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.

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 :(

A Ruinous Fate was such an enjoyable read! I loved the mystery & journey. The romantic tension characters was perfect, There were two characters that I struggled to differentiate until a little bit later in the story, otherwise, I really loved this story and cant wit to see where this series goes!

#ARuinousFate #NetGalley Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel. I encourage you to check this one out! Really solid read.

This book is one fast-paced, exciting adventure and I loved every minute of it! I read this book in nearly one sitting. I just couldn’t stop, it was so freaking good. I can't even believe this is a debut! You know when you meet certain people and just know that what they are doing is exactly what they were put on this earth to do? Yeah, this author was absolutely meant to be a writer and I’m so blessed to have had the experience of reading this story.

This book has all you could want in a fantasy world: prophecies, witches, sirens, valkyrie, old gods, legendary monstrous creatures, and so much more. There’s a diverse cast of magical beings and I loved the inclusive representation of identities.

All the characters have distinct personalities, are well-developed, and are loveable in their own ways. The theme of found family is so cute. They’re a broody band of misfits full of charm, emotional damage, and hilarious banter. And the girl-power friendships - yes! There are complex relationship dynamics between several characters. I’m obsessed with the swoon-worthy triangles that were happening.

The plot is a whirlwind of high-stakes, action-packed, never-a-dull-moment, scenes. The world is painted in vivid imagery that transported me into the story. The lore is rich, intriguing, never too dense to follow, and I was absorbed into this world. The best thing about this story is how it flows seamlessly. Everything feels real, natural, believable, immersive. It’s an expertly crafted narrative experience.

I only had one issue while reading. I got confused several times when there were narrative/perspective shifts. Because I had an early digital copy, I’m guessing that some of the confusion is due to the fact that it hadn’t yet been typeset properly. Hopefully in the final version it will have some type of indication (a line or marker of some sort) when it switches between the characters’ points of views to make this clearer to the reader.

The cliffhanger! OMG, I need the next book immediately! How am I going to make it another year without getting more of this??? I literally don't know, but I can tell you I will absolutely be reading this one again in anticipation for the sequel release (and I very rarely re-read books). Love, love, love this story. All the stars!

I thought that this was okay. There was too much going on so I wasn't really sure how to effectively divide my attention between everything, and it left me feeling a bit lost in the story. I also wish that the characters had a bit more meat to them--they just weren't fleshed out the way they needed to be to make this story have enough depth. While I am interested in the next book/more from this author, I hope that the next installment is a bit more polished/concise, and the characters get some more work!

I enjoyed Calla's fiery determination and the super interesting ways she uses blood magic! The witch's dice and the different varieties of magic were fun and unusual world building.

i had a very hard time trying to figure out what i would rate this book and it ultimately came down to how i felt this book was executed. i think that the story had a lot of potential but there was just a bit too much going on where i felt like i didn't know what to focus on. the bulk of my issues with this book comes from the characters simply because i felt like they could have been fleshed out more. they were coming off a little one dimensional but i have hope that will be rectified with the release of the next book. i will say that i did enjoy the story at times and some of the characters and i am interested to see where the author will take the story.

This was a super quick & enjoyable read. I liked Calla and her two friends and I thought the magic system was interesting with the Witches’ Dice and blood magic and such. There is a love triangle between Calla and two brothers, and while I think it’s pretty obvious who she’s going to end up with, I kind of liked both of them and thought that one of them was done a little dirty. I also thought there were a few too many POVs, they jump around a lot and I wasn’t interested in the ones for a couple of the side characters. I’m also not sure if I 100% understood everything that was going on with the Fates, Gods, curses, etc. but I do think this has potential to be a good series.

Thank you to Disney Publishing Worldwide and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall: A quick read featuring an engaging world of witches, Valkyries, sirens, and fae. Despite being over 400 pages, the action-packed plot kept the story moving at a breakneck pace that left me impatient for the next title in the series!

Characters: The main characters of this story are Calliope Rosewood, a Rouge witch with Siphon abilities, Ezra Black, an Onyx Prince and Calliope's ex, and Gideon Black, Ezra's older brother. The three find themselves in a tangled love triangle that is only just starting to form by the end of the book and will likely serve as the central subplot/character conflict of the series. They are joined by a cast of friends and associates who assist them in their quest to find the Witch Eater in the Neverending Forest. Each party member seemed well developed with their own backstories, trauma, motivations, etc.

Plot: Calliope and Gideon share a potentially disastrous fate of becoming the final Blood Warrior and starting the predestined war between the Witches and Fates. In order to reset their rolls of Witch’s Dice (rolling 6 times places you under a Witch Queen’s command, rolling the same six numbers makes you a Blood Warrior destined to fight on the Fates’ side in the War) the pair must obtain a series of MacGuffin spell ingredients and bring them to the Witch Eater in the Neverending Forest. The enchanted forest is incredibly dangerous and hostile to outsiders. The party has to overcome a slew of obstacles to complete their quest, both internal and external. The story ends soon after their encounter with the Witch Eater on an emotional cliffhanger.

