Everything that has happened, is happening, will happen again.
Several turns after the disappearance of the High Queen's successor, rumors of a plague spread across the Empire of Mu. Two parties, the Rebellion and the Council, clash over the strange phenomenon and its source, the Tainted.
Cruentus Fate, a young Royal from the second kingdom of Mu, becomes entangled in the battle for the Capital as she and her brother, Abyssus, seek out the truth about their relationship with the enigmatic Grim. Her life turns upside down when she's separated from her brother and sold to the brothel by their father, the King of Macellarius. The brothel's Madam, Fortuna, takes Fate under her wing and broadens her knowledge of the Empire, the war at hand, and the secret behind her existence.
With her new understanding, Fate sets out to restore balance to the Empire, and to recover her brother from their father's clutches. First, she must rally the support of the unstable prince of the neighboring kingdom.
Around every bend lies another dark secret about the world she lives in, and the more she uncovers, the more entangled she becomes in the web of lies her family has spun
The biography section always stumps me. It always feels weird and forced. I am a 45-year-old author. Sure, but that's what I do. Well, part of what I do. I have many jobs, interests, and hobbies. Who I am is in my stories. They are everything I see, think, and feel. They are the living part of me. The side of me I want to show or the side I want to hide away-- the mighty warrior and the frightened child. Grims' Truth is my universe and I just want others to come and play in the fields, walk through the cities, and experience the world that has so captivated my soul.
I received a free copy of this story and am voluntarily posting this review. I am impressed. This is the best epic fantasy I have read in some time and I fully intend to get the next book in this series, Conundrum, when it comes out in November. The characters are unique, as is the story. and I was in its grip for three days, avidly reading the 600 plus page electronic version on my laptop.
I really enjoyed this book. The world described is interesting and intricate, with it's own histories. The new language was worked into the text well, but still sometimes annoyed me a bit, which I suspect is just personal preference. I liked the characters, but most of all I liked watching them grow throughout this story and get to know each other better.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I found this book hard to get into. It took till Chapter ten before you begin to understand what is happening. Lot is going on and many things to learn. Only gave it a four as it was confusing at the beginning and I almost gave up on it. An interesting new world.
“Everything that has happened, is happening, will happen again.” With this single sentence, author’s Isu Yin and Fae Yang have summarized the story, delivered bait guaranteed to lure the reader in, and before the end of the first chapter, they’ve set the hook. This is world-building at its best as good versus evil in a metaphysical fantasy epic that features a cast of the most fascinating characters I’ve encountered in fiction. For the rest of this synopsis, I’ll use the words of the authors as I couldn’t improve upon them in describing the story. “Cruentus Fate, a young Royal from the second kingdom of Mu, becomes entangled in the battle for the Capital as she and her brother, Abyssus, seek out the truth about their relationship with the enigmatic Grim. Her life turns upside down when she’s separated from her brother and sold to the brothel by their father, the King of Macellarius. The brothel’s Madam, Fortuna, takes Fate under her wing and broadens her knowledge of the Empire, the war at hand, and the secret behind her existence.” “Rota Fortunae (Grim’s Truth)” is among the best written, most imaginative, and intricately plotted fantasy story I’ve had the pleasure to read since “The Lord of the Rings.” But, where that epic tale relied heavily on war, familiar mythological themes and creatures, and the overarching world dominating power of an evil, supernatural being; “Rota Fortunae” is a character driven story, supported by a covert revolution, ingenious metaphysical attributes and events, and an imaginary world complete with a new language, concepts of universal laws, and a wonderfully orchestrated villain. Equally impressive— “Rota Fortunae” will not leave you hanging by your finger nails from the edge of the proverbial cliff. The conclusion of book one ties-up several major plot lines while leaving open a few necessary to continue forward to the next book. And praise the gods of authorship, book two and the conclusion of this short series, “Conundrum (Grim’s Truth #2),” is available now!
Cruentus Fate has lived a comfortable life as a Royal within the city of Macellarius in the kingdom of Nex in the empire of Mu, but something seems to be amiss in her life. While she can remember growing up within the palace with her brother Abyssus and being adored by her father King Neco, neither she nor her brother can remember when they actually arrived at the palace to live. A cruel twist of fate separates her from her brother as King Neco sells Fate to a brothel where its owner, Fortuna, raises her as her own daughter. Fortuna teaches Fate about the instability of the Empire and of an impending war between the Council and the Rebellion Upon receiving knowledge of the Empire, Fate is determined to restore balance to the Empire once more, but with each secret she unveils on her journey, the more she discovers that her life has been a lie and the darker the world and her past become.
