Atop the Faerie Throne

The Fifth Nicnevin #5

by Marie Mistry

Nicnevin Rhoswyn, Fifth Beloved Daughter of Danu, High Queen of All Fae.

Elfhame has fallen. Elatha’s warriors run rampant across my city, looting and burning everything in their path. The throne of Faerie is mine by right, but the Fomorian King now reigns amidst the blood, death and chaos.

Only a Nicnevin with a fully united Guard stands a chance at reclaiming what’s been stolen. A high queen with all four courts sworn to her is our last hope for restoring peace.

I am neither of those things.

And yet, I cannot fail.

This is the final book in the Fifth Nicnevin series.

Genres: Fantasy, Fae, Romance, Why Choose, Magic, Shapeshifters, Romantasy

500 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 20, 2025

About the author

Marie Mistry is a reality challenged reverse harem romance author whose books are full of pirates, magic, and spicy adventures. When she's not writing, you can usually find her curled up with a game or a book and a large cup of tea. She lives in a wonky cottage in Kent with her other half and a super sweet shepherd named Meg.

She'd love for you to join her Facebook reader group: Mistry’s Inc where she hangs out daily: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mistr...

Or check out her website: https://www.mariemistry.com

Reviews

[Marie Mistry]

The release date is now final. This will be the last book in the Fifth Nicnevin series, with a long awaited HEA for Rose and her Guard, and I will be updating the content warnings on my website closer to release. Thank you so much for reading!

[Hana · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’ll keep my oath or break the world trying.”

my review of Atop the Farie Throne by Marie Mistry, the fifth and final book in the Fifth Nicnevin series. I received an ARC from the author & am SO grateful 🫶🫶

** warning for possible spoilers since this is a review of the fifth book in the series. I do my best not to have spoilers, but that gets kind of hard the further into a series you get. **

“Anyone who raises a blade to my pet dies. The fun way.”

I could write a dissertation with footnotes talking about this series, its characters, the world within it, & of all the things I loved about it, but I try to keep my reviews short-ish and to the point, so I’ll refrain as much as I can.

I never wanted this book/series to end. I wanted to stay in this world, with these characters, forever. I genuinely struggled to get through the last 20% not because the book was boring or bad by any means, but I just didn’t want it to be over. I literally re-read passages that touched me or that were just that epic, because I was savoring every moment of reading this last book.

I am absolutely obsessed with the mad redcap Lorcan (Lore). he is macabre and hilarious and supportive and such a green red flag (it’s a thing lol) and chaos incarnate. the author has created a genuinely lovable, wholly morally gray character (TRULY morally gray, not just a misunderstood hero) in him & I’m pretty sure I highlighted every time he talked or was mentioned. I love his & Rose’s relationship— how he helps her to find the humor and joy in the world, and she lets him be himself without judgment and with encouragement, even. from their first meeting, Rose just accepts him as he is, doesn’t try to tame him or change him, & learns to work with his crazy, not against it. it was such a subtle thing the author highlighted that I loved seeing little pieces of throughout the series.

& I know I rave about Lore, but the other 4 are well rounded, full blooded, lovable characters as well. I loved that each of them brought out something different in the FMC, & in each other, & how they learned to work together so perfectly. their relationships with each other were some of my favorite parts of the books (I LOVE Lore & Caed together 😂).

I highly recommend this series for any fantasy romance/romantasy readers. it has everything our weird little hearts desire in a book series, & it has it all in abundance. I can foresee myself rereading this series MANY times in the years to come.

p.s. at this point, I’m pretty sure I’d read a phone book if Marie Mistry writes it, but I’d do a lot of sketchy things for a cozy slice of life follow up (novella, full length, idgaf just gimme) involving shenanigans (Lore & Caed) & healing (Bree & Jore & Rose) & learning how to live together in their new lives (Drystan w/ everyone else 😂) … y’know, just an idea, Ms. Mistry 😇

“She is all.”

🌹 why choose FMMMMM
☠️ no FF or MM, but it is a queer-normative world/ culture
☠️ fae high fantasy romance
🌹 redemption & sacrifice
☠️ overprotective, possessive fated mates
🌹 touch him/her & 💀
☠️ 🌶️🔥👀🫣
🌹 immersive world building
☠️ a terrifying animal companion (he eats souls, were you expecting flowers? (if you get this reference, can we please be friends??))
🌹 bad*ass but also soft FMC
☠️ war & politics
🌹 the COOLEST, most EPIC magic
☠️ necromancy
🌹 avatar of a goddess
☠️ tricksy fae
🌹 slave rebellions
☠️ loss & grief & healing
🌹 characters you can FEEL
☠️ class system disruption
🌹 magical creatures & evil portals
☠️ fae bargains
🌹 satisfying conclusion to an absolutely EPIC series
☠️ macabre, dark humor

[Kaija Rayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m trying to figure out, a few minutes after finishing this book I’ve been waiting for, why I’m so unhappy and disappointed. It *finally* had a happy ending. One I’ve been waiting for. I’ll mention here that I’m also a Romance author and I’m an editor as well. I’m probably going to write too much in this review trying to figure out why I feel so unsatisfied.

