A Ruinous Fate (Heartless Fates, #1) by Kaylie Smith

A Ruinous Fate (Heartless Fates, #1) Reviews

• 
  megs_bookrack

  Let me choose my own fate. Or ruin myself trying...
  
  
  
  Calla Rosewood is a young witch essentially trying to outrun her fate. Due to a dangerous curse, Calla left her coven 4-years ago and has been living a life of secrecy with her best friends, Hannah and Delphine, ever since.
  
  It's a complicated history, but in addition to her curse Calla has marks on her skin that display her past rolls of the Witch's Dice. These marks indicate Calla is very close to fulfilling the legend of becoming the last Blood Warrior.
  
  
  
  After a horrendous night where she is betrayed by her ex, Ezra, Calla finds herself one-step closer to fulfilling her fate. Then she meets someone who offers her the chance to erase her previous rolls for good.
  
  Of course she's suspicious. She thought she was the only one with rolls this bad, but according to this guy, he has the same rolls. He's heard of a spell that can be performed by the notorious Witch Eater that can erase their marks and clear the slate.
  
  
  
  Gideon, the man with the enticing offer, needs Calla's help gathering the ingredients needed to perform the spell.
  
  He asks her to enter the deadly Neverending Forest with him on the mission. This is where the Witch Eater lives and unfortunately the only way they can complete their task.
  
  We've got ourselves a quest, one of my all-time favorite Fantasy tropes. All aboard!!
  
  
  
  Joining strong and sexy, Gideon and Calla, on their quest will be Calla's charming ex-Ezra, as well as Hannah and Delphine. They can't let Calla risk her life alone. They really are good friends.
  
  The group enters the Neverending Forest and quickly realize this is not to be a simple journey. Nothing in the forest is as it appears, with the forest constantly changing and rearranging.
  
  Luckily, Delphine, a siren, has magic that allows her to see past some of the forest's trickery, but will it be enough to get them through to the end of their mission successfully?
  
  
  
  I'm probably doing a horrendous job summarizing this complicated plot, but hopefully you get the general idea. For me, this story got progressively stronger as it went along.
  
  Initially, you are thrown into this world and I was definitely floundering. There's not a lot of explanation as far as the world goes. You're just sort of dropped into it in a way that, honestly, felt jarring.
  
  Eventually though, it does settle down and I ended up becoming extremely invested in these characters, their journey and the ultimate outcome.
  
  
  
  I loved the darkly-magical forest atmosphere. It was the perfect backdrop for our protagonist's quest. It gave a certain Alice in Wonderland feel with danger at every turn.
  
  I liked learning about Calla and her friends, although I'm still not sure I grasp all of the nuance behind the magic system. There was a lot that I am hoping will be explored further in the second book; including the difference between the kinds of witches.
  
  There is romance, including a tense love triangle. I liked the triangle, but I'm that way. I know a lot of people aren't into it, so I will toss the caution flag here. In my opinion, this one had great drama. It was scandalous and I was here for it.
  
  
  
  Additionally, there was a ton of action and as it got closer to the conclusion, I was definitely at the edge of my seat. I cannot believe how this left off. There were some events I didn't see coming.
  
  How long until the next book?
  
  
  
  Overall, even though the beginning felt a bit chaotic, and I still have some questions about the world and magic system as a whole, I did truly enjoy this.
  
  Seriously, the ending, oh my word, how am I going to wait!? So much went down and it was simultaneously badass, intense and heartbreaking.
  
  
  
  I cannot wait to return to this world and group of characters. Yikes, there is so much story left to tell. This was well done by Kaylie Smith. I'm sold.
  
  Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney-Hyperion, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I ended up having a ton of fun with this and definitely recommend it to fans of angst-filled YA Fantasy.
• 
  Hayley

  WHEW this book was fun!!
• 
  Aiden Thomas

  A RUINOUS FATE is filled with fantasy tropes you know and love, made all the richer with a diverse cast of magical beings. A story about the power of defying fate and fighting for the ones you love, this action-packed fantasy adventure and high stakes roll of the dice is like playing Dungeons & Dragons with your best friends!
  
  I’m at the edge of my seat until book 2!
• 
  Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin

  DNF at 14%. Of course, this has a beautiful cover but I’m just not feeling it. I can’t even rate it. Sigh…….
  
