Rings of Fate (Deluxe Limited Edition): A Fake Engagement, Grumpy Sunshine Fantasy Romance (Curses and Crowns, 1)
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“If sarcasm were a sword, Aren Bellamore would rule the world. Delightfully sharp, emotionally rich, and a damn good time.” - Lauren Oliver, #1 NYT bestselling author of the Delirium trilogy
She’s a barmaid who doesn’t believe in fairy tales. He’s a prince cursed to live one.
Aren Bellamore has no interest in being anyone’s princess. She’s too busy running the Raven’s Beak tavern, fending off unwanted marriage proposals, and dreaming of escape. But when a brush with death and a dangerously handsome stranger upend her life, Aren finds herself bound to a bargain that could change everything.
Prince Dietan has carried the cursed Rings of Fate—ancient weapons of devastating power—since childhood. The magic is killing him, and the enemies are closing in. To make the journey to reverse his curse, he needs a bride to hide his secrets. Aren wants freedom. Pretending to be his fiancée should give them both what they want.
But as their perilous journey pits them against political schemes, monstrous Kilandrar, and a growing attraction neither can deny, the line between make-believe and destiny begins to blur. And the fate of two kingdoms may depend on whether a cynical barmaid and a cursed prince are willing to risk their hearts.
Don't miss out on the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last. This breathtaking collectible is only available on a limited first print run in the U.S. and Canada only, a must-have for any book lover.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
Rings of Fate felt strangely familiar to me and it took me too long to figure out why. Melissa de la Cruz wrote the Blue Bloods series which I devoured in high school. I loved those books twenty years ago. Reading her newer work as an adult was a different and disappointing experience.
Aren Bellamore is a sharp tongued barmaid who wants more from life than running her family’s tavern. Prince Dietan arrives carrying the cursed Rings of Fate inside his body. The magic from the rings is slowly killing him. Their lives become magically connected after he saves Aren from an attack. A fake engagement gives Dietan the cover he needs to search for a cure. Aren also gets the adventure she has been craving. Political schemes, monsters, dangerous magic, and romance follow them across the Waste.
The writing felt like a familiar young adult romance formula dressed up as adult romantasy. De la Cruz clearly knows how to build dramatic relationships. The maturity of the characters became my biggest problem. Aren and Dietan often behaved much younger than I expected from characters in an adult romance.
Aren especially tested my patience. Sarcasm and sharp remarks seem to be a major part of her appeal. I found her unpleasant more often than charming. Her constant barbs started feeling less like witty banter and more like a defense mechanism she desperately needed to unpack with a therapist. I kept waiting for enough character growth to make me understand why Dietan was falling for her. Then, Aren would word vomit another sarcastic remark. I question why Dietan didn't leave her insufferable attitude alone in the Waste. Their magical connection explains why they remain together, but it did not convince me that these two belonged together romantically. Aren spends so much time snapping at him that I started wondering whether Dietan had a degradation kink. Temper your expectations if you are hoping for a spicy romantasy. The intimate scenes are fairly tame and light on description.
The fantasy elements were not entertaining. The Rings, kingdoms, court politics, and journey through the Waste came across as generic romantasy content. Too much of the worldbuilding felt explained directly to me instead of unfolding naturally through the characters and their experiences. The drama also followed patterns I recognized from angsty YA fantasy romances. Very little surprised me throughout the story.
Twenty years ago, Melissa de la Cruz had teenage me completely hooked on Blue Bloods. Adult me needs more maturity from the characters, depth from the romance, and fantasy that feels fresh. Rings of Fate never gave me enough reason to continue the series.
“I am…His Royal Highness, Dietan Cornwallis Arthur William Maximillian Conrad Barclay-Bruce Armandale-Macrae, Crown Prince of Loegria and heir presumptive to Alarice. I have as many names as jewels on my epaulets. I am their future lord and liege…And above all, [I’m] a liar…a skilled, convincing liar who has concealed the secret of the Rings from everyone…for a decade…As the heir to both kingdoms, my duty is clear: wed an Alarician girl, fulfill the terms of the treaty, and unite our lands in common defense.”
“The Rings of Fate were crafted in secret by the Oracle of Alba to contain the power of the wind spirits, the Anemoi, to defeat Lord Boreas. Otherwise Albion would have fallen to the evils of the Unseen Death and the Kilandrar —both born of perverted magic at Boreas’ hand. But this dark magic is back. It is in the very air we breathe. Only the bearer of the Rings can defeat it.”
“If the Usurper has supposedly reanimated the Kilandrar and is amassing an army of foul creatures…and my father marches into battle without the Rings of Fate, he and the army won’t survive. Loegria will fall. And if Loegria falls, so will Alarice. I’m alone in this, and I can’t save both kingdoms by myself.”
“He’s the prince of Loegria, the liberator of Engel, the savior of Estyrion. And he’s on his knees in front of everyone…at the feet of a backcountry barmaid…mixed up in dangerous magic and royal secrets…This is why we’re here: to remove the Rings, to change the course of the war, to return to Loegria and save everyone in Albion.”
“Ideas can turn into hope, and hope is more powerful than even the Whisting. Tyranny has no chance against ideas…The truth is like a struck match in the darkness. It changes everything…in lumine Tuo videbimus lumen—in thy light shall we see light. Thank you for lighting the way.”
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.