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A Carnival Of Fate: A Tarot Inspired Fantasy Romance
Days 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.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2026
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Review of advance copy
Review of free advance copy from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
Elsie is days away from being married and finds out she has no heart.
"You may live and breathe, but you do not beat."
"Where it it?"
"Who has my heart?"
I ate this up!! The first chapter had me hooked and I could not put it down. The pacing was fast without ever feeling rushed or lacking in detail.
Following Elsie through this carnival was bittersweet but I was rooting for her the whole time. She is trapped in a version of herself she thinks she wants. She forces happiness and convinces herself it's real. She is like a ghost moving through her own life and now she is forced to confront the grief, fear, and heartbreak she has spent so long avoiding. The author does such a good job describing how Elsie feels, I felt completely immersed in her perspective, sharing in the claustrophobia of her overwhelming emotions.
I really want to highlight how beautifully this author writes. They found a way of giving perspective to your fears/grief/love and face it while never invalidating them.
"No single memory was ever lived in isolation. Pain did not cancel joy, nor joy invalidate pain. Both belonged to the life she had lived. Both deserved a place in the one she would live."
Thank you to the author for the ARC!
Elsie is days away from being married and finds out she has no heart.
"You may live and breathe, but you do not beat."
"Where it it?"
"Who has my heart?"
I ate this up!! The first chapter had me hooked and I could not put it down. The pacing was fast without ever feeling rushed or lacking in detail.
Following Elsie through this carnival was bittersweet but I was rooting for her the whole time. She is trapped in a version of herself she thinks she wants. She forces happiness and convinces herself it's real. She is like a ghost moving through her own life and now she is forced to confront the grief, fear, and heartbreak she has spent so long avoiding. The author does such a good job describing how Elsie feels, I felt completely immersed in her perspective, sharing in the claustrophobia of her overwhelming emotions.
I really want to highlight how beautifully this author writes. They found a way of giving perspective to your fears/grief/love and face it while never invalidating them.
"No single memory was ever lived in isolation. Pain did not cancel joy, nor joy invalidate pain. Both belonged to the life she had lived. Both deserved a place in the one she would live."
September 18, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review!
3.75 rounded to 4.
This was a very interesting story following affianced Elsie when she finds out her heart was stolen long ago, and the only way to retrieve it is to go to a mystical and magical carnival and endure its trials.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this novel. It drew me in and had me wondering what kind of ride was in store. And then we got some good witty banter plus a tale of overcoming heartbreak. If you like books like The Night Circus and The Invisible Life Addie LaRue(and tarot of course)this might be up your alley!
I just wish that the book were longer. I feel it could have benefitted from a couple hundred extra pages so that we could have had more setup in the beginning and then more detail in the middle of all the trials. It does suffer from a bit too much of telling vs showing, but I was very intrigued by the epilogue we get and I can’t wait to see where we go with book 2!
3.75 rounded to 4.
This was a very interesting story following affianced Elsie when she finds out her heart was stolen long ago, and the only way to retrieve it is to go to a mystical and magical carnival and endure its trials.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this novel. It drew me in and had me wondering what kind of ride was in store. And then we got some good witty banter plus a tale of overcoming heartbreak. If you like books like The Night Circus and The Invisible Life Addie LaRue(and tarot of course)this might be up your alley!
I just wish that the book were longer. I feel it could have benefitted from a couple hundred extra pages so that we could have had more setup in the beginning and then more detail in the middle of all the trials. It does suffer from a bit too much of telling vs showing, but I was very intrigued by the epilogue we get and I can’t wait to see where we go with book 2!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a 3.5 rounded up for me. It wasn't super flashy or highly detailed, it wasn't overly unique either, but it wasn't bad. It was a short read, quick pace, and solid structure story about heartbreak and dealing with it. I didn't feel that the story represented or accurately reflected grief and overcoming obstacles (as metaphor obviously) but the idea is obvious and to me that is what mattered most.
I like our characters well enough despite the unrealistic nature of both of them. I appreciated the trials FMC goes through, and character development. I did not think the tarot cards played a part as much as they were supposed to but I liked the idea. I think it was kind of like that for a lot of things in the story, I found myself liking the ideas and concepts behind things more than the execution. Especially with the pacing.
