Fate takes its last breath this October.
By Sarah Azman
It’s almost here! Rowan Wolf’s eagerly anticipated debut, Hanged by Fate, releases on October 21st, 2025.
Hanged by Fate is as dark and immersive as spiced wine. Kirkus called it, “An ambitiously vast but tightly wound tale of destiny.” Another reviewer said, “I can see myself counting down to release day for the sequel.”
So settle into your favorite overstuffed chair, grab a cuppa, and get ready to lose yourself in Wolf’s darkly charged world of political tension and shattered family ties.
About the Book
Hanged by Fate is the first installment of the five-book Canen Dera series, an epic fantasy saga that stretches the concept of fate to its breaking point.
The book takes us to the year 2177, where it is foretold that a group of four siblings will be responsible for the destruction of the world as they know it. The family is ripped apart when the siblings are captured by zealots who fear fulfillment of the Canen Dera prophecy.
Raised in captivity, the siblings internalize the fear and superstition about their fate that is swirling around them. But Ariaas, their snarky grandfather and caretaker, won’t believe it. That is, until he discovers 400-year-old documents about the prophecy that begin to ring true.
Ariaas embarks on a quest to reunite his grandchildren, but in a world where political tensions are rising and an individual’s worth is determined by their bloodline, he is met with resistance at every turn.
Is the Canen Dera prophecy real, or a lie used to manipulate the people by those in power? Is the family’s attempt to escape fate an act of futility, or is there hope for overcoming the prophecy of doom?
Why We Love This Book
This book fills our epic fantasy cup with a dark blend of our favorite themes: a quest, a love story, political tension, betrayal, and, of course, magic. There’s fate and free will, power and corruption, legacy and lineage, and the power of the unseen.
As we sink deeper into the world of Monera, bold notes of dystopia become evident. People are marked by the societal value of their bloodline and related powers. A dystopian loss of individuality results and sparks rebellion.
Here’s what one reader had to say about the plot:
“My favorite part of Hanged by Fate is the intersection of the seemingly disparate stories at the end. That's my favorite kind of read--where the characters in initially siloed plots are meant to find each other. The resulting unified story is deeply rewarding.”
An immersive, robust plot blending all that is good about fantasy and dystopian fiction? Parallel plots that dovetail beautifully into a “deeply rewarding” ending? As satisfying as a warm cup on a crisp day. And that’s what makes Hanged by Fate the perfect fall read.
About the Author
Before becoming an author and small business owner, Rowan Wolf studied design at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP). She then moved to California to pursue her creative dreams. The creative arts run in her blood. Her great-great-uncle Eli Hurley’s famous painting, The Midnight Mass, holds a place of honor in the Cincinnati Museum of Art.
Wolf is a born storyteller, with a deep understanding of human nature masterfully balanced with a playful, mischievous spark that beckons to a reader’s spirit. Out of this amazing storytelling ability spills Hanged by Fate’s epic cast of characters, who inhabit a world that feels discovered rather than created.
How to Get Your Copy
Hanged by Fate releases on October 21st, 2025. It will be available right here in the Alex Parker Bookshop or wherever books are sold. Hanged by Fate: Canen Dera Book 1 – Alex Parker Publishing
Live in the Orange County, CA area? Meet Rowan Wolf on October 25, 2025 starting at 1:00 p.m. for a book signing at Barnes & Noble, 2857 Park Ave., Tustin, CA 92782.