In a frozen, hostile world, Elinros is on the run. After spending far too long in her beloved’s clutches—unaware of his true nature—she has now escaped into the arms of the unknown. But beyond Kastìel’s palace lies nothing but an endless forest, shaken by storms, buried in eternal snow, and teeming with monsters.
In that desolate land, Elinros wanders without memories, one step away from freezing to death and hunted by the man she thought she knew. That is, until an unexpected savior arrives, bringing truth, light, and warmth. Nattsòl is just like her: a survivor who escaped their beloved’s trap—and now she’s willing to do anything to get her revenge. But she needs Elinros’ help to stop him. Accompanied by Sliver, Nattsòl’s monster-dog, the two embark on a dangerous journey into the depths of the forest, where almost no light reaches and sinister things hide in the dark.
My thanks to the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Robin A. Costantin's Our Caged Fates is an atmospheric sapphic novella about escaping an abusive relationship and finding oneself again. This is reached through the age-old amnesia trope, and it's done in a way that feels fresh and effective. It's teeming with horrific imagery and near-eldritch beings, with female rage and some upsetting body-horror; but it's also a story about second chances and love.
The main character Elinros slowly relearns things about herself, slowly changing over the course of the book; her relationship to fellow survivor Nattsòl develops quickly, since this is a short novella, but it feels believable. Maybe a few more pages would have helped sell the romance more, but it's still a nice touch, and Nattsòl is very well-developed despite the lack of point of view narration.
The final third of the book is where the action and the most vivid worldbuilding really take place, making this novella pop out. The prose is also quite lyrical, something that's to be appreciated even more since English isn't the author's first language.
Our Caged Fates is a quiet gem.✨ 4 stars
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