Specifically the pacing is what made it feel like the story was the most unrealistic, with the characters behaviors being second. But it wasn't like in an annoying or irritating way like some books I've read, just in a lack of execution kind of way. I think the story being mostly sad or reflective has a lot to do with my reaction to the unrealisticness of it. I just appreciated with the author was trying to do and say, especially after reading the acknowledgments at the back of the book. Just putting everything into context, I just wish that we had got more time with each trial and section. This book would have benefited a lot from slowing down and letting the reader fully absorb what was happening and feeling along with our FMC. This story would have worked a lot better with 400 more pages.
That said, I'm assuming we will get a second book based on the ending of this one. So I'm not excited about the idea we might change character POVs, simply because I didn't like Roxy as a character (I mean I barely got to know her so..) who knows though. I'll be following this author to see if we get a book 2, or anything else she might do in the future.
This was a 3.5 rounded up for me. It wasn't super flashy or highly detailed, it wasn't overly unique either, but it wasn't bad. It was a short read, quick pace, and solid structure story about heartbreak and dealing with it. I didn't feel that the story represented or accurately reflected grief and overcoming obstacles (as metaphor obviously) but the idea is obvious and to me that is what mattered most.
I like our characters well enough despite the unrealistic nature of both of them. I appreciated the trials FMC goes through, and character development. I did not think the tarot cards played a part as much as they were supposed to but I liked the idea. I think it was kind of like that for a lot of things in the story, I found myself liking the ideas and concepts behind things more than the execution. Especially with the pacing.
Specifically the pacing is what made it feel like the story was the most unrealistic, with the characters behaviors being second. But it wasn't like in an annoying or irritating way like some books I've read, just in a lack of execution kind of way. I think the story being mostly sad or reflective has a lot to do with my reaction to the unrealisticness of it. I just appreciated with the author was trying to do and say, especially after reading the acknowledgments at the back of the book. Just putting everything into context, I just wish that we had got more time with each trial and section. This book would have benefited a lot from slowing down and letting the reader fully absorb what was happening and feeling along with our FMC. This story would have worked a lot better with 400 more pages.
That said, I'm assuming we will get a second book based on the ending of this one. So I'm not excited about the idea we might change character POVs, simply because I didn't like Roxy as a character (I mean I barely got to know her so..) who knows though. I'll be following this author to see if we get a book 2, or anything else she might do in the future.
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
I was really excited about the premise of this book. Each chapter is named after a tarot card, and we follow a journey through the FMC's pov. We learn early on about this mystical land between realms that holds a carnival that teaches lessons within each tent. We also learn the FMC is about to get married and has no heart (don't worry; these aren't spoilers; this is known immediately to start the story). We watch the FMC talk to a tarot reader, follow a random dog into the forest, then into this realm. This is the start of our tale, and where you start to lose me.
The book up until passing through the gates makes sense and is fairly easy to follow. Obviously, some details are left out, thus pushing the reader along to find out. However, once crossed over, this book becomes messy in my opinion. Her guide (Carlo) is emotionally all over the place; her feelings are becoming insta-lust/love for the guide, and her tent adventures often felt tossed together.
I can't get too into the tents/other character interactions without possibly spoiling anything. BUT, I can say I feel we get dumped off into screenshots of time the author wanted to portray. Some scenes had depth, and some we just jumped right into issues (I.E., the twins). Perhaps this is just a me issue; I found the flow of the book to be odd. Between characters being tossed at us, searching for Carlo so much, and popping back into her real life, it felt messy, as I mentioned earlier.
Despite my snags with this book, I'm still a sucker for a love story and sacrifice. The second half of the book was better than the first. I really wished more of the book had been like the chapters we had with Bell and Carlo. I felt we had finally reached a flow again, like how the book opened before all the tent stuff.
The very end is definitely setting us up for a book two, following the FMC's friend. I'll be keeping a lookout for it and see where the author takes this journey.
The book up until passing through the gates makes sense and is fairly easy to follow. Obviously, some details are left out, thus pushing the reader along to find out. However, once crossed over, this book becomes messy in my opinion. Her guide (Carlo) is emotionally all over the place; her feelings are becoming insta-lust/love for the guide, and her tent adventures often felt tossed together.
