Anne Bishop is a writer whose novels have “always been there” for me, I recognize her longevity and fanbase, but I never dipped into any of her worlds and works. That changed with Turns of Fate the first installment of an urban fantasy series she’s calling Isle of Wyrd. A young detective (Beth Fahey) of the Penwych Police finds herself one of the few of the force who can communicate with the Fae who live on the enchanted Arcana, who inhabit the Isle of Wyrd across the banks of the Fate river. She must remember that Words have power. Intension matters.
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.
I tell them that I belong, and they believe me 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.
One her first day, Beth loses the flip of a coin and must cross the river to get to Destiny Park to investigate a weapon used in a recent murder. Her captain, Forrester, was not happy that this coin-toss was made without his knowledge, he wouldn’t have allowed a new detective to take as her first assignment such a potentially dangerous and strange task. She’s surprised at the lack of difficulty she had ingratiating herself to the Arcana, particularly Lucas Frost who serves as the magical go-between for humans who wish to visit Arcana. Some of these visitors want to tour the Destiny Park, the destination for humans wishing to experience the island for its magical glory, some enter the confines of the island to strike a bargain in the hopes of escaping a dark thing, while other people “illegally” and without making a proper bargain make landfall on the island.
Upon Beth’s return, her captain and fellow officers are equally surprised by what she’s able to share about the weapon used in the crime. Shortly after meeting Beth, we are introduced to a popular author named Rebecca who is in an abusive relationship. She seeks sanctuary on Arcana and assistance at perhaps starting a new life free from her abusive relationship. For every bit of assistance, there is a price and as I noted, words and intentions very much matter. Also, early on, four boys who went that no so “legal” route to experience the island go missing, one of whom is Forrester’s son, Colin. There’s another story thread about a rich, arrogant fop who finds himself turned into a fish as a form of punishment. In other words, Bishop throws a lot of different, seemingly unrelated elements at the reader all of which shine a different light on the Arcana. Some of that light shows how dangerous these magical peoples can be with their “rules and regulations” while other light shows how humans on the Penwych side of the river disdain and hate the Arcana.
Beth is the clear protagonist, she is the one going on a journey of discovery through the pages of this novel. If found myself liking her a great deal, curious about her past which she didn’t even fully know. She connects, at one point or another, with each of the other threads woven throughout the narrative and the way Bishop pulls it off makes for a really enjoyable, fun story. There’s a clear ending to the novel, but it is also very, very clear that Turns of Fate is intended to be the launch of a series – and as a series opener, it was very effective. In other words, I’m looking forward to what Anne Bishop has in store for Beth and this world.
My only minor complaint? Issue?… I felt like some “bridging” scenes were cut from the novel and/or absent altogether. Characters referred to couple of events that felt like they maybe occurred in a previous chapter, but weren’t depicted as happening “on the page.”
Turns of Fate is a brisk, fast-paced novel with elements of a procedural novel and fantastical elements. The easy comparisons would be Seanan McGuire’s October Daye (who was herself turned into a fish early in that series) and Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files. As a fan of both of those series, I was very happy with this book and my introduction to Anne Bishop’s writing. (25+ years and 25+ books into her writing career, no less!)
© 2025 Rob H. Bedford
Recommended
Ace Books | Hardcover
November 2025 | 528 Pages
https://annebishop.com/
Excerpt: https://annebishop.com/b.turns.fate.exc.html
Review copy courtesy of the publisher
