Fortune's Fool

-Overall Thoughts-
Fortune's Fool is the first book in the Eterean Empire series, and it is a long book. At over 700 pages, it is a bit daunting. However, its length is entirely warranted. There are no meandering plots or unnecessary tangents here. A lot happens, the world has a lot of depth, the characters grow and change, and the plot is thick with political maneuvering and intrigue, and trying to pick apart who is a double or triple agent when sometimes the characters themselves don't seem to know. It is engrossing and fascinating and the story, told in two timelines, feels well-paced. The story is told entirely in Kyrra's first-person narration in both timelines. While I would have loved to get perspectives from some of the other characters as well, the narrative voice is done well and was very effective in adding personal-stakes feeling to the events that take place. This is not a book to pick up for a light adventure romp or a quick read; it is a book for readers who want to sink into a world and live there for some time.

-The World-
The story takes place in Eterea - a country made up of city-state-like families that vie for trade advantages and political power. Kyrra is the last remaining scion of the Aliente family - once one of the largest and most-valued silk producers - which fell from influence and was largely exterminated through scheming by the Prinze family. The Prinze are now the most powerful family, with a monopoly on guns and overwhelming power in the council, and are our main antagonists. Atop the families' squabbling for power, there is a pantheon of gods who play a part in the scheming and manipulation of Eterean politics. Erelf, the god of knowledge and secrets, is a particularly interfering god and makes varied uses of the characters in our story. In this world, magic is real and tied to the gods, but fairly rare and has a tendency to be somewhat uncontrollable and wild. Many of our main characters are capable of magic of one sort or another, and their relationships with their magics is one of my favorite bits of character development and worldbuilding.

-The Characters-
Kyrra is the disowned heir, and now the last remaining member, of the Aliente family. In the present timeline, her right arm is made of metal and she hides it, as well as her gender, from even her closest friends. She works as a gavaro - a sort of sword-for-hire - while on her own secret mission to find someone from her past. When she is offered a job that doubles as personal revenge, she jumps on the opportunity, but the job - and its effects if completed - turns out to be far more complicated than she anticipated. In the past timeline, we see Kyrra first as the naïve Householder’s daughter, always straining against the restrictions of her position. After she loses her arm and is disowned, we see her grow and learn to cope with her new disability. It is an engaging story arc in which we get a lot of character development. While I didn't find Kyrra particularly likable, the events and their narration by her gave me real sympathy for her struggles and the decisions she makes.
Arsenault is, for much of the book, a bit of a mystery. Because the story is told entirely from Kyrra's perspective and past experiences have instilled some trust issues in her, and also because Arsenault is often playing on multiple sides of a conflict, much of the book is spent trying to determine whose side he's really on. He is a compelling and sympathetic character, rather easily likable and good at his heart.
Alongside these two, there is a wide and varied cast of characters: gavaro friends of Kyrra's, shady characters from Arsenault's past, villains, gods, and young people caught up in the mix. The characters are truly this book's strength, feeling real and making the reader care.

-Suggested Audience-
Readers who are interested in a highly character-driven story, with a fully fleshed-out world and interesting magic.
Readers looking for a series with lots of depth, something they can get lost in for some time; not looking for a light, quick read.
Readers who enjoy first-person narration, and stories told in multiple timelines.