Queen of Chaos

Legacy of the Nine Realms #5

by Amelia Hutchins

A queen in chaos . . .
A kingdom left in ashes . . .
A fate that may turn to ruins . . .
A king who continually stokes her flames….

What’s a girl to do?
Some women rise from their ashes, Aria tends to be the one making the ashes nowadays.
Aria’s world is unraveling into utterly, beautiful chaos. Will she become the savior the Nine Realms need, or will she become the monster they’ve made?

Are you brave enough to enter the Nine Realms?

There’s a queen rising, and in chaos, she’ll reign.

A note from the publisher.
This book is a true enemy to lover’s tale. It deals with death and adversity. It is merciless, savage, and a view of how broken things overcome against inconceivable odds.
The steam between these two burns the pages.
Knox is savagery in motion. Aria is a chaotic beauty. So, what happens when brutality and beauty collide? Aria and Knox burn so hot together that they may well leave the Nine Realms in nothing more than ashes.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Dark Romance, Fantasy Romance, Romantasy, Enemies To Lovers, Dark

560 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2023

About the author

Amelia Hutchins is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of the Monsters, The Fae Chronicles, and Nine Realm series. She is an admitted coffee addict who drinks magical potions of caffeine and turns them into magical worlds. She writes alpha-hole males and the alpha women who knock them on their arse, hard. Amelia doesn’t write romance. She writes fast-paced books that go hard against traditional standards. Sometimes a story isn’t about the romantic aspect; it’s about rising to a challenge, breaking through them like wrecking balls, and shaking up entire worlds to discover who they are. If you’d like to check out more of her work, or just hang out in an amazing tribe of people who enjoy rough men, and sharp women, join her at Author Amelia Hutchins Group on Facebook.
Books by Amelia Hutchins along with reading order for the series.
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/12402...

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authoramelia...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author.amel...

LEGACY OF THE NINE REALMS

Flames of Chaos
Ashes of Chaos
Ruins of Chaos
Crown of Chaos
Coming Soon
Queen of Chaos
King of Chaos 2024
Reign of Chaos


THE FAE CHRONICLES

Fighting Destiny
Taunting Destiny
Escaping Destiny
Seducing Destiny
Unraveling Destiny
Embracing Destiny
Crowning Destiny
Finished Series

THE ELITE GUARDS

A Demon’s Dark Embrace
Claiming the Dragon King
The Winter Court
A Demon’s Plaything
Standalones, which can be read alone.

A GUARDIAN’S DIARY

Darkest Before Dawn
Death before Dawn
Midnight Rising -TBA

MONSTERS SERIES

Playing with Monsters
Sleeping with Monsters
Becoming his Monster
Revealing the Monster
Finished Series

WICKED KNIGHTS

Oh, Holy Knight
If She’s Wicked
Book Three -TBA


MIDNIGHT COVEN BOOKS
Forever Immortal
Immortal Hexes
Midnight Coven
Finished Series

BULLETPROOF DAMSEL SERIES
Bulletproof Damsel
Coming Soon
Silverproof Damsel 2024
Fireproof Damsel

Alpha’s Claim Standalone

WITHIN THE DARKNESS
Moon-Kissed
Book 2 TBA
THE DARKEST FAE
King of the Shadow Fae
Coming Soon
King of the Night Fae
Queen of the Stars

Fate Series
Whispers of Fate (Intro to Kahleena’s book)

If you’re following the Fae Chronicles, Elite Guards, and Monsters series, the reading order is as follows.

Fighting Destiny
Taunting Destiny
Escaping Destiny
Seducing Destiny
A Demon’s Dark Embrace
Playing with Monsters
Unraveling Destiny
Sleeping with Monsters
Claiming the Dragon King
Oh, Holy Knight
Becoming his Monster
A Demon’s Plaything
The Winter Court
If She’s Wicked
Embracing Destiny
Crowning Destiny
Revealing the Monster
Whispers of Fate

Reviews

[Stephanie ☾]

WHEN WILL AMELIA GRACE US WITH THE RELEASE OF THIS BOOK? I WANT IT NOW. 😭😭😭
*sobbing*
*figuring out time travel*
*looking at the clock and wishing it to move quicker*
*rereading the books*
*sobbing again*

[Samantha (bookgramsaga reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

''Pain is a lesson we never forget''

Safety warnings:
- No cheating
- Slight OM/OW drama (well this part is complicated but explained in the spoilers)
- Violence/d*ath
- Torture
- Mention of r*pe/assault
- Mention of miscarriage/d*ath of child
- Mention of loss of loved ones
- Cliffhanger

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

Have I waited almost 2 years for this book? Yes.
Was it worth it? Yesss.
Did Amelia decide to rip our hearts during this book? Definitely.
Will she be receiving my therapy bill? Uh yah.
Will this review be long? Absolutely.

