Forcing Fate | M. A. Frick

You never have to force anything that’s meant to be.

But some things are worth fighting for.

Avyanna trained her whole life to be a Dragon Rider. A Rider who is needed to stop the invasion of Shadows. On Hatching Day, the worst happens. She is left with a choice. Will she manage to follow in her father’s footsteps—on the war front, or will she live her life in the shadow of what should have been?

General Rafe ShadowSlayer is on an involuntary hiatus, sent back to the homelands to train troops. When Avyanna tries to force her Fate, he could be exactly what she needs…or be the one to send her packing. Will he help her reach her destiny or will they both find something more?

Sometimes Fate doesn’t tell you, no.

Sometimes Fate simply tells you, wait.
Forcing Fate is a book that tells the story of Avyanna as she grows to a young woman. There are dark and gritty themes and steamy scenes. Gender stereotypes are broken. Lines are crossed. Secrets are revealed. Buckle up, here there be dragons. (Amazon description)

This story by M.A. Frick really caught me off guard…in a good way ;) Initially, I thought it was a YA novel (by the cover). I volunteered to read the ARC and had no clue it was NA (new adult), but as I was pulled in by the FMC, Avyanna, I was dragged into a novel of dragons, determination, grit, adventure, gasp-worthy twists, and a touch of steam. This may be the only New Adult book I review, as I wouldn’t normally read something like this, but….the PLOT and Avyanna hook, line, and sinker’d me. LOL! So...you tricked me, M.A. Frick. But it's okay. I couldn't put this book down when I had moments between tending to children and cooking.

The romance was not the main point, but then as Avyanna’s story takes a sharp turn, it becomes a big deal. It grows as she does. Definitely a slow burn and enemies to lovers, but at the end of book one, the romance becomes just as important as the plot, if not intertwined with it.

What I loved about this book:

Not your typical plotline. What do we normally do after we fail? Give up and pursue something else, right? Well, Avyanna doesn’t allow failure to dissuade her. She just finds another way to go about her ultimate goal…and finds such richness in people around her and in herself along the way.

FMC highs and lows. She experiences a satisfying scope of emotions but is able to keep moving forward when hard things come. Also, her response to disappointment is realistic and relatable as what she hopes for doesn’t happen. I appreciate that encouragement from other characters pulls her out of despair and moves on with determination and courage.

Father figure representation. I really enjoyed the fact that an older male takes Avyanna under his wing. Always punches me right in the feels when a man who is not a blood relative sort of “adopts” a young person. 

Mulan-esque feels. A decision Avyanna makes takes her into a men-only world.

Dragons. Dragons are just fun. And the whispers of the world M.A. Frick has created with them is just cool…and yet there’s so much more to learn about the world as well, because this is only book one.

What I didn’t care for in this book:

Borderline steaminess. I’ve never been a fan of males or females being a tease, but M.A. Frick definitely amps up the sexual tension between her two main characters. It was slightly uncomfortable for me, but not enough to make me put the book down. But I am a prude and like my stories clean, so…this was *almost* a dealbreaker for me.

Content Caution:

As it is in the New Adult category, I must say that it is for mature (17+) audiences only. Some of the content: attempted rape, men aggressively lusting after women, violence, a couple steamy scenes (not sex, but temptations for SHO’), possessive/aggressive (and older) MC.

Stars:

5 stars for craft, but I'd knock it to four for the mature content. Brilliant, M.A. Frick. Well done! Thank you for the time you put into editing and making this novel a work of excellence. My faith in indie authors is slowly increasing. ;)