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The Chaos Chronicles #3
Chaos Ascends
Wanted. Engaged. Missing. Nadia, Venne and Emiil have never been further apart. Laastra’s army is on the horizon, finally making their move. Yet the Seeds of the village have never been ones to give up. Hatred has gotten them nowhere but hope could save them all. Alliances will be broken. Forgiveness will be given and taken away. Blood will be spilt. Whatever happens, someone must die.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 14, 2024
About the author
Sophie Gabrielle
4 books77 followersSophie Gabrielle is a queer, chronically disabled author based in Yorkshire, UK. She studied English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Huddersfield, graduating with both a BA and MA. Sophie primarily writes fantasy romance, dealing with themes of trauma, mental illness and independence.
The first book of The Chaos Chronicles, Chaos Beckons, was self-published in 2020, with two sequels releasing in 2021 and 2024 respectively
When not writing, she can be found playing video games, reading or hugging dogs. She also speaks regularly about her battle with physical and mental illness. You can find her on BlueSky and Instagram - @SophGabsWrites.
The first book of The Chaos Chronicles, Chaos Beckons, was self-published in 2020, with two sequels releasing in 2021 and 2024 respectively
When not writing, she can be found playing video games, reading or hugging dogs. She also speaks regularly about her battle with physical and mental illness. You can find her on BlueSky and Instagram - @SophGabsWrites.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 11, 2025
This is the 3rd book in the series and this series is so easy to binge read it's action packed with a really strong plot and your heart really goes through it as you go along with the characters on there travels I really enjoyed this series and the writing is ok the pacing is well done and it really hooks you in from the start id highly recommend this series what a series I'm so glad I was told about this .
May 13, 2025
Wanted. Missing. Found. Lost. Engaged. Heartbroken.
Enraged. Starved for revenge. Betrayed.
Needed. Broken. Made and unmade.
Can one word summarise our thoughts, needs, pains, and anguish? Never. We are more than a word, more than a thought, and more than a feeling. As Venne might say, "I am not the sum of my own misfortune". Nobody is. We are all more.
And "more" is the word I might use to describe my emotional turmoil brought to life by Sophie Gabrielle's masterful writing. And the turmoil was growing by the minute I spent reading (not reading, experiencing) Chaos Ascends, Book 3 of the Chaos Chronicles. The only thing keeping me afloat was my reading buddy, Michelle, to whom I am eternally grateful for sharing this journey with me.
Chaos Ascends, while shorter than its predecessors, was everything and more. It brought more action, more twists and turns, more uncovered mysteries. Above all, it brought emotions, an abundance of them. My heart and soul were twisted and tormented by the pain, loss, rage, and hurt. And still, I never wanted for it to stop.
I wanted to immerse myself and feel everything together with the characters. I wanted to step into the unknown with them; I wanted to follow them to a place where they thought they'd never return. I wanted to rage, to break, to destroy. I wanted to inflict hurt on those who dared hurt close to my heart. I wanted to cry and offer compassion in the bleakest of moments. I wanted to hug and hold everyone, especially Emiil. Heck, I even wanted to find a place in my heart to forgive and understand Venne. What I didn't want was to forgive those I deemed went beyond forgiveness. Was I wrong? We will have to wait and see until the final book is here.
Until then, I will do my best to urge you to give this series a shot. I am eternally grateful for being gifted the opportunity to ARC read and share my love with you.
Enraged. Starved for revenge. Betrayed.
Needed. Broken. Made and unmade.
Can one word summarise our thoughts, needs, pains, and anguish? Never. We are more than a word, more than a thought, and more than a feeling. As Venne might say, "I am not the sum of my own misfortune". Nobody is. We are all more.
And "more" is the word I might use to describe my emotional turmoil brought to life by Sophie Gabrielle's masterful writing. And the turmoil was growing by the minute I spent reading (not reading, experiencing) Chaos Ascends, Book 3 of the Chaos Chronicles. The only thing keeping me afloat was my reading buddy, Michelle, to whom I am eternally grateful for sharing this journey with me.
Chaos Ascends, while shorter than its predecessors, was everything and more. It brought more action, more twists and turns, more uncovered mysteries. Above all, it brought emotions, an abundance of them. My heart and soul were twisted and tormented by the pain, loss, rage, and hurt. And still, I never wanted for it to stop.
