FALLEN DESTINY

A half-demon private investigator takes on her strangest case yet in Sfetsos’ fast-paced, witty, and darkly charming urban fantasy.

Destiny Sagar, a “Private Investigator of the Weird Kind,” is accustomed to tracking cursed artifacts, shapeshifters who’ve gone missing, and the occasional hexed heirloom. But when a mysterious caller says, “I need you to find me an angel,” her professional detachment falters. That request sets off a chain of encounters that test both her control over her demonic powers and her faith in the human world she’s tried to make her home. The story unfolds in a well-rendered mix of noir grit and occult mystery. Sfetsos’ world is full of witches, selkies, and other beings hiding behind magical glamours. Early scenes establish Destiny’s duality—her horns, tail, and cloven hooves concealed by jeans and sarcasm—as she battles both inner rage and outer danger. A nun named Sister Trinity appears, and her calm conceals a darker truth; Destiny’s immediate reaction—“A nun didn’t shed ash for no reason”—signals that nothing in this world is as it seems. The uneasy partnership between the half-demon and the possibly fallen holy woman drives the bulk of the story, which thrives on tension between faith and corruption, morality and instinct. Sfetsos keeps readers off-balance with flickers of religious horror, sharp banter, and moments of genuine pathos as Destiny wonders whether she can still claim a soul. The supporting cast is well-drawn: Zenda, Destiny’s mentor and surrogate mother, grounds the narrative with warmth and wit, while Kenan, her erudite partner, provides a gentler counterpoint. The author uses their dynamic to add a romantic undercurrent that never overwhelms the plot but gives it emotional heft. As the novel moves toward its conclusion, Destiny confronts her origins and the blurred line between heaven and hell. The story’s spiritual undercurrents bloom in its haunting final act, where an angel’s quiet greeting—“It’s nice to finally meet you, Horned Lady”—becomes an unexpected exchange of grace. “The way to Hell is paved with souls,” Destiny reflects, closing a tale that merges noir fatalism with hope.

A lively and atmospheric occult mystery with a main character who’s as hellish as she is human.