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Our Caged Fates
Not yet published
Expected 5 Oct 26In a frozen, hostile world, Elinros is on the run.
After spending far too long in her beloved’s clutches—unaware of his true nature—she has now escaped into the arms of the unknown. But beyond Kastìel’s palace lies nothing but an endless forest, shaken by storms, buried in eternal snow, and teeming with monsters.
In that desolate land, Elinros wanders without memories, one step away from freezing to death and hunted by the man she thought she knew. That is, until an unexpected savior arrives, bringing truth, light, and warmth.
Nattsòl is just like her: a survivor who escaped their beloved’s trap—and now she’s willing to do anything to get her revenge. But she needs Elinros’ help to stop him.
Accompanied by Sliver, Nattsòl’s monster-dog, the two embark on a dangerous journey into the depths of the forest, where almost no light reaches and sinister things hide in the dark.
But the beast Elinros left behind has no intention of losing this game, and he will fight tooth and claw to reclaim his most precious trophy—even if it means killing her, and dooming all three of them in the process.
After spending far too long in her beloved’s clutches—unaware of his true nature—she has now escaped into the arms of the unknown. But beyond Kastìel’s palace lies nothing but an endless forest, shaken by storms, buried in eternal snow, and teeming with monsters.
In that desolate land, Elinros wanders without memories, one step away from freezing to death and hunted by the man she thought she knew. That is, until an unexpected savior arrives, bringing truth, light, and warmth.
Nattsòl is just like her: a survivor who escaped their beloved’s trap—and now she’s willing to do anything to get her revenge. But she needs Elinros’ help to stop him.
Accompanied by Sliver, Nattsòl’s monster-dog, the two embark on a dangerous journey into the depths of the forest, where almost no light reaches and sinister things hide in the dark.
But the beast Elinros left behind has no intention of losing this game, and he will fight tooth and claw to reclaim his most precious trophy—even if it means killing her, and dooming all three of them in the process.
135 pages, Unknown Binding
Expected publication October 5, 2026
About the author
Robin A. Costantin
2 books11 followersBorn near Venice in 1997, Robin is an Italian indie author who publishes both in her first language and English.
She now lives in Piedmont, in a little city near the mountains, with her partner, their cats and a dog named Tortellino.
She loves all things gothic and started writing at the age of thirteen on fanfic websites. A Gloom in the Bones is her first book.
She now lives in Piedmont, in a little city near the mountains, with her partner, their cats and a dog named Tortellino.
She loves all things gothic and started writing at the age of thirteen on fanfic websites. A Gloom in the Bones is her first book.
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Review of advance copy received from Author
"ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ꜰᴏʀᴇꜱᴛ ᴄʀᴀᴡʟɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀꜱ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ʟɪᴠᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ꜰʟʏ ꜱʟᴏᴡʟʏ ᴇᴀᴛᴇɴ ʙʏ ᴀ ꜱᴘɪᴅᴇʀ."
—𝕰𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖗𝖔𝖘.
💚 FMC with no memories
💚 A love interest with shared trauma
💚 Third person single POV
💚 Poetic, lyrical prose
💚 A vampire villain
💚 A half dead doggo (it's complicated)
💚 Oh, to be kissing in the middle of a battle!
𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉
𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒎 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏
𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚
𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 MAMA, WHAT IS THIS AND WHY IS IT SO GOOD?? 😭
With the release date still months away, I originally wasn't planning to read this book yet. But I've been on a serious lesbian book kick lately, and Our Caged Fates looked far too tempting for my thirsty little soul 🤧 Honestly, the page count shocked me because I didn't realize it was a novella when I applied for the ARC. I remember thinking, okie I can finish this in a day. But also: WHAT exactly can an author accomplish in only 135 pages?
Turns out ... A LOT 😳
Holy strawberry milkshake tutti frutti, I was not prepared for that first chapter. The prose was so poetic that I felt like I was reading a poem. Which says a lot because I'm ❌ not ❌a poetry girlie. I can't even remember the last time I willingly picked up a poem. In fact, another book with this kind of lyrical writing ended up in my DNF pile.