I will say that the first 30% or so of the book is Aria in the Kingdom of Fire where she left in the last book to go find answers and her father. This entire section was a lot of information dump and giving us a much broader and massive new side of things. We get answers to a lot of the questions that have been raised since book 1. It's a lot to process and I cannot even begin to write them down.

All I can say is that:
1) Aden was an actual bitch and crybaby. He is the worst, and truly believes that he is entitled to Aria and the crown. Also, they are distant cousins so incestuous much??
2) Her father Griffon seems to be good in a way but weak
3) Even her Phoenix family is well out to kill her for the crown so not much of a difference then the witch side

We meet a few new people in this book, but a few will stand out to most of us BUT before we get started on that I will mention there is a MASSIVE EASTER EGG scene in this book so if you have NOT read the Fae Chronicles and all the side books then it would have gone straight through over your head.

Aria is able to see images of different places in another world and that world is the Fae Chronicles world. We see (not by name) Synthia/Ryder, Lucian and Lena, Spyder and a few more! It was such an incredible moment especially out of everyone she was petrified of Lucian and just yeeted out of there haha

BACK TO IT

Like I mentioned we meet a few new people, one noticeable new person is Zyion aka Vicious aka Dragon Killer. He was Aria's grandmother’s (Scylla - Phoenix Queen) bodyguard for ages. He spends a lot of time while Aria is in the Kingdom of Fire saving her and giving her advice on what to do and not to do. It was all suspicious, but we get answers, and it basically stamps the approval to trust him.

Other people we meet? Well let’s say Knox has more brothers who have been stuck in that world, cut off from the Nine Realms, believing the worst of the fates of the brothers we have known throughout the series. A few of them look just like Knox and Basilius being almost his twin and the best part is that he is Esme's mate, and she hates it lol she kept asking Aria to help her kill him and bury the body haha

Once they are able to get out of that place after an attempt to kill Aria happens, they are reunited happily with their brothers in the Nine Realms but there is a problem. Knox is nowhere to be found.

And this, this was the moment I knew nothing was going to be okay for a while.

Aria finds out that Knox traded himself in after Lore was tortured to the brink of death by Hecate. He willingly left and is now filled with her darkness, and it's been 4 months since it happened, and 6 months since Aria has been missing.

6 months? It was only maybe a week for the reader and Aria herself so yeah time moves very differently.

Knox is not himself (obviously) and the things he says and does are all evil. He is horrifying at his attempts to kill Aria and destroy everyone but of course this is the book where Aria finally admits she loves him and will DIE for her.

I will say we get only 2 chapters or so from Knox's POV and in both of them he is so obsessed and in love with her. He is remorseful of everything he ever did to her and wants her to be his queen, mate and forever. It was nice to see him be this way after so long! Though the ILY words were never said to each other, you know that it's happening soon.

Aria finds a way to get Knox trapped but it goes badly and instead of him being technically saved, he literally shoves his claws into her heart but doesn't go further as the land itself is healing her and in proxy heals him, but he is in a coma.

I will say Knox was showing himself in times when he thought Aria was with other men and was really possessive towards her (as he always has been), showing that our Knox was still inside him and not all was lost.

Aria then goes into his mind to see what is happening in there and if it’s Hecate who has a hold on him but it's not. Knox, in order to survive the evil, she possessed him with created his own mind palace fantasy where he is with Sven and Aria and his twin girls, playing and happy.

This chapter was heartbreaking because there is a moment where Knox literally shaken by the ''nightmare'' he had where he is hurting her and killing her, he basically says he is not worthy of her or worth going back to her if it’s true.

