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The Fate of Crowns

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With my brother's death came the crown and all the trappings that accompany it. Now, my father--the most dangerous man in Magaelor--seeks to control my future. But fate has other plans.

Thrown into mer-filled waters, I'm dragged into the rival kingdom of Berovia. Surrounded by those who murdered my brother and wished my entire family dead, I must find my way back to my kingdom. There, a marriage could bring peace to a century's old division between the fae and sorcerers. But dark revelations and deadly lies threaten to destroy my destiny.

I must make the choice between my duty, family, and truth before it's too late.

Will I allow myself to become the Queen of everything? Or be reduced to a cautionary tale as the princess of nothing?

The Fate of Crowns is a fast-paced YA epic fantasy about a sheltered princess who travels between magical kingdoms, discovering a world vastly different to what she'd been led to believe. Completed Trilogy Reading The Fate of Crowns (Book One)The Princess of Nothing (Book Two)The Court of Secrets (Book 3) June 2021 Ruin (Spin off novella)

344 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 2021

223 people are currently reading
4249 people want to read

About the author

Rebecca L. Garcia

20 books94 followers
Rebecca writes dark fantasy romance, usually with gothic elements and always with morally gray characters. Originally from England, she lives in Texas with her husband, and two sons. She loves anything with enemies to lovers, slow burn, and lots of angst.

Find out more about Rebecca and check out her books here:
Website: www.rebeccagarciabooks.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/rebeccalgarciabooks

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
Profile Image for Lucie V..
1,218 reviews3,642 followers
August 22, 2025
🆗 Pace
🆗 Characters
🆗 World-building
🆗❌ Plot
❌ Romance

I think the pacing is one of the main issues I have with this book. In the very first chapter, a prophecy is being told to Winter (the main character), and it comes to fruition almost instantly, then we learn about a possible love interest, but he is removed as soon as he admits his feelings. The other possible love interest is introduced early in the book, but very vaguely and he does not appear until the second half of the book. So, everything that hooked me in the first chapter: the deaths and love interest that are foretold all happen in the first 30 pages, and then I had no real idea where this story was going until the second half.

Talking about love interests, am I the only one thinking that the romantic feelings between Winter and Jasper come out of nowhere? They look at each other in a room, she says he’s her brother’s best friend, but nothing hints at romantic interest or even just lust. Then, the next thing we know is that he’s kissing her in her bedroom, and she is thinking about all their secret stolen moments when he flirted with her, which we knew nothing about, and then he’s out of the story. I am not sure what was the point of this moment between Winter and Jasper, besides showing how her father is ruthless and cold maybe?

The main character is also not impressive or likable, I find her naive and entitled. I have nothing against naïve characters, but she was just too much for me. She thinks she knows everything, makes statements about anything (even things that she knows next to nothing about), and does not question what she was taught, even when confronted with the fact that her father might have been lying to her because he hates their enemy and wants Winter to hate them too. She does start to question things, but only because she heard a damning conversation between her father and his head counselor. She also trusts people way too easily, there was no depth in the characters or their relationships, it was all “Hi, I just met you, but I decided to protect/befriend you because I am so kind and would never hurt someone weaker than me, so come with me and do as I say”, and of course, she complied and trusted them.

So yeah… This book fell short for me, I had high expectations, but it ended up being a rather dull and rushed story with shallow and annoying characters.


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Profile Image for Alaina.
7,343 reviews203 followers
January 6, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I feel like if I didn't get distracted by dinner I would've read this so much faster than I did. That being said, I devoured The Fate of Crowns and I can't wait to dive into the next book of this series! I feel like I have so many questions after this ended.

That being said, I definitely want to know more about the light and dark fae's in this world. Plus what really went down in the battle. Mostly because I don't trust her father or mother at this point. So they could be lying about EVERY little thing. It honestly wouldn't shock me either.. so yeah.

I also just want to know what is going to happen next in Winter's life. I wasn't really digger her with Blaise and shit.. but I was with Cedric. So yeah, I definitely want more of that please. Definitely excited for the next book and I hope I get the ARC of it!
Profile Image for Vanessa (bookfairy95).
1,300 reviews143 followers
January 13, 2021
The Fate of Crowns is an athmospheric read that shows the epic journey of a princess who lost her future and is trying to navigate her way through deception, lies, intruiges and magic - her only ally being herself.


This review is going to be heavily focused on the main character (of course no spoilers), simply because the MC is what I have the most feelings and thoughts about. First, I will start with my overall thoughts though!

#TheFateofCrowns starts with a BANG! A big one that I didn’t see coming and left me shocked and with my mouth hanging open. Short chapters made it possible for me to fly through the big and overall the story was really fast paced with many different creatures that give you a complete fantasy world. There are light and dark sorcerers, light and dark fae, monstruous mercreatures, animal-monsters, pirates, elves, pixies, even unicorns? You definitely get a full-fledged fantasy experience with this one!

