Review: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Fateful

Author: Claudia Gray

Publication Date: March 29, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Genre: Fantasy

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Synopsis:

A tragic tale about falling in love on the world’s most infamous ill-fated sea voyage as heroine, Tess, discovers darker secrets that lie beneath the doomed crossing… and a hidden brotherhood that threaten to tear her lover from her forever.
The RMS Titanic is the most luxurious ship ever built, but for eighteen-year-old Tess Davies it’s a prison. Travelling as a maid for the family she has served for years, Tess is trapped in their employ amid painful memories and family secrets.
When she meets Alec, a handsome upper class passenger, Tess falls helplessly in love. But Alec has secrets of his own… and soon Tess is entangled in a dangerous game. A sinister brotherhood that will do anything to induct Alec into their mystical order has followed him onboard. And Tess is now their most powerful pawn.
Tess and Alec fight the dark forces threatening to tear them apart, never realising that they will have to face an even greater peril before the journey is over…
New York Times best-selling author Claudia Gray delivers adventure, dark paranormal suspense, alluring romance, and a truly surprise ending, set against the opulent backdrop of the Titanic's first — and last — voyage.

My Thoughts: When I first picked up this book, it intrigued me and I was half-tempted to open to the last pages and make sure that the main characters survived. After all, this is about the Titanic and I knew that people on the ship were doomed to the Atlantic from the get-go.

This book is about werewolves on the Titanic. A strange combination to say the least and I was unsure of how it would work at first - but it did! I found that the paranormal side of things was weaved into the history that we know very well. It didn't seem too far a stretch of the imagination that werewolves could have possibly been on the Titanic. After all, there were people from all over the world aboard that ship.

This is the classic love-story. A Romeo and Juliet type story. Tess and Alec shouldn't fall in love. There are a thousand and one reasons why they shouldn't. Most people on the Titanic would even shun them for being seen together. Alec the heir to a wealthy steel fortune in the States and Tess is ladies maid for a daughter of a Viscount from England. Worlds apart, their secrets bring them together and force them to look out for one another. 

I must say, this novel had me hooked from the beginning right through to the end. It was hard to remember the fate of the luxury liner and not fall in love with all of the character (and hate the not-so-good characters). Some of the people who I was expecting to make it didn't, some of the people who I was expecting not to make it did. All in all, the sinking was just as tragic reading about it in this novel as the documentaries, movies and history reports. 

If you loved the movie Titanic (and who didn't?) and a little paranormal on the side you will love this book.