I will say I’m *never* reading an in progress series by Mistry again. That sucks for me, but it sucks worse for the author. I can always find something else to read while I’m waiting for her series’ to be finished. Many of us depend on the income of the previous books in the series to give us time to write the next one. But I utterly refuse to engage in the degradation of the genre I both love to read and write. Mistry, unfortunately, has an incredibly heavy hand with cliffhangers, which have absolutely no place in either romance or romantic fiction. Even if I hate them in all genres, there are some where they can be used and the reader isn’t likely to be unhappy. Romance and romantic fiction are not those genres. There should *never* be a cliffhanger ending in a romance or romantic book. It’s such a long standing tradition that I’m honestly appalled that so many authors are flouting this.

Genre is how people find what they want to read. It’s nothing more than a marketing and classification tool. There are genre rules and traditions for every one. People who buck that… they’re crapping on the genre they’re writing, and when called on it, are acting like spoiled toddlers in need of a nap.

Mistry, in my professional opinion, rather hamhandedly overuses cliffhangers to capture a sense of drama that just wouldn’t exist otherwise in her books. In short, she needs to level up as an author. Romance is considered the hardest genre to write well because every single book in a series has to have a happy ever after (HEA) or a happy enough for now (HEFN/HFN). (Otherwise it violates most retailers TOS to market it as romance. Which means that the author’s account can be summarily banned in violation. This isn’t a light matter.)

In a series romance like Mistry (and I) tend to write, a happy enough for now where all the characters are safe if not together and there’s hope that the next book will build the relationship more is perfectly fine, as long as the end of the series has a true happily ever after.

But that’s not something that Mistry delivers. So, much as I enjoy her writing, I won’t be eagerly awaiting the next book, I won’t be pre-ordering, I’ll only check once in a while to see if she has a new completed series. I’m a very loyal reader, always pre-ordering books if I know they’re coming. But I love romance. As a genre, for its traditions, and for the safety a HEA/HFN offers.

That’s why a lot of romance readers read romance. It’s safe. We don’t have to wonder if the characters we’ve fallen in love with are safe or will survive. We don’t usually have to be worried about getting smacked in the face and emotions with a bloody cliffhanger.

Maybe it wouldn’t bother me as much (unlikely, I loathe cliffhangers) if Mistry were actually good at writing them. Can’t honestly say she is. A cliffhanger is supposed to be unpredictable. One of the *most* predictable things about Mistry’s books is a poorly done cliffhanger ending.

I know I probably sound harsh. It’s not my intention. There are a lot of things I do love about Mistry’s work. I’m an incredibly picky reader and have no qualms about stopping a book I’ve started if I’m not enjoying it. The sheer fact I’ve finished the series, and feel it’s worth such a lengthy review, should be taken as a massive compliment.

I love two of Mistry’s series. The Pirate Witch/Deadwood and this Faerie series. I’ve tried the others but found them (despite liking the characters and Mistry’s truly wonderful and engaging writing voice) either too juvenile or too A/B/O for me. No judgment. A/B/O simply isn’t for me.

Mistry crafts (usually) wonderful characters. She has an enveloping writing voice, by and large her books are cleanly written and vividly imagined. I can feel and taste things she describes. She’s honestly a good author. But… she *could be* a fantastic author.

Even if she does need a better editor and makes me roll my eyes at the inaccurate physics in intimate scenes a lot.

I think maybe fantasy gets in the way of physics and not making readers eyes roll a bit much in some of those scenes. And if I’m rolling my eyes, I’m not enjoying the scene because it’s thrown me out of the story.

And could someone please suggest Mistry learn just a teensy bit about what horses can and can't do? I don't care how magical Blizzard is, two days of hard riding with no food = dead horse. They aren't bloody cars.

Anyway.

I think the main reason I feel so… dissatisfied with this series is the main character, Rose. I loved pretty much every other character. But gods, Rose makes me want me to shake her ‘til her eyes cross.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a more milk-sop, pathetic character who lacked growth through not just one book but five! Five whole books and Rose is still as pathetic at the end as she was at the beginning.

Given her background it makes sense that she’d be sort of a dish rag for the first book, maybe part of the second. But by the third and fourth, I’d expect growth, and by the fifth, I’d expect the fully realized character arc to be apparent.

None of that happened with Rose.

And I know that Mistry is capable of writing a female main character who has a backbone, Nilsa, the Pirate witch, the heroine of The Deadwood series has backbone, pride, and plenty of hutzpa. She has a complete character arc and the happy ending the characters were fighting for felt deserved.

Maybe it just didn’t feel deserved in this series, despite some rather desperate actions and events.

Rose just doesn’t have agency or a decent character arc and never develops either throughout the whole series. Oh, Mistry *tells us* Rose is becoming this uber-dangerous Fae Queen. But there’s just nothing in the text showing me that she is. Every, single, time the chips were down… Rose gets sick, Rose gets dead, Rose gives up and whinges, or Rose gets saved by her hot (and well developed as characters) mates. All of Mistry’s other characters had beautifully written, compelling, satisfying character arcs. So why didn’t Rose?

