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    Fated
    Fated
    Fated
    Audiobook10 hours

    Fated

    Written by Alyson Noel

    Narrated by Brittany Pressley

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortals, Alyson Noël, comes Fated—a breathtaking new saga brimming with magic, mystery, and an intoxicating love story that will steal your heart away. Meet The Soul Seekers.







    Strange things are happening to Daire Santos. Crows mock her, glowing people stalk her, time stops without warning, and a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes haunts all her dreams. Fearing for her daughter's sanity, Daire's mother sends her to live with the grandmother she's never met. A woman who recognizes the visions for what they truly are—the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker—one who can navigate the worlds between the living and dead.

    There on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico, Daire sets out to harness her mystical powers. But it's when she meets Dace, the boy from her dreams, that her whole world is shaken to its core. Now Daire is forced to discover if Dace is the one guy she's meant to be with...or if he's allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateMay 22, 2012
    ISBN9781427222121
    Author

    Alyson Noel

    Alyson Noël is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-three novels, including the Immortals, Riley Bloom, and Soul Seekers series. With millions of copies in print, her books have been translated into thirty-six languages and have made numerous international bestseller lists. Born and raised in Orange County, California, she’s lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled back in Southern California, where she’s working on her next book. You can visit her online at www.alysonnoel.com.

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    Reviews for Fated

    3.5/5

    274 ratings99 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Fated was an enjoyable novel. As an avid reader of young adult fiction, I have noticed, like everyone else, that the market is somewhat saturated with books that can be classified as paranormal romance. I don't have nearly as many qualms with this as some people. I, for one, am not tired of paranormal romance. In fact, it is one of my favorite genres. For those that don't feel that way, however, be warned that this book could be, in a way, considered paranormal romance. However, that said, this novel is something different than anything I've encountered.Instead of vampires or werewolves, Fated deals with the world of spirits, souls, shamanism, and other bits of Native American mythology. Daire Santos doesn't understand why she is different. She has no idea why time stops for her, why she sees ravens taunting her, why glowing people hover at the edge of her consciousness, watching and waiting for her to give in and come to them. Her visions come to a horrific head in a foreign country, leaving her mother, Jennika at a loss. The doctors to say Daire has experienced a psychotic break, and to get her back the the States immediately. But the medications aren't working, and the doctors threaten to institutionalize her. As a last ditch effort, Jennika contacts Daire's grandmother in New Mexico. She has only spoken to this woman, Paloma, once, at Daire's father's funeral -- before she was born. However, she seems to know more about Daire's situation than anyone, even though Jennika never even told her she was pregnant those 16 years ago. When Daire is sent off to live with Paloma, she feels abandoned, lost, and afraid of the mythological mumbo-jumbo her grandmother is quick to spout. Can she really accept that she is part of some higher plan, that she has mystical powers, a destiny to fulfill? To make things even more difficult to sort out, Daire meets the boy of her dreams -- literally. Although she's never met him outside of dreams, she feels drawn to this boy, and equally repelled from his apparently evil twin brother. When it's clear that her path is more intertwined with these two than she ever realized, everything becomes a bit too real to deny.I appreciated that this novel tackled something new. Fated has a rich mythology, full of spirit animals, spirit journeys, fate, soul-seeking, and of course, good and evil. The events surrounding Daire are very intriguing. The pages fly by as Daire comes into her role as a Seeker. It is very interesting to learn along with Daire the circumstances surrounding her life as a Seeker. Although her relationship with her love interest seems to be a little too instant-love for my tastes, this is offset by Daire's visions and recurrent dreams in which he appears, and the mysticism surrounding them. It becomes easier to stomach the quick onset of the relationship because Noël succeeds in pushing the reader to believe that they are truly meant to be together, that their destinies are entwined. The novel doesn't focus on their relationship, however. It is much more concerned with Daire's growth. Her growth in her capacity to fulfill her Seeker destiny, and her growth as a person. As the daughter of a Hollywood makeup artist, Daire has never been able to settle down in any physical or emotional capacity. She was always taught not to get attached to spare the pain of loss. Her life in New Mexico finally offers her the chance to have a home, to have a family, to have friends. Learning to accept these things, to learn to put trust in others, requires her to mature, and to accept herself first.I'd recommend Fated to those who want to read something a little different. If Daire's world sounds promising to you, I urge you to give this novel a try. I didn't regret it.This book was obtained freely through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      I loved the book, I found it a bit see through at some places but I found it hard to put down. I loved the main character because she is that typical hard headed teen that thinks she knows it all, amazing read a must read. I can't wait for the second book to be released so I can continue to read about this amazing story.
    • 5/5
      People think that 16-years-old Daire has problems, that she is a psychopath, that she is sick and need to be in a hospital. They don’t know that she is a seeker. Daire’s mother sent her to stay with Daire lost grandmother because she thinks that her grandmother would help with whatever Daire have, but Jennika (Daine’s mom) does not know that Daire’s grandmother knows that Daire is a soul seeker and she would help Daine learn how to be a seeker. At first, Daine thinks that everything in her grandmother house it’s horrible, but then she starts having dreams about a guy, that she thinks his her true love. But they are only dreams right? Or they guy is real? If you want to know more about Daine, the soul seekers and this dream guy, you would have to read the book.I liked this book; it’s the first book that I read from this author and I have to say that I liked her writing. I think that this series would be really good. I really can’t wait to read the next one (Echo). I liked that characters, the girl (Daine) wasn’t annoying, because that is one of the things I hate about some books. I liked it and I recommended.
    • 5/5
      Good vs evil in a new twist that interweaves magic, folklore, high school and romance with dark spirits. Daire and Dace seem fated to be and work together to overcome bad spirits in the NM town of Enchantment. Lots of surprises and a very good read.
    • 2/5
      This was the first work of Alyson Noel's I've read, and I chose it mostly for the cover and genre. I didn't realize until the end that Fated is the start of a series. This was written in first-person POV, present tense, and other than it's the trendy thing to do in Young Adult novels, I don't understand why. Fortunately, the first-person worked well and the tense was acceptable, though I prefer past tense unless the story requires otherwise.