  
  
  Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
• 
  Greekchoir

  *1.5 stars, rounded up to 2.
  
  Every now and then I wonder if I’m done with YA fantasy, and I’m just no longer the target audience anymore. Then I’ll read something great, like Graceling or Six of Crows, and I’ll realize there’s still some great examples of the genre I haven’t read yet. And then I’ll read something like this and think: eh. Maybe?
  
  I originally planned to DNF this book 100 pages from the ending, and now I wish I had done it. I almost don’t really know what to put here, because this book is so…okay. There’s some interesting ideas - the magic system connected to dice, the large ensemble cast, the forest - but this book is trying to do way too much for anything to have the payoff it should.
  
  There are 7 (!) main characters, all of which have a POV. There are 3 (!!) love triangles. There are at least 4 (!!!) magic systems! This book is just not long or detailed enough to give anything here its due course, and that means that everything starts to feel flat. This is a shame because a lot of these things (particularly the characters) have potential.
  
  One thing that did really bother me about this book was the sense of humor. It may just be that I am not the target audience, but I can think of plenty of YA books with great jokes. These all feel ripped from Marvel and the CW - think “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?” And “I’m going to be feeling that in the morning!” And the constant slapstick. I’m begging for a break here.
  
  The pacing is odd and repetitive - the structure of the story can be explained as [Travel] [Encounter with creature] [Character drama] [Travel] [Encounter with creature - sometimes the same creature ] [Character drama] etc. The prose also tends to repeat itself within the same paragraph, which just makes me think this book was poorly edited.
  
  And that ending! There are plot holes, there are unclear plot twists, there are things left unexplained.
  
  I think this book will appeal to a lot of people, and I see why. It offers an interesting sandbox and a loose cast of characters who have lots of opportunities to bounce off of one another. I would read something by the author again some day, but this really did not do it for me.
• 
  Darci

  Thank you to Disney Hyperion and the author for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
  
  Rating: ★★★★.5 stars
  
  

  Let me find myself again, she wished to the Gods. Let me choose my own fate. Or ruin myself trying.

  
  
  ✍️ One Sentence Synopsis: In a world where a witch’s fate is either promised or damned by magical dice, siphon Calliope Rosewood finds herself at constant odds with the hand she’s been dealt– she soon finds herself tied to the frustratingly irresistible Ezra Black, and together, they (along with their lovable cast of friends) journey through an enchanted forest in a final bid to right their life’s paths.
  
  💭 Overall Thoughts: This was such an incredible YA fantasy read! This world is a vivid and compelling one. I felt the base concept of a witch’s fate being controlled by the numbers they roll on a pair of magical dice to be very unique. The heart of this novel, for me at least, rests in the rich cast of characters. They will make you laugh until you cry, and then just plain cry as they face hardships you wish you could protect them from. I get the sense that this book's plot is only the tip of the iceberg for the rest of the series– and I for one can’t wait to see the journey Kaylie Smith takes us on. This won’t be a book you regret picking up!
  
  

  “Sometimes we hold onto the past if we think someone might not be our future.”

  
  
  What I Liked:
  👍 The World: This book contains a colorful and creative world where all kinds of creatures reside– witches, sirens, valkyries, nymphs, and sprites, to name a few. I especially love the fantastical elements of Estrella, where the stars twinkle blue and purple and there are three moons. The magical forest has a sardonic sense of humor, and it makes for a fantastic setting for our character’s journey.
  👍 Characters: These characters are bursting with personality– I couldn’t get enough of Delphine’s snark, Caspian’s charming ways, or Gideon’s calm and intelligent mannerisms that somehow always give way to suggestive one-liners. I found myself falling into a comfortable lull whenever group scenes took place and the natural banter hit. Their large group of misfits somehow worked so well together! I enjoyed watching personalities shine, and then inevitably clash with others in the group as their journey trudged on and the stakes were raised.
  👍 The Plot: This story plot flowed so easily and took us to such fascinating places. I enjoyed our story-setting location of Estrella, and was captivated by many of the events within our magical forest!
  👍 The Emotional Factor: This story has a lot of heart to it, and deals with themes of self-acceptance, love (both familial and found-family), and one's predestined path vs. free will. There were many scenes that made me truly feel, and one scene in particular that especially broke my heart. You won’t be able to help yourself from feeling everything these characters go through like it’s your own phantom pain!
  