It’s 2025. I’m not a spring chicken and I grew up reading ‘70s/’80s romance novels. That’s all you got back then. But it’s 2025! A romance heroine needs at least a little bit of a spine. A teensy bit. A smidgen.

I’m afraid Rose is a victim of crappy agency abandonment. Agency is the thing that drives a character. It’s when they are pushing the plot around vs letting the plot push them willy nilly across the scenery.

There isn’t a single time that I can recall in this series where Rose grows. Where her experiences are actually *shown* as changing *her* into a different version of herself. (We’re *told* that she’s grown, flat out told it, but never shown it). At the end of book 5 she’s just as pathetic as she was at the beginning of book one.

I snorted at the idea that Rose was always the rescuee, not the rescuer. Because it’s true. She never once rescued herself much less anyone else.

The very few times that ‘Rose’ did anything of note, it was when the Goddess took her over.

She had to beg her guards, *who serve her*, to let her learn weapons and self defense. What kind of modern romance reader wants to read about a supposed queen who has to beg for her danged rights? And if the excuse was that Rose was from a medieval society, Mistry needs to do more research on the roles and strengths of women in medieval society. They were just as likely to demand their needs be met as we are. So very many of them never needed a man to save them. Many of them saved their men ffs.

There wasn’t a single moment when I could see myself in Rose. Sure, Rose kept picking herself up after being knocked down, but even a blade a grass can manage that.

And please don’t try to tell me it’s because Rose is disabled. You know? Because I’m badly disabled, I was thrilled at first to be reading a character who had a weakness as bad as Rose’s Iron sensitivity. But so many disabled people are some of the strongest people I’ve ever met. We have problems. But very few of us haven’t had our own character arcs that taught us to be strong in one way or another.

I’d honestly say my disabilities have made me a much stronger person than I’d be if they’d never developed.

Rose is so weak a light breeze would blow her over. It’s not physical weakness, it’s something else that makes her as bland and boring and with as much spine as a droplet of water. And about as meaningful as a raindrop splattering into the sea.

You could’ve plucked Rose out of the story completely, replaced her with someone like Nilsa, or dozens of other spine owning female MCs, and the books would’ve been so much better for them.

Mistry also has an unfortunate tendency to shove her characters into obviously pre-outlined ideas rather than outlining and then letting the characters as you’ve made them have enough freedom to change the outline in small ways so the actions make bloody sense!

So many times the characters did things that that particular character (as Mistry had designed and written them) just wouldn’t do. All to service a plot that would’ve worked better if Mistry hadn’t forced it. This was especially egregious in book four, but happened in this one, too.

I use outlines myself, but I’m a sensitive enough writer that I can feel when a projected plot point just isn’t working the way I thought it would because the characters involved just wouldn’t act like that.

This last book did catch me up (after a massive amount of eye rolling in the first few pages when Rose had the ability and knowledge to save herself and was, once again, saved by heroic guys saving the day).

A friend of mine joked that ‘how else are the male characters supposed to show their booming masculinity except by saving the heroine from her own stupidity?’ I laughed so hard because that is exactly what one of my problems with this series was.

Honestly, a guy can prove his masculinity better in my opinion by railing me up against a wall and giving me the support to rescue myself, and them if need be.

It’s a good enough ending to the series. It had Mistry’s beautiful writing voice, vivid imagination, great love interests, and side characters, and it brought all the important plot things to an acceptable close.

But these books could’ve been so much better. The ideas were great, the execution, not so much. Maybe I’m mostly disappointed because I know Mistry is capable of better. I think her story, characters, and readers deserved better, too.

I don’t know about you, but as an avid reader and writer of romance, I don’t want men coming along to save me. I can save myself. What I want from both real life men, and especially from my fictional love interests, is strength enough to support me, to be masculine enough to help me improve so I can be who and what I need to be. To be masculine enough to get rescued by me once in a while and be proud of me for doing what was necessary to rescue them, if needed. (And many railings up against different pieces of furniture and architecture.) I don’t want a man or men holding me back like everyone did with Rose. It’s not 1950.

I’ve rambled enough.

What? Maybe if I think all that I should try writing something better and publishing it myself?

I already did.

[Alexia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book! ❤️✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a picky reader it’s so rare for me to give 5 stars but this book just hit it out of the park — perfectly wrapped up and left it possible for some spin offs. 👀👀😉


This was a perfect ending to the series. Everything came together seamlessly. The epilogue was the cherry on top. 😭❤️❤️ I am so sad this story is complete but I will definitely continue reading whatever Marie Mistry writes.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance: 25-year-old fae changeling queen FMC with...
1. 97-year-old wolf shifter knight high fae MMC
2. 250+-year-old Lord of the Wild Hunt dullahan high fae MMC
3. 3000-year-old redcap assassin under-fae MMC
4. 300+-year-old ex-sex slave and bard puca under-fae MMC
5. 37-year-old Fomorian/redcap/high fae prince MMC

[Petra Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please, no more series where I’m entranced at the beginning and bored by its end. See my review for Book 1.

