Dueling Fates Blog Tour + Review

DuelingFate copy

For fans of GOT and Throne of Glass, comes fantasy novel Dueling Fates by Stephanie M. Allen. Read on for book details, and an exclusive excerpt! Dueling Fates Publication Date: June 30th, 2020 Genre: Fairy Tale/ Fantasy Publisher: Liminal Books In the world of Erez, three kingdoms share a tentative peace. In the far west, Princess Isemay yearns for much more than frilly dresses and etiquette classes. While her twin sister, Alena, prepares for life as a monarch in a neighboring kingdom, Isemay roams the woods with her loyal cheetah, hunting dagger strapped to her belt. It’s only when two surprising visitors arrive at the castle that Isemay must come to terms with her royal future – and a secret magical heritage. Now engaged to the king of the east, Isemay prepares for a position she never wanted. After saying good-bye to all that she loves, Princess Alena travels north in trepidation – fully prepared to marry a spoiled prince she does not desire and usurp the throne from his insane father who does not deserve it. But when tragedy strikes at her wedding ceremony and she is wrongfully imprisoned, she can only hope that her hurried plea for help will reach her father in time. Frantic to save her sister – and against the wishes of her betrothed – Isemay joins the army sent to free Alena. A mysterious encounter with a dragon in disguise leaves her with a warning that her life is in danger – but can it save her from the battle to come? Add to Goodreads

I’ve been looking for a new high fantasy series to draw my attention, and these books seem to bring me just the universe I needed. Close-knit family with secrets? Check. Sweet romance? Check. Magic/magical creatures? Check. Interconnected kingdoms with their own histories and issues? Check. I was totally hooked into this story by the time I reached the middle of the novel.

Alena and Isemay are twins, but they are very different. As the eldest twin, Alena has been raised the most to be queen. Isemay still had to behave royally, but she had more freedom on how to live her life. Now they are both 17 and both have marriage prospects coming their way, but they have their own minds and hearts. Alena struggles to connect with a spoiled prince who will probably force her into a life that she hates in his stuffy castle. Isemay is more free-spirited than her sister, and she worries that her husband will separate her from the things she loves to do. Specifically, force her to be a queen who never gets to enjoy the beauty of nature and being active. Soon, these are the least of the worries of these two princesses.

Alena and Isemay were some of the more realistic princess characters I have read in a while. Both were princesses, but they were normal teenaged girls first. They had their own unique personalities but this did not drive them away from one another. Alena and Isemay had one of the closest sister relationships I have read in a while. Also, they completely acted their age. They did not act older or younger than 17, they felt really relatable. I could understand why they were worried about their marriages, but they didn’t act like spoiled brats or put their kingdoms in danger. Overall, I fell in love with these characters.

Out of all the love interests in this novel, my favorite was Jordan. He didn’t put Isemay into any situation where she was forced to be uncomfortable, and he truly wanted the best for her. They were honestly the only couple I truly rooted for in this novel, even though they all had their own chemistry. I can’t wait to see which couples will form and/or flourish in the next books of this series.

The only complaint I have about this book was that the synopsis tells the majority of the story. I was expecting the synopsis to only reveal the beginning portion of the book, but instead I got almost a summary of the entire book. I feel like this disappointed me once I realized that I knew about the majority of the storyline from the start. My suggestion would be to try to just read this book without reading the synopsis.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new YA fantasy novel to read.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 books.

Excerpt

Reaching the first tree, Isemay gently placed her palm on the rough bark and scanned the shaded area directly in front of her. The bright sun made it difficult to see much detail in the shadows, but her eyes adjusted quickly. Golda stood perfectly still next to her, one paw lifted off the ground, the bushy fur around her neck raised higher than normal. Movement to the left caught Isemay’s eye. She yelped in fright at what she saw. A huge black wolf, larger than any she had ever seen, was standing a mere ten feet away, piercing yellow eyes trained on her. A low rumbling sound was vibrating from its chest and its lips were lifted in a snarl.

Available on Amazon About the Author

Stephanie M. Allen graduated from California Baptist University in 2009 with a B.A. in English and a desire to share her imaginative stories with the world. She loves to write fantasy, particularly centered around young adults. Aside from writing, Stephanie loves to read, ride horses, and sing. She currently lives in Wyoming with her husband and two children.

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

DuelingFate copy