A FATE SO COLD, by Amanda Foody and C. L. Herman, Tor Teen, Nov. 4, 2025, Hardcover, $22.99 (young adult)
Two magicians — one summer, one winter — must work together to save their land in A Fate So Cold, by Amanda Foody and C. L. Herman.
For most of the year, Summer reigns peacefully over Alderland. Then, for six brutal weeks, Winter rages, obliterating towns and wreaking casualties. Magicians bond with powerful wands of Summer to defend the nation, a duty that costs many their lives.
Domenic Barrow never wanted such responsibility―but destiny hasn’t granted him a choice. The greatest Summer wand has awakened for the first time in a century, warning that an icy cataclysm looms on the horizon. And despite his reputation as the least suited of his classmates, the wand Chooses Domenic to wield it.
Ellery Caldwell spent years striving to be a perfect Summer magician―and burying her fears of her own power. But her worst suspicions are proven true when she accidentally creates the first ever Winter wand.
Now, as the unprecedented Chosen Two, Domenic and Ellery must thwart the oncoming cataclysm together. And in trying to fulfill their destinies, they wonder if they were brought together for a second fate: to fall in love.
Until they discover the unthinkable truth. The Chosen Two aren’t fated allies, but eternal rivals, and the only way to save their home is for one of them to slay the other.
This is no love story. It’s a tragedy. —Synopsis provided by Tor Teen
A Fate So Cold is the first book in a YA romantasy duology by Amanda Foody and C. L. Herman.
The story unfolds from the alternating viewpoints of Domenic and Ellery. Both have traumatic pasts. Both are destined for greatness. Domenic is known around school as play boy whose claim to fame was surviving a wand gone rogue. Ellery is the perfect girl whose claim to fame is surviving a terrifying attack as a child.
The two come across, initially, exactly as presented. Over the course of the book, however, their innermost fears and desires are explored. The two are likeable enough, though not terribly dynamic. It’s when they’re together that they become more interesting.
The magic system in A Fate So Cold is based on seasons — summer and winter. The two are always at war with each other, with magicians fighting to hold winter at bay. The magical system is fairly straightforward on a macro level, but it gets a little confusing on a micro one. I can only imagine that the second book will be better because readers will go into it with an understanding of how it works upfront.
The pacing and plotting of A Fate So Cold are not as strong as they could be, but not so bad that you want to stop reading. Overall, it’s an enjoyable read with a compelling hook.
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