NOW

WAR

Hecate needs to be stopped and Aria finally has enough power, help and control to face her and it's good. It's time to get her out of her picture since we have other shit to deal with in the next book.

Hecate is defeated (not killed as they cannot kill her YET) but she is stopped, her army is destroyed, and she is entombed until further notice.

Aria is still waiting for Knox to wake up but it's not happening, and did I mention she is pregnant??? Yeah surprise! Lennox and Ember did not listen and let it happen anyway!

The last scene in the last chapter is Aria confessing once again her love and need for him and then we get the moment his eyes open and it's back to normal.

That's it.

Well until King of Chaos!

Amelia has revealed that Aria x Knox's story will somewhat end in King of Chaos and Reign of Chaos will have whatever is left to wrap up and pairing of couples in this world. She is hoping to release King in Spring 2024 so hopefully it happens!

Couple pairings we got in this book:

1) Esme and Basilius are mates as mentioned and they are hooking up
2) Brander and Soraya are sleeping together
3) Killian and Siobhan too (but he is ignoring her outside of it)
4) Eva who we met in previous books is possibly still in love with Zyion and they might be getting together too.

Slight OM drama: There are moments when back before Knox was just himself where he thought Aria was with the men in her world (out of fear and jealousy) but it's all not true, just his fear coming to light, his fear of losing her that is.
Also, during the time they were trying to capture him, Zyion needed to get him angry enough for Aria, so they alluded that they were together, KNOX WAS NOT HAPPY.

Slight OW drama: If you have read the series then you know Hecate is OBSESSED with Knox and the fact she got him trapped in her darkness was all she could do to get him, she does kiss him but it's one sided as he is unresponsive but we also get a few scenes where Knox tells her of all the things they have done sexually and (I got sick so did Aria) but then Aria realizes everyone who is infected by the darkness is basically impotent and so was Knox, confirming it never happened and her one sided kisses was all that it was.

I'm missing a lot from this book in my review but honestly, it's a lot in itself.

Like I mentioned in the beginning the first 30% or so was info dump but everything gets back to what we love and admire afterwards and especially gets so good around 70% onwards.

Something to remember forever if you love Knox:
He killed Garrett for Aria after she went to the Kingdom of Fire, and then had his skull placed upon the throne he had created for her - His Queen. He also wrote out Garrett's crime and it was because he touched her. OH, and he also wrote on the back of the throne Aria's name and title.

A few quotes to cry about:

''You are my sweetest ever-ending of cruelly savage, brutally endless eternal love. You are my evermore''

''I forgive you for your broken, sharply-cutting edges. I love you, and that'll never change. Not even in death.''

''And lord have mercy on anyone who disrespects her, for her mate will not''

''Without that girl, the world held no value to me''

''If given the choice between her life, and saving this world? I'd choose her. If I couldn't have her, so be it, then''

''I rather live in ruins than spend eternity without at my side''

[Leia A.K.A Glossimer]

UPDATE: It is now available!!! Read your hearts out. I’m personally going to wait for the audiobook. Because it’s all Troy Duran fault. His voice 🫠is freaking fantastic for Knox.


Just and FYI!! Amelia is dealing with some heavy family stuff. So… books are coming out way slower than normal. Please be empathetic. It’s hard to watch 1 family member slowly deteriorate. But she’s watching 2 very important women in her life do this at the same time. Her mother and her 24 year old daughter in law.
While she’s trying to hold up her career and make a few book signing appearances, her family is her highest priority right now. As you would expect. So back off the 1 & 2 ⭐️ bombing on a book that’s not even out yet!!!!
It’s so low class and just oozes entitlement.
If you’re interested on how writing is going and books that are being released. Follow her on Facebook. She’s super transparent there on what’s going on. That’s how I know all of this information. ✌🏼

[Ailís · Rating 2 out of 5]

***Edit: Re-read - 15/10/2023***

I was debating whether I should do an updated review for this book.

This book was a mess. Upon doing a re-read of the book, I can confidently say I was wrong in my initial rating.

There were a plethora of problems with this book. The writing was off by a mile for Amelia. It read like I was reading a draft of a different book.

The plot was going in a new direction with a ton of new characters and back stories we really did not need.

The build up over the last few books about Aria's father, went absolutely nowhere in Queen of Chaos. The man was wallpaper in this book; he served no purpose.

