Really cool magic system coupled with a forbidden romance!

While it's almost 500 pages, the pacing was quite good and I didn't feel like it was a drag to get through.

The character development for Katerina and Niko are wonderfully well done. Even the villains have great storylines and character arcs.

I was expecting a bit more romance given how it was advertised but for fans of slow burn and fade-to-black, this one is for you.

I had a bit of a hard time following the Dimis, Shadows, and Vilas concept at the beginning but the world building quickly filled in those gaps.

*Fate and Fury* by Emily Colin is an absolutely thrilling, heart-pounding read that will sweep you off your feet! From the very first page, Colin hooks you with a captivating mix of romance, suspense, and intrigue. The story follows a powerful connection between two characters bound by fate, but with so many twists and turns, you never quite know what’s coming next.

Colin’s writing is rich and evocative, bringing the characters and their world to life in such a vivid way. The chemistry between the leads is electric, and their emotional journey is both raw and beautiful. The stakes are high, the tension is palpable, and the pacing never lets up, making it impossible to put the book down.

With a perfect blend of passion, mystery, and a dash of fate, *Fate and Fury* is a rollercoaster of emotions. It’s a must-read for anyone who loves a gripping, unforgettable story that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end!

“One for the fire, two for the storm.” 🤍

Magic, prophecies, forbidden love and a darkness threatening to destroy everything - sounds like quite the adventure, right?

Reading Fate and Fury was like going on an unexpected journey without knowing what awaits when you get there. The description might prepare you for a few plot points but it doesn't prepare you for the feelings of anguish and pure internal (and external, depending on the situation) torment that Katerina and Niko experience throughout the story. The depiction of said feelings was vivid and you could almost feel what they were feeling. It was PAINFUL at times like give them a break please 😭.

The writing in this book was beautiful. It's descriptive in nature, so I will say it might not be for everyone. However, when it comes to fantasy - even more so, fantasy with rich lore as its basis - I find myself enjoying and almost craving vivid descriptions, the writing which will make me feel jealous I am not actively part of this world. Not that I'm asking to come face-to-face with the ever-growing Darkness... I think I'll leave that in the capable hands of Katerina and Niko. The descriptions are not burdening the book, in fact they enrich this world and paint it with beautiful colours.

"No matter where she was, he was home."

I enjoyed the multiple perspectives! This is one of the few cases where we , aside from the main character's perspective, we get POVs of the villain(s) of the story whose intentions/actions/thoughts are not a predictable black & white hue. Even the villains of the story had their own reasonings - some were more twisted than others but you do get exposed to their side of things. One of the revealed villains though I could do without....thanks! Selfish purposes.

The lore and backstory of this world were so interesting to read about - saints, prophecies, different roles for each character. We get exposed to pieces of this backstory slowly throughout the book and each time it added a bit more to what we knew.

I would have liked, perhaps due to the description of this book, to spend more time at the actual trials. I found fascinating the political side of this story - when our two main characters attended the trials and they interacted with the ruling figures/establishment. I thought they would play a larger role; however, it was in the beginning and didn't take up much time. It was such a promising point, which I was looking forward to, and there was not enough time spent there. Obviously, the plot ventured towards a different direction - which IS hinted at - but the trials were a personal preference of mine.

Overall, such an enjoyable first instalment in this duology! Given THAT cliffhanger... could the second book please magically appear in front of me?? Because what do you MEAN we have to wait??

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Emily Colin, and Black Orchid Books for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review - all the aforementioned opinions are my own.

Go read this! 🤍

A page-turning, fantasy romance set in a unique, immersive world with elemental magic, forbidden romance, and possibly realm shattering consequences. 4 🌟s

- If a Dimi and Shadow lay together, demon-infested Darkness would fall upon Iriska and overtake the realm. The prophecy was sacred. Defying it was unthinkable.

Pledged to protect the realm of Iriska from demonic invasion alongside her blood-sworn Shadow, Katerina Ivanova is the strongest Dimi in three centuries and one of few in history to wield command over all four elements. Katerina and Niko do their best to go unnoticed by the political ruler of Iriska, protect their village, and ignore the forbidden desires that burn between them. As Katerina and Niko are forced to compete in the Bone Moon trials and darkness threatens their world in ways never seen before, Dimi and Shadow are forced to confront their feelings for one another and the dire reverberations that result.

“Break me, then.,” she said, a challenge. “Break me like your promises.”

Fate and Fury quickly seizes the reader into an emotional whirlwind that does not halt. It opens mid-action and immediately thrusts the reader into the story. The world building and mythos is intricate and layered. It starts off very dense. I found it slow going at first but once the story starts moving, the lore becomes much easier to follow.

