This was about half and half modern times and Viking times and it was the right combo for the story.

She’s at a standstill in her life and a horse sees fit to kick her back in time to the hottest Vikings she could find. What a pal.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

Fates Illuminated by Aimee Vance
-Call of the Norns Book 1-

3.5/5⭐️
1.5/3🌶️ (spice)
2/3🦋 (swoon)

•My Thoughts•
Have I mentioned I am immediately summoned by Vikings? This book also promised time travel and dragons and I RAN! I was so excited to read this one and while it was cute, I found myself a bit…bored. The world building was very minimal and easy to grasp but I thought there would be more action and story tension (hello, they’re Vikings!!). I did like all the characters but had some trouble connecting to them or feeling invested in the relationships. The romance was pretty instant and left me wanting a bit more depth. There were definitely some moments and side character that made me chuckle (looking at you, Charlene) but everything felt a little too easy up until the last bit. That last portion was pretty interesting, if even a bit confusing with some reveals. The cliffhanger does intrigue me and considering this book was only 300ish pages, I’d consider reading book 2. Definitely a cozier vibe for this one which would absolutely appeal to many!

Thank you to NetGalley & Aimee for the ARC! Fates Illuminated follows the story of Shelbie as she goes on a journey of self discovery & manages to get sent back to Viking era times. Shelbie's story is full of Nordic lore, pining, chemistry, found family, small town/village charm, humor, and witty banter. I loved reading about an older FMC & the fantasy elements introduced towards the end of the book. I can't wait for the nest installment in the series! This book is perfect for anyone who loves Outlander, Vikings the TV show, or Vikings: Valhalla.

Oh wow, this was not it. I had high hopes going into this one, but it fell flat for me. The pacing was painfully slow at the start, and I couldn’t connect with the FMC—she just came off as really naive and frustrating. Her decisions, especially early on, were borderline annoying, and it took a lot of patience to get through. The premise had so much potential, but I just couldn’t get into the story. The time travel and paranormal aspects had promise, but they felt underdeveloped. Overall, a big disappointment.

Time travel, Vikings, and a romance? What more could I need?

Shelbie was a great character. Over 30 and still figuring out what she wants in life. She gets drunk and books a trip to Sweden. One fall down a hill and she’s time traveled to the past. I adored the Viking clan. Every single person, especially broody Domari. I enjoyed the romance, the found family, and yes there is a dragon.
I highly recommend for anyone who ever wondered what fate had in store for them.

Fates Illuminated is Book 1 of the Call of the Norns triology.

I thought it was very entertaining and adventurous . I was intrigued for the entire book to find out how the timelines fit together. I loved the FMC, Shelbie and how she followed through with her drunken trip booking even though it was way out of her element. It was a good reminder that sometimes we just need a little push to get what we need/want out of life.

The side characters are all great..especially Thor (Shelbie’s dog) and the Viking community that Shelbie found during her travels. And of course you can’t forget Charlene who I hope I can become when I grow up.

I’ll definitely be picking you up the rest of the series!

Grab Fates Illuminated if you like:
💜 Vikings
💜 Time Traveling
💜 Dragons
💜 One Bed
💜 Grumpy X Sunshine

Thanks to Netgalley and Revel Books for a copy of Fates Illuminated in exchange of an honest review.

This book was so much fun, I loved Shelbie and thought that she was a wonderfully written character. I really enjoyed that she was in her thirties, and lived a normal simple life. Her character growth throughout the book was really good and I enjoyed seeing her grow into a badass. I absolutely loved all of the Viking characters and their laugh out loud banter. Signe was absolutely my favorite. The romance was, well it was hot and I am pretty sure I have added a new book boyfriend to my team. Over all this is a fast paced fun and sexy adventure and I cannot wait to dive into book two!

3.5 Stars. Thank you NetGalley, Aimee Vance, and Victory Editing for my gifted ARC.

An Outlander-ish vibe with Vikings!

Shelbie turns 31 and overindulges in birthday wine, only to discover the next morning that she's booked a trip to Sweeden for an outdoor horseback riding and camping adventure. As they embark on the trip Shelbie's horse gets spooked and it somehow sends her back in time. Shelbie wakes to find herself in a strange area with a Viking Clan.