A lot of different characters are introduced and not all of them are really flashed out, some of them don’t even have much screen time, but you know for sure that sooner or later in this series they’re going to play an important role, so to make sure you pick up on all the hints definitely make sure you’re reading this carefully!

It took me a little while to really get into the book, but I fully emerged at around 30%. Reading this definitely was an emotional rollercoaster, which was mostly due to our main character Winter. (More on her later.) But reading this book also gives you that uneasy feeling, because you have absolutely no idea who to trust. This completely reflected Winter’s feelings and her inner turmoil, so the entire atmosphere in this books - which is dark and a little dreary - perfectly reflects the main character. If you ask me? That is pretty fantastic when it comes to writing style and world building and all that writing talent!
Also tFoC really kept me on the edge of my seat. I created theories in my head that were literally destroyed again the next second.

The only negative point I see in this book is that in parts the pacing was too fast for my liking. Sometimes things happened so quickly that I couldn’t fully keep up. It left me confused at times. It felt like the MC had an idea and immediately went for it and if something went wrong, she immediately took another direction. Sometimes I felt like she wasn’t really impacted by the things happening to her, which made me feel detached from the story a bit.

The following part contains insights on the main character. There are no spoilers for things that happen in the plot, but I advise you to proceed with caution if you don’t want to know anything about the character as this might influence your thoughts. So... !SPOILER ALERT!

But now to the Winter herself. I wasn’t a fan of her in the beginning. 60 or 70% of the book I pretty much hated her. She was stubborn, too full of herself, cold and too naive. She let herself be manipulated and ultimately ALWAYS did the bad thing - the wrong thing. And when her feelings told her to do the right thing she completely disregarded her own feelings. She has a big mouth and runs around telling people what they should and shouldn’t do, but when faced with conflict she runs away. HOWEVER !!! At one point it clicked and I understood her. I understood why she acted like she acted and I actually talked to #RebeccaLGarcia and she confirmed that she was aiming for exactly for these feelings. Which, again, is pretty genius and I can only praise her writing talent, because she wanted to achieve this and she did. She created this unlikeable character, but let me tell you once I understood Winter, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED her. Because this young woman is struggling with anxiety. She doesn’t have the least bit of self esteem. She thinks she’s worth something only as an heir. She didn’t get the love she deserves and she aches for even the slightest bit of friendliness or love from literally anyone. And she goes through so so much. Her anxiety is super bad. She can’t sleep. She is literally broken inside. And that is so so sad. I just want to give her all the love and hugs she deserves, because nobody deserves what she went through at that young an age… I felt so conflicted reading this. I felt enraged and helpless and sad. So, what I can say about Winter is: She is by all means not a likeable character. She is a realistic character with lots of flaws and bad character traits. But in the end I loved her despite or maybe for all of these flaws. And one cannot disagree on how brilliantly she is written.

I am SO looking forwards to book 2! #ThePrincessOfNothing
Profile Image for Kelly.
1,328 reviews527 followers
January 17, 2021
I love a good book with Fae in it. So when my reading buddies gave this book four and five stars, I thought for sure I would love this book as well... Ha, no! That didn't happen. While I was enjoying this book in the beginning, I quickly changed my mind to end up downright hating it by the final chapter.

What I hated the most was the characters. Ugh, even thinking about our main character now that I'm done with the book annoys me. She made some decisions that frustrated me and after that everything that she said or did grated on my nerves. There also wasn't any characters to love as Blaise, her fiancée was an ass who "isn't able to love" but liked to have lovers around.

I'm not sure what the author tried to do with the romance but there's really nothing appealing between Blaise and her. As for Cedric, his secret isn't revealed in this book but it's very easy to guess . I'm guessing there will be a romance with him in the next book but honestly I couldn't care less anymore. We only saw him in the beginning of the book and he didn't make an appearance after that.

Sadly, I am disappointed.

(Thank you for lettingme read and review an ARC via Netgalley)
Profile Image for Nite0wl29.
352 reviews63 followers
December 21, 2020
I want to thank Victory Editing and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book a lot!

The story moves at a fairly fast pace. The main character Winter goes through tremendous growth from beginning to end as she realizes the truth behind all the lies her family has spun to keep her sheltered. At first Winter comes off as entitled, spoiled, and bratty, but her shallow-mindedness changes after one life altering experience that sets her on a wholly different course by fate. In a land of horrible and wicked fae, it’s hard to think your own flesh and blood could be the most wicked of them all.

New alliances are made. Unlikely friendships are forged. Your heart will break. A lot. And you’ll find yourself questioning just who you can truly trust when it seems everyone has their own agenda.

The writing in this book was beautiful, which made the world building even more magical. I could picture everything so well and felt like I was actually there with Winter as she makes this harsh journey of self-discovery. I highly recommend this book for anyone who’s a fan of The Folk of the Air.
Profile Image for Alex Nonymous.
Author 26 books559 followers
December 27, 2020
Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Fate of Crowns in exchange for an honest review.

