These Fates that Bind Us: Evening Star Saga Book One

by Rachel Tork

Dreams and danger – that’s what the Unseelie Court holds. And I’ve fallen right into its king’s forbidden thrall. Aster Quiin (aka Asteria Fairwae, the lost Seelie princess) likes to pretend her life is perfectly normal. And through a deal with her uncle, the regent king, that’s mostly possible. That is, until she dances with a beautiful, silver-haired stranger at a nightclub. The stranger turns out to be Nox Ether, the notorious King of the Unseelie Court and her uncle’s political enemy. Nox takes a darkly keen interest in Aster, his presence bleeding into more than just her waking hours. All the while, unrest stirs within the Unseelie Court as members of Nox’s inner circle disappear and whispers that demonic forces are at play begin to spread. When Aster’s forbidden attraction to the Unseelie King and the threat of danger brewing in the courts become intrinsically linked, she is forced to face her fate… even if in the end, it’s the death of her. – – – – – For fans of Laura Thalassa and Scarlett St. Clair, this urban fantasy romance takes a twist on traditional faerie folklore and features a morally grey love interest, a snarky heroine, and slow-burn spice.

Genres: Fantasy, Fae, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, High Fantasy, Fiction

281 pages, Paperback

Published October 9, 2023

About the author

Rachel Tork is the author of fantasy romance and contemporary romance books, including the Evening Star Saga. She adores rainy days, Reylo, and early mornings snuggled on her couch.

She writes quick-paced fantasy with snarky, yet flawed, characters, as well as deeply emotional romance that proves love really can conquer all.

You can follow Rachel on Instagram and TikTok at @racheltorkauthor

Reviews

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got to stop falling for book quotes shared on tik tok.

[mags · Rating 1 out of 5]

Made it about a third of the way through (I did, however, skim the rest) - I did not finish, and I will not finish. Referencing another (terribly accurate and horribly comedic) review I read, this is the Wish.com Crescent City. And also, much worse. In every way.

I just have questions? Why is Nox using the pet name “love” in every single sentence he says? Is he British (I don’t think even the brits use it that often)? Does he WANT to be British? Why does he creepy-stalk Asteria and talk about sex before chapter 6? Where is the banter? Where is the tension? Also, as a side note, I knew I wouldn’t like this book as soon as I found out that Asteria dresses like a 2014 tumblr girl.

Anyways. I hate to be rude, as I’m sure the author is lovely, but maybe we should have a bit closer look at our works before publishing. As in, mayhaps let’s not have our main character be a starlight fae who comes from an abusive and despairing past and also she magically finds a 500 billion year old mate who has just been waiting for her and only her, our 22 year old party girl turned royalty, who also works in a museum. At least she doesn’t have red hair.

[Dazjon Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the idea behind this book is a really good one. It just had very poor execution. There were many, MANY, grammatical errors, and Tork tried to fit too much into this one book. The smut was mediocre, at best so I really hope it’s not marketed as a spicy romance novel.


I could say more, I just don’t want to.

[Sara Marovic · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boooooorrriiiingg and awfully written. Droped it

[Han · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was terrible. I’m so sorry to the author because it has the makings for a great story but it was just too rushed and that ruined it. I’m not sure if this was self published but I’m getting the vibe that it was because surely someone should have stepped in and suggested some changes.

Likes:
-the story has potential

Dislikes:
-the characters felt underdeveloped, there were many gaps that should have been filled to help create a desire to read any sequels
-the dialogue was just weird, you have this ancient MMC who gave off 20 something year old vibes and this long lost princess who gave off 15 year old vibes
-the story was rushed, like I had no idea what was going on half the time because the story kept jumping from one point to another
-this winnowing that was referred to as “flit” was just weird and I couldn’t see past the phrase “flit about” which just made something that other authors have made desirable sound pathetic
-the supporting characters were boring and lacked any real substance, I feel like there personalities are the FMC and that’s not enough for me

Honestly this is 0.05 🌟 for the concept behind the book but other than that it was terrible and I almost don’t want to include it in my 100 book goal for the year.

[Madeleine · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Daughter of the sky, sister to the sun, cherished child of the moon, may the goddess hold you gently. May you rest easy in the stars with those who came before and may your soul find its home in the Light.”

It was a good 3.5 Star read

Dedication: To anyone who has been told they’re “too much.” Burn brighter.
Wow - the Dedication is fantastic!!!!