[Ana Paula Fiorotti · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

"“You love me?” I ask, my mouth suddenly dry.
In answer, Caed lowers to one knee.
Then the other.
When he raises his shackled hands in offering, his head drops, stealing the turquoise from my vision. It’s the ultimate gesture of submission from a proud warrior who would never, ever do this for anyone else, and it tugs at my heart even before he speaks.
“I would die for you, burn Fellgotha to the ground if you asked. Fuck. I’d travel to the afterlife and slay Balor in your name if it would make you believe me, but I understand why you don’t. I’ve been a fucking awful mate.”"



***** Review with spoilers *****



Well, it comes to an end — and I have to say, I’m satisfied with some parts, but definitely not with a lot of others. While the book managed to bring back that cozy feeling from the first one at the end, made me cry with Bram’s departure, and had some really interesting sex scenes, it still had so many issues that kept me from enjoying it like I did the previous ones.

First of all — and probably the biggest issue in my eyes — was how everything got resolved so quickly and easily. It started with the whole drama involving Eero, the Summer King, who had caused so much damage. He imprisoned all of her Mates, killed Bram, and seemed unstoppable with his indestructible skin and all. But then suddenly, he’s killed off with a ball that he ate with Rose's charm commanding him, and just like that his entire arc is resolved in such a rushed and underwhelming way that doesn't even makes sense. Why work so hard to build that tension just to throw it all away in a few pages?

And then we go straight to the actual ending, with Elatha’s death. I mean — he was literally the all-powerful villain, the one they’d been trying to defeat for millennia, the one who took Elfhame Castle, fae armies and destroyed everything in his path, the one whose arc had been built up since the very first book… and that’s how it ends? With Caed pushing him through a portal and Rose destroying it because Jare made a bargain with her and she was too numb to do it herself? Are you serious? Couldn’t we at least get a proper ending where Rose gets mad, goes full protective mode like she’s done before, and finishes him herself — then breaks down in grief if losing Caed again was really that necessary? Honestly, it was so underwhelming and disappointing it completely killed the vibe for me. The scene in the previous book where she uses Maeve to break into the Winter Court — something that wasn’t even that important — was more powerful, dramatic and strong than this entire climax.

And let’s not ignore the fact that we spent the whole series watching Rose grow, becoming stronger and more in control of her power, only for her to not even use it in the final battle. She didn’t save her people — she just acted like a conductor while her Guards did the saving. She was literally kneeling in front of Elatha thinking she had failed and that he finally got what he wanted. Like… what? Where is your backbone? It was just disappointment after disappointment.

And speaking of endings… what was that ending? There were so many sons and so much information and new names and characters thrown at us in such a short span that I felt completely lost. I couldn’t even enjoy the supposed “happily ever after.” Honestly, I think the book would’ve ended better right after the scene where their mating is blessed by the Goddess. That moment was romantic, emotional, and had the soft, cozy tone that mirrored the first book — and it would’ve been the perfect way to close the story. But no, we had to squeeze in one more sex scene (which, don’t get me wrong, was kind of interesting — but could’ve happened literally any other time), and then throw in this chaotic future vision that only brought confusion.

That being said, there were a lot of heartwarming, emotional, and lovely parts. Everyone had some growth. I loved how Rose thought about the Fomorians and gave them a chance to exist differently. I loved seeing her Guard finally function as a true unit. And Prae? She honestly became one of my favorite characters — her path, faithfulness to Caed and how she reclaimed what was rightfully hers was one of the most satisfying arcs in this final book.

It’s just a shame that all those great moments — and everything that was built so carefully in the previous books — got overshadowed by how poorly everything was resolved in this last one. Honestly, the only reason I’m giving this three stars is because of how much I loved the other books and how attached I am to the characters. A sad ending to a really good series.




Main characters: Rhoswyn, Jaromir/Jare, Drystan, Caedmon/Caed, Lorcan/Lore, Bricriu/Bree and Wraith (her companion/puppy).

Tropes: chosen one, fated mates, grumpy and sunshine, moraly grey, reverse harem, touch her and die.

Supernatural types: they're all fae, but with different powers. Rhoswyn - necromancy and charm, Jare - shifter, Drystan - rare kind of fae that loses his head and hunt the dead to the afterlife, Caedmon - half fae, half fomorian, Lorcan - redcap - he has a magic hat that eats blood and has the storage of Hermione purse, Bree - kind of a shifter too, but with a bunch of magic animals that come out of his tattoos (among other things).

[Emilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝘈𝘴 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦."


