Book Review: Seizing Fate

Reviewed by Melissa Suggitt

Fate is a cruel game, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Tracey Kyler’s Seizing Fate plunges readers into a post-apocalyptic world where shadows conceal both predators and protectors and where destiny binds people in a dangerous, breathtaking way.

Cora Whitley lives in the city of Amara, a fragile refuge rebuilt after the world fell apart decades earlier. By day, she runs the library, but by night, she walks home through streets filled with missing persons and whispered threats. Her life is already marked by betrayal and loss, and she shields herself with quiet routines, caution, and a belief that she has no one left to rely on.

That is, until the night three men corner her in an alley. Her would-be killers are no ordinary thugs; they’re Fallen Ones, creatures who thrive on destruction. Cora’s survival comes only because of Arik Stanton, a gargoyle warrior of the Order, who intervenes with lethal precision.

Arik has been watching Cora from the rooftops for weeks, charged with protecting humanity but helplessly drawn to her in ways that unsettle even him. For centuries he has fought against his father and brother, leaders among the Fallen, but none of those battles have prepared him for the pull of meeting his “One.” From the moment he touches Cora’s trembling hands and slips his jacket around her shoulders, the bond between them is undeniable, even as Arik insists he should keep his distance.

What follows is a tense dance of attraction and restraint. Cora is shaken but fascinated by this mysterious protector who seems to know more about her than he should. Arik, meanwhile, fights a losing battle against the instinct to be near her. Their moments together pulse with tenderness, whether it’s his quiet inspection of her injured wrist or the simple act of replacing her ruined dinner with a fresh pizza and a heartfelt note. These gestures of care make the action scenes sharper and the dangers further into the story, particularly involving his evil half-brother Aaron, more terrifying because readers understand exactly what is at stake if either of them is lost.

Cora is more than a damsel-in-distress figure. She’s thoughtful, resilient, and scarred in ways that make her wary of trusting again. Her voice carries both vulnerability and strength, and the reader feels every ounce of her hesitation when faced with Arik’s world. Arik is written as a perfect contradiction: brutal in battle yet vulnerable with Cora, and that balance makes their growing connection feel deeply human despite the mythological backdrop.

The mythology adds weight to the romance. Gargoyles here are not grotesque statues but graceful warriors created to protect humankind after the Fallen Ones were cast out. Their secrecy, their code of loyalty, and their eternal war give context to why Arik resists giving in to what he feels for Cora. Fate might be drawing them together, but choice—and the danger of making the wrong one—hangs over every interaction.

Kyler’s writing is smooth and immersive. The dialogue occasionally drifts into the dramatic, but it suits characters who are larger-than-life and carrying centuries of conflict. What impresses most is the balance between tender, intimate moments and explosive action. A single smile from Arik can be as powerful as his blade.

I never thought I’d find myself invested in gargoyles. My only reference point was the stone caricatures from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and yet this novel made me buy into the mythology completely. By the midway point, I wasn’t just curious about worldbuilding, I was rooting for this couple with everything I had.

Seizing Fate is a novel that thrives on contrasts: ferocity and gentleness, secrecy and vulnerability, destiny and choice. It’s a story where love doesn’t soften the stakes but sharpens them, where every kiss is both a promise and a risk. Readers looking for a romance that is equal parts heart-stopping danger and tender devotion will find themselves caught in its spell.

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