I'm fairly sure this is Garcia's debut and if it is, I'm insanely impressed. She has the YA fantasy narration voice down to a tee. The narration was honestly probably my favourite part of this because of how strong it was. I read an ecopy of this and I'm not entirely sure how many pages it is, but everything felt quick and engaging while still fleshing out the world and characters.

I do think there were a few pacing issues though. In chapter one we're introduced to a prophecy first being told that comes almost completely to fruition almost instantly. Our protagonist is set up to have a love interest who's removed from the plot the moment they first admit their feelings and one of the most important characters in the book who's introduced as a concept pretty early on doesn't arrive until the halfway point. I think starting the story with the prophecy and her feelings towards love interest #1 already established would not only get us into the important parts of the story quicker, but would also elicit a deeper response from both Winter and readers when the results of that prophecy and love interest are revealed.

The Fates of Crowns is described as for fans of Holly Black and SJM and considering we quickly learn that our MC is betrothed to a dark, broody, fairy prince you'd assume he's a big part of the story which is why it was so bizarre to me that he was introduced so late. When he is introduced, he becomes such a big factor in Winter's life and decision making that it ended up feeling rushed and I really think it would have made this book a lot stronger if he was introduced earlier, even if it were something as brief as an interaction earlier in the story where Winter meets him for half a moment so we could at least understand that there's a foundation there. Given the SJM and Holly Black comparison and Winter's betrothed's similar flirting and brooding styles to love interests in their works, I was really thrown off by her having just turned 16 for most of their relationship. I get wanting her to be young to excuse her naïveté and nothing super inappropriate happens, but being set up to expect that kind of romance meant every time anyone flirted with her I went into sheer panic that I was about to read a steamy romance scene with someone who was 15 like a week ago.

This was good! I know it sounds like I have a lot of negative feelings towards this, but it was so close to wonderful that the weaker points bothered me a lot more than they would have in something more mediocre. I'd be excited to read more from the author.
Profile Image for Brinley.
1,239 reviews73 followers
January 2, 2021
It looks like my opinion is pretty unpopular, but I didn’t enjoy this book. There were several elements that were done well, but it just didn’t seem well crafted, or thought out.

I think the only reason I disliked this so much was our main character, Winter. I found her to be spoiled, and although I can appreciate a naive character, Winter was too much for me. She was constantly making statements, and proclaimed herself as well educated, despite knowing nothing about her kingdom. I’m sorry, but a princess who knows nothing about her kingdom, or how to rule is not a character I’m interested in liking. On top of that, she took everything as a betrayal! She never could choose a side, instead she just floated in the middle. She constantly declared that she wanted to rule, but never made any steps to learn how or to get to know her people.

Because I hated her, I couldn’t enjoy much else about the book. Blaise was a super interesting character, who reminded me of Cardan, and I would’ve loved to have more of him. Honestly, I think I might’ve preferred it if he was our main character. I do wish that he was a bit more morally grey, because he never makes any “hard” decisions. His relationship with Winter wasn’t my favorite, but that’s mainly because I have no idea what he sees in her.

Along with my complaints about the characters, I also have to say that the worldbuilding confused the heck out of me. What’s the difference between the light and dark Fae? Why are they enemies? These may have been answered, but my attention towards this book was pretty low by the end.

I really wanted to like this book, and sometimes, those expectations are what ruin a book. The beautiful characters and promises of a Fae prince drew me in, only to let me down. This isn’t my type of book, but dozens of other reviewers have loved it, which is a point in its favor.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
8 reviews
December 6, 2020
I have never had a book give me so many trust issues... and I LOVE it!! If your a fan of books that get you emotionally invested to the point you are just as deceived and heartbroken and the characters, this is your book. One of the biggest problems that I find avid readers have is that within the first 100 pages of the book we know where it’s going, but not in The Fate of Crowns. You think you’ve figured it out, and then it changes. You’re just as spun up in the politics and misgivings of all the courts as our lovely princess is. If your a fan of Sarah J. Maas and her twist and turns I promise you, you are going to love Rebecca L. Garcia. You’re going to enter a world where you end up questioning everyone and everything. I promise you’ll love it, this is a book you’re going to want on your shelf.
Profile Image for Michele.
1,695 reviews
January 4, 2021
The Fate of Crowns is fabulous!! It's a terrific start to a new series and I'm eagerly awaiting the second book! When comparisons are made to Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas, an author really has to bring it. Let me just say that Rebecca Garcia did just that.

This book contains great world building and character development. I was quite nervous when I started it and was incredibly pleased to find it was a gem. The only down side was it had one heck of a cliffhanger. Fortunately, the second book should be released before long.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review this book and the opinions contained within are my own.
Profile Image for Holly.
458 reviews28 followers
January 6, 2021
I highly recommend this book! As always this author delivered another fabulous book!
Profile Image for Nazaret  (bumbleebeela).
30 reviews3 followers
December 22, 2020
Will she become the queen of everything? Or be reduced to a princess of nothing?

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Thank @bookofmatchesmedia and @rebeccalgarciabooks.

I was a little nervous with The Fate of Crowns because I did not know the author @rebeccalgarciabooks, but her work has been excellent and I am in velociraptor mode looking to read the second book as soon as possible. My only problem with this book is that it is too short for me! I couldn't stop reading it, I was truly super hooked. As an addict I needed more and I wouldn't have minded if it was a little longer. I loved the diversity, its rich and intricate worldbuilding, and the original plot even when these kinds of fantasies are quite popular in YA literature today. Of course I want to emphasize that Rebecca's writing is beautiful and that she has a fantastic way of creating her own universe. I loved the character of Winter, her background and being able to feel so identified with her. I think many people will appreciate finding someone with whom they can reflect like her. In a world divided into kingdoms, full of political intrigue and magic, Rebecca will make you believe that you know where things will go and then give you a plot twist that you did not expect at all. Netflix, I hope you call this woman. This would look great on screen.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
948 reviews27 followers
January 14, 2021
Intriguing start to a rich new fantasy series!

You will become completely immersed in this addictive new world. The world building is imaginative and intricately detailed. It's filled with culturally diverse magic systems, fantastic mystical creatures, and deadly dangerous adventures. An epic battle of light and dark, Good vs Evil, fought by morally grey characters who are also fighting inner battles of right and wrong. It's explosive and gripping, at times impossible to put down. I am so excited to see where the story goes from here. I would definitely recommend it for fans of Holly Black, Sarah J. Maas, and Shelby Mahurin.
Profile Image for ruffles.
360 reviews93 followers
April 22, 2021
I received the audiobook ARC of The Fate of Crowns free of charge from the author, Rebecca L. Garcia. It was my choice to read and review.

I'm reading for the second time, the first time I read it was the ebook. Just like the first time I loved the magic, magical creatures, kingdoms, elves, and fae. I love audiobooks because you can hear the inflections in the character's voices, which I can't do well in my head. So, unlike the first time, I'm giving the audiobook 5 stars.

The tension was heightened for me in the audiobook experience especially in scenes with Winter + Cedric or Blaise and Winter + her mom or dad or Morgana. The action scenes as well like the one with the merpeople were more intense and gripping to me in the audiobook version. I felt more connected to Winter when listening to the audiobook. The narrator does a great job!

Winter's journey through the book kept me on the edge of my seat and surprised me at every turn. One of my favorite things about a book is when I try to figure out what will happen next in my head and the book takes a totally different direction and that definitely happened when reading this, multiple times.

I'm not an expert on the world yet or the fae but, I'm sure the next book will explore more and give some background to the history of the kingdoms. I flew through it and loved the way it ended.

If you like any of the fantasy elements I mentioned above, I'd recommend reading The Fate of Crowns.
Profile Image for Sonja.
990 reviews24 followers
January 8, 2021
When you compare a book to those by Sarah J. Maas right in the synopsis, you're putting that book pretty high. And here, it was a blatant lie. Obviously a minority here, but this book did not impress me at all. I agree with some of the other lower stared reviews about the pacing. I'll be one of the first to complain about a book that is so ridiculously slow that it bores me out of my mind. I don't think I've ever come across one that was so fast that it did the same thing....until now. So much happens, but then it's almost immediately done with and it's on to the next thing. There are numerous time skips which we only realize when we're eventually told it's been weeks or months. There are many characters that you would think should be important, but they don't get enough page time to really develop into anything except a stepping stone for Winter to be onto her next thing. As for Winter, oh how I hated that child. And child she was. Don't try and sell a 15 year old girl who turns 16 as a YA book when she is so painfully childish, immature, and naive. I could not stand her and every single decision she made was a selfish one that just served to make me hate her more. The only character that I got enough of to truly like was Blaise.

Admittedly, the world created here was a good one. There was lots of magic, good and bad fae, terrifying mer-creatures, and such different ways of life between all the kingdoms that it would be hard not to be impressed with much of it.

But the story dragged it down. Or more specifically, Winter. Winter has been an arrogant, sheltered, ignorant princess her whole life. For some reason both of her parents treat her with a sort of mild neglect while they dote on her older brother. She's not jealous that he will rule because she truly loves him and knows he will be a great king. But when their kingdom is attacked and he is killed, her whole life changes. Now all of a sudden she is heir to the throne and we hear ad nauseum throughout the entirety of the book how it is her crown and she will do whatever she has to to take it back. Hidden away on an island or something away from the castle, she ends up falling off a cliff and getting attacked by the mer-creatures. Of course she is saved, but now she finds herself in enemy territory. Color her surprised to find people there that are actually nice! How shocking! Next thing you know she's already on her way back home. But her troubles are just beginning. She's to be married off to the dark fae crown prince upon her return. Which was already demeaning enough to her but then she finds out what her father is planning. In her half-assed attempt to save a life she does something she was told never to do without even reading the side effects or what could happen. She is that stupid. She messes up the whole marriage and soon even becomes the enemy of both kingdoms of that land. She flees back to Blaise to seek his help and after he tells her of his plans she feels she can't trust him anymore and she runs away from there too. I am truly astonished at all the traveling this girl does by herself and manages to always make it safely. Well, almost always. She does get caught once but of course is rescued because we can't have the princess get hurt. Winter finally figures out what she thinks she has to do to get her crown back and nothing will stop her. It's one thing to end on a cliffhanger, but this ended on what felt like the middle of a chapter.

