In What Lurks Between the Fates, the third installment of Harper L. Woods’ dark fantasy romance series Of Flesh & Bone, we are led straight into the black heart of Faerie—a place where love is a weapon, truth is illusion, and survival often demands the ultimate betrayal. Picking up immediately after What Hunts Inside the Shadows, this novel narrows the lens on Estrella’s journey, now a prisoner in the court of Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness.
While What Lies Beyond the Veil and What Hunts Inside the Shadows laid the emotional and political groundwork of the saga, What Lurks Between the Fates shifts into intimate horror—a slow-burn unmasking of not only Estrella’s powers and origins, but her capacity for cruelty, sacrifice, and transformation. This book is, at its core, about the monster within—the one born of love, shaped by oppression, and unleashed by necessity.
Revisiting the Series So Far
Before diving into the current volume, it’s essential to appreciate how far this series has come:
- What Lies Beyond the Veil (2022): Introduced Estrella Barlowe and Caldris, a mortal girl and the God of the Dead, in a realm divided by veils, gods, and fate.
- What Hunts Inside the Shadows (2022): Explored the evolution of Estrella and Caldris’ romance amidst deepening court politics and truths wrapped in prophecy and blood.
- What Lurks Between the Fates (2023): Exposes the psychological horrors of powerlessness under Mab, pushing Estrella to choose between vengeance, sacrifice, and survival.
- What Sleeps Within the Cove (2025): Upcoming and anticipated to break the narrative wide open into revolution and retribution.
- What Roams Beneath the Stars: Final volume, still unreleased but heavily foreshadowed in this installment.
Each book builds upon the last, and this third entry provides a dark turning point that both raises the stakes and forces the heroine—and the reader—to question everything they thought they knew.
Plot Overview: Caged Yet Unconquered
The story begins with Estrella waking up caged above Queen Mab’s throne. But unlike traditional imprisonment arcs, this is not just about bars and shackles—it’s about domination of the mind. Estrella’s powers are suppressed, her memories hazy, and her body broken by iron and magic. Yet, what Mab cannot destroy is Estrella’s growing refusal to be defined by others’ agendas—be it fate, prophecy, or love.
The narrative thrives in this psychological tension. Estrella is paraded as a mystery, dissected, manipulated, and reshaped. Caldris, meanwhile, suffers alongside her in silence and blood. Together, their bond becomes less about romantic bliss and more about enduring the unbearable. Their connection—intense, sacred, aching—is tested like never before.
Though confined for much of the novel, the plot remains rich with movement: power plays, political rivalries, traumatic revelations, and dark bargains fuel the story forward. Mab’s reign of terror is not passive; it is participatory, and every character—especially Estrella—is forced to play the game to survive.
Estrella: Heroine Turned Antihero?
Estrella’s arc is nothing short of radical. The girl who once fled her village now faces her captors not with fear, but with calculated defiance. In this novel, we witness her shift from reactive victim to active player—a transformation both terrifying and admirable.
Her internal monologue is raw, and Woods allows her the space to be furious, resentful, manipulative, and even cruel. Yet, she remains sympathetic because her actions stem from desperation, not malice. When she chooses to fight Mab using her own tools—deceit, seduction, violence—we understand. Because in Alfheimr, compassion is a liability.
By the final chapters, Estrella emerges not as a savior, but as something far more interesting: a woman who will burn the world to free the one she loves, even if she scorches herself in the process.
Caldris: The Cost of Immortality
Caldris, the death god, has always carried pain like a second skin. But here, he becomes a study in endurance. Chained by his blood oath to Mab, unable to protect Estrella, he is forced into submission in ways that will haunt readers long after the final page.
Yet it is in his silence, his small acts of defiance, his tether to Estrella, that his strength truly shines. Woods doesn’t make him the dominant protector archetype—instead, she lets him suffer, bleed, and even falter. It’s rare to see a male lead so emotionally stripped, and it makes his unwavering love feel not only authentic, but mythic.
