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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ooooh, this book. I enjoyed it, but I would not say it was the strongest of the series. There were a LOT of inconsistencies both in story telling and character development, there were many side stories that were not satisfactorily wrapped up, and entire plot points just fell off the side of a cliff. Kinda like Mirabella does! Sorry for that spoiler, but all of these characters made dumb choices, and most of them didn't pay any kind of price for it. I know it probably sounds like I didn't enjoy it but I did. I just didn't have high expectations because after the 3rd book, I could tell it wasn't going to end well. I'm giving it 3 stars because I did enjoy it, but it objectively it probably deserves 2.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Admittedly, I put off reading this because one of the books in this series (I can't remember if it was the second or the third) was such filler that it wildly disappointed me. Thankfully Five Dark Fates didn't suffer the same problem, and I felt like it couldn't have ended in a more satisfying way.
It starts slow, so be prepared to read through the sisters' thoughts a lot. But once it picks up, it really picks up. And then it gets dark. Darker than I expected it to, to be honest, but that seems to be Kendare Blake's speciality - sprinkling in horror and darkness into an otherwise tame YA story.
One of my favorite things about the Three Dark Crowns series has always been Kendare Blake's writing style, and it suited the finale perfectly. It was important that we know how the characters are feeling in the moment, because it is truly a moment-by-moment story. Everything strings together like a very satisfying bead necklace. Likewise, Blake's ability to create nuanced characters serves the finale well. I felt the anger mixed with love and grief that permeated the book, and I felt it personally. It was impactful and well written and compelling all the way through.
Lastly, this book is for women. It is the experience of identifying as a woman in western society. Remembering fondly - and somewhat bitterly - the days of our childhoods when we didn't realize what would be expected of us when we grew up. The pressure to turn against our sisters to uphold the status quo set by people who believed different things and came long before us. The rage inside us all at how we're so easily forgotten and discarded and delegated - as Blake even refers to it in the book - "broodmares." The pain we feel every time one of us dies for something that wasn't her fault, or beyond her control, or for just daring to exist as transgender or a woman of color. I'm sure this book seems like a fun little adventure, if not a bit gruesome at times, to anyone who doesn't identify as a woman. But if you do, you will understand. And specifically as a wlw, I can say I was quite a bit pleased with the ending as well.
It starts slow, so be prepared to read through the sisters' thoughts a lot. But once it picks up, it really picks up. And then it gets dark. Darker than I expected it to, to be honest, but that seems to be Kendare Blake's speciality - sprinkling in horror and darkness into an otherwise tame YA story.
One of my favorite things about the Three Dark Crowns series has always been Kendare Blake's writing style, and it suited the finale perfectly. It was important that we know how the characters are feeling in the moment, because it is truly a moment-by-moment story. Everything strings together like a very satisfying bead necklace. Likewise, Blake's ability to create nuanced characters serves the finale well. I felt the anger mixed with love and grief that permeated the book, and I felt it personally. It was impactful and well written and compelling all the way through.
Lastly, this book is for women. It is the experience of identifying as a woman in western society. Remembering fondly - and somewhat bitterly - the days of our childhoods when we didn't realize what would be expected of us when we grew up. The pressure to turn against our sisters to uphold the status quo set by people who believed different things and came long before us. The rage inside us all at how we're so easily forgotten and discarded and delegated - as Blake even refers to it in the book - "broodmares." The pain we feel every time one of us dies for something that wasn't her fault, or beyond her control, or for just daring to exist as transgender or a woman of color. I'm sure this book seems like a fun little adventure, if not a bit gruesome at times, to anyone who doesn't identify as a woman. But if you do, you will understand. And specifically as a wlw, I can say I was quite a bit pleased with the ending as well.