Here, though, It pulled me in immediately. I'm not kidding, this book would've impressed me even if it wasn't sapphic (but the sapphic part make it 1000x better heheh 🤟😏) For some reason, the atmosphere gave me Beauty and the Beast vibes ... If the Beast treated Belle terribly and she spent the entire story trying to escape his castle. Don't ask me why. It's probably the captor/captive dynamic 🤔
That's usually a tricky trope for me because the only time I enjoy reading about an FMC being held captive is when she eventually gets revenge in the most satisfying way possible. Preferably against m e n 🙂 This book also reminded me of Wild Blood by Jute Foster because of how beautifully it captured the emotions of domestic abuse survivors.
The story understands that escaping an abusive relationship isn't as simple as packing a bag and walking away. The way Elinros constantly wavered between wanting to leave and wanting to return to her ex felt painfully real. It was heartbreaking 💚😭 (Also, don't worry y'all, it resolved after she met her lady!!)
"𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆—𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆—𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒐𝒎. 𝑰𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆."
Can we talk about how realistic that aspect was? Because wowza 😩
For someone who warned ARC readers that English isn't her first language, Constantin clearly knows exactly what she's doing. I didn't feel a language barrier. I didn't feel limitations, repetitive phrasing, or a lack of creativity. Sure, there are a few punctuation issues that could be polished, but they didn't bother me at all. Why would they, when only four chapters in I already knew this was going to be a five stars read?
I really liked Elinros!! At first, she felt very damsel in distress coded, and made me held my breath because trust me, I have ZERO patience for helpless heroines. But the scattered flashbacks to her past quickly revealed that she was far more than just a naive girl trying to survive. And I was right 💀 You guys, I am DYING to spoil things here, but that would completely ruin the experience. Please go into this book blind. DON'T even read the blurb!! The surprises hit so much harder that way 😍😍
"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒋𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓. 𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆… 𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒅. 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌."
Nattsòl was such an interesting love interest too. I loved that both protagonists carry dark histories, and that their trauma isn't reduced to the usual "my family died so now I'm bad and sad and didn't deserve anyone 🥺" bcs surprise, they're already bad bitches 😭 Is this what antiheroes are supposed to feel like?
The one thing that made me pause was how quickly Elinros recognized that Nattsòl was a woman. Their first encounter happens after she hears a laugh that's only described as a "crystalline laugh".
"𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔, 𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓."
I think a little more description of the laugh would've helped sell that realization. Something that made it feel distinctly feminine. But once again, I loved this book SO MUCH that I barely cared about minor issues.
Oh, and the villain? Chef's kiss mwah mwah 😘🤌 As someone who isn't a fan of vampires (I'm anemic, the concept about them grosses me out 🤢), I was delighted to watch two women who love each other kick his ass. And we cannot forget Silver!! Gah, what a wonderful trio 😍
In the end, this novella completely exceeded my expectations. It climbed straight into my Top 5 ARCs and become one of my favorite books of the year. The magic system was so cool, the characters were unforgettable, and we absolutely stan morally black queens who don't hesitate to kill and are already planning the next one 🥰
Thank you, Miss Constantin, for making this sapphic 😭👍
And finally, dear author: 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘺𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴.
—𝕰𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖗𝖔𝖘.
💚 FMC with no memories
💚 A love interest with shared trauma
💚 Third person single POV
💚 Poetic, lyrical prose
💚 A vampire villain
💚 A half dead doggo (it's complicated)
💚 Oh, to be kissing in the middle of a battle!
𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉
𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒎 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏
𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚
𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 MAMA, WHAT IS THIS AND WHY IS IT SO GOOD?? 😭
With the release date still months away, I originally wasn't planning to read this book yet. But I've been on a serious lesbian book kick lately, and Our Caged Fates looked far too tempting for my thirsty little soul 🤧 Honestly, the page count shocked me because I didn't realize it was a novella when I applied for the ARC. I remember thinking, okie I can finish this in a day. But also: WHAT exactly can an author accomplish in only 135 pages?
Turns out ... A LOT 😳
Holy strawberry milkshake tutti frutti, I was not prepared for that first chapter. The prose was so poetic that I felt like I was reading a poem. Which says a lot because I'm ❌ not ❌a poetry girlie. I can't even remember the last time I willingly picked up a poem. In fact, another book with this kind of lyrical writing ended up in my DNF pile.
