A Ruinous Fate is the first book in a new, exciting, fast-paced fantasy series, filled with magic, mayhem and an intriguing love triangle. Mysterious characters and backstories make the latest novel by author Kaylie Smith a compelling page-turner paving the way for more engrossing adventures to come in subsequent books in the Heartless Fates series.
Fate does not choose the weak. Fate chooses the ready.
Illustros is a cursed realm ruled by the ruthless Gods of Fate, and no one understands the Fates’ wrath more than Calliope Rosewood. Blessed with unspeakable powers that terrify even the most dangerous witches and fae, Calla hides her forbidden magic in shame and fear that one wrong touch could send her to her death. With only her two best friends in tow, Calla deserted her coven and has been on the run ever since.
Worse, Calla is concealing an even darker secret: fate has chosen her as the final prophesied Blood Warrior, the being destined to start the Fates’ War, which will decimate her people and eradicate their magic.
After a betrayal from her infuriating ex Ezra leads her one step closer to fulfilling that age-old prophecy, Calla is desperate to do whatever it takes to reset her fate. So when a mysterious and charming witch offers to help Calla do just that, she immediately agrees to his plan. Only catch? That plan includes journeying into the deadly Neverending Forest with Ezra and said witch, who just so happens to be Ezra’s tempting older brother. Torn between her past desires and alluring new possibilities, Calla brings along her best friends to fight what lies ahead.
As the group ventures into the enchanted woods together, they’ll all soon learn that choosing your destiny comes with dire consequences . . . and the Fates are not to be tested. Calla believes the Fates have it out for her, while others believe they have chosen her for a reason. But in the end, Calla will have to fight to forge her own destiny and decide if the risk of choosing herself is worth the possibility of damning everyone else.
The worldbuilding in this story is excellent and lays a strong foundation for deeper exploration to come in later books. While there is a lot going on at all given moments, I suspect this is because there is significant unpacking of many of the themes touched on in this first novel that will come later. The love triangle in this story is given some significant page time while still adding to the progress of the story – artfully done by the author without losing the intriguing magic aspect to any sort of cheesy drama. The supporting characters also have more to them than meets the eye, which provides another layer of complexity and interest. Striking a great balance between introducing new characters and game-changing action scenes, A Ruinous Fate ticks all the boxes for a premiere novel in what is to be a daring and thrilling new book series.
Author Kaylie Smith is a writer and lover of all things fantasy. She grew up in Louisiana where she frequently haunted bookstores and practiced her craft. After college she decided to pursue her life-long dream of becoming an author, but when she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found at home with her menagerie of animals, fussing over her houseplants, or annoying people about astrology.
A Ruinous Fate was released on January 3, 2023.