I wanted to immerse myself and feel everything together with the characters. I wanted to step into the unknown with them; I wanted to follow them to a place where they thought they'd never return. I wanted to rage, to break, to destroy. I wanted to inflict hurt on those who dared hurt close to my heart. I wanted to cry and offer compassion in the bleakest of moments. I wanted to hug and hold everyone, especially Emiil. Heck, I even wanted to find a place in my heart to forgive and understand Venne. What I didn't want was to forgive those I deemed went beyond forgiveness. Was I wrong? We will have to wait and see until the final book is here.
Until then, I will do my best to urge you to give this series a shot. I am eternally grateful for being gifted the opportunity to ARC read and share my love with you.
May 13, 2025
Every second of this slow build trilogy is worth it for this high-stakes, thrilling conclusion! I think I’m still reeling.
Ok tension galore in this novel. Right off the hop, danger and imminent threats are coming at our characters from all sides. Emiil, Venne and Nadia are alone and in serious trouble. The pace is quite rapid-fire for most of the book, a bit of a change from the first two novels. None of this detracts from our ever growing characters though, with asides for new revelations. So much that I even got ridiculously pissed off midway through at a certain scene with Nadia and Xander and then subsequently got my socks blown off when they entirely subverted the direction I assumed the story was heading. It felt like people I know in real life, all that mess included.
Frankly, that’s hella good characterization. And to further that point, it’s an authentic message. Gabrielle is a writer you can feel very personal with because she puts so much of her soul into her work. And the best part about that is this level of self awareness that permeates her books. She writes genuine, painful situations with all the steps in between we’d maybe like to gloss over for a nice romantic story. And I love how she can drag every person though the thick of it and still arrive on the other side.
I felt the whole story really hit its stride and came together literarily here. I had time to contemplate this trilogy as a whole and my one complaint would be just tying the religion into the whole story. In the first book we started out with quotes from the Aii Staanastra which I thought were incredible world building and a unique way to reveal more about the world piece by piece. I felt if Gabrielle had separately written this holy text she could then have used key parables and quotes at the beginning of each chapter to hammer home the individual problems each character has and the parallels. Because these are evident at times and quite brilliant but could’ve been utilized to an even greater extent. Really illustrate the religious trauma, the way they were shaped from their childhood, they way they break free. And the overlying story of Laastra and Arthai is a curious one I’d love to know more about. The power is a strong undercurrent in this story and I would’ve loved to see it bind the story together even more.
Beyond that, I still felt this story really brings home each of its elements while still leaving a few unturned pieces for further exploration of this world. Seriously, every character that is introduced, main, side or barely even there is a glimpse into a deeper world that is just waiting to be seen. Fantasy is often about escape but these stories are different for the realism each character brings to illustrate the concept of there being more than one path through any mess. To me, the message is about family and struggle and ultimately triumph. Like Venne says, you are more than your trauma.
This is one of those series that grows and becomes better the deeper you get involved. Sophie Gabrielle appears to be on the rise with each subsequent novel. I’m excited to see what she’ll create next.
Thanks again so much to the author and Nathan for providing me a chance to read this series!
Ok tension galore in this novel. Right off the hop, danger and imminent threats are coming at our characters from all sides. Emiil, Venne and Nadia are alone and in serious trouble. The pace is quite rapid-fire for most of the book, a bit of a change from the first two novels. None of this detracts from our ever growing characters though, with asides for new revelations. So much that I even got ridiculously pissed off midway through at a certain scene with Nadia and Xander and then subsequently got my socks blown off when they entirely subverted the direction I assumed the story was heading. It felt like people I know in real life, all that mess included.
Frankly, that’s hella good characterization. And to further that point, it’s an authentic message. Gabrielle is a writer you can feel very personal with because she puts so much of her soul into her work. And the best part about that is this level of self awareness that permeates her books. She writes genuine, painful situations with all the steps in between we’d maybe like to gloss over for a nice romantic story. And I love how she can drag every person though the thick of it and still arrive on the other side.
