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Fate of the Five #1
Fate of the Five: Veil of Vasara
A new King needs a new Queen after his parents are found dead, but the Courting Season opens his Palace to candidates from all across the Five Kingdoms, including one who has been sent there with her brother...to win and kill him
Athlion
Sorcery is banned yet vital for the world's survival. Both kinds of magic wielders, Accipereans and Dareans are either kept as captive "Vessels" to drain across the Five Kingdoms (Vasara, Jurasa, Kalnasa, Zeima and Audra), running for their lives, or cursed to do the bidding of humans. But there’s a problem, each Kingdom is beginning to run out of Vessels…
Year 1118
Two Vessels, Nemina and Baz, escape from the Audra's draining centre. At the same time, Vasara's King and Queen are found dead. Their only surviving heir Eliel, has no choice but to hold the Courting Season, where candidates and an accompanying escort from each of Five Kingdoms are sent to vie for his hand in marriage. All the while, Eliel must hunt down the sorcerers wreaking havoc across Athlion.
The Bird of Death
Prince Nathon Albarsan is only known to Athlion as “The Vulture”, a depraved assassin and spy for his father. But what Athlion, and even his own sister does not know, is that Nathon is not a willing employee. No more so than when he is tasked with escorting his sister Loria to the Courting Season as Audra's candidate, to help her fulfil their father's mission…kill the new King.
Told from the first person perspective of eight individuals, Fate of the Five follows the lives of Nathon, Loria, Hestan, Eliel, Elias, Shadae, Nemina and Baz as they collide through schemes of politics and war, through tragedy and betrayal and in unlikely friendship and love.
But the past holds devastating secrets and everyone has sinned to survive.
What is everyone hiding?
Where does the true evil lie?
And what will remain…once it's unleashed?
Trigger warnings include mention/involvement Violence, blood, sexual assault, domestic abuse, child abuse, suicide, substance use, mental health issues, panic attacks, derealization, captivity, infant harm, ableism (towards a disabled main character), torture
Athlion
Sorcery is banned yet vital for the world's survival. Both kinds of magic wielders, Accipereans and Dareans are either kept as captive "Vessels" to drain across the Five Kingdoms (Vasara, Jurasa, Kalnasa, Zeima and Audra), running for their lives, or cursed to do the bidding of humans. But there’s a problem, each Kingdom is beginning to run out of Vessels…
Year 1118
Two Vessels, Nemina and Baz, escape from the Audra's draining centre. At the same time, Vasara's King and Queen are found dead. Their only surviving heir Eliel, has no choice but to hold the Courting Season, where candidates and an accompanying escort from each of Five Kingdoms are sent to vie for his hand in marriage. All the while, Eliel must hunt down the sorcerers wreaking havoc across Athlion.
The Bird of Death
Prince Nathon Albarsan is only known to Athlion as “The Vulture”, a depraved assassin and spy for his father. But what Athlion, and even his own sister does not know, is that Nathon is not a willing employee. No more so than when he is tasked with escorting his sister Loria to the Courting Season as Audra's candidate, to help her fulfil their father's mission…kill the new King.
Told from the first person perspective of eight individuals, Fate of the Five follows the lives of Nathon, Loria, Hestan, Eliel, Elias, Shadae, Nemina and Baz as they collide through schemes of politics and war, through tragedy and betrayal and in unlikely friendship and love.
But the past holds devastating secrets and everyone has sinned to survive.
What is everyone hiding?
Where does the true evil lie?
And what will remain…once it's unleashed?
Trigger warnings include mention/involvement Violence, blood, sexual assault, domestic abuse, child abuse, suicide, substance use, mental health issues, panic attacks, derealization, captivity, infant harm, ableism (towards a disabled main character), torture
690 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2025
45 people are currently reading
3193 people want to read
About the author
Niamh Rose
3 books136 followersNiamh Rose is an author of fantasy, historical, and LGBTQIA+ novels. Her fixation on Dr. Who aged eight, and on Lord of the Rings aged twelve, set off a lifelong love of the fantasy and supernatural genres. Niamh's adoration of all things mythological and magical goes into everything she writes, as well as influences from her favourite shows, anime, manga, and books.
Her favourite reads of all time are Heaven's Official Blessing, Infernal Devices, and Wuthering Heights. Some of her favourite shows include Merlin, Game of Thrones, Word of Honour, Till the End of the Moon, and Fleabag.
Niamh is currently working on three different book series; Fate of the Five; To Forge A Sinner, and We Who Dwell in Dreams, and three standalone books; The Notes of No-one, The Stars that Bleed, and The Last of their Craft.You can find more about her projects on social media @niamhrosewrites.
That's the official version. Unofficially, Niamh is a fictional simp who writes her maladaptive daydreams down. If they're going to be that detailed, she may as well flesh them out, right?
Her favourite reads of all time are Heaven's Official Blessing, Infernal Devices, and Wuthering Heights. Some of her favourite shows include Merlin, Game of Thrones, Word of Honour, Till the End of the Moon, and Fleabag.
Niamh is currently working on three different book series; Fate of the Five; To Forge A Sinner, and We Who Dwell in Dreams, and three standalone books; The Notes of No-one, The Stars that Bleed, and The Last of their Craft.You can find more about her projects on social media @niamhrosewrites.
That's the official version. Unofficially, Niamh is a fictional simp who writes her maladaptive daydreams down. If they're going to be that detailed, she may as well flesh them out, right?
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
February 11, 2025
What a solid debut fantasy book! If you like political high fantasy with a large cast of characters and STRONG world-building, couldn't recommend Fate of the Five more.
The eight POVs definitely sound intimidating at first, but each character was distinct from one another that I never once was confused who was narrating. Which, I think, is quite a tall order when there's that many perspectives. Heston's POVs were by far my favorite. And I loved how all of the characters were one way or another interconnected, even if they didn't interact much on page. I can't wait to see how the author will have them all come together in the next installment.
I also think it's best if you go in blind without reading the glossary/information at the beginning. The author does a great job of building the world and lore without going on info-dumping tangents. The world-building, magic systems, etc., are seamlessly woven into the story and felt natural. Though it was SO helpful to have a glossary to refer to as I was reading. I love having such a clear picture of the world.
The pacing was good overall—slower in some parts, but I liked how the author balanced the character development/motivation scenes with action scenes. I wasn't too surprised by the plot twist, but the cliffhanger was painful (in a good way lol). I also wish there was a bit more action revolving the queen courting plot...maybe high stakes trials? And the romance is VERY slow burn. I have a solid guess as to who the endgame couples will be, but I'm not 100% sure. So you may or may not like that type of romance. But overall, such a great fantasy!
Thank you so much to Niamh Rose for sending me an ARC of Fate of the Five. As always, my reviews are one hundred percent voluntary and all opinions are my own :)
The eight POVs definitely sound intimidating at first, but each character was distinct from one another that I never once was confused who was narrating. Which, I think, is quite a tall order when there's that many perspectives. Heston's POVs were by far my favorite. And I loved how all of the characters were one way or another interconnected, even if they didn't interact much on page. I can't wait to see how the author will have them all come together in the next installment.
I also think it's best if you go in blind without reading the glossary/information at the beginning. The author does a great job of building the world and lore without going on info-dumping tangents. The world-building, magic systems, etc., are seamlessly woven into the story and felt natural. Though it was SO helpful to have a glossary to refer to as I was reading. I love having such a clear picture of the world.
The pacing was good overall—slower in some parts, but I liked how the author balanced the character development/motivation scenes with action scenes. I wasn't too surprised by the plot twist, but the cliffhanger was painful (in a good way lol). I also wish there was a bit more action revolving the queen courting plot...maybe high stakes trials? And the romance is VERY slow burn. I have a solid guess as to who the endgame couples will be, but I'm not 100% sure. So you may or may not like that type of romance. But overall, such a great fantasy!
Thank you so much to Niamh Rose for sending me an ARC of Fate of the Five. As always, my reviews are one hundred percent voluntary and all opinions are my own :)
January 16, 2025
ARC review
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯4/5 stars✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
that ending was FOUL. the cliffhanger- i’m unwell 😭😭😭
this book was so freaking good. the world-building, all of the different characters, the plot, the fantasy elements, i LOVED it all. this book is told in multiple different POV’s so i will say that i struggled a little bit with that, but that’s just a me thing. it was hard for me to keep track of the different story lines and all of the characters, but i was still very entertained throughout the whole book.
now listen- the romance in this is SLOWWWW burn. like the slowest of burns that i think i’ve ever read, but boyyyy did it have me on MY knees. the tension and longing is SO thick up in here, i was kicking my feet over the smallest of interactions. one specific “couple” (not a couple yet) had my whole heart and i swear if they don’t get their happy ever after in the next book im gonna riot 😔🙏🏼
that last 10% of the book had me STRESSING and now i have to wait until 2026 to find out what happens 🤠 (i’m crashing out). i can’t wait 😩
thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this as an ARC ♥️
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯4/5 stars✯ ✯ ✯ ✯
that ending was FOUL. the cliffhanger- i’m unwell 😭😭😭
this book was so freaking good. the world-building, all of the different characters, the plot, the fantasy elements, i LOVED it all. this book is told in multiple different POV’s so i will say that i struggled a little bit with that, but that’s just a me thing. it was hard for me to keep track of the different story lines and all of the characters, but i was still very entertained throughout the whole book.
now listen- the romance in this is SLOWWWW burn. like the slowest of burns that i think i’ve ever read, but boyyyy did it have me on MY knees. the tension and longing is SO thick up in here, i was kicking my feet over the smallest of interactions. one specific “couple” (not a couple yet) had my whole heart and i swear if they don’t get their happy ever after in the next book im gonna riot 😔🙏🏼
that last 10% of the book had me STRESSING and now i have to wait until 2026 to find out what happens 🤠 (i’m crashing out). i can’t wait 😩
thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this as an ARC ♥️
December 12, 2024
GET THE FUCK OUT (rtc)
May 15, 2024
This is the sort of book that makes me insane [affectionate]. I loved it.
THE PREMISE: the five kingdoms have each sent a representative for the Courting Season to win the King’s hand … including the Royal siblings from Audra, who also plan to kill him.
TROPES & VIBES:
- Game of Thrones x Avatar: The Last Airbender x Foxhole Court x Throne of Glass
- Assassination plot
- Multi-pov fantasy epic with intertwining storylines and love interests. All intense, multi-book slowburns
- Kind of reads like anime / fanfic (a compliment)
- Amazing world building and magic system. Just, so fucking cool
- My fave pairing: vicious sad boy assassin prince x stoic cinammon roll Captain of the Hunt (MM). This is a Nathon Stan account
4.5⭐️ No 🌶️ (check TWs: dark themes)
THE PREMISE: the five kingdoms have each sent a representative for the Courting Season to win the King’s hand … including the Royal siblings from Audra, who also plan to kill him.
