The synopsis of this book really drew my attention, a fantasy rooted in Chinese folk practice of necromancy. We meet Kang Siying, a Ganshi priestess, tasked with bringing the dead to their resting peace. When Siying’s standard death ceremony brings a handsome prince back to life, it will take more than her magic to fully return him back to the land of the living. Siying and Prince Renshu strike a deal to help each other, but dangerous spies lurk just behind them and it seems someone really wanted the Prince dead.

I really enjoyed the characters and the atmosphere of this book. Siying is very likable and the necromancy magic she was able to wield was rather cool. Being so connected to death and her strive to bring money to her family, to save her ailing father, was very admirable.

I thought this was a little bit of a slow burn. Not for the romance aspect, but for the story coming together after their long journey, the romance was more secondary. It’s a young adult fantasy with themes of grief, love, and revenge. The world building wasn’t overly complicated and I really liked the historical period overall.

Narration by Katharine Chin was great, there are many Chinese phrases and names woven into the story, and I enjoyed the pronunciation. The delivery had a lot of emotion and great personality for the characters.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and Wednesday Books for the advance review copies.

Title: Deathly Fates
Author: Tesia Tsai
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy Romance
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️