I felt the whole story really hit its stride and came together literarily here. I had time to contemplate this trilogy as a whole and my one complaint would be just tying the religion into the whole story. In the first book we started out with quotes from the Aii Staanastra which I thought were incredible world building and a unique way to reveal more about the world piece by piece. I felt if Gabrielle had separately written this holy text she could then have used key parables and quotes at the beginning of each chapter to hammer home the individual problems each character has and the parallels. Because these are evident at times and quite brilliant but could’ve been utilized to an even greater extent. Really illustrate the religious trauma, the way they were shaped from their childhood, they way they break free. And the overlying story of Laastra and Arthai is a curious one I’d love to know more about. The power is a strong undercurrent in this story and I would’ve loved to see it bind the story together even more.
Beyond that, I still felt this story really brings home each of its elements while still leaving a few unturned pieces for further exploration of this world. Seriously, every character that is introduced, main, side or barely even there is a glimpse into a deeper world that is just waiting to be seen. Fantasy is often about escape but these stories are different for the realism each character brings to illustrate the concept of there being more than one path through any mess. To me, the message is about family and struggle and ultimately triumph. Like Venne says, you are more than your trauma.
This is one of those series that grows and becomes better the deeper you get involved. Sophie Gabrielle appears to be on the rise with each subsequent novel. I’m excited to see what she’ll create next.
Thanks again so much to the author and Nathan for providing me a chance to read this series!
May 11, 2025
I finished this book last night, and it took me an entire day to make sense of what I'm feeling. It ripped my heart into pieces repeatedly and then stitched it back together. I have rarely come across a series that weaved so many complex emotions in such a beautiful manner. Sophie Gabrielle is truly a genuis, and this series is a hidden gem that deserves more recognition.
I jumped into this book right after the second one because I was impatient after the cliffhanger. The entire time I was torn between wanting to know what happens next and trying to go slow as I couldn't bear the thought of letting these characters go, especially because I didn't know when the sequel would be out.
This book focused on the themes of redemption and forgiveness—those who deserved it and those who were too far gone to be saved. I kept changing my opinions about certain characters as they evolved throughout the series. They were all flawed, but that's what made me connect with them on a deeper level.
I love the found-family trope, and it was executed perfectly in the book. For once, they were all on the same page, not running off to do their own thing but choosing to stick by each other. Just when I thought it wasn't possible to love Johanna any more than I already did, she would do something awesome, and I'd be a fan all over again.
This book was even more action-packed than the previous ones, and I couldn't find a single dull moment. Neither the characters nor I had any breathing time as it was one chaotic scene after another.
The ending was difficult for me. Even though it took care of the conflict in a satisfying manner, one particular loss hit me hard. I ugly cried while reading the scene and even after I had finished the book. I also messaged my reading buddy, Ana, and together we discussed how devastated we were. But that's how powerful the writing is, if it can make us cry over a fictional character.
I'm eagerly waiting for Book 4. Can't wait to see what Sophie's brilliant mind conjures up this time.
I jumped into this book right after the second one because I was impatient after the cliffhanger. The entire time I was torn between wanting to know what happens next and trying to go slow as I couldn't bear the thought of letting these characters go, especially because I didn't know when the sequel would be out.
This book focused on the themes of redemption and forgiveness—those who deserved it and those who were too far gone to be saved. I kept changing my opinions about certain characters as they evolved throughout the series. They were all flawed, but that's what made me connect with them on a deeper level.
I love the found-family trope, and it was executed perfectly in the book. For once, they were all on the same page, not running off to do their own thing but choosing to stick by each other. Just when I thought it wasn't possible to love Johanna any more than I already did, she would do something awesome, and I'd be a fan all over again.
This book was even more action-packed than the previous ones, and I couldn't find a single dull moment. Neither the characters nor I had any breathing time as it was one chaotic scene after another.
The ending was difficult for me. Even though it took care of the conflict in a satisfying manner, one particular loss hit me hard. I ugly cried while reading the scene and even after I had finished the book. I also messaged my reading buddy, Ana, and together we discussed how devastated we were. But that's how powerful the writing is, if it can make us cry over a fictional character.
I'm eagerly waiting for Book 4. Can't wait to see what Sophie's brilliant mind conjures up this time.