TROPES & VIBES:
- Game of Thrones x Avatar: The Last Airbender x Foxhole Court x Throne of Glass
- Assassination plot
- Multi-pov fantasy epic with intertwining storylines and love interests. All intense, multi-book slowburns
- Kind of reads like anime / fanfic (a compliment)
- Amazing world building and magic system. Just, so fucking cool
- My fave pairing: vicious sad boy assassin prince x stoic cinammon roll Captain of the Hunt (MM). This is a Nathon Stan account
4.5⭐️ No 🌶️ (check TWs: dark themes)
November 19, 2025
4.75 ⭐️
- dark fantasy
- Multi POV
- political intrigue
- morally gray characters
- diversity, queer &disability rep
- slowburn romance
Thank you to the author for this ARC!! 🫶🏼
Fate of the Five is a (DEBUT!) political dark fantasy with extensive worldbuilding and a plot that will keep you guessing until the very very end 👀
This book seriously has everything you could ever ask for in a fantasy; the most interesting morally gray characters (!!), a great magic system, court politics, so many little twists and turns (that will make you question everything, including your sanity) and, you guessed it, a (very gay, VERY slow burn) romance that'll have you lying awake at night contemplating writing fanfiction about them, despite not even having finished the book yet-........ or so I've heard.........🧍🏻♀️
I really appreciated how the plot starts out rather slow, allowing the reader to really get to know the characters and grasp the worldbuilding, before it gradually picks up in pace. It felt natural and never too rushed. 🙂↕️
Since we are following a huge cast of characters, who each have their own POV, we are introduced to many different plotlines throughout the story. All of which are, in some ways, intertwined with one another..👀
There are several mysteries unfolding, schemes happening at all times and all sorts of alliances forming.
I never wanted to stop reading bc I just HAD to know what happens next. It's a truly addictive and engaging story that never gets boring.
I also loved the representation in this book. The diversity of the characters, the queer and disability rep and how it was all handled and built into the story 🫶🏼
The characters were just overall incredibly well written and so so easy to love🥹 (or ...to hate 👀)
ESPECIALLY hestan, my sweet summerchild and my pookie nathon 🫂 !!!! I love them so MUCH y'all, they've infiltrated my mind and will not leave me alone!
(There's another character that had me going absolutely feral and simping like never before, but I guess you'll have to read and find out who it is)
With this many characters that all have their own goals, motivations and issues to deal with, you can be assured to get lots and lots of drama and be very entertained. 🙂↕️
Talking of; please be aware this IS a darker fantasy that deals with dark topics, so please check trigger warnings!!
Now.. the romance🧎🏻♀️🧎🏻♀️🧎🏻♀️
for some reason I went into this book expecting little to no romance 🤩 and boy I've never been happier to have been so wrong. 😭😭😭
We actually get way more than just one romance subplot in the book but I'm gonna keep it short and make this all about my favs (without naming names), because guys.. when I tell you this was some Jane Austen level of longing...... the tenderness of it all... Shakespeare could not have written this if he tried. 🧎🏻♀️
If you want a slow romance that develops in the most beautifully realistic way and is just SO believable, this is the book for you 🫵🏼
The TENSION between the two characters had me wanting to eat my fist omg. I simply did not know how to act whenever they were in a scene together (WHICH WAS ALL THE TIME). Tis probably one of my favorite slowburn romances now. You get ALL the juicy bits you could ever dream of: accidental hand brushing, tiny glances, an uncomfortable amount of eye contact, OBLIVIOUS flirting, hurt / comfort, finding any and every excuse to touch one another- UGHHHHHHH I could go on and on (seriously I could) what I'm saying is YES THERE IS ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK AND IT'S STUNNING!
This review has gotten too long already so let's wrap this up by saying that the ending had me screaming, pacing up and down my room, yapping to my mom and taking an ibuprofen all at the same time- it was WILD!! and SO GOOD 😭 idk how I'll survive waiting for book two, I really don't know 🧍🏻♀️
please please do yourself a favor and read FATE OF THE FIVE when it comes out (11th february!) !!!!! so we can all scream about it together 😭
I'm also positive this cured my fantasy slump so there's that 🧍🏻♀️
- dark fantasy
- Multi POV
- political intrigue
- morally gray characters
- diversity, queer &disability rep
- slowburn romance
Thank you to the author for this ARC!! 🫶🏼
Fate of the Five is a (DEBUT!) political dark fantasy with extensive worldbuilding and a plot that will keep you guessing until the very very end 👀
This book seriously has everything you could ever ask for in a fantasy; the most interesting morally gray characters (!!), a great magic system, court politics, so many little twists and turns (that will make you question everything, including your sanity) and, you guessed it, a (very gay, VERY slow burn) romance that'll have you lying awake at night contemplating writing fanfiction about them, despite not even having finished the book yet-........ or so I've heard.........🧍🏻♀️
I really appreciated how the plot starts out rather slow, allowing the reader to really get to know the characters and grasp the worldbuilding, before it gradually picks up in pace. It felt natural and never too rushed. 🙂↕️
Since we are following a huge cast of characters, who each have their own POV, we are introduced to many different plotlines throughout the story. All of which are, in some ways, intertwined with one another..👀
There are several mysteries unfolding, schemes happening at all times and all sorts of alliances forming.
I never wanted to stop reading bc I just HAD to know what happens next. It's a truly addictive and engaging story that never gets boring.
I also loved the representation in this book. The diversity of the characters, the queer and disability rep and how it was all handled and built into the story 🫶🏼
The characters were just overall incredibly well written and so so easy to love🥹 (or ...to hate 👀)
ESPECIALLY hestan, my sweet summerchild and my pookie nathon 🫂 !!!! I love them so MUCH y'all, they've infiltrated my mind and will not leave me alone!
(There's another character that had me going absolutely feral and simping like never before, but I guess you'll have to read and find out who it is)
With this many characters that all have their own goals, motivations and issues to deal with, you can be assured to get lots and lots of drama and be very entertained. 🙂↕️
Talking of; please be aware this IS a darker fantasy that deals with dark topics, so please check trigger warnings!!
Now.. the romance🧎🏻♀️🧎🏻♀️🧎🏻♀️
for some reason I went into this book expecting little to no romance 🤩 and boy I've never been happier to have been so wrong. 😭😭😭
We actually get way more than just one romance subplot in the book but I'm gonna keep it short and make this all about my favs (without naming names), because guys.. when I tell you this was some Jane Austen level of longing...... the tenderness of it all... Shakespeare could not have written this if he tried. 🧎🏻♀️
If you want a slow romance that develops in the most beautifully realistic way and is just SO believable, this is the book for you 🫵🏼
The TENSION between the two characters had me wanting to eat my fist omg. I simply did not know how to act whenever they were in a scene together (WHICH WAS ALL THE TIME). Tis probably one of my favorite slowburn romances now. You get ALL the juicy bits you could ever dream of: accidental hand brushing, tiny glances, an uncomfortable amount of eye contact, OBLIVIOUS flirting, hurt / comfort, finding any and every excuse to touch one another- UGHHHHHHH I could go on and on (seriously I could) what I'm saying is YES THERE IS ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK AND IT'S STUNNING!
This review has gotten too long already so let's wrap this up by saying that the ending had me screaming, pacing up and down my room, yapping to my mom and taking an ibuprofen all at the same time- it was WILD!! and SO GOOD 😭 idk how I'll survive waiting for book two, I really don't know 🧍🏻♀️
please please do yourself a favor and read FATE OF THE FIVE when it comes out (11th february!) !!!!! so we can all scream about it together 😭
I'm also positive this cured my fantasy slump so there's that 🧍🏻♀️
February 2, 2025
It's so good. And that ending? What?! Shut up. I cannot wait for book 2.
March 20, 2025
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BOOK.
I am obsessed, to say the least. I was so INTO the characters, so absorbed in the plot, so feral over the blossoming romance, so up in arms over that cliffhanger- instead of reviewing, which is always the FIRST THING I DO- I spent literally DAYS working on a long-as-hell theatrical reel instead. Because... I had this absolute need to get this book out there and wanted everyone to READ IT IMMEDIATELY.
DID I MENTION THIS IS A DEBUT?!!
I cannot wrap my head around it. Niamh, you are an absolute sorceress with words- I am chomping at the bit for book 2 like you wouldn't believe. Well, actually, you can believe it- because I bother you in your DMs about sneaking me peeks of spoilers! HAHAH! Honestly though- the talent here, the fluidity of writing, the smooth storyline- it all screams of a seasoned writer- I am so very impressed.
I saw another reviewer compare this to Game of Thrones--Foxhole Court--Throne of Glass.... and I think that is a decent comparison, although I liked this a LOT better than Throne of Glass. Game of Thrones is accurate, if you add in a delicious slow-burning MM romance that had my eyes rolling back in my head in happiness- with the extra intrigue and STRANGENESS of Foxhole Court that screams fanfic-- in the best way possible. The addicting way. The way I LOVE.
"Fate of the Five" is a political fantasy. It features a world in which magic users have been captured by humans in a past war, forcing them to become prisoners and use their magic to feed the Earth. The Prince of the ruling kingdom finds himself in need of a wife after his parents are killed-- and the main plot revolves around the "courting season"-- let's find Eliel a wife-- as well as the magic users, and how everything intertwines to create quite the story of intrigue, betrayal, action, and romance.
The book focuses on 8 main POVs. I have been asked more than once if the 8 POVs makes the story confusing. The answer for me is no, and I think that is because there are two pretty distinct "divisions-" there are the 5 main characters taking place in the courting season or court drama in some way, and then the other 3 POVs are magic users, and their story and journey is a very different sort of one. Niamh does an incredible job keeping the voices separate and distinct, and while I was admittedly most interested in the POVs at court, I loved all 8 for different reasons.
The plot here SLAYS- we have magical users at war with humans, very tricky and backstabbing kinds of court intrigue, mysterious and secret characters, and so many twists I didn't see coming. Every character here has their own agenda, and none of these agendas align with the others. It often feels like no one can be trusted, and every one of these characters wants to kill the others. It is exciting in that sense, and kept me on my toes.
However, it was absolutely the characters that made this book stand out for me. Nathon, the assassin prince from Audra who was sent with his sister to kill the new King, is SUCH A SAD BOI on the inside.... and when he begins to slowly fall in longing love.... feck me sideways. He is HOT. He is DANGEROUS. He is a PAWN in his father's games. And he is also finding himself at the mercyyyyy of one VERY unexpected Captain, whose virtuous morals are of the kind Nathon has never known.
Nathon and Hestan were absolutely my favorite characters and favorite storyline taking place in this book.
King Eliel, whose mind is a steel trap- who thinks a million steps ahead of everyone else and is cunning in such a "Laurent of Vere" kind of way-- swooning over him. And I just want to wrap his damaged cousin Elias up in all the hugs and kisses- what is it about broken war heroes that gets me straight in the feels?!
The romance here between Hestan and Nathon was pretty obvious, although the slowest of all slow burns. This will take place over multiple books, so stay patient and keep your expectations in line. But we also have multiple other romances brewing- and I am pretty feral to see what develops there, too, ESPECIALLY AFTER THAT CLIFFHANGER, DAMMIT!
Guys- THIS ONE IS SO GOOD. Do yourself a favor and dive into this world... I honestly cannot recommend it enough. BRAVO to Niamh on an absolutely killer debut!
I am obsessed, to say the least. I was so INTO the characters, so absorbed in the plot, so feral over the blossoming romance, so up in arms over that cliffhanger- instead of reviewing, which is always the FIRST THING I DO- I spent literally DAYS working on a long-as-hell theatrical reel instead. Because... I had this absolute need to get this book out there and wanted everyone to READ IT IMMEDIATELY.
DID I MENTION THIS IS A DEBUT?!!
I cannot wrap my head around it. Niamh, you are an absolute sorceress with words- I am chomping at the bit for book 2 like you wouldn't believe. Well, actually, you can believe it- because I bother you in your DMs about sneaking me peeks of spoilers! HAHAH! Honestly though- the talent here, the fluidity of writing, the smooth storyline- it all screams of a seasoned writer- I am so very impressed.
