Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This book was lovely to read and experience. Excellent world building and characters, interesting plot and material, and I just had fun.

This fantasy novel was such an enjoyable read! I loved the mixture of different Asian cultures throughout the book. The worldbuilding was phenomenal and the characters were well written. I am excited to see how their relationships develop in the next books! I really liked the magic system. The way it was described and executed made the story even more engaging. I can definitely see how it can be compared to Avatar: The Last Airbender. I can’t wait to read more about this world :D

This was a beautifully done story. I really enjoyed the magical feel to it. It had a unique world and concept and was written perfectly for the genre. I enjoyed how beautiful the cover was, and I wanted to know more about the creature on the cover. The characters in this world were interesting and had that great field that I was looking for. It uses that magical feel perfectly for a young adult novel and I was engaged with the world. It was a great debut and it left me wanting to read more. It felt like its own thing but still had dad elements that I enjoyed from other books like this.

"A war might do them good. If this is how they choose to waste their peace."

This book is my new obsession. The world is so rich and unique, my mind is still spinning (lol) through every detail. Imagine a world where heaven and hell exist in a tangible way but at the same time imagine a world absolutely nothing like that at all. Imagine people are rewarded for being good…except don’t imagine that at all because of course it’s never that simple.

I’m not usually excited by multiple POV books but surprisingly I adored every character from the start and loved returning to each of their heads.

Aina – Violent force of wry teenage angst (whose heart is fickle and THAT’S OKAY)
Aranel – Cute loveable idiot trying his best (and failing and THAT’S OKAY) (also my favourite and I would die for him)
Meizan – Angry boy who is secretly a cinnamon roll (but he likes killing people too and THAT’S OKAY)

Aranel: “I’m already stained with enough sin—” “And shit,” Aina chimed in. “And piss,” Meizan felt compelled to add.

It’s YA in the sense that the protagonists are young and have the funniest lines that only teenagers would say, but the writing is sophisticated and smart, so I found it totally accessible as an adult (though I would have loved this when I was younger too). Thank god I was reading this at home because I laughed out loud (lol) so much throughout this book.

The magic system is so fun and a great allegory to the injustice of wealth and class disparity in the real world, while having its own distinctly unique effects and consequences. I was always excited to learn more about the world, magic and people and I never felt overwhelmed by the detailed information because it was fed to me gradually. I literally feel like an expert on chitrons now – somebody humble me quick!

“Touch him, and I swear on Azyaka I’ll make you wish you were still buried in that lava,” [he] growled.

Finally, my heart has been captured by the slowburn enemies to lovers romance set up in this book. I don’t want to spoil but my fellow queer people, you will feel the tension from the moment these two characters meet and if you are a sucker for oblivious idiots like I am, you will be hooked for their every interaction after.

(I received an early arc for this book in a competition.)

What a breath of fresh air it is to find a fantasy series that doesn’t rely on all the booktok tropes to carry its plot 😭 DON’T get me wrong, I love a trope filled story as much as the next person but it’s nice to find these gems that don’t feel like they’re just ticking a checklist of plot points for TT.

Minor Spoilers ahead

Meizan was my absolute fave character with his loyalty to his crew and his inner monologue about his own morality, but I suspect come book 2 I might be swayed to care more for Aranel… 👀

Overall you can expect:
✅ complex and unique magic system. It definitely took me a minute to wrap my head around toranic law and the chitronic system and once I did things became much easier to follow!
✅ complex and unique WORLD, four realms separated from one another seemingly based on people’s morality and “goodness”
✅ well developed morally grey characters who each have very different voices and who have such questionable motives and actions you will be umming and ahhing about who you should or shouldn’t side with.
✅ training arcs and rebellion groups
✅ magical beasts that I’m hoping we learn more about in the next books!

This would be perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson or Christopher Paolini.