April 27, 2025
Reading the book felt almost bittersweet. Following a three-year hiatus by the author for mental health reasons, it feels surreal to finally find out what happens to everyone after the massive cliffhanger of Book 2. While I held off on reading the series until this book was finished, there's a real sense of maturity in both the writing of the characters and the story in general, one that could have only come with the passage of time. You can sense the personal connection that the author has with these characters, with this story, and how that has changed over time.
And that's not to say that Chaos Ascends is lacking in any way. Every strength exhibited by Sophie Gabrielle from the first two books has carried over. Excellent character dialogue, tense and gripping plot points, and a narrative that continues to surprise and subvert the reader's expectations are all in abundance here. It's just that themes have shifted more towards healing and forgiveness, rather than anger and vengeance (although it's still not lacking in either of those).
While shorter than the previous book, Chaos Ascends focuses on what makes this series so special while also expanding on the world and grander narrative. The final 30 pages were spent with my mouth agape; crying, screaming, swearing, and in shock at the end of each chapter. While I know there's more to come, there's a hole in my life that has been carved out by this series, one that I couldn't imagine being filled by anything soon.
*Disclaimer: The author is my partner, but she wrote and published the first two books, as well as the majority of this book before we first met. In 2024, upon completion of the third book of this series, I helped her to redesign the covers for all three books and assisting with the work needed for the paperback release. I asked to borrow the sample paperback copies to read of my own volition and had no creative input on the contents of the books themselves. These views are my own and represent my 100% honest opinions, which have been kept private from the author prior to this review.*
And that's not to say that Chaos Ascends is lacking in any way. Every strength exhibited by Sophie Gabrielle from the first two books has carried over. Excellent character dialogue, tense and gripping plot points, and a narrative that continues to surprise and subvert the reader's expectations are all in abundance here. It's just that themes have shifted more towards healing and forgiveness, rather than anger and vengeance (although it's still not lacking in either of those).
While shorter than the previous book, Chaos Ascends focuses on what makes this series so special while also expanding on the world and grander narrative. The final 30 pages were spent with my mouth agape; crying, screaming, swearing, and in shock at the end of each chapter. While I know there's more to come, there's a hole in my life that has been carved out by this series, one that I couldn't imagine being filled by anything soon.
*Disclaimer: The author is my partner, but she wrote and published the first two books, as well as the majority of this book before we first met. In 2024, upon completion of the third book of this series, I helped her to redesign the covers for all three books and assisting with the work needed for the paperback release. I asked to borrow the sample paperback copies to read of my own volition and had no creative input on the contents of the books themselves. These views are my own and represent my 100% honest opinions, which have been kept private from the author prior to this review.*
February 20, 2025
I had the opportunity to read this ARC, and while it was on the shorter side, it definitely didn’t lack intensity! Packed with drama, betrayal, and a fight for freedom, the tension was high from start to finish.
With themes of religion, faith, manipulation, and rebellion, relationships are put to the test. There’s heartbreak, hope, and the question of forgiveness, all adding emotional weight to the story.
And those final chapters? Absolutely dramatic! 💔 It’s clear that chaos is the perfect word to describe this series, with twists and turns at every corner. I’m really curious to see how it all ends… 💭✨⚔️
Rating: Around 4⭐️’s
With themes of religion, faith, manipulation, and rebellion, relationships are put to the test. There’s heartbreak, hope, and the question of forgiveness, all adding emotional weight to the story.
And those final chapters? Absolutely dramatic! 💔 It’s clear that chaos is the perfect word to describe this series, with twists and turns at every corner. I’m really curious to see how it all ends… 💭✨⚔️
Rating: Around 4⭐️’s
May 29, 2025
Chaos Ascends
The Chaos Chronicles Book Three
By Sophie Gabrielle
🏹 A Fantasy Romance of Godly Proportions
💎 Strangers to Lovers to ???
🔥 Morally Grey Characters
✨️ Found Family
🗡 LGBTQ+ Characters
🏹 Strong / Competent Heroine
💎 Magic
🔥 Unal¡ver God
✨️ Multi POV
Nadia, Venne and Johanna are back with bite in this third instalment of The Chaos Chronicles, where we see Emiil has been kidnapped by Laastra, so its a big race against the clock for them to try and figure out how to find her and get Emiil back. But Laastra isn't their only issue we see in this book as they are all still trapped in the city at the start, Venne is engaged to the Princess, Nadia has her thing going with Xander (he still give me the creeps, always has) and Johanna is still doing her thing, but they need an out A.S.A.P.