With all that Winter goes thru in this book, one would have expected her to have grown up at least a little bit. But she doesn't. She is always right, everybody else has no idea what they're talking about. She should be more powerful than others because she's a royal, so she gets pissed off when she finds someone with a stronger connection to their magic. She never learns a lesson, ever. Especially when it came to gambling with a fae. I could probably rant a long time about this idiot...but I won't.

While I would love to find out more about some of the characters (especially the boy who helped her out of enemy territory) I do not want to read about Winter at all any more, so I won't be continuing this series.


ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.
Profile Image for Within The Pages Book Blog.
686 reviews16 followers
October 7, 2020
OMG!!! I think this may be Rebecca’s best book yet!!! I am not even joking. I have read everything by this author and given them all five stars but nothing has ever pulled me in Ike this one. I am so impressed and so amazed. I cannot wait for the next book!!!

I find a lot of fantasy books can be overwhelming at first trying to figure it all out but not the story!! I found it very easy to follow and was fully engaged from the start. Even with the first chapters I already had a good in-sight (through the descriptions of land and the people) of who the story was about. I also felt that the descriptions used was just the right amount that I didn’t feel bogged down by details and could really get into the characters faster.

I truly loved Winter with her strength and determination. I could relate to her need to please her dad but I also felt so angry at her betrayal so far to someone who was so kind to her. I wanted her to always choose the right path. So it pained me when she didn’t.

As for the other characters in the storey, Morgana was the most interesting and caring. Her protective nature over winter was moving and motherly. She needed that. Morgana has a good soul and kind spirit and I was totally impressed by her character.

This beautifully crafted and woven story of a princess through magical kingdoms and Forrest’s to find her destiny was so wonderful and fascinating. It really did take you on an exciting adventure. Winters search for a path that will bring her true power came within a cost!!! Her worlds collided and wars were fought, Winter’s destiny changed the lives of so many yet there is a chance she would lose herself to the darkness getting there.

I cannot wait to know more. I am happy about King Amos’ fate. I am dying to know if Birch is alive and how her friends are doing. I definitely need to know what happens next between Winter and Blaise. And I want more of Morgana.

A definite must read!! Hands down!!! Yep
Profile Image for Alison.
850 reviews5 followers
June 10, 2021
The Fate of Crowns
The Fate if Crowns #1
Rebecca L. Garica
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The fate of crowns is a world filled with different kinds of fae and sorcerers where a lie and unravel everything.

Winter Morris the crown princess is thrown into mer filled waters, dragged into the rival kingdom of Berovia. She is now surrounded by those who murdered her only brother and wished my entirely family dead, but I must work hard to find a way back into my kingdom. I am ready to be Queen. I was raised for this. They say a marriage to the dark face prince could bring peace to a centuries old rift between the fae and sorcerers.
Dark revelations and deadly lies threaten to destroy my destiny. I will have to make the ultimate choice before duty, family, and heart before its too late.

Should I allow myself to become the exalted Queen of everything?

Rebecca L Garcia did a fantastic job on this book. The fae was incredible and over the top at times. I have to admit I really enjoyed this and can't wait to read the rest. This book is chalked full of magic and fae and if you love the unknown you must read this book
Profile Image for Julie - One Book More.
1,320 reviews236 followers
January 6, 2021
The first book in The Fate of Crowns series, the story follows Winter, a young woman who finds herself embroiled in political intrigue and disturbing revelations that threaten all she knows.

Throughout the story, Winter is finding herself. A sheltered princess, Winter is naïve to the harsher realities of society. She lives under the protection of her parents and brother, and she spends much of her life sheltered. As Winter begins to learn the truth of her world, she has to reevaluate all she has ever known. She is smart and practical, and she feels a strong sense of honor. However, she is a bit judgmental and uncompromising as well. She is a well-layered and dynamic character and one of the highlights of the novel.

Blaise is a difficult character to understand. He’s pretty mysterious! His motivations seem complex and unclear, and he struggles to show his vulnerability. Throughout the story, I could never really tell if he was good or evil, and I suspect he is a bit of both. Determined to rule, Blaise holds his true feelings in, and I suspect he knows way more than he reveals to Winter. I’m curious to find out what secrets he’s keeping and where his loyalties lie.

