With a title like “A Fate So Cold” it could reasonably be assumed that “cold” is a metaphor for something else. I was pleasantly surprised through the reading that it really means both.

The angst and fighting between Domenic and Ellery was drama filled, as it usually is with young love. Their journey to realize their destinies led to episodes of self reflection that helped them grow as young adults. The magic system felt well developed and easy to follow alongside the action. Something that was new for me was to read a dual-POV written in the third person. I think it was a great format approach for this story.

When I got to the end I kept thinking to myself “there has to be more! This cannot be the end of it all.” There may have some shouting and pointing at my Kindle. This book had me all up in my feelings, and I’ll be anxiously awaiting book 2 in this series.

I love fantasy and I'm always up for an Arc ! Good enough story I know ppl will like this !!! Thankyou NetGalley and Author for this Arc in exchange for an honest review !!

Spice: None
Romance: High
Friends to lovers
One love interest
Dark hair MMC
RATING: 4.5 out of 5

I do not read Urban Fantasy as I personally like my fantasy books to be complete fantasy so I was shocked to read this book had magicians and cars and cellphones. But this book did such an amazing job at blending these aspects together that it still felt so magical.
The world building was done at the perfect pace and was kept simple so that the magic system was the main focus and felt very deep and intricate. The wands and the backstory of everything was so detailed and thoughtful that you couldn't help but to fall in love with this world.
I didn't think I was going to like reading from two different POV's but this book did a fantastic at making both characters strong and memorable on their own while making them lovable together.
I was so happy to see this was a duology because I know there is so much left in this world for me to read about and fall in love with.

The most gracious thank you to Amanda Foody, C. L. Herman, and Tor Publishing for letting me read this amazing ARC!

This book was so beautifully tragic, every turn of the page left me addictive. The writing is seamless, it flows like a summer breeze while the story itself is a snow storm, so extraordinary it left me with shivers after every chapter. C.L. Herman and Amanda Foody have crafted a truly remarkable story, one I’ve been honored enough to read early, I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for everyone else to experience it so I can talk about it more ;) ☀️❄️

The magic system was refreshing and interesting. Ellery was a bit too extreme in my opinion, but Dom made up for it in personality. The writing was immersive and unique, as was the concept of a “living wand”. The love story was sweet and I appreciated that it a clear attraction on both sides with no tropes. Overall a solid read and I would read the next one!

4/5

What if wands weren’t just tools—but living, dangerous forces that choose (or destroy) their wielders? A Fate So Cold flips the chosen-one-at-magic-school trope on its head with a magic system that’s part weapon, part soulmate, and entirely unpredictable.

In Alderland, where only two seasons exist—lush, safe Summer and monstrous, six-week Winter—two students, Dom and Ellery, find themselves tangled in prophecy, politics, and each other. Dom is the reluctant hero chosen by the legendary Summer wand, while Ellery defies every rule by crafting a forbidden Winter wand. Together, they face a war between seasons—and their growing connection.

The worldbuilding is immersive, and the wand lore is brilliant—like magical nukes with minds of their own. Dom is easy to root for, while Ellery’s more complex (and harder to pin down). Their romance has a sweet, slow-burn energy, though it sometimes drifts into puppy love territory.

Some characters are over-the-top, and the book could’ve been leaner, but the originality of the concept more than makes up for it. It rides the line between YA and New Adult, with mature themes, some gore, and a bit of spice. Though the ending is somewhat predictable, the journey is worth it. If you’re into elemental magic, sentient wands, and star-crossed heroes, this one’s got bite.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

Age rating: 12+
Content: Mild violence, death, and manipulation

my favorite quote:
“He’d probably give her anything, if she asked”

my review!
This one wasn’t really for me. The premise had promise, but I struggled to stay interested after the 50% mark. I almost DNF’d more than once. The characters felt pretty generic and didn’t leave a strong impression, and the writing style just wasn’t my taste — kind of flat and predictable. I was hoping for deeper worldbuilding or a twist that would pull me back in, but it never really came. If you like light fantasy with surface-level romance and action, maybe give it a try — just wasn’t what I was looking for.

I really enjoyed the first book of the other YA series that Amanda Food and CL Herman wrote, so I went into this one assuming it would read similarly and give me the same satisfaction. And that turned out to be true!! This was super fun for a YA, lots of twists on fun and familiar tropes that I enjoyed. The two leads were well balanced (though personally I'm not a fan of boy obsessing over girl his whole life and then getting said girl. its weird and slightly icky to me in most cases, really not really my personal jam. but fortunately, this was handled pretty well and not too weird.) The magic was really fun and interesting (though I would've liked to see how it worked across the wider world. As it was it felt a bit like this country was in a vacuum; but again, this is pretty par the course for YA.) The romance was pretty well done, though read more adult than YA in some sections. None of the previous mentioned sticking points detracted from reading and I pretty much devoured the book in like two days. Super fun read, really fun world, good plot twists. Everything one needs in a YA!