Here, though, It pulled me in immediately. I'm not kidding, this book would've impressed me even if it wasn't sapphic (but the sapphic part make it 1000x better heheh 🤟😏) For some reason, the atmosphere gave me Beauty and the Beast vibes ... If the Beast treated Belle terribly and she spent the entire story trying to escape his castle. Don't ask me why. It's probably the captor/captive dynamic 🤔
That's usually a tricky trope for me because the only time I enjoy reading about an FMC being held captive is when she eventually gets revenge in the most satisfying way possible. Preferably against m e n 🙂 This book also reminded me of Wild Blood by Jute Foster because of how beautifully it captured the emotions of domestic abuse survivors.
The story understands that escaping an abusive relationship isn't as simple as packing a bag and walking away. The way Elinros constantly wavered between wanting to leave and wanting to return to her ex felt painfully real. It was heartbreaking 💚😭 (Also, don't worry y'all, it resolved after she met her lady!!)
"𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆—𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆—𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒐𝒎. 𝑰𝒇 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆."
Can we talk about how realistic that aspect was? Because wowza 😩
For someone who warned ARC readers that English isn't her first language, Constantin clearly knows exactly what she's doing. I didn't feel a language barrier. I didn't feel limitations, repetitive phrasing, or a lack of creativity. Sure, there are a few punctuation issues that could be polished, but they didn't bother me at all. Why would they, when only four chapters in I already knew this was going to be a five stars read?
I really liked Elinros!! At first, she felt very damsel in distress coded, and made me held my breath because trust me, I have ZERO patience for helpless heroines. But the scattered flashbacks to her past quickly revealed that she was far more than just a naive girl trying to survive. And I was right 💀 You guys, I am DYING to spoil things here, but that would completely ruin the experience. Please go into this book blind. DON'T even read the blurb!! The surprises hit so much harder that way 😍😍
"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒋𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓. 𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆… 𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒅. 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌."
Nattsòl was such an interesting love interest too. I loved that both protagonists carry dark histories, and that their trauma isn't reduced to the usual "my family died so now I'm bad and sad and didn't deserve anyone 🥺" bcs surprise, they're already bad bitches 😭 Is this what antiheroes are supposed to feel like?
The one thing that made me pause was how quickly Elinros recognized that Nattsòl was a woman. Their first encounter happens after she hears a laugh that's only described as a "crystalline laugh".
"𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔, 𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓."
I think a little more description of the laugh would've helped sell that realization. Something that made it feel distinctly feminine. But once again, I loved this book SO MUCH that I barely cared about minor issues.
Oh, and the villain? Chef's kiss mwah mwah 😘🤌 As someone who isn't a fan of vampires (I'm anemic, the concept about them grosses me out 🤢), I was delighted to watch two women who love each other kick his ass. And we cannot forget Silver!! Gah, what a wonderful trio 😍
In the end, this novella completely exceeded my expectations. It climbed straight into my Top 5 ARCs and become one of my favorite books of the year. The magic system was so cool, the characters were unforgettable, and we absolutely stan morally black queens who don't hesitate to kill and are already planning the next one 🥰
Thank you, Miss Constantin, for making this sapphic 😭👍
And finally, dear author: 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘺𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴.
July 28, 2026
This was my 4th ARC review (yes I'm counting them)
Firstly, I find the prose to be very pretty! I might say that with every book but genuinely it does a great job at setting up tone and emotion.
But I do think that for an ARC, it does have a little too many mistakes, you know? By the ARC stages, books should have already been heavily edited and alpha/beta read, so there should only be a very minimal amount of editing needed at all. Hopefully they are all addressed for the published version but it's certainly not ready for whatever stage it was in when I read it.
And to be further nit-picky, well, firstly, I think the introduction was a bit exposition-heavy. Secondly, there's a lot of the same things just being repeated over and over again. Chapter 2 could have been deleted entirely and the story would still make sense honestly. Which is also related to another problem that it sometimes tells too much rather than let the story speak for itself. Plus, there's just some instance that I felt lacked clarity, was a bit confusing, or included words that felt out of place.
The author is a good writer, I feel, but this book needed more editing/polishing and it might have been rushed to publication.
Now, for the content itself. With the actual writing out of the way, I think this story has the potential to be 5 stars for me. First though I'll address something that I personally didn't like.
This book is quite more of a serious fantasy and deals with a lot of dark, horrific manners, which is a huge plus for a reader like me who's always preferred horror over fantasy. But there are a few moments that kinda scream millennial-romance, lol.
Mainly, the over-cutification of this dog-like character (Sliver) that's described as being a horrific amalgamation of bones and wood that was once a living person reduced to that. But he kinda feels like that cute animal sidekick Disney always adds so they can make merch of it.
