By Keith R. Fentonmiller
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Pages: 396 ISBN: 1941637744 Date Reviewed: July 23, 2021 Release Date: May 18, 2021
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Fate Accompli by Keith R. Fentonmiller is a fresh, new take on Greek mythology interwoven into the Italian Renaissance. It's a fiction fantasy novel with enough history woven in that the story is almost believable. After all, the Renaissance was a magical age so it's not hard to believe in family curses bestowed by the ancient Olympian gods.
It's the first installment in The Water Nymph Gospels, set in 1603 Tuscany. The powerful Medici family is at the forefront of the Renaissance movement, and they are about to forever change Andolosia Petasos' life. While he has always dreamed of becoming a famous scientist, an ancient curse keeps him making hats. The Petasos family was cursed after an ancestor stole Hermes' teleportation hat.
When Andolosia is commissioned by Sansone de Medici to create a fabulous hat, he meets Carlotta Lux. Sansone's ward is an angry woman that claims she's been kidnapped. Her claims are even more fantastical when she announces she's a descendant of the water nymph, Daphne. She also warns that the god Apollo is trying to take over Sansone's body.
When Andolosia helps a furious Carlotta escape, the two quickly learn that it's not easy to escape a Greek god. Is Apollo still chasing Daphne, even after she turned herself into a laurel tree thousands of years ago to escape him?
Fate Accompli is a fun read that brings the familiar Greek gods back to life. The story does jump back and forth in time, from Olympus to 1600s Italy. Moira's story is also told. As the weaver of fate, she played a role in the theft of Hermes' hat. The same one Andolosia is carrying around in a hatbox.
Author Keith R. Fentonmiller has created a vivid world rich in history and mythology. He imagines what would happen if the ancient gods were still active in people's lives thousands of years after belief in their existence has disappeared. The writing flows throughout the book, and it's easy to keep up with the jump backwards in time. Some readers may find it difficult to get through the first few chapters, the story doesn't pick up pace until Andolosia meets the volatile Carlotta.
These first chapters are important. They not only set the story's tone but also give readers the background they need to follow along. Fate Accompli ends with Andolosia and Carlotta on the run from the obsessed Sansone. Readers will be left wondering what happens next until the second installation in the series is released.
Anyone looking for a fresh approach to the fantasy genre, will enjoy spending a few hours with a copy of Fate Accompli.
"The hat box at Andolosia's feet contained a god's stolen property. He knew firsthand that divine connections were possible, though, in his experience, those claiming them were invariably lunatics or clergymen – usually both. Yet Carlotta hadn't struck him as mentally disturbed, just steadfast. "
About the Author - Keith Fentonmiller
My historical fantasy novel, Fate Accompli: The Water Nymph Gospels, Book 1, was published May 18, 2021 by Ellysian Press. My debut novel, Kasper Mützenmacher's Cursed Hat (Curiosity Quills Press, 2017), will be revised and expanded into The Water Nymph Gospels, Book 2. I also have published short stories, one of which was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and humor pieces in Defenestration and The Satirist.
When not wearing my fiction writer hat, I practice consumer protection law in Washington, D.C. Rest assured your tax dollars are hard at work as I battle marketers of "modern miracles" like weight-loss earrings and penile-enhancing herbs. (Please let me know if you spot an ad for penile enhancement earrings.) I graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in philosophy, which, surprisingly, did not qualify me for gainful employment. In short, it was on to graduate school. Well, almost. I spent a year touring with a professional comedy troupe, writing and performing sketch comedy at colleges in the Mid-Atlantic States.
After that frolic and detour, it was a blur of law school, falling in love, cats, marriage, a dog, children, a fish, more dogs, another fish, a chinchilla, guinea pigs, and an assortment of uninvited rodents that have since burrowed through the foundation. Storybook. I live in Kensington, Maryland with my wife, Laura. For more information on my writing and to sign up for updates, please visit www.keithfentonmiller.com.
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