Tesia Tsai

Kang Siying is a priestess whose life’s work is to guide the deceased home (also referred to as corpse driving). She has been learning this trade since she was a young child alongside her father. She works hard to make him proud and provide for her family. Her mother died of a illness that took many in her village. Kang Siying is no stranger to death and does not fear it.

That is until one day when her father collapses, Siying fears that he too has the same fainting fever that took her mother from them. She fears that the medical care that can be provided for him in their village will not be enough to save him. However, taking him elsewhere will cost more than she has. So, when an opportunity arises, she accepts a job that promises a large pay day. This job will take her on a journey to an area where many are not welcome to retrieve a corpse that she was not told was the missing Prince.

Once she gets to the war riddled battlefield, she works quickly to reanimate his body. However, this time instead of just being able to command his body, he’s brought back to life. However, this isn’t a permanent fix. Now not only is Siying trying to save her father but the Prince too.

Deathly Fates is a lovely story of how to appreciate life and also death. Showing that not every ending is a sad or a wasted one. It also has a good lesson in not being able to change fate but being able to make that fate one you are happy with. Showing how we may have our own duties to the world and to others, but we owe a duty to ourselves as well.

I enjoyed the romance aspect of the book; it was written in a way where the plot and character development isn’t strictly driven by romance for our FMC and MMC. It happens naturally and builds as they get to know each other through good days and hauntingly bad days.

There is multiple points of conflict and tension through the story, but there is an overarching conflict through the whole story and it comes to an end in a way that really does tie the story up very well and shows the development in both of our MCs.