Asteria: SO brave, so so brave - really liked her character

Nox: so caring, so lovely

QUOTES:
(NOTE I can express my feelings for the book, the things I liked and disliked better through Quotes)

“Is that what you were trying to do?” a voice floated over, cutting through my hazy, wandering thoughts. “Pet me?”

I must have stared a second too long at his ears because he chuckled, brushing a strand of my hair back and tracing a thumb up my own slanted ear. - “Yes, love, I’m just like you,”

“If the ears didn’t convince you, maybe this will,” he said. - He hardly paused before sweeping me into his arms and moving to the music. I stumbled a bit before catching up with him. His hands found my waist, his touch featherlight. The movement on his part gave me some more confidence… or perhaps that was from the last spiked seltzer I’d chugged with Lil only minutes ago, finally kicking in.

“I’ll go where I wish.” The man behind me tapped on my shoulder and hissed, “Do you know the Night King or something?” “I believe she said she wasn’t interested,”

I stared at it and then, in a moment of pure, unrationalized panic, I pressed it to my lips. I thought of Nox; the citrusy smell of him, his gold-flecked eyes, the silver of his hair catching in the glow of the flashing club lights… - But it was too late. Nox stood in front of me, his brow furrowed in confusion as he slowly approached me. “Why are you on the floor—”

And know a 10/10 Quote - My most favorite one - AGGHHHHHH

He unfroze and crouched down, his eyes burning with rage. “Who did this to you?” he asked roughly, as if it was an effort for him to stay in control.

PHAHAHHAHHA - her lovely bottle of whisky

“I have a question. But first,” I groaned as I adjusted, “first I need you to go to the cabinet next to the fridge and get me my bottle of whiskey.” “Your bottle of whiskey?” he mused. “Yes,” I hissed. “Mine.

Gods, I love Nox he is so nice

“Coming?” I stared at him for a moment before I said, “I don’t know you. You don’t know me. Why are you acting like we’re friends?” “Are we not?” “I think we might still be in the ‘stranger’ or at the very least the ‘acquaintance’ phase.” - “How do I become your friend?” I pursed my lips, but replied, “Well, what we’re doing now works for starters, I suppose.” He lifted a hand, and before I could even register what he was doing, he brushed his thumb over my lower lip and murmured, “Good.”

Call on me whenever you wish. I’ll always make time for you. I stared at the words, a little confused. Nox was… intense. And protective of me in a way that I wasn’t sure I quite understood, at least not yet. It was all very strange.

“You’re a disgrace to this court,” Miriam said with a sniff. I turned. This time, I couldn’t help it or control it, even knowing what she might see as I faced her. Her eyes widened and it was her turn to stumble back. “What… what are you?” she whispered in horror; her gaze glued to the otherworldly glow I knew was shining from behind my eyes. - “Don’t cross me again, Miriam. This is your only warning.” “Please,” she bleated, frozen where she stood. “Count your blessings, siren. I could have you begging for your life,”

“When are you going to realize this isn’t just about you, Aster?” “Enough.” Nox’s voice cut through the room, sharp as the blade of a sword. Raven turned, glaring at him. “I don’t mean to offend, my king, but what the hell do you know about Aster that I suddenly don’t? I’ve known her for most of her life.” “And that gives you license to be an asshole to her?”

His pupils all but blew out and he groaned softly, clenching his jaw so tightly I was genuinely worried for his teeth.

“Don’t do that again,” he said roughly, his control clearly slipping. I liked challenges. I liked winning them. So, I let my lips kick into a slight smile and this time, I brushed all of my knuckles down the sinewy material of his wing.

But anyways, faeries who have wings tend to show them for a few very specific reasons. I’m surprised you’re not aware of them.” I was… sort of. The problem was, I couldn’t exactly remember. Wings weren’t commonly talked about in the Seelie Court because they were such an Unseelie specific trait.

“Faeries show their wings to their enemies, right before they kill them. I think it’s some stupid intimidation thing. But the only other time I think it happens is when they’ve scented their mate.” My world spun. That was the piece of information that had evaded me? Holy fucking shit this was not happening.

“Aster, baby girl, you’re starting to freak me out.” Slowly, I raised my gaze to hers and whispered, “You have to vow not to tell a soul.” She narrowed her eyes scrutinizingly, but said, “I’m good at keeping secrets. You know that.” I nodded, then told her, “Raven didn’t show me his wings. Nox did.”