  What I Wanted More Of:
  👐 I wish we were able to take a deeper dive into certain character backstories (I was specifically hoping for more Hannah and Delphine content) in order to have a more complete understanding of them/their actions. I concede, however, to the knowledge that with such a large cast of characters it’s nearly impossible to delve into this level of detail *just yet*. I’m hoping that we get a look inside each of our characters' heads in future books, since we got a taste of that in this one!
  
  💞 Read this if you liked: Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley and Heartless by Marissa Meyer
  
  ⚠️ Content Warnings: nothing major I can think of at the moment!
  
  

  If the Fates were going to use her as a pawn anyway—she might as well play to win.
• 
  Ciera

  Did anybody even notice that the author was so busy writing a very lazy and borderline incestuous love triangle between two brothers and the most annoying protag of the century that she didn’t ACTUALLY build a world or even explain the main magic mechanism in her own book or was that just me
• 
  Robin

  kaylie killed this! full RTC
• 
  Matou

  December 14th, 2023 — Reread
  
  PHEW! I was wondering whether I’d like ARF as much the second time around and yup— that I did!
  
  There’s constant action, this book is impossible to put down. The worldbuilding is so rich, full of legendary beings and immersive descriptions. The characters and their respective dynamics with each other give the narrative a constant punch and rhythm.
  
  Like the first time around, the character I connected the less with was Hannah— too quiet and in the background for me to really get invested in her character, compared to the others.
  
  I noticed so many details during this second read, polished my theories… and am readier than ever to get into A RECKLESS OATH!
  
  Brb, gonna start reading 😌
  
  5 stars
  
  
  •
  
  
  January 3rd, 2023
  HEY FRIENDS! Quick edit to say A RUINOUS FATE IS OUT, NOW!!
  
  
  •
  
  
  July 17, 2022 — FIRST READ!!!
  
  *clears throat* Let me just AHHHHHHH!!!!!
  
  I’m not going to lie, I really wanted to love this book. But I didn’t love it.
  I ABSOLUTELY ADORED IT. I AM OBSESSED WITH IT. I JUST CLOSED IT AND WANT TO REREAD AGAIN. Which I’m going to do once I post this review.
  
  I’m about to try and put some words on my feelings, but I’m not promising that it will make much sense. I’m just very andbshdhsjdjdj right now, if you see what I mean. Buckle up, it might get a little long.
  
  OKAY SO, right from the start, I found myself just wanting MORE. To know more about the characters. To learn more about this world, its extraordinary beings and places, as well as its magic. I also wanted to know WHAT THE HELL WAS UP with everything and everyone.
  
  Kaylie’s writing has a way of sucking you in— I was completely HOOKED from the very first chapters. Every piece of information that was dropped, every new element, everything was just so intriguing and, coupled to an iconic cast of characters, it just makes A Ruinous Fate a real page turner.
  
  Because yes; the characters are absolutely amazing. I have to mention how diverse they all are, as well as many side characters! Sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity… The representation is done naturally and nicely.
  
  Each character is well rounded, interesting in their own way, with their qualities and flaws— all in all, my only “complaint” would be that I would have liked to know even more about Delphine and Hannah, as well as Caspian and Kestrel, but I’m pretty sure this will be coming in book 2!
  
  Calla was an endearing, brave and witty main character. I loved her and her energy, and admire how far she’s come.THAT’S MY GIRL.
  
  Regarding the worldbuilding, it was rich but never too dense, clear and colorful, with great imagery. Special mention to the stunning map featured at the beginning of the book!
  
  A Ruinous Fate was also really action-packed, with a perfectly balanced pace, ideally alternating between eventful scenes and hindsight into the characters or plot progression.
  This book is the embodiment of the perfect fantasy story for me: a great plot, a great pace, punctuated by great romantic elements! (Without forgetting a mind boggling ending that will get you shaking crying screaming etc.)
  
  The relationships… top tier.
  Calla, Delphine and Hannah’s friendship: iconic. The baggage and love-hate vibes between Calla and Ezra: intense. The tension and attraction between Calla and Gideon: spectacular. The regular banter between all of them, Caspian’s warmth VS Kestrel’s sternness… Every dynamic was fascinating.
  
  I’m repeating myself but I adored everything about this book. I can’t believe this is Kaylie’s debut. The bar is SO high.
  
