Fated by Rebecca Zanetti

The excellent beginning of a dark, paranormal, and sexy saga.

In the world of Fated among the inhabitant of the Realm, there are two contending vampiric races, the Kayrs and the Kurjus. The Kayrs are honorable brave warriors, while the Kurjus are sadistic bloodthirsty monsters. The vampire species are born male, therefore to breed, they need to pick their mates from the human female population. Preferably, gifted females who could help with their never-ending feud. The Kurjus discover Cara and Janie psychic abilities, and resolve to mate the single mother and her daughter to their leadership.

Talen is a Kayrs leader, who rescues Cara and Janie just before the Kurjus took them. Talen's permanent way to protect them is making Cara his wife. A fate he welcomes as he realizes Cara is his destined mate. Talen has all the arrogance of the royalty he is. Cara's sees his rescue as kidnapping and she doesn't want to hear anything about mating him. Eventually, she would take the passion he offers, and the protection in her daughter's behalf. However, Talen wants Cara's heart as well. Their union officially breaks a peace treaty forbidding any contact with humans. The Kurjus never respected the treaty, but now the sanguineous war between the Kayrs and the Kurjus starts again.

The first ten chapters of Fated are homage to many fated-mate books. It has the fate symbol, the irresistible attraction, the bite, the telepathy, even the branding. And the coerced seduction scene, in spite of the fact that Talen asks for Cara's consent before consummating the act, it's still forceful. It would have been better, if we had witnessed as they fall in love with each other, before the mating routine. This is the main reason I'm giving it four stars instead of five.

Fated is action-packed and there are parts where it gets really bloody. The fights are explicit and Talen is vicious during the battles. While Cara often uses expletives to utter her frustration and acts like she is in complete denial of her new reality.

Besides, when I read Fated, I had the feeling of reading two different books at the same time. One, from the first chapter up to chapter ten, and another, from chapter eleven until the end. Rebecca Zanetti's fantastic storytelling begins after chapter eleven. Most books usually have the best in the first chapters, Fated it's exactly the opposite. If you start reading Fated and you feel like giving it up, please keep going, it's a phenomenal reading. Talen goes from dominant male to caring sexy hero and the steamy sex scenes between Cara and him, become deeply emotional.

I liked very much Fated's world-building, and the great secondary characters who will eventually have their own books. These are among my favorites: Jordan and Katie, Talen's shape-shifting friends. Cara's sister, Emma, who shares the trauma of an abusive father with Cara. Talen's brothers, particularly Dage, (the next book - Claimed, is his story with Emma). Zane, Janie's friend with who she only communicates during her dreams. All interesting well-developed characters, whose stories I cannot wait to read. In all, Fated is a great debut novel!