      What really stood out to me were odd word choices and descriptive mistakes. For example, one character "shutters his eyes". It took me a moment to realize he must have simply closed his eyes. The way that she described the common action made it seem more important than it was. Every incident of unnecessarily unusual prose threw me out of the story.


      More confusing, and prevalent, was how crows and ravens were described as small birds. A raven is typically over two feet high and heavier than two pounds, about the size of a larger hawk. They aren't birds that would be held on a single finger, and being pelted by dozens of them should have injured the heroine. Instead she rides through a shower of them unharmed--without using magic. Every time something like that happened, it ruined the believability. In the author's photo on the back cover, she looks like a city girl. Maybe she's never seen a raven in person, but she could have at least looked up the bird's stats before completing the book. Raven is a major character in the story and deserved that much.


      I recognize not everyone will care about its flaws, and I was happy with the respect with which Hispanic and tribal American cultures were presented. Noel showed us stories and beliefs that are usually ignored in the U.S., and the mythology added interest into the typical Special Kid Learns to Accept Her Destiny story. Overall, I liked the novel, though I won't be looking for the next book in the series.
    • 4/5
      I loved the book, I found it a bit see through at some places but I found it hard to put down. I loved the main character because she is that typical hard headed teen that thinks she knows it all, amazing read a must read. I can't wait for the second book to be released so I can continue to read about this amazing story.
    • 4/5
      Alyson Noel has been on my to be read list for several books. Fated was the first one of hers that I have read. It did not disappoint! Although I was a little weary at first about the story line, I was drawn into the book immediately. I can't wait to read more of her novels!
    • 4/5
      Fans of Noel's Immortals series are sure to relish this new series, Soul Seekers! Sixteen year-old Daire has spent her life traveling the world with her mother (a movie makeup artist), but since she learns that she's a Seeker, she is seeing things that she's only dreamed of.
    • 2/5
      Let me start by saying that I really wanted to like this book. According to the blurb it has mysterious magics that complicate the protagonist's life and haunting/haunted characters. Sadly, what it didn't have for me was tension. There wasn't anything that was making me want to turn the page and keep the forward reading momentum going. And, no, I don't demand action-packed extravaganza's to hold my attention. I also like slow burn stories where the big payoff doesn't happen until the end. However, even in those stories there is something that pulls me forward through the narrative, usually a compelling question/mystery I want answered or a character I've bonded with.FATED just didn't have those things for me, and while I think it could appeal to some readers, it wasn't for me.
    • 3/5
      I'll admit that what first drew me to Fated was the gorgeous cover. Everything about it is gorgeous, and I give massive kudos to the artist. Just lovely. That being said, this is my first foray into Alyson Noel's books. Her Immortals series has been on my reading list for a long time, but I hadn't had the opportunity to start it yet. I was excited to dive into this new series from the beginning.

