For fans of DND, dice rolling, and taking chances, you’re going to want to checkout A Ruinous Fate. With a group cast which will have you wondering who you want to protect, A Ruinous Fate is an adventure story with a firm foundation in characters. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
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.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
My first thought when starting A Ruinous Fate was, “this is giving me major DND vibes”. Look, it’s not the first dice rolling game I’ve played, but it’s certainly the OG one in my mind. That’s kind of all I knew about A Ruinous Fate before reading. And while it’s definitely true, there’s dice magic, it’s not really explained in depth until about halfway through. While the magic was explained a bit more later in the book – although a bit late for my very rule oriented brain – once I let go of the idea of rules for magic and embraced the vibe, I sunk into the character and the adventure.
And what characters they are. By the end, I was screaming a bit because A Ruinous Fate has sirens and OMG I LOVE SIRENS. Yes the dice rolling magic intrigued me, but if you had told me sirens, I would have dropped everything and ran. Not only that, but the side characters are intriguing with miles of backstory that I cannot wait to explore more in the sequel. And as soon as the action begins, you’ll be swept into an adventure of danger and enchantment. A Ruinous Fate also examines – maybe obviously so from the title – fate.
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With mythological creatures which range from intriguing all the way to downright terrifying, A Ruinous Fate is a solid series starter. You kind of have to embrace a more nebulous magic system of vibes until some more answers are given, but if you can let it go, you’ll discover a story grounded in character. In dynamics of love lost and love tenderly waiting to form. Of friendships, family relationships that can go sour, and more. Find A Ruinous Fate on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.