And then there's the "if anyone DARES lay a hand on Bubbles/Sol/Sliver i will NOT hesitate to KILL EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM" which again is more silly romcom than violent blood-thirsty queen. The book itself was advertised as "female rage" and I don't know if that's ever done in a way I like or I just don't like that trope because it feels surface-level to me. At least, I don't see any physical manifestations of rage in this character, it's just kinda the occasional aforementioned line, which again, reads more goofy than serious to me. Personally. This one might be a preference.
Those two specifically jump out at me because they really belong in a silly, lighthearted romantasy and not a dark fantasy romance. Like every character in this has violently murdered an unfathomable amount of people, mind you.
Okay, I got the gunk out of the way, I'll finally offer my praise because I don't hate this book at all even though I've been hyper picky. The storyline is fantastic and even in the short novel it unfolds well. The author took existing creatures and other fantasy elements and really created a unique, haunting world with really amazingly-crafted atmosphere that's very chilling. The characters are pretty neat, too. Them both having done horrific things in their path makes the romance more feasible than like one of them being a normal ass person (Bella Swan 🤨)
Now, I admit, some things I personally would have done a little bit differently. I don't really see why Kastíel would go through the trouble to own a kingdom if there's gonna be no people in it. An empty castle and no town to rule? Elsa just wanted to be alone, but there's no power when you're ruling nothing. The lack of people does make the story all the more chilling and nightmarish, I will say that, so this I can forgive.
But the forest and Kastíel's power feel a little underminded for what he's been able to accomplish and for the terrifying villain he's supposed to be. Why would he be scared of Sol? Threatened, sure, but feeling genuine fear at her presence when his power far outweighed hers? And how with that in mind, how did she even manage to save Elinros from him?
As for the forest, there's all this talk about the forest crawling with Remnants (the monsters) but they barely run into any. Yes this point is technically addressed and given a reason to, but again it's more on the edge of telling than showing and I think both could have been kept while better establishing how dangerous the forest is.
Like, when Elinros first set off and she had almost no memories or how to use her powers, she could have ran into a few. Instead, days past and in like 3 chapters next to nothing happens. Then as her powers grew and the monsters reduced down, the scene about her wondering why and figuring it was because they were scared of her would have still made sense and then it could have continued building the tension that the lack of monsters created.
I think that overall it was a pretty-good book. I might just be more horror-brained reading this but I do enjoy the occasional cheesy romances, it's just a bit hard for me to be able to combine these brains into one. There is also just a particular way I prefer my romances to be written.
Firstly, I find the prose to be very pretty! I might say that with every book but genuinely it does a great job at setting up tone and emotion.
But I do think that for an ARC, it does have a little too many mistakes, you know? By the ARC stages, books should have already been heavily edited and alpha/beta read, so there should only be a very minimal amount of editing needed at all. Hopefully they are all addressed for the published version but it's certainly not ready for whatever stage it was in when I read it.
And to be further nit-picky, well, firstly, I think the introduction was a bit exposition-heavy. Secondly, there's a lot of the same things just being repeated over and over again. Chapter 2 could have been deleted entirely and the story would still make sense honestly. Which is also related to another problem that it sometimes tells too much rather than let the story speak for itself. Plus, there's just some instance that I felt lacked clarity, was a bit confusing, or included words that felt out of place.
The author is a good writer, I feel, but this book needed more editing/polishing and it might have been rushed to publication.
Now, for the content itself. With the actual writing out of the way, I think this story has the potential to be 5 stars for me. First though I'll address something that I personally didn't like.
This book is quite more of a serious fantasy and deals with a lot of dark, horrific manners, which is a huge plus for a reader like me who's always preferred horror over fantasy. But there are a few moments that kinda scream millennial-romance, lol.
Mainly, the over-cutification of this dog-like character (Sliver) that's described as being a horrific amalgamation of bones and wood that was once a living person reduced to that. But he kinda feels like that cute animal sidekick Disney always adds so they can make merch of it.
And then there's the "if anyone DARES lay a hand on Bubbles/Sol/Sliver i will NOT hesitate to KILL EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM" which again is more silly romcom than violent blood-thirsty queen. The book itself was advertised as "female rage" and I don't know if that's ever done in a way I like or I just don't like that trope because it feels surface-level to me. At least, I don't see any physical manifestations of rage in this character, it's just kinda the occasional aforementioned line, which again, reads more goofy than serious to me. Personally. This one might be a preference.