Spin of Fate is part dystopian, part utopian. The world is split into four distinct realms: one of only the purest souls, one for those who are good, one for those who are not, and a final realm for the vilest souls. Add to that Keizas that allow people to channel, giant slumbering god-beasts, a renegade humanitarian network, love lost, abandonment, ambition and reluctant friendship. Spin of Fate takes you on a journey (that is just the beginning, I might add) that is equal parts escape from reality and an eye-opening rendering of inequalities. I am curious to see what the sequel holds.

The book is a clean read with some coarse language and the potential for a same sex love interest.

I absolutely adored this. What a fantastically written and fun debut fantasy that will appeal to ya readers looking for something different than so much of what’s available now. If you or your children are anime fans, this one’s perfect for you. It’s well written and the author was meticulous in crafting a world unlike anything I’ve seen before.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I LOVED THIS I LOVED THIS I LOVED THIS. I absolutely TORE through this book as soon as I started it. It was fast paced, I loved the characters, and the world building. The different tiers of realms and monsters were SO unique and engaging as a reader, I stayed invested the entire time. 5/5 Stars easily. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

A brilliant magical system and terrifying mythical beasts, high fantasy lovers have a new book to add to their TBR!

I’m a huge fan of fantasy based on Indian mythology, and this book delivers. The plot is addicting, and I was so impressed with the realms and their lore. The characters can be a bit cookie cutter, but the magic and action make up for it! Well worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for this ARC.

an absolutely gorgeous book that's super well written! i love the different lore and backstory settings and everything works well together

Thank you netgalley for the arc.
I am hovering between 4-4.5 stars for this book. I really like the characters and worldbuilding which I think was explained very well and intriguing. I think my biggest issue was with the book ending and villain.
I like Zenyra as a villain, I think she is interesting but her villain reveal and how she goes about achieving her goals got more and more complicated as the plot had to be paused to explain the world and how she would achieve this. A personal frustration was that the law which is incredibly strict can somehow be circumvented with blood. the fact that blood apparently wears off but Zenyra can be full villain mode and remain unchanged was hard to believe especially because at the end she states she wants revenge more than anyone and has killed people for this goal.
The book ending was frustrating simply because of the cliffhanger and also because some character ideologies flip=flopped so quickly. Aranel especially flipped in a way that felt out of character to his stated ideology and Meizan to a lesser extent. I think Aina was the most consistent through the end. I think the characters are well written and their relationships with each other is a highlight of the book and it gets less interesting when they are all separated which happened frequently at the end of the book.
Overall I do recommend and look forward to the next book.

Thanks so for Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a free copy for review!

I think this book is pretty standard when it comes to YA. It's got a spunky, determined main character who wishes to right terrible wrongs made by unjust systems. It's got the typical enemies to lovers. I think the biggest aspect that sticks out with this book is its worldbuilder and concept of realms that are populated by people who are only allowed to live there because of the amount of good deeds that they do. However, I did have a hard time getting through the beginning became the book really does decide to just drop you straight into the story with no life-waft or prologue to help flesh out what's exactly going on.

Over all I think its a decent YA Book and I am curious to see where A. A. Vora does next.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
4.5/5 STARS

Genre: YA Fantasy

Synopsis: In a world governed by Toranic Law, people live in different realms based on the kindness of their actions. Displaced from her realm, Aina tries to return by joining a rebel group where she discovers the realms are not exactly what they seem.

This is a great YA fantasy series opener filled with magical beasts and different realms. There are 3 POVs from each of the three main characters that tell the story.
Read this if you like:
💠found family
💠light enemies to lovers
💠magical creatures
💠mythology
💠 battle training/light academia
💠secret rebel group
💠complex world

The character’s stories are so masterfully woven together that you won’t be able to stop reading! I loved the twists and turns it took toward the end setting up for a good sequel. There is not really any romance, more of a good build up to a potential enemies to lovers romance later in the series. This is more of an adventure fantasy quest.
It is marketed as similar to An Ember in the Ashes, but it did not remind me of that at all. Maybe the setting of Avatar?, but not the plot. The magic system is based on your fate and how your soul spins in order to enter different realms. It was a bit confusing for the first half to understand it, but it gets explained pretty well halfway through so keep reading if you are confused.
I will definitely be reading the rest of the series!
Thank you Penguin Teen for the ARC!