“Captain.” Ewin paused, and asked, “Yes?” - “If you insult my servants, or address me without a proper title again, I’ll have you choking on your own blood before you can even beg for your life.” Ewin’s ruddy face paled and he gritted out, “Yes… Your Majesty.” Nox smiled like a wolf. “Better,” he purred. “I like my dogs on leashes.”

He could die tomorrow. My mate could die tomorrow. And I could too. Anything was in the cards at this point and we might never get another chance like this. I stayed still as he walked over to me.

But my spirit and the power I once held would be projected far ahead in time, into the body of a Fae babe who shared my bloodline. You, Asteria.”

“I will kill you for this,” Nox snarled, still not letting go of my lifeless body. “I will turn you to ash and I will scatter your remains so deep in the pits of Hell that you will never be whole again.” Abaddon rolled his eyes. “How valiant of you. Spoken like the true son of a Light warrior. But you are not your father, Nox. You are weak, like your poor, dead Fae mother.”

“Asteria?” he said, his voice breaking. I took a deep breath and said, “You didn’t really think they could kill me that easily? There are no tequila shots in the afterlife.”

“I need to speak to them,” I said, indicating my head towards the crowd. He held my gaze and I saw fear shining in his eyes. Not fear of me, I realized, but fear for me. “I just watched you die,”

“I can carry him. I’ll flit directly to the healers,” - “You hurt him and it’ll be the last thing you do,” I said. A smile slowly spread across Griffin’s face, softening the hard lines of it. He glanced up at Nox and said, “Now I believe you.”

Nox’s grip on my hand tightened, his wings curling around me protectively. And that was when the reality of precisely what had just happened suddenly hit me like a speeding bus.

“You and your friends are safe in this palace. If anyone so much as looks at you in the wrong way I won’t hesitate to remove their head from their body.”

“Each and every one of you who sit at this table before me watched on for years as your regent king abused a child, no less your princess and the chosen heir to the throne. I dare you to deny it. I dare you to claim that you did not see the bruises or hear the screams. I cried out for help and not one of you came. And then I stopped crying. I stopped screaming. Because I knew, there was not a worthy soul amongst any of you. As far as your insults regarding my worth as a woman and my “usefulness” on the marriage market.” I laughed. “I am not an animal to be sold off. And I will have it known that my mate finds no issue with my past nor my present.”

Want to know the rest - READ THE BOOK XD
Thanks for reading

[Savannah Simms · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have you ever wanted to speed-run the entire SJM universe in a way where the characters are all one-dimensional, the dialogue is BAD, the MMC calls her “love” every other sentence, the world building is minimal, there’s obnoxiously fast insta-love, and the FMCs uncle rapes and beats her repeatedly?? If yes, you should read this book.

[Gracie · Rating 1 out of 5]

..🤨😑✋🏽 I need to stop listening to recommendations.
Because what in the Wattpad. and I LOVED wattpad. But girl… in the space of 260 pages ALL THAT what was the timeline like three days… 😒

[Cherin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel, thank you so much for the eARC!

Demons, Fae, magic, bat wings, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Angels in book 2. These Fates that Bind Us is definitely worth the read if you are a fan of ACOTAR and Crescent City.

Rachel does a fantastic job at character building in this novel. The book is written to follow Aster aka Asteria – the lost Princess of the Seelie Court. All she wants is to live a normal life away from her responsibilities and her Uncle. That idea quickly gets taken away after a chance encounter as things start to spiral out of control. Her backstory is written and revealed in such a wonderful way that you feel like you are actually in her place. Only one person knows what has really happened to her until Nox. This mysterious King has taken a keen interest in Aster and their collision has serious consequences for her, forcing her to open up and share about her past and the trauma that occurred. You will go on a journey getting to experience the unique mate system, gain knowledge of the world's history, and watch her character build confidence from those around her and finally giving her real self, Princess Asteria a chance.

This was my first book by Rachel and I loved every minute of it. I even found myself getting upset as the book was coming to an end because I wanted more to read! It was an easy read, the plot is straight forward with some side quests that I believe will play a major part in book 2. I honestly cannot wait for the rest of the Evening Star Saga. Definitely a book and series to add to your TBR list!

[Sollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah okay.

While These Fates That Bind Us wasn't a bad book, it wasn't so good that it deserves more than 3 stars.

One refreshing aspect of the book was its contemporary setting, where fairies ride buses, go to discotheques, and use coffee machines. It’s not every day you see Seelies navigating city life! I also appreciated the moment where the author called out the use of the word "females" to describe women. It’s a small detail mentioned once, but one that made my heart flutter, especially since it’s often overlooked in fantasy. Also, the humor deserves a mention. Some dialogues gave me the giggles, not gonna lie.