I can't get too into the tents/other character interactions without possibly spoiling anything. BUT, I can say I feel we get dumped off into screenshots of time the author wanted to portray. Some scenes had depth, and some we just jumped right into issues (I.E., the twins). Perhaps this is just a me issue; I found the flow of the book to be odd. Between characters being tossed at us, searching for Carlo so much, and popping back into her real life, it felt messy, as I mentioned earlier.
Despite my snags with this book, I'm still a sucker for a love story and sacrifice. The second half of the book was better than the first. I really wished more of the book had been like the chapters we had with Bell and Carlo. I felt we had finally reached a flow again, like how the book opened before all the tent stuff.
The very end is definitely setting us up for a book two, following the FMC's friend. I'll be keeping a lookout for it and see where the author takes this journey.
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
Thank you so much to NetGalley and L.M. Sanguinette for the ARC.
First of all, WOW! I absolutely adored this story. It had so much heart, depth, and authenticity. It was shorter but very action-packed, which I appreciated as books don’t need to be 800 pages to be well-written and detailed. We had Elise, the FMC who was missing her heart and engaged to a good man but just didn’t love him. I really loved that even if she didn’t have her heart, she still cared about the people around her and most importantly was still a good person with morals and values.
Throughout the book, we see Elise’s transformation her coming to terms with her confidence and strength and staying true to herself as she navigates these challenges and feelings. I adored Elsie as she reminded me a lot of myself, inner dialogue-wise, and she really made this story authentic. The tarot cards played an important role but not as big a part as I expected, which is not a bad thing at all, and I enjoyed how different it was going to be.
Carlo…What a man, he is a mysterious character all throughout the book but very early on we see a softer side to him for Elise through the small details where his feelings peek through. He was a huge help to Elise through the trials but the author did a good job in letting Elise find her own way. I fell on my knees towards the end of the book and I genuinely was not sure what the heck was going to happen and I felt all the feelings, but I need a Carlo. Carlo was an example of a man who was willing to change for his love without being asked by her, and that in itself is beautiful.
The author did a really good job with the atmosphere, it felt gloomy and mysterious and the side characters that we meet through the book tie it together all the way. While I loved that this couple’s story in a way has ended, I am really looking forward to who might be next…
First of all, WOW! I absolutely adored this story. It had so much heart, depth, and authenticity. It was shorter but very action-packed, which I appreciated as books don’t need to be 800 pages to be well-written and detailed. We had Elise, the FMC who was missing her heart and engaged to a good man but just didn’t love him. I really loved that even if she didn’t have her heart, she still cared about the people around her and most importantly was still a good person with morals and values.
Throughout the book, we see Elise’s transformation her coming to terms with her confidence and strength and staying true to herself as she navigates these challenges and feelings. I adored Elsie as she reminded me a lot of myself, inner dialogue-wise, and she really made this story authentic. The tarot cards played an important role but not as big a part as I expected, which is not a bad thing at all, and I enjoyed how different it was going to be.
Carlo…What a man, he is a mysterious character all throughout the book but very early on we see a softer side to him for Elise through the small details where his feelings peek through. He was a huge help to Elise through the trials but the author did a good job in letting Elise find her own way. I fell on my knees towards the end of the book and I genuinely was not sure what the heck was going to happen and I felt all the feelings, but I need a Carlo. Carlo was an example of a man who was willing to change for his love without being asked by her, and that in itself is beautiful.
The author did a really good job with the atmosphere, it felt gloomy and mysterious and the side characters that we meet through the book tie it together all the way. While I loved that this couple’s story in a way has ended, I am really looking forward to who might be next…
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of advanced copy from NetGalley
There are so many things about this book that I thought were lovely - the premise, the atmosphere, the themes. I loved the mystery of figuring out what happened to Elsie’s heart and as a diehard fan of The Night Circus, I always appreciate books with comparable settings. However, I was ultimately let down by the pacing, romance and exposition style.
