Destiny Be Damned

by Magnolia Xen

A Blood Contract Marriage...

A Romance Brewed From Conflict...

A Well Laid Plain To Control Jeopardized...

Destiny unknowingly signed her name to a blood contract marriage at the age of thirteen. By the time she was thirty she had a plan that would undo what was forced on her.

Things happen. Plans change, and at thirty five she walks down the aisle to marry a monster. But things happen. Plans change, and she wakes up from her wedding night covered in blood.

Will the blood contract be the thing to save her? Will her well laid plans come to fruition? Will the dragon who causes conflict become her future?

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDERS

Genres: Paranormal

298 pages, ebook

Published March 10, 2026

About the author

I spend most of my time reading all forms of romance genre, paranormal werewolf shifters being my favorite even though dragon, fae, vampire, and witches are not far behind.

I’m a big lover of all animals, from horses, cats and dogs, but currently my Maine Coon has captured my heart and taking up anytime left after writing.

Growing up my grandmother had a library of historical romance novels which introduced me to this genre and helped me escape into all forms of romance that I've expounded on over the years.

My love for those books sparked my love of reading, imagining, writing, and dreaming, that one day I would see my imaginings on the pages of my own novel.

I’m excited the day is here, I finally had the courage to pursue being a published author, and hope the readers enjoy reading as much as I’ve enjoyed writing.

Reviews

[Ashley]

🎧 Audiobook Review — Destiny Be Damned by Magnolia Xen
Narrators: Star Williams, Roy St. Cloud, Julius King
Thanks to the Smut Council and Magnolia for the ALC

Genre: Spicy Paranormal Romance
• Dragon Shifters
• Dark Fantasy
• Political Intrigue

Vibe: Twisted family politics, blood‑bound contracts, dragon fire, betrayal, and a heroine who refuses to be owned

⭐ Overall Impression
This was my first Magnolia Xen book, and listen… I’m already clearing shelf space because this woman writes dark, layered, politically juicy dragon fantasy like she’s trying to ruin your sleep schedule. Perfect for spooky season atmospheric, tense, and full of danger that feels both magical and deeply human.

I was locked in from the first chapter. There are so many threads to pull family power plays, blood magic, forbidden love, shifting, betrayal that boredom is simply not an option.


🐉 Destiny: A Dragon Shifter FMC Who Refuses to Be a Pawn

Destiny is the kind of heroine who makes you root for her from page one. She’s:
- born into a powerful dragon family
- brilliant enough to design weapons and magical tech
- stronger than her brothers (and everyone knows it)
- trapped in a blood‑signed marriage contract at thirteen

Her family treats her like a bargaining chip, not a daughter. The contract ties her to a vile, predatory betrothed whose family wants control of her family’s island and assets. The blood magic makes the bond nearly unbreakable but Destiny is determined to find a way out.

And then she meets someone she actually wants someone she could truly bond and mate with but he refuses to touch a “married woman,” even if the marriage is only in name. The tension? Delicious.


🔥 Narration: A Three‑Voice Powerhouse
Star Williams, Roy St. Cloud, and Julius King deliver a dynamic, emotionally sharp performance that elevates the story’s darkness and intensity.

- Star Williams nails Destiny’s strength and vulnerability
- Roy St. Cloud brings gravitas to the political and familial tension
- Julius King adds heat, danger, and emotional depth

The multiple POVs shine in audio each narrator gives their character a distinct pulse.


🧩 What Makes This Book Hit
- Multiple POVs (Destiny, her brother, her forbidden love)
- Heavy political maneuvering
- Dragon shifting and vivid creature lore
- Blood contracts, betrayal, and family corruption
- A heroine fighting for autonomy in a world built to cage her

This is dark romance with teeth...literally and figuratively.

⚠️ Content Warnings
This story goes dark. Readers should check their triggers. Themes include:
- violence
- death
- non‑consensual sexual acts
- coercion
- predatory behavior
- blood magic contracts
- emotional manipulation

None of it is gratuitous, but it is present and integral to the plot.

🎃 Perfect for Spooky Season
If you want:
- dragons
- danger
- morally gray characters
- political fantasy
- forbidden romance
- a heroine clawing her way out of a rigged destiny

…this audiobook is the fall listen.

The book released in July 2026, and the audio drops this fall and honestly, the timing is perfect.

[Cemera (Cece) B]

Audiobook 🎧

When I say I like a strong FMC this is what I mean.

There e nothing timid, shy or weak about Destiny. She knows what she wants. She does not let anybody and I mean, anybody standing her way. After her parents made her sign an unfavorable marriage contract. Destiny finds a way to live her life on her own terms. She did not care who was in her way, who didn’t like her or her obstacle. She was going to get to her goals and dreams.

She is smart, ambitious, beautiful, and willing to do what it takes. I am so glad it all worked out for her and she got her fated mate that she truly desired and wanted.

The female narrator is exactly how I would envision Destiny to really sound. The acting was superb. The dual POV is superb great voice actors.

[Jody]

A very solid book with potential.

As I find frequently with new/indie authors, proofreading would go a long way. Spelling and grammar errors just seem to jump out at me.

This story in set in present day and has corporate intrigue mixed in with the dragon aspect. The characters were well defined. The FMC was strong, tough and passionate. The MMC had a secret agenda. Their attraction is undeniable.

It was an interesting story and I'm looking forward to reading the next book - which I believe is an interconnected standalone.

[Yvonne Long]

I was given this as an ALC , for an honest review~

I did love this book, I am not normally into shifter books, but this one CONVERTED ME!!

I loved this book from the beginning to the end, it catches your attention and never lets you go~

Not going to spoil it for anyone but I HATED HER PARENTS!!!!!!!!! ifkyk

But if you are looking for a fierce FMC and a determined MMC this is the book for you, once you start reading it you
will not put it down until you are finished~

Will definitely read more by this author~

[Rosetta Delancy]

I got the opportunity to ARC Listen to the audiobook of Destiny Be DAMNED by @iammagnoliaxen via @thesmutcouncil . Let me say this, it truly matters who you have as Narrators to bring a book to life. This book is definitely a Soicy Paranomrmal Romance: it was hilarious . I was attempting to figure out how they “interact” in rare form 🫣😉😘 . However definetly worth listening to when it’s release. Just know family can be very TRIFLING!! 😒 What are you willing to do for freedom?

[Bonne Sharp]

Wonderful Story!!!

I think it’s a really cool story and I really enjoyed the characters! I would tighten up on the descriptions and it needs to be proofed for spelling and grammar, otherwise it was excellent and I recommend reading it! I will definitely be looking forward to reading more from this author!!!

[Delusional Readz]

3.5 ⭐️s. I had a good time with this. Destiny was tired of her family playing in her face so she decided to play in theirs. I love a shifter romance, but I will say the romance portion wasn’t my favorite part of this story. My favorite part was seeing how the arranged marriage was going to play out.

[Heather Crumpton]

Fantastic Paranormal Romance

First, I would like to thank Goodreads for an ARC copy of this book. This was my first time reading any of Magnolia Xen's work. It was easy to follow along with the storyline because the writer does a decent job of keeping my attention. I really enjoyed the book. I will add that this book had a lot of spice and some language so if that type of book isn't for you, then you may not like it. There is a disclaimer at the beginning of the book that does address any trigger warnings. I recommend this book to others that enjoy a good paranormal romance.

[Katie Osborn]

#GoodreadsGiveaway
The plot was ok, it had potential to be more engaging and attention grabbing than it was. I wish there was more dialogue instead of the main characters take on most interactions. The errors were very distracting, many would have been picked up by spell check.