The sheer amount of spelling, grammar and sentence structure mistakes in this was astounding. I have a huge amount of sympathy for what Amelia has gone through. Having said that, as a long time fan and avid reader, I don't think it was fair to publish this book in the current state it is in; the book was utterly unreadable at times due to the gross amount of errors. Time should have been taken to write this book; if it took another year, then so be it. But what the reader got was shockingly bad.

By the time I finished QoC, I was overwhelmed by the litany of nonsensical shit that happened and was left underwhelmed by the shockingly abrupt ending.

Apparently King of Chaos will be the last book in Aria and Knox's story and I really don't know how to feel about that because I think Amelia needs another book to undo the shit show that was Queen of Chaos.

I wouldn't accept this kind of writing in anyone else's books, so I can hardly accept it here.

Final rating: 2 ⭐⭐

-------------------------
First Reviewed: 10/10/2023

This was more than worth the wait. You won’t be disappointed.

We dive right back in to where we left off in the Kingdom of Fire. Aria is on her guard but also curious about her father and people. There are those within this kingdom that don’t intend to let Aria get near the throne but seek to use her power.

Knox has let Aria go to find herself and her purpose, but is struggling with it. He gave her a timeline and promised he’d come for her if she didn’t return. This proves difficult for Knox and his brothers as getting into the KOF is a difficult feat.

Meanwhile, Hecate is shoring up her resources to ensure she remains on top. Hecate’s obsession with Knox has not waned and she will do anything to have him.

It appears that Aria wasn’t as alone as she thought growing up; an unexpected family member has been guiding her toward her purpose since she was born. In this instalment, Aria comes away with more allies and trusted friends than ever before.

Once back in the Nine Realms, Aria discovers that her mate has been taken by Hecate. Can Aria get him back unharmed? Or will Hecate’s hold on Knox force him to kill Aria?

Queen of Chaos was filled with beautiful imagery and word-building. Right from the start, the reader is given a plethora of information on Aria’s paternal family and the majestic warriors and gods she descends from. We see Knox’s love and devotion to Aria shine and it is a balm to the soul after reading their turbulent and chaotic beginnings.

Amelia has really outdone herself in QOC. She must be commended for writing this book with everything going on in her life. The woman is a powerhouse!

I am excited to see where the story goes in King of Chaos and I am praying that a little someone survives!

[Kate Foliage_and_Fiction · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars, 2.5 spice (its still dark, and crude, but not many scenes at all)

This was a complete disappointment. This series has been a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. It has never been well written, but I have been enthralled by the action, fun side characters, and vicious romance. It is my version of Trash TV, so bad but so good, and sometimes it's just what I need.

Queen of Chaos completely removes us from the majority of the characters that make this series worth reading. There were no moments of gut punches, or heart ache that I have come to love in Amelia's normal writing.
This was so jumbled, the plot completely lost and then it ends so abruptly - why did we even go into that other realm? It makes no sense.

The writing in this one was significantly worse than the others repeating the same words and phrases sentence after sentence. It reads like a first draft. So many simple, but glaring, errors that any reader could have picked up. I would rather wait twice as long for the book and get it actually edited.

Writing Examples:

-"I'd go to make a move, then step back, because she'd done something so mind-boggling, that I'd want to see her achieving it. While I was playing checkers, she was playing chess. She fixed the board without me realizing that she'd made a move. However, how she moved the pieces in such a strategic, merciless way was mind-boggling. It left me struggling to figure out her next move before she made it.

- 'The moment **** turned around, forcing a shocked exclamation of shock expelled from my lips"

-'room went silent with an uncomfortable silence,'

-'as the sensation of malevolence slithered over my uncovered flesh. The ominous feeling swirling through my stomach caused goosebumps to spread over my flesh. I felt the sensation of being'

-'Anguish sparked in my skull. the center of pressure expanding like a spider web as it stretched across my skull, firing down my neck and spine.'

-'I think it's time she learns that we hit back, and we hit back harder when we're wounded. I just need to figure out how we do so without losing anyone else. We'd need to hit hard and fast without her realizing'

-'don't intend to murder innocent lives, but I know I can't choose them over the children here. **** knew the cost, which is why he never argued when I called him a murderer


If this is the writing quality moving forward, I don't think I can continue the series.