A solid fantasy. Compelling characters, fast paced plot, and a well-developed world. Nothing too special but a very well done book. It felt like it was missing an extra element that would have given it 5 stars.

A compelling tale of defying fate and fighting for justice in a world divided by celestial law.

A Spin of Fate plunges us into a unique and thought-provoking world where fate is dictated by a cosmic force known as Toranic Law. This law segregates people into the privileged Upper Realms and the harsh Lower Realms, offering a tantalizing sliver of hope for ascension through a system of karmic merit. But for Aina, one of the few to have tasted the peace of the Upper Realms, her heart yearns for her home and her mother left behind.

This isn't a story of passive acceptance. Aina's fiery spirit rebels against the injustice of Toranic Law, leading her to join a ragtag group of rebels fighting for the downtrodden in the Lower Realms. Alongside Meizan, a skilled fighter driven by personal tragedy, and Aranel, a conflicted noble spy, Aina finds herself on the frontlines of a brewing war.

The novel masterfully builds a complex web of intrigue and action. The rebels face not only the oppressive forces of the Upper Realms but also a rising threat within the Lower Realms itself. A power-hungry king seeks to break free from Toranic Law, throwing the fragile balance of the universe into chaos.

Aina's journey is one of self-discovery and unwavering determination. She grapples with her own past mistakes and the weight of responsibility, learning to wield her strength and compassion as weapons against oppression. The supporting characters, each with their own motivations and complexities, add depth and nuance to the narrative.

What I loved:

The unique world-building: The concept of Toranic Law and the division between realms is a fascinating and thought-provoking backdrop for the story.
The compelling characters: Aina is a well-developed protagonist with a relatable inner conflict, while the supporting cast adds depth and intrigue.
The fast-paced action: The story keeps you on the edge of your seat with its blend of political intrigue and thrilling battles.
The themes of justice and defying fate: Aina's journey speaks to the importance of fighting for what's right, even when the odds are stacked against you.
Minor quibbles:

The world-building, while rich and interesting, could benefit from a bit more fleshing out in certain areas.
The ending, while satisfying, leaves some plot threads unresolved, potentially hinting at a sequel.
Overall:

A Spin of Fate is a captivating and thought-provoking read that will keep you hooked until the very last page. With its unique premise, well-developed characters, and thrilling action, this is a must-read for fans of fantasy and dystopian fiction.

Recommendation: Highly recommended for fans of strong female protagonists, unique world-building, and stories about fighting for what's right.

Ummmm this was absolutely INCREDIBLE?! Magic, character dynamics, tension, fantastic worldbuilding, and even some mystical animals all come together to create this stunning debut. Inspired by Indian culture and reminiscent of Beasts of Prey and These Infinite Threads, it is a must for fantasy fans. This is one of my favorite villain dynamics, and I loved that there wasn't a lot of romance. Plus have you seen that cover? A snake peacock?! Please. The next one is already a need.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Now this is a book that kind of broke my brain wide open.

The character dynamics are beyond excellent, with each of their worldviews clashing to create the examination of the effects of oppression that runs throughout the book. It also makes for some wonderful tension and banter, because while this book delves deeply into its themes in a very philosophical way, it is also such a blast to read with its completely realized characters and starkly beautiful worldbuulding. There are giant, stunning creatures such a snake like peacocks and winged dolphins, with a few evil monkeys thrown in there too.

There is also a deep emotional core, one where there is such a yearning for love, and goodness, to prevail, but the result of violence and imperial forces unlock such an anger.

All of it, it is truly magnificent to behold.