Despite my suspicions about Blaise, I liked the relationship between him and Winter. They have amazing chemistry, and it is clear they have feelings for each other. However, they also have a total lack of trust, and nothing is ever what it seems with these two, which makes for a complex and unusual connection. Add secretive political machinations, and everything becomes even more complicated. I liked all of the layers to their growing relationship and am curious to see how it develops in future books.

I’m also fascinated by the political intrigue and the constant twists and turns. Winter has many revelations related to her father’s politics, as well as the political influence of other people in her life, including Blaise. I’m interested to see how Winter handles the political arena now that she’s gained more knowledge and has decided to rule.

This is an immersive and interesting story for readers who enjoy young adult fantasy. I also think that readers who like coming-of-age stories will appreciate the book. Thanks so much to Rebecca L. Garcia and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
34 reviews2 followers
January 1, 2021
Rating: 4.5⭐️

Fate of Crowns takes place in a land filled with warring Fae and Sorcerer kingdoms. Being one who loves a good Fae story, I truly appreciated this unique perspective.

When I first began reading, I felt rushed. Too many big events happened very quickly and it all was a little abrupt and difficult to follow. However, as I continued reading, I fell in love with the story and seeing the world as it unfolded.

Throughout the book, I met many characters that I instantly loved: Cedric, Blaise, Aquarius to name a few, unfortunately the main character, Winter Mortiz was not one of them. To be honest, in many parts, I hated her. But I think that was kind of the point. The author did an amazing job making me feel the disdain that many of the subjects of Magaelor, Solis, and Light Fae felt. She got in her own way so often, but I truly enjoyed watching her journey and growth into finding her true strength in the end.

What started off rough, for me, ended with me on the edge of my seat hanging on every word. I love how it ended and am lookin forward to reading the second book and see where destiny leads Winter.

Thank your Rebecca Garcia for this beautiful story and for giving me an advanced copy to read and review.
Profile Image for Valerie Roberson.
427 reviews9 followers
December 24, 2020
Absolutely fantastic! I couldn’t put the book down! This book sprang my imagination to life. I was in the book along for the ride of the storyline. This book shows how different types of people are willing to help a stranger in need, no questions asked, or if there are questions asked, there is no prying. This book showed the good in people is still out there.
I loved the storyline! Young adult Princesses sent away by her father the king with her mother. Neither parent really cares for her and she knows it. She finds herself on an adventure in more than one enemy territory, but makes a friends in each and gets help back home. But home isn’t where she is meant to be. Hiding and listening to what she shouldn’t, she finds out things she shouldn’t. Taking that secret with her to the promised person she is betrothed to and now she has to decide what to do.
The characters are awesome! The excitement, suspense and mystery are just the beginning. Add questionable love, adventure, surprises and a fantastic storyline and your got a great book. Left with a cliffhanger, I can’t wait for the next book!
Profile Image for Ahri.
46 reviews
December 23, 2020
Definitely NOT what I was expecting, based on the description...but it was a great surprise!

Great for lovers of: YA fantasy, plot twists a-plenty, strong female lead

Winter Mortis is the crown princess of Magaelor, and we start the book with learning more about her magic and the kingdom. The story progresses quite quickly as we learn she is set to marry the prince of the dark fae prince Blaise. An unfortunate turn of events lead to Winter winding up in the rival kingdom of Berovia and we get to see her grow up quite quickly in order to get back to her kingdom.

I don't want to spoil too much, but nothing is what it seems, and there are plot turns that just really draw you in! These were definitely not expected twists either, so it really REALLY kept me on edge the whole duration of the book. I had to binge read this in one sitting, as it was just too good to put down. A solid 5/5 rating from me, and I can't wait to read more of this author and the series!

Thank you Netgalley, Victory Editing, and the author for providing me the ARC of this book.
600 reviews
December 31, 2020
The Fate of the Crowns is the start of a new series, and what an start it was. If you enjoy paranormal stories you are going to love this one. As with young adult fantasy stories, sometimes they can be a bit predictable, but not this one, every turn of the page was as unique as the last and every time I thought I had it figured out I was so wrong. I absolutely loved all the little details through the story. From small creatures to kings to dark markets and everything in between. And now I am left waiting for book 2!!!!

Winter is the princess locked in the castle but when her life seems to be unraveling faster then she can absorb she has to make split decisions on which paths to take. Family, lies, pre made arrangements, destiny and so much more.

When I say its all in the details that make this story I just can't say that enough. Mrs. Garcia has written into the story line, Winter, is just not your typical damsel in distress, no she has the added effect of dealing with anxiety and it gives this story that bit more that just has you falling in love with her.

Profile Image for ruffles.
360 reviews93 followers
January 8, 2021
I received the ebook ARC of The Fate of Crowns from NetGalley and Victory Editing.

The Fate of Crowns had everything I love: magic, magical creatures, kingdoms, elves, and fae. Winter's journey through the book kept me on the edge of my seat and surprised me at every turn. One of my favorite things about a book is when I try to figure out what will happen next in my head and the book takes a totally different direction and that definitely happened when reading this, multiple times.

