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I've read C.L. Clarks' Magic of the Lost books and while I love her ideas, her writing doesn't always catch up to them. I actually don't notice the writing itself in a book much, I tend to concentrate on worldbuilding, character and plot. This book made me notice the writing and I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. The author found a wonderful voice in this book.

This book takes place in "the fens", a place in which resources are hard to come by and where tribes live with conflict boiling just under the surface. Agnir, firstborn of her tribe, begins the book as hostage and ward to the most powerful tribe in the fens. She's raised with the children of her captor and is almost but not quite like family, but she's always aware of the danger of her status.

She's also always aware of the secondborn of the tribe, Hadhni. While Agnir knows that her strength is as a craftswoman, not as a warrior, Hadhni excels in both areas. One day the girls end up deep in the bogs, in a dangerous and magical place, and they become dangerously close to each other. Agnir knows that she and Hadhni can never be together but that doesn't stop their feelings. The pair also discover that when they work leather together, they have the ability to magically put intentions into their work. This can be protective or it can be a curse.

The two are torn apart by their tribes and end up on opposite sides of a conflict. The question is if they can manage to resolve things without a bloodbath and find a way back to each other. This is an epic romance.

There are bits of myth and story woven throughout the book. And in the end, the book reminds you that you are reading a story and the ending fades into the mist for the reader to decide.

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I love the way Clark writes the gays who cannot be together because of politics/status. In Fate’s Bane, Agnir keeps her distance out of fear: fear of retribution, fear of no longer having a home in the clan that raised her, fear of inciting a war. But Hadhnri pursues her endlessly.

There’s the tiniest bit of magic, though it’s nebulous enough that it’s within the realm of luck and legends. And we get increased stakes as Agnir’s situation drastically changes.

It’s also a bloody Viking-esque story with battles and clan disagreements and duels and the looming threat of organized religion and riches from another land. So much is packed into such a small story.

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Wild magic, feral lesbians, clan loyalty, and a love that’s impossible to deny. I was immediately swept away by this beautiful tale of love and duty. The prose is clear and lyrical. The characters leap off the page: two vibrant young women from opposing clans who are utterly human despite the fairytale-like setting. One day, deep in the woods, they discover the untamed magic pulsing through their world. As they age, familial duty threatens to separate them forever. But their love may be the only thing that can bring peace to the land.

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Though only a novella, this book packs a punch in the best of ways. A queer story that draws on inspiration from Ancient Britain before the Roman invasion. We follow Agnir who is taken from her clan as a hostage and ward at young age and is raised next to the chieftain’s own children. All she wants is to be seen as one of their own and even falls in love with the chief’s daughter. The two of them become connected to the Fate’s Bane and the Luck Hound, which gives them a gift of making, letting them etch magic into the leather they work with. But when the clan is attacked on one of the fen’s sacred days, Agnir is finally brought home.

The language used in the book was a little hard to get the flow of at first as the characters give their full names, which includes their clans every time they say their names. But it does get easier. I truly find that the only barrier with this book and found it well written and well paced. I really loved the characters and their dynamics. The romance felt natural. When Agnir is taken back to her home clan I gasped and mourned what it meant. You’re left wondering what she’ll do. Part of me was surprised by her choices, but you also understand because this is her family, her blood, it means something. While the chief of the other clan had no issue beating her, her own father never did. She faced resistance, but she still tried. I highly recommend this book and I know these characters will stick with me for a long time. C.L. Clark really is masterful in the stories they tell.

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Very beautifully written, didn’t feel as connected to the world building or characters but the story is very well told especially liked the “alternate endings”.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group for the digital copy in exchange for my review

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A solid novella for sapphics and fantasy lovers! I always enjoy Clark’s writing, it feels delicate and romantic, even during tragic moments. The loose magical elements made this interesting but somewhat vague at times. I loved the storytelling elements and the tales between chapters! I wish it was a bit longer to flesh some of those ideas out, but overall, a fun reading experience that will please many tragic romance fans!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC!

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Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers.

Fate’s Bane is a Celtic inspired sapphic romantasy. It took me a few chapters to really settle into the prose, since it’s written in an epic style that reminded me of sagas or Beowulf. Agnir was sent to a neighboring clan to be raised by them, ostensibly as a ward of the clan chief but actually to ensure that her father didn’t break the tenuous peace between their clans. As she grew older, she fell in love with the chief’s daughter, who returned her love. But their fathers soon find themselves at odds; where will their ultimate loyalties lie?

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Firstly I’d like to thank NetGalley for an e-arc copy of this book.

I think this book was interesting. A sapphic romance between two people on opposing teams. I really loved the how real Agnir’s character felt.
The setting was very atmospheric and the tragedy between the romance was really well done, however I wasn’t enjoying the writing style. It reminded me a lot of This is How You Lose The Time War which unfortunately also received a lower rating for the same reason.
Overall, I think this story was well done and could really capture the right person, but I was not the correct audience for this book.

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This was not a hit for me. It felt like it was trying really hard to be a fairy tale, be sad, be sapphic, all the things. Sometimes it hit and sometimes it didn't. Mostly it didn't, there was no real personality for the characters, I struggled to connect to everyone but especially the love interest. It really just felt like she existed to give Agnir a reason to be conflicted over, there was not a personality to be seen there.

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Duty vs true heart's desire, forbidden romance and sapphic longing all set in the swampy fens. Fate's Bane is a lyrical novella about two girls, their entwined power and yearning for a peaceful future. Written to just the right length this novella will forever have a warm place in my heart.

I loved how complex the character of Agnir was. Her longing for freedom, acceptance and love felt so real and intense. I do wish the yearning between the two characters also felt more intense. While Clark's writing is so beautiful and descriptive the actual chemistry between the two main characters was just a little lack-luster. Contrary to other reviews I actually really enjoyed the ending and felt as though it fit the story perfectly and ended it very softly. This books is perfect for readers looking for a soft, swampy, sapphic story.