However, while the story had potential, it was undermined by discrepancies and underdeveloped ideas that didn't always make sense. Some glaring examples - the Seelie folk traditionally cannot lie, yet Seelies in this book kept swerving from the truth. In the Unseelie Court there are all sorts of creatures - goblins, trolls, centaurs, boggarts and so on, yet in this book there is no mention of any Unseelie folk that falls into this category. They are all (or most) described as human looking Fae, which detracted from the richness of the fae lore.

Another issue for me was that at the very first sentences we immediately jump into the creation of the romantic relationship between the FMC and the MMC and two weeks later the FMC is deeply in love with the MMC, even though one of those two weeks she was unconscious in an infirmary. Make it make sense.

A slower build-up with more time to develop their connection would have made the romance feel more authentic.

But at least they can *come* in under 20 seconds, so that should save this book, right?

Wrong.

There were a lot of cringes and bad decisions involved as well - letting a man with horrible reputation (that she's only met once) overnight in her apartment and having a sleepover, him calling her “love” from the very beginning, him taking her out of a bath and plopping her right on the bed just to smash… in now soaking sheets and mattress 🤢, him avoiding giving her answers to important questions just to because “it's not the right time”, baby girl, her asking stupid unimportant questions at the very wrong time (asking him when he had the time to order fighting leathers for her in the middle of an attack!), “He shouted my name as he came” ew can you imagine that?

Another thing that irked me was how casually commoners spoke to royals. I get that it’s set in modern times, but a king is still a king, and there should be some level of respect when talking to him.

Then, an attempt was made to include heavy themes, like domestic violence, torture and rape, but again, for me those attempts stayed just that - attempts. They were just shallowly mentioned once or twice and then completely forgotten like they have no impact over the person. I think heavy themes like this should be heavily researched and delicately approached.

While These Fates That Bind Us might appeal to a beginner in romantasy, it lacks the depth, consistency, and development needed to stand out in the genre. You won’t see me recommending it widely, but it could be a light introduction for new readers.

[Juniper Pearce · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty good, it reminds me of the bargainer series in many ways, and i looooove that series. It's pretty fast paced which isn't a bad thing. I like the main character a lot. I feel like there are a few holes, maybe the next book makes it all add up but so far so good.

[Hayley Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really fast paced but it was pretty good.

[Emma Busch · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[April Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this second book by Rachel Tork, and was lucky to receive the arc for Bloodheart as well. If you love a bit of spice, dark and brooding heroes, and fae worlds full of political intrigue, give this one a go!

[TC Rittenhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Rachel for the eARC, I was so happy to read this book, and this is my honest opinion.

Why can't a girl just live her life? Due to a freak encounter on a night out, Aster's path is no longer her own as she must confront the past she's been running from since she was 12. Aster (or more formally Asteria) is the Seelie princess and heir to the throne her uncle has been sitting on since she was a small child.

Toss in a mysterious Unseelie King, a prophecy, demons, oh, and a curse, and you've got the basis for a fun spicy new fae series. I really loved Aster and Nox (MMC), her best friend Lil and Lil's brother Raven. The story is interesting because it doesn't immediately set the main characters as enemies, even if historically Seelie and Unseelie have always been portrayed that way.

Highly recommend for those who enjoy Fae modern fantasy books (think Crescent City).

4.5 out of 5 stars, and 3 out of 5 🌶 for the spice level.

[Larns · Rating 2 out of 5]

yeah look, I saw a page on tiktok and thought you know this might be good.

It was basically a watt-pad guilty pleasure type book. I wouldn’t even say it was guilty pleasure, it was just pure guilt. This book wasn’t great, it was messy and way too fast. The language of the characters was weird. I understand that the universe is set in a modern world with two different faerie courts co-existing which is also really weird for that matter. If you wanted to make this book interesting and more impactful, definitely don’t use modern day slang and also develop the characters better.

I’m sorry, I wanted to enjoy it and I do love Nox. I think he is a hot sexy character that had potential but, the story just wasn’t good.

[Jade blackman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I managed to get this book as an arc which I was very excited about.

There are many things to love about this book;
fast pace, bad bitch protagonist, humour, who did this to you trope, promoting LGBTQ community, story line flows nicely and easy to follow.

