Crow's Fate

By: Kim Fielding

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

You can’t fly away from destiny.

Crow Rapp assumes he’ll spend his life growing corn in rural Illinois, like the grandparents who raised him. But during a visit to a traveling carnival, he encounters a handsome stranger named Simeon Bell—and receives a prophecy of a horrifying future. When that future materializes soon afterward, Crow flees...only to find that no matter how far he goes, fate pursues him.

Simeon reenters his life a decade later and causes Crow to consider whether actively fighting his fate might be better than constant attempts at escape. In a world tinged by magic, where myths are as real as the sky above them, the men try to determine Crow’s true identity. Along the way, they test the powers of friendship and love and explore the boundaries of free will—ultimately discovering whether the force of destiny can be overcome.

Crow’s Fate is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains an Illinois farmboy, a roustabout from London, and realizations about the power of love.

©2023 Kim Fielding (P)2023 Kim Fielding

enjoyed it

📖 Story comment: easy pace, likeable characters, complex plot.
I liked the length of this book, it has room for some great worldbuilding a gradual build to Crow and Simeon's relationship and lots of twists and turns in the story. I admit I was expecting something lighter than the heavier themes of the story, but this author never fails to deliver and I enjoyed it as always.

🎧 Narrator comment: Joel Leslie is a good fit for Kim Fielding's writing. His ability to capture each character's personality and their environment brings the story vividly to life.

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📌 Where does it fall on my personal scale? 7
• 1 not my thing • 2 didn't like the narration • 3 didn't keep my attention • 4 was good, but once was enough • 5 enjoyed it • 6 will listen again if i'm in the mood for the narrator • 7 goes on the "re-listen" list [4⭐] • 8 kept me up past bed-time [4.5⭐] • 9 recommended to family/friends [4.75⭐] • 10 own it in multiple formats [5⭐] • 11 keep a copy with me at all times [5⭐]

Unique story with great characters

This was a great introduction to a new-to-me author. The main characters are enjoyable and I'm especially hoping that we get another story by this author that goes more into Simeons story and how he and Crow move on together.

Another hit for Fielding

Kim Fielding has become one of my favorite authors. She’s has a strong literary background and writes beautifully. In this book, poignant human situations are woven together with magic, mythology, and romance. I appreciated the reality of friendship, family ties, love and loss. Crow grieved over the death he caused the people his life connected with, and his misery was deep. He had little hope until Simeon came into his life. With Simeon’s sunny companionship, Crow sets out on a journey from the Midwest to the Northwest Olympic peninsula by bus. Crow discovers a mythological explanation of his existence and the reason for the terrible effect he has on other people.
Joel Leslie was a good choice to narrate this book.
This book is a wonderful start to a multi author series with a mysterious carnival connection through out.
Just bought the second book in the series!

sad

I think this is probably a very good book, but it is extremely emotionally taxing. I wasn't prepared for how much grief and loss would be involved in this book. The plot is meandering like an epic poem. Crow leaves trails of tragedy in his wake and it's hard to deal with that stark dearth of happy endings.