One thousand years into human rule, Xolia is a teenage leader in the rebellion to free variants, a group of people that can control elements and have unnaturally quick healing abilities from forced military service.

Seven years later, Xolia is a little older and a little haunted by the ghosts of her past. The freedom and utopia she dreamt of remain frustratingly out of reach, and the country she calls home still has deep prejudices despite the war.

Once she’s lost sight of her purpose, she is offered a life-changing job, and an old flame from her past re-enters her life, promising a tantalizing future. Torn between the simplicity of a quiet life and the allure of new possibilities, Xolia has to question what she truly wants.

As she sinks into a world where alliances and talk are cheap, and everyone has their own agendas, Xolia must contend with the consequences of her choices and who she is destined to become in the face of a country that refuses to relinquish its grip on the past.

This Cruel Fate is a dark urban fantasy perfect for fans of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Dune, and the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy.