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A Carnival Of Fate: A Tarot Inspired Fantasy Romance
Not yet published
Expected 29 Sep 26Days before her wedding, Elsie learns a horrifying truth: she has no heart.
For years she'd blamed herself for her inability to love. Now she discovers the real reason behind her suffering—her heart was stolen a long time ago by the mysterious Devil of the Carnevali degli Arcani.
But the Devil claims it wasn't stolen, it was gifted.
Determined to reclaim what was taken from her, Elsie makes her way to the legendary carnival—a place governed by the major arcana of the tarot deck, and which no two patrons will experience the same. But she soon comes to realise this is no easy task. The only way out is through passing the deadly trials of the tent masters, and they have no incentive to let her leave.
As Elsie is drawn deeper into the carnival's enchantments, she begins to question everything she thought she wanted—including the wedding waiting for her back home.
With time running out and her future hanging in the balance, Elsie must decide whether to reclaim the life she planned, or risk losing herself to the carnival, the Devil, and the heart she may never have truly owned.
For years she'd blamed herself for her inability to love. Now she discovers the real reason behind her suffering—her heart was stolen a long time ago by the mysterious Devil of the Carnevali degli Arcani.
But the Devil claims it wasn't stolen, it was gifted.
Determined to reclaim what was taken from her, Elsie makes her way to the legendary carnival—a place governed by the major arcana of the tarot deck, and which no two patrons will experience the same. But she soon comes to realise this is no easy task. The only way out is through passing the deadly trials of the tent masters, and they have no incentive to let her leave.
As Elsie is drawn deeper into the carnival's enchantments, she begins to question everything she thought she wanted—including the wedding waiting for her back home.
With time running out and her future hanging in the balance, Elsie must decide whether to reclaim the life she planned, or risk losing herself to the carnival, the Devil, and the heart she may never have truly owned.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 29, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 stars.
ARC kindly provided by the author through Netgalley, thank you!
I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this story, I was intrigued by the summary and excited to delve into the story.
Without giving too much away, I liked the idea of what the author was trying to convey. The message that she was trying to get across while you followed Elsie throughout the story...
There is one element in particular where she was asked to jump that I realized part of the message of the book
I liked the MMC... He made the banter really fun, though simple most of the time, it was fun to read.
I think the element that perhaps took me out of the story a little or throughout was how simple the development of the story was and how it seemed so easy for the FMC to go through the different stages without us having too much background information or emotional depth as to the reasons certain parts of the story made sense to the FMC..
I think maybe a part of the story that through me out a bit was when the giggling happened.. up until then I was interested to see how the FMC will react so when she giggled, to me it didn't feel like the right reaction.
I also think though the descriptions of what was happening wasn't too bad, for me when it came to the dialogue part of the book, is what felt almost not in sync.
Other than that I was interested to see how the story ended.
It makes you think.
It's funny at times while also being emotionally intriguing.
What made me like the story even more was that I was thinking about it throughout the day and wanting to get back into to find out what happens. I think that's always a sign of a good book!
Overall, though I liked the idea of the message the story I don't think I was perhaps the right demographic. I wish it was longer with the world perhaps expanded with more detail and dialogue development.
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
ARC kindly provided by the author through Netgalley, thank you!
I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this story, I was intrigued by the summary and excited to delve into the story.
Without giving too much away, I liked the idea of what the author was trying to convey. The message that she was trying to get across while you followed Elsie throughout the story...
There is one element in particular where she was asked to jump that I realized part of the message of the book
I liked the MMC... He made the banter really fun, though simple most of the time, it was fun to read.
I think the element that perhaps took me out of the story a little or throughout was how simple the development of the story was and how it seemed so easy for the FMC to go through the different stages without us having too much background information or emotional depth as to the reasons certain parts of the story made sense to the FMC..
I think maybe a part of the story that through me out a bit was when the giggling happened.. up until then I was interested to see how the FMC will react so when she giggled, to me it didn't feel like the right reaction.
I also think though the descriptions of what was happening wasn't too bad, for me when it came to the dialogue part of the book, is what felt almost not in sync.
Other than that I was interested to see how the story ended.
It makes you think.
It's funny at times while also being emotionally intriguing.
What made me like the story even more was that I was thinking about it throughout the day and wanting to get back into to find out what happens. I think that's always a sign of a good book!
Overall, though I liked the idea of the message the story I don't think I was perhaps the right demographic. I wish it was longer with the world perhaps expanded with more detail and dialogue development.
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What if you found out you don't have a heart, and you're getting married in a few days?
That's the crazy setup this story starts with, a tale about magic, tarot, self discovery and love. If you know the hero's journey or the fool's journey, that's basically what happens to Elsie as she wanders the carnival looking for her heart. At first it felt like Alice in Wonderland, then it turned into Night Circus vibes. And I LOVE The Night Circus, it's one of my favorite books, so that's what made me pick this up. You slowly find out how Elsie lost her heart in the first place.