I'm not an expert on the world yet or the fae but, I'm sure the next book will explore more and give some background to the history of the kingdoms. I flew through it and would have liked it even longer and more world-building and background details.

If you like any of the fantasy elements I mentioned above, I'd recommend reading The Fate of Crowns.
Profile Image for Alayna.
158 reviews2 followers
February 2, 2021
Had I not known that this was a debut beforehand I wouldn't have guessed..The writing style was flawless and the story, plot line and scene sequence was utterly perfect..I usually take some time to adapt to a new author's writing style but this was seamless..I loved Winter, Cedric almost all the characters really..except the proverbial bad guys of course..attention to detail was perfect. That said even though the book held my attention for all of the time I spent on it, the twists were slightly predictable sometimes.. This book has a cliffhanger ending.. And I can't wait for the sequel!

*arc provided by net galley in exchange of an honest review *
Profile Image for Andrea Morgan -Bookaholic Sisters blog.
447 reviews32 followers
December 24, 2020
Wonderfully written story with so much attention to detail you feel like you are immersed right there in this new magical world with the characters, and I never wanted to leave!

This is my first read from Rebecca L Garcia and it definitely not be my last, I loved every single part of this book, the writing is absolute perfection, the characters and storyline are strong and gripping, the words flow effortlessly across the pages, I couldn't put it down.

A fantastic strong start to a new series by a new to me author, and I cant wait to read more.
Profile Image for Chelsea.
229 reviews3 followers
December 22, 2020
I really enjoyed The Fate of Crowns and can't wait to read the second book. What a page turner and the story kept me engaged throughout. I highly recommend if you enjoy YA fantasy.

This is the first book I have read of Rebecca Garcia and plan to read her other books.
Profile Image for Patience.
27 reviews18 followers
January 7, 2021
This is the type of book that has you completely hooked by the first few pages, keeps you frantically flipping them to find out what happens next, and has you thinking about the story long after you have finished reading. With heart stopping plot twists and imaginative world building, Rebecca Garcia’s ‘The Fate of Crowns’ is nothing short of breathtaking.

There may come a time when the words ‘fae and sorcerers’ do not automatically make me fall in love with a book, but today is not most definitely not that day. The world building throughout this story was absolutely amazing, being both whimsical, magical, and frankly a slight bit terrifying (I’ve lost track of how many creature in this book would probably kill me if i wandered to close to them). The different aspects and features of the world all interwove with each other, working together to spin a powerful tale. All that being said, it was written in a way that was fairly easy to follow, making it not too overwhelming or distracting from the main plot of the story.

The story itself was full of many different and intriguing aspects, all meant to draw in the reader, and did they ever. While I can’t talk too much about the different twists and betrayals without giving any plot points away, I will say that there were times when I thought my jaw would be permanently on the ground. I will admit that I am a bit of an ever exaggerator at times, but I am dead serious when I tell you that there were points throughout this book when my mouth was just hanging open in shock. With to many new problems, relationships, half truths, all out lies and betrayals, it was all I could do to put this book down. Now, if you do end up reading this book (which you totally should!), you’ll understand what I mean when I say: I NEED the next book right away and CANNOT wait to read what happens next in the series.

As far as protagonists go, Winter Mortis is not perfect. But it is her imperfection that I admired the most, she is relatable and realistic, although I would assume most of us probably can’t relate to the idea of needing to escape magical creatures and certain death, but hey I guess you never know?! Her struggles are large, but so is her strength. Even as everything she knows begins to crumble around her, and she’s not sure who she can trust, she still keeps fighting. Still keeps trying to be better than she was before. But her choices won’t just affect her, it will affect the fate of the entire kingdom.

I’d recommend this book to readers looking for a fresh new YA fantasy story, as well as people who enjoy books similar to that of The Cruel Prince and A Court of Mist and Fury. I’d also recommend to people looking for a gateway into the world of fantasy novels and all it has to offer!

Thank you to the author/publisher and the people at The Next Step PR for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!!
Profile Image for Erica.
439 reviews6 followers
January 21, 2021
This book was a great start to a series. I didn’t know what to expect when jumping in to the story but I was surprised at the level of enjoyment I found in reading. It was a quick read, fast paced, beautifully written and I am excited to read the next book.

Winter Mortis is a princess, who wants nothing more then to protect and rule her kingdom. Her character growth throughout the story, makes her a very intriguing character. The people she meets along her journey, are all vastly different and each one making her grow and learn new things about herself and the kingdom she desperately wants to rule.

Each character in the story seems to have their own agenda, and Winter has a hard time knowing who to trust and who she can ally with.