I can't believe it's over! This series is my favorite of Marie Mistry and I think one part of me will never be ready to say goodbye. The characters live rent-free in my mind! (Although I'm a tiny bit grateful that there's no cliffhanger this time)
Without further ado, let's start this review.
At the end of the last book, I had no idea how they would manage to get their HEA. There were so many difficulties laying before them but somehow, Marie managed to make it possible - something I'm really relieved about.
The writing style is as great as I remember and made me shed a tear or two (or more). There are some bittersweet and heartwarming scenes, as well as spicy ones. Marie delivers on both emotions and plot, in my opinion. And there's a lot going on because, trust me, this HEA comes hard-fought after A LOT of suffering. And I don't mean just the characters suffered...
I still think Lore, that maddening redcap, is my favorite, very close after Bree. But some other characters might surprise you... For me, it was Rose's development. I can see her growth from book one to five and it's refreshing to see her still being her, in a way. She still has a heart that feels deeply, even when making difficult decisions.
The worldbuilding is amazing and for the curious souls out there, there's even a glossary! I want a loyal Barghest and cuddle it!
For me, AtFT is the perfect conclusion to the series! It has everything I wanted to see for the characters and everything they deserved. And certain things still make me a bit teary.

5+/5 stars

This is an honest, not influenced ARC review.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much to love about this book and this series as a whole. I’m so happy I found it and this author. The descriptions, the witty banter, the emotion, the depth, the twists just so good. I felt my heart squeeze more than once. I love every character in this series because they’re all so unique and complex. My favorite of the series was Caed, such a complicated story and character but with a heart of gold. I love how he was portrayed and his character arc. Marie did his story justice at the end. It was everything I wanted it to be. Lore was a second favorite, I’ve never read another character like him. He was so chaotic and fun but so damn loyal too that it just pierced my heart. This series has laughter, love, perseverance, tribulations, loyalty, and a lot of yummy spice. This last book finished their story off so well and really brought it all together. If you love a story about flawed characters who fight their internal battles and fight for a love and a HEA hard won.. this is definitely for you. All the stars. Favorite read of 2025 so far.

[ᴊᴇꜱꜱᴛʜᴇʙᴏᴏᴋᴅᴇᴍᴏɴ ☾ ✧˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

✨🌹 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 🌹✨
thank you Marie Mistry for the e-ARC of 𝑨𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒆

“𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘌𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘢. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳.”

i can’t believe we’ve finally reached the end of Rose and her Guards’ story 🥺 this has been such a journey and this ending was so satisfying.

this book isn’t all flowers and an easy journey for Rose. you start immediately where 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝑨 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒌𝒚 left off. you get more plot than spicy scenes, since they’re planning on how to take down Elatha and battles, but Marie does not skimp on the spice when it happens 🥵😏 and there was a few moments i cried and wasn’t sure how things could get fixed but we get the HEA i have been begging for.

what a great series 💕

[Yana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a well told story with a good beginning, a bit of a boring middle, and a perfect ending.

I think that books four and five could have been one book if all second characters' stories and insignificant details have been skipped. As it is, both books have filler, which is not contributing to the main plot and just makes it boring.

Another minus of the book, in my opinion, was the romance. The relationships between Rose and her mates were not equal. Caed redeemed himself in the previous books but still was not treated as an equal mate until the very end of the final book. Jaro also faded in the background for some reason.

Despite the above, it was a good final book. The series as a whole is a great adventure with captivating characters, and it is worth reading.

[Thalia Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

All good things come to an end

What. A. Ride!
This series has kept me entertained throughout with a solid storyline and characters you love, hate, and sympathise with throughout. The world the author paints is rich with possibility whilst keeping the dangers they face and hope they hold tangible throughout. The lore of Faerie is woven seamlessly into the story and leaves me yearning to learn more.
I have been so engrossed in this world and its array of characters that it leaves me sad at having reached the end of their story. I hope there are more books that branch from this but am contented with this ending if not.
I really cant praise this series enough and I will definitely be reading more books by this author!

[Sonya Goins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty good! It would've probably been 5⭐ if not for the fact that I disliked Drystan so bad. I couldn't stand him all the way back in the first book and still can't. I love Caed and want him to have all the happiness in the world, he's went through hell. Lorcan and Bree are amazing too. Lorcans scene when he's turned loose from the shackles was the absolute best spice 🌶️ holy sheet! Any ways, overall pretty happy with the ending to the series!

[Lucent · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Well... let's start with the good:
As always, Marie Mistry is a Character Genius!!
Her characters are so realistic, I feel I know them all personally. It has been MONTHS since I read Book 4 and I easily remembered everything about them and picked this one right up.
Her characters are so unique and fun.
This entire series premise as well is very distinguishable and this one was in my top favorites list.

Unfortunately, there is now some bad.
I had to dnf this book and I just cannot believe it.
Around 40% through this last book, I grew bored out of mind.
Everything slowed down to a stand still and I kept trying.
Dnf @ 53%
nothing happens. I am shocked by this.. idk if it's just my mood or what but I cannot force myself to finish this series.
Book 1-4 were SO good..
I don't even care what happens at the end. Nothing is keeping me enthralled and I am so disappointed :(
I am choosing 3 stars since I know how good the rest of the series is so the set up of this one was good at the beginning, the characters are top tier, and the writer is so talented. But when a book becomes so boring for 10% or more of the book, I can no longer swing it.

[Kimberley Hudspeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why had I never heard of this series before?? It’s got EVERYTHING I’m looking for in a romantasy book. I was SOBBING by the end of this 😭 what an amazing end to Rose and her Guards’ stories. The epilogue was MUCH appreciated too.