      At first glance Daire was definitely not my favorite character. Her attitude was okay, but I felt like she was kind of disinterested in everything that was happening around her. Even when things picked up speed, and she needed help, it was like she was watching it from outside of herself. I felt more connected to her in her dreams than I did when she was awake. However, as the story progressed I started to like Daire more and more. About half way through the book she does a 180 and really comes to life. It's almost like a brand new character. If you feel the same way I did about her at the beginning, keep reading. It gets better.

      The concept of Fated is extremely intriguing. Watching Daire learn who she really is, watching her form a bond with the power inside her, it's all fascinating and makes for a great read. That is honestly why the book picks up so much after the first half. My gripe was that there really wasn't much Dace and Cade development in this story. Since it is the first in the series, I'm willing to give it some time. Admittedly Cade is a great villian! Also I liked that the romance aspect wasn't rushed, or took over the story. I do hope to see a little more later on in the series though.

      As a package, I enjoyed Fated and will come back for more. There were little things that kept me from being fully immersed in it, but it did peak my interest for the other books in the series and also the books that Alyson Noel has already written! If you are new to her books, I think this is a good place to start. I've been told it shadows the other series, but I read it as a standalone and I had no trouble following. If you enjoy stories with heart, and just a touch of romance, this is one to add to your reading list.
    • 5/5
      I wasn’t too sure about this one when I checked it out. I mainly grabbed it for the cover alone, though I can honestly say that I am super thrilled that I did!

      I loved Daire, Dace, Xotichl and most of the other characters in the book. I even had a soft spot for Cade, as much as I hate to admit it! Learning about the visions and dreams that have been haunting Daire, was a little shocking at first, and how everything happened after the latest vision was beyond messed up, I still knew that once her mother took the call from Paloma, I was hopeful that things would look up for Daire quickly.

      Daire is sixteen and has just been told that she comes from a long line of Seekers. This at first prompts her to run away like her father before her did, though there is an accident and she ends up staying and learning what she must. She has been having the same dream featuring the same two boys; whom happen to be twins, and she realizes that one of them is “fated” to be with her. She tries to keep her distance, though it proves to be harder than she thought.

      While trying to learn everything she can about being a Seeker, she has to end up battling with the undead thanks to Cade; the evil twin” in order to save Paloma’s soul. Dace and Daire find her soul and bargain to get it back. Once everything has settled, Dace and Daire return to Paloma’s house to find all of their friends there, and once Daire senses Cade’s presence she goes out to speak to him and she hear’s once again that Dace is the Echo…

      I am so glad that I already checked out the second book in the series, otherwise I would be scrambling to get my hands on it. The writing style of Fated was amazing, and I had no problem getting sucked into the story. I cheered everytime Daire made progress and cringed when Cade was being particularly evil.
    • 4/5
      Really good book! Can't wait for the 2nd one to come out!
    • 1/5
      If I could give a book zero stars I would. I do not rate books lightly but this book took the cake. It was painful to read but I was reading it for a challenge so I pushed through it. The main character is supposed to be a quiet girl who always feels different...BUT she is so arrogant. She comes off as if she believes she is better that everyone else etc. Not a humble character and not very likeable at all! The story description sounded like it would be an interesting story, but no. It really felt like it was just about a spoiled girl coming into her own, but at the same time I feel like she really didn't.