I saw another reviewer compare this to Game of Thrones--Foxhole Court--Throne of Glass.... and I think that is a decent comparison, although I liked this a LOT better than Throne of Glass. Game of Thrones is accurate, if you add in a delicious slow-burning MM romance that had my eyes rolling back in my head in happiness- with the extra intrigue and STRANGENESS of Foxhole Court that screams fanfic-- in the best way possible. The addicting way. The way I LOVE.
"Fate of the Five" is a political fantasy. It features a world in which magic users have been captured by humans in a past war, forcing them to become prisoners and use their magic to feed the Earth. The Prince of the ruling kingdom finds himself in need of a wife after his parents are killed-- and the main plot revolves around the "courting season"-- let's find Eliel a wife-- as well as the magic users, and how everything intertwines to create quite the story of intrigue, betrayal, action, and romance.
The book focuses on 8 main POVs. I have been asked more than once if the 8 POVs makes the story confusing. The answer for me is no, and I think that is because there are two pretty distinct "divisions-" there are the 5 main characters taking place in the courting season or court drama in some way, and then the other 3 POVs are magic users, and their story and journey is a very different sort of one. Niamh does an incredible job keeping the voices separate and distinct, and while I was admittedly most interested in the POVs at court, I loved all 8 for different reasons.
The plot here SLAYS- we have magical users at war with humans, very tricky and backstabbing kinds of court intrigue, mysterious and secret characters, and so many twists I didn't see coming. Every character here has their own agenda, and none of these agendas align with the others. It often feels like no one can be trusted, and every one of these characters wants to kill the others. It is exciting in that sense, and kept me on my toes.
However, it was absolutely the characters that made this book stand out for me. Nathon, the assassin prince from Audra who was sent with his sister to kill the new King, is SUCH A SAD BOI on the inside.... and when he begins to slowly fall in longing love.... feck me sideways. He is HOT. He is DANGEROUS. He is a PAWN in his father's games. And he is also finding himself at the mercyyyyy of one VERY unexpected Captain, whose virtuous morals are of the kind Nathon has never known.
Nathon and Hestan were absolutely my favorite characters and favorite storyline taking place in this book.
King Eliel, whose mind is a steel trap- who thinks a million steps ahead of everyone else and is cunning in such a "Laurent of Vere" kind of way-- swooning over him. And I just want to wrap his damaged cousin Elias up in all the hugs and kisses- what is it about broken war heroes that gets me straight in the feels?!
The romance here between Hestan and Nathon was pretty obvious, although the slowest of all slow burns. This will take place over multiple books, so stay patient and keep your expectations in line. But we also have multiple other romances brewing- and I am pretty feral to see what develops there, too, ESPECIALLY AFTER THAT CLIFFHANGER, DAMMIT!
Guys- THIS ONE IS SO GOOD. Do yourself a favor and dive into this world... I honestly cannot recommend it enough. BRAVO to Niamh on an absolutely killer debut!
July 22, 2025
okay wow this was an amazing debut!
fate of the five is a queer dark adult fantasy book that gripped me from page one. we follow nine different pov’s and their journey navigating court politics, sorcery, and deadly relationships.
both the world and the magic system were very intriguing, i loved the twists the author put into sorcery and the different courts. i looooved the hints of romance we got, the longing between one couple in particular had me gasping and wanting so much more. the yearning was impeccable and i cannot wait to see where the relationship goes in book two!
my only gripe is that i wasn’t invested in all the pov’s and there were definitely some i liked way more than others. i hope in book 2 I’ll be more invested in all the characters.
THAT ENDING THO??? absolutely criminal. i will be needing a sequel ASAPPPP
fate of the five is a queer dark adult fantasy book that gripped me from page one. we follow nine different pov’s and their journey navigating court politics, sorcery, and deadly relationships.
both the world and the magic system were very intriguing, i loved the twists the author put into sorcery and the different courts. i looooved the hints of romance we got, the longing between one couple in particular had me gasping and wanting so much more. the yearning was impeccable and i cannot wait to see where the relationship goes in book two!
my only gripe is that i wasn’t invested in all the pov’s and there were definitely some i liked way more than others. i hope in book 2 I’ll be more invested in all the characters.
THAT ENDING THO??? absolutely criminal. i will be needing a sequel ASAPPPP
March 13, 2025
Arc Review
Genre: Fantasy
Subgenre: dark epic fantasy
Trope: morally grey characters, political schemes, multiple POV
Rating: 5 ⭐️
I’m a fantasy fan for a reason, and that doesn’t necessarily mean I demand the presence of romance in the genre. This book is an obvious exemple why, and I loved every detail of it!
The author hits you with plot twists in a black belted ninja style. Every Pov (there are 8) keeps you hooked and leaves you wanting for more, because the characters are so well contoured that you can’t get lost in the shifts between them.
There’s a very unique, complex and perfectly delivered worldbuilding that is easy to follow and it makes you get lost in the story, with a beautiful detailed map.
Action at every turn, twists that will leave you craving for more, and our centre masterpiece, Nathon, who will steal your heart with every encounter and his mere presence in every chapter.
The interactions between Nathon and Hestan were such a delight that I’m still thinking about them.
Nemina and Baz are the perfect example for opposites attract in a Bff relationship.
Elias and Shadae have an akward boss- employee relationship full of adventures.
Eliel and Loria have an intriguing romantic attraction.
The Healer gives the extra sparkle of enigma and secrecy to the plot.
All that I can say is that this book was addictive!
I loved every second of it, can’t wait to find out more and there are so many threads to follow that I simply can’t wait for all 5 books to come out.
P.S. Check out the authors instagram page, where you’ll find beautiful art of the characters, a quizz, fictional messages between the characters and many more.
Genre: Fantasy
Subgenre: dark epic fantasy
Trope: morally grey characters, political schemes, multiple POV
Rating: 5 ⭐️
I’m a fantasy fan for a reason, and that doesn’t necessarily mean I demand the presence of romance in the genre. This book is an obvious exemple why, and I loved every detail of it!
The author hits you with plot twists in a black belted ninja style. Every Pov (there are 8) keeps you hooked and leaves you wanting for more, because the characters are so well contoured that you can’t get lost in the shifts between them.
There’s a very unique, complex and perfectly delivered worldbuilding that is easy to follow and it makes you get lost in the story, with a beautiful detailed map.
Action at every turn, twists that will leave you craving for more, and our centre masterpiece, Nathon, who will steal your heart with every encounter and his mere presence in every chapter.
The interactions between Nathon and Hestan were such a delight that I’m still thinking about them.
Nemina and Baz are the perfect example for opposites attract in a Bff relationship.
Elias and Shadae have an akward boss- employee relationship full of adventures.
Eliel and Loria have an intriguing romantic attraction.
The Healer gives the extra sparkle of enigma and secrecy to the plot.
All that I can say is that this book was addictive!
I loved every second of it, can’t wait to find out more and there are so many threads to follow that I simply can’t wait for all 5 books to come out.
P.S. Check out the authors instagram page, where you’ll find beautiful art of the characters, a quizz, fictional messages between the characters and many more.
March 10, 2025
I just want to flat out say that this book surpassed any and all expectations I had for it. This book does a phenomenal job at setting you up to expect one thing, only to snatch that away from you, and throw something completely unexpected but good at your face.
To start off, this book pulls you right in. It initially grabbed my attention from the promotion on the author's Instagram as well as the gorgeous art (which I would 100% go check out if I were you), but once I got my hands on the book, it's safe to say that I was captivated. The pacing itself feels just right to me. There are some parts where the characters start talking for a *bit* too long, but you know, it's all part of the fun. The pacing is generally fast paced (but slower where it needs to be), and there's never a dull moment. As many people have pointed out, it ends with quite the cliffhanger as events build up and things get more and more tense, but even then, the pacing isn't too fast for what's happening.
Now on plot and worldbuilding, Fate of the Five probably has one of the most interesting magic systems I've read, and the author does a wonderful job of weaving in the elements at the right times and speed, so you're never overwhelmed or being info-dumped on. The conflict itself seems surprisingly tame and almost generic(?) as the main plot is, in simplest terms, five representatives from the five nations compete for the newly crowned king's hand in marriage, but when reading, you find that each of the characters have their own little mission/motive that takes the plot in different directions, making it overall refreshing and unique. Not to overwhelm any readers - it's not confusing (at least in my opinion). The subplots intersect often or are consistently relevant so that you don't really forget what's happening. Although it took me a month to read this because of how busy I was, I never forgot what was going on when I got to a new POV or chunk of the book (I would like to mention I have a terrible memory as well...).
On characters and POV, there are a lot of them (8 POVS!). I was a bit skeptical at first that they might end up blending together or I would forget who was who. However, Niamh crates and develops each of these characters so skillfully that they all turn out distinct and easily distinguishable. Because of their unique voices, I think even if you're not told who is narrating what chapter, you'd still be able to figure it out rather quickly. The author promised sassy and morally ambiguous characters, and boy did she deliver. There were a few who I felt got pushed to the side more than others (namely Loria, Nemina, and Baz), but they didn't become completely irrelevant, and it felt like they had a good amount of say in the story / plot in relevance to what was happening.
Overall, this was quite the enjoyable read (well, if you count me rolling around on my bed and scream-sobbing into my pillow as "enjoyable"), and I am thoroughly excited for the next book<3
Notes: This book is heavy. A list of trigger warnings can be found on the Amazon page, so I would definitely go and check that out before purchase.
*thank you to the author for the ARC! I apologise for the incredibly late review.. 😭
To start off, this book pulls you right in. It initially grabbed my attention from the promotion on the author's Instagram as well as the gorgeous art (which I would 100% go check out if I were you), but once I got my hands on the book, it's safe to say that I was captivated. The pacing itself feels just right to me. There are some parts where the characters start talking for a *bit* too long, but you know, it's all part of the fun. The pacing is generally fast paced (but slower where it needs to be), and there's never a dull moment. As many people have pointed out, it ends with quite the cliffhanger as events build up and things get more and more tense, but even then, the pacing isn't too fast for what's happening.
Now on plot and worldbuilding, Fate of the Five probably has one of the most interesting magic systems I've read, and the author does a wonderful job of weaving in the elements at the right times and speed, so you're never overwhelmed or being info-dumped on. The conflict itself seems surprisingly tame and almost generic(?) as the main plot is, in simplest terms, five representatives from the five nations compete for the newly crowned king's hand in marriage, but when reading, you find that each of the characters have their own little mission/motive that takes the plot in different directions, making it overall refreshing and unique. Not to overwhelm any readers - it's not confusing (at least in my opinion). The subplots intersect often or are consistently relevant so that you don't really forget what's happening. Although it took me a month to read this because of how busy I was, I never forgot what was going on when I got to a new POV or chunk of the book (I would like to mention I have a terrible memory as well...).
On characters and POV, there are a lot of them (8 POVS!). I was a bit skeptical at first that they might end up blending together or I would forget who was who. However, Niamh crates and develops each of these characters so skillfully that they all turn out distinct and easily distinguishable. Because of their unique voices, I think even if you're not told who is narrating what chapter, you'd still be able to figure it out rather quickly. The author promised sassy and morally ambiguous characters, and boy did she deliver. There were a few who I felt got pushed to the side more than others (namely Loria, Nemina, and Baz), but they didn't become completely irrelevant, and it felt like they had a good amount of say in the story / plot in relevance to what was happening.
