A Ruinous Fate by Kaylie Smith Pages: 432
Published by Disney-Hyperion on January 3, 2023
Series: Heartless Fates #1
Genres: Fantasy & Magic
Source: eARC from Publisher
Fate does not choose the weak. Fate chooses the ready.
Calliope Rosewood is a witch with a long streak of bad luck. Like all witches in Illustros, her fate is directly tied to Witch’s Dice—powerful artifacts that have blessed her kind with limitless magic but also set them on a path toward destruction. Cursed with unspeakable powers that terrify even the most dangerous witches and fae, Calla deserted her coven four years ago and has been in hiding with her two best friends since. But Calla is also hiding a grave secret: She is only three Rolls away from becoming the last Blood Warrior and starting the Final War that will decimate her people and eradicate their magic.
After a betrayal from her ex leads her one step closer to fulfilling that age-old prophecy, Calla is desperate to do whatever it takes to reset her fate . . . even if that means journeying into the deadly Neverending Forest with said ex and his enticing, yet enigmatic older brother to find the one being who can help her forge her own path. As Calla ventures farther into the enchanted woods, she finds her heart torn between her past desires and the alluring new possibilities of her future and learns that choosing your own destiny may come with deadly consequences.
Featuring a charming and chaotic ensemble cast of characters, this first book in a planned series by debut author Kaylie Smith will sweep readers away with its utterly immersive world building, swoon-worthy romance, and action-packed storytelling.
A Ruinous Fate is the first book in the young adult fantasy series called Heartless Fates by Kaylie Smith. This was a really solid debut novel. I loved it and I can’t wait for the next book in the series. This young adult fantasy is perfect for fans of the witchlands series, and people who love curses, interesting magic, quest style adventures and a great gang of characters with awesome diversity rep.
In A Ruinous Fate we meet our main character Calla, who is a witch with rogue magic and is also cursed with being a siphon- a dangerous type of witch who can drain someone’s powers by just touching them. Calla is just trying to get by with her two roommates/best friends, when she gets herself in gambling trouble, which ends up costing her another roll of her die. All witches get 6 rolls of their die. Once they roll all 6 of their die, they become servants to their respective queen. However; if a witch rolls all 6’s on their 6 rolls, then they become a blood warrior. And when all 6 blood warriors are found, it is said it will spark a war between the witch kingdoms. And Calla has rolled 4 straight 6’s. She is desperate to not complete her rolls. So when she meets someone who tells her he can reverse her rolls of the die, she has to come along on his quest.
I loved the big group of characters. They were all great together on their quest through the Neverending Forest. And the guys- Ezra and Gideon are both yummy. I enjoyed the simmering tension during their quest and all of the twists and turns the plot took us on. I was a little bummed that the book just seemed to end, but I am super excited to see what is going to happen next. This was a fantastic first book in a series. Bring on book 2!
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Sounds like a good and interesting read, and I really like the cover.