A review by readingthestars
A Ruinous Fate by Kaylie Smith

5.0

"If the Fates were going to use her as a pawn anyway - she might as well play to win."

What a debut!!

A Ruinous Fate is a fun and twisty tale of Calla, a young witch whose fate is controlled by the literal rolls of a die. She's known for years that she is potentially destined for a sinister purpose, and is trying everything in her power to prevent it from coming true. Living with her two friends, Hannah and Delphine, she soon gets involved with Ezra Black, whose actions lead them on a quest to save Calla - and Ezra's brother, Gideon.

First thing I noticed with this book was the characters - they're all unique and interesting and have such good relationships with each other. Not "good" as in completely a-okay, no problems or arguments here, but "good" as in complex and realistic. The banter, especially between Delphine and Ezra, had me laughing so many times. Each character has their own backstory that has led them to this moment where they are all together, but there's still more to discover about each person. There's a lot of walking in this first book, which means a lot of time dedicated to the characters' interactions. Some people may find that somewhat boring, but this kind of story is right up my alley, since found family is my favorite trope. I love seeing opposing characters interact, and there was nothing in the plot that was slow for me. I found the pacing to be pretty good. Right away, the stakes are introduced and then built upon up until the finale.

It took a little bit to get into this world at first, simply because it's so big and has many rules to get used to. But I got the hang of it soon enough, and just fell in love with the characters. So far, we've only explored a small portion of the (very gorgeous, may I add!) map, and I can't wait to potentially travel to more realms as the story continues. There's a lot to work with in this world, and it could lead to some very interesting plot lines.

I need to dedicate a whole paragraph to Gideon because I LOVE GIDEON. The romantic tension between him and Calla had me gasping the whole time, and I love his calm and protective attitude. I also really like seeing sibling relationships in stories, as there's a lot to explore between how siblings interact with each other, so I enjoyed seeing Ezra and Gideon argue and discuss things. They're siblings sure, but they have very different upbringings and expectations, leading to some disagreements between them as well. They're both fiercely protective of who they care about (*cough* Calla *cough*) and each other.

I ended up highlighting a lot of lines in this book. The last 10% had me on the edge of my seat, unable to look away. There was one part where I read the end of the chapter and just gasped so loudly as things took a turn - I really don't know how the characters are going to fix everything in the next book, but I can't wait to see how they do (or attempt to)!

Thanks to NetGalley, Disney Hyperion, and Kaylie Smith for providing me with a copy of this book. This review represents my honest opinion.

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8/2/22: So good!! Review and rating to come. <3