ARC Review: Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop

Turns of Fate
Author: Anne Bishop
Series: An Isle of Wyrd Novel (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (November 11, 2025)

Description: A young detective investigating crimes of the uncanny will learn that bargains can change your fate—for good or ill—in this darkly enthralling fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Others and the Black Jewels series.

Words have power. Intentions matter.

Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment. They come to have their cards read to tell them a bit about their future. They come to walk through a beautiful park and to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. They come in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Arcana, the paranormal beings who rule the Isle of Wyrd.

But some people come to make a bargain with the Arcana—to change their fate. And some people come for dark purposes.

When Detective Beth Fahey is sent to Destiny Park to inquire about a “ghost gun,” she will begin a strange journey on which she must learn to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws and dangerous attractions. Her search will draw her into seemingly impossible cases and the secrets of her own past as tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river.

For the Isle of Wyrd is a place where the dead ride trains to their final destinations, predators literally become prey, and seekers’ true natures are revealed in the ripples of destiny unknowingly stirred in their wakes.

Who will live? Who will die? And who will be lost in between?

My Thoughts: Anne Bishop's new fantasy begins an engaging series. Detective Beth Fahey is sent to the Isle of Wyrd to make enquiries about a "ghost gun" which caused the man who used it to injure his former girlfriend, current girlfriend, and daughter to age over 70 years and die himself. 

Beth is a new detective on a squad that deals with the Isle of Wyrd and its non-human occupants. Her first trip is not her last because, for some reason not known to her, she excites the interest of the residents. 

Engaging with the residents of Wyrd is a complex and dangerous task. These members of the Arcana have a code the everyone must abide by. She needs to always remember that words have power and intentions matter. Humans who forget or disregard that often find themselves victims. 

This is the story about some of those people who have their fates changed by the Isle of Wyrd. A woman fleeing an abuser, a gang of teenage predators, a young man who is almost the gang's victim all have their fates determined by their words and their choices. So does a man obsessed with myths and legends who is determined to explore the island. 

Along the way, Beth learns more about herself and her past as she deals with the foster parent who looks at her as a sort of cash cow and who is willing to ruin Beth's reputation if it will advance the woman's goals. But Beth has powerful protectors who have been looking after her since she was a child and who are willing to change someone's fate if it will protect Beth. 

This was a compelling story. I literally couldn't put it down until the last page was read at 5:30 AM. I loved the way the story combined current life with the fantastic. I can't wait to read it again when it is released and listen to the audiobook too. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.