[Aliti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait to read this. Wow, Crown of Chaos was emotionally engrossing! I bet this one will be emotionally stimulating!

[rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

No. No no no. I needed at least another hundred or so pages.

This book was so much but it also left me wanting more. I feel like Aria being edged by Knox for the majority book four. Excuse me while I go throw an adult sized tantrum 😭

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Checking everyday for updates You can’t wait

[Cosmodani · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5**

I love this series so much, it got me back into reading after YEARS of not being able to finish a book. But, I was honestly a bit disappointed with this book. Maybe it was the anticipation/hype after reading #3-4 which in my opinion are the best in the series so far.

Things I liked:
-It goes straight into the action and we get some questions answered about Aria, her background, and history of the 9 realms

-Aria kicks ass, feels like she continues to grow as a character/ comes into herself and doesn’t feel like she is constantly getting put through the wringer and being betrayed like in some of the past books

-We still get fun bits of humor and banter w/Aria and friends which is necessary and appreciated w/all the shit that they have to go thru

Didn’t love:
- some explanations were confusing especially regarding history I think some parts could have been written a bit clearer

-introduced new elements like Norse gods and history and it kind of felt like they were throwing the kitchen sink into this series and it felt kind of unnecessary and like it didn’t really add much to the story

-some repetitiveness which I think is an issue in all of the books in this series. Some things just feel copy/paste from previous books, especially around how aria feels about Knox. I just feel like I can pick out the same lines about her feelings for him in every book, and would hope that by now book 5 the author would branch out in ways to describe how she feels

-the flow of this book felt a bit off, some things were touched on (her family, “pets” she acquired?) and then felt forgotten, tho they could be brought up in remaining books but it made the book feel incomplete

Overall, I’m in too deep and invested to not finish this series! The author does a great job of hooking you and making you root for Aria and Knox so I’ll be waiting for the next book. I’m just hoping for an intentional, fully fledged ending it deserves.

[Christen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf at 55%. I have hate-read these books as a type of guilty pleasure, but this one is too terrible to finish. I've had issues with the writing since book 1. Every book contains a warning that notes the author has a human editor, so mistakes happen. I call bullshit that this book even got a second look-through. There are sentences with question marks on the end that aren't questions. The repetitive phrases used over and over make reading this tedious. I'm done with the long, rambling inner monologues that say nothing. I'm done with the constant telling instead of showing. I'm done with the creepy dynamic between Aria and Zyion. I'm done with Esme becoming a whiny sidekick that does nothing except chastise Aria for things out of her control.

It is my fault. I should have stopped after the first book, but I thought it would get better. 🤷‍♀️

[✧ FLINN ✧ (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Totally worth the wait!

[jessica jensen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the series so far and the book was amazing I just feel like there’s a lot unfinished? It ended pretty abruptly and it felt choppy? I was a little disappointed but I know that she’s going through stuff. Sucks that we waited almost 2 years for it.

[barefootwonder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slowly waiting for the new release. Checking everyday for it! I fell in love with this series from the very first chapter of the first book. Talk about taking the bait!

[HEY, GOOD BOOKIN! · Rating 2 out of 5]

After so much waiting (literal years) & anticipation - I'm sadly disappointed.

In the first four books, the realms and relationship-building are at a slow pace organized in layers to create a dynamic vision for the reader. Yet, this book feels so vastly different from all the others. It feels repetitive and rushed. In just a few short chapters we are in the Fire Kingdom learning about Aria's biological family & history and anointed true Queen of the Realms next we are whisked to a secret Dragon community filled with Knox's long-lost brothers and anointed the Queen of Phoenix' and then we are whisked back to Norvalla to save Knox and anointed Queen of Dragons Three big arc's of the story that should have had the attention and chapters they deserve.

Don't get me started on the lack of continuity in this installment.

#1 Two Animals adopt Aria, yet, they are never mentioned again.

#2 Vicious' character possessed and demonstrated great magic and power. Only saw it once, though. His character was unnecessary.

#3 Knox has his own magic/power and can pull from Aria, yet when he needs it the most he just rolls over and lets Public Enemy#1 capture and possess him after waging war on her for 1000 years? Not buying it.