Ngl this book hit way too close to home. In my last relationship I felt just like Elsie, I didn't love him, not the way books make you think love should feel. Reading this I related so hard, you know when you stay with someone cause they helped you out or were there for you, not cause you actually love them? Same thing happened with Elsie, and it mirrored my own life too since I met that guy right after telling someone else my feelings and getting rejected. So yeah, this book hit a nerve.
Tarot and the fool's journey are basically the heart of the book. Elsie follows a little dog and falls into the forest, super Rider Waite, then meets the magician. Along the way she keeps discovering parts of herself, her fears, like being scared of motherhood cause she's scared of not being perfect. And honestly it's so hard to break out of the role everyone wants you to play when you don't even know yourself yet. That's really what it's about, knowing yourself, that's the real magic of tarot, it's less about predicting the future and more about healing. Anyone who's been through a dark night of the soul and found tarot as therapy has lived their own fool's journey, just like Elsie, different but same at the core. That's what makes this book so good.
Thank u Netgalley
That's the crazy setup this story starts with, a tale about magic, tarot, self discovery and love. If you know the hero's journey or the fool's journey, that's basically what happens to Elsie as she wanders the carnival looking for her heart. At first it felt like Alice in Wonderland, then it turned into Night Circus vibes. And I LOVE The Night Circus, it's one of my favorite books, so that's what made me pick this up. You slowly find out how Elsie lost her heart in the first place.
Ngl this book hit way too close to home. In my last relationship I felt just like Elsie, I didn't love him, not the way books make you think love should feel. Reading this I related so hard, you know when you stay with someone cause they helped you out or were there for you, not cause you actually love them? Same thing happened with Elsie, and it mirrored my own life too since I met that guy right after telling someone else my feelings and getting rejected. So yeah, this book hit a nerve.
Tarot and the fool's journey are basically the heart of the book. Elsie follows a little dog and falls into the forest, super Rider Waite, then meets the magician. Along the way she keeps discovering parts of herself, her fears, like being scared of motherhood cause she's scared of not being perfect. And honestly it's so hard to break out of the role everyone wants you to play when you don't even know yourself yet. That's really what it's about, knowing yourself, that's the real magic of tarot, it's less about predicting the future and more about healing. Anyone who's been through a dark night of the soul and found tarot as therapy has lived their own fool's journey, just like Elsie, different but same at the core. That's what makes this book so good.
Thank u Netgalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received an advance reader copy through NetGalley- all opinions are my own.
"The hearts capable of the deepest sadness are also capable of the greatest happiness."
A Carnival of Fate is an epic fantasy following our FMC Elsie's "Alice in Wonderland" style journey through a magical carnival as she tries to find her lost heart and herself again. After an unexpected tarot reading, Elsie finds herself swept away in a magical carnival where she meets and encounters intriguing characters who assist our FMC through her fated journey of finding her heart and herself again. The premise of this story is completely magical and I found myself easily swept away and immersed in this world and a calling to my inner child's love of carnivals and circuses. While I found the story magical, immersive and incredible to binge there was however quite a bit lacking and overall underwhelming elements to the story. I wished for much more depth from this world and explanation on the world, for instance the time frame this takes place in, etc. I felt all of our characters to be one dimensional and struggled from time to time to root for our FMC or enjoy her overall character arc. I did not feel connected to the characters and felt Elsies treatment towards our MMC Carlo in the beginning forced in order to fit within the theme of a trope. Overall, I desired more world building and more character development, however, this was an overall solid and enjoyable read with a beautiful moral.
"The hearts capable of the deepest sadness are also capable of the greatest happiness."
A Carnival of Fate is an epic fantasy following our FMC Elsie's "Alice in Wonderland" style journey through a magical carnival as she tries to find her lost heart and herself again. After an unexpected tarot reading, Elsie finds herself swept away in a magical carnival where she meets and encounters intriguing characters who assist our FMC through her fated journey of finding her heart and herself again. The premise of this story is completely magical and I found myself easily swept away and immersed in this world and a calling to my inner child's love of carnivals and circuses. While I found the story magical, immersive and incredible to binge there was however quite a bit lacking and overall underwhelming elements to the story. I wished for much more depth from this world and explanation on the world, for instance the time frame this takes place in, etc. I felt all of our characters to be one dimensional and struggled from time to time to root for our FMC or enjoy her overall character arc. I did not feel connected to the characters and felt Elsies treatment towards our MMC Carlo in the beginning forced in order to fit within the theme of a trope. Overall, I desired more world building and more character development, however, this was an overall solid and enjoyable read with a beautiful moral.
