I didn’t think this day would ever come, but all of a sudden it’s here! Five Dark Fates has been featured in so many lists of books I still had to read for about 4 years now. And when I wrote about it once again this week I decided to not wait any longer and start on the audiobook. 3 days later and I finally finished the book and with it the Three Dark Crowns series! Was it worth the wait? Let’s jump in!
After the grim confrontation with Queen Katharine, the rebellion lies in tatters. Jules’s legion curse has been unbound, and it is up to Arsinoe to find a cure, even as the responsibility of stopping the ravaging mist lies heavy on her shoulders, and her shoulders alone. Mirabella has disappeared.
Katharine’s reign remains intact—for now. When Mirabella arrives, seemingly under a banner of truce, Katharine begins to yearn for the closeness that Mirabella and Arsinoe share. But as the two circle each other, the dead queens hiss caution—Mirabella is not to be trusted.
In this conclusion to the Three Dark Crowns series, three sisters will rise to fight as the secrets of Fennbirn’s history are laid bare. Allegiances will shift. Bonds will be tested. But the fate of the island lies in the hands of its queens. It always has.
Five Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns, #4) by Kendare Blake
Published by HarperTeen on 03/09/2019
Pages: 452
Goodreads
It’s been almost 5 years since I read Two Dark Reigns so I was a bit confused when we jumped right into everything at the start of Five Dark Fates. I was convinced I started somewhere in the middle of the book when I listened to the first bit of the audiobook haha, I actually checked it multiple times. And maybe part of that was that I had read about 100 pages of this one when it was released. Nevertheless, while listening more and more details came back to me. I also really enjoyed Kendare Blake’s writing style, you are reminded of important things without it feeling like she’s just rehashing the story to get you up to speed.
Two Dark Reigns had some big twists and set us up for an epic finale. I wish I had read this right away because I think I would’ve appreciated it a bit more than I did now. This is a YA series and while it had a brutal premise, it is still a YA series and that did show. The book is about 450 pages long but I thought it moved really quickly. Things kept happening and happening super fast. Jules’ problem was solved quickly, Mirabella found out what she wanted to know pretty fast, Kat started trusting people around her in no time and all of sudden the big battle was there.
Also, like I said, the series had a brutal premise but there weren’t really any morally grey actions for our main characters. They all stayed pretty pure and that was a bit annoying. I didn’t mind where the characters all ended up but I would’ve liked to see them make some different choices. And some choices seemed not in line with their characters at all (looking at you Pietyr).
This all sound pretty negative but I will say I did enjoy the book. I didn’t love it, especially as I had high hopes for this one. Three Dark Crowns was so enjoyable and I really loved the series but I was a bit disappointed by this final book. We also didn’t really get answers for some of the questions and it seemed like certain plot lines were brushed aside. I had the feeling the author hadn’t fully thought out the series or was trying to backtrack some of her choices. And that is a shame because I think it could’ve been a great ending.
Overall I still really like the series and I’m happy I finally finished the series. I would still recommend it but I think this might also be a sign for me personally to start concentrating more on adult fantasy. Have you read this series? Did you enjoy the final book? Let me know in the comments!
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