  I’m going to be recommending A Ruinous Fate to everyone everywhere. It deserves all the hype it can get, it is worth it, and I can assure you— if you’re into fantasy and enjoy books revolving around a cast of diverse characters, with some romance mingled in it all, plot twists and an overall thrilling journey, you will LOVE this book.
  
  5 stars, hands down.
  
  Huge thanks to NetGalley, Disney Hyperion and of course, Kaylie Smith, for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
  
  
  •
  
  May, 27– EDIT:
  Okay you cannot say you were there before the cover reveal anymore— but GOOD NEWS! You can still add this book to your TBR and marvel at this gorgeous cover!!!!!
  
  •
  
  May 24, 2022
  Hey! Just fyi, if you add A Ruinous Fate to your TBR today, you’ll be able to say “i was there before the cover reveal!!”
  
  soooo…
  add it. now.
• 
  Julie - One Book More

  Wow. What a wild ride! A Ruinous Fate is the first book in the Heartless Fates series, and it was so entertaining! Exciting, dangerous, twisty, fast-paced, and so intriguing, the story gripped me from the beginning. I loved the characters and the angst, and the found family is the best.
  
  The story takes place in a unique and magical world, with different magical beings and abilities like sirens, witches, Valkyries, sprites, siphons, and so many more. The magic system and world-building are fantastic, and I was really immersed into this setting where magical dice, rolled six times throughout one’s life, can change everything. Calla’s journey takes her and her traveling companions through an enchanted forest and on an epic adventure that’s as dangerous as it is intriguing.
  
  The story has a dynamic cast of characters! Calla is a fierce and fantastic protagonist, and I’m excited to see how her journey, both physical and emotional, continues. She has already been through so much, and the stakes are really high for her and her friends. She has an amazing relationship with her two best friends, Hannah and Delphine. They’re all outcasts in their own way, and they form this little found family, which is one of my favorite tropes. And the relationships Calla has with Gideon and Ezra are so messy and complex and different.
  
  Calla and Gideon have this amazing chemistry and deep connection with each other, and I love how calm and controlled Gideon is. He’s like the voice of reason amid the chaos. Calla’s love-hate relationship with Ezra has so much banter and tension, and the push and pull there is great. Other characters, like Caspian and Kestral were amazing too. I like how all of the characters, especially Calla and her traveling companions, contrast and complement each other at the same time. There are some very interesting dynamics explored in the various relationships, new and old, highlighted in the story, and I kind of love them. All of the characters are messy and flawed and fantastic, and they each have an important role in the story.
  
  As Calla and the rest search for a way to stop a prophecy from coming true. There are some really interesting themes about fate versus choice, acceptance, friendship, and more. The author weaves these themes so well in a high stakes and engrossing plot, and the twists and turns never stop.
  
  I thought this was a great start to what promises to be a fantastic series. It’s exciting, entertaining, suspenseful, and action-packed, and I found it hard to put down. Between the plot (that ending – OMG!), the incredible characters, and the vivid world-building, I’m excited to read book two and find out what happens next! Thanks so much to Disney Hyperion for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
• 
  Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany)

  DNF @47%
  
  Not a bad book, but I'm really not invested in the story and we're being told a lot of things about this large cast of characters instead of really doing characterization work for most of them. I appreciate the intentional diversity, but I'm not sure the story is really doing anything different from other YA fantasy stories. There's this thing about magical dice of fate and a quest to undo destiny, which is somewhat interesting. I wanted to be more invested but it just felt very okay to me. Your mileage may vary and maybe it will work better for people who are the right target audience for this. If I were to guess my rating at this point, I would say around a 3 star, maybe a little lower. Not bad, but I'm just not having a good enough time to continue. I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
• 
  Celia

  Big thanks to NetGalley and Disney for the e-arc
  
  A Ruinous Fate started out like some of my favorite YA fantasies with a determined sassy protagonist and a unique world. The first few chapters reminded me a lot of Serpent and Dove and These Hollow Vows where the heroine's living situation is just not how they pictured it and they're just scraping by.
  
  Unfortunately, my attention waned soon after the journey began.
  
  Listen, I love worlds set apart from the norm, but this one confused me and it may be because of the lack of detail I was given. I don't understand the Witch's Dice and why that's a thing. We know Calla is cursed, but I didn't understand that part either. It all seems very messy.
  
