Title: Fangs Of Fate
Series: Shadows Of The Crescent
Author: Karina Espinosa
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Time Travel, Paranomal
Release Date: 13th June 2025
BLURB
DYING WAS THE EASY PART. STAYING ALIVE IN THE PAST? THAT’S WHERE THINGS GET COMPLICATED.
Ren Rousseau thought being the only werewolf who couldn’t shift was her biggest problem. Turns out, dying at the hands of the man she loved was worse.
But death wasn’t the end. It was the beginning.
Now thrown back two years before her murder, Ren has one figure out why she died… before it happens again.
It should’ve been simple. Keep her distance. Watch from the shadows. Gather the truth. But the past has a pulse, and it’s racing faster than she remembers.
Her ex—the vampire heir who stole her heart—is begging for forgiveness, completely unaware he’s the one who killed her in the future. Her best friend is the only person who knows her secret. And her bodyguard—the fiercely loyal, maddeningly protective wolf who’s been by her side since childhood—is suddenly looking at her like she’s more than just a mission.
The closer Ren gets to the truth, the more tangled her heart becomes. Because the line between duty and desire is blurring, and she doesn’t know who she’ll be when it finally snaps.
Things are messier this time around. Because there’s a mark on her shoulder blooming like black fire, and whispers of a Demon Child whose existence could unravel the world. A child everyone’s hunting. Just like they did in the past. Before, Ren never paid attention to Supernatural politics.
But this time, she’s paying attention.
Time doesn’t heal all wounds. But maybe it gives you the chance to stab first.
REVIEW
The cover is quite dark, it has a very mystical, mysterious feeling to it. Theres the crescent moon in the sky, and a broken glass type effect around the cover. Thers also the wolf and face on there too which make you question who they are and their significance on the book. The cover definitely does its job well and captures your attention as well as making you want to learn more!
I think the line from the blurb “Time doesn’t heal all wounds. But maybe it gives you the chance to stab first.” is an absolutely brilliant, a great by-line. It certainly fits the kick-butt young woman Ren sets free when she is murdered in 2025 and transported back to 2023.
After being murdered by her long-term boyfriend, vampire Atlas in 2025, Ren wakes up 2yrs prior 2023 from being knocked out at a softball game. Ren quickly decides she's been given a second chance to do things differently. Obviously, she wants to find out why Atlas slit her throat and hopefully prevent it from happening again. As time goes on, Ren decides to make some more changes to how she lived her life and reacted to others around her.
Ren maybe be 'pack royalty' as the granddaughter of the current Alpha Matthias Rousseau & younger sister of the next Alpha Gabriel Rousseau and should be respected but because she has yet to shift and displays no supernatural powers she's is looked down on by the pack. Affectionately referred to as 'Little Wolf' by her grandfather she is called other, hurtful names by others, told she's weak, and a drain on pack resources, Ren basically keeps quiet and takes it, but after being murdered by her long term boyfriend who is a vampire called Atlas who is the son of the Vampire Clan leader in 2025 and waking up in 2023 where she had just been knocked out at a softball game. Ren has changed and has decided she is going to be no ones doormat anymore and starts as she means to go on by picking a revenge fight with pack member Nolan & Felix, she may not have fangs or claws but she has her knives and she certainly knows how to wield them! Her long-time bodyguard, Bellamy senses something 'different' in her but doesn't push the issue. Her boyfriend Atlas is confused as to why his previously devoted girlfriend has now broken things off and is avoiding him. Ren turns to her best friend in 2023, Winter, who happens to be a witch for help.
Ren is making changes in her life, she's going to stand up to the pack, she is a Rousseau and should be treat with the respect the name demands, she doesn't understand why Atlas betrayed her and murdered her whilst asking her to forgive him as she died but she wants nothing to do with him yet, she'll get her revenge once she has more details.
Ren also wants to keep a closer eye on her Grandfather who fell ill between 2023-2025, she soon comes to believe her dear grandfather could have been poisoned.
Ren has made theses decisions to change herself, and naturally, that has its own repercussions. Some are changes that Ren welcomes, others complicate her second chance further. Ren's feelings and chemistry around Bellamy her bodyguard has totally changed, there's a spark of something more, especially when he is tending her wounds from her first battle and touches the black-red lotus flower her grandfather dismisses as a birthmark of no meaning.