#4 Long lost Kanavarious brothers who can shift into dragons are barely touched on and conveniently mated to Aria's friends.

#4 What about all the witchlings Aria is hiding and protecting? Where did they go?

#4 Aria struggles to defeat Hecate and dark witches throughout the series; yet, this time it is an easy quick battle with lots of soapboxing.

If this was book 4.5 in the series I think I would have had better expectations. It should have been a bridge between books 4 and 5 focusing on the Fire Kingdom and Knox's lost brothers.

[Jena Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I…idk why I keep doing this to myself. The repetitive style of writing kills me in these books. When you actually get to parts of the story through the 1 MILLION weird details…it’s pretty good. It’s just all the weird stuff in the middle that makes no sense. I also don’t love when books separate couples for the entire book. Just not a vibe for me. I’ve now invested like 2000 pages into this series so I’m definitely going to finish the series 🤷🏻‍♀️

Also, I can’t tell you how much I cringe when FMC not once, but MULTIPLE times has said “fuck around and find out”

[Jane]

Trying to read it 😳
Help. It’s 1st December.
Desperate to read this book!. HOW. Who has found a copy?.

[Isabelle Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I NEED THE RELEASE OF THIS BOOK NOWWW

[Ms reads a lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars ⭐️

This book takes off where the last one ended: with Aria going into the Kingdom of Fire to learn more about her heritage.

I know some people said that they didn’t like this part of the book because it was so far removed from the rest of the storyline and it introduced new characters, but I quite enjoyed it! I loved the new characters (Zyion 🔥🥰😍) and I also really enjoyed the backstory on Aria/the Kingdom of Fire. I personally thought the book took a bit of a nosedive when Aria travelled back to the Nine Realms.

I had a few issues with the latter half of the book:

❌ SO. MANY. RUN. ON. SENTENCES!!!!!! Like some of these sentences were entire paragraphs! Sometimes I would literally have to go back and read the sentence from the beginning because by the time I got to the end, I forgot what was being said!
❌ so much repetition!
I will burn this realm to the ground I got so sick of Aria saying that. Like… ok. Do it then!
I will become the monster
Some variation of fuck around and find out
Overall, I just thought everyone went over the same points, over and over and over again.
❌ too much talking, not enough action. There’s a big fight scene at the end… except there’s not really a whole lot of fighting?!?! Aria and Hecate just talk each other to death! It was repetitive and a little boring IMO.

Unfortunately this was my least favourite book in the LOT9R series. Knox and Aria weren’t even really together in this book! I still loved the world building (especially in the first half of the book). I also know the story is not over. There were a lot of loose ends, which I’m sure will be tied up in the next book. I’m hoping KoC will have more action, more Aria and Knox, and (hopefully) better editing.

[AsToldByOlive13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

good but 3 1/2

I liked books 1-4 better I feel like this one had to many song references and Game of Throne references were used to often. I also found a lot of typos which I didn’t expect considering the last 4 books I read had none that I noticed. I love Amelia as an author but I feel like the books are becoming drawn out, I didn’t feel this way at book 4 because I thought book 5 would answer a lot of questions and it did kind of but then through in a lot of info that caused more questions to be raised. As much as I wanted this book to come out it just feels rushed and then slowed at some parts. Also Greer “sounds” different in this book versus any of the other books his dialogue comes off as one of Knox’s brothers instead of the wise old guy we know and love. Also we still didn’t get full closure on exactly what Aria is and it’s like by book 5 it should just be spelled out with crayons. Instead it’s up in the air with hints of what she is. Not sure how the 6th or 7th book will go since there really only two major plot holes left that I feel like this book could have maybe condensed five chapters then added in 3 chapters and finished off the series. A little sad that I waited so long excited to read it then was disappointed by the seemingly never ending cliffhangers. Also there were a lot of parts that had Aria and everyone else saying how powerful she is yet she had extremely weak moments where it felt like the exact opposite and it’s like her character building was perfect then diminished with this book. Also the whole Norse God seed thing felt like it was thrown in to keep the story moving but it just felt out of place and I found myself flipping through to get past it because it doesn’t really make sense it’s just “filler”. I don’t know if I’ll continue with the series overall it’s good but this is my least favorite book which sucks because so many “questions” were answered. The entire Kingdom of Fire chapters could have been condensed since the cliffhanger from the last book was actually better then reading about her dad and various characters.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well. Shit. That was a wild ride and I’m not totally sure how I feel.