I absolutely loved the tension and build-up between Katrina and Niko. There is so much longing, angst, and just raw emotion that builds and builds. Katrina is fierce and determined. She is intuitive but comes across as arrogant at times. Niko is a loyal protector and tries to do what is just and fair.

“It was a beautiful night to burn, and a ridiculous one to die.”

The true antagonist was so very well crafted. I detested them from the beginning. I also enjoyed the complexities of many of the side characters and the alternate POVs. I do wish the story would have included scenes from Niko’s POV though.

I cannot wait to read the second book in the The Bone Moon Duology and you can bet that I’ll be picking it up as soon as it is released!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Emily Colin for the opportunity to read this in advance. This is my honest review.

Tropes:
-elemental magic/witches
-Slavic-inspired but also contains fallen angel lore
-magical trails & combat
-prophecy
-forbidden romance
-low spice/fade to black
-childhood best friends

In Fate and Fury, Emily Colin delivers a captivating blend of elemental magic, forbidden love, and a world inspired by Slavic legends. This rich and immersive tale draws readers into Iriska, a land where ancient prophecies, fierce warriors, and demonic forces collide.
Katerina Ivanova is a Dimi, a warrior with command over all four elements. Alongside her Shadow, Niko, she protects Iriska’s portals to the Underworld. Their blood-bond is sacred, but their love is forbidden—a love that could unleash an ancient darkness foretold by prophecy. When they’re recruited to compete for a place in Iriska’s elite force, their connection is tested like never before, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

The Slavic-inspired setting added a unique and enchanting depth to the story, with its mythology and traditions woven seamlessly into the plot. Katerina is a powerful, determined protagonist, and the concept of Dimis as warrior women bonded to Shadows was both original and empowering.
The romance between Katerina and Niko was emotional and forbidden in the best way, adding layers of tension to every scene (closed door/fade to black). The multiple perspectives, especially the villain’s, added complexity and kept me reading.

While the story is compelling, the rivalry between Elena and Katerina felt unnecessary. I wished the focus had remained on celebrating the strength of these women rather than pitting them against each other.

Still, Fate and Fury was a thrilling read through a richly imagined world with high-stakes conflict, a unique magic system, and a heartbreaking love story. The ending left me eager to see what’s next for book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! I really enjoyed the unique world-building and intriguing power system. While it was a bit confusing at first, it didn’t take long to understand the distinctions between Dimis, Shadows, and Vilas. Katerina was an incredible FMC, and I admired her determination to fight for Niko. I wasn’t entirely a fan of the possessive language like 'you’re mine' and 'you belong to me,' but within the context of this world, it made sense for the characters. I’m excited to read the next installment and will definitely keep an eye out for the continuation of this story!

I absolutely enjoyed this book! The storyline felt unique and the characters amazing. I had a bit of an issue with some of the side characters once in a while, but besides that I enjoyed it!

I liked the pacing of the writing as well a the twists and turns. I absolutely recommend reading this book! Cant wait for more.

Katerina Ivanova has many secrets, but two of them could get her killed. Firstly, in a world where nature dictates that magic users only have power over one element, Katerina can control all four. Secondly, despite being bound to her by magic, her feelings for her Shadow, Niko, goes far beyond what is allowed for their relationship. With more and more unexplained events erupting around the two of them, Katerina has to discover what -or who- is putting those around her in such danger.

The magic in this book was one of its highlights, and I liked that there was a lot that it did differently from other recent books in its genre. In particular, I liked Katerina and Niko a lot as characters, and I thought that the villains that the book set up were creative and engaging. The high stakes and deep worldbuilding made for a good balance of action and exposition, and I thought that the tension was well-paced. There was enough to keep me reading, but not so much that it was difficult to keep up with.

The concept of having two people with a connection so deep that it transcends any marriage the other party enters into is fine, but expecting me to believe that no one has ever taken things further simply because romantic relationships with their counterparts are forbidden? Despite the attempted rationalization in the story, I just don’t think it’s realistic. I also thought that the ending came on very suddenly, and finished at an awkward place in the story. Those points aside, I did enjoy this book very much, and I will most definitely be reading the sequel. Many thanks to NetGalley and Black Orchid Books for this ARC. This is my honest review.

4/5 Beautifully written, action-heavy, and delightfully twisty.

