This book was incredible! The dynamic cast of characters really allows for there to be something for everyone and I see this going over great with YA readers. The magic and touches of romance are so lush and rich. The author also does a fantastic job of marketing and engaging on social media.

Thank you to Disney Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A Ruinous Fate by Kaylie Smith is an exciting YA fantasy set in a magical world. The story revolves around Calliope, who left her coven years ago to go into hiding with her two best friends. The trio of witches and sirens are hanging out and having fun. But one day, while playing cards with monsters, Calla is betrayed by her ex-boyfriend. Can she team up with her ex-boyfriend and his older brother to save herself from destruction?

Here is an enchanting excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Calliope Rosewood was looking fate dead in the eye. Her opponent unfurled a devilish grin as he sifted through the black deck of cards he had been shuffling for the past few minutes. "Your move, Calliope."
At the sound of her name, Calla finally tore her gaze away from the red Witch's Die the other witch had just spilled into the center of the table - careful not to let the magic cube touch his bare skin - and looked down at the last bit of money in front of her. It was just enough to ante up this one last round."

Overall, A Ruinous Fate is an amazing YA fantasy that will appeal to fans of Once Upon a Broken Heart or Kingdom of the Wicked. One highlight of this book is the really nice world-building and unique magic system. Another highlight of this book was the magical girl vibes. The main characters are a trio of witches and sirens.

One final highlight was how it was exciting and action-packed from the start. If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that the quest began to feel tedious after a while. However, that didn't stop me from enjoying the book, and I cannot wait to read the sequel! If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA fantasy in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in January!

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!!

A Ruinous Fate has witches, a siren, Valkyrie, a Neverending forest, fate, and curses!
This is an epic YA fantasy, full of adventure.
It definitely leaves you wanting more!

Thanks to Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for an early copy to review.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for this eARC, these opinions are my own! I feel like 2023 is going to be a good year for fantasy! Calla is on the run from her Witches Queen who would see her dead rather then become The Fate God’s Blood Warrior. Every witch has a magical dice they must roll six times in their lifetime. Calla’s rolls have always been the number six leading her to be the next blood warrior. But when her ex-boyfriend and his brother convince her to go an a dangerous journey there may just be a possibility that she can escape this fate! Along with a colorful casts of characters they enter a forest filled with horrors, can they reach their destination? Can they change fate? I loved everyone in this book, Kestrel wasn’t my favorite but I understand how he was feeling in the book! I very much enjoyed Gideon and Calla! Caspian adds some fun as well! I hope that we will eventually learn more about Hannah and Delphines pasts the hints in this book are very intriguing! Ezra grew on me throughout the book! Kaylie Smith writes an fantasy adventure that is draws you in and will have you hooked till the very end! It’s got everything you need from an adventure, amazing characters, fate, curses, a dangerous forest, love, and so much more! And the ending will leave you wanting more! Highly recommend this book! Can’t wait to read it again when it comes out!

I have been hearing so much hype surrounding this book on social media and, let me tell you, it definitely lives up to it!!! The world created by the author is so intricately built and flushed out that you cannot help, but be completely immersed in the story. If this weren't enough to have you hooked, the main characters will win your heart and have you rooting for them till the very end. I highly recommend this book for any fantasy book lover!

This was a really solid and good fantasy! The magic system (with the die and curses) was unique and different, and the cast of characters were engaging and intriguing. I loved the FMC Calla and the two male leads Gideon and Ezra. They were complex, and multi-layered. The plot kept me hooked, and I am definitely looking forward to reading the sequel and seeing where this goes. It's set up enough that you know monumental things are going to happen, and I can't wait.

Will absolutely be getting this for our collection!

This story did not hook me like I expected it to and i'm not entirely 100% sure why. I liked it sure, the characters were okay and the plot was also okay... I think the 'triangle' felt a little forced and somewhat cruel to me. Brothers is always a hard no for me.

I did like the cast of characters we meet, and I will most likely grab book two to see where this goes, but it was a bit of a slow start to the series for me.

thank you for the early copy.

Thank you to Netgalley, Disney Publishing Worldwide/Disney Hyperion and the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for a review.

This book was so much fun!! I've been in a fantasy rut for a while but these characters grabbed my heart and didn't let go. Everyone was so vibrant and unique, which kept me reading through the slower-paced worldbuilding aspects. I feel like this is one of those books I would have obsessed over as a teen. I was always looking for queer representation and this book had so much, as well as racial and body type diversity. I can't wait for the sequel!

Thank you, Disney Publishing Worldwide, for allowing me to read Ruinous Fate early!

Kaylie Smith wrote a splendid fantasy debut, full of passion, adventure, intrigue and emotions.

Thank you to Netgalley, Disney Publishing Worldwide/Disney Hyperion and the author for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy. This honest review was based off my experience reading this eARC, which in no way biased me. All opinions are my own.

Do you like any or all of the following?
-Witches (and other supernatural beings)
-Magic
-Found Family
-Lovers to enemies
-Forced Proximity
-A creepy (but also cool) forest, that may or may not be trying to kill its visitors
-Lots of wonderful diverse characters
-and my favorite BISEXUAL REPRESENTATION.

Then you should definitely read this.


My favorite part was the characters. They are all so different and work beautifully to make this group work. I mean, THEY’RE ALL PRETTY BEST FRIENDS. It’s honestly unfair. Delphine and Caspian own my heart, I love them so much.

The magic magic system that is in this book I am very intrigued by. I’m very excited to learn more about the Onyx witch, Rouge witch, siphon magics and THE DICE. THE CURSES.

There were moments that felt a bit slow to me, BUT THE ENDING WAS JAM PACKED. How are you just going to end it like that…

I am in my mid-twenties, a bit out of the target age audience. This is one of those books that I read as an adult and appreciate, but I know that teen me would have OBSESSED over this book for years. Like this would be a MAJOR part of my personality. The representation in this book (body types, race, LGBTQ+, etc.) is so important, and as a plus sized queer woman, this book probably would have helped me realize my queerness sooner.

All in all I enjoyed reading this and look forward to the rest of the series. Definitely will be reading more of this author’s work in the future.

Congratulations on your debut novel Kay 🥰

Thank you to Disney Hyperion and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Oh my stars, I cannot stop thinking about this book. I am absolutely in awe of Kaylie Smith’s masterful storytelling and the way she sucks you into this world. I fell in love with the characters and I felt all of the things that they felt throughout their journey. I laughed with them, I cried with them, my jaw dropped with them. I was hesitant about starting this book because I had been so burnt out on high fantasy, but “A Ruinous Fate” cured me. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. Five stars across the board.

If you love fantasy and romance, you'll be excited for this one. To use magic, the witches in this world are bound to the roll of the dice. So far, Calliope Rosewoods' rolls have all been the number six, which may mean that she is fated to be a dangerous warrior. Between her rolls and her magic, which is a power that even has other witches scared, Calla wants to change her fate. When she meets two brothers, she may have found the key to changing her fate, but she in the process she may lose her heart.

"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.

*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, period.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Disney Hyperion and of course, Kaylie Smith, for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review!