A Fate So Cold by Amanda Foody and CL Herman

4 Stars

432 Pages
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group, Tor Teen
Release Date: November 4, 2025

Fiction, Teens, Young Adult, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Romance

The country of Alderlands is about to begin its winter season. The Order of Magicians is concerned that the storms are becoming worse and the upcoming season will be the worst to come. The magicians in the Order are each bound to a Living Wand. When an important Living wand begins to thaw waiting to be bound to a person, they know it could be catastrophic. Domenic Barrow, an underachiever, was chosen by the want. Ellery Caldwell, upset that the wand did not chose her, goes out to the great alban tree. When she was a child and used her magic for the first time, the alban tree gave her a seed. Now the tree senses the seed and produced the first Living wand created in modern times.

Domenic is the summer champion hailed to save the Alderlands from winter. With Ellery having a winter wand, she is now the winter champion. They must work together to save their world and find the saboteur. If you like fantasy young adult stories, you will enjoy this book.

These authors delivered a frosty gut punch with A Fate So Cold, an atmospheric, emotionally charged fantasy that gripped me from the first page and didn’t let go until the final devastating twist.
The premise alone promised high stakes: a land torn between relentless seasonal magic, two Chosen Ones wielding opposing forces, and a prophecy demanding blood. But what really made the story shine was how personal it all felt. Domenic Barrow, the reluctant hero, and Ellery Caldwell, the perfectionist haunted by her own power, were two sides of the same coin—flawed, determined, and desperately trying to do the right thing in a world where that might not be possible.
Their dynamic crackled with tension, not just magical but emotional. It wasn’t a love story, exactly—but it was intimate, aching, and intensely human. Watching them unravel their destinies together, knowing the inevitable end might pit them against each other, added a level of tragic suspense that had me holding my breath more than once.
The pacing occasionally stuttered in the middle, especially as the world-building leaned a bit heavy, but it more than made up for it in the climax, which was both heart-wrenching and utterly satisfying.
This wasn’t just a fantasy epic; it was a haunting meditation on choice, fate, and the fine line between enemies and something far more complicated. I’ll be counting down the days until the sequel—because after that ending, how could I not?
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much for the chance to read A FATE SO COLD!

Much of what I’ve come to love about this writing duo is the snappy quality of the writing. It really shines here, especially anytime Dom and El can flex their flirty banter. I think I’d find it very, very easy to fall in love with Dom Barrow in real life! While I enjoyed both MCs, I thought Dom brought a fresh perspective to the Chosen One trope, and just a unique voice as far as male fantasy leads go.

Another thing I loved from this book was the entire lore around the living wands. I love how they were all unique, some creepy, and felt, well…living! It was neat to read a book where magic was so intrinsically physical—every time a spell was used it truly felt like they were calling it from their blood/heart/soul. The sky is the limit for magic as long as you can take it. I did wonder what exactly they learned at the academy though. There was a lack of detail about the study of magic in general, which would be okay except the entire concept of the school.

The ending was satisfactory. I actually wasn’t sure whether Dom or El would come out on top until the end. In terms of leaving me wanting the next book…it didn’t give me that breathless, “need it now” feeling. I actually think it could have been fine just as a standalone, but I’m willing to see where it goes next in case it surprises me!

I only have one major gripe, and it doesn’t have to do with the book itself. Rather, the blurb:
“Until they discover the unthinkable truth. The Chosen Two aren’t fated allies, but eternal rivals, and the only way to save their home is for one of them to slay the other.”
I honestly think this should be REMOVED from the official blurb. The discovery of them being fated to kill the other doesn’t happen until 75% of the way through. It felt like it should have been a twist, but because it was in the blurb I’d spent the entire book waiting for this revelation—so when it finally came it felt strange, and almost flat. When I recommend this book to people it will be with the caveat to go in blind, because I think knowing about the “eternal rivals” twist is a disservice to the plot.

Overall, a good read! Some very high points throughout, and Dom will go down as a forever favourite MC.