Wow, what a way to begin a new fantasy series. Co-authors Isu Yin and Fae Yang have made quite the impression with their impressive first book of their Grims’ Truth Series published by Evolved Publishing: Rota Fortunae. It has elements fantasy fans would expect to find without the clichés readers normally come across. True, magic is perhaps the most dominate element within this fantasy, but what makes this story so endearing is the fact that the authors’ magic is written about in a rather realistic fashion.
Yin and Yang deserve much credit for not only have they seamlessly written a book that will make readers forget that there are two authors, but they have also created an intricate new world unlike any that has been read in quite some time. Layer upon layer of plots have been strategized with many twists that will take readers by surprise with each turn of the page. With how complex the story becomes, however, it could take a bit for the reader to get into and, for a majority of the book, the story is told so quickly readers may even become a bit lost. And descriptive detail is unfortunately not as present as would be favorable, leaving visuals of the world up to the imagination of the readers more so than other stories. These do not take away from the story, though, and it is to be expected that parts which leave readers questioning will be explained in later books.
For such an intricate world, in-depth characters are a given and Yin and Yang have delivered them. There are quite a few characters introduced within just the first book of Grims’ Truth and many do not get as much time in the spotlight, but the main characters focused upon in Rota Fortunae most certainly shine, especially Fate and Hero. Fate may not be so strong physically, but she is a force to be reckoned with mentally and spiritually. She does not give up easily and will do whatever it takes to help and protect those she loves. Hero is on the brink of being a hopeless case, unwilling to trust anyone and believing he must endure the hardships he faces in life alone. Once he meets Fate, he has beautiful character development and once the two are together, their relationship turns into one readers will fall in love with.
An element all fantasy fans most likely love about this particular genre are the stories within the stories: stories that speak of prophecies, of ancient legends, of historical battles, of world-changing journeys. All of these stories and more can be found in fantasy and Yin and Yang have created stories of their own: stories of the beginning of the Empire, stories of the oldest races of beings, stories of beliefs and what are thought to be myths. Many stories are told throughout Rota Fortunae and help to explain many points of the complex plot. What is most helpful for readers is found at the end of the book for Yin and Yang have added a Rota Fortunae Reference Guide to explain all folklore, characters, terminology, races, and more that strictly pertain to this first book.
Rota Fortunae introduces an impressive new fantasy world that will draw readers in and leave them feeling fascinated and curious upon completion, making them wish to pick up Conundrum, the next in the Grims’ Truth series. Readers will forget that the story they are reading was written by two individuals as Yin and Yang make an excellent writing team. They have created a complex world that will both confuse and intrigue readers as the in-depth characters take them along on their journey. The story does move quickly and there are times when readers may wish for it to slow down to either take in where the characters are presently or what is happening in the plot at a particular moment, but these components in no way take away from the reading experience as a whole. Readers should also note that upon reading Grims’ Truth Book 1: Rota Fortunae – Arc 1: The Tainted, they will become part of a 60 plus book series that may very well be the longest fantasy series ever published. With three books of the series already published and two more scheduled for release by the end of this year, Yin and Yang’s Grims’ Truth will most likely turn into THE series to watch out for.
**Originally posted on my blog Roll Out Reviews on September 29 2018**
After reading this story, it really made me think. I thought it was a mix of fantasy with a splash of fairy tale mixed in. I found it surprisingly addicting and different. Once I finished the first chapter I had to keep reading to see what happened to Fate and what was really going on. I thought there were good guys and bad guys and terrible people I liked to hate. Just a wildly different story. Plus it was amazing what Fate had to learn and I really wanted to know what her destiny would be and what paths she would choose. A few twists were here and there and never quite knew what would come next. Cannot wait to see what happens next. I expect to be surprised.
I received a free copy of Rota Fortunae (Grims' Truth Book 1) for my honest opinion. I love the characters wrote by the authors. I love how they have started to define the world that characters reside. The interactions between players in this book well written. I have not read many Epic/Fantasy books, I am more of a Paranormal/Fantasy reader. So I am very impressed with how much I enjoyed reading this book. I can not wait to read what happens in the next book.
The world in Rota Fortunae created by Isu Yin and Fae Yang is really cool and imaginative! Yin and Yang (yes, seriously) have built a cast of fun characters that are confronted with deep challenges, epic battles, and an unspeakable evil that’s trying to destroy an already divided world. I love the freshness of this novel and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next one!
I LOVED reading this book. The author(s) just drew me in further and further. I could not put it down. I am so very excited to read the next in the series.
I was gifted an ARC Copy in return for an honest review. Thank you so much!