Review by wyrdwit - Fate of the Five: Veil of Vasara

wyrdwit 's review for:

Fate of the Five: Veil of Vasara by Niamh Rose

5.0

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Reading FOT5 will change your godsdamn fantasy-loving life.

Let me emphasize that if I could give this 6/5⭐️ I would.

Diving into it, I knew this was a multi-POV story about feuding kingdoms and conflict between magic and non-magic people. What I didn’t know was that it also has:

Unreliable narrators (forgetful or…intentional?)
A lack of one-dimensional characters (people aren’t inherently “good” or “bad”)
Twists, turns, and cliffhangers (don’t be too confident in your predictions..)
Lots of dope fighting scenes (magic and otherwise)
The slowestttttttt of slow burns (SERIOUSLY TORTUROUS)

First of all, Niamh’s writing style is immaculate. This book is incredibly well-written while also managing to attach deep emotions that many of us vibes readers need to get sucked into a story. There is so much world building, so much thought and intentionality in how characters come together and interact, and so much political intrigue (but not in a boring way, I promise). There are some very dark elements, but the lack of sugar coating is on point for a story fraught with pain and violence.

I didn’t predict the main love interests or how their story would play out, in part because it was so gradual, subtle, and different from how that tends to be portrayed in fiction, where love happens all at once in big, romantic, dramatic ways rather than having to navigate the doubt and questioning when unsure about the place one holds in the other person’s heart.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Niamh’s reimagining of the iconic ballroom staircase scene. This is, without a doubt, the single most beautiful and unique depiction of this in existence. Of the attention one receives when they stand out amongst the crowd, whether it’s from fear, jealousy, or—in some cases—admiration. Of that moment when one first admits to oneself they’ve been yearning for someone despite their best efforts. Of the discomfort and prejudice societal norms inject into the world that may keep one from pursuing who they love. Of that moment when the most gentle, intentional touch sets one’s heart on fire.

Hibernating until book 2 comes out in 2026! 😩

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I received this ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Content Warnings