Worldbuilding: The world that Smith has built is the story’s strongest selling point. It’s fantasy world with a mix of races and magical abilities like many others, but one that was made unique by the addition of the Witch’s Dice and the predestined war to come. I’m still not super clear on how the dice system works, but I’m willing to let future books in the series explain in more detail.

It's a super slow start, but the characters would definitely appeal to younger readers. The story just never grabbed me.

Featuring a creative world with unique rules, an ensemble cast going on an adventure, and multiple romantic tensions, A Ruinous Fate kept me turning every page with anticipation. 3.5/5 stars

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.

ya um everyone buy this book like rn like im so serious. Thank you Kaylie Smith and NetGalley for this ARC.

A Ruinous Fate started off promising. I enjoyed learning about Calla’s life, including the dark power she’s hiding, her past, and her relationship with her two friends and roommates. The beginning of the story is action packed, and the idea of magical die—called Witch’s Dice—that control your fate is really cool. I also really liked both Calla and Gideon’s characters.

However, unfortunately, the book as a whole ended up being a case of “it’s just not for me.” I’m not a huge fan of the writing style. It’s too choppy for my tastes, as I tend to prefer a more lyrical writing style.

It doesn’t help that my ARC was not formatted properly. I understand that ARCS are uncorrected proofs, so I don’t count errors against my reviews; however, this ARC needed some more editing before it was sent out.

As much as I love reading about creepy forests, the Neverending Forest feels a little, well, neverending. A lot of the plot consists of obstacles and conversations where it feels like the characters walk and talk in circles.

That being said, the ending of the book definitely amps up the stakes, and I think it sets up an intriguing situation for the sequel.

Thank you so much to Disney Publishing and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I couldn’t get very far in this book because when you are fantasy world-building do not use modern colloquial language! This really strikes me as amateur and lacking in creativity. It completely undermines suspension of disbelief.

I absolutely devoured A RUINOUS FATE. Once I started, I could not put this down. I could have easily read this book in a day if I had the opportunity to do so. Kaylie Smith perfectly captures the essence that makes the band of misfits on a quest such an entertaining trope. Smith's worldbuilding is on point and even if Illustros would most likely kill me, it's a world I would love to explore.

The characters are full of life, the romantic tension is delicious (and complicated), and Smith has given readers a flawed heroine in Calliope (Calla) Rosewood that you can't help but cheer for. While there are many tense dynamics between the group, there are also wonderful points of levity (mainly thanks to Cass). The last chapter and epilogue had me screaming. I NEED to know what happens next!

A RUINOUS FATE is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's SIX OF CROWS and I cannot wait to be able to get this into the hands of teens that love YA fantasy novels.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide in exchange for an honest review.

The story is great. Calla is a young witch who left her coven and banded together with another witch and a siren. She seemed to be doing okay, except, once in a while, her half-witch/half-siphon side is trouble. Her being a half-witch is a "big deal". Calla is not only cursed with being a half-witch, but also her magic rolls are terrible and could possibly get her killed once she rolls all 6 of her dice. Her experiences caused her to strengthen her glamor and drop her witchy training so she can focus on staying low, because if she rolls the wrong combination, the Rogue Queen will kill her. Except for her 2 girlfriends, Calla just doesn't do well trusting others. Then she meets Ezra, who is "mean" to her because he likes her too much. Ezra messes up her life more, but it's not really like he had a choice. The plot picks up when Calla meets Ezra's brother, who is much better about articulating his feelings even with his own agenda.

I had issues with Ezra. He's got his own problems and I feel bad, but I also felt that he was using it as an excuse for his attitude.

One of the reasons why I was most interested in reading A Ruinous Fate - I thought it would be something more DnD meets supernatural and fantasy. To my great disappointment, besides rolling dice, there is nothing DnD related about this book. I could see my high schoolers eating this series up, especially with an open ending like this. I love the diversity of the characters, especially the relationships, and how everything flows (like fate?). I appreciated the author's world building, and there's a lot more showing (inferences) than telling. I think that really works for the story and really keeps the reader engaged. I can see myself enjoying a second readthrough. The pacing is quick and a page turner.

This book reminded me why I love fantasy so much. I was so happy reading this, so many loveable characters, a very interesting world building and a great introduction to the authors writing! I cannot wait to see where this goes in the future!

What a perfect YA romance with the dash of magic, romance, incredible word building and solid plot line. In my opinion, this deserves 5 stars and so much more