However there are a few things that I wasn’t a particular fan of just wasn’t my cup of tea;
I think it was almost to fast paced, I feel like it could of been longer with more tension and brooding, just happened a-bit to quickly.
The plot is very predictable and obvious.
There was so much potential for a love triangle and my skin was itching hoping it would happen.

But it was an enjoyable, fun and sexy read ♥️

[Shai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh.. the romance is forced, the storyline isn’t given enough time to be thoroughly explored…. The TikTok I saw really had me, I have to stop falling for those. Frustrating bc there is so much potential here.

[Courtney McLeod · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was fine - not great, not bad, but a fine read. I tackled this one quickly as it was entertaining. I did feel some elements were slightly rushed, and perhaps a bit predictable, but overall I did enjoy the book. A bonus that it was included on Kindle Unlimited.

[Ava Raper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like a bad hallmark movie

[Soumaya · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is your sign to not read books simply because you saw a single quote on TikTok

[Tori Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Booktok did it again. Never trusting a quote again 😂 I know I didn’t enjoy it when I was painfully aware of all of the spelling errors and I have no interest in reading the second book.

[Kimberly Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author was kind enough to provide me with an eARC (thanks Rachel!) and I was very excited to give it a read.

Overall the premise of this book is great! The FMC (Aster) is a not-quite missing Seelie princess whose been kept from the throne by her scheming uncle after a terrible accident when she was a child. The MMC (Nox) is an Unseelie King who isn’t as treacherous as the Seelie court would have everyone believe, and who just can’t seem to stay away from the FMC. Add in a curse, some prophecies, and some demons with a taste for revenge and we’ve got ourselves a great plot setup!

Some general thoughts in no particular order:

• I appreciated that Nox wasn’t introduced as the villain. Sure the Seelie court says he’s the enemy, but none of his actions so far have corroborated that, which is a fresh take (and trust me…I love a good enemies to lovers trope). I just liked that Aster saw him for his actions vs rumors and they were able to establish trust in one another quickly vs the usual “You’re just out to manipulate me” sort of deal. There were some hints to that but they were short lived.

• I also thought revealing Aster and Nox were mates so early on was a nice change from the typical build up. I think it was important to establish that early on as I think it will end up playing a key part in future books and the main plot line.

• HOWEVER - I was a little put off with how short lived Nox’s attempts to stay away from Aster/ keep her away from him were. I would have thought with his knowledge of the curse he would have resisted more, but instead he was just like “meh…f*#k it, I want to be with you and damn the consequences”. I would have liked to see a bit more build up/ tension between the two characters knowing they were mates but not acting on it due to the curse as this could have been the catalyst for waaaay more spicy tension and banter.

• I did love how accepting Nox is with Aster and her trauma/reactions, though. He’s definitely had some of his own trauma that I’m sure we will learn more about, but it’s made him into the person who can fully understand what she’s going thru and needs from him.

• The side characters are all great and I’m looking forward to more character development for them all in coming books.

• While I think a lot of this book was really just laying the foundation for the rest of the story, it was pretty fast paced and some things just felt too easy (overthrowing her uncle, learning they’re mates, the trial) I generally like to see the MCs struggle more and really build that narrative of what has to be overcome.

• That said…There were a lot of plot setup hints in this book that could very much make that all come to fruition. We still don’t know much about Nox’s past and powers. Nothing at all really about what Aster is truly capable of (tho I’m looking forward to some training between her and Nox about her magic). And of course we’ve got the curse and prophecies to work thru and how their mate bond plays into it all.

Overall this was a great read and I’m really looking forward to future installments! I’d highly recommend if you love a good fantasy romance!

[spidermse · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Love, I've had a very long time to think about the things I want when it comes to you. Our bodies may have just met but your dreams have been mine for years."

I love a good Fae romance and even better when there's a winged man involved. There's magic, demons, interesting lore, and a fun collection of characters. Nox is dreamy (ha!) and a confident, sexy, snarky FMC is always a joy to read.

Some notes I had:

1. Wish there had been more world building. I didn't even realize the main characters were Fae at first because of the modern aspects. Are there more than two kingdoms? Why are humans there?

2. I would have liked there to be more conflict or angst. A lot of the events or character actions seemed a bit "too easy" and just there to move the story along or to explain away something that happened. Problems were resolved way too easily/quickly.

Stuff I loved:

1. Winged Man 🥵 enough said.

2. The FMC made some choices to deal with her trauma and horrible childhood. Her friends and love interest didn't blame her for those choices or hold them against her. They accepted her and tried to protect her as best they could.