For a relatively short book, the plot dragged a bit in the middle, and while I appreciated the meaning behind each tent, the trials ultimately felt repetitive. Moreover, I felt like Elsie’s emotional arc far surpassed my capacity for suspending disbelief. She spends such a short time in the carnival and I just found it difficult to believe she challenged and healed (even partially) a life’s worth of trauma and self-doubt within that timeframe; this ultimately undermined the central theme of the story, which I did really appreciate. This was compounded by the fact that the romance felt a bit contrived. Even with the magic playing a role in Elsie and the Devil’s love story, I didn’t find their chemistry believable and this left the romance feeling like insta-love. Finally, I felt like a lot was told to us rather than shown. While I appreciate that shorter stories need to be more economical with exposition, all the descriptions of place, Elsie’s past, her feelings, her processing, really slowed the narrative’s pace and made the story feel longer than it is.
Still, I thought A Carnival of Fate was a fun, easy, atmospheric read and I’d suggest it to anyone looking for comparable vibes to Caraval and Phantasma.
There are so many things about this book that I thought were lovely - the premise, the atmosphere, the themes. I loved the mystery of figuring out what happened to Elsie’s heart and as a diehard fan of The Night Circus, I always appreciate books with comparable settings. However, I was ultimately let down by the pacing, romance and exposition style.
For a relatively short book, the plot dragged a bit in the middle, and while I appreciated the meaning behind each tent, the trials ultimately felt repetitive. Moreover, I felt like Elsie’s emotional arc far surpassed my capacity for suspending disbelief. She spends such a short time in the carnival and I just found it difficult to believe she challenged and healed (even partially) a life’s worth of trauma and self-doubt within that timeframe; this ultimately undermined the central theme of the story, which I did really appreciate. This was compounded by the fact that the romance felt a bit contrived. Even with the magic playing a role in Elsie and the Devil’s love story, I didn’t find their chemistry believable and this left the romance feeling like insta-love. Finally, I felt like a lot was told to us rather than shown. While I appreciate that shorter stories need to be more economical with exposition, all the descriptions of place, Elsie’s past, her feelings, her processing, really slowed the narrative’s pace and made the story feel longer than it is.
Still, I thought A Carnival of Fate was a fun, easy, atmospheric read and I’d suggest it to anyone looking for comparable vibes to Caraval and Phantasma.
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.
September 30, 2026
3.25* - I love the premise of this book, with the combination of the carnival and the tarot cards. I agree it does give The Night Circus vibes (I would disagree with beauty and the beast), with the magical environment the carnival is set in. I found meeting the different characters and experiencing the trials of the tarot interesting. It’s a new take on the carnival idea, and the author incorporated deep thought and lessons into each one. I enjoyed the dynamic of Elsie and Carlo at the beginning of this book, I liked the banter and how Elsie was like ‘eww get away from me’. I do wish there was more context to this story. As in, I wish there were more flashbacks, more history provided at the beginning regarding Elsie and what led to this first chapter (some are provided later on, but could have benefited from being there earlier I feel). I also wish there were more scenes to really develop and cement the romance, so when declarations are made, you feel the impact of it more. I do wish this book was longer, so these elements could be added. The epilogue is also good, and if that’s who I think it is, then I will be reading the sequel.
Thank you to L.M. Sanguinette, the publisher, and NetGalley for approving me for this arc.
Thank you to L.M. Sanguinette, the publisher, and NetGalley for approving me for this arc.
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!
October 5, 2026
3.5 stars (rounded up)
Overall, the premise of the book warmed my heart and made me reflect on my own life and desires in a good way, especially with the following quote: "The hearts capable of the deepest sadness are also capable of the greatest happiness."
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an advanced e-copy of the book. I am incredibly grateful! As a reminder, this review is voluntary and all ratings/opinions are my own.
I love that the author included the carnival storyline, requiring Elsie to go through different trials in each tent to learn and grow.
If you are looking for lots of romance in this book, it’s probably not the right book for you. The love story that is depicted is very slow-moving. However, I believe this is done so that we can focus on Elsie’s journey to finding her heart.
There were times when it felt like the story needed some more depth. I’d love to learn more about each of the characters. The pacing was fast and a few times I found myself lost wondering how we got to the next trial so quickly.
But for me, the magic of the world and the lessons I pulled from it truly make this stand out as a story with heart in it.
Overall, the premise of the book warmed my heart and made me reflect on my own life and desires in a good way, especially with the following quote: "The hearts capable of the deepest sadness are also capable of the greatest happiness."
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an advanced e-copy of the book. I am incredibly grateful! As a reminder, this review is voluntary and all ratings/opinions are my own.
