that evolution is probably one of the most important things an author can do to keep the story moving forward. Unlike some novels where the two lovers never really learn anything about themselves, Notariani does a good job of avoiding this trap and investing the reader's interest in their fates.The Third Fate has some sex scenes in it that are fairly explicit. If this is not your thing, you either want to skip over those parts or skip this read. Sex scenes aren't the easiest thing to write, and it's hard to make the characters not sound cheesy or stilted when writing sex scene dialogue. However, the author manages to make everything sound natural and I didn't flinch at anything.My only criticism would be that I wanted to know more about a few of the villains in the book, especially Gwendolyn. She is a character with lots of "bad guy" potential that could have been explored a bit further. Like I said, this is a fast read. A few more action scenes with Gwendolyn would have kept the reader on their toes and rooting for Paige and Cael even more.Best part of this book: The Fates that control everyone's world are not your typical three sisters we see so often in mythology or other stories. They are kids! Makes total sense to me as I sometimes think that it has to be a child doling out the craziness in my life!Be sure and check out Nadja Notariani's book, The Third Fate and visit us at [...].