Overall, this was quite the enjoyable read (well, if you count me rolling around on my bed and scream-sobbing into my pillow as "enjoyable"), and I am thoroughly excited for the next book<3
Notes: This book is heavy. A list of trigger warnings can be found on the Amazon page, so I would definitely go and check that out before purchase.
*thank you to the author for the ARC! I apologise for the incredibly late review.. 😭
March 4, 2025
Any book that makes me kick my feet over a glacial slow burn and then gasp in fear over the well-being of said blossoming characters is a WIN. And the gasps I GUSPED at the last 10%? Eliel the man you are. When I catch you!
I loved being hooked by plot twists I didn’t see coming (Eliel, I’m looking at you), and giggling and unclenching my hands over the slowest of burns (Nathon and Hestan PLEASE) and enjoyed the detailed but accessible world building.
FATE OF THE FIVE is a political fantasy wherein candidates from the five kingdoms of Athlion participate in the Courting Season for the hand of Vasara’s king. However, in a land where sorcery is prohibited, tensions and conflicts are high, coups are brewing, and powers move in the shadows to topple ruling kingdom Vasara. Magic users are ‘drained’ of their powers, funnelled into a land suffering since magic was made forbidden, kept prisoner against their will - but as secrets are uncovered and evidence of dark magic is discovered, our diverse and rag tag team of narrators are set for a wild and dangerous ride.
This is a JUICY multi-POV narrative, but each is so distinct and unique to these rich, complex and interesting characters that I haven’t wished for fewer! I’m LOVING spending time with each of them, and they all add depth to this world. Think a Prince raised to be a weapon, a gentle loyal Captain, a Princess ordered to kïll the king, a King sharper than a hawk, his traumatised cousin, a sorcerer freed from the confines of being a Vessel, and MORE. I love them 😍
The magic system is interesting and well crafted, with a real sense that I understood how it worked which is usually critical for my enjoyment. Each region in this vast land is diverse, has its own characteristics, lore, politics and customs, and we get a character from each thanks to the ~Courting Season. This way, the worldbuilding is complex but easy to understand once the book has its teeth in you. I adored the richness of each POV and how this allowed the narrative to stretch and grow to accommodate the size of the story that this will be.
We follow our 5 candidates for the King’s hand as the entire land is on the cusp of war, political stakes are higher than ever, there is increasing unrest due to economic strain, sorcerers are rebelling against the rule that’s kept them oppressed, and our Five are strapped right to the bomb that’s about to go off in the epicentre at Vasara. But our story stretches much further than that, with shadowy figures lurking in each corner and no one to trust, tender alliances will grow, betrayals will leave our morally ambiguous narrators in dire situations and the race for power gets bloody.
I had so much fun with this story, and I’m so excited that it’s the first in a series! Get it on your TBR, go out and support an independent published book! Go go enjoy my new chaos pookies!
Is it technically perfect? Is anything?? But this is the most fun I’ve had with a high fantasy in a while, so it’s a glorious 5 stars from me.
THANK YOU Niamh for a chance to read this early 😍
I loved being hooked by plot twists I didn’t see coming (Eliel, I’m looking at you), and giggling and unclenching my hands over the slowest of burns (Nathon and Hestan PLEASE) and enjoyed the detailed but accessible world building.
FATE OF THE FIVE is a political fantasy wherein candidates from the five kingdoms of Athlion participate in the Courting Season for the hand of Vasara’s king. However, in a land where sorcery is prohibited, tensions and conflicts are high, coups are brewing, and powers move in the shadows to topple ruling kingdom Vasara. Magic users are ‘drained’ of their powers, funnelled into a land suffering since magic was made forbidden, kept prisoner against their will - but as secrets are uncovered and evidence of dark magic is discovered, our diverse and rag tag team of narrators are set for a wild and dangerous ride.
This is a JUICY multi-POV narrative, but each is so distinct and unique to these rich, complex and interesting characters that I haven’t wished for fewer! I’m LOVING spending time with each of them, and they all add depth to this world. Think a Prince raised to be a weapon, a gentle loyal Captain, a Princess ordered to kïll the king, a King sharper than a hawk, his traumatised cousin, a sorcerer freed from the confines of being a Vessel, and MORE. I love them 😍
The magic system is interesting and well crafted, with a real sense that I understood how it worked which is usually critical for my enjoyment. Each region in this vast land is diverse, has its own characteristics, lore, politics and customs, and we get a character from each thanks to the ~Courting Season. This way, the worldbuilding is complex but easy to understand once the book has its teeth in you. I adored the richness of each POV and how this allowed the narrative to stretch and grow to accommodate the size of the story that this will be.
We follow our 5 candidates for the King’s hand as the entire land is on the cusp of war, political stakes are higher than ever, there is increasing unrest due to economic strain, sorcerers are rebelling against the rule that’s kept them oppressed, and our Five are strapped right to the bomb that’s about to go off in the epicentre at Vasara. But our story stretches much further than that, with shadowy figures lurking in each corner and no one to trust, tender alliances will grow, betrayals will leave our morally ambiguous narrators in dire situations and the race for power gets bloody.
I had so much fun with this story, and I’m so excited that it’s the first in a series! Get it on your TBR, go out and support an independent published book! Go go enjoy my new chaos pookies!
Is it technically perfect? Is anything?? But this is the most fun I’ve had with a high fantasy in a while, so it’s a glorious 5 stars from me.
THANK YOU Niamh for a chance to read this early 😍
February 9, 2025
ARC Review
An 8 pov, political, fantasy, slow burn romance story with interesting, complex characters and a plot full of intrigue.
I enjoyed this.
I have never read something with so many first person povs before but every character had their own charms and i was always happy to read from their individual perspectives. It definitely gave a deeper sense to all the characters and i have to give props to the author for how truly ambitious and yet well executed of a feat it was. I also really enjoyed the banter and dialogue in general between the characters.
I wont go into the plot but prepare for extensive magical world building, political power moves, palace shenanigans, morally grey characters, the slowest of slow burn romances and plenty of twists and turns.
Oh and if you are thinking about picking this up and want even more motivation to do so head to the authors instagram to see all of the beautiful character art they had commissioned for this series.
For me it added so much to my enjoyment as a reader (who typically reads manga & danmei) to open up the character art for the persons pov i was currently reading as i went along.
An 8 pov, political, fantasy, slow burn romance story with interesting, complex characters and a plot full of intrigue.
I enjoyed this.
I have never read something with so many first person povs before but every character had their own charms and i was always happy to read from their individual perspectives. It definitely gave a deeper sense to all the characters and i have to give props to the author for how truly ambitious and yet well executed of a feat it was. I also really enjoyed the banter and dialogue in general between the characters.
I wont go into the plot but prepare for extensive magical world building, political power moves, palace shenanigans, morally grey characters, the slowest of slow burn romances and plenty of twists and turns.
Oh and if you are thinking about picking this up and want even more motivation to do so head to the authors instagram to see all of the beautiful character art they had commissioned for this series.
For me it added so much to my enjoyment as a reader (who typically reads manga & danmei) to open up the character art for the persons pov i was currently reading as i went along.
February 5, 2025
Fate of the Five is an AMAZING debut political dark fantasy & I loved every bit of it. The world building, the diverse characters, the plot, and the fantasy elements were all done so well!
It’s told from 8 different points of view, which adds so much depth to the story. Each character brings their own unique experiences, motivations, and perspectives, which not only helps to develop their individual stories but also gives a fuller, more complex understanding of the world and its conflicts.
I don’t want to go into detail about the plot itself because I feel like it would be better to go into the book not knowing much & getting surprised!
What to expect:
- Political epic fantasy
- Dark magic
- Multiple POVs
- Morally gray characters
- Disability rep
- No spice
I'm obsessed & I can’t wait for the 2nd book! I haven't been this impressed by a debut in a while and I have a feeling this series is going to be a big thing!
Thank you so much Niamh Rose for letting me read an ARC of what is now one of my favorite books! 🥹💗
It’s told from 8 different points of view, which adds so much depth to the story. Each character brings their own unique experiences, motivations, and perspectives, which not only helps to develop their individual stories but also gives a fuller, more complex understanding of the world and its conflicts.
I don’t want to go into detail about the plot itself because I feel like it would be better to go into the book not knowing much & getting surprised!
What to expect:
- Political epic fantasy
- Dark magic
- Multiple POVs
- Morally gray characters
- Disability rep
- No spice
I'm obsessed & I can’t wait for the 2nd book! I haven't been this impressed by a debut in a while and I have a feeling this series is going to be a big thing!
Thank you so much Niamh Rose for letting me read an ARC of what is now one of my favorite books! 🥹💗
December 29, 2024
Alexa, play To Ashes and Blood by Arcane, League of Legends & Woodkid
When will it be my turn to be someone’s moon or sun? cries
Secretive, engaging, and ambitious!
FOT5 is the debut novel in a dark, epic fantasy series by indie author Niamh Rose, and it delivers on every front. Packed with dark themes, rich world-building, and a plot composed of interlocking mysteries, it’s a gripping start to a promising series.
The main storyline—a Necromancer-based murder mystery intertwined with a political assassination plot—is accompanied by several subplots (which I won’t spoil—you’ll need to read to uncover them). This multi-POV story (with 8 pov's) explores themes of survival, morality, and endurance, keeping you on edge throughout.
Everyone has their own agenda. Everyone has secrets.
Some twists are guessable, others are deceptive, and a few will leave you absolutely stunned.
What I loved most about FOT5 is how seamlessly it pulls you into its web of secrets, political scheming, and power struggles. At 550 pages, this first-person POV page-turner is brimming with corruption, hypocrisy, war, suffering, and surprises. The characters, deeply intertwined with the plot, are the heart and soul of the story. Rose masterfully weaves character arcs and plotlines together, creating an unforgettable reading experience.
The World-Building - it’s evident that the author has poured effort into crafting the kingdoms, their inspirations, and their unique traits. From architecture and scenery to fashion and food, the details are immersive. I also adored her promotional posts on on her IG profile, featuring stunning art that brought her world to life.
The pacing is great, and the emotional impact hits hard—whether it’s heartbreak, hope, or tension. You’ll likely grow attached to many of the main characters (perhaps all of them).
And the Romance? If you’re expecting fiery, spicy romance right off the bat, temper your expectations—it’s the first book, after all. But the romantic tension? Oh, it’s there! The slow burn is simmering (you’ll know exactly who I’m talking about), and the banter is utterly delicious. I have come to understand that sometimes, I don't need point-blank spice. This book gave me tingles whenever my favorite sassy x composed duo appeared. 'Accidental' touches? Romantic body disposal? Searing eye contact during a public game? The banter?
THEY. ARE. EVERYTHING.
And if you don’t like them, well, I’ll just ignore you (no hard feelings).
On more personal note: I read this ARC during a turbulent time in my life. This story, these characters, and Niamh’s world helped me stay grounded and provided a much-needed escape. Now, I’m eagerly awaiting the second book, set to release in 2026. cries again
* Adult/na epic fantasy (due to themes, not spice)
* Main character age from 21-30
* Forced proximity
* Forbidden romance
* Hero x villain
* Sloooow burn
* Several morally grey characters
* Sorcery / necromancy
* Different creatures
* LGBTQIA+
* Some TWs include mention/involvement of: violence, blood, SA, domestic abuse, child abuse, suicide, substance use, mental health issues, panic attacks, derealization, captivity, infant harm, ableism (towards a disabled main character), torture
* Publication date: February 11, 2025
Some cool info I wanted to share (taken from author's IG page):
Vasara - means summer (inspired by Italy, France, Germany and Croatia)
Audra - means Storm (inspired by Bulgaria, Morocco, Iran and India)
Zeima - is derived from the word winter (inspired by Ghana, Switzerland and Scotland)
Jurasa - is derived from the word sea (inspired by Denmark, Sweden and Norway)
Kalnasa - is derived from the word mountain (inspired by Japan, China, Romania and Korea).