ARC Review -

Just finished this book and what a ride! My goodness. Dark magic, humor, action, a wee bit of Harry Potter vibes and a world that became very real to me. I was hooked from page one.

Apparently this is part of a duology and can’t I cannot wait to read the next book!

If you love fantasy with major plot turns and a whole lotta drama, this is your next read - coming out November 4 2025

📖 Bookish Thoughts
This one was just okay for me. I knew it was YA going in, but it felt very young. I definitely liked Domenic’s journey more because he had the stronger arc in my opinion. I did really enjoy the magic system though. The idea of living wands was interesting and unique. The pacing was a bit inconsistent, which made it tough to stay in the story. I didn’t realize going in that this was a duology, but it makes the ending make a lot more sense. I think this will be a solid pick for younger YA fantasy readers who are just getting into the genre.

💫 What You Can Expect
• YA magical fantasy
• Living wands
• Magical school setting

🗓 Pub Date: November 4, 2025
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own.
Final Score: 3.5 Stars

I can’t believe I’m giving this 3 stars. It hurts me.

So this was a hugely anticipated release for me, and it just … fell flat. And I adore these authors.

So first — rumors. Someone said this is angstier than AOUV. They are incorrect. The angst in AOUV is earned. I don’t think any of the romance in this book is earned, unfortunately. Which is a real shame, because they are such interesting and complex characters, so it should work. But it was insta love for a bunch of teenagers who didn’t know each other at all … and barely learned about each other. And it went to — I want to let everyone else die except her? Sounds like a swoony line, but it just comes out wrong when there’s no evidence leading up to it.

I was tempted to give this book 4 stars just for the living wands, their backstories, and the fact that the wands themselves are characters. That was so fun and that is what propelled me to continue reading, when I otherwise might’ve stopped.


But lastly, just as I didn’t find the romance believable, I didn’t get into the action. Almost every prophecy piece was supposed to be a huge event, but then they just put their hand on a tree or a root and then bam? That was it??

It felt like there was maybe 10% of less of real action in the book, which was a let down.

I’m so sorry this is negative but if you want their true abilities, read AOUV!!!!

Well this is basically Game of Thrones fanfic except, instead of the Night's Watch, you have magicians. One in every hundred people within the population is one. And there are a bunch of wands that they have to vie for before they turn twenty one otherwise, instead of being a magician in good standing who can actually help against the winterghasts each coming Winter, they become merely hedge witches.

Delighted at the end to find out that this is the start of a duology rather than a standalone but, honestly, I was also really satisfied by this as a self contained novel with tragic ending.

Domenic Barrow is presented as a bit of a fuck up against the seemingly perfect character of Ellery Caldwell. I thought this was really undeserved as Domenic's backstory was slowly revealed but then, as we saw Ellery's story wasn't quite what it seemed either, it was clear that this writing duo was deliberately subverting what is real against what the population believes.

This also happens in the present day of the actual story as both these characters, the Chosen Two, need to attempt to overcome the coming cataclysm before the city's public, for which they need to hold press conferences and dress and speak in certain ways to inspire confidence.

Instead of, you know, just focusing on the prophecy pieces and making Winter end. Because that's what the cataclysm is. This is a world where all magic is Summer based, and the Winter season is the enemy.

This is a really clever novel that works just on face value but also has a really strong commentary on being careful about the narrative presented to you, unreliable protagonists, media spins and such, all while subverting the Chosen "One" trope. It's great.

I spent most of this book feeling like I walked into a fantasy movie halfway through with no subtitles. The world is intricate, the magic system is clearly unique… and I understood approximately none of it. Honestly, a glossary, a map, maybe even a PowerPoint presentation at the start would’ve helped. I kept waiting for things to start making sense, but the fog never lifted. Despite not knowing wtf was going on, I did really like the two main character. they had chemistry and personality, and they deserved a story that made more sense.

In the end, it felt like trying to put together a 1,000-piece puzzle without the picture on the box. Confusing, frustrating, but at least a couple of the pieces were cool.

Thank you so much to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity!

2.5 ⭐ rounded up

i admit i still haven't read the all of us villains duology, but i've read so much praise for it that i was extremely excited to see the authors' take on reinventing another big trope, that of the chosen one. unfortunately a fate so cold did not hit for me at all. it's definitely on the younger side of ya, which ends up usually not being my taste. even so, in the first 200 pages or so i was ready, even the school setting and puppy love premise were working for me, the writing is so quick and flows really well, but the execution, especially as soon as the story starts getting into its core, into the war against winter, did not deliver.

most - if not all - of the plot points and the world building are breezed over quickly and very superficially, every fight is resolved in the blink of an eye, and even the romance has very little basis in the actual chemistry between the two leads and more on big declarations of love which after a while sound hollow. the magic system is cool and i loved the concept of living wands, but i wish it was expanded way more than the bare bones we got. i feel like this book was rigged from the start to lead towards the big, capital T Tragedy that is the love story between ellery and domenic, something that both amanda foody in an interview and the blurb remarked heavily on, so a lot of plot in between ended up just feeling almost like seasoning. the ending was also a sort of letdown for me, as it took a narrative direction into trope subvertion that i was actually enjoying for a while, only to end up into a sort of cop-out which i felt like could have been left out to really drive home some Tragic stuff.

overall, i think a younger reader or somebody new to fantasy would 100% appreciate this more than me, a grump™, and i am curious to see the direction the story will take in the conclusion to the duology, so i am going to be sat for the next book regardless.

thank you to netgalley and tor publishing for the arc!

