I love these sad swamp lesbians! This was a beautiful novella that felt just about the perfect length, though I also wouldn't have said no to a full length novel of this haha.

Thank you NetGalley and TOR for providing this eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
I am a big fan of C.L. Clark's Magic of the Lost series, and was excited to read something else from them outside of that series. I think fans of the soon-to-be-trilogy will enjoy this novella. The writing style was different but very engaging. It feels as if you're huddled around a fire, hearing elders retell a story that has been told many times before. I was quickly immersed into this misty world woven with a mysterious magic and a tale of two star crossed lovers. This is my sapphic Romeo and Juliet. This tugged at my heart strings and had me struggling to put it down. I think the ending will be controversial for some, but I enjoyed it and think it fit this book's folk story retelling style.

3.5?? Fate's Bane has an enchanting quality to it. In many ways, this reminded me of This is How You Lose the Time War, another sapphic novella about two women on opposite ends of a war. This book is slightly different though; it's softer and has a dream-like quality to it. The world is reminiscent of many old tales and legends. The ending is quite up to interpretation, which I know won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it and I think the ending added to the fairytale/myth of it all. The sapphics, of course, were delightful. I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style, but I know this will hit all the right notes for many others.

Another banger from C.L. Clark. Prose on point, gorgeously atmospheric, and the LONGING. My little gay heart was wrenching. Not to mention the ending, which was frankly ballsy as hell. I do think the story could have been expanded into a full length novel, and I’m a little sad at the narrower scope, but it’s a small nit to pick.

I really enjoyed the unique dynamic between the main characters, and I love the idea as a whole! Unfortunately, this felt like a story that could have perhaps doubled in size to really make me feel for the characters and their storylines. The ending was not necessarily my favorite because I’ll admit, I got a little confused. However, it is something I have not read before and I am grateful for new experiences! Thank you!

I really really liked this. I loved the atmosphere this story created. The world was so unique. It was giving Romeo + Juliet in the Scottish Highlands. The characters were lovely. The writing was absolutely beautiful.

While the ending was not my favorite, it did really work for this type of story.

Would read more books similar to this, and more by this author. Would also highly recommend this book, and will probably buy the hardcover!!

I really wanted to like this book. The plot seemed interesting, the blurb was nice, but when I got to read it I did not vibe with it at all. It has fantasy, romance, politics, overall a good plot. It just failed to have my undivided attention, the way the story was written didn't get me hooked. The dialogue also felt flat and at times awkward. Like I said, I really wanted to like this book, but it didn't work out. I'm rating it a 3 stars because it still has an interesting plot.

Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the chance to read this e-ARC in exchange for a review. All my thoughts are, of course, my own. Honestly, one of the things that intrigued me about this book were all the comparisons to This Is How You Lose the Time War, which is one of my favorite love stories of all time. It definitely lives up to the high bar that book set, but I honestly felt it was actually more similar tonally to Amal El-Mohtar’s latest release, The River Has Roots. Still, Fate’s Bane stands on its own and offers a completely original story that will appeal to any fan of folklore-inspired fantasy and nature magic.

The prose is gorgeous and the magic is very vibes-based, but in a beautiful way. Personally, I prefer soft magic systems and for the author to leave a bit of mystery as to how everything works. Isn’t that part of the appeal of magic? The magical elements of the book also work to support the romantic narrative and they really feel fully intertwined. I’ve read enough romantasy to know that balance definitely isn’t easy to strike.

The specific details of the story are unique and the emphasis on things like crafting and leatherwork are fascinating to read about. There’s a little bit of sapphic Romeo and Juliet, a lot of yearning, and an ending that leaves you with plenty to think about. Fans of writing that feels at home alongside authors like Kat Dunn, Naomi Novik, and Juliet Marillier in particular will probably find a lot to love.