#k.j. sutton

[haveyoureadthisbook-poll]

Have you read Fortuna Sworn by K. J. Sutton (2019)?

yes

no

I didn't finish it

I've never heard of it

Voting ended onSep 1, 2025

[natalie-waite]

I'm this close to cry over a book on a public transport

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Fortuna Sworn | Author: K.J. Sutton | Publisher: Once Upon a Time Books (2019)

[sunflower-and-storms]

the pile for April (missing here the audiobook of Restless Slumber by K.J. Sutton) is very heavy and I almost drop it while taking the picture!

[brightbeautifulthings]

A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas & Fortuna Sworn by K.J. Sutton

WHY:

Strong female MC with unusual powers

Grim, underground faerie courts

Dark & mysterious love interests

Three dangerous trials

[sunflower-and-storms]

March TBR

Hello gentlefriends! A new month, a new pile of books to try to read. I hope your readings in February were successful and that your future readings will continue to be so. I believed that this would be an easy month but life twisted my plans and now we have a 6 book TBR. But all exciting books nonetheless, so let’s get to it:

- Since I’m writing this on the 20th and the email for my preorder of ACOSF wasn’t arrived, I’m switching February’s Book of the Month and March’s A Bookish Education pick. So I’ll be reading A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas when my edition arrives.

- March’s Book of the Month pick is The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern ✔️, and although I usually like to read it on the beginning of the month, according to the plans it will be last book read in the month.

- The rest of the books on the TBR are Romancing Mr Bridgerton by Julia Quinn ✔️ aka the book order who should have arrived two weeks ago, my reread of A Court of Frost and Starlight ✔️, the audiobook of Fortuna Sworn by K.J. Sutton and The Long Song by Andrea Levy ✔️, a required reading for university. 

And that will be all! Thank you for reading and I wish you the best gentlefriends!

[brightbeautifulthings]

Fortuna Sworn by K.J. Sutton

"I glared at Collith and wondered if God had created his angels beautiful for practical reasons, rather than aesthetic ones. A beautiful thing was much harder to destroy than an ugly thing."

Year Read: 2019

Rating: 4/5

Context: I received a free e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Trigger warnings: Death, death of a parent, violence, body horror, abuse, abusive relationships, abduction, slavery, blood, animal death.

About: Fortuna Sworn and her brother, Damon, are the last of their kind, Nightmares who, with a single touch, can see people's darkest fears and turn them against them. Two years ago, Damon vanished without a trace, and Fortuna has been searching for him ever since. When a mysterious and powerful stranger appears with information about her brother, he offers to trade--and what he wants is Fortuna. It will take all her cunning to survive, but can she win her brother back if she's already bargained herself away?

Thoughts: After reading and loving Smoke & Key earlier this year, I was thrilled at the chance to read Sutton's new novel. Plot-wise, it has plenty in common with A Court of Thorns & Roses, so fans of that series will probably love it; Fortuna is in a dubious hate/desire relationship with the male lead, and she has to complete three dangerous tasks to win her brother back while navigating a vicious faerie court. More than the major plots, it was the smaller mysteries that kept me turning pages. What is Oliver, exactly, and does Fortuna have the power to bring dream elements into the real world? Who is Laurie, is he really helping her, and what's his endgame? Some get answered by the end of the book, but there are plenty left to be explored in the rest of the series.

The world-building in Fortuna Sworn is effortless. I'm a little in awe, having just read Nora Sakavic's Elysium, where it took me more than half the novel to adjust to her magical world. There's none of that here. I hate the term "info dump" (because it's too often confused with exposition, which is a necessary part of novel-writing), but there's nothing resembling an info dump anywhere in this book. Sutton weaves in explanations for the magical world in Fortuna's observations and experiences, and it's so flawlessly blended in with her narrative voice that I hardly realized it was happening. In part, the faerie lore is familiar, but it's far more realistic than the usual. Instead of the beautiful perfection of some faerie worlds, we're never able to forget that the court is underground and lacks electricity or modern plumbing. It's simultaneously grim and fascinating.

Fortuna is a worthy heroine, with the usual courage, sass, and conscience of an urban fantasy lead. The Nightmare mythology is totally new, and it's one of my favorite parts of the book. Her powers are a useful contrast to the faeries' own abilities, but they're also nicely in check; she doesn't have some major, deus ex machina power-up to get her out of trouble. I'm resistant to love interests, but for those who enjoy them, I suspect Collith will be more than adequate. He's mysterious, sexy, untrustworthy, and just earnest enough to keep readers guessing. There’s some mild NSFW content, but never at the expense of the plot.

I was a lot more fascinated by Fortuna's relationships with Oliver (which figures because I'm totally for men who only exist inside my head) and Damon. Oliver is practically the perfect plot construct since he's able to interact with Fortuna and help her solve problems, even as she's trapped in a faerie court where no one (you know, who actually existed) could reach her. For necessary plot reasons, she doesn't get a lot of page-time with her brother, but I'm interested to see how that relationship develops in the next book as well. I'll be picking up a paperback copy for my shelves and eagerly awaiting the sequel. This is a fresh new voice in urban fantasy, and fans of the genre won't want to miss it.

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Straight On 'Til Morning | Author: K.J. Sutton | Publisher: Once Upon a Time Books (2021)