Worthy of Fate (Realms in Peril)

Cara Barbardo

A debut masterpiece by A.N. Caudle

"Undeniable 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for Worthy of Fate by A.N. Caudle, Book 1 in the Realms in Peril series, a dark fantasy romance!! I finished this book last night and had to take a hot minute to grip what I read! The book had me utterly shook to my core. So much so that I was not able to immediately sit down and write a review. I’m not going to recap the blurb; because, well, you can read that yourself. I’m just going to dive right in and tell that this book is so beautifully written. Caudle’s prose is quite magical and unforgettable. It gave me ALL the chills and feels! I was sucked in from the very first chapter and completely wrapped up in this world! I devoured this book in no time at all, that’s how gripping and compelling it is. The world building was so exquisitely portrayed that was very easy and I find yourself sucked right in as if you were right there in the heart of the world. The story was packed full of non stop action. And the characters were well developed. Kya, the MFC, is a fierce, strong willed bada$$. She leaves absolutely nothing in the table. Her journey through the trial and all that comes after is quite compelling. Her quest to save everything and everyone one she loves is intense and perilous. Kya is not afraid of death; therefore, throws herself into danger with zero regard for herself. After her trial and being found Worthy, she knows she must figure out what it is she needs to do to complete her task. What she doesn’t know immediately, is that she was gifted with a mate bond. Then meet the MMC, Ryker. A Lord of his own Nation who immediately recognizes the activation of the mate bond and knows he must find her; whatever the cost! Ryker is a strong bada$$, stalker Shadow daddy who will stop at nothing to protect his mate. Although, he is a super sweet cinnamon roll with his mate. This book is full of strong characters, magnificent world building, exquisite magic, ghastly beasts, bonded magical spirit animals, Gods/Goddesses, curses/dark magic, and meddlesome Sages. The ending, with its jaw dropping cliffhanger, had me screaming, crying, and wanting to throw up. This book will absolutely sit with me for quite some time and I cannot wait to see what secrets are revealed in book 2. ["

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April 15, 2024 Verified Purchase

HH

Worthy of the hype

"This one had me from the premise alone — a chosen girl, deadly trials, a spreading plague, fated mates, and a magic system that’s actually interesting. Worthy of Fate checks a lot of boxes and mostly delivers. Kya is the kind of FMC I love — she’s capable, she’s stabby, and she actually earns it. She doesn’t just claim it — she delivers. Ryker is compelling and mysterious in all the right ways, the found family had my whole heart, and the slow burn is deliciously slow — the kind that makes the payoff worth the wait. The worldbuilding felt layered without ever making my eyes glaze over, which honestly isn’t easy to pull off. Where it stumbled a little: the trials are such a big deal narratively, but they fly by — done and dusted before I even felt the weight of them. A few other moments felt rushed or slightly disjointed, like a lot was packed into one book. Minor complaints though, because the ending genuinely caught me off guard in the best way and now I need book two immediately. The side characters are too good to stay on the sidelines — hoping to see more from them in the next one! Solid series opener. I’m invested. ["

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March 18, 2026 Verified Purchase

Amazon Customer

Good Premise, Variable Execution

"Just a heads up, spoilers ahead! I liked the general concept of the book, that's why I pushed through to the end. There were some fully unnecessary nuanced details included. To the point I feel like I could have skipped several pages and not lost anything significant. However there were other parts that felt really messy. For instance when talking about the trials, the FMC says that if someone fails the 2nd trial they're essentially doomed to madness and eventually death or they're killed in the process of their failure. Makes sense why she's terrified of failing and believes that a friend she makes during the trials who is not present for the 3rd trial must be dead. So when he pops up alive and well chapters later and everyone just accepts it, it's super confusing. I literally skipped back to the beginning to double check that I hadn't misunderstood. Maybe it's accidentally worded wrong, maybe it's a huge plot hole, idk, but it's confusing. There's a couple spots like that in the book that made me go, wait what's happening? Again I think the premise is great but the execution left me wanting. ["

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April 1, 2025 Verified Purchase

Jennifer W.

Not a bad read!

"This was a solid 4-star read for me, I liked it a lot and I was engaged the whole time, but it wasn't in the "this changed my life" category. I'd file it under "I had a great time and was invested in the characters" if I was being honest. I was sucked into the story almost right away and felt it was rather steady, while romance-heavy I don't feel like the tension was too drawn out, though I side-eyed some of the characters with their choices. Over all, it was a nice balance of softness and conflict and I'd really recommend it to someone who wants some emotional tied romance and a bit of tension. It was easy to get involved in and I can't wait for the other books! I did get this book as a gift from @ancauldeauthor and @grimm_and_co, I appreicate it and had a fantastic time reading it! ["

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May 18, 2026 Verified Purchase

Daile

Worthy of Fate

"This was such a fun read. I loved the dark fantasy world and the games and trials to become a governor of the realm. This is a slow burn story with a little light stalking that I was eating up! I loved the aspect that their relationship is forbidden! Who doesn't love a forbidden romance! Even though this is a slow burn, it does get spicy, so fear not! I also love a good found family and I am here for not only Kya's story, but her siblings as well! AND THE ENDING! How could you leave me on a cliffhanger like that?! I am distraught and crying and CANNOT wait for book 2! ["

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March 20, 2026 Verified Purchase