A Fate So Cold is the first book in a duology by Amanda Foody & C. L. Herman. I was captivated by the dynamic storytelling, presented through dual perspectives from our main characters, Dominic and Ellery. The immersive world-building, especially the intricate details surrounding the different types of wands, was remarkably vivid—I could picture each one with clarity.
Overall, I enjoyed the plot, though the execution didn’t fully meet my expectations. Some sections felt drawn out, and I believe the story could have been more concise. Despite this, I’m eager to continue following Dominic and Ellery’s journey in the next instalment.

Alright, let’s go down the list. Super fricking cool worldbuilding and a unique, layered magic system? Check. Complex, emotionally rich characters who somehow manage to make me laugh out loud and break my heart? Check. An epic, fast-paced plot full of twists, emotional gut punches, and totally unexpected turns that subvert expectations? Check, check, check.

I went in expecting to enjoy the story, but I wasn’t prepared for just how gripping it would be. One moment I was casually reading before bed, and the next thing I knew, it was 3am and I was still flipping pages, completely unable to stop until I reached the end. And even then, I wanted more.

There’s so much to love here. The tension, the character dynamics, the humor, the emotional weight, magical complexity, and the threat of world-ending existentialism that binds it all together. It’s the kind of story that sweeps you up and makes you feel like you're living inside it.

I need the next book like, yesterday, please.

This was action packed and full of excitement. I loved it! It will definitely be a new trending book in the upcoming months!

Welp, I hated this. I’d been disappointed with Foody and Herman’s joint ‘Villains’ venture but was actually so excited by the premise of this that I decided to give it a shot. And the beginning wasn’t bad. But it’s all downhill from there.

After about the 35% mark I just started to become super disinterested in everything, even the romance. The worldbuilding was shaky and not interesting enough for me to latch onto, and it seemed like Ellery and Domenic’s new-found powers came too easily. They quickly fulfilled prophecy piece after piece with little to no effort. And then it all became so melodramatic that by the end I just had to laugh because I was truly past caring. Everything to do with the “destiny of the chosen,” from their badly fleshed out pasts to their “we can’t be together bc of destiny” to the corny emotional-warring over the performance they HAD to put on for the public … I hated it all. The one interesting part of the worldbuilding was the reveal about the wands and the ghasts, but I felt even that wasn’t fully delivered on in the end.

I’ll also say that I think the synopsis is slightly off? Saying that Ellery is bitter because Valmordian chose Domenic when she didn’t even want to submit for the wand in the first place … idk I felt weird about that. I have absolutely zero interest in a sequel to this.

Very interesting
I love how it changed from one POV character in one chapter of the book to another pov character in other chapter through the reading .
The ending was mysterious and surprising.

Many thanks to Tor Publishing Group, the authors, and Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book.

A Fate So Cold is a new take on the chosen-one-at-magic-school genre in which, rather than students being selected into houses, magicians are “bonded” (chosen) by semi-sentient and extremely powerful (and often dangerous) magical wands. It gives a whole new meaning to the idea that the wand chooses the wizard and if the wand doesn’t choose the person attempting to wield it... let’s just say the results can be messy.

The novel centers around Dom and Ellery, two students who find themselves at the center of the greatest calamity their country has ever faced as Winter threatens to take over the land and wipe out Summer once and for all. There are elemental ice monsters and prophecies and two chosen ones with a choice: the world or each other.

Overall, this was an engaging read. I liked the main characters and you can tell the authors put a lot of work into worldbuilding. The magic system is unique and I love the idea of wands as essentially magical nukes that can either give magicians immense power or potentially kill them.

The book has a few flaws, though - it felt too long and at times a little repetitive. Some characters are cartoonishly unlikeable and make choices that didn’t always make sense given the stakes. The worldbuilding was maybe 90% there but had a few holes.

I also struggled to figure out exactly what genre this would be (other than fantasy, obviously). It feels at times like YA but then contains subject matter that felt too mature for that. I decided on NA (new adult) as a good place to put this sort of book. It’s about teens but has some gore and language and a little bit of spice.

Overall, I’d give this a solid 3.5/5. I enjoyed reading this story and I’d be interested in seeing what happens in the conclusion to this duology.