  The other characters were not fleshed out as much as I wanted them to be and the love triangles were all over the place and confusing. I wasn't interested in the other POVs and wondered why some of them were even necessary. On the flip side, I wished we had more backstory to Delphine and Hannah because I liked them the best and it would have been nice :)
  
  Ezra is the most enigmatic because the things he does and says are excused because he was forced to do them or because he likes Calla too much. I wasn't buying it and I disliked him from the very start which is a shame because of the way the book progressed, I would have liked to be happy for him.
  
  Overall, I liked the idea, but the execution failed to hold my attention. I'm sad. The cover is so pretty :(
• 
  Emily

  Thank you Disney Hyperion and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
  
  Sometimes there are books that speak to your soul in a way that leaves you immersed in the world for a long time. This is one of those books. I laughed, I cried, and I want to stay with these characters forever.
  
  What I liked:
  🎲 found family
  🎲 intricate and exciting world-building
  🎲 a variety of magical beings
  🎲 characters I want to be friends with forever
  🎲 fighting against fate
  🎲 romantic tension
  
  A Ruinous Fate is reminiscent of a D&D campaign in the sense that it is full of difficult choices and decisions that will push each character to the limit. The relationships the characters built are so tangible, and truly feel like a group of people I want to be friends with and would feel loved by. None of them are perfect but they’re all trying their best™️ in their own chaotic ways.
  
  Fans of high fantasy journeys will love this debut!!
• 
  zineb

  a witch told me this one is a 5 ★
• 
  kris

  Thank you to Disney Hyperion and the author (CONGRATS KAY!!!) for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
  
  A Ruinous Fate has it all: witches, romantic tension, a murder forest, hot characters, chaotic bisexuals, magic dice. It’s all very sexy.
  
  My running assumption is that all characters are bisexual until proven otherwise. A Ruinous Fate took this and said actually they are, in fact, all just bisexual. It’s all I could have asked for.
  
  But seriously—this was such a fun and easy read! The plot is easy to follow, the characters are introduced in a way that, while I would’ve appreciated deeper dives into a lot of them, their personality and flaws are made evident from the beginning. It was easy to see where this was going, in a way that was comforting and familiar and helped me to read it in a day. I wish the magic system had been explained a bit more (mainly just the role of the witch’s dice outside of Calla’s specific situation), but we do start to get more explanation towards the end. And besides—as a first book, this really does it’s job! I want to know more about the characters and the world, so I’m going to keep reading to find out.
  
  The timeline of this book is super short—I think it spans maybe a week?—so I do almost wish that it was either more spread out or that I had the whole series in front of me to binge (are you sensing a trend? give me the next book pls i’m begging). While all the interpersonal relationships were laid out clearly (or clear in that many were clearly complicated), there just wasn’t much room for them to grow in that quick a time and I want to watch them all grow now, what do you mean I have to wait for the next book—
  
  Anyways. Again, as a first book, not a whole lot happens; it’s mainly a quest plot with a climax setting up the rest of the series, which is fine because now I’m emotionally invested and also I love a good quest plot. ARF is also just FULL of romantic tension from all sides, and while I LOVED how much of a mess it was (sorry Calla), there were a few pairings where I didn’t really feel the chemistry, so I’m excited to see how those progress as the series goes on.
  
  And, most importantly: Gideon owns me heart and soul, but I gotta say….. Calla/Ezra might be the better ship. Just give Gideon to me, simple solution.
• 
  el (celestialbronz)

  To shorten the matter: this book has no worldbuilding (almost everything happened in a forest), the author throwing every fantastical & mythical beings to ever exist (you name it: onyx witch, siphon, siren, valkyrie, fae, ogre, pixie, nymph etc.) with bizarre appearances to make it “fantasy” enough (blue skin, violet eyes, you get the idea), unnecessary love triangles, zero chemistry, juvenile dialogues, and the writing felt like the author assumed we’ve already familiar with the magic system due to the lack of details.
  
  Not to mention the character’s names are THE basic fantasy names: Kestrel, Caspian, Gideon, Ezra. Sigh.
  
