Title: Fate
Author: Skye Zondler
Publication Date: September 22, 2026
Genres: Epic Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Trans Woman
Entirely satisfying as an epic fantasy, Fate is also beautifully rewarding as a journey of one's own identity and purpose. It hits all the right genre beats - chosen one protagonist, warring mythologies, magic, combat, and political intrigue - within a story that's almost perfectly paced. I got sucked into Skye Zondler's world right from the opening scene and breezed through this in the space of two long vacation drives.
Skion is a young farmer who has never felt like he fits in, who clearly has secrets, but that's not what defines him. Instead, it's his loyalty to friends and family which, along with his sense of justice, leads him into an impromptu career as a mercenary after what's left of his village is saved by the Band of Spears. Before that can happen, however, he's chosen by the goddess of the moon, who imbues him with a strange power that he must learn to control if he's to fulfil his fate.
Along the way, he must also learn to fit in with the mercenaries, who have much more to do than simply teach him to fight. They're a diverse group, comprised of people from across the land, each of whom was brought into the Spears by one tragedy or another. Neither trust nor friendship is earned freely, and as for romance... well, for an anxious young virgin still discovering herself, that's a whole other story.
And that brings us to Skion coming to terms with her identity as a trans woman, a process that unfolds slowly and subtly throughout the story. Unlike other genre tales that put the gender element front-and-center, Zondler doesn't allow it to dominate the story. Skion isn[t chosen because she's transgender, and her gender doesn't define any aspect of her conflict. Instead, it's just a part of her character, something that plays into the friendships and romance, but no more so than her personality or sense of morality.
The story gets bigger and deeper as it goes, with some fantastic surprises, twists, and betrayals - none of which are unique to the genre, but Zondler does a stellar job of weaving them into the story without telegraphing developments or making them feel like cheats. The epic battle that concludes Fate is entirely worthy of the story behind it, and what it does with the mythology is perfect. Well worth the read!
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ 1/2
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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