      I really would not read something else that this author wrote. The story idea had such promise but the book itself was not interesting and painfully slow. I would not recommend it at all.
    • 3/5
      Fated This is a fun venture into a realm of mysticism that I was never really familiar with. It's a great YA book, definitely made for a YA audience, but enjoyable for any reader who can keep that in mind.
      I know that not all adults read YA, but I'm one that does. There are a select few that don't feel like they are targeted specifically at teens but happen to have protagonists that are in the YA age range, and then there are books that are YA and target that audience. This is the second kind, which is not a bad thing. I feel it's important to point that out when reviewing YA books. It's targetted at the YA audience and while someone who enjoys YA will still enjoy it because it's well done and all the characters are great with an interesting plot, I wouldn't recommend it to an adult whose only experience with YA was the Hunger Games or the Lunar Chronicles, one that may complain of angst in some teenage characters. I find that sort of thing ridiculous.
      First of all, adults have angst too and second of all, sometimes it's totally appropriate. Oh yes, and there's third, don't read about teenagers and then complain when they act like teenagers. Okay, I'll admit that some writers do go overboard and characters are doing things that seem ridiculous, but that's bad writing and not what YA is actually about.
      Daire is a great character. She's gotten more freedom than is normal for a girl her age and she knows it and respects that. She respects her family, even when she disagrees with them but she's not afraid to go it alone if she needs to. The two male leads don't quite form a love triangle, and I feel like that's made obvious from the first dream. Their dichotomy in character is well done and even explained. There's a reason for it. And there's a reason for the specialness of each character. I hate when a story has someone who is just "the one" without a viable reason for it. This definitely has great reasons for why each character is crucial to the plot.
      I loved all the adults too. Her mom is truly trying her best and even Daire sees that. Her grandmother is amazing, even when she's being cryptic. Each one gives Daire a little insight into what's going on around her. She does have troubles with adults, but none of the blatantly ridiculous things that make it seem, in some of the poor attempts at YA, that the teens are the only people in town with any sense. They all have their own things going on and some are even trying to manipulate these teens, which are little too powerful for their own good.
      The mysticism was new for me. It was a part of what drew me to the book in the first place. This is one of the books I came across only because of Top Ten Tuesday lists and therefore a reason I really love those posts. I was never much into magic stories, but mysticism is something else entirely, especially when I can read about new ones.
    • 4/5
      Unlike potato chips, I can and did easily stop with just one book of The Soul Seekers. I’m not saying it wasn’t a decent read. Many teens will and already do like The Soul Seekers series. Fated had an attention-grabbing opening that created immediate suspense and anticipation. The teen voice and characterization were authentic (maybe a little too much so because as an adult I found Daire Santos rather annoying). The exotic locations and unusual upbringing of Daire add flair to the story and create perfect backdrops for mystical and paranormal events. Sometimes the pace slowed as the writer took the time to explain things. Maybe these explanations were necessary for the first book in a series, but I craved more action and romance. Occasionally, Fated became corny and cliche’ as well. Other times the novel surprised me in unexpected, positive ways. Fated became more engrossing the further I read into it, but it stopped short of turning me on to the series. One book satisfied my curiosity enough, plus I never connected with the characters enough to feel invested in their fate. Nevertheless, die-hard fans of the young adult, paranormal genre may want to try The Soul Seekers series for themselves.
    • 3/5
      I liked the beginning of the book I was interested in the plot and the magic system, but by the end I sort of lost interest.Maybe it was my fault for taking so long to read this, but I never felt the need to jump right back into the story to see what happened. I liked this book, I most likely won't read the rest of the series but this one wasn't bad by any means.
    • 3/5
      I was really hoping this book would draw me in. I loved her Immortals series, but this one just didn't have that kind of pull for me. I did love the idea behind this book though.

      I liked how the characters had Hispanic and Native American origins. These cultures have many things to offer. Magick and spirit animals were extremely important in the building of this story. Your spirit animal guides you through your choices and life's journey. I have often wondered what animal I would be most like, but I still haven't figured that one out. I wasn't exactly sure how the magick fit in besides the fact that all seekers posses it. There wasn't much of an explanation in what Daire could do, just that she was extremely powerful. Noel does offer a few scenes with minor things Daire can do.