Also (taken from author's Pinterest page):
Hestan - ISTJ
Nathon - ENTP
Baz - ENFJ
Nemina - ISTP
Loria - INFJ (me and Loria are twinning)
Elias - ENFP
Eliel - INTJ
Shadae - INFP
Raviel - INFJ (me and Raviel are also twinning)
Thank you Niamh Rose for providing me with an eARC. All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.
Nathon by @lux_mily
Hestan by @lux_mily
Loria by @lux_mily
Eliel by @lux_mily
Nemina by @zai_elia
Elias by @zai_elia
Main characters by @taetaemix0
When will it be my turn to be someone’s moon or sun? cries
Secretive, engaging, and ambitious!
FOT5 is the debut novel in a dark, epic fantasy series by indie author Niamh Rose, and it delivers on every front. Packed with dark themes, rich world-building, and a plot composed of interlocking mysteries, it’s a gripping start to a promising series.
The main storyline—a Necromancer-based murder mystery intertwined with a political assassination plot—is accompanied by several subplots (which I won’t spoil—you’ll need to read to uncover them). This multi-POV story (with 8 pov's) explores themes of survival, morality, and endurance, keeping you on edge throughout.
Everyone has their own agenda. Everyone has secrets.
Some twists are guessable, others are deceptive, and a few will leave you absolutely stunned.
What I loved most about FOT5 is how seamlessly it pulls you into its web of secrets, political scheming, and power struggles. At 550 pages, this first-person POV page-turner is brimming with corruption, hypocrisy, war, suffering, and surprises. The characters, deeply intertwined with the plot, are the heart and soul of the story. Rose masterfully weaves character arcs and plotlines together, creating an unforgettable reading experience.
The World-Building - it’s evident that the author has poured effort into crafting the kingdoms, their inspirations, and their unique traits. From architecture and scenery to fashion and food, the details are immersive. I also adored her promotional posts on on her IG profile, featuring stunning art that brought her world to life.
The pacing is great, and the emotional impact hits hard—whether it’s heartbreak, hope, or tension. You’ll likely grow attached to many of the main characters (perhaps all of them).
And the Romance? If you’re expecting fiery, spicy romance right off the bat, temper your expectations—it’s the first book, after all. But the romantic tension? Oh, it’s there! The slow burn is simmering (you’ll know exactly who I’m talking about), and the banter is utterly delicious. I have come to understand that sometimes, I don't need point-blank spice. This book gave me tingles whenever my favorite sassy x composed duo appeared. 'Accidental' touches? Romantic body disposal? Searing eye contact during a public game? The banter?
THEY. ARE. EVERYTHING.
And if you don’t like them, well, I’ll just ignore you (no hard feelings).
On more personal note: I read this ARC during a turbulent time in my life. This story, these characters, and Niamh’s world helped me stay grounded and provided a much-needed escape. Now, I’m eagerly awaiting the second book, set to release in 2026. cries again
* Adult/na epic fantasy (due to themes, not spice)
* Main character age from 21-30
* Forced proximity
* Forbidden romance
* Hero x villain
* Sloooow burn
* Several morally grey characters
* Sorcery / necromancy
* Different creatures
* LGBTQIA+
* Some TWs include mention/involvement of: violence, blood, SA, domestic abuse, child abuse, suicide, substance use, mental health issues, panic attacks, derealization, captivity, infant harm, ableism (towards a disabled main character), torture
* Publication date: February 11, 2025
Some cool info I wanted to share (taken from author's IG page):
Vasara - means summer (inspired by Italy, France, Germany and Croatia)
Audra - means Storm (inspired by Bulgaria, Morocco, Iran and India)
Zeima - is derived from the word winter (inspired by Ghana, Switzerland and Scotland)
Jurasa - is derived from the word sea (inspired by Denmark, Sweden and Norway)
Kalnasa - is derived from the word mountain (inspired by Japan, China, Romania and Korea).
Also (taken from author's Pinterest page):
Hestan - ISTJ
Nathon - ENTP
Baz - ENFJ
Nemina - ISTP
Loria - INFJ (me and Loria are twinning)
Elias - ENFP
Eliel - INTJ
Shadae - INFP
Raviel - INFJ (me and Raviel are also twinning)
Thank you Niamh Rose for providing me with an eARC. All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.
Nathon by @lux_mily
Hestan by @lux_mily
Loria by @lux_mily
Eliel by @lux_mily
Nemina by @zai_elia
Elias by @zai_elia
Main characters by @taetaemix0
July 13, 2025
OMGGGG this was genuinely really good!!!!!!!!!!! 🤩🤩🤩 It’s quite an intimating book – lots of POV characters, almost 700 pages, high fantasy – but the author managed to do it FLAWLESSLY!!!!!!!!!
I am genuinely so impressed that Niamh Rose managed to make this book so accessible. I read the glossary before I started the actual story, and that did give me a lot of the context needed regarding this world and the magic system. But, honestly, I don’t really think I even needed to do that. The worldbuilding is quite seamless and well-woven into the story, and the (beautiful!!) map makes it easy to understand where everything is.
And this world is so rich! 😍 I genuinely loved going through the glossary and learning about the plants and animals of this world, how the magic worked, the different kingdoms and their traditions and styles… And the way everything worked in the story made for such a lush experience, reading this book! I hope to see more of it in the next book (especially the animals!).
Regarding the plot: we have multiple plot-lines, and they’re also really well done! The main plot-line is in regards to a courting season: we are following a new king who’s looking for a wife, while also dealing with rebel sorcerers who oppose the enslavement and torture that sorcerers go through. We’re also following a prince and princess who’re participating in the season with intentions to kill the king 🫢🫣.
In the second plot-line we’re following rebel sorcerers who managed to escape the concentration camps. We see them gathering information and helping other sorcerers, clearly trying to raise their numbers so they can fight back against their oppressors, which is something that doesn’t happen yet in this book, but I’m excited to see how it develops. Also, it seems there’s something ~strange~ about one of these sorcerers……… 👀
The last plot-line is the one we spend the least time on, but is one that has A LOT of potential. The king’s cousin is working with an enslaved sorcerer to find information regarding some weird curses. There were some CREEEEEPY revelations here, and I genuinely can’t WAIT to see where this goes in the next book! 🫣🫣🫣
All these plot-lines ended up converging at some points – not really in a “they all come together in the climax” way. There were just specific instances here and there throughout the story, which made everything more engaging, and made me excited to see when and how things would connect. Also, I have to say: I’m REALLY IMPRESSED that the author managed to make EVERY PLOT-LINE interesting!!! 🤩🤩🤩 I was worried that I would be bored in some POVs, and while I did have my favourites, there wasn’t a single POV I found dull, and I NEVER felt the urge to skip ahead to a different plot-line! The story was genuinely so well-built, and the distribution of the plot-lines was great. The story was engaging all throughout!
Now let’s talk about the characters: I reeeeally enjoyed them!!! They were all so well-constructed and three-dimensional. Some characters are good, some are quite evil, and some are very much morally grey. BUTTTTT what I really appreciated is that we could genuinely see where they were coming from. Even when I didn’t agree with a character’s actions, there was still a logical explanation for them – they weren’t evil just for the sake of it. The characters’ motivations were very well-written. I also like that, while the characters were very three-dimensional, there are still things we don’t know about their pasts (particularly, Elias, Hestan and Nathon). The author managed to make these characters have depth, while also still leaving some mysteries for the readers to learn in book 2. 👀👀👀 SOOOO EXCITING!
And I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters!
➤ Nathon being really protective of Loria, and her being mad at him for keeping her in the dark was really engaging (and I liked their sibling banter hehe). I’m also really curious to learn more about their creepy ass father. 😬😰
➤ King Eliel’s relationship with his cousin Elias was interesting and genuine, . I’m really intrigued about how it’s gonna develop in book 2!
➤ King Eliel’s connection with the ladies and their respective escorts for the courting season was also very captivating; I was always wondering if he actually liked and trusted them or not.
➤ Nemina and Baz’s friendship could’ve been a bit more developed. I really liked their banter, and I wanna see more of themmmmm!!! 😩🤲🏻 I hope to see more of their friendship (+ the other rebel sorcerers) in the next book!
➤ Shadae and Elias’ dynamic was probably my least favourite – you’ll rarely find me enjoying a partnership between an enslaved person and someone who isn’t against their enslavement 😵💫. I was worried the author was gonna make them fall in love, but that didn’t happen at all! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Shadae straight up can’t stand Elias (as she should), and he still has a lot of growing to do before I get to *like* him. I’m really interested in their plot-line, though – the things they found and the reveals at the end of the book were veryyyy 👀👀👀👀👀.
➤ NATHON AND HESTANNNNN 💖🤭💫🌱🤍🌷🌈🌼🌺💕🫶🏻😊🍃✨🩵🥰💛🫧❣️💓🌸💚🥹💙🎀🤲🏻🌙☁️. Literally my favourite relationship in the book! I really liked seeing them slowly cooperating and building an allyship, and then realizing they could only really trust one another in that palace. They had me smiling as I read 🤭. Their little balcony-scene was my favouriteeee!!!!
The writing was really immersive and I enjoyed the structure of the story and the way the plot, world and characters were built. On a technical sense, I had some issues – there were some typos and the punctuation definitely wasn’t to my taste –, but it was alright. I always give self-published books grace, when it comes to editing.
Overall, this book was genuinely amazing and I’m SOOOOO EXCITED for book 2! Like, it’s genuinely one of my most anticipated books of 2026 already!!!!!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 Just the fact that I spent several days just reading this, from morning to evening, says a lot. It’s the first book in a LOOONG time that kept my attention so consistently and made me want to never put it down! Genuinely so fun!
Spoilery thoughts + things I want to remember once book 2 comes around:
I am genuinely so impressed that Niamh Rose managed to make this book so accessible. I read the glossary before I started the actual story, and that did give me a lot of the context needed regarding this world and the magic system. But, honestly, I don’t really think I even needed to do that. The worldbuilding is quite seamless and well-woven into the story, and the (beautiful!!) map makes it easy to understand where everything is.
And this world is so rich! 😍 I genuinely loved going through the glossary and learning about the plants and animals of this world, how the magic worked, the different kingdoms and their traditions and styles… And the way everything worked in the story made for such a lush experience, reading this book! I hope to see more of it in the next book (especially the animals!).
Regarding the plot: we have multiple plot-lines, and they’re also really well done! The main plot-line is in regards to a courting season: we are following a new king who’s looking for a wife, while also dealing with rebel sorcerers who oppose the enslavement and torture that sorcerers go through. We’re also following a prince and princess who’re participating in the season with intentions to kill the king 🫢🫣.
