Five Dark Fates

• Author: Kendare Blake
• Genre: YA Fantasy
• Publication Date: September 3, 2019
• Publisher: HarperTeen
• Series: Three Dark Crowns #4

TRIGGER WARNING: gore, blood, torture

Here are my reviews for the other books in the series: Three Dark Crowns, One Dark Throne, and Two Dark Reigns.

After the battle with Katharine, the rebellion lies in tatters.

Jules’s legion curse has been unbound, leaving her out of her mind and unfit to rule. Arsinoe must find a cure, even as the responsibility of stopping the ravaging mist rests heavily on her shoulders — and her shoulders alone, for Mirabella has disappeared.

Queen Katharine’s rule over Fennbirn remains intact — for now. But her attack on the rebellion exacted a high price: her beloved Pietyr. Without him, who can she rely on when Mirabella arrives, seemingly under a banner of truce? As oldest and youngest circle each other, and Katharine begins to yearn for the closeness that Mirabella and Arsinoe share, 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, and some broken forever.

The fate of the island lies in the hands of its queens.

I will always love the world building in this series. I was intrigued by the concept of the triplet queens who are raised together, then separated and forced to fight to the death for the crown, which is unique. The way the island is portrayed as a living, breathing entity fascinated me. I also liked the way the mist was given it’s own kind of personality — choosing when it appears and who it harms. I was getting ready for bed just after finishing this book and had the window open when I realized there was a thick fog warning, and I was too afraid to leave the window open. 

“I thought I was safe. But no one is.”

The pacing was kind of slow for the majority of the book. I felt like there was a lot of building up to the action, which was somewhat disappointing, since the previous book seemed like a lot of a build up as well. I guess I was expecting there to be a lot more action in this book, but instead there was a lot of maneuvering going on. 

The plot twists were good, and definitely surprised me. I was disappointed that my favorite characters had the endings that they did, but I think the ending of the book turned out well. I liked how things wrapped up, although after reading this, I definitely identified with this quote:

“I’m not the same. And by the time this is over, none of use ever will be again.”

People who have sat around with me while I’m reading, especially when there’s a surprising reveal, a shocking plot twist, or an unexpected event often look up in alarm when I gasp audibly. The gasp factor is directly related to the number of times I audibly gasp during a reading, and there isn’t an upper limit.

Gasp Factor: 14