THE GOOD
We get a LOT of info (although frustratingly we still don’t know what Ember is). We find out alllll about the Prometheus line, how the Realms were made, the prophecy, and how Aria came to be. A lot of my questions were answered and I did a lil happy dance.

The battle scenes are always so satisfying, and we get a few in this book that are 🤌🏼

Aria growing into a legit leader and flexing those battle strategy chops made me squeal.

And the…frustrating…
The repetitiveness is really becoming a problem for me. I feel like the same lines and situations are being used over and over again, throughout all 5 books now, like:
➸I will become the monster…
➸I will burn the world down and (insert something) in the ashes…
➸I will burn down the realms and leave nothing but ashes…
Like at this point, can Aria just get some new slogans?
➸Knox chasing Aria down just to fork her into submission.
➸Knox once again being an absolute grade-A douchecanoe.

It’s been 5 books, can we PLEASE have Knox/Aria in a better relationship?? We had one reunion moment where he, again, chases her down so he can violently (and confusingly??) f*ck the ever-loving shit out of her. Then (no spoilers no spoilers no spoilers) and then bam, cliffy. There were some moments towards the end where you get a glimpse of how much he cares about Aria, but for the love of god, we need more!

The storyline is a little fractured. So much of book 4 was about Aurora and her schemes, the High Council, etc., and none of that progresses here. We jump right into this Kingdom of Fire realm…just to jump back into the Nine Realms and battling Hecate. I guess we’re putting a pin in Griffon & the Prometheus Brady Bunch for book 6? And I guess Aurora is lurking around somewhere on the back burner? Ok.

I’m too entrenched in this series to ever leave it. But man I hope books 6 & 7 get some better editing. Amelia, your stories deserve it!

[Carolina Barajas · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit disappointed in this book. Skimmed through some parts of it and couldn’t believe how much of a door mat the heroine became in others. It got tiresome to read some of the extremely childish and bratty monologues and dialogues of/between the FMC and the rest of the characters…kinda made me dislike the personality and choices of the FMC, which sucks because I thought she was such a badass in the making. The only redeemable character here is Zyion. It would’ve been so ‘effing’ nice to have him be a second love interest…. But, no, let’s just make him a completely platonic hero…. what madness. A love triangle would’ve made KNOX step the F up, which is what he needed to do after everything he put Aria through, which is crazy to think, because he should’ve done exactly that without the need for a love triangle… and more importantly, even if you are team KNOX, Aria deserved another love too. She deserved more experiences too. Someone who put her first, above all, always. LIKE ZYION.

At the same time I am not a qualified literary/romance author/writer, so maybe I am horribly mistaken and know nothing of what I am talking about… anyways, yeah, to sum it up, 2-stars for

[Krystal- Celestialbookdragon]

I am beyond ready to make my way back to this world, given where we left off with the ending of Crown of Chaos I'm excited to watch Aria continue to do what she does best and absolutely wreck everyone's worlds! 😈🔥

[Kayce Shumate Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can anyone tell me the release date for queen of chaos?? I love these books is there any suggestions on what else to read while I wait for the new book to come out??

[Sweeney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can we have a do over?

Love this series, so was extremely disappointed with this book.

*Spoilers Ahead*

To start, why do authors reference their other work for no apparent reason. Why was the fae chronicles walk through necessary? The worlds are not linked. In fact, did the author not go to great pains to point out that Hecate was in both series, but could not be viewed the same as they were entirely different characters? Yet both versions are the Goddess of Magic and by incorporating the fae chronicles, you are, by default, referencing the other Hecate and confusing readers.

Knox being taken = Ryder being taken.
Aria having to go inside Knox's head to pull him out = Ryder having to go inside Syn's head to bring her back after Larissa.
Aria's rebirth = Syn's rebirth (plus other characters attached to the fae chronicles).
Aria losing time in the Kingdom of Fire = Syn losing time in that hole Ryder left her in.

This series was so much better than the fae chronicles BECAUSE of how different it was. The similarities in this book undoes all that hard work at differentiating them.

