Fates Divided

Finished November 4

Fates Divided by Jules Bernard

This is the first novel in the Halven Rising series. Set partly in our world and partly in a Fae world called Tirnan, this is a novel that brings the worlds together in an interesting way. Elena is enjoying college, studying chemistry, and becoming friends with her roommate Reese. Her mother left shortly after she was born, and her father died in a farm accident, but she is close to her cousin and grandmother. When she turns eighteen, odd things begin to happen. She sees a classroom where one doesn't exist and her senses seem more acute. When a group of tall blondes take her into an academic area she's not seen before and tell her that she is half-Fae (Halven) and needs to help them with a cure to a deadly disease killing Fae, she is overwhelmed. 

Then she meets Derek, a student who was offered a research opportunity to come to this college, who also has some unusual skills. She finds out that he is also Halven, and he's protective of her in terms of the Fae, who only seem to want what they think she can do.

As Elena discovers who her mother is and feels that going to the Fae world will be the only way to accomplish the task she's been given, she finds that the Fae themselves are divided but most of them seem to agree that Halven are inferior and undeserving of life. 

As Elena and Derek collaborate, others work to come between them and gain power for their own purposes. 

This novel is fast-moving with lots of characters and no clarity on who can be trusted. This series progresses in the combined worlds with each book, but each book is also a stand-alone story around a couple. The world-building is detailed enough for the plot without getting caught up in the details.