      There wasn't much background on any of the characters except Daire, the MC. The base knowledge of Dace and Cade was given, but nothing more. I would have loved to know a bit more about Dace. He is the main focus in her dreams, and it would have been nice to see other parts of him.

      Even though I felt there was a lot of buildup and not enough events, I will read the next book in the series (due out this fall). I'm intrigued with where the story will take us, and if her dream is a prophecy or just her fears.
    • 3/5
      Welcome to this book review !Well... How do I start this, it's the second series that I read by Alyson Noël, I oved the whole idea of the book. It was orriginal and got you wanting more of this world. Though I prefered Even in the immortals series, Daire got me ! She was so genuien, real and so easy to relate to. It's an easy read and something that is fun but probably will never be a reread. I like it but it wasn't more that. It's in my opinion a good in-between book, book. And as usual I must say Alyson's writing style is still as marvelous as it was !!! definitely give it a shot ! Hoping you will like it.-Bookarina :)
    • 4/5
      There were times when I wanted more and times when I wanted less but overall I found this quite interesting, Alyson Noel has done some research on shamanism and it showed. The characters were a little thin and I didn't see the build of the romance in the story but I'm curious to see how this is going to develop.Daire Santos is having episodes, seeing things, lashing out, which lands her drugged up and under a threat of a psychiatric institution until her grandmother steps in and offers help, help that will enable her mother to continue with her job. Then Daire discovers that her grandmother may have a key to what's going on with her, it may just be natural and it needs training, but can she overcome her natural scepticism (which was only glimpsed not worked with much) and find a way out of her problems that doesn't have her drugged or institutionalised?Interesting twist on the usual paranormal story, curious to know where it's going to go from here.
    • 4/5
      I found this book in the book section of a local supermarket several years ago. I picked it up before I read 'The Immortals' series by the same author. Cover lust - totally loved the pretty yellow cover and I'm a sucker for anything with Native American mythology. I love Native American mythology. After intensely disliking first three books in The Immortals I was probably just going to let this book sit on my shelves unread.

      Then I needed a book with a yellow cover for a reading challenge so figured why not? And as it turned out, I loved this one. It was actually very nearly a five star book.

      I loved the world building, and actually really liked the main character, who's had an unusual upbringing and now found herself in a completely new situation. Daire is the daughter of a Hollywood makeup artist who never went to school, moves around constantly with her mum on the job and does her schooling via some sort of Internet school. Freaky things are happening, it gets really bad and she's shipped off to live with a grandmother she's never known in a tiny town in New Mexico.

      She had to adapt to a new situation, while that in itself is nothing new in YA, the world building and introduction into the mythology of the book was what made it work really well.

      One thing that I felt let it down for me was the first half of the book felt over written and very long winded, lots of description and while nice...I could have done with out it. And there were more than a few times that I felt Daire suffered from the dreaded "speshul snowflake" syndrome. It didn't help that her grandmother kept enforcing that. Last of her line, very powerful, great things expected and so on. It did get a little tiresome. Also, I found the grandmother repetitive in getting her points across.

      That aside, the grandmother was a pretty cool character. Most of the characters were pretty interesting, other than the typical Mean Girl crew, who just irritated me. While there was a potential love triangle, it didn't seem the focus of the plot. It didn't feel too insta lovey either. Daire had been having dreams of the love interest long before she met him, all of which ties into the destiny and mythology plot. Don't really want to go into too much detail as too spoilery

      Some of it required a certain suspension of disbelief, but it was still very enjoyable. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where this goes.