Editing: Not the authors fault, but this reads like a first draft that should have never been published. Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and sentence structure that just didn't make sense. Repetition, repetition, repetition.

The character development was lacking, and characters acted in ways they never would have in the previous books. Knox spent 500 years refusing Hecate, but suddenly exchanges himself for Lore? I get he raised Lore and would do anything to protect him, but Knox of books 1-4 was more likely to rain down hell on Hecate to get Lore back, not just roll over. NB: He didn't do this for Sven, who he thought was his actual son, and he didn't act emotionally when responding to the death of Gideon or the twins. He is strategic. That's what makes him so formidable.

And while we're discussing Knox, does he really seem like the type to stay trapped in his own mind? The dude literally watched his son die 1000 deaths. If that didn't break him, I doubt a bit of rough housing with Aria will.

Brander doesn't have what it takes to be King - What was he doing the last couple of books when he was, you know, being King (by proxy sure, but still King).

Plot inconsistencies: How exactly is Aria linked telepathically to the Karnavious brothers? Zyion I get. He's her protector or whatever, and was likely linked to Aria by whatever Grandma Phoenix did. But the dragons? What was up with that?

And what was up with Knox 2.0? Felt tacky.

Did Aria not lock Hecate into her body at the end of book 4? How did she then kill her (beheading her and everything), but she's not actually dead? Wasn't the whole point of trapping her in her original body was so she could be killed? And if that's the case, what happens now? How exactly would she come back for book 6 or 7? And why the hell did Hecate just stand there and watch it happen? Why didn't she tuck tail and run like she did any other time there was a genuine threat to her life?

Aria's character development was forced upon her and was not organic. Brander et al. made her take up the throne. There was no real growth to speak of as she really only did it so she could save Knox.

And what about Aria's father? He was some scheming mastermind that everyone was afraid of, but when we finally meet him he's like a wall flower who gets little air time.

Aiden - he goes from some charming dude trying to get in good with Aria, to calling her a w*ore at dinner and still expecting her to marry him. Smooth dude, real smooth. Someone that cunning would not show his hand that rapidly.

A lot of content felt like filler. How did Knox being taken, and then saved, add to the overall story line? Seemed like it was just something to fill up the tail end of the book after we got the info dump from Grandma Phoenix. Which, by the way, felt like a bucket of water to the face. Everything else had been drip fed to us and then wham! Pace was definitively off with this book.

Overall, the whole book was difficult to read, felt like a completely different series, and seemed completely rushed. Maybe I missed things which meant that I didn't piece everything together. But that kind of just proves my point - not well written so readers are not being brought along on the journey.

As I said at the outset, I absolutely love this series so this one was really disappointing. I hope the author can turn it around for books 6&7 but honestly, I have no idea how she will save the story from here.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, this series should have wrapped up in three books. The story would have been better without some of this plot, it’s branching in ways that make me scratch my head and frankly I’ve lost interest in the main story line bc it’s so convoluted and feels unnecessary.

That being said, I ended up searching for smut trigger words and 100% read all the smut in this book bc I would be damned if I missed a single knox/aria steam scene. Writing good smut is 100% Amelia’s true gift.

Plot wise Amelia’s best writing is her standalone novels bc they stay compacted.

[Kameliya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disaster!

Very disappointed. Waiting for this book for so long and in the end there's 99% vulgar language in every page. Not much happening, no evolving in new characters. So messy, so rushed and so unprofessional. Huge difference between this book and the previous ones. The end is terrible also. Shame. This story was one of my favorite fantasies and I feel so betrayed.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the series so there is going to be 3 more books??? I can’t wait that long 😭😭 so is it going to take 3 more years cuz 3 books?

[Nej Cinz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Es adictivo, pero me falto.
Además, siento que la forma en la que terminó fue muy abrupta. Todos los demás libros te preparan para la guerra final, pero es patética.

[Michelle #michellebookishmeltdowns · Rating 5 out of 5]

You … ain’t …. Ready…. 😳

I shall return to update with full review after release date 💖

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow. So much repetition. It dragged on and on and took forever to get to the point. I get where she was going with this but execution was off. I honestly don’t have high hopes for the next one, but I’ll likely read it since I’ve made it this far into the series.