Review of advance copy
Thank you to the author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
I really liked this book in theory. The concept was definitely unique, while i can think of similar stories there isn't anything that really compares exactly. I especially liked the symbolism behind the different "trials" of the carnival and the subconscious lessons being taught. I also loved how the other characters helped guide her through everything even though they were also kind of stuck there. Clearly there were some genuinely meaningful thought processes underneath the story!
Unfortunately, the execution didn’t work for me entirely. The writing felt a little weak, the carnival itself and its inhabitants were never explained to a satisfying degree, and I finished with way more questions than answers. The ending also felt like it pulled a total 360 in the last chapter to create a happily ever after that made absolutely no sense after the bittersweet ending that had been established by that point. Still, the concept was interesting enough that I’d definitely be curious to read another book if this becomes a series.
I really liked this book in theory. The concept was definitely unique, while i can think of similar stories there isn't anything that really compares exactly. I especially liked the symbolism behind the different "trials" of the carnival and the subconscious lessons being taught. I also loved how the other characters helped guide her through everything even though they were also kind of stuck there. Clearly there were some genuinely meaningful thought processes underneath the story!
Unfortunately, the execution didn’t work for me entirely. The writing felt a little weak, the carnival itself and its inhabitants were never explained to a satisfying degree, and I finished with way more questions than answers. The ending also felt like it pulled a total 360 in the last chapter to create a happily ever after that made absolutely no sense after the bittersweet ending that had been established by that point. Still, the concept was interesting enough that I’d definitely be curious to read another book if this becomes a series.
August 21, 2026
I loved this story! It instantly captured my attention and dove right in. It was a fairly short book, so I do feel as though there was some world building and exploration into Elsie’s trials that could’ve been expanded on more. The writing was great, and I absolutely can’t wait for the next book with Roxy’s story!
I loved getting to see Elsie’s character change into someone so confident in herself with each trial. I enjoyed how it pulled from aspects of fortune telling and tarot without giving too much away later in the story.
Carlo’s banter with Elsie was great. He and Bell were such interesting characters. I do wish we could’ve gotten more backstory on Carlo, perhaps in a prologue? Like I said it was a relatively short book.
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who likes romance with a dash of whimsy and magic. It has the ability to make you think about what you truly want and know that you deserve great things. It stayed lighthearted even with some of the heavier aspects of the characters lives.
You should check it out when it’s released! A Carnival of Fate doesn’t disappoint!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Overall, I liked this book.
The concept was what drew me in initially—I love a carnival-based story, and this book is a unique spin on that. I also really liked the trials at the carnival, in regards to what they represent and how they play out. It was enjoyable to see how the characters were helping guide Elsie through the story despite being stuck there.
Unfortunately, the execution didn’t really work for me. The writing wasn’t as strong as I hoped it would be. I also felt like the carnival and its inhabitants needed to be fleshed out more, as I had a lot of questions about how certain elements worked. Lastly, I felt as though the ending came out of left field, as it was the exact opposite of what the story was building towards.
I see a lot of potential with this author though, and I think others may enjoy this book more than I did.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read the eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me the ARC of this book🎀
THAT JUMPSCARE GOT ME SO BAD I ACTUALLY THOUGHT THIS WASN'T GOING TO BE A HEA!!!!!!!
Honestly speaking, I thought this book would just be a fun vibes read and I was NOT prepared to be fully invested in the story! At first, this seemed alot like Caraval by Stephanie Garber (especially with the main characters) but gradually, it evolved into a completely different story which I absolutely adored. The characters and the trials were so interesting and I really liked the tarot card magic system (even though I knew nothing about it prior to reading this). This had a whimsical writing style and a beautiful story with good pacing for a book under 200 pages. Apart from Elsie and Carlo, I really liked Bell and I'm hoping the next book is about him and Roxy (considering the epilogue) PLEASE DEAR AUTHOR I NEED MY MAN TO GET A HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏
THAT JUMPSCARE GOT ME SO BAD I ACTUALLY THOUGHT THIS WASN'T GOING TO BE A HEA!!!!!!!
Honestly speaking, I thought this book would just be a fun vibes read and I was NOT prepared to be fully invested in the story! At first, this seemed alot like Caraval by Stephanie Garber (especially with the main characters) but gradually, it evolved into a completely different story which I absolutely adored. The characters and the trials were so interesting and I really liked the tarot card magic system (even though I knew nothing about it prior to reading this). This had a whimsical writing style and a beautiful story with good pacing for a book under 200 pages. Apart from Elsie and Carlo, I really liked Bell and I'm hoping the next book is about him and Roxy (considering the epilogue) PLEASE DEAR AUTHOR I NEED MY MAN TO GET A HAPPILY EVER AFTER!!!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!
