So I will start out by saying, if you haven’t read the first three novels in the Three Dark Crowns series, you should probably choose a different article to read (but definitely come back to this one once you have). Unless of course you don’t mind getting a brief overview of the plot of the last 1300ish pages of narrative that doesn’t give away the fine intricacies of the novels. Even then, you should still read the previous novels…
So Five Dark Fates is the fourth and final primary novel in the Three Dark Crowns series and it was AMAZING. Basic rundown for those who have forgotten parts? Three sibling queens are destined to battle it out for a single crown in order to rule and keep Fennbirn (the island they live on) happy. Things happens, someone should be dead, but instead she is inhabited by the souls of all the queens who lived before her. The other two refuse to die/kill their siblings and so the island gets angry. There’s also naturalist Jules who also has a war affinity and should have been drowned/killed at birth because in previous experiences, the legion cursed go crazy and mass murder everyone around them. And at the start of Five Dark Fates, everyone is out to settle the score once and for all. Now, what did I think?
At the start of the novel, it was a little ho hum. No one seemed to be doing much and everyone was feeling a little antsy because, well, everyone wants everyone else dead… But crossing the half way point, things started happening so quickly that this reader had to go back and reread certain parts of the previous few chapters in order to gain a better understanding of where everyone was. Now, if you have read previous novels, all the Crowns books are like shortened versions of Game of Thrones whereby everyone moves around the tiny land expanse so quickly that sometimes you can miss things. But that’s what maps are for and when reading this one, I actually pulled out my well worn copy of Three Dark Crowns so as to track everyone’s movements. Also, the map changes between the first and second novels and I’m all for it because cartography is kind of my jam.
But enough about the maps. Going into this final instalment, both myself and many people who I have not so gracefully thrown these novels at, were worried as to how it would be concluded. Let me assure you, Blake has outdone herself with tying up all the loose ends in this one. Pretty much every character has a fitting ending, from the most beloved queen to that priestess that barely has a part. As a warning though, the final victor was not who you would expect. Nor do they take the throne in a manner which is conducive to the normal rules of succession.
Being the series that it is, and having a minimal amount of fighting/death (poisoning ‘traitors’ aside), the sheer volume of conflict and gore in this conclusion is guaranteed to take you aback just a little. However, the scenes are so well coordinated that the fighting and murder do not feel over the top or out of place, instead feeling like a logical culmination to the conflict of the Fennbirn Queens. Also, if you are expecting nice deaths like Katherine poisoning people and them semi-peacefully meeting their end, you may need to change your expectations a little because that is not how this one goes. As a sidenote, I really loved that the island itself set out to take its revenge because there is nothing better than a chunk of land gaining sentience and inflicting its own punishment on those that have wronged it.
Also, there is a massive revelation contained within the pages of FDF that was hinted to in Two Dark Reigns but it really blew the expected out of the water. To elicit an audible gasp from me is a hard task, but throughout the span of 450 pages, Blake shows her writing chops as she caused me to be surprised more than once. The final twists in the story are both surprising and heartwarming, guaranteed to satisfy even the most discerning audience.
So I guess what I want to say is well done to Kendare Blake for bringing this epic series of novels to a close that was not only entertaining but also follows a sensical progression. This is a rare occurrence in the current climate of fantastical novels frequently utilising a deus ex machina for their final resolution. Characters who seemed to go by the wayside finally had a purpose, all the plotting and scheming culminated in an epic fashion and it was an all round enjoyable read. My one main criticism of the whole thing was what happened with a certain newborn because they seemed to just disappear and now I’m confused as to their purpose…
Five Dark Fates is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of September 3rd.
Will you be picking up Five Dark Fates? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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 heavy on her shoulders, and her shoulders alone. 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 upon 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 dark 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.
Whose dark fates were in the title? Katherine, Mirabella, Arsinoe, Jules and Rho? I’m confused.
What foreshadowing in Book Two are you referencing? I kept reading through your summary with hopes you’d elaborate. Note: just finished the final book. No worries on spoiling for me.