I love that the author included the carnival storyline, requiring Elsie to go through different trials in each tent to learn and grow.
If you are looking for lots of romance in this book, it’s probably not the right book for you. The love story that is depicted is very slow-moving. However, I believe this is done so that we can focus on Elsie’s journey to finding her heart.
There were times when it felt like the story needed some more depth. I’d love to learn more about each of the characters. The pacing was fast and a few times I found myself lost wondering how we got to the next trial so quickly.
But for me, the magic of the world and the lessons I pulled from it truly make this stand out as a story with heart in it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC !
This book was fun, fast forward, the caraval was kind of psychedelic which made it entertaining and gripping 😊
The writing was very simple and basic, which is too bad, I think a more descriptive atmospheric writing would have really made the world even more gripping 😅
The characters, specially at the beginning, were quiet juvenile and acted like teenagers...
As a native French speaker, the grammatical and spelling errors really bugged me. Specially the "ma chérie" said at each sentences from a character without the accent...
The romance didn't make much sense to me as the whole story is throughout a bit more than 24 hours, they barely interact and yet she is very invested in him and their "relationship".
She also mentioned that she went through "deadly" trials and yet... Everybody got out alive...
It you want something fun and easy and short, without overthinking it, give it a try!
This book was fun, fast forward, the caraval was kind of psychedelic which made it entertaining and gripping 😊
The writing was very simple and basic, which is too bad, I think a more descriptive atmospheric writing would have really made the world even more gripping 😅
The characters, specially at the beginning, were quiet juvenile and acted like teenagers...
As a native French speaker, the grammatical and spelling errors really bugged me. Specially the "ma chérie" said at each sentences from a character without the accent...
The romance didn't make much sense to me as the whole story is throughout a bit more than 24 hours, they barely interact and yet she is very invested in him and their "relationship".
She also mentioned that she went through "deadly" trials and yet... Everybody got out alive...
It you want something fun and easy and short, without overthinking it, give it a try!
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!
October 10, 2026
What a captivating premise! This story follows Elsie, an engaged woman who discovers her heart was stolen long ago and that her only hope of retrieving it lies in braving the magical trials of a mysterious carnival.
The opening hook pulled me in immediately, setting up an intriguing journey packed with clever banter and a resonant story of healing from heartbreak. If you love books like The Night Circus, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, or anything steeped in tarot lore, this is definitely worth picking up!
My only critique is that I wanted more. An extra couple hundred pages would have allowed the story to breathe, giving us richer setup and deeper immersion into the carnival's trials. While it leans a bit into "telling" rather than "showing," the epilogue left me thoroughly intrigued, and I am excited to see where the sequel takes us!
The opening hook pulled me in immediately, setting up an intriguing journey packed with clever banter and a resonant story of healing from heartbreak. If you love books like The Night Circus, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, or anything steeped in tarot lore, this is definitely worth picking up!
My only critique is that I wanted more. An extra couple hundred pages would have allowed the story to breathe, giving us richer setup and deeper immersion into the carnival's trials. While it leans a bit into "telling" rather than "showing," the epilogue left me thoroughly intrigued, and I am excited to see where the sequel takes us!
October 11, 2026
Review of advanced copy from Booksirens
I enjoyed the different challenges the main character had to go through. It was quite interesting to read about, and I never knew what to expect. The challenges were quite fascinating as well as fresh!
I do think that I had trouble connecting with the main character. It almost came easier to me to connect with the few side characters we encountered than her. I did struggle with the dialogue as well. It didn't sound very natural to me, and I think It would've been nicer to have all the characters have a different way of speaking. It seemed as though almost all of them possesed the same vocabulary, which gave little information about their upbringing or their character!
I did enjoy the ending! I thought it was interesting and it's a nice set up for the second book!
Thank you to the author for the ARC.
I enjoyed the different challenges the main character had to go through. It was quite interesting to read about, and I never knew what to expect. The challenges were quite fascinating as well as fresh!
I do think that I had trouble connecting with the main character. It almost came easier to me to connect with the few side characters we encountered than her. I did struggle with the dialogue as well. It didn't sound very natural to me, and I think It would've been nicer to have all the characters have a different way of speaking. It seemed as though almost all of them possesed the same vocabulary, which gave little information about their upbringing or their character!
