Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Girls of Fate and Fury

5 ⭐ CW: violence, blood, death, torture, self-harm, references to sexual abuse, references to trauma

Girls of Fate and Fury by Natasha Ngan is the final book in the Girls of Paper and Fire trilogy. I cannot stress enough how amazing this YA series is. Ngan tackles some really hard topics in a sensitive and informed way. This final book was equal parts heartbreaking and satisfying a great end for a great series. Spoilers for the first two books ahead.

We pick up with Wren after the events of the last book, as we see her deal with her grief over Lei being gone and the Sickness making it harder to sustain her magical Xia state. Wren finds herself being that which Lei had accused her, showing no mercy. She grapples with the expectations of her father, and the enormous weight of waging a war against the dominant power that is the Demon King. Meanwhile, Lei is dealing once again with being the prisoner of the Demon King by being forced to continue her role as Moonchosen. The king isn't as fearless as her would have his court believe, because he clearly fears Lei. Lei is also trying to find a way to not only escape, but to find a way to free the rest of the Paper Girls who have been forced to be serve Lei.

There is a lot of plot that happens in this book, but it doesn't move slow or get boring. There is so much character stuff that is happening. I loved getting to know Lova better and getting some nuance from her. I also appreciate the care and attention given to Nitta's disability. Honestly, Nitta is one of my favorite side characters (especially since Bo isn't around anymore 😭). She gets a wheelchair and is always has a positive attitude about it. She never complains or feels her life is over just because she's a wheelchair user.

I absolutely love that Ngan chose not to end the book on death and leave us wondering how things will change. The last section of the book is dedicated to healing, physically and emotionally. Though there was much to cry about in this book, it ended in a way that makes you feel hopeful. Ngan has done a superb job weaving in elements about sexual abuse, trauma recovery, and disability rep all encased in a unique Malaysian inspired fantasy. If you're looking for a YA series with a lot of heart, sapphic love, great characters, and revolution, this series is for you.

Content Warnings