You see some pretty big battles as this book is filled with them right up to the end, but will they all make it out alive, and will they find Emiil in time or will he be taken over by Laastra's husband Arthai?
This has been my favourite so far out of the Chronicles, they just keep getting better and better 😍 I can't wait for book 4!
Chaos Ascends is out everywhere now 😘🖤
#foundfamily #strangerstolovers #morallygrey #magic #fantasyromance #thechaoschronicles #chaosascends #sophiegabrielle #bookish #booksoutnow #booksavailableeverywhere #fantasyreads #godlypowers
The Chaos Chronicles Book Three
By Sophie Gabrielle
🏹 A Fantasy Romance of Godly Proportions
💎 Strangers to Lovers to ???
🔥 Morally Grey Characters
✨️ Found Family
🗡 LGBTQ+ Characters
🏹 Strong / Competent Heroine
💎 Magic
🔥 Unal¡ver God
✨️ Multi POV
Nadia, Venne and Johanna are back with bite in this third instalment of The Chaos Chronicles, where we see Emiil has been kidnapped by Laastra, so its a big race against the clock for them to try and figure out how to find her and get Emiil back. But Laastra isn't their only issue we see in this book as they are all still trapped in the city at the start, Venne is engaged to the Princess, Nadia has her thing going with Xander (he still give me the creeps, always has) and Johanna is still doing her thing, but they need an out A.S.A.P.
You see some pretty big battles as this book is filled with them right up to the end, but will they all make it out alive, and will they find Emiil in time or will he be taken over by Laastra's husband Arthai?
This has been my favourite so far out of the Chronicles, they just keep getting better and better 😍 I can't wait for book 4!
Chaos Ascends is out everywhere now 😘🖤
#foundfamily #strangerstolovers #morallygrey #magic #fantasyromance #thechaoschronicles #chaosascends #sophiegabrielle #bookish #booksoutnow #booksavailableeverywhere #fantasyreads #godlypowers
May 20, 2025
Chaos Ascends by Sophie Gabrielle is the third book in the Chaos Chronicles series. This series is a must-read. There are gods, revenge, betrayal, love, and found family.
Chaos Ascends primarily revolves around the found family trope. Our main characters have left a painful past together, moved on to separate endeavors, and made decisions they regret, but now they're coming together as the family they were meant to be. The evil which has torn the friends apart becomes their goal to defeat so that they may live their lives the way they originally intended.
Chaos Ascends is an emotional ending to this trilogy with love, loss, and happy endings. Chaos Chronicles is a series you should definitely check out
Chaos Ascends primarily revolves around the found family trope. Our main characters have left a painful past together, moved on to separate endeavors, and made decisions they regret, but now they're coming together as the family they were meant to be. The evil which has torn the friends apart becomes their goal to defeat so that they may live their lives the way they originally intended.
Chaos Ascends is an emotional ending to this trilogy with love, loss, and happy endings. Chaos Chronicles is a series you should definitely check out
May 16, 2026
So I finally finished the 3rd book of the Chaos Chronicles, which I absolutely loved. This time it doesn't jump time but follows up immediately after the events of Chaos Lies (2nd book), where we see Vene, Nadia, Johanna, & Theo unite to find a missing Emiil, last seen with Laastra. While it is shorter than the prior book, it's just as engrossing and adventure-filled. And there were parts I highlighted because of the feeling of true wisdom in them.
Xander kind of turns out to be a bit of an obsessed creeper, though. I am wondering what happened to him and the ghosts. And Faith, while not an actual antagonist (or perhaps rather a minor one), more clearly shows her self-serving interests through her actions (or inaction) and what she chooses not to say or do. Not that I'm up to the 3rd book, I sort of want to discuss just what each character seems symbolic of:
Xander, to me, is that unhealthy, hidden obsessiveness that can masquerade as love at first, but then reveals itself in the very actions taken by the person. Xander claims he does things to keep Nadia and Theo safe (and here I question, but not Emiil? I have to wonder about that), such as forcefully imprisoning them. Also, keeping secrets from those he claims as family, with what to him are valid-seeming excuses for it. I get the impression he started just as ideal as Theo, especially during their academy days, but somewhere, he took a wrong turn and something in him changed.