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I love how enmeshed you get as a reader in the culture of the fens. Hard to do in a shorter book like this! Also loved the finale segments.

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3.5 ⭐️

The writing in this book felt ancient and magical and I really loved that. It's written from the POV of Agnir, a ward and hostage who grows up with a rival clan as a peace pact. Read this book is you like:

👩‍❤️‍👩 Sapphic books
🖤 forbidden love
🌲 Ancient, hidden and dark magic that looms in the forest.
💔 hard decisions and heartbreak
💪🏻 Character Growth
💙 tragedy

I enjoyed did the writing of this book and the juxtaposition of Agnir's life compared to the rival clans daughter. The pining, the hard decisions and the surprise heartbreaks also had a hold on me. Throw a little dark magic in there and it is quite a good story!I also enjoyed that this was a short book however, it wasn't quite as fleshed out as I would have liked. I didn't quite understand who the clans were or where they were. I felt like I was grasping for details that weren't there in regard to their folklore, magic and way of life. The end.....I read the end multiple times and I'm still not completely sure what happened. I didn't love the alternate endings. Overall I would recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you @netgalley and @torbooks books for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

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I somewhat resent the summary of this book. Let's just say that it was not spoiler-free. Though to be fair, I could see the trainwreck coming from a long way off, as all the pieces fell into place. (This is not to say that Fate's Bane is derivative. This is to say that C.L. Clark knows how to build tension and create a sense of doom. And oh, there is so much doom.)

Agnir Clan Fein is a hostage who grows up beside the children of the Clan Chief of Aradoc. She falls in love with Hadhnri, the chief's daughter. Unfortunately for Agnir, Hadhnri's father has other plans for his daughter and doesn't approve of the match. (Or really, Agnir even being friends with Hadhnri. This is somewhat understandable. As a hostage, Agnir's life is literally on the line if the peace breaks.) This leads to a increasing number of plot-driven complications that threatens to drag the clans into war. Again, the doom is approaching full speed ahead and you the reader are tied to the train tracks.

Another aspect of the story is the witch of the fens (also called the "luck-hound"), a being who was slain by a culture hero among the clans. During the course of the story it becomes clear that both Agnir and Hadhnri have the same gift as that possessed by the legendary witch of the fens. This becomes another source of conflict between Hadhnri and Agnir, and adds to the purely mundane and political conflict between Clan Fein and Clan Aradoc.

In the end, Agnir and Hadhnri try to use their magic to force a peace between their warring clans. Whether they were successful or not, is up for debate debate. This is because Fate's Bane is in part a story about stories...and stories have regional variations. This is made clear in the ending of the novel, though some readers (Me. I'm talking about me.) may be a little frustrated because the ending is multiple choice.
The romantic aspects of the story are well written. Both heroines are fully realized characters with their own wants and motivations. I liked both Agnir and Hadhnri and they seemed to fit well together as a couple. The plot is well written with a nice build of tension. I recommend it for anyone who likes their romance sad and sapphic.

This review is based on a galley received from NetGalley.

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Fate's Bane is a fable like novella that follows two star-crossed sapphic lovers. Agnir is a hostage and ward of Clan Aradoc, taken as a slave and treated like an adopted child by the clan's head. Hadhnri is the second-born child of Pedhri, the leader of Clan Aradoc, and the one person Agnir is specifically told "is not for them". Their love is doomed from the get-go, but even more so, when Agnir is rescued by their father, bringing both clans to the brink of war.

I think I wanted to like this more than I did. It was beautifully told, but I thought the story needed more substance to it, and Hadhnri more personality. I wanted more reasons to LOVE these characters, and I don't feel like that came across.

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“Fate’s Bane” by C. L. Clark is a short sapphic fantasy fairytale. While short in length, it’s huge in emotions and magic. “Fate’s Bane” follows the enthralling story between two women from two wildly different worlds, but end up on the same tragic path.
I think giving away too much about the plot would be detrimental to experiencing the story without knowing much beforehand. Just know loosely present are the vibes of Romeo and Juliet and The Princess Bride.
I’m not typically a fan of tragedies, but I promise this is worth reading, even for those interested in the fluffiest of reads.
This book is different from Clark’s other works, but not any less well written and fantastical. Do yourself a favor and read this!

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I will always read a C. L. Clark book, especially one that's sapphic, even if it's tragic. I even liked the ending where there could be different tales/versions. This was the shortest C. L. Clark book, I do tend to lean towards longer stories, but the length worked for this one.

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An adventure book that I wish to relive at some point. Yearning at its finest, magic weaved in its pages and verses, we are Agnir, and Hadhnri, and every single character in the Fens. Simply magical in an ancient manner that feels so raw and true

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Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a lovely story. I thought the characters were well developed, the pacing was engaging throughout, and I enjoyed the setting and world building

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What an absolutely beautiful novel!! The folklore and Scottish traditions are unapologetically authentic without isolating readers with limited familiarity. Not only was the romance beautifully built, but despite their challenges, I was rooting for them to be together with no hesitation.

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From the Dead Marshes to the Neck to the Swamps of Sadness, bogs and marshes and fens hold a special place in the fantasy genre, immediately conjuring a sense of mystery and danger and otherworldliness. There is a liminal quality to these water-logged places where the dead go missing and may emerge preserved centuries later. In Fate's Bane, C.L. Clark has created a character of the Fens and an entire mythos filled with warring clans and enchanted leatherworking to go along with it. At times, Agnir and Hadhnri's tale reads as one passed down from one generation to the next, with some pieces lost to time and left sinking in the peat of the Fens.

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