A Forbidden Fate

A Forbidden Fate Series, Book 1

A centuries-long war, an enchanted wood, and a curse.

Idalia leaves her castle to marry the new king of the Deep, certain that this union will be the final step in saving her kingdom. She must travel through the Florian Wood, a mysterious place shrouded in legend and myth. Things go awry when the Princess is captured by a band of thieves, and they soon discover that the stories of the Wood weren’t just stories after all.

To make matters worse, she is stranded in this nightmare with her rival: a shameless bandit who likes to talk and drink too much. Despite the dangers of the Wood, there is a threat far graver to the both of them—each other. Apart from their warring lands, they have also been cursed by the gods. They can never touch, or they will die, and their entire kingdoms with them.

Join Idalia and a group of misfits on this harrowing journey. One full of sorrow, terror, forbidden love… and plenty of drinks.

©2022 Kaven Hirning (P)2024 Dreamscape Media

Pleasantly surprised me.

I’ve had a good stretch of DNF books that were disappointing or books that I went ahead and finished but wasn’t interested enough to read the next book in the series. I’ve been looking for my next good read. I started this one assuming I’d probably not even finish it. I was pleasantly surprised! I even bought the next one already.

The FMC wasn’t perfect, but wasn’t actively irritating. She didn’t just ASSUME she was being betrayed by the MMC and hate him over a misunderstanding. They didn’t cling to the enemies-to-lovers trope just to be contrary or to spite her own happiness. She was amusing and actually pretty likable.

I’m rooting for this crew!

All the magical vibes

This book is a fantasy fever dream, and I’m not ready to wake up! It has everything I love: an enchanted forest, a forbidden romance packed with slow-burn angst, and an ending that had me one-clicking the second book before I even caught my breath.

Abigail Reno and Chase T. Walker absolutely nailed Idalia and Braizen’s dual POVs—I was hooked from start to finish.

If you love magical vibes, angsty romance, banter that makes you laugh out loud, and stories that keep you up far too late, grab this one ASAP.

I liked that it switches between the two main characters POVs so that we can see both of their thoughts and feelings

Friends to enemies to allies to lovers to enemies to lovers. The world building is perfectly intertwined into the plot. You learn more about their world and lore as they do. SO MUCH YEARNING

Unsatisfying

Interesting storyline but I was bored. I kept waiting for something to happen. I didn’t enjoy it.

Male narrator voice is tough

Kaven, girl. I swear on the lady and the guard that this man who is narrating is at least 60 and with loose dentures. He is supposed to be playing someone who is 25 and during his time talking, I just kept getting pulled out of the story. I had a similar speech impediment while I was wearing a flipper/retainer before getting my tooth implant and was sensitive to my own. So I get it but no thank you for hiring him to narrate. The woman did a great job and could have done the whole book.