[Melissa Pettersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series:)

[Amanda Crossland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining.

There was a few spots that caused high anxiety that I had to practically skim it because I needed to know that everyone would survive. It broke me to read about those that didnt. Marie has a way with words that sometimes you can’t tell your own feelings versus the characters point of views feelings.

I wish there was more to the last hunt in Fellgotha. So much pain and misery the fmc went through. She saw how they lived, just to survive. The Femorians grew up violently, and I just thought Fellgotha deserved a better ending, especially the spirits that were trapped there for 1000’s of years. They finally become free at last to pass to heaven, it was bittersweet but that was the end of Fellgothas story.

I was surprised to read when Bree introduced his Dominance. He was originally described as quiet, non confrontational, startles easily, shy guy, but this book showed a different side to him. I’m glad we got to see his character grow.

I rated it 4 stars because I found the fmc didn’t grow much at all in the 5 books. She still couldn’t do much to protect herself, other than making a few bargains to save the others. Overall, she was still passive with the guys. I had hoped to see her grow from the first book, as it grabbed my attention so easily. It’s only natural to see the main female character grow in their knowledge, self defense skills if they didn’t already have them, manage multiple paranormal lovers (I typically real paranormal reverse harems) and save the world. That’s a typical PNR, but I found this fmc fell flat in that. She didn’t really manage her harem at all. She let them fight it out themselves, she didn’t drive any conversations. She even let the guys and her high priestess plan all her events since she was basically the Queen. I just wish there was more to her character than being a figurehead. Besides not loving the female lead character, I loved the guys. They were what made the book/series easy to read. They each grew with each new book of the series, and were always fun to read. Lorcan was of course my favorite. Very good series.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorry to say, but that was a slog.

First, the good: I love how the author differentiates between the men - I really felt like they were separate people, which can be rare in RH. The personalities and relationships between the guys was one of my favorite parts.

The world building is perfect - just the right amount of info without it overtaking the book.

The characters do show growth over the series, mostly for Bree, Prae, and Caed. Their daddy/uncle issues provided good storylines. Rose starts as a naive, wet blanket. At the end, she’s a slightly-less naive, damp blanket. Her iron weakness really killed her growth and made her so dependent on the guys. The necromancer warrior part was cool, but was a minor part of the story.

Lorcan! I can tell the author enjoyed writing his chapters.

The bad:

Too much filler! Too much wishy-washy, back-and-forth of crap that doesn’t matter. The overall story was enough for maybe 3 books, but it was dragged out by so much blah, blah, blah.

The Drysten/ caed plotline was annoying. Rose was annoying. Too many body parts as gifts?

[Kitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ honestly the story is great, but I hate the resolution with Caed.

“Over the last few weeks, the others have given the two of us space to catch up on all the first times that I’ve already had with them, so I know exactly how much he loves and hates when I toy with him.”

But WE wanted those first times. I got so mad I couldn’t even finish the sex scene. I DNF it at 93%. I’m sure it was great and I never read the epilogue because they’re all happily together with babies and I don’t care about that shit.

I loved the overall story I wanted a better wrap up between Drystan and Caed. The story arc for Caed was carrying this series for me.

[Vanessa Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sad this is over. You know that emptiness that follows after a series ends? That feeling of "what the hell will I read now?" because you know almost nothing will be as good? That's what I'm feeling rn.

This isn't a perfect series, but it's sooooo good. I mean, the characters, the world building, the romance. It's the whole package. And there's a big epilogue which I LOVED! It was sweet, funny and at last, our Nicnevin and her guards had a happy ever after.

[Tj Serhal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was an accident I meant to review book 4 and now can’t seem to figure out how to delete my review 🤦‍♀️

[FANCHON · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m writing one review for the entire series now that I’ve finished it. Overall, I really enjoyed it. It was creative, kept me interested, and was action packed. I will admit though by the end I was ready for it to wrap up. That’s the challenge with any series that carries on over so many books though.

I particularly liked that each of the mmc had distinctly different personalities. When you have a RH, way too often they blend together and become interchangeable. That was definitely not the case here. And the Red Hat was ridiculously entertaining- I highly recommend the audiobook for the full effect. At first I thought he was going to be too OTT, but he quickly became a favorite character and kept me cracking up. On the other hand, some of the other characters managed to hurt my heart a bit with their back story as well as what they go through during the series. There’s surprisingly a lot of emotional highs and lows.

My only gripe, if you will, is the lack of growth in the fmc Rose. In the beginning, she is understandably naive and clueless. She is thrust into this completely new world and essentially told she is in charge of ruling and saving this kingdom… and oh yeah, it’s under attack, so figure it out fast. Also, surprise! You’re not even human and magic is real!

So yeah, the cluelessness and overwhelm fit initially. She was constantly on the verge of tears. Frankly the female narrator (who was amazing overall) frustrated me with the constant trembling voice, so near tears all the time 🙄. I’m not sure if that was a narrator choice or the author choice, but it grated on my nerves. Moving on.