  I’ll spare the details but It wasn’t an enjoyable read.
• 
  Alaina

  I need the next book to be available right now.
• 
  Kyre Thompson

  While the magic system was super cool and unique and I really liked the aesthetic of the book it fell a little flat for me. So much happened without anything happening at all. There was so much action but not a lot of furthering of the plot, world building or character development. Conceptually though, I definitely see the potential. This is the first book of a series and I can tell the author has intentionally left things unfinished and I’m hopeful that’s because they’re about to give us a kick ass 2nd book.
• 
  Emma Ann

  This YA fantasy will be perfect for fans of Ever the Hunted, The Gilded Wolves, and especially A Broken Blade.
• 
  Nicki

  This is a story about two witches on a quest with their friends to change their fate.
  
  The good parts: Literally colorful characters. The story has elements remeniscent of D & D and/or World of Warcraft. Amazingly beautiful cover art by the incredibly talented Charlie Bowater.
  
  The bad parts: All the rest. I found the characters to be incredibly annoying and the world building to be messy. There were at least THREE love triangles! Why is that at all necessary? One is almost always too much! The protagonist is very selfish, hotheaded, rarely wrong about anything, and always finds herself inadvertently rubbing up against someone. The whole story was messy and juvenile to the point that it reads like a teen wrote themselves into some fanfiction to share with friends at school. I know because I might have written this kind of thing myself when I was fourteen.
  
  Since this is marketed to teens, I'm sure there is an audience for this. It's not, however, the calibur of fiction I'd recommend to my own students or children.
  
  Thank you to Disney Hyperion and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Witcherie

  1 stars -- spoilers below.
  
  What makes me the most sad rating A Ruinous Fate this low is that it had promise. For the pitch to have a magic system based on dice and heavy themes of inevitable fate versus human choices, I was, as Calla would say, "All in."
  
  Unfortunately nothing held up.
  
  I'm just going to run through my gripes with this book top down and dust my hands:
  
  1. Absolutely zero worldbuilding.
  
  The dice magic system is used for witches to get their magic and that's about all I truly understood. Things are explained but not in a way that really makes sense. You can do a maximum of six rolls and if all six of your rolls land on the number six, you turn into a Blood Warrior? I guess. I don't know, truthfully. There's no real moment in this book that break down and explain things. Information is given in passing tidbits but they're so unimportant to the narrator that we don't focus on it beyond the frivolous character interactions.
  
  A war is on the horizon, one between Witch Queens that kicks off when the last Blood Warrior is rolled, but none of this has any emotional weight because we know fuck all about the witch lands, the kingdoms, or even the queens themselves. All we know is that one wants Calla to be a Blood Warrior and that's it. Calla never meets them in this book.
  
  2. The world itself.
  
  The world that was created is...interesting? It's just a mixture of different European mythologies thrown together. Valkyries, Witches, Sirens, and at the end, we randomly fight a Hydra. I guess I don't hate the world but don't like it by extension of my first point in the fact that we haven't explored anything so I don't care. The first 100 pages are spent milling about, the rest of the book is spent in a forest.
  
  3. Cyclic and Repetitive Plot Points
  
  Travel through forest. Forest changes. Run into [insert fae/sylph/nymph]. Pass stupid trial/event. Travel through forest. Repeat.
  
  And the challenges are so dumb. Calla and Gideon got caught once and to free them, Ezra had to answer "Who does he love most?" or hand over his precious knife.
  
  And he hands over the knife.
  
  ????????????????????????? This feels incestuous? How is it even a comparison between his brother and his ex-flame.
  
  Also, Ezra is such a pathetic character, which brings me to:
  
  4. The Characters
  
  I don't care about any of these characters. The narration is so emotionally distant from everyone that I can't bring myself to care about their interactions. They all feel shallow and hollow, here to spit out sassy quips while arguing and flirt with each other constantly. There is exactly (1) moment in this book that had any emotional weight and that's when Delphine got taken and Hannah screamed herself into being mute. THAT is a great scene and that is the ONLY scene we get like that. There, I felt Hannah's pain. I felt nothing for no one else, not even when we find out Calla killed her mother as an infant (it isn't clear how. Childbirth? Did she Siphon her?) or when Ezra dies (Ezra is a pathetic character and considering we specifically got a flashback where Hannah is mentioned to be able to revive people, I doubt he'll stay dead.)
  
  This book is just 7 people walking around in a forest for too long and things happened to them that I really can't care about.
  