What I liked:
I LOVED the Viking clan!! They're passionate people who love deeply and the story depicted that well. Shelbie was accepted into the clan like family and seemed to find herself while living in their village. The three sisters of fate appear to the clan and tell Shelbie she must return home and they tell Shelbie she is the last of her kind. There's also a dragon and the implications in the story hold a lot of potential!

What I struggled with:
Shelbie's trip preparations felt a little long. When she met Domari, the single Viking warrior he immediately despised her but then it fell into instant love. I could have used a little more banter and building into the relationship.

I was entertained by the story and I see a lot of potential with the series. I'll be reading the next book!

Romance Content: 2 Open-door scenes (easy to skip)

Fates Illuminated is a delightful, slow-burn fantasy romance that feels like a contemporary romance but with dragons. I wish I could explain it, but my ramblings tell me I can't. So, maybe a list of why I enjoyed this is the right way to go.

1. The feel of the story. Again, I don't know if I can explain what I mean by this, but it is perfect for romance readers who don't typically like fantasy books. It is also great for readers who want to dive into fantasy slowly. Yet, at the same time, I think fantasy romance readers will love this as well. It was both dark and light.

2. Vikings. I mean, what else is there to say?

3. Dragons. Again, what else do I need to say?

4. Time Travel. Playing with time (travel, loops, etc.) is one of my favorite tropes.

5. Found Family & Side Characters: The side characters and the found family they created bring this story to life. It is more than just a romance. There are genuine friendships and bonds. I thought it was lovely.

6. Older Characters: I love characters in their 30s and older.

7. The Dark Bits: I especially liked the darker bits with The Norns. I am dying to see more of them as the series progresses.

8. Domari and Shelbie. I love a grumpy man who is secretly down-bad. Shelbie reminded me a lot of my younger self. Flying to another country to find myself is something I have done a few times. Highly recommend by the way. Although, I didn't fall in love with a Viking. So, maybe I did it wrong. All I know is I am excited to see what happens in book two, and the third and final book comes out in Spring 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aimee Vance for a review copy.

3.5 ⭐️ - If you like Vikings, time travel, Sweden, dragons, & family you will enjoy this book!

31 year old Shelbie just celebrated her birthday & realizes how lonely she is. She drunkly purchases a two week long horse back riding/ hiking trip in Sweden. She starts preparing for her trip and building up her courage to go on her first solo trip.

I loved how much depth each character has. I especially enjoyed the Viking wives.

I just wish the emotional connection for Shelbie was drawn out more. It seemed a little too fast paced.

This was my first romantasy book & I really enjoyed it! I am interested to see where book #2 goes.

Thank you NetGalley, Aimee Vance, & Victory Editing for this eARC.

Shelbie was me and I didn’t like it (in a good way)

Domari and Shelbie are amazing.

An enjoyable experience from beginning to end!

Aimee is an auto-buy author around here, so when we learned she was re-releasing her debut series, we immediately jumped on it!

Blurb: Shelbie just turned 31, and is stuck in a rut. Her life hasn't turned out the way she expected it, so she drunkenly buys a tour package to see the Northern Lights in Sweden. Does she enjoy camping? No. Does she know how to ride a horse? It's been a while. Does her family think she's crazy? Yes. But something is calling her to Sweden, so after a few riding lessons and trips to the camping equipment store, she's off on an adventure.

Shelbie was expecting sore muscles, peeing in the woods, and breathtaking views of the Northern Lights. She wasn't expecting to travel back in time and fall in love with a Viking.

My Thoughts: I loved it! I was immediately hooked from page one. Shelbie is an incredibly relatable FMC, and I really enjoyed her snarky inner monologue as she was navigating all of the challenges. The insta-love pacing kept me engaged, and I was definitely wondering where the story would go since Aimee is known for some third-act chaos. 😂 And we definitely got CHAOS!

This is the kind of series where you curl up with a hot beverage on a snowy day, and dive into another world for a while. And as soon as it was done, I was ready for book 2!!