A Carnival of Fate was an amazing read! Following Elsie's Alice in Wonderland style journey through an enchanted carnival to reclaim her stolen heart is delightfully whimsical, and I loved how it tapped into that inner child love of circuses and tarot mysticism. Carlo added great banter throughout, fun and easy to enjoy even when the dialogue felt a little simple at times. I did wish for more world building and character depth; the pacing moves quickly and some of Elsie's emotional beats felt like they needed more grounding to fully land. Still, this was the kind of book I kept thinking about throughout the day, always eager to get back to it. It's funny, emotionally intriguing, and carries a genuinely beautiful moral underneath all the carnival magic. A short, immersive start to what promises to be an interesting series.
A Carnival of Fate was an amazing read! Following Elsie's Alice in Wonderland style journey through an enchanted carnival to reclaim her stolen heart is delightfully whimsical, and I loved how it tapped into that inner child love of circuses and tarot mysticism. Carlo added great banter throughout, fun and easy to enjoy even when the dialogue felt a little simple at times. I did wish for more world building and character depth; the pacing moves quickly and some of Elsie's emotional beats felt like they needed more grounding to fully land. Still, this was the kind of book I kept thinking about throughout the day, always eager to get back to it. It's funny, emotionally intriguing, and carries a genuinely beautiful moral underneath all the carnival magic. A short, immersive start to what promises to be an interesting series.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the advanced copy for my review.
A Carnival of Fate had a really interesting concept, and I loved the idea of a magical carnival inspired by tarot cards. The dark atmosphere, deadly trials, and mystery surrounding Elsie's missing heart were definitely the strongest parts of the story.
I enjoyed the story overall, but there were times when the pacing felt a little slow and I had trouble staying completely invested. I also wanted a little more development from some of the characters and relationships.
Overall, this was a unique and imaginative romantasy with plenty of magic, mystery, and darker elements. It wasn't quite a standout for me, but I still enjoyed it and would recommend it to readers who love magical carnivals and tarot-inspired fantasy.
⭐⭐⭐ 3 stars!
A Carnival of Fate had a really interesting concept, and I loved the idea of a magical carnival inspired by tarot cards. The dark atmosphere, deadly trials, and mystery surrounding Elsie's missing heart were definitely the strongest parts of the story.
I enjoyed the story overall, but there were times when the pacing felt a little slow and I had trouble staying completely invested. I also wanted a little more development from some of the characters and relationships.
Overall, this was a unique and imaginative romantasy with plenty of magic, mystery, and darker elements. It wasn't quite a standout for me, but I still enjoyed it and would recommend it to readers who love magical carnivals and tarot-inspired fantasy.
⭐⭐⭐ 3 stars!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received an advance reader copy through NetGalley- all opinions are my own.
I genuinely wanted to like this and based off the description I thought it would be a top read for me. One of the positives is that the writing itself is good, and you can tell that the author put a lot of effort into describing the settings and scenes that the characters find themselves in.
Unfortunately while the storyline was interesting the characters lacked depth in my opinion, and I also felt like the fmc was very wishy washy with her thoughts on things. In the beginning she goes from being steadfast about her upcoming wedding to immediately admitting that she doesn’t actually love him. I ended up dnf’ing around the 30% mark when I still had no investment in our fmc Elsie.
I genuinely wanted to like this and based off the description I thought it would be a top read for me. One of the positives is that the writing itself is good, and you can tell that the author put a lot of effort into describing the settings and scenes that the characters find themselves in.
Unfortunately while the storyline was interesting the characters lacked depth in my opinion, and I also felt like the fmc was very wishy washy with her thoughts on things. In the beginning she goes from being steadfast about her upcoming wedding to immediately admitting that she doesn’t actually love him. I ended up dnf’ing around the 30% mark when I still had no investment in our fmc Elsie.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book in theory seemed great, and while it wasn’t terrible, it was a little lackluster. The writing was fine, but the plot felt as if someone had a very specific idea in their head and expected you to already have this idea. The plot twist of while the devil is and how the book ultimately ends was also very obvious. Several characters were introduced and never brought up again, or seemed very one dimensional and only there to serve a purpose.
This book in theory seemed great, and while it wasn’t terrible, it was a little lackluster. The writing was fine, but the plot felt as if someone had a very specific idea in their head and expected you to already have this idea. The plot twist of while the devil is and how the book ultimately ends was also very obvious. Several characters were introduced and never brought up again, or seemed very one dimensional and only there to serve a purpose.
August 12, 2026
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. At first i thought it was a bit of a slow read to to being with and the character dynamic was slow to being With but then I kept reading thru it and I found to actually really love this book and found the character dynamic well written I really love the dynamic carols and eisle has and I can’t wait for others to read this book when it’s out it was a really good book.
Review of advance copy
This was such an emotional book, and a quick read. I cant wait for thr next one. If you liked caraval, I feel like it gives the same vibes.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews