TURNS OF FATE is the latest by Anne Bishop, starting a new series called Isle of Wyrd.  I absolutely ADORE Bishop's The Others series, a fantastical paranormal series with shifters, vampires, and the very dangerous Elementals alongside the humans.  However, Bishop’s Black Jewels series is not my cup of tea at all; the stories are too dark, and the characters are typically selfish jerks.  So with any new series that I begin by Bishop, I always start with a bit of trepidation.  I think this Isle of Wyrd series will end up somewhere in between on the continuum for me- enjoyable but not a favorite. 

Similar to Bishop's The Others world, "the Arcana" are paranormal beings living alongside the humans and tolerating human society as long as the mortals behave.  The humans must make an effort to get along with the Arcana and to mind their Ps and Qs so they don’t end up as victims of their own human avarice or selfishness.  There are places where the two cultures can intersect and interact, including a particular island where the humans can spend a few days visiting and experiencing “a little strange.”

The Arcana have a strong sense of justice and lean into bargains and fate along with what is “right.”  I enjoy that again, the humans are the tricky ones who can’t be trusted in this world of the Wyrd.  There is a large cast of characters, with many points of view told.  I found the number of POV to be distracting, with too many storylines and too many varied viewpoints for comfort.  We have duplicitous and greedy humans, helpful police, and plenty of creepy magical powers that leave the reader’s skin crawling just a bit. 

For those who enjoy a mix of dark mystery, magic, and a sense of uncomfortable Otherness, Bishop’s TURNS OF FATE provides a complex tale of what happens when humans butt up against other worlds where they are not the apex predators.  This overly complex story provides a deliciously creepy entry into the Isle of Wyrd, where danger lurks around every corner.