I did enjoy the ending! I thought it was interesting and it's a nice set up for the second book!
Thank you to the author for the ARC.
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.
September 13, 2026
𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡: 𝙉𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙙.
This story follows Elsie as she is recently engaged, going to a carnival for her bachelorette party. She goes to a tarot card reader, who informs her that she doesn’t have a heart. She’s transported to Carnevale degli Arcani to find herself and to find her heart.
There’s a lot of symbolism in the book, and a lot of beautiful and reflective quotes. I loved learning about Elsie’s past and how that shapes her into following the easy route in life instead of the one where she can find true happiness. The chapter titles correspond with tarot cards and the lesson to be learned. This was an emotional yet quick read that leaves you thinking.
Thank you so much to L.M. Sanguinette for an early copy!
This story follows Elsie as she is recently engaged, going to a carnival for her bachelorette party. She goes to a tarot card reader, who informs her that she doesn’t have a heart. She’s transported to Carnevale degli Arcani to find herself and to find her heart.
There’s a lot of symbolism in the book, and a lot of beautiful and reflective quotes. I loved learning about Elsie’s past and how that shapes her into following the easy route in life instead of the one where she can find true happiness. The chapter titles correspond with tarot cards and the lesson to be learned. This was an emotional yet quick read that leaves you thinking.
Thank you so much to L.M. Sanguinette for an early copy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Carnival of Fate
by L. M. Sanguinette
The Fated Carnival Series, Book 1
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A compelling read...
Elsie is about to get married, but lost her heart fifteen years ago.
A tarot reading during her bachelorette party leaves her with a mysterious ticket, which leads her to a dog, which leads her to a forrest the likes of which she has never seen before, and this leads her to a twisted and dark journey through a through the looking glass, through a nightmare carnival...
Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op
Pub Date: Sep 29 2026
Thank you, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
#ACarnivalOfFate
#arc #netgalley
#Brightbookreviews
#Goodreads
#facebook
#Instagram
#newadult #Romance #Fantasy #Tarot
by L. M. Sanguinette
The Fated Carnival Series, Book 1
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A compelling read...
Elsie is about to get married, but lost her heart fifteen years ago.
A tarot reading during her bachelorette party leaves her with a mysterious ticket, which leads her to a dog, which leads her to a forrest the likes of which she has never seen before, and this leads her to a twisted and dark journey through a through the looking glass, through a nightmare carnival...
Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op
Pub Date: Sep 29 2026
Thank you, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
#ACarnivalOfFate
#arc #netgalley
#Brightbookreviews
#Goodreads
#newadult #Romance #Fantasy #Tarot
Review of advance copy received from Author
this book has resonated with me in ways I cannot express, the writing was beautiful and the story a moving journey I think most of us can relate to.
a whimsical, mysterious and moving adventure of a girl without a heart, who sets out to find it in a magical carnival, each tent a powerful lesson each one of us should face sooner or later. imagine The Night Circus meets a Stephanie Garber-esque universe (plus your trusty tarot deck of cards) and you get this absolute GEM of a book.
I cannot wait to see what the next book of the series has in store for us (maybe a storyline of a charming side character….?)
a whimsical, mysterious and moving adventure of a girl without a heart, who sets out to find it in a magical carnival, each tent a powerful lesson each one of us should face sooner or later. imagine The Night Circus meets a Stephanie Garber-esque universe (plus your trusty tarot deck of cards) and you get this absolute GEM of a book.
I cannot wait to see what the next book of the series has in store for us (maybe a storyline of a charming side character….?)
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Trails in the shape of a carnival. The tents represent each trial that Elise must go through to gain the one thing she is lacking, her heart. These trial are not all of strength. Some will show her moments from her past that she wasn't ready to drudge up. She is lead through thia carnival by a mysterious man Carlo. He is helping her even if she doesn't always want it. This book had me not knowing what would happen after each tent and I loved it. I love when I can't guess everything that is going to happen next.
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.
September 24, 2026
Thank you Netgalley and publishing for an ARC. This book unfortunately felt very choppy and inconsistent. The writing was underdeveloped and I could not stay engaged with the characters or the scenes.
October 3, 2026
what an amazing book! i was hooked from the start and couldn’t put it down. fans of the night circus and caraval will love this. a 5 star read from me
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