In the second plot-line we’re following rebel sorcerers who managed to escape the concentration camps. We see them gathering information and helping other sorcerers, clearly trying to raise their numbers so they can fight back against their oppressors, which is something that doesn’t happen yet in this book, but I’m excited to see how it develops. Also, it seems there’s something ~strange~ about one of these sorcerers……… 👀
The last plot-line is the one we spend the least time on, but is one that has A LOT of potential. The king’s cousin is working with an enslaved sorcerer to find information regarding some weird curses. There were some CREEEEEPY revelations here, and I genuinely can’t WAIT to see where this goes in the next book! 🫣🫣🫣
All these plot-lines ended up converging at some points – not really in a “they all come together in the climax” way. There were just specific instances here and there throughout the story, which made everything more engaging, and made me excited to see when and how things would connect. Also, I have to say: I’m REALLY IMPRESSED that the author managed to make EVERY PLOT-LINE interesting!!! 🤩🤩🤩 I was worried that I would be bored in some POVs, and while I did have my favourites, there wasn’t a single POV I found dull, and I NEVER felt the urge to skip ahead to a different plot-line! The story was genuinely so well-built, and the distribution of the plot-lines was great. The story was engaging all throughout!
Now let’s talk about the characters: I reeeeally enjoyed them!!! They were all so well-constructed and three-dimensional. Some characters are good, some are quite evil, and some are very much morally grey. BUTTTTT what I really appreciated is that we could genuinely see where they were coming from. Even when I didn’t agree with a character’s actions, there was still a logical explanation for them – they weren’t evil just for the sake of it. The characters’ motivations were very well-written. I also like that, while the characters were very three-dimensional, there are still things we don’t know about their pasts (particularly, Elias, Hestan and Nathon). The author managed to make these characters have depth, while also still leaving some mysteries for the readers to learn in book 2. 👀👀👀 SOOOO EXCITING!
And I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters!
➤ Nathon being really protective of Loria, and her being mad at him for keeping her in the dark was really engaging (and I liked their sibling banter hehe). I’m also really curious to learn more about their creepy ass father. 😬😰
➤ King Eliel’s relationship with his cousin Elias was interesting and genuine, . I’m really intrigued about how it’s gonna develop in book 2!
➤ King Eliel’s connection with the ladies and their respective escorts for the courting season was also very captivating; I was always wondering if he actually liked and trusted them or not.
➤ Nemina and Baz’s friendship could’ve been a bit more developed. I really liked their banter, and I wanna see more of themmmmm!!! 😩🤲🏻 I hope to see more of their friendship (+ the other rebel sorcerers) in the next book!
➤ Shadae and Elias’ dynamic was probably my least favourite – you’ll rarely find me enjoying a partnership between an enslaved person and someone who isn’t against their enslavement 😵💫. I was worried the author was gonna make them fall in love, but that didn’t happen at all! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Shadae straight up can’t stand Elias (as she should), and he still has a lot of growing to do before I get to *like* him. I’m really interested in their plot-line, though – the things they found and the reveals at the end of the book were veryyyy 👀👀👀👀👀.
➤ NATHON AND HESTANNNNN 💖🤭💫🌱🤍🌷🌈🌼🌺💕🫶🏻😊🍃✨🩵🥰💛🫧❣️💓🌸💚🥹💙🎀🤲🏻🌙☁️. Literally my favourite relationship in the book! I really liked seeing them slowly cooperating and building an allyship, and then realizing they could only really trust one another in that palace. They had me smiling as I read 🤭. Their little balcony-scene was my favouriteeee!!!!
The writing was really immersive and I enjoyed the structure of the story and the way the plot, world and characters were built. On a technical sense, I had some issues – there were some typos and the punctuation definitely wasn’t to my taste –, but it was alright. I always give self-published books grace, when it comes to editing.
Overall, this book was genuinely amazing and I’m SOOOOO EXCITED for book 2! Like, it’s genuinely one of my most anticipated books of 2026 already!!!!!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 Just the fact that I spent several days just reading this, from morning to evening, says a lot. It’s the first book in a LOOONG time that kept my attention so consistently and made me want to never put it down! Genuinely so fun!
Spoilery thoughts + things I want to remember once book 2 comes around:
January 18, 2025
ARC given in exchange for an honest opinion.
Immediately 5 star read. Oh my gosh, the roller coaster that is this book. I'm telling you people I never gasped the way I gasped while reading this. This is gonna be a long review, sorry in advance. (But not as long as this book 😬)
Let's start from the beginning though. We have this Prince whose parents die and he needs to be crowned and to find a fitted queen. We follow some characters prior to this event (courting season start) but all of them converge in this kingdom, Vasara, the ruling kingdom over the other 4. Each kingdom sends a potential wife and a bodyguard.
In Audra there are the Prince and Princess that come to Vasara, something strange enough, but taking into consideration the notoriety of the Prince, no one is that surprised.
Then there is Dyna, a teenage niece of the king from Kalnasa, accompanied by the Captain of The Hunt.
Why I mentioned these characters in particular? Becaaause there is the biggest plot twist regarding these characters and the future king of Vasara there could ever have been. I didn't see it coming and I felt shooketh to my core. To. My. Very. Core.
Spoiler alert in this paragraph: the Prince of Audra and the Captain will provide the tension and the slow burn we expected from the "main" characters, Loria, the Princess of Audra and Eliel, the king.
There are multiple POVs (and I mean A lot) but I can't say that any one of them was annoying or that I couldn't wait to skim through it to get to my fav one, which was very surprising, but very pleasant.
To put it in the words of the Captain:
“I suppose it is more"— I leant my head against the wall slightly, glancing at the Prince from the side — “that I am pleasantly surprised, Your Highness,”
The world building is super nice, you have a bunch of information in the beginning that seems a bit overwhelming because there is no way you can remember all that, but it's ok, you get reminded this along the way. And after you finish the story, there is even more information offered about the sorcerers and things related to them, which makes more sense because now you can actually understand them. Big thumbs up for this.
The relationships between characters is complex, the characters in themselves are complex and politics and schemes really keep you on the edge. What is more, you think you know what is going to happen, you hope for some things and then the last 5 chapters hit you like a brick in the middle of your forehead and have no idea how that even happened.
I'm really grateful for this ARC and to the writer, Niamh Rose, for making the beginning of this reading year so awesome!
TL;DR: awesome book, definitely read it if you love fantasy with complex world building, unexpected relationship and events and a swoon worthy romance between 2 characters you would never have imagined in the beginning!
Immediately 5 star read. Oh my gosh, the roller coaster that is this book. I'm telling you people I never gasped the way I gasped while reading this. This is gonna be a long review, sorry in advance. (But not as long as this book 😬)
Let's start from the beginning though. We have this Prince whose parents die and he needs to be crowned and to find a fitted queen. We follow some characters prior to this event (courting season start) but all of them converge in this kingdom, Vasara, the ruling kingdom over the other 4. Each kingdom sends a potential wife and a bodyguard.
In Audra there are the Prince and Princess that come to Vasara, something strange enough, but taking into consideration the notoriety of the Prince, no one is that surprised.
Then there is Dyna, a teenage niece of the king from Kalnasa, accompanied by the Captain of The Hunt.
Why I mentioned these characters in particular? Becaaause there is the biggest plot twist regarding these characters and the future king of Vasara there could ever have been. I didn't see it coming and I felt shooketh to my core. To. My. Very. Core.
Spoiler alert in this paragraph: the Prince of Audra and the Captain will provide the tension and the slow burn we expected from the "main" characters, Loria, the Princess of Audra and Eliel, the king.
There are multiple POVs (and I mean A lot) but I can't say that any one of them was annoying or that I couldn't wait to skim through it to get to my fav one, which was very surprising, but very pleasant.
To put it in the words of the Captain:
“I suppose it is more"— I leant my head against the wall slightly, glancing at the Prince from the side — “that I am pleasantly surprised, Your Highness,”
The world building is super nice, you have a bunch of information in the beginning that seems a bit overwhelming because there is no way you can remember all that, but it's ok, you get reminded this along the way. And after you finish the story, there is even more information offered about the sorcerers and things related to them, which makes more sense because now you can actually understand them. Big thumbs up for this.
The relationships between characters is complex, the characters in themselves are complex and politics and schemes really keep you on the edge. What is more, you think you know what is going to happen, you hope for some things and then the last 5 chapters hit you like a brick in the middle of your forehead and have no idea how that even happened.
I'm really grateful for this ARC and to the writer, Niamh Rose, for making the beginning of this reading year so awesome!
TL;DR: awesome book, definitely read it if you love fantasy with complex world building, unexpected relationship and events and a swoon worthy romance between 2 characters you would never have imagined in the beginning!
May 18, 2025
This is an intricately plotted, brain-melting political fantasy that doesn’t hold your hand; and I kind of loved that about it. This book is almost entirely character-driven in a way that few fantasy stories truly commit to. It’s like stepping into a massive spider web of court intrigue and buried trauma. Every character is tugging a different thread, and somehow, it all snaps together by the end in a way that’s ridiculously satisfying.
There are eight POVs, and honestly? EIGHT. At first, it’s a lot. You will be confused. You will have to jot down little notes about them so you can remember who is who. You will flip back a few times. But once it clicks, it clicks. Everyone feels distinct, and what blew me away was how often my impressions of the characters changed as the story unfolded. Nobody is static. They’re all morally gray, full of secrets, and constantly surprising. The tension isn’t just in the plot: it’s in every conversation.
The world-building here is dense. Athlion as a world is broken, cruel, and completely fascinating. Magic exists in a brutal state of exploitation, and the stakes feel enormous but personal. The kingdoms are dying for lack of magic, yet the solution is morally horrifying. It’s high-concept and thematically rich, but the execution never feels preachy. Just… intense. This is not a book you casually breeze through. It demands your attention.
The slow burn romances? Perfectly frustrating. Nothing feels guaranteed or predictable. And none of these people are emotionally mature enough to understand their feelings, much less act on them. I LOVE that as a reader.
And the final third? Twist after twist, every one of them earned. It's the kind of ending that retroactively makes you appreciate how well the entire thing was constructed.
All that said, this is a heavy read. Emotionally dark, mentally demanding, and it takes real effort to keep track of all the characters and kingdoms. But the payoff? Absolutely worth it. If you’re into layered narratives, morally complex characters, and fantasy that trusts you to keep up, then this will hit hard.
My brain is exhausted, but ready for more.
Thanks so much to QP Book Tours and the author for a complimentary copy and the opportunity to read and review. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
There are eight POVs, and honestly? EIGHT. At first, it’s a lot. You will be confused. You will have to jot down little notes about them so you can remember who is who. You will flip back a few times. But once it clicks, it clicks. Everyone feels distinct, and what blew me away was how often my impressions of the characters changed as the story unfolded. Nobody is static. They’re all morally gray, full of secrets, and constantly surprising. The tension isn’t just in the plot: it’s in every conversation.
The world-building here is dense. Athlion as a world is broken, cruel, and completely fascinating. Magic exists in a brutal state of exploitation, and the stakes feel enormous but personal. The kingdoms are dying for lack of magic, yet the solution is morally horrifying. It’s high-concept and thematically rich, but the execution never feels preachy. Just… intense. This is not a book you casually breeze through. It demands your attention.
The slow burn romances? Perfectly frustrating. Nothing feels guaranteed or predictable. And none of these people are emotionally mature enough to understand their feelings, much less act on them. I LOVE that as a reader.
And the final third? Twist after twist, every one of them earned. It's the kind of ending that retroactively makes you appreciate how well the entire thing was constructed.
All that said, this is a heavy read. Emotionally dark, mentally demanding, and it takes real effort to keep track of all the characters and kingdoms. But the payoff? Absolutely worth it. If you’re into layered narratives, morally complex characters, and fantasy that trusts you to keep up, then this will hit hard.
My brain is exhausted, but ready for more.
