TrueStar Staff 
Are someone like me who enjoys novels about ancient magic? Maybe you enjoy powerful stories about black girls who are in tune with their powers and use their magic for the greater good. If this is you then This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron is just the book for you. Similar to Wings Of Ebony by J. Elle, this is a tale about a young girl who must unlock her hidden powers through ancient magic in order to save her family. The opening words of this novel suck you in like a wormhole, reading: “Mom was dead and the goddess Hectate herself was holding her somewhere in the underworld for one full cycle of the moon.” The main character Briseis has a once in a lifetime chance to save her mother, but in order to do so she must find the last fragment of an extremely deadly Absyrtus heart. She will have to learn and use the powers of the relatives she has never known and make her mark in their ancient lineage. She will have to fight through the most vile of enemies who will stop at nothing to make sure she cannot complete this vital task, but Bri is resilient and will fight to get her life back.
This book, the follow up to This Poison Heart, introduces mythology as they pertain to mythical creatures similar to Percy Jackson, the only true difference is that this is sapphic! Marie and Bri were the souls of this novel. Their relationship was written beautifully. You could tell they really found peace in one another as Bri said, “She glanced at me and smiled warmly. It made me feel something other than grief for just a split second, and I was thankful for that. I rested my head against her.” Marie was very protective of Bri, never wanting to do things that made Bri uncomfortable. On the other hand, Bri helped Marie become more vulnerable to those around her. The tone of This Wicked Fate is so potent that you will feel just as suffocated and in pain at times as the protagonist. This book pulls on your heartstrings so take a deep breath before opening it.
One thing I really appreciated about this novel is that although most Black female leads who go through hardships are written to have tough skin and be the strong woman that society views them as. This book took another route and showed that even though you go through hardships you are allowed to grieve; you do not always have to be strong.
This is a great read for LGBTQ+ youth and teens. The best part of all would have to be the ending of this story. It was so well thought out and expressed. Take it from me, this will easily become one of your favorite books.
*True Star Rating: 5 out of 5
By Jay Bryant
Instagram: @4phroditesboy
