In A Fate of Wrath & Flame (Fate & Flame #1) by K.A. Tucker (5/25), Romeria “Romy” Watts has seen a lot of 
weird things in her childhood days living on the streets in New York City. Some of the strange stuff she’s heard has actually been spewed out of the mouths of her parents. Now as a successful jewelry thief who finds herself working for a nasty crime boss, Romy spends her time among the wealthy and elite, casing her next heist. Then a beautiful stranger tracks her down. A woman named Sofie who has details about Romy that no one else should know. When Sofie proves her strength against evil and asks for help in saving her husband Elijah, Romy has nothing else to lose so she agrees. She just didn’t realize what exactly it was she would be tasked to do.
‘It’s disorienting to stand before a man who I have no familiarity with when he seems overly familiar with me. A man who accuses me of murdering his loved ones, with ample evidence, apparently.’
Romy soon finds herself in a whole other world. Literally. Gone are the crowded NYC streets. In its place are castles, rolling hills, soldiers, and otherworldly creatures. The person she has become when she awakens is a princess. A rather evil one, it appears. Ybarisan princess Romeria was betrothed to Zander, the new king of Islor, before she allegedly killed his parents on what was to be her wedding day to Zander. Now with a death sentence hanging over her, Romy will do whatever it takes to avoid the funeral pyre and to find the stone Sofie needs to save Elijah. But she’s honestly not sure who to trust or what is truly going on. It will take all of her skills and some real alliances to remain alive–let alone finish her mission.
‘The stone-faced king laughing seemed an impossibility a month ago, and now it is me who has sparked this genuine reaction.’
Talk about an epic tale! A Fate of Wrath & Flame takes readers from present day back to medieval times, thanks to a fateful magical spell. K.A. Tucker wove in romance, war, subterfuge, and friendship with a huge cast and incredible world-building that still has my head spinning.
‘Soon Romeria would see. She would know the world of vengeful gods and monsters, and the lengths one would go for love. And nothing would ever be the same again for her.’
It’s going to be difficult to describe A Fate of Wrath & Flame as it is one of those books that you have to read to get the full experience. Where it starts off in modern day New York City, with Romeria (aka: Romy) a highly skilled thief working for a crime boss who then finds herself whisked away to a land of castles and magic, it was a lot to wrap my head around at first. You kind of have to just go wherever K.A. Tucker is taking you on this journey. But it was totally worth it. Once I could keep track of the characters and got a clearer picture of them (and their allegiances) it all fell in place, turning this into an enthralling fantasy story that I didn’t want to put down.
I will warn that this comes in at a little over 500 pages, so it’s a bit of a time investment–but it’s time well spent. Especially considering that I found the storyline and the characters equally compelling. Romy proved to be an interesting heroine. She was around twenty-one years old and even though she had street smarts and a cynical edge, when it came to love and friendship she was still pretty naive. So being thrown into the role of a Princess who was betrothed to the newly crowned King, Romy was certainly out of her element.
It was quite fascinating how Tucker shaped and changed each character throughout the novel. Of course, Romy grew quite a lot as a person and got to know herself better. Her feelings about her past as well as her expectations for her future morphed as she explored her growing relationships with Zander, his sister Annika, some of the guards and the locals. Watching how they all interacted, trying to sort out who was being honest and who was duplicitous, was a lot of fun. I should also mention that the book ended not really on a cliffhanger, but at a pivotal moment. So if you don’t like to start a series until all the books have been released, you will likely want to hold off on this one for a bit.
QOTD: Are you a fan of fantasy, fantasy romance, or even urban fantasy novels? If so, do you have any tried and true favorites?
Book Info:
Publication: May 25, 2021 | K.A. Tucker | Fate & Flame #1
Gifted thief Romeria has flourished from her days as a street kid pilfering wallets to survive. Now she thrives, stealing jewels from the rich under the involuntary employ of New York City’s most notorious crime boss. But when an enigmatic woman secures her services at swordpoint, Romeria is plunged into a startling realm of opposing thrones, warring elven, and elemental magic she cannot begin to fathom.
Her quest is straightforward: Steal a stone from Islor’s sacred garden without anyone discovering her true identity, which would earn her certain death. But the identity she has inexplicably assumed is that of the captured Ybarisan princess—an enemy to Islor after she poisoned their beloved king and queen on the day she was to marry the prince.
Her betrothed, the newly crowned King Zander, detests her with every grain of his handsome being. Fortunately for Romeria, she is more valuable to him alive than dead. Zander gives her a choice: life in a cell, or an acquittal of all charges in exchange for her help in exposing the growing plot against him.
Romeria sees no other option and embraces the tricky role of smitten queen-to-be until she can escape, a ruse that brings her far closer to the king than she anticipated and threatens more than her safety. As she digs deeper into this sacred garden and the ancient feud between Ybaris and Islor, she discovers monstrous truths that could spell ruin for all.
She would know the world of vengeful gods and monsters, and the lengths one would go for love. And nothing would ever be the same for her again.
