Book Review: Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop

Mogsy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of Isle of Wyrd

Publisher: Ace (November 11, 2025)

Length: 528 pages

Author Information: Website

As a big fan of Anne Bishop’s The Others series, anytime I see her return to the paranormal and urban fantasy genre, I’m immediately on board. And as it so happens, even though Turns of Fate introduces a brand-new world with brand-new characters, it carries that same uncanny atmospheric vibe that made The Others so memorable, and in many ways feels like a spiritual successor.

The story follows multiple perspectives, but the linchpin character holding it all together is Detective Beth Fahey, the newest member of Precinct 13’s investigative squad. Her department is in charge of liaising with the otherworldly residents of the Isle of Wyrd, a mysterious hidden realm that humans can only reach by taking a ferry to a controlled zone called Destiny Park. Beyond that is the Arcana, a place where the rules of our reality don’t always apply, and visitors enter at their own risk. Here, the laws of the Isle reign supreme, and breaking them can have dire consequences.

Still, Beth’s first assignment seemed straightforward enough, at least initially. Clues to a horrific murder-suicide case leads her to the Isle of Wyrd to inquire about a “ghost gun,” but of course, nothing about this place is ever simple. Her investigation ends up serving as a doorway to a strange chain of events that weave together the lives of several strangers, from a desperate woman seeking refuge from her abusive boyfriend to a teenager caught up in a dangerous game.

What struck me most about Turns of Fate was how character-driven it is despite its broad scope and multiple POVs. Sure, there are times when Beth feels like one side character of many, but even as the plot bends this way and that, it’s the people who anchor us to the bigger journey. The supporting cast is huge, but each character has a memorable role to play, especially as they showcase the different parts of the Arcana and the interactions that regular humans have with their inhabitants.

However, my favorite aspect of the book was the world-building, which is Bishop’s forte, after all. Much like in The Others, the world of Turns of Fate is one where humans coexist uneasily with beings far more ancient and powerful than they are, yet some are still foolish enough to test their limits. The Isle of Wyrd maintains its own boundaries and codes with a focus on bargains and contracts but is still willing to help visitors who come in good faith, opening Destiny Park to curious tourists who want to sightsee or to have their fortunes told. That said, Isle residents are extremely unforgiving when it comes to people trying to take advantage of their hospitality, and when you end up on the wrong side of their justice, no one can save you.

The world itself also feels oddly alive with its own unique logic. Time behaves differently, for example, and the Isle is also much larger than it appears, with trains that run forever and portals that lead to elsewhere. One gets the sense that, even if you had a lifetime, there would be no way to uncover all its secrets. And that’s exactly why the pacing works, with each chapter revealing just enough to keep your interest piqued, even when links between different characters may feel tenuous, or when some of the POV switches feel more like short vignettes. The narrative never feels unfocused, thanks to the overarching influence of the Isle of Wyrd which grounds the different storylines and ties them all together.

In conclusion, Turns of Fate is an excellent start to a new series, filled with the kind of richly imagined world-building that made me fall in love with Anne Bishop’s writing all over again. While the novel may share some themes with her previous work, it still feels fresh with touches that are comfortably familiar. Easily one of my favorite reads of the year, and I can’t wait to return to the Isle of Wyrd, so here’s hoping this marks the beginning of a long, exciting series.