      And another square crossed off for Book Bingo - A yellow cover.
    • 4/5
      First thing... I love the name Daire so this book was off to a great start!!!!!I adored this book because it had such a great plot and strong relatable Characters. The background story to thisbook was amzing and i just wanted to oearn more about the magical soul seeker world.The best bit about this book is the fool proof, imaginitive storyline that runs along side it. I also like the spirit animals although i could never get my head round why the call them 'horse' or 'raven' like it's their name rather than their breed/spiecies.The worst bit about this book (i'm nitpickin here) was by the end it started to get a bit too unbelievable. The whole different worlds thing i think was a bit too far. Despite this i think the boook's ingenious.I would really reccomend this book to anyone. You don't have to be a teenager I think i read it at 11 an it was on e of the best books i've ever read.I've read the second book Echo aswell and it was just as good!I hope this is usefull because ive tried to leave out any spoilers because i couldn't give this amazing plot away and wreck the whole book for you Enjoy.....
    • 4/5
      Another great book to add to Noel's collection. Not my favorite but definitely had some interesting plot lines and twists.
    • 3/5
      This book is the first book in the Soul Seekers series by Alyson Noel. Having read Alyson's Immortals series, I had expected to love this series too. However, I did not, and I will tell you why.The storyline caught my attention, and I really wanted to read it. I started off not getting into the book at all, which is very unlike me. It had a slow beginning, a slow middle, and it was about three quarters through when I started to feel a small connection with the book.Character wise, they all seemed a bit predictable and boring. Daire was an OK character, and Dace and Cade were the typical good and bad brothers who are both interested in Daire. I felt sorry for Daire's Mum Jennika, for Daire calls her by her first name, and doesn't acknowledge her as "Mum", despite living with her all her life. I don't know why, but that felt weird for me. I did, however, like Daire's Grandmother Paloma. I found her very likable, and strong. In this sort of situation I can understand why Daire calls her Grandmother by her first name, as she was only sent to her Grandmother's house, and has not known she existed until then. I didn't feel too much of a connection with Dace and Daire. It felt like it was forced, if I'm honest.I feel like the spirit guide and soul seeker business wasn't quite explained properly, and that's probably one reason why I felt lost. I felt there were missing parts in the story. At one point she runs away, the next you find it's gone two or so weeks later, and I felt like a chapter had been cut out of my book. (I even looked back to make sure!).On a plus side, I liked the format of the book. The chapters are fairly short, so you feel like you're reading a lot. I would say I also liked the ending. It does make me want to read the next book to see what happens next.The cover to this edition that I read is gorgeous. It is very pretty and detailed, and I love how the crows are flying nearby. I love how all the dark and light lilac colours mingle together.Overall, I'm going to give this three stars because I felt that it was lacking in certain areas. I really do hope when I read the next book in the series that the characters develop more, have better connections, and that I understand what is going on straight away.If you pick this book up, I really hope you enjoy it more than me. If you are into paranormal romances, then give it a try.Happy reading =)
    • 4/5
      Mature sexual content--13 and upStrange things are happening to Daire Santos. Crows mock her, glowing people stalk her, time stops without warning, and a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes haunts all her dreams. Fearing for her daughter’s sanity, Daire’s mother sends her to live with the grandmother she’s never met. A woman who recognizes the visions for what they truly are—the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker—one who can navigate the worlds between the living and dead.There on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico, Daire sets out to harness her mystical powers. But it’s when she meets Dace, the boy from her dreams, that her whole world is shaken to its core. Now Daire is forced to discover if Dace is the one guy she's meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.
    • 4/5
      Took me awhile to review this book which I snagged as an Early Reviewers copy. But once I started, it was a quick and mostly enjoyable read. With a series, especially one with the first book named Fated, there wasn't much mystery as to what was going to transpire plot-wise. But I did enjoy the unique locations and the setup of the universe in question. Some of the allegiance switches at the end of book can only be explained by the paranormal, I guess. We'll see how they hold up in the next book in the series. I see that the second book in the series, Echo, is already available at my public library, so I'm off to rejoin this world.
    • 3/5
      I read Alyson’s Immortal series and loved the first couple of books, but the series started to drag for me towards the end. I was leery to pick up another series by Alyson, but the summary just sounded too interesting and I did like the first few books in the Immortals series and hoped that would be the case with the Soul Seekers as well.Fated follows the life of Daire, she is a sixteen year old girl who has never really had a place to call home. She and her mother travel so much and as a result they never put down roots. Daire doesn’t really mind this and thinks she is not missing anything. She does however have strange things happen to her often, like time slowing down or visions of glowing people. She never confides these things to anyone for fear of them thinking she is crazy. However, one day when the visions spiral out of control, she goes into a fit and has to be taken to a hospital. The doctors say she has had a psychotic break and recommend her mother put her in a hospital. Forced with not knowing what to do next her mother takes Daire to her to stay with long lost grandmother in New Mexico since she says she can help her. Daire is not too happy about this turn of events until she starts to make friends and gets closer to her grandmother. She likes having people around her that care for her and she starts to settle into life in Enchantment.Daire’s grandmother teaches her how to harness the power she has been given and I enjoyed the mythology that Alyson painted for us. It is not one I have seen explored too much and I found the Native American twist on all of it very interesting. There is a guide at the beginning of the book to acclimate you to all the sprits that inhabit this world and I did find myself referring to it a couple of times. The Native American culture really permeates this pages and I was very absorbed in learning more about this world.Fated does have some romance weaved in, but it is really a story about Daire discovering who she is. We follow her while she tries to navigate this new world that she has been suddenly thrust into and learns about her past and what her future holds. I did enjoy Daire as a character, she is self-reliant, but still has some trust issues to work through. She does not want to let people get close, but once the walls come down she is loyal to those she loves.As for the guys, there are two in here, Cade and Dace. Who also happen to be twins, one light, and one dark. Daire has had dreams for the past six months that all revolve around Dace. She thinks they are figments of her imagination until she comes face to face with him in high school. She gets tongue tied and is not quite sure what to make of him. They have a slow building romance which was very sweet and appropriate for their age and the circumstances they found themselves in. Sometimes in young adult paranormal the love interest can be an insta-love and there is no build up whatsoever. It was nice to see Alyson have her characters get to know one another and take their time building a relationship.Overall, I did enjoy this book and the characters in it. However, I do not see myself picking up the next book. I did like what I was reading, but I am not compelled to look into the life of Daire anymore. I will read reviews of future books and see how it is received and might give it a try depending on what others say. If you read Alyson’s Immortals series and liked it, then odds are you will like Fated as well. I would read a couple of chapters see what you think and decide from there. Or check around and see what others think as well. Alyson is a good writer and has developed a very interesting mythology for this book, but I am just not wowed by the overall storyline.
    • 3/5
      I got a copy of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for a honest review. It’s a pretty typical paranormal YA book; there’s teenage angst, insta-love, and dreamily beautiful boys. The story moves fairly slowly and isn’t all that interesting. The second book in the series, Echo, is scheduled for a November 2012 release. Previously I have read the first book in the Riley Bloom series by Noel and didn’t really enjoy that book; I was eager to try a more YA focused book by Noel to see if I enjoyed it more.I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was well done. The narrator does an excellent job conveying emotion and distinguishing between characters’ voices. The narrator also sounds exactly like I imagine Daire would sound. The CDs stop at good stopping points and don’t leave you absolutely in the middle of something while switching disks.Daire travels the world with her professional make-up artist mother. She is constantly brushing shoulders with the rich and beautiful. That is until she starts having hallucinations of glowing people and severed heads. After drugging Daire to the gills doesn’t help her mother is forced to seek help from Daire’s elusive grandmother who lives in the town of Enchantment and is about to introduce Daire to a world she never imagined existed.Daire is a super brat, she gets better towards the end of the book, but remains selfish throughout. She is so mean, abrasive, and annoying that I had trouble engaging with her at all. She is incredibly mean to her mother and dismissive with the people around her. She does grow and change a little as the book goes on, but not much. She is still making selfish decisions and treating her mother like dirt.Daire’s grandmother is more interesting, but her speech comes off as formal and stilted and her conversations with Daire always sound awkward.Then of course there are the two absolutely gorgeous twin brothers that Daire meets in Enchantment. One is evil (Cade) and one is good (Dace); one is out to destroy Daire and one is deeply good and in love with Daire before they even meet. When Daire finally meets Dace she is drawn to him but constantly tries to push him away and get him to leave her alone. In their second or third meeting, despite Daire’s protests, Dace is kissing her and has his hands up her shirt. Is this really okay? Not only are