Over five books, each male showed great growth. Each came from vastly different backgrounds with polar opposite beliefs and biases. They came together as sworn protectors and mates to the queen and had to learn to accept new ideas and each other. They moved past lifelong trauma and beliefs and customs, and each grew so much. The only one who was essentially the same at the very end was Rose. Quite literally the only time she made any decisions or showed any strength was when she was channeling the goddess, yet she whined about others making decisions for her. When she stood up to the leaders that tried to push back against her, she was still channeling the goddess. Anytime she put the smack down, it was with the strength of someone else. She was basically a vessel to channel the power of the goddess or her three guardians, and later the power she learned to borrow from her mates. It was disappointing that she didn’t show the growth the men did and learn to be fierce on her own.

Anyway- overall I loved the series. I’d still recommend it. Listen to the audio. It’s definitely worth it.

[Silverlining2k6 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 expectations-surpassing stars.

I was pretty critical of the previous book in this series. Specifically, I complained about the harem being unfairly (and possibly irrevocably) unbalanced, with Caed always being shunned by the other guys. I complained about Drystan being a bully, with no empathy for the possibility of Caed dying or what it would do to Rose. I complained about how the ending erased any progress Caed made with Bree, Lore, and Jaro and it was back to the drawing board. I even complained about Bree being an emotional vampire.

I have to wonder if Marie Mistry read that review, because she fixed every damn thing I complained about, and then some.

Right off the bat, the guys quickly understood why Caed tried to abduct Rose, and instead of becoming murderous, they were compassionate. Dryston finally realized how his attitude was hurting Rose, and not only did he stop being a bully, but he tried his best to fix things, even making major sacrifices. Bri stopped leaning on Rose and found a sort of fae therapist to help him deal with his past trauma. And not only did the harem become more balanced, but the guys even allowed Caed and Rose to have extra time together to make up for what they'd missed out on before. I was honestly a bit amazed that the author was able to pull this all off in a single book.

***SPOILERS BELOW***

Aside from the group dynamics, I enjoyed so much of this book. The part where they take back the city from the Fomorians was action-packed and riveting. I loved the whole group working together and their creative problem solving. Lore is a one-man killing machine and I always enjoy Caed using his magical swords. Bree really pulled his weight in this book with his powers and I loved how Rose raised an army of the dead to drive them out of the city.

They dealt with the Summer court more easily than I expected, and I kind of wish the king had suffered more, but he was just an obstacle on the way to taking down the true big bad.

The scenes in the caverns were also engrossing. The guys worked so well together (aside from Lore, I mean, who is pure chaos). I did laugh a few times at headless Drystan stumbling around with no idea what was going on. I think I was meant to?

The ending was a fitting and satisfying conclusion for the series, and made me curious about
her other series. I'm assuming the library mentioned was the one from Liminal, but should I recognize anything else? Do Rose's sons appear in any other series? Or maybe that's part of her future plans?

[Issy Chapple · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review: this series is in my top favourite series of all time ever. i am so so so obsessed with it. this book was just the perfect culmination of everything the rest of the series had been leading up to: revenge, love, battles, quests, sex. it was just amazing, i couldn’t put it down.
rose is one of my favourite soft characters ever, starting off naive to the world of fae and hardening massively (which we see in full force), whilst still retaining her caring and kind nature. i love that she’s a badass who can fight for herself but allows herself to be soft and doesn’t always sass back, which is refreshing. jaro was as loyal and protective as ever, and i loved seeing more of his depravity in this book. drystan is just hilarious, he’s so domineering and scary yet the softest one of them all. lore, my darling murderous, loyal, lovable psycho, never change. he is the best ‘psycho’ book boyfriend i have ever read. my sweet sweet bree does so much growth and development in this book and i love him so much for powering through his trauma and not allowing it to define him. caed was just as sassy, funny, tortured, heart-breaking as always, and i really really enjoyed seeing his bond with the rest of the guard grow the ways it did in this book.
prae is such a queen, and kitarni is such a great friend to rose too. florian and the rest of rose’s brothers are just so adorable, i loved seeing them all together again. maeve, titania, and mab are such icons and i really enjoyed seeing them in their element in this book.
overall, just such an amazing series and such an amazing conclusion, i will be thinking about this series forever. thank you so so so much for the ARC!

[Morwenna Bethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing

Such a satisfying and great ending to the series! So much happens in this book, there’s more twists and turns. I cried, I laughed, I mourned, I celebrated! It was everything I needed it to be and so much more. One thing I find really refreshing about this series is that they’re actually capable…sometimes I’ll read books where going up against the enemy often ends in them being defeated time and time again, only for the ending to be rushed and suddenly we as readers are supposed to believe that they’re now capable with no character arcs… this book series does not disappoint in that (or any) way. The characters develop beautifully throughout the story (I’d say lore is the only one that doesn’t change much but he didn’t need to because he was always perfect), Rose goes from being shy and insecure to strong and ready to take on everything and anything. Drystan softens. Bree heals. Caed stops being insufferable. But they all never lose the innate parts of themselves that make them who they are. I really believe after reading so many books that it’s really hard to achieve that! The plot was perfect, the pacing felt right, not rushed or dragged. The threats and fears were just the right amount to keep me on edge but not so much that it felt insurmountable. I am so relieved to say that the ending was perfect, not what I expected but definitely what felt right for the story. I’ve said in previous reviews of this series that a strong ending is needed for me to actually say that I love a series, and I’m pleased to add these books to my “will re-read” collection! Brilliant.