Princess Faith is representative of a person who is concerned with outward appearances and how she is perceived by the public. A very political personality. She wears masks within masks and you never really see but glimpses of her true self. She also remains very enigmatic because, aside from Theo telling Vene, Nadia, & Johanna about when he and Xander first met her at the academy, we really don't know her story or what really happened. Here, I'm guessing, because there is absolutely no true indication of that part in her story, but I'm thinking her parents originally (I mean, what happened to her father?) must have conspired sometime after Faith was born to try and escape, and her father dies during the escape because he was stalling any pursuit. I'd like to think Faith's parents must have had some kind of love for each other, and Faith's mother bided her time and plotted revenge against her village. Anyway, Faith uses decadence and debauchery in her court as a means of shielding her true activity and pacifying those in the upper echelons of her kingdom as a means of control over political power. There's much more going on.
Emiil & Theo are innocence and optimism all rolled into one, though I think Theo has a lot more political savvy than Xander ever truly believes in or credits him for. While Emiil is also simplicity itself. He represents the lodestone in a family, the center that keeps everything balanced because his wants are pretty straightforward - to feel safe, loved, and to have a sense of home. A place just to be. Theo is the nurturing force that strengthens that without really expecting anything in return because all he wants is for his family to be safe and happy. And when an element is out of balance and brings unhappiness, chaos ensues.
Vene is a lost boy searching, not realizing what he searches for has been right in front of him from the beginning. I think his character is the one who had the steepest growth curve. Nadia, Emiil, and even Johanna did grow, but Vene was sort of a late bloomer in truly learning. It took him close to two years to really fly the nest and find his inner courage. The others saw Faith and her court for what they were.
Nadia is the flame that doesn't die. The fighting spirit that doesn't really stop fighting, even when all her confidence has been stripped to the bare minimum, and she has to heal and re-learn how to adapt and move her body. She fights because she doesn't know how to give up. She is also a lodestone for both Vene and Emiil, though both she and Vene fight to deny that. Poor Emiil, he's left bereft for a good amount of time because of that. While Nadia is just as complex as Faith, just not as Byzantine about it, at the heart of all that complexity, her most ardent need is the love and security of family. Power is only good to help her accomplish immediate goals, but then put away after those goals are accomplished. In many ways, she was at her lowest when she met Xander and after her injury was in a place where he helped to make her co-dependent on him. I was happy she began to eventually find her own center again.
As to questions, what's Faith really up to now? What happened to all those other stars that weren't killed? What about Purgis? What happened to him, and where did he go? Magda seems to be travelling, so she's alive at least. Why does Emiil have two different colored eyes? Does this mean at least a small part of Arthai's memories remains with him? What happened to Xander, and will he be coming back? I hope he grows in a much healthier direction as well. Since Nadia, Emiil, & Vene are technically bonded with each other via magic, and Emiil and Theo are together, does this put them in a polyrelationship of sorts? Do Nadia and Vene become closer themselves? There's so much I want to find out.
Xander kind of turns out to be a bit of an obsessed creeper, though. I am wondering what happened to him and the ghosts. And Faith, while not an actual antagonist (or perhaps rather a minor one), more clearly shows her self-serving interests through her actions (or inaction) and what she chooses not to say or do. Not that I'm up to the 3rd book, I sort of want to discuss just what each character seems symbolic of:
Xander, to me, is that unhealthy, hidden obsessiveness that can masquerade as love at first, but then reveals itself in the very actions taken by the person. Xander claims he does things to keep Nadia and Theo safe (and here I question, but not Emiil? I have to wonder about that), such as forcefully imprisoning them. Also, keeping secrets from those he claims as family, with what to him are valid-seeming excuses for it. I get the impression he started just as ideal as Theo, especially during their academy days, but somewhere, he took a wrong turn and something in him changed.