Fate and Fury was a very fun read set in a magical world. The characters were engaging and the romance was enough to be believable but not overdone or forced, creating one hell of an emotional roller coaster. One thing I would have loved was more of an exploration of what Dimis, Shadows, and Vilas actually are and why they are different, as I feel that I lacked understanding of the concepts throughout the whole book beyond that one has magic, one has a dog form, and the other just exists to be a wife. Other than this, I really did love the book. It was fast paced in a good way and very enjoyable to read.

Thank you to Emily Collin and Black Orchid Books for this ARC

I really wanted to love this more than I did. The forbidden romance, world building and magic system were quite intriguing.

But many parts dragged or felt repetitive. I just could not get into it like I wanted to.

3.5⭐️

What really caught my interest was how this book started right in with the action and I loved the whole magic system and world building! That being said, the reason I’ve given a 3.5 rating is because some of some of the characters - at times they came across as juvenile which took me out of the magic of the story occasionally.
I also wish there was a POV from Niko - he was the only one really missing!
There’s also opportunity for some spice in certain scenes, but that’s just my personal preference and not for everyone.

Overall, I did enjoy this and look forward to the next instalment.

3.75 stars! This was a different style of romantasy than I typically read, and I enjoyed the unique forms of magic and world building. The world building was a little confusing for me, at first, but i definitely got my head wrapped around it and found myself immersed in it! The storyline was very different and pacing made it really easy to keep my interest engaged!

As for the romance - who doesn’t love a forbidden love? ;) Niko and Katya deserve the world, and I can’t wait to see them again in the next book! The sexy scenes were definitely mild, so I wouldn’t say this is a spicy read, but it was still romantic and cute and made me feel giddy for them.

As for secondary characters, my favorites were Ana and Gadreel - I’m holding out hope he turns out to be morally grey!

Thank you to NetGalley, Black Orchid Books, and Emily Colin for the eARC of this book. I am leaving my honest review after reading!

Thanks to Victoria Editing NetGalley Co-op for allowing me to ARC read Fate and Fury by Emily Colin!

Fate and Fury jumps right into the emotional rollercoaster of Katerina's world from page 1. The incredible journey that Katerina embarks on lays a few of the building blocks that will lead us into the next installment of The Bone Moon Duology. Sadly, I don't think this book was for me for a few big reasons:

Firstly, Katerina needed more character development. We didn't learn enough about her to fully understand her perspective and root for her. There were so many moments where I felt simply annoyed with her. Thinking about similar book series that are popular right now, those stories were able to burrow into the facets of the main character to help the reader feel tied to their journey. I didn't feel that connection with Katerina.

Secondly, I felt in all honesty this book had a bit of an identity crisis. I don't think the book description or cover quotes do justice to the immense story that is Fate and Fury. For example, there were only a few chapters about the Bone Trials through the beginning and then it was essentially never really discussed again. Same with the Kniaz and potentially working for him. It seemed like a missed opportunity that could have been further delved into or perhaps skipped entirely to avoid reader confusion. It was so much information crammed in that you felt fatigued from trying to remember names, locations, and traditions.

My third struggle was with the relationship between Katerina and her shadow, Niko. It is mentioned time after time, like in the above quote, that he knows her like the back of his hand and that they're so close. But their interactions were surface at best. I did not feel the emotional depth and pull of their relationship whatsoever. When they finally acted on their darkest wishes, the interactions were just disappointing. I want to be screaming from the top of a hill cheering for them to finally kiss and that was not this at all. Niko's actions and the way he spoke to Katerina were honestly one night stand-ish and self-serving. If Fate and Fury is to be recommended to lovers of Carissa Broadbent, then there needs to be a lot more pining, lust, and slow-burn romance.

Emily Colin's writing was excellent and has insane potential. Unfortunately, all of her incredibly descriptive writing and imagination got lost amidst the chaos of the story. If Fate and Fury could have been spread out between more books, I think it could have been more successful.

I crushed this book! Overall I really enjoyed Fate and Fury. The storyline was very unique and was one I haven’t come across in other Romantasy books. Plus the magic system in this is also super unique. Which I love to see! My favorite part is definitely the forbidden romance between main characters Niko and Katerina. Their relationship as Shadow and Dimi means they can never be together and even has a prophecy saying the world will basically end if a Shadow and a Dimi ever fall in love. The tension and obvious love between them was really well written and I loved all of the emotions that come with their forbidden romance.

I thought the pacing was really good in this book. It’s over 400 pages but never felt long. The action and romance in this makes it a fast read and I never wanted to put it down! There is a lot happening in this and with the added villains and darkness spreading through the land there is so much to look forward to in the next book. I will definitely be reading the second book when it comes out!

