Book Review: Fate & Furies by Helen Scheuerer

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Adult
Pages / Hours: 466 / 13h24 mins
Format: Audiobook
Rating:

Goodreads summary: “I always knew you would be the end of me.” With darkness cursing the world around her, Althea Zoltaire is desperate for vengeance. But as she hunts Wilder Hawthorne across the kingdoms, brutal secrets begin to unravel. Not knowing what – or who – to trust, Thea and her companions find themselves entwined with a destiny far greater than one man. Together, they must navigate the haunting revelations that could shatter the very foundations of the midrealms. Yet it’s not only the world at stake, but Thea’s heart too. As everything teeters on the verge of destruction, her fate collides once more with Wilder’s. Will their reunion ignite the fiery passion between them amidst the ashes of betrayal? Or will it end in a heartbreaking, deadly showdown? In a journey fraught with danger, where the lines between enemies and allies blur, Thea must decide where her loyalties lie, and who will stand at her side against the looming evil.

Previous reviews of books in the series: Blood & Steel and Vows & Ruins

Spoilers ahead!

THESE BOOKS ARE ALWAYS SO CLOSE TO BEING 5 DEER-STARS, AND THEN SOMETHING HAPPENS WHERE I’M JUST LIKE WHYYYYYYY?!?!?!

Our story picks up one year after the Battle of Natos (I listened to the audiobook, so excuse any misspellings). If you read my review for Vows & Ruins, then you know all the spice in that book drove me crazy. Since Fate & Furies starts with Thea hunting Hawthorne down for his betrayal, I just knew we wouldn’t get any spice for a while.

Imagine my disbelief when “a while” turned out to be Chapter 2.

Thea is a woman on a mission.

She’s traveling with her besties, Kip and Cal, determined to bring Hawthorne to justice—no matter the weather, terrain, monsters, or lack of sleep. Oh, and her magic is gone. We don’t know why. On top of that, she’s running an extremely tight ship, acting borderline tyrannical, and Kip (bless him) is not afraid to call her out. He was so sassy in this book, and I loved every second of it. I kept thinking, I wish Kip had his own POV—or at least a bonus chapter. I just know it would be hilarious.

Fantasy authors and their monstrous spiders—can we not?

Do fantasy authors (I’m looking at you too, SJM, for Tower of Dawn and Kingdom of Ash) have a secret club where they brainstorm the most horrifying creatures to include? Because why is it always a monstrous spider?! My mind needs a break from imagining these horrendous creatures, PLEASE. Having Thea battle one was not enjoyable for me.

A familiar but engaging plot twist.

I devoured this book, but I can’t say all of it felt original. The “betrayal” arc is a tried-and-true trope:

• The MMC appears to have betrayed the FMC.
• The FMC swears to destroy him.
• Turns out… he actually didn’t betray her.
• The people we thought were the “good guys” are the bad guys, and the original “bad guys” are the good guys.

In this case, we learn that King Artos turned Thea’s sister, Anya (aka The Daughter of Darkness), into a shadow-touched and framed her for triggering the prophecy.

Thea’s missing powers & the frustrating way she gets them back.

For most of the book, Thea struggles with her lost powers. She tries everything—using cards from Audra and Wren to channel her magic, pushing herself to her limits—but nothing works. So how does she finally get them back?

She has sex with Wilder.

WHY. WHY. WHYYYYYYYYY.

Scheuerer really connected Thea’s powers to a man? I had to dock stars for that. The explanation? Wilder’s “betrayal” hurt Thea so much that she lost her powers in her grief, and now that she understands his actions and now they’ve reunited, her magic comes back because she’s “whole” again. Look, I get that at its core, this is a romance, but literally anything else would’ve been a better way to restore her magic—maybe something tied to her sister, her fate stone, anything. This just felt disappointing.

A+ character interactions and strategy sessions.

I love a good group scene, and this book delivered. We get a strategy meeting with everyone—Thea, Kip, Cal, Anya, Adrian, Dratos, Gus, Torge, Wren, Harissa, Wilder, Audra—the gang’s all here! The dialogue was fantastic, and the dynamics between them felt natural and engaging. I especially loved that my man Gus just wants to knit and live his life. Let him knit in peace! 😩

However, one odd moment was Thea’s “realization” that Audra had always known who Anya was… something we, the readers, figured out chapters ago via a flashback Anya showed Thea. That took away some of the impact.

On the flip side, I really liked how the importance of the alchemists was woven into the plot. Wren and Harissa’s expertise played a vital role, showing that war isn’t just about fighting—it’s about strategy (Kip), science (Wren & Harissa), and non-combat tactics.

The Great Rite—terrible timing, great writing.

Just as preparations for war are ramping up, Thea is called for the Great Rite. Terrible timing, but a well-executed plot twist. Since getting her powers back (side-eyeing how that happened), she’s felt like something was off, like she wasn’t in control.

During her trial, she has to make a choice:

• Walk through a door to remain a storm wielder.
• Walk through a door to become a War Sword.

Now, after everything she’s been through, I thought no way would she give up her magic again. But she does. And honestly? I should’ve seen it coming. Thea has been consistent about one thing—her dream of being a War Sword.

At first, I was frustrated. But then… plot twist! She doesn’t have to choose. She earns the right to be both a War Sword and a storm wielder. WOO!

Thea’s final act in the Great Rite was one of my favorite moments. She could ask the goddesses, the Furies, any question. She had planned to ask how to become an immortal War Sword, but instead, she asks for their names.

“Because there is power in a name. And women whose might is etched in history deserve to have their names carved there too.”

No one had ever asked for their names before. This moment was powerful—and it ensured their legacy would live on.

Meanwhile… back in Spider Hell.

Wilder and Thea left together for the Great Rite and while Thea is off completing it, Wilder is attacked by another spider (seriously?!), captured by Artos, and taken prisoner in Azkaban—I mean, uh, the Scarlet Tower. (Sorry I had too, the similarities were there).

So what does Thea do? Set off to rescue her man, of course. But she’s not going alone. She’s joined by…

THE LEGEND OF THEZZMAR HIMSELF.
THE SHADOW-TOUCHED PRINCE
THE PRINCE OF HEARTS.
TALEMIR STARLING.
HELL YES. I KNEW HE WAS COMING BACK.

And then… the book ends. On that cliffhanger.

Final thoughts.

Overall, I loved this book. It was fast-paced, engaging, and kept me hooked. While some twists were predictable, others genuinely surprised me. I was happy that:

• Thea can be both a War Sword and storm wielder.
• Thea and Anya’s sisterly bond is growing. Wren is a harder cookie to crack.
• The original trio (Thea, Kip, and Cal) brought peak comedic relief.
• Thea is more than just her relationship with Wilder.

Even with my frustrations (cough how Thea got her powers back cough), the ending left me hyped for the final book. I need to see how everything wraps up.