Thanks so much to QP Book Tours and the author for a complimentary copy and the opportunity to read and review. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
May 28, 2025
I had the brilliant honor of being an ARC for this book, and I come with full honesty for my review. ;)
If you love lots of worldbuilding and high tension between characters, this is most certainly the novel for you. As someone who loves reading about characters that are like me and unlike me at the same time, representation is one of the first things I look for, and Niamh Rose hits the nail on the head. Each culture feels its own, and you can see how it's embedded in each character. The little details of green fabric being unavailable in certain lands or the specifics in how they're dressed do a lot to show their personalities and their cultures.
Another thing I fell in love with about this book is the dialogue! The interactions between Nathon and Hestan are something I could gnaw on for days. I love moments of tension or even when the moment is so casual, and the dialogue has a double meaning. Even if you aren't fully obsessed with each character like I am--how could you not be obsessed with Nathon and Shadae--you'll undoubtedly be invested in the relationships between each character. The dynamics feel fresh yet familiar, and there's always this feeling of intimacy (platonic or romantic).
My personal favorite thing about this novel? The sassy men, specifically Nathon. I mean, almost all the characters have their own sassy moments too, but Nathon takes the cake each time. There's always a character that steals your heart in multi-pov books, and being able to glimpse into his mindset (and the others!) really pulls at your own heartstrings. How Niamh managed to pull off this complex, multi-pov, all of them have their own hidden agendas details together is beyond me.
My only gripe about this novel is the formatting. Niamh already confirmed that this was due to cost details in private messages, and I'm certain the refurbished (or newer publications) of this novel are fixed, but I found it incredibly difficult to get through because of the tiny font. It wasn't a huge dealbreaker, but I took a lot of breaks in between. I already have glasses, I'm not trying to strain my eyes more.
All in all, I hugely recommend this novel to anyone who has a taste for "Six of Crows" after finishing the book and is therefore suffering from extreme withdrawal of found family along with political and personal stakes. Although I'm an ARC reader, my opinions are entirely my own. The above review will be shortened and posted to my Instagram soon! :)
- Rathri (ig: rathriwrites)
If you love lots of worldbuilding and high tension between characters, this is most certainly the novel for you. As someone who loves reading about characters that are like me and unlike me at the same time, representation is one of the first things I look for, and Niamh Rose hits the nail on the head. Each culture feels its own, and you can see how it's embedded in each character. The little details of green fabric being unavailable in certain lands or the specifics in how they're dressed do a lot to show their personalities and their cultures.
Another thing I fell in love with about this book is the dialogue! The interactions between Nathon and Hestan are something I could gnaw on for days. I love moments of tension or even when the moment is so casual, and the dialogue has a double meaning. Even if you aren't fully obsessed with each character like I am--how could you not be obsessed with Nathon and Shadae--you'll undoubtedly be invested in the relationships between each character. The dynamics feel fresh yet familiar, and there's always this feeling of intimacy (platonic or romantic).
My personal favorite thing about this novel? The sassy men, specifically Nathon. I mean, almost all the characters have their own sassy moments too, but Nathon takes the cake each time. There's always a character that steals your heart in multi-pov books, and being able to glimpse into his mindset (and the others!) really pulls at your own heartstrings. How Niamh managed to pull off this complex, multi-pov, all of them have their own hidden agendas details together is beyond me.
My only gripe about this novel is the formatting. Niamh already confirmed that this was due to cost details in private messages, and I'm certain the refurbished (or newer publications) of this novel are fixed, but I found it incredibly difficult to get through because of the tiny font. It wasn't a huge dealbreaker, but I took a lot of breaks in between. I already have glasses, I'm not trying to strain my eyes more.
All in all, I hugely recommend this novel to anyone who has a taste for "Six of Crows" after finishing the book and is therefore suffering from extreme withdrawal of found family along with political and personal stakes. Although I'm an ARC reader, my opinions are entirely my own. The above review will be shortened and posted to my Instagram soon! :)
- Rathri (ig: rathriwrites)
June 2, 2024
What a debut! I don’t usually gravitate towards fantasy novels, but this was truly such an enjoyable read - as already mentioned in previous reviews, the multiple POVs were so interesting (and impressive), and really immerses the reader into the story. On a separate note, you can really feel the author’s own personal love of the adventure/fantasy genre, which makes me super excited for more of her writing. Congratulations!!
February 3, 2025
AGHH I’m so happy I started my year with this masterpiece. Niamh Rose thank you so much for the ARC I’m in love with this book. ❤️
Fate of the Five releases on February 11th and I highly recommend it if you love:
• Epic fantasy
• Unique magic system
• Morally grey characterS
• Amazing worldbuilding
• Multi POV (eight to be exact)
• Dark themes
• Queer romance
• Politics
Plot:
There are five kingdoms (Vasara, Audra, Kalnasa, Jurasa, Zeima), one of which (Vasara) rules over them all. The King and Queen of Vasara are found dead so the new King needs a wife. One representative from each of the kingdoms is sent for the Courting Season to win the King’s hand in marriage. The candidate from Audra is sent with her brother with the goal to win the King’s hand and then kill him.
This isn’t our only plot line. There are sorcerers in this world and their magic is vital for the survival of the world yet all sorcery is banned. All who poses magic are called Vessels and are being held captive or are running for their lives.
The drama, the politics, the interactions of all the characters are just amazing.
The book starts with little information about each of the kingdoms like the people’s hair, eye and skin color, whether conditions and etc.; and in the end of the book there is a glossary that introduces you to the magic system. I really loved this because it’s so convenient and easy if you want to check something really quick.
Everything about the book was making me want more and more and I couldn’t get enough of it.
Characters:
There are eight POV characters and almost all of them are morally grey. Each character’s story keeps you on toes in anticipation for what they are about to do.
When reading I usually find myself liking one or two characters and their POVs and the other characters I find annoying or just not as interesting, but NOT in this book. In Fate of the Five, for the first time I find myself liking all the characters and all the plot lines; and I didn’t want any chapter to end. All the characters have interesting backstories and compelling current problems and dilemmas. The dynamics between them will make you question everyone’s intentions.
There is a breathtaking banter and sloow burn (I won’t tell between which characters so you can enjoy it fully 😉). I’m such a sucker for a slow burn - the more excruciatingly slow the better. I want the teasing and the banter to be soo good that when the characters touch their fingers (😉) you will be like “OMGG THEY TOUCHED” aand I got exactly what I wanted.
Tropes or just things to expect:
• Assassination plot
• Arranged marriage
• Political problems
• Sloow burn
• Forced proximity
• Disabled main character
• Morally grey characters
• Dark themes (read the TWs)
Favorite quotes (spoiler free):
“Pain does not care how strong you are”
“Asking the rich to protect those less fortunate is like asking the sun if it could stop drying up the rain”
“Power is an agent through which the worst of us can reveal our true nature without anyone batting a fucking eyelid”
“It was up to ourselves, to find our way back when we were lost. Salvation in the form of intervention was never guaranteed. And to return, we must be willing to, to claw through the winds to reach the peak, shelter or no.”
““The past is written so we can learn from it.”
Written by who? If the killers have the pen, the legends will always praise the murderers.”
“I guess those who always walk thought fire, stop screaming at the burns”
“His hands became my home. His faintest touch became my harbour, vanquishing all storms. A flickering light in a dark tempest of a world.”
Fate of the Five releases on February 11th and I highly recommend it if you love:
• Epic fantasy
• Unique magic system
• Morally grey characterS
• Amazing worldbuilding
• Multi POV (eight to be exact)
• Dark themes
• Queer romance
• Politics
Plot:
There are five kingdoms (Vasara, Audra, Kalnasa, Jurasa, Zeima), one of which (Vasara) rules over them all. The King and Queen of Vasara are found dead so the new King needs a wife. One representative from each of the kingdoms is sent for the Courting Season to win the King’s hand in marriage. The candidate from Audra is sent with her brother with the goal to win the King’s hand and then kill him.
This isn’t our only plot line. There are sorcerers in this world and their magic is vital for the survival of the world yet all sorcery is banned. All who poses magic are called Vessels and are being held captive or are running for their lives.
The drama, the politics, the interactions of all the characters are just amazing.
The book starts with little information about each of the kingdoms like the people’s hair, eye and skin color, whether conditions and etc.; and in the end of the book there is a glossary that introduces you to the magic system. I really loved this because it’s so convenient and easy if you want to check something really quick.
Everything about the book was making me want more and more and I couldn’t get enough of it.
Characters:
There are eight POV characters and almost all of them are morally grey. Each character’s story keeps you on toes in anticipation for what they are about to do.
When reading I usually find myself liking one or two characters and their POVs and the other characters I find annoying or just not as interesting, but NOT in this book. In Fate of the Five, for the first time I find myself liking all the characters and all the plot lines; and I didn’t want any chapter to end. All the characters have interesting backstories and compelling current problems and dilemmas. The dynamics between them will make you question everyone’s intentions.
There is a breathtaking banter and sloow burn (I won’t tell between which characters so you can enjoy it fully 😉). I’m such a sucker for a slow burn - the more excruciatingly slow the better. I want the teasing and the banter to be soo good that when the characters touch their fingers (😉) you will be like “OMGG THEY TOUCHED” aand I got exactly what I wanted.
Tropes or just things to expect:
• Assassination plot
• Arranged marriage
• Political problems
• Sloow burn
• Forced proximity
• Disabled main character
• Morally grey characters
• Dark themes (read the TWs)
Favorite quotes (spoiler free):
“Pain does not care how strong you are”
“Asking the rich to protect those less fortunate is like asking the sun if it could stop drying up the rain”
“Power is an agent through which the worst of us can reveal our true nature without anyone batting a fucking eyelid”
“It was up to ourselves, to find our way back when we were lost. Salvation in the form of intervention was never guaranteed. And to return, we must be willing to, to claw through the winds to reach the peak, shelter or no.”
““The past is written so we can learn from it.”
Written by who? If the killers have the pen, the legends will always praise the murderers.”
“I guess those who always walk thought fire, stop screaming at the burns”
“His hands became my home. His faintest touch became my harbour, vanquishing all storms. A flickering light in a dark tempest of a world.”