Those two specifically jump out at me because they really belong in a silly, lighthearted romantasy and not a dark fantasy romance. Like every character in this has violently murdered an unfathomable amount of people, mind you.
Okay, I got the gunk out of the way, I'll finally offer my praise because I don't hate this book at all even though I've been hyper picky. The storyline is fantastic and even in the short novel it unfolds well. The author took existing creatures and other fantasy elements and really created a unique, haunting world with really amazingly-crafted atmosphere that's very chilling. The characters are pretty neat, too. Them both having done horrific things in their path makes the romance more feasible than like one of them being a normal ass person (Bella Swan 🤨)
Now, I admit, some things I personally would have done a little bit differently. I don't really see why Kastíel would go through the trouble to own a kingdom if there's gonna be no people in it. An empty castle and no town to rule? Elsa just wanted to be alone, but there's no power when you're ruling nothing. The lack of people does make the story all the more chilling and nightmarish, I will say that, so this I can forgive.
But the forest and Kastíel's power feel a little underminded for what he's been able to accomplish and for the terrifying villain he's supposed to be. Why would he be scared of Sol? Threatened, sure, but feeling genuine fear at her presence when his power far outweighed hers? And how with that in mind, how did she even manage to save Elinros from him?
As for the forest, there's all this talk about the forest crawling with Remnants (the monsters) but they barely run into any. Yes this point is technically addressed and given a reason to, but again it's more on the edge of telling than showing and I think both could have been kept while better establishing how dangerous the forest is.
Like, when Elinros first set off and she had almost no memories or how to use her powers, she could have ran into a few. Instead, days past and in like 3 chapters next to nothing happens. Then as her powers grew and the monsters reduced down, the scene about her wondering why and figuring it was because they were scared of her would have still made sense and then it could have continued building the tension that the lack of monsters created.
I think that overall it was a pretty-good book. I might just be more horror-brained reading this but I do enjoy the occasional cheesy romances, it's just a bit hard for me to be able to combine these brains into one. There is also just a particular way I prefer my romances to be written.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to the author for kindly giving me an ARC.
Our Caged Fates is a baptism of fire as it throws you right into the story without preamble and I absolutely loved that! Elinros is the prisoner of a dangerous and violent vampire, who has stolen her memories, and is slowly feeding off her. At the start of the book, she is a bit more lucid than normal, realises what a dire situation she's in, and decides to run away. But without her memories and with a violent vampire on her trail, her tribulations have only just begun.
I really liked Elinros as the protagonist. As she's lost her memories, the reader slowly finds out more about who she use to be at the same time as Elinros, with creates a really lovely dynamic between the main character and reader. I also really liked that Elinros struggles to reconcile who she used to be and who she is now, especially when learning about the trauma that she experienced in the past. I adored Elinros starting as someone who felt lost and unsure, gradually becoming more confident in herself, and using her rage at what has happened to her to fight Kastìel.
Sol and Silver were both great additions to the narrative. I really liked the idea of Kastìel discarding fae once he had fed off them and that being the 'danger' in the forest that he warned Elinros of. It felt like a perfect summary of Kastìel as a character and how manipulative and evil he was.
The romance between Sol and Elinros was really sweet. I also really liked that Sol was able to be angry and jaded about losing her magic. It felt really organic and made her feel more real.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book.
Our Caged Fates is a baptism of fire as it throws you right into the story without preamble and I absolutely loved that! Elinros is the prisoner of a dangerous and violent vampire, who has stolen her memories, and is slowly feeding off her. At the start of the book, she is a bit more lucid than normal, realises what a dire situation she's in, and decides to run away. But without her memories and with a violent vampire on her trail, her tribulations have only just begun.
I really liked Elinros as the protagonist. As she's lost her memories, the reader slowly finds out more about who she use to be at the same time as Elinros, with creates a really lovely dynamic between the main character and reader. I also really liked that Elinros struggles to reconcile who she used to be and who she is now, especially when learning about the trauma that she experienced in the past. I adored Elinros starting as someone who felt lost and unsure, gradually becoming more confident in herself, and using her rage at what has happened to her to fight Kastìel.
Sol and Silver were both great additions to the narrative. I really liked the idea of Kastìel discarding fae once he had fed off them and that being the 'danger' in the forest that he warned Elinros of. It felt like a perfect summary of Kastìel as a character and how manipulative and evil he was.
