Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake
Rating – 4.6 out of 5
All Three Queens, Arsinoe, Mirabella, and Katherine are back on the Island of Fennbirn and the year of ascension almost up. Tensions rise as the rebel army comes to terms with their legion queen, Jules, and the destruction she brings. The dead queens are rising and demanding more from those who carry them. While Katherine has taken the crown, the island is not happy with the balance and demands the ascension to be complete. The question is though – who will win the crown and who will be vanquished in the process?
Favorite Quote
“The island is home, you know, Jules? I don’t want to lose that.” ― Kendare Blake, Five Dark Fates
Why I liked Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake
I am constantly surprised by Blake’s ability to weave together utter brutality with the humanity of the people involved. Some of the images in this novel are the most brutal yet and made even me cringe.
While 20th Century Fox has bought the rights to the series, I will be curious to see if it ever makes it to the screen due to some of the visuals that showed up in the books. I mean, how much blood is used in just the low magic in this book? Buckets! And those are not even when someone dies!!
If anything, I would like to know more about Fennbirn and the background of the magic and powers in the story. Especially with the dead queens and how they are able to have such a stronghold even long after their death. While this story is amazing, there is much more that I want to know.
With the advent of this book: SPOOKY SEASON IS UPON US!! I will miss my yearly dose of spooky season from Blake in the next few years, but something tells me she has more up her sleeve for us in the near future.
Spoilers Begin Here
In typical Kate fashion, I read the last 100 pages in one sitting, gripping the book in utter terror of how this will all end (I’m a dramatic being at heart). It went quickly at the end after 4 books of cat and mouse between the sisters, to Arsinoe being the last one standing. I appreciate the poetic justice of an ending where one queen stands but she still does not get to lead the island. Living without and being a part of the death of her sisters is hard and that is the one thing I think a screen adaption would show well.
I am sad that Billy left as well, I hope that he does accept the ambassadorship and he and Arsinoe are together at long last.
I do wish we had gotten to know [insert her name here] better. Her love for Jules was obvious, but I always felt as though she held every other character at arm’s length. Maybe a book about her and Jules ruling Fenbirn would be good??
Either way, these novels are some of the most brilliantly brutal I’ve ever read for YA lit, and Kendare Blake has my full attention for all things spooky in the future.
This is the fourth and final book in this quad, so if you need to catch up read my reviews of Three Dark Crowns, One Dark Throne and Two Dark Reigns all by Kendare Blake!
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