I loved the premise! It was a quick, accessible fantasy read. Shelbie's struggles with her current life were very relatable. I really felt for her and wanted her to find her happy ending. I loved the tropes involved (like forced proximity and only one bed) but I found I wanted more emotional development. The twists and turns were so fun but the pacing didn't quite come together for me. I love where it ended and I'm very intrigued to see where the author takes the story next. If you're a fan of Outlander this could be the perfect next read for you.

Thank you to the author for my review copy. My opinions are my own.

Aimee, you freaking knocked it out of the park with Shelbie, her internal monologue is hilarious.
Shelbie does something foolish and books a hiking/horseback riding trip to Sweden to see the northern lights, but Fate steps in and with the shove of her horse, she ends up back during the Viking period and found by a large grump.

There is found family, a hilariously overly large dog, only one bed, time travel, smarter than average animals, a firecracker of a riding instructor, the Norns, oh and a dragon.

I loved Shelbie and Domari is one of those classic grump that falls first, the whole Viking village is the perfect found family who all love each other with their whole hearts. This is a very fast paced book, but I felt immersed in it immediately and was an excellent break from a dense fantasy book.

Highly recommend, also make sure that you have the second book on hand because you will want it immediately.

Obsessed. RIP me, because this is a new favorite series. For fans of Outlander or Vikings, prepare to fall in love with Shelbie and Domari. There’s Vikings, fighting, dragons (yes I said dragons), and 🔥. Love it!

“Fates Illuminated” is a time travel fantasy in the Viking era. With this description I was convinced to read the book.

We have Shelbie, a 31 years old, that drunkenly books a 2 weeks trip to Sweden. She is very serious about it and starts learning the language and takes horse riding classes. I like Shelbie very much. She is funny, adventurous and makes friends easily.

When she ends up almost 1000 years in the past and ends up living with Vikings, she manages to fit in. I like the women from the clan (especially Signe). The men are strong, but also caring and kind.

Domari is a grumpy Viking that can also be sweet, romantic and protective.
“Your smile lights my world on fire. It illuminates my every moment. I will die happy knowing I stole those smiles, put them there, even for such a short time.”

There was a build up to the action, but it did not disappoint.
The ending was perfect as it maked you want to read the next book immediately.

I received a digital copy of the book from Netgalley and Revel Books. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was so much fun. It's time travel and vikings. Don't think about it too hard, just enjoy it! It's not that serious, but it's really enjoyable.

It's nice to see an FMC who is not a 20 year old. Shelbie is 31 and her life is just fine, not great, but not terrible, which I think a lot of people can relate to.

As I was reading this I got to like 70% or something and realized I was just happily vibing with Shelbie and the vikings. I was having such a good time but I knew that a plot twist or some drama or something had to happen, and then it did like 5 pages later 🤣

I'm am so looking forward to the next one, especially after that ending 👀

Fates Illuminated
By Aimee Vance

When I saw this book I thought Time Travel- check, hot Viking men-check again, then saw that the three Fates get involved in Shelbie and Domini and I was sold on reading this.
I usually don't read cliffhanger books but with this story when the story mentions Dragons that's what caught my attention. So now I will go search for the next book. Seriously mention Vikings, strong women of the clans and Dragons and I'll fast walk to the book store to read the book.

Thank you to the author and Net Gallery for allowing me to read this story.

What a perfect balance of fantasy, real world, and romance. FMC was so relatable I feel like I was reading about myself (or a friend 😉) and her journey of self discovery. Hot Vikings? Say no more. Softy Magnus was my fave. By the way the book ended I must immediately start the next one.

One thing I love about this author's books is how she writes the characters. Every single character has their own story and unique personality. It creates such an opportunity for an extended universe and it guarantees that every reader will find someone to relate to or love.

This book came to me during a time where I really needed a mental escape and BOY did it deliver. It truly is the perfect balance between magic and realism. I highly recommend this even if readers don't typically read fantasy.

This was a strong start to the Call of the Norns series, it had a great story to it and worked with the characters to this. I was engaged with the world and how everything flowed with the characters. Aimee Vance has a strong writing style and left me wanting to read more in this series.