3. The MMC did not expect the FMC to sit back and cower when there was danger. Loved seeing a supportive man!

4. This was a quick mention after one of the spicy scenes, but the FMC being proactive with UTI prevention - THANK YOU! 🙌 😆 Loved that little bit of real life in there.

Overall, this was a nice fantasy read and I look forward to the next book!

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not one to blast stories or authors, because while this book might not be something I enjoyed, a lot of hard work, tears and sweat went into this book and there are people out there who do enjoy it.

I had such high hopes for this book. I prefer a slower, more drawn out story and this book moved too quickly and felt all over the place. It also felt like I was reading a lot of different books mashed together, it had very similar vibes to certain Maas storylines and it also reminded me a lot of Rhapsodic. I am a very picky reader and while I finished the book, I wanted to know how it ended, it wasn't for me at all, and I won't bother with the sequel.

Also, one of my biggest pet peeves when reading a story that's told in first person - writing "or so I've been told".... it's so irritating and I hate reading it, it's a throw away line for the author to info dump something important in the story. Current and future authors, please stop doing it when writing in first person, find any other way to include that important or non-important piece of info.

[eva · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars✨

the author very kindly provided me with an eARC of this book and it was such a great read! this is my second book I’ve read by Rachel Tork and getting to read her work after following her on bookstagram for years and admiring her writing is so surreal.

the storyline, tension, and characters in These Fates That Bind Us kept my interest the entire book. it takes a lot to keep me engaged when I’m really busy, but this book had be staying up late to see what would happen next!

I like that it is revealed early on who the villain is and who isn’t solely based on the actions of the seelie and unseelie court and the leaders within them. the pacing is fast and easy to follow and I loved that it had the magic of a fantasy book without all the really heavy world-building to sift through.

Aster is a resilient character and I loved learning about her. she is a total badass and goes after what she wants! I really loved that the author highlights the way Aster processes her trauma. her character development is really inspiring. Nox is SUPER intriguing as well and him calling Aster “love” had my Aaron Warner-loving heart completely melted on the floor. also HIS WINGS😏

I’m normally not super into modern fantasy but I really enjoyed all the fae elements in their world that felt very modern-day human inspired. especially the reality tv! I would also like to cuddle up with a unseelie fae man and watch unhinged magical tv thank you very much.

thank you Rachel for this eARC! I can’t wait to see what happens in book two🖤✨

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m going to start by saying I really enjoyed this book and I would live and die for Lil. The relationship between Lil and Aster is absolutely one of the best things about this book and I need her to be safe throughout the next book or I will cry.

With that said, this book is not for everyone. I had a lot of fun, at times this book felt like a mix of a bunch of the best tropes that was loosely sewn together into a book, and I was all there for it but I can see how some people would not be.

Also if you are going to read 100% check the trigger warnings because several of them are explored in-depth and are extremely well handled which for me was cathartic.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I will absolutely be reading the next one. Thank you so much for the ARC Rachel!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know those stories that slowly reel you in until you're hopelessly enamoured with the plot and the characters? If so, that's what These Fates that Bind Us does to its readers. The longer I read, the more I got invested in the story—to the point where I had to consciously slow myself down so I wouldn't skip ahead to find out what happens next. And the slow burn, my word, the slow burn was practically torture. The anticipation of waiting for Aster and Nox to move their relationship along had me speed-reading like nobody's business. All in all, I definitely recommend giving this a read—you won't regret it!

[Diba Alzd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I initially wanted to rate it 2 stars, but considering the author is self-published, I decided to give it a 3-star rating. However, I have to be honest - this book has several issues. The problems extend beyond just grammar and include flaws in the storyline and the way the author connects different elements. On the other hand, I understand that the author is working independently, and not every book needs to be like a TikTok ACOTAR or ACOTAR-based book (although even those had their flaws). Some readers might still find this book enjoyable and entertaining, but in my opinion, it could benefit from more editing.

[Cherokee Councell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aster is an extremely relatable FMC. Her traumatic past and the struggles she faces are extremely relatable. Am I enough? If I let people too close will they leave?
Her confidence she builds through out the series shows that just because you have a problematic past doesn't mean you can't grow from them.

Nox, a silver haired fae shadow daddy unseelie king?! Yessss please✨

The book overall was fast paced, some scenes felt rushed, but it didn't take from the experience.

I'd give 🌶️🌶️. 5 on the spice scale. Get some spice towards the end and some tension throughout. Spice takes up a few pages, but not overly in depth.

Definitely interested to see how this progresses. 💛