Princess Faith is representative of a person who is concerned with outward appearances and how she is perceived by the public. A very political personality. She wears masks within masks and you never really see but glimpses of her true self. She also remains very enigmatic because, aside from Theo telling Vene, Nadia, & Johanna about when he and Xander first met her at the academy, we really don't know her story or what really happened. Here, I'm guessing, because there is absolutely no true indication of that part in her story, but I'm thinking her parents originally (I mean, what happened to her father?) must have conspired sometime after Faith was born to try and escape, and her father dies during the escape because he was stalling any pursuit. I'd like to think Faith's parents must have had some kind of love for each other, and Faith's mother bided her time and plotted revenge against her village. Anyway, Faith uses decadence and debauchery in her court as a means of shielding her true activity and pacifying those in the upper echelons of her kingdom as a means of control over political power. There's much more going on.
Emiil & Theo are innocence and optimism all rolled into one, though I think Theo has a lot more political savvy than Xander ever truly believes in or credits him for. While Emiil is also simplicity itself. He represents the lodestone in a family, the center that keeps everything balanced because his wants are pretty straightforward - to feel safe, loved, and to have a sense of home. A place just to be. Theo is the nurturing force that strengthens that without really expecting anything in return because all he wants is for his family to be safe and happy. And when an element is out of balance and brings unhappiness, chaos ensues.
Vene is a lost boy searching, not realizing what he searches for has been right in front of him from the beginning. I think his character is the one who had the steepest growth curve. Nadia, Emiil, and even Johanna did grow, but Vene was sort of a late bloomer in truly learning. It took him close to two years to really fly the nest and find his inner courage. The others saw Faith and her court for what they were.
Nadia is the flame that doesn't die. The fighting spirit that doesn't really stop fighting, even when all her confidence has been stripped to the bare minimum, and she has to heal and re-learn how to adapt and move her body. She fights because she doesn't know how to give up. She is also a lodestone for both Vene and Emiil, though both she and Vene fight to deny that. Poor Emiil, he's left bereft for a good amount of time because of that. While Nadia is just as complex as Faith, just not as Byzantine about it, at the heart of all that complexity, her most ardent need is the love and security of family. Power is only good to help her accomplish immediate goals, but then put away after those goals are accomplished. In many ways, she was at her lowest when she met Xander and after her injury was in a place where he helped to make her co-dependent on him. I was happy she began to eventually find her own center again.
As to questions, what's Faith really up to now? What happened to all those other stars that weren't killed? What about Purgis? What happened to him, and where did he go? Magda seems to be travelling, so she's alive at least. Why does Emiil have two different colored eyes? Does this mean at least a small part of Arthai's memories remains with him? What happened to Xander, and will he be coming back? I hope he grows in a much healthier direction as well. Since Nadia, Emiil, & Vene are technically bonded with each other via magic, and Emiil and Theo are together, does this put them in a polyrelationship of sorts? Do Nadia and Vene become closer themselves? There's so much I want to find out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2025
After the cliffhanger in book 2 I just had to start reading the final book in this fantastic trilogy. In this book we find our group of seeds scattered all over the place and mostly broken to pieces. Venne is being forced into an engagement with Faith, however he is very unhappy and hating every minute of his life full of frivolity in the palace, where he felt more like the jester than a prince. Nadia breaks up with Xander who she feels is trying to imprison her, and keep her from searching for Emiil who has ventured forth and never returned. She is totally disillusioned by his lies. In this book Johanna plays a much bigger role as she supports Nadia and travels with her in search of Emiil. However Emiil has been taken by the Goddess who has plans which she needs him for. Nadia is still hellbent on making sure the goddess dies at her hands. This book is full of betrayals, heartbreak, as well as strong bonds of love and loyalty. I expected more after the 2 powerful books considering this is the ending we have all been anticipating, and I must admit the battle fell short for me at least. The story is shorter than the previous 2 books and I think it lacked their power, nonetheless it did end quite well!
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May 3, 2025Out now! Link in bio.
You didn't think a mental breakdown would stop me writing, did you?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DK32BHNZ
Trigger/Content Warnings: explicit violence, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, death, physical and emotional abuse.
You didn't think a mental breakdown would stop me writing, did you?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DK32BHNZ
Trigger/Content Warnings: explicit violence, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, death, physical and emotional abuse.
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