they in insta-love but Dace (the good brother) starts making out with Daire even though she says no. Really? And he is the good one?Okay enough of that let’s talk about the story and world. The premise of the story is a fairly simple one. The brothers are part of a family of Coyotes who are evil and out to take over the world and plunge it into darkness. Daire and her grandmother are from a family that is a long line of Seekers, they are out to save the world from the Coyote’s influence. The magic and background are strongly influenced by Native American myth and magic. It’s an interesting, if simple, idea and makes for a more interesting premise than a lot of paranormal YA out there. This idea and premise are one of the redeeming qualities of this book.The writing style is simple and easy to read. The pacing was a bit slow and it took a long time for the story to really become exciting and engaging. The book wraps up nicely and leaves the reader with a little cliffhanger to wet their appetite for the next book in the series.Overall not my favorite YA paranormal book, but okay. I did enjoy the Native American premise to the story, this is different and more interesting than some of the other YA paranormal out there. I did not enjoy the characters; Daire is a brat and the twins are over stereotyped male leads. Daire’s relationship with Dace is full of insta-love making it goofy and obnoxious...not to mention he makes out with her despite her protests. The pacing is a bit slow and the plot fairly simple. I would only recommend if you are interested in reading a paranormal YA story with Native American bent to it. Otherwise I would skip this, there are many other better YA books out there.
    • 4/5
      I received my copy of Fated (Soul Seekers #1) by Alyson Noel through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I was attracted to this one for a couple of reasons, first I had already read and enjoyed Evermore (the Immortals #1) by the same author, and I was intrigued by the Native American mythology aspect of the story.Daire Santos is 16 and has started experiencing disturbing visions that are becoming more and more frightening and extreme. Finally after one of these visions leads to a violent breakdown, they can no longer be ignored. In desperation, her mother arranges for Daire to live with a grandmother the girl has never met, hoping that the old woman will be able to help her, giving her a stable environment instead of the transient existence of traveling from movie set to set for her job.Enchantment, New Mexico is anything but enchanting, and at first Daire feels abandoned and alone, as her attempts at leading a normal life going to high school fail as she becomes a target for the popular crowd. Her grandmother is able to help her understand and control her visions, once Daire stops fighting against them and accepts her calling as a Soul Seeker who can travel between the worlds of the living and the dead. She also meets Dace, literally the boy of her dreams, but unfortunately his brother is his polar opposite, and Daire's enemy in the much deeper world she has come to know.I enjoyed this one, I liked Daire and Dace (I seem to like D names a lot), the spirit animal guides, and her time in the cave learning about her ancestors. Also Daire's difficulty with her spirit animal, like a teacher you think should be good, but seems to have a perverse torturous streak until you finally understand what they're trying to tell you. I would like to see what challenges are in store for Daire, since I'm sure she hasn't seen the last of her nemesis Cade and his family.There are 3 more books to come in the series, Echo, Mystic and Horizon. For more information on the author and her work, check out her website alysonnoel.com
    • 3/5
      This book was too slow and drawn out, you could tell from the first chapter that it was being set up for a series and that's not really a good sign. All the vague answers felt too forced, again it just felt like it was being forced into a longer series.I HATE when characters continually question "am I crazy". This book has chapters worth of this, the whole first part of the book should be burned...might as well throw in the rest.Overall the basic story wasn't that bad, but the story and plot and junk just gets in the way...2.5/5
    • 3/5
      I received a lovely ARC copy, thanks to Librarything.com. c:--I wasn't too open to liking this book from the start.The blurb on the back does a good job of explaining the book, but puts unnecessary meaning to Dace's name. There was almost no conflict between the Daire and Dace, as one might think from reading the blurb. Cade should have been mentioned.The characters were alright, though no one really struck me as an amazing or relatable character. All of the names were pretty weird too, and Noel must like the letters C and D a lot, because most of the characters had names beginning with these letters. There is something called originality that I fear this book lacks, especially in the character department. The plot was alright, and it intrigued me at first, but as I got deeper into the book, nothing much happened. For the bi finale one would expect at the end of this book, there was one, but it wasn't big in any way. It felt just like the rest of the book, and what happened in the real world was left out, as you only got to experience one part of the story, which left a gaping hole in the plot.I feel as if this book had been told from Dace and Daire, or even Daire and Cade's perspective, it would have been a whole lot more interesting, and you could have understood the conflict much better.I won't be continuing in the series.