Fate and Fury is book one in The Bone Moon Duology by Emily Colin.
Y’all I can’t wait for the second title.
A compelling adult romantasy that was damn near impossible to put down.
A forbidden romance with engaging characters and a world that sucks you completely in.
The Slavic inspiration was done so well here. The writing and pace makes this book hard to put down.

Just finished Fate & Fury and honestly, I had a pretty good time with it! I’d give it 3.75 stars. The storyline was super unique, and the magic systems felt fresh and different—definitely a strong point. The villain characters? Top-notch. They’re so multi-dimensional that you’re left wondering about their motives, which I love. Can’t wait to see where this all goes in book two.

I thought the pacing was really well done! Not too slow and not too fast! The perfect amount to keep me engaged.

That said, the characters sometimes came off a bit juvenile, which pulled me out of the story here and there. And while the book is marketed as adult romantasy, the spice was really minimal. Personally, I’d have liked to see more open-door scenes to match that “adult” label, but if you’re someone who doesn’t mind or prefers less of that, you’ll be fine!

Oh, and Niko! Why no POV for him? We get perspectives for the other main characters, so his absence felt like a missed opportunity. But overall, it kept my attention, and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for the next one. If you like unique magic systems and layered villains, it’s worth checking out

**thank you to NetGalley & Emily Colin for the gifted ARC. All opinions are my own and this review is completely voluntary.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I just don’t think this is for me - I made it to Chapter 4 and was just so lost by the plot. I appreciate that it tried to hook you in with the action from the first page, but I think I prefer a slower build up whilst introducing characters and concepts so that they stick. This felt really intense and like an information overload right from the start.

I may come back to this in the future - the concept sounded amazing and was the reason I came to request the ARC but I just don’t think this is for me as a baby-romantasy reader. It felt like too much, too quickly with little time put into slowly building the world.

Fate and Fury is a new adult romantasy novel and is the first in The Bone Moon Duology by Emily Colin. The story is set in a Slavic-inspired world with an interesting elemental magic system, demons, trials and a forbidden love.

In the story we follow Katerina Ivanova, a Dimi and her Shadow, Niko, who is sworn to protect her. Katerina is one of, if not the most powerful Dimi of her people and her fierce and strong personality matches that. Romance between a Dimi and her shadow is forbidden, and seeing their relationship develop was one of my favourite things about the book.

The characters are well developed, the world building and descriptions are excellent and the emotion that you feel through the writing was superb. The story itself is full of tension and unexpected turns that keeps you reading.

Definitely one I would recommend.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Emily Colin for the e-ARC of this book.

What a compelling read Fate & Fury is. This Slavic inspired Romantasy is rich with history and lore; filled with forbidden romance, deadly trials and elemental magic. This book did start off a bit slow for me, but built nicely to a point where I was on the edge of my seat waiting for what was to come next. By a third through I was genuinely enthralled in this magnificent world Emily Colin built. It’s vibrant and dangerous and full of unsavory characters. There was such a range of emotions I felt throughout this book. One minute I was thoroughly entertained by the sarcasm and banter; to the next where my heart was torn in two by heartbreaking events.

Katarina, the FMC, is the strongest Dimi (witch) in existence, with the power to wield all four elements. She is a protector of the land against the demons.
Niko, the MMC, is her soul bonded shadow; who’s sole duty is to protect his Dimi. Together, they are quite powerful and have formed a forbidden relationship that a prophecy foretells will be the downfall of Iriska. Despite the warnings, their relationship is quite beautiful and passionate. All of the characters were well fleshed out with so much dimension.

This book is fast paced and flows nicely, in my opinion. The world Colin crafted is exquisite with such amazing detail. This was a whirlwind journey through epic battles, trials and some very interesting twists that I did not see coming. By the end, I found my self so fully invested in the storyline and was dumbfounded by the cliffhanger. I am anxiously awaiting the next book!!

A huge thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Fate & Fury.

I actually had a lot of fun while reading this book, especially because it feels so unique compared to the usual fantasy books. I like how the Dimi, Shadow and Vila are connected and bonded to each other, it makes such unique bonds between people.

The main character Katerina, a Dimi, is bonded to Niko, her Shadow. Together they have to participate in a trial but also protect their village from demons. It is also forbidden to fall in love with your shadow, but that is ofcourse very difficuly when he is so handsome. Is the Darkness because of their love? Or is it something else?

This books consist of multiple POVs which was very interesting. You don't only get the pov from the main character Katerina but also the enemies pov. Which is really interesting to read how the enemy is thinking.

I am very excited for the next book!