[C. Leste · Rating 5 out of 5]

PERFEITO! INCRÍVEL! MARAVILHOSO!

U A U

Marie Mistry é uma escritora foda. Ela sabe conduzir o leitor para onde ela quer que ele seja guiado, e eu amei cada segundo dessa história envolvente e totalmente necessária.
Rose é muito forte, mais do que ela pensa, e seus companheiros foram exatamente criados para ela, porque a forma como cada um a completa e a guia em cada passo é simplesmente DIVINO. Eu me peguei rindo alto em diversas cenas, chorei em pequenos momentos e me senti grata por ler uma história MUITO BOA, que foi feita não apenas com carinho, mas com cuidado para que tudo fosse bem amarrado no final.

E que final. Simplesmente glorioso.
Marie Mistry é aquele tipo de autora que escreve TÃO BEM que você se pega querendo ler TODAS as outras histórias dela porque você sabe que não irá se decepcionar com a escrita e o desenvolvimento dos personagens.

Marie, muito obrigada pela escrita impecável, pelo enredo envolvente, e pelo crescimento dos personagens, não apenas no romance-amor, mas como seres 'reais' que possuem sentimentos e sua própria loucura.

Caed, Lore, Drystan, Jaro, Bree foram muito reais e necessários. Estou ansiosa para ler muito mais sobre suas criações em harém reverso. CONTINUE BRILHANDO!

[Vix · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

i can't believe we got to the last book in this series! this was such a great journey to be on and marie has evolved a lot as an author and i'm so proud to see this on the pages i've read.

normally, i get quite anxious when it gets to the last book in any series because it can go wrong in so many ways... and i had my fair share of disappointment, so i was teeeeense picking this book up haha

however, i think marie did such an AMAZING job: the pace was great, the action was also on point and kept me on my toes, the angst and all the emotions this brought out (especially with drystan and caed!) and so many twists and turns! i can honestly say it was an ending that was worth waiting for.

i didn't feel like marie missed anything with any of the characters - maybe more time for jaro and more time between drystan and rosie cause i'm biased (always) - but overall i am so happy with what i've read and how it ended.

also, drystan will always be my man. ALWAYS.
thank you for bringing him to life, queen.

the end of a great series <3

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe this is the end 😭
I started this book series when I just got into reading books and it immediately set my standards so incredibly high. I have not found a single book series that came even close to the excitement this series brings for me.
I love every single character. Rose is perfect in every way. I love heroines that chose being feminine and gentle and passive and Rose is all that.
I love love love her and I am so glad they got a hea.

The ending being the scene from Caed's vision was just SO PERFECT. CURSE YOU MISTRY CAUSE I CRIED ALL THE WAY IN THE LAST 3 CHAPTERS OMG.
Rose's mom appearing AND CALLING HER HER BRAVE ROSE UGH I CRRIIEEDDD 😭😭😭
Then everyone cheering praise the 5th nicnevin UGH I CRIED

I can't believe it. What an iconic classic this book immediately became for me. I think about it almost every single day and I so badly want to draw fanart of it too.

Thank you for bringing this story to us ♥ Thank you thank you thank you!

[Boo · Rating 5 out of 5]

War, want, and waving goodbye to Faerie

This final book picks up right where the last left off. The world is built, the stakes are high, and the bonds between characters are firmly established — which is just as well, because they need all the help they can get.

The war is far from over, and they face their biggest challenge yet. But don’t worry — there’s still time for some truly enthralling group events. As we know, magical beings have a lot more fun in the bedroom. Jealousy aside, these scenes feel like a natural extension of the characters' relationships and the culture they live in. One can only dream.

The series comes to its inevitable conclusion — satisfying, emotional, and just a little bit painful. I'm genuinely devastated to be saying goodbye to Faerie and all its wonder-filled chaos.

If you like morally grey men (with just enough sweetness to undo you) and a damsel who is soft, stubborn, and stronger than she knows, this final book — and the entire Fifth Nicnevin series — is worth the ride.

[Guss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am actually sad because it ended. I had the biggest reader slump ever and I found this series and decided to give it a try. I couldn’t be more happy with my past self.

Every single character was just so lovable. I cried, laughed and smiled like a fool while kicking my feet.

The FMC Rose was amazing. The perfect mixture of softness and fierceness. I loved how she communicated and forgave yet never let anyone stomp over her.

The MMCs were precious and although I have a favorite (Drystan), I never got annoyed when a pov came. I loved every single one.

The only thing I am mad about is that I would have liked to see more fluff. I wish we got more domestic scenes at the end of Rose with all her mad doing sweet stuff (or even more spice) without the fear of dying or war behind them.

Also due to circumstances Caed and Rose’s relationship felt not as developed as the others and I’m sad because I reeeallly liked his character (I always go for the bad guys you can’t blame me)