  And everyone just has to be romantic. Calla-Ezra-Gideon, Hannah-Delphine, Caspian-Amina. The only character not thrown into a romantic pairing, Kestral, is of course the antagonist who snitches to the Witch Queen with Calla's location at the end.
  
  Anyway, there's nothing in this book that is for me. I would've liked to actually have seen the world, to see the Witch Queens' lands and how they will serve as antagonists, to have a magic system more based around gambling instead of just elemental magic (especially since the opening chapter was amazing).
  
  Most of all, I would've liked the characters' thoughts and insecurities and fears beyond more than little moments. We get small tidbits: Gideon helping Calla control her Siphon, for example, but these are all lost in everything else that ultimately doesn't matter.
• 
  Erin

  1.5 stars
  
  Honestly, a bad way to round out the year. I had so much hope going into this one. The opening scene here had such great stakes, expectations, hints at the world beyond… and then none of that came to be. An underdeveloped world with too many bells and whistles (to hide from the lack of world itself) ensued, and the plot wasn’t great. It was just kind of… bad fantasy?
  
  I hate to say that. I really do. And you know what? Somebody will probably really like it. Because the opening scene does set up something great, and those hints might just keep the right reader on the hook. That reader wasn’t me, but I’ll list some of the things I did like in my full review, available January 27, 2023 at Gateway Reviews.
  
  Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
• 
  ♥Milica♥

  WE HAVE A COVER!
• 
  Maddie (Inking & Thinking)

  Planning to do a reread for the sequel!
• 
  sofia

  [2.75 stars]
  
  this book had too much of things that we did not need and very little of things that i consider to be crucial for a fantasy book to be good.
  
  first and foremost, there’s barely any world building. you can’t add onyx witches, sirens, valkyries and the like to your story as an excuse to call it a “fantasy”. what is this world? most of the story is set in a forest, which i don’t think worked as the author intended. i usually love following the main characters go through a quest, but after these ones got to the forest, we just got into this cycle of walking for a bit, encountering this random creature (because this is a fantasy novel!) that they would kind of fight, there would be some reveal afterwards (gaps) and then it repeats. for like 300 hundred pages. all of these pages could’ve been spent developing this world. i don’t think i fully understand the magic system, which is a shame because it could be amazing if only the author had taken the time to properly explain it. the whole thing with the witch’s dice and the fates is very interesting but the execution left a lot to be desired.
  
  then there are no less than seven (7) main characters that you’re supposed to care about in this story. i’m pretty sure all of them get at least a chapter so we can follow their perspective, though most of them were just unnecessary. the characters were all so underdeveloped which is a shame because they had so much potential. i loved caspian and delphine, but i barely knew them enough to connect with them. i really liked ezra, but from the author’s social media i get the feeling she is much more of a fan of his brother, gideon, so i’m guessing ezra will get the short end of the stick every time.
  
  there are three (3), yes, three(!), love triangles. i don’t even mind love triangles in my books, but you can’t throw me in the middle of them with no sort of explanation as to why they even exist and expect me to care. i’m sorry but why do all of them have to be romantically involved with each other? ezra and calla already had a thing going on before the start of this book, but this is something the author is telling me and not showing. i don’t understand why ezra loves her so much, to the point that picking between her and his brother for whom he loves more is worse than parting ways with an object that he values so much. between his brother and a girl he’s known for a few months????? i don’t understand why gideon and calla are supposed to have feelings for each other when they just met. i get that the author wants them to be together but please develop their relationship first. i do understand hannah and delphine, and maybe even kestrel and gideon but we get almost no backstory for these relationships, i’m just supposed to take the author’s word for it.
  
  i can see why some would say the writing is juvenile, but i thought it very accessible and actually had me laughing a few times. had this book been longer, or maybe if it had spent less time in that god damned forest, taking its time to develop relationships and world (i would have loved to see calla and ezra meeting, bonding, and even ending their relationship and i think it would’ve been so cool to see other places, like the witch realms, for instance), this could’ve been great.
• 
  pink tulips

  4.5 | i really enjoyed this one, its so good. and im surprised the love interest isn’t our other POV character but his brother??
• 
  IvShadow's Books

  10.07.2023 г.
  Смъквам оценката на 3 звезди.
  
