Book: Of Fates & Ruin by Alaya Wells
Reviewed by kizziisreads
Rating: 5/5
I received this book as an ARC for free in return for my honest review. I was not paid, these are my own thoughts & opinions. Thank you to Alaya Wells, and to TheNerdFam for the chance to read and review this arc! I do apologize for the late review.
Oh, my lord.
Can I go back and read that for the first time again? The drama. The tension. The heartbreak. The YEARNING.
Of Fates & Ruin (OF&R) follows the story of Isi, a crown princess who infiltrates an enemy kingdom to avenge the death of her younger sister. It also follows our MMC Trew, who just so happens to the King of the court Isi is infiltrating.
There are some scenes that could be triggering for some. Please make sure to read the trigger warnings before reading this!
The book is told mostly from Isi's POV. There are a few chapters where the POV shifts to Trew, usually directly following an event or important point, occasionally continuing the story from his side.
OF&R starts out almost hunger games like. Isi arrives to the rebel kingdom and learns that the people there are here to enter a Rite to bond with an animal. In order to find answers, she enters. You can see the inspiration that Alaya Wells took, and crafted with her own style. The stakes are high, you either come out of this Rite alive, or dead.
Many of the scenes from the Rite broke me. I had guessed some outcomes, but also didn't. I rooted for a couple I thought was cute. Furthermore, Iurthermore, I cried. I raged. And that's just from one arc!
One thing that I truly love, is throughout the majority of the book, Wells does such a good job of making sure you as the reader, and in the book, know that Isi is not some weak, sniveling princess. She starts out very naive, yes. But you can see there's fight in her, in the fact that this is all she's known. But she quickly changes when her sister is murdered. This is a woman who can stand on her own, fight her own battles, and face down her own demons without any help.
If you love trials, and found family, and dragons, and bonds with incredible creatures, and an FMC with true strength, then I feel like you will LOVE this book. I fell in love. I rode the emotional roller-coaster. This book for me, deserves 6🌟. Easily one of the best books I have read this year.