Mab: Villainy Rewritten
Queen Mab is a standout character. She is not the usual villain—she’s a sovereign forged in darkness, consumed by power, and terrifying in her poise. She doesn’t scream or lash out—she whispers, manipulates, poisons, and molds.
Her obsession with Estrella is disturbingly maternal, a twisted echo of love warped into possession. And her use of the cursed gem to drain magic from fae children is one of the most chilling plotlines in the series. Her presence haunts every page, and her brand of tyranny serves as both metaphor and warning.
Themes: Identity, Autonomy, and Weaponized Love
At its deepest level, What Lurks Between the Fates explores themes that resonate beyond the fantasy genre:
- Who are we, if stripped of all freedom?
- Can love survive when it is constantly used as leverage?
- What happens when we become what we were once afraid of?
Estrella’s journey is not about discovering her destiny—it’s about rejecting it. About deciding that no prophecy, no crown, no bloodline defines her. That power is not inherited, it is seized. That survival sometimes means becoming the very thing others fear.
Caldris’s love is not unconditional—it is sacrificial. And together, they show how love can be brutal, broken, and yet still unbreakable.
Writing Style: Elegance Meets Brutality
Harper L. Woods blends lush prose with moments of stark horror. Her writing has always balanced lyricism with grit, and in this novel, that balance leans darker. Dialogue drips with double meanings. Descriptions are rich and evocative, whether it’s the velvet darkness of Mab’s halls or the searing pain of iron cuffs.
Key stylistic strengths:
- Repetition for emotional emphasis (“Even if I have to become the villain to do it.”)
- Immersive internal narration
- Poetic pacing that slows down key emotional moments
The result is a reading experience that feels both intimate and mythic—a fairy tale stripped of its illusions.
Highlights and Standout Moments
- Estrella defying Mab’s court publicly—a turning point that blends court drama and psychological warfare.
- Caldris’s punishment scenes—visceral and emotionally charged, revealing the limits of both his power and his love.
- The cursed gem’s history—offering chilling insight into Mab’s descent into monstrosity.
- Imelda’s growing role—adding a layer of intrigue and hinting at shifting alliances in the next book.
- The reveal about Estrella’s lineage—subtle, shocking, and perfectly timed.
Criticism: Slow Momentum and Limited Setting
While the emotional depth is undeniable, “What Lurks Between the Fates” occasionally suffers from a sense of repetition in both setting and pacing. Spending most of the novel within Mab’s court can create a feeling of stagnation, especially for readers craving broader world exploration or action-driven arcs.
Additionally, the climax, while emotionally satisfying, doesn’t offer as many concrete answers as the buildup suggests. Some reveals are delayed for future installments, which may frustrate readers eager for closure.
Overall:
What Lurks Between the Fates is a bold, introspective, and emotionally devastating entry in the Of Flesh & Bone series. It may not cater to readers seeking adventure or romance in its traditional form—but for those who crave character-driven conflict, psychological intensity, and mythic transformation, this book delivers in spades.
Woods’ commitment to crafting flawed, furious, and fascinating characters remains unmatched in the genre. Estrella’s evolution, Caldris’s heartbreak, and Mab’s tyranny combine into a gothic tale of love turned weapon, power turned curse, and destiny rewritten by force.
Final Thoughts and Looking Ahead
As we approach What Sleeps Within the Cove (2025), expectations are sky-high. The board is set, the players are marked, and Estrella is no longer anyone’s pawn. She’s ready to be the storm.
This series stands shoulder to shoulder with other genre titans like A Court of Thorns and Roses, The Bridge Kingdom, and The Shadows Between Us, offering a uniquely brutal yet beautiful take on fae lore and mortal defiance.
Harper L. Woods has carved out her own space in fantasy romance—one where love doesn’t save you. It challenges you. Changes you. And sometimes, destroys you so you can be reborn.