  Първоначално книгата ми беше много интригуваща, забавна и нямах търпение за продължението. Доста бързо я прочетох и след това си мислех, че си е проправила място в списъка ми с любими книги. Светът беше интересен, героите бяха готини, щипките романс също ми допаднаха, но след време осъзнах, че книгата има доста трески за дялкане. 🤔 Може би донякъде се заставях да ми хареса и да одобря развитието на историята.
  Писателката има потенциал и има една идея, с която може да направи много интересни неща. Обаче изпълнението й в първата книга е по калъп и то не чак толкова ангажиращо. 😬 Има определени троп�� с не дотам добре изграден и обяснен свят. Според мен представеното не беше достатъчно впечатляващо дори бих казала, че липсва „душата” на книгата, която да те кара да тръпнеш за още. Героите са такива и такива, правят това и това, а после идва краят, който беше объркано написан или аз не схванах нещо...🙄
  Липсваше достатъчно информация за света, Вещерските зарове, а и самите герои не бяха толкова добре развити, че да се превържеш към тях. Авторката пишеше така, сякаш на нас трябва да ни е ясно как се движи света, че трябва да познаваме героите, когато тя сам��та не е предложила д��статъчно информация за това. Имаше интересни моменти, които ако всичко беше малко по-добре изпипано, със сигурност щяха да ме държат още.
  Няколко месеца по-късно интересът ми към тази история си е почти изпарен и вероятно няма да прочета продължението. 😔
  
  
  Смъквам оценката на 4 звезди за момента. Реална оценка 3,75. Колкото повече време минава осъзнавам, че историята не ме впечатли толкова... Да, хареса ми и бързо я прочетох, но усещам, че не се вълнувам и грам от продължението.
• 
  Athena of Velaris

  “No matter what is destined for us, we get to make our own decisions along the way. Those decisions may not change the destination, but they do change the path we take to get there.”
  
  The first hundred pages of A Ruinous Fate were fantastic. Filled with action scenes, banter, intrigue, and mysterious handsome strangers, they had everything I could ask for in a YA book. Add in the casual LGBTQIA+ representation and respect for different pronouns, and I thought I was reading the next blockbuster hit. And then the characters made it to the enchanted forest. And nothing happened. For three hunred pages. The pacing of this story was all over the place and I wanted to love it, but felt myself growing board as the same conversations were rehased over and over and over again. There wasn't any character growth, and it often felt like the side characters lost personaility as the story went on.
  
  "I need you to trust yourself."
  
  That being said, this book was fun. The characters, the banter, and the setting were traditional YA fantasy at it's best. I found myself smirking and laughing through most of this book and I definitely enjoyed the majority of the story. Was the world well construced and full of developed characters? Absolutely not. But A Ruinous Fate had just the right mix of tropes and cleverness to remain throughouly enjoyable.
• 
  Brooke

  Thank you to the author and Disney Hyperion for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
  
  What a debut! This is a YA fantasy that is equally compelling, fun, and heartbreaking.
  
  It’s been a long time since I read something where I truly could not predict where the story would take me next. The world is unique with all kinds of creatures (from witches to sirens to nymphs and more) and magical artifacts, but it was written in a way that is easy to follow. You’re really thrown into the thick of it without any heavy info-dumping, which I thought was done seamlessly. You're given the perfect amount of back-story to care about several of the characters right off the bat (I really loved Calla and Ezra!).
  
  The same can be said for the ensemble cast of characters. Pretty immediately I had a sense of who these characters were. Their personalities were so fun together: a grump, a flirt, a leader, etc. This is a character focused story and the author really made me care about their group (or most of them) and what happens to them.
  
  I am so excited to see where this series leads.
  
  This book made me laugh, made me squeal, and made me cry. And the characters stuck with me even after I closed the last chapter.
  
• 
  °мαggιє° (っ⚈ᴥ⚈)っ™

  An engrossing shitshow of a book is how I would describe it. This is no fantasy; this is a romance (if it can be called that) disguised by a fantasy plot. We have a group of people plodding along on a quest which is never fully developed. The forest could be a forest preserve in Wisconsin for all the lack of world building there is. Everyone is in love with someone for no good reason. Ezra falls in love with calla to the point of loving her more than his own damn brother even thought she and he just spent a few months or less together. Plus it feels so rushed because we don’t actually see the relationship between them develop; it is there before the book started. Same with the pairings of Hannah and Delphine and kestrel and Gideon. Just seem to love each other or have one sided love all no show just tell.