Fatebound

by Jazmin Winter

I Met a Rogue Magician, not only did I meet one he saved me from a pair of drunk soldiers. Me, worthless, plain, Ashina.......My life will never be the same.

Ashina's world has come crashing down around her. A year ago, Ash failed to get into the Academy that trains the elite magicians of the kingdom. She's been stuck ever since babysitting the enchanted machines of her parents' tailor shop. Her younger sister Leda just passed the entrance exam. Everyone around her is fulfilling a purpose, so why can’t Ash find hers?

A chance encounter with a handsome rogue magician throws her on a journey of self discovery and adventure.

425 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2025

About the author

Jazmin Winter grew up in The hills of Perth, Western Australia. She now lives in Elkford, British Columbia, Canada. Emerging from the haze of sleepless nights as a new parent, Jazmin found herself with extra time and a need to do something for herself. She wrote a book!! Much to her shock and many around her. Her two young daughters are her biggest cheer squad behind her dashing husband who encouraged her from the start to pursue a dream of writing a novel. Much to her surprise she fell in love with the art of storytelling. She spent many nights giggling in bed about the movements of her imaginary friends. If you don't find Jaz on the couch with a book or crafting with her kids, you will find her in the kitchen baking and cooking up a storm, traveling back to Perth to visit her large family, or hiking the trails that start right of her back door in the Rocky Mountains.

Reviews

[Juli · Rating 5 out of 5]

jaw dropped after finishing this book!!
This is a debut novel by this amazing author, Jazmin Winter, and it's absolutely wonderful, it has a really good world building, a unique magic system, a really cute love story, a loveable main character, a smart little girl who wins everybody's hearts🥰🩷 and so much more!!
Please give this book a chance and let yourself fall in love with this author's writing style🫶🏻✨
Thank you so much Jazmin for the arc copy 💞

[Rebecca Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book truly takes you on a journey. A journey of self love and discovery. The main characters are so interesting and almost immediately I found myself invested in their lives. Throughout the book the author kept me on my toes, never being able to guess what was going to happen next. I cannot wait for the next book to come out! If you’re unsure about wanting to read this book just pick it up and start, I know you’ll love it!

[Jazmin Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

of course I'm going to give my own book five stars :) I am excited for everyone to read Fatebound!

[VampsReads · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 50%
I really wanted to love this one — the premise sounded so interesting: a failed magician, a cursed journey, and a rogue mage who might be her undoing or her salvation. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me.

The concept itself has potential, and I admire the author’s aim to explore depression and self-discovery rather than a big external plot. But the execution felt uneven. The pacing was slow, the dialogue didn’t flow naturally, and I struggled to connect with Ashina as a main character. There were moments that hinted at emotional depth, but they were buried under word-heavy conversations and scenes that didn’t seem to move the story forward.

The worldbuilding had promise; the enchanted tailoring shop and the academy backdrop were both intriguing, but I found myself lost in the narrative more than immersed in it. The interludes between chapters (possibly gods or unseen watchers) added to that confusion instead of enriching it.

I appreciate the author’s creative risks and the themes she wanted to touch on, but this one just wasn’t for me.

[Hannah M Burrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to be given the chance to review Fatebound of my own accord, through being offered an eARC.

Such a wonderful start to a series.
I really enjoyed the conversations at the start of each chapter, they made me more intrigued with the story.
Nio is a great character and makes me smile. I actually enjoyed all the characters and can’t wait to read more about Ashina and Caton and the rest of the crew.

[Sydney Muller · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!!!
And this is a debut novel!??!!?! Everyone go read it right now

[Ashlee Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED THE STORY!! Can’t wait to read more from this author!

[Hannah Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a really heartwarming story of finding yourself and strength while set in a uniquely magical world.
Ashina starts off very sad and lost but grows into herself and you can't help but adore her by the end. I loved so many characters in this book, particularly the child character who adds a wholesome and refreshing note.
My favorite thing about this book is the thread woven through that everything is indeed, fatebound 💫
Eagerly awaiting the next installment :)

[Stephanie Stasuik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Took a little to get into it, as its not my usual genre but once I got going it was great!!

[Teresa Y sus locuras · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review

I cannot explain fully with words in English. Reading this book feels like home.

I love Ash and Caton; Ash is a female with selfdoubt about her own abilities and with Caton, she starts to feel more like herself. Making friends, trusting someone, and taking care of herself and also of the others. Best found-family in books I read so far.

Also love the pirate-like magician, and the magic ship moving on a dessert; it gives strong Howl's moving castle vibes and I imagined it like being inside a Ghibli's movie.

[Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome YA novel. I don’t even know where to start this review as there’s so much to love; it’s hard to believe Fatebound is Jazmin’s first novel! I fell headlong into the story the same way I do reading Maria Snyder or Suzanne Collin’s, barely able to come up for air between chapters. The characters are endearing, the story moves at a good pace with the right amount of twists along the way and I loved the embedded self love mantras throughout the book. Please write/edit Part 2 quickly… we’re all eagerly awaiting the conclusion!

[Paige Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dialogue is refreshingly present-day with the perfect phrases to give readers a smirk. Engaging and easy to follow.