February 10, 2025
wow... this book was a ride and a half... idk how you did it niamh... putting 8 perspectives into a thick book AND THEN ENDING ON THAT CLIFFHANGER?? CRAZY OMG
i will have to say coming from someone that's not a typical fantasy reader, this book was so immersive and enthralling. i felt the different cultures from all five kingdoms and their customs, it truly did feel like i was transported to the land of athlion. and all of the political intrigue behind the scenes of the forefront of the kingdoms and vessels was quite complicated but it's crazy how it all came to be with the final driving plot point of this book (which btw that twist and reveal was just???)
also i will have to give a special shoutout to how the characters are written. despite having 8 POVs they were all easy to follow and they all had their distinct voice and morals. i think that's quite hard to do for a multi layered story like this i feel like you have to be a special mad genius to be able to handle all of those povs into a story like this. niamh has talked a lot about how to incorporate the queer representation and romance into the book and GIRLLLL NESTAN HAS ME BY THE THROAT OMG EVERY TIME THEY WERE ON THE PAGES TOGETHER I WAS AT THE EDGE OF MY SEAT but i will appreciate even though there was some spark between them i also liked there were other underlaying problems that was going on as they solved them together. we love contrasting bfs mutually pining and working together to uncover the secrets.
anyways... bravo niamh you've casted yourself an amazing feat and i wish you all the best for this debut I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT IS MORE TO COME WITH THE REST OF THE BOOKS BC I NEED THEM NOW!!
i will have to say coming from someone that's not a typical fantasy reader, this book was so immersive and enthralling. i felt the different cultures from all five kingdoms and their customs, it truly did feel like i was transported to the land of athlion. and all of the political intrigue behind the scenes of the forefront of the kingdoms and vessels was quite complicated but it's crazy how it all came to be with the final driving plot point of this book (which btw that twist and reveal was just???)
also i will have to give a special shoutout to how the characters are written. despite having 8 POVs they were all easy to follow and they all had their distinct voice and morals. i think that's quite hard to do for a multi layered story like this i feel like you have to be a special mad genius to be able to handle all of those povs into a story like this. niamh has talked a lot about how to incorporate the queer representation and romance into the book and GIRLLLL NESTAN HAS ME BY THE THROAT OMG EVERY TIME THEY WERE ON THE PAGES TOGETHER I WAS AT THE EDGE OF MY SEAT but i will appreciate even though there was some spark between them i also liked there were other underlaying problems that was going on as they solved them together. we love contrasting bfs mutually pining and working together to uncover the secrets.
anyways... bravo niamh you've casted yourself an amazing feat and i wish you all the best for this debut I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT IS MORE TO COME WITH THE REST OF THE BOOKS BC I NEED THEM NOW!!
March 16, 2025
4.5 stars
one of the best high fantasy books i’ve read in a while. i went into this book not knowing anything about it and after doing a little research, i was a little intimidated to know that it had 8 POVs but niamh made it work!
i did feel some parts were slower than others and i did prefer certain characters' pov but those did not take away by how much i enjoyed this book. the world-building was fascinating, rich and complex.
nathon, hestan and loria were my favorite main characters. i loved them so much, especially nathon. he is just a delight (he could kill someone a thousand different ways). i enjoyed his pov the most. and for side characters, i really liked dyma. i want to wrap her up in a blanket and protect her from the world because of how innocent she is.
the slow burn romance(s). i could not get enough of it, i was biting my fists at every small interaction, every glance and every excuse to touch each other. I AM A NATHON/HESTAN SHIPPER. the cliffhanger ending made me scream. i cannot wait to see how their romance and relationship grows! other than nathon and hestan, i am not very sure as to which other characters have romance. the author did say that not all the pairings would have romance, some of them are platonic and based on friendship.
all that to say, please read this book. find a day or a few days where you can just sit down and enjoy this fantastic book. you will not regret it. i cannot wait for the second book to come out!
one of the best high fantasy books i’ve read in a while. i went into this book not knowing anything about it and after doing a little research, i was a little intimidated to know that it had 8 POVs but niamh made it work!
i did feel some parts were slower than others and i did prefer certain characters' pov but those did not take away by how much i enjoyed this book. the world-building was fascinating, rich and complex.
nathon, hestan and loria were my favorite main characters. i loved them so much, especially nathon. he is just a delight (he could kill someone a thousand different ways). i enjoyed his pov the most. and for side characters, i really liked dyma. i want to wrap her up in a blanket and protect her from the world because of how innocent she is.
the slow burn romance(s). i could not get enough of it, i was biting my fists at every small interaction, every glance and every excuse to touch each other. I AM A NATHON/HESTAN SHIPPER. the cliffhanger ending made me scream. i cannot wait to see how their romance and relationship grows! other than nathon and hestan, i am not very sure as to which other characters have romance. the author did say that not all the pairings would have romance, some of them are platonic and based on friendship.
all that to say, please read this book. find a day or a few days where you can just sit down and enjoy this fantastic book. you will not regret it. i cannot wait for the second book to come out!
December 19, 2024
This is an amazing debut novel that I was lucky enough to be an arc reader for! I was so surprised by this book repeatedly. There is unique world building and cliff hangers that I was actually screaming about. I can’t wait to read the next in the series!
February 23, 2025
the ending was DIABOLICAL wdym 😭
February 27, 2025
what the fuck
give me more
give me more
January 25, 2025
Niamh has written an absolute masterpiece, it is some feat to write a novel that not only includes 8 points of view but 8 stories that tie in seamlessly together without previous novels to introduce the characters.
The story opens with Nathons pov and boy is it going to hook you in from page 1. The political intrigue keeps you guessing motives and turning pages and every single character has their own unique back story for you to dive into.
I absolutely loved Nathon and his character arc, and Hestan is the ultimate green flag.
In conclusion, Please give me a moment to pick my jaw up from the floor and try to process that ending 😱 I'm left absolutely speechless....and cannot wait for part 2...😱😱
The story opens with Nathons pov and boy is it going to hook you in from page 1. The political intrigue keeps you guessing motives and turning pages and every single character has their own unique back story for you to dive into.
I absolutely loved Nathon and his character arc, and Hestan is the ultimate green flag.
In conclusion, Please give me a moment to pick my jaw up from the floor and try to process that ending 😱 I'm left absolutely speechless....and cannot wait for part 2...😱😱
February 19, 2025
5/5 💫
This was actually insane. As a reader and reviewer I am terrible at describing my thoughts on books but I will try to make as much sense as possible.
The characters' voices were so distinct from each other and the fact that each pov followed a different storyline made it engaging and addicting, it didn't feel as long as it actually is (she's a thicc book) and I feel that with a book including so much lore and background story it is an achievement.
Niamh managed to make me need more of all of these characters and of her marvelous writing, I am not at all biased even if this was one of my most expected reads for 2025 and I was granted the ARC (tytytyty).
If you are reading this review, pick this book up rn🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵
This was actually insane. As a reader and reviewer I am terrible at describing my thoughts on books but I will try to make as much sense as possible.
The characters' voices were so distinct from each other and the fact that each pov followed a different storyline made it engaging and addicting, it didn't feel as long as it actually is (she's a thicc book) and I feel that with a book including so much lore and background story it is an achievement.
Niamh managed to make me need more of all of these characters and of her marvelous writing, I am not at all biased even if this was one of my most expected reads for 2025 and I was granted the ARC (tytytyty).
If you are reading this review, pick this book up rn🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵🫵
July 11, 2024
Let me start off by saying how honored & grateful I am to have had the opportunity to ARC read Niamh Rose’s Fate of the Five: Veil of Vasara. I couldn’t put it down. It occupied my mind throughout the day, even days I was unable to read, and I felt so emotionally invested in each character. My favorite genre is fantasy/romantasy and Fate of the Five was definitely my cup of tea. Eligible candidates coming together under one roof, vying for the kings hand in marriage, winning competitions, playing games of lies and deception?! Not to mention a gloriously composed system of sorcery with its own battle of morality?!
Yes please!!
You can tell the author has spent countless hours perfecting her world and it greatly adds to the complexities of the story. Niamh does an absolutely brilliant job in crafting a narrative from multiple viewpoints, which gives an in depth understanding to both plot and character development. Being completely honest, I was apprehensive if I’d be able to keep the storyline straight when I found it was written from multiple points of view. Fate of the Five, however, is easily followed and truly heightened by having a multiple pov “insider” appreciation of the storyline. I cannot wait to reread this book and to order my copy once published!!
The land of Athlion, and its Five Kingdoms, is ripe with secrets, beautifully designed countries, forbidden sorcery, a pantheon of gods, and some of the most well done plot twists I’ve had the pleasure to experience. This is a world I feel like I know well (and wish was real so I could visit) after completing Fate of the Five.
Looking forward to future works by this author, Fate of the Five was utterly captivating and I am thrilled that this is just the beginning! I’d recommend it to both adult & older YA fantasy lovers as there are some mature themes explored but nothing graphic / needing of a warning. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. Cheers to a beautifully composed debut novel!
Yes please!!
You can tell the author has spent countless hours perfecting her world and it greatly adds to the complexities of the story. Niamh does an absolutely brilliant job in crafting a narrative from multiple viewpoints, which gives an in depth understanding to both plot and character development. Being completely honest, I was apprehensive if I’d be able to keep the storyline straight when I found it was written from multiple points of view. Fate of the Five, however, is easily followed and truly heightened by having a multiple pov “insider” appreciation of the storyline. I cannot wait to reread this book and to order my copy once published!!
The land of Athlion, and its Five Kingdoms, is ripe with secrets, beautifully designed countries, forbidden sorcery, a pantheon of gods, and some of the most well done plot twists I’ve had the pleasure to experience. This is a world I feel like I know well (and wish was real so I could visit) after completing Fate of the Five.
Looking forward to future works by this author, Fate of the Five was utterly captivating and I am thrilled that this is just the beginning! I’d recommend it to both adult & older YA fantasy lovers as there are some mature themes explored but nothing graphic / needing of a warning. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. Cheers to a beautifully composed debut novel!
February 11, 2025
Don’t mind me; I’m just contemplating life and questioning everything I ever thought I believed it. It’s fine. I’m fine.
I want to write an excellent review for this book, the kind of review that makes you go “wow I need to read this immediately!” But truthfully, I am a hollow shell after those final 100 pages and forming thoughts is hard. So just trust me, you need to read this immediately!
The way the story is woven together is masterful. The multiple POVs, everyone with their own agenda and secrets, and somehow it all coming together seamlessly as you read?! I’m fully in awe.
This is a seriously stunning debut novel. Not only is it an excellent, epic fantasy, but the writing holds so much obvious intention you can’t help but we swept away by every little thing that happens. From the small moments between characters, to the graphic scenes of torture & war, at no point does this get boring. The no holds barred portrayal of human desperation, the need for connection, morality in the face of what constitutes good vs evil… yeah I’m speechless.
Thank you so much for the ARC Niamh 🫶🏼
I want to write an excellent review for this book, the kind of review that makes you go “wow I need to read this immediately!” But truthfully, I am a hollow shell after those final 100 pages and forming thoughts is hard. So just trust me, you need to read this immediately!
The way the story is woven together is masterful. The multiple POVs, everyone with their own agenda and secrets, and somehow it all coming together seamlessly as you read?! I’m fully in awe.
This is a seriously stunning debut novel. Not only is it an excellent, epic fantasy, but the writing holds so much obvious intention you can’t help but we swept away by every little thing that happens. From the small moments between characters, to the graphic scenes of torture & war, at no point does this get boring. The no holds barred portrayal of human desperation, the need for connection, morality in the face of what constitutes good vs evil… yeah I’m speechless.
Thank you so much for the ARC Niamh 🫶🏼
February 16, 2025
Can I just say—WOW! 😱😍 The plot is deviously PLOTTING 😈😍🙌🙌 and I am obsessed with the characters and the slow burn 🔥 and her dialogue is absolute perfection! *chefs kiss 💋* I’m not kidding when I say that Niamh Rose is one of my favorite authors! I can’t wait for the next book she releases! 🥰
Here’s two of my fav quotes from FOTF (spoiler free)
“Yet the sun would always rise, hauling the truth with it over the horizon. I was a beast. I had been for years.”
“His stare. It was like being caressed by a cool breeze. So crisp and sharp yet refreshing and uplifting. It was like being hit with an arrow that numbed every part of your body. It was like feeling nothing and everything. It was unnerving.”
Here’s two of my fav quotes from FOTF (spoiler free)
“Yet the sun would always rise, hauling the truth with it over the horizon. I was a beast. I had been for years.”
“His stare. It was like being caressed by a cool breeze. So crisp and sharp yet refreshing and uplifting. It was like being hit with an arrow that numbed every part of your body. It was like feeling nothing and everything. It was unnerving.”
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