There are many twists and turns, and very blurred lines between good and evil and right and wrong. How far would you go to protect your kingdom? Winter has to go on her own journey to find out that answer for herself.
Profile Image for The Book Howl.
51 reviews16 followers
January 28, 2021
♡ .・。.・ REVIEW ・゜・。. ♡

4.5 ⭐

When I first saw this book I wanted to read it because of two things. First it was about a Princess (I love Princess stories) and because of the cover (it was the very first thing I notice) and I'm so glad I read it. This book was amazing!

The plot was very consistent and there were plot twists that blew my mind. This book is not predictable which I absolutely loved it kept me in suspense the whole time. But I have to say that the thing that I absolutely adored about this book was how everything is connected and the little hints we get for future books (I can't wait to have more books!!)

The world building is well written and very interesting. I loved learning about the different kingdoms, their laws and magical systems. I can't wait to learn more about the other kingdoms since in this book we learn a lot from 2 kingdoms.

For the characters I liked how real the protagonist felt. She's been through a lot and you can see how she keeps struggling with the anxiety all of this caused her (I liked this because for a real person dealing with anxiety is not like your better the next day and moving on with your life and I feel this is something not often seen in fantasy books. Most fantasy books create this badass protagonist and hide the messy parts) even tho she's a strong character you can see how she struggles to get back on her feet.

Overall this book was amazing and I can't wait to see where all of this takes us. I will definitely be continuing this story.

You can purchase this book here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FQYS2W2/

Thank you to @rebeccalgarciabooks for sending me a copy of this book and to @booksofmatchesmedia for choosing me for this tour I had a blast with this book ♡

* Reviews are not my strongest skills. So I saw a friend that always do reviews on parts (world building, plot and character development) and I think this is a really great way to do reviews so I'm going to try and stick to this format from now on.
Profile Image for Alicia Harrietha.
546 reviews6 followers
February 3, 2021
OMG!!! I think this may be Rebecca’ best book yet!!! I am not even joking. I have ready everything by this author and given them all five stars but nothing has ever pulled me in like this one. I am so impressed and so amazed. I cannot wait for the next book!!!

A journey of a princess through magical kingdoms and Forrest’s to find her destiny. Winters search for a path that will bring her true power but at what cost? When worlds collide and wars are fought how can the destiny of one person change the lives of so many without losing yourself to the darkness.

From page one I was pulled into the story. The descriptions were bang on and helped me get into the story faster. I was avery taken with Winter (the Princess) and the type of character she was. Her honesty and coldness was addictive. Her yearning for something more and her need for greatness was strong. I really did get hooked immediately. I also truly loved Morgana, her protective nature over winter was moving and motherly. She needed that. Morgana has a good soul and kind spirit and I was totally impressed by her character.

I can’t not talk about Blaise Lazarus (crowne fae Prince)
Because he intrigues me and want some
Much to figure out his end game with the Princess. I feel he cares for her but his crown may mean more to him.

The more I got into the story the more my feelings grew deeper for the characters. Not just Winters’ character but for all of them. I found I was praying for certain things to happen or not happen and I was on the edge of my seat for fear of things to come. The more I read the more invested I became and how that made the character seem much more real to me as well as the place Winter travelled to. And wow, I found every setting in the journey that Winter took equally amazing. I enjoyed all the different places and descriptions used for them. So many beautiful creatures and moments I felt like I could really picture the journey from start to finish. If I could pick one place to go it would be to the Berovian forests. They sounded breathtaking and tranquil.

Overall, I have not read anything like this and am completely and utterly in love with this story. A must read by everyone!!!!
Profile Image for Lottie.
32 reviews2 followers
January 7, 2021
Garcia has done a brilliant job in setting out the magical and complex world this series will take place in, giving us enough information to understand the basics of the magic system, families, creatures and people within it, without info dumping, overloading us or detracting from the plot.

The book is fast paced and you get to see a few different places and meet a few of, what I believe to be, the key players in the story - shout out to my favourite 'Sailor' Aquarius!! Which kept me on my toes and made for entertaining reading.

I'm a fan of books where strong female characters are friends - female empowerment in fantasy and YA books is vital. Garcia has done this with the friendship between Morgana and Winter. I love how Morgana, kindly but firmly calls Winter on her BS. Because that is what friends do. I loved all the scenes between these two and hope we get more of this in the future books. And I like how even though Winter is our protagonist - she is not portrayed as perfect. She has her flaws, her vices. Garcia has given us a fleshed out character with so much room for growth. It makes me excited to see her development.

I also really enjoyed the banter and grudging friendship that bloomed between Winter and Blaise and can not wait to see where their relationship ends up. I am a fan of the snarky, broody, troubled Blaise and really want to see more of him in the next instalment too.

Garcia has a knack for writing in a way that makes you want to read just 'one more chapter' even though it is already way past midnight! I could imagine Berovia and Niferum as she described them. I could picture the Anumi in my mind as I read about it! And I think this is always a sign of a great writer. When I have images in my mind of the world I am reading about - that is success!

If you enjoy books about arranged marriages, enemies to lovers, friendships of circumstance, magic, betrayal, Fae and royals then this is for you.
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