The romance between Sol and Elinros was really sweet. I also really liked that Sol was able to be angry and jaded about losing her magic. It felt really organic and made her feel more real.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is my honest review.
Our Caged Fates is a novella with a lot of punch and a lot of character development. The story focuses on the loss and recovering of oneself after an abusive relationship, with the plus of a cute and a healthy relationship, and two downright adorable puppies (with a surprise darling in the end).
I enjoyed a lot the fluidity of the writing, especially with the descriptions of the forest and the trees (the eerie feeling of the last chapters was one of my favorite parts). The romance was well-developed for the page count, as the characters had great chemistry from the start.
Honestly, Elinros is swoon-worthy, and an amazing protagonist who is greatly complemented by Nattsol. There is a lot going on in her inner-monologue I liked a lot, and her moments of action, and the final chapters were amazing to read.
I feel like I'm not saying much, because of how short the story is and because of spoilers, but in general I had a great time and the epilogue made me tear up. Also, also: the trees. I'm a big fan of the trees here (and Sliver, and Bubbles. They deserve all the treats).
Thank you to the author for the opportunity
Our Caged Fates is a novella with a lot of punch and a lot of character development. The story focuses on the loss and recovering of oneself after an abusive relationship, with the plus of a cute and a healthy relationship, and two downright adorable puppies (with a surprise darling in the end).
I enjoyed a lot the fluidity of the writing, especially with the descriptions of the forest and the trees (the eerie feeling of the last chapters was one of my favorite parts). The romance was well-developed for the page count, as the characters had great chemistry from the start.
Honestly, Elinros is swoon-worthy, and an amazing protagonist who is greatly complemented by Nattsol. There is a lot going on in her inner-monologue I liked a lot, and her moments of action, and the final chapters were amazing to read.
I feel like I'm not saying much, because of how short the story is and because of spoilers, but in general I had a great time and the epilogue made me tear up. Also, also: the trees. I'm a big fan of the trees here (and Sliver, and Bubbles. They deserve all the treats).
Thank you to the author for the opportunity
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book was an adventure that I didn’t know I needed to experience. From leaving an abusive relationship, learning to survive on your own, finding your soulmate, learning your purpose, all the way to finding your way back to your true self, and becoming an even better version of yourself. What a journey. Harrowing, thrilling, and beautiful. Robin has made a forever fan of me with this story! I’m an absolute sucker for sapphic romance, fantasy, adventure, and deep meanings. So Robin had me roped from the book description! What an honor to be a part of this ARC team. I cannot encourage y’all enough to add this to your tbr!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Our caged fates is a fast paced emotional story about escaping love forced into. It has beauty and the beast x sleeping beauty vibes but with a huge pinch of horror mixed in.
I loved the story but I do feel like it could have been drawn out bit longer, emotional arcs explored more. Having said that I loved the characters. Sol and Ros’s ending is very sweet and I loved the eldritch trees so much!
I loved the story but I do feel like it could have been drawn out bit longer, emotional arcs explored more. Having said that I loved the characters. Sol and Ros’s ending is very sweet and I loved the eldritch trees so much!
Review of advance copy received from Author
3.5
A gorgeous story about what escaping an abusive relationship actually feels like. You don't let go of the person all at once; it happens piece by piece as you heal and, often, with the help of others.
a more thorough review hopefully coming soon, but thank you so much to the author for providing this ARC
A gorgeous story about what escaping an abusive relationship actually feels like. You don't let go of the person all at once; it happens piece by piece as you heal and, often, with the help of others.
a more thorough review hopefully coming soon, but thank you so much to the author for providing this ARC
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC review, thanks to the author.
4'25 stars, just because it's short and I would like to have a longer book, but it's marvelous!
Vampires, witches, magic and a saphic romance. A very intriguing premise, a quick read and unexpected surprises along the reading. I only can recommend Robin's books!
4'25 stars, just because it's short and I would like to have a longer book, but it's marvelous!
Vampires, witches, magic and a saphic romance. A very intriguing premise, a quick read and unexpected surprises along the reading. I only can recommend Robin's books!
September 10, 2026
-full review coming soon-
Read
June 19, 2026Received an arc from the publisher.
DNF @ 40%. This one just wasn't working for me.
DNF @ 40%. This one just wasn't working for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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