Last but not least of the changes is she's not taking any more hassle/angst at work from current 2023 Head Chef Raul. She took far too much from Raul before he was fired & she was made Head Chef by 2025.
When Ren attends a council meeting, something she would have never done before she hears about some missing, presumed kidnapped human children. Though Lazarus Vampire leader seems reluctant to get involved in 'human issues', Alpha Matthias reprimands the vampire leader, Lazarus, and graciously offers that his pack will look into it.
Things rapidly get out of hand when first a young wolf pup/boy is found murdered in Treme witch territory, then a young pure born vampire is found murdered on wolf pack land.
Ren rightly presumes that someone is trying to pit the different supernatural factions against each other to end the peace treaty and cause a war. The 'new' more confident Ren steps forward and says what she thinks and for a change, her pack listens, the vampires listen.
I adored Bellamy! It's quite plain to see he is besotted with Ren. He loves Ren. Is it just brotherly love, though, and why has Ren never noticed before? Though I have a feeling perhaps Bellamy always had this chemistry with Ren, maybe she either could see it or chose not to. Ren has to be very careful as people notice this new kind of closeness, Winter, teases Ren asking if Whitney has finally fallen for her Kevin Costner - a great example of Karina Espinosa's humour and referencing current/past movies and TV shows. Rens brother, Gabriel, warns Ren to stay away from any relationship with Bellamy other than him being her bodyguard. In fact, he goes so far as to threaten Bellamys life should Ren become involved with him. However,'things' become heated between Ren & Bellamy, it's Bellamy that steps back and tells Ren quite bluntly that he doesn't think of her like that, he goes on to say they could never work etc etc. Ren storms off, insisting on being alone and is kidnapped!! The people that have her seem to be performing some sort of ritual with her at the centre and it's then she meets 'someone' who has been missing her whole life until now!
Theres lots of different characters from different supernatural races within this book. I instantly liked the human Nun Mary Lucille, who quietly talks to Ren about her parents. I couldn't help liking the strange, friendly yet probably extremely dangerous Warlock Malaric Ashbourne and I'm not sure what he is yet but Mr Thompson & his dog Brimstone are giving me supernatural vibes, could Mr Thompson's dog be a he'll hound?
I immediately loved Ren, Bellamy, and Winter. The quirky friendship between Winter & Ren and how when they want to talk privately when Bellamy is about, they use 'female issues' to embarrass him into stopping asking them questions. I can't help wondering what or who came between the great friendship Ren and Winter have in 2023, could it have been Atlas? Or some supernatural Unrest maybe? I could go on forever about Ren & Bellamy, I hope things end well for them both, even if they don't end up together!
I'm intrigued by Maddox. Could he end up having feelings, friendship, or love for Ren, or will he just want to control her. Another character i liked was Theron, I feel he may be more misunderstood as he is set in the old ways of the pack. He may turn out a good friend or source of information for Ren.
Finally, the one giving me the 'one to watch vibes', even more than Vampire leader Lazarus, is Ren's very own brother Gabriel! Theres just something i can't quite put my finger on but he seems to prefer 'doormat Ren' than Ren who wants to know whats going on. Gabriel is very dissmisdive towards his younger sister. I'm still unsure about the Dragon King and Queen, where their loyalties would lie. They seem very 'fae-like' in that they reveal only what they want to.
My immediate thoughts were 'why did it have to end there?!'
Then WOW! What a build up, what an ending or should I say beginning? Can't wait to read more!! Love, love, loved it!!
Summing up I really loved Fangs Of Fate. There is so much going on, and so many questions for the rest of the series just from this first book! Theres the secrecy around Ren's parents death, her mysterious 'birthmark', the fact she seems to have no wolf, the murdered children, the Bayou issues, the wolves at the Bayou, the cause of Matthias Rousseau's illness, the question of why Atlas murdered Ren along with all the other things going on in Ren's work life and personal life. I also think it's going to be interesting to find out who has been keeping secrets from Ren and why. With so many fantastic characters there are so many directions this series could take.
I'm definitely very eager to read more!!
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