Review: Foretold by Rinda Elliott (Sisters of Fate #1)

Foretold (Sisters of Fate #1)
Rinda Elliott
Published: April 1, 2014 (Harlequin Teen)
Purchase: Amazon
Review source: copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by: Amy

Rating (out of 5): 4 stars

In Norse mythology the beginning of the end of the world, Ragnarok, is signaled by the onslaught of snow for three years, followed by a tidal wave, and ending with war, blood, and death.

Triplets Raven, Coral, and Kat carry the reincarnated souls of norns, goddesses, within themselves. Triggered when they were nine, they’ve known since they were born that they would be essential in trying to save the world. The three sisters are to find the warriors who, like them, carry the reincarnated souls of gods within. The warriors have the ability to save the world. The sisters must protect these warriors at all cost, even at the cost of their lives, for it is also prophesized that one of the norns will die at the hand of a warrior. Which one has yet to be determined.

Raven takes center stage in Foretold. When the snow starts, she and her sisters know the end is just beginning. After their mother suddenly disappears they know something more ominous is on its way. When they find research material in their mother’s bedroom, they realize she’s been looking for the warriors herself probably hoping to prevent the death of one of her daughters. That their mother has always been on the eccentric side makes them fear the worst and forces the girls to split up to find their warriors before something terrible can happen to them.

Raven is a very competent heroine. Dubbed the ‘mature’ triplet since she was the first born, Raven has had to take on a lot of the more parental responsibilities in the household. She’s very levelheaded and knows immediately what needs to be done once Ragnarok starts. Still trying to understand her own powers as well as her overall role in things to come, Raven doesn’t back down when faced with the myriad of challenges put before her.

When Raven finds/meets Vanir for the first time, they both feel instantly drawn to one another. Vanir lives in a small town in Oklahoma with his brothers. It’s hinted that Vanir and his brothers have some knowledge of Norse mythology, but Raven wonders how far this knowledge extends and if they know of the god’s soul that resides within Vanir and what will happen once the god comes to power upon his 18^th birthday.

I found the beginning and initial set up of Foretold to be a little stilted and, at times, awkward, but I can forgive this because there is a lot of ground to cover and Foretold is just the beginning. The Norse mythology that runs throughout the story could, in places, become a little overwhelming. Rinda Elliott understood this because she made sure that things were explained in layman’s terms. Once the story found its legs, it really got going and doesn’t let up in the end. The fast pace and seemingly ticking clock promise to continue in Coral and Kat’s stories.

While the relationship between Vanir and Raven was almost instantaneous, not everything was fulfilled within the confines of Foretold. I still want to see Vanir and Raven’s relationship grow, and I’m interested to see how or if Elliott will continue their story while moving on to the other sisters.

Sexual content: Kissing