As Born To Rule the Storm is an excellent fantasy novel, written by Cate Baumer, and that we read as part of the SFINCS2 semifinals. A beautifully written story that smartly plays with possibilities and timelines, creating a tale of war, love and time travel with excellently drawn characters.

Cadet Charlotte Amsel is part of an elite group of experimental soldiers of one of the two powers that are currently in a cold war state; she can move through time and visualize possible futures, but at a cost of her own lifespan. In her jumps, she tries to prevent the war from escalating into a full-blown destruction situation, but both sides are equally prone to aggression, so she focuses instead on getting the time loop in which her best friend is still safe; but in each loop, there are more elements outside of her control, and with her own life running out, she might not be able to save anyone.

Despite being a relatively short proposal, Baumer manages to capture the intensity of Lottie's struggles, how she's doing her best to understand which future is the correct, but how she's also failing, losing her own life in the process. She's fighting to get a better future while trading in exchange her own future; and with more loops, the more she understands that the escalation is probably inevitable, so focusing on saving her best friend (who becomes a lover in some timelines) becomes the logical decision. However, each loop reveals more variables, leading her towards paths she wouldn't guess at the start.

Baumer's prose is another of the highlights of this novella. Not only is gorgeously written, but perfectly portrays the desperate quest of our main character, while also leaving many remarkable sentences. 
While the worldbuilding is a bit limited by the length, there are some interesting touches here and there, such as the two big powers in a cold war state, the experiments to get an advantage over the enemy; much that could be drawn as a parallel to the own Cold War.

In a few pages, As Born to Rule the Storm is an intense and captivating novella, impactful and heart-wrenching at moments. A remarkable title that I totally recommend if you enjoy well-woven stories around time loops.

Disclaimer: This review represents my personal opinion. Score and review from the whole team might vary.