Whims of Fate

Whims of Fae #3

by Nissa Leder

With everything on the line, who can Scarlett trust?



After returning from the Winter Court, Scarlett and her sister, Ashleigh, are living at the Unseelie Court under its king, Kaelem’s, protection. Scarlett’s only desire is to keep her sister safe, but Ashleigh isn’t happy to be trapped away from her mortal life.

Scarlett feels more fae and less human every day. Her emotions run high and resisting the temptations of her new life are harder than ever.

When the Fates share a prophecy about powerful magic up for the taking, Scarlett hopes it’s the answer she’s been looking for. But she isn’t the only one the Fates have told.

Scarlett finds herself on a quest in an unknown land with an unlikely group of allies. If she can take the magic for herself, she’ll be able to protect everyone she cares about. But if it falls into the wrong hands, Scarlett will never be safe again.

Genres: Fantasy, Fae, Romance, Young Adult, Paranormal, Audiobook, Fantasy Romance

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 31, 2018

Reviews

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

+2
¿Qué?, ¿qué fue esto?, ¿en qué momento ? No sé. Me ha parecido que pasa demasiado rápido sin explicaciones, la protagonista me cae un poco peor y las cosas irrelevantes tienen más capitulos que los que de verdad importan. Me encuentro ante una encrucijada de argumentos, no sé por donde tirará la señora en la cuarta novela. Tantas incognitas que le veo a todo....



En fin. No entiendo nada de nada. Igualmente voy a seguir leyendo porque solo me queda la mitad de la obra y se leen en nada. Así que de perdidos al río....

[taylor ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5
definitely the best in the series so far

[Kay Moody · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best part about this book was the ending. Wow! Everything turned out so cool!!! The tree and the orb. It was awesome.

I also really liked Raith in this book. As I hoped, there were more chapters from his perspective. The little surprise visitor that he gets in this book was so cool. I actually really liked how the woman interacted with both Raith and Cade. It was interesting the way the book ended for Raith. I'm sure everything is going to work out for him, but it's definitely going to be a little crazy getting there.

Also, I'm pretty much going to live for Cade and Poppy moments from here on out. They are so cute!

I hate Kaelem. I'm not sure why Scarlett isn't more angry at him to be honest, lol. I think he's supposed to become more sensitive and "good" as the books progress, but I liked him better before. Not sure what that says about me, lol.

Now that the plot has thickened even more, I'm pretty excited to read what comes next. The magic system has always been fascinating to me from the beginning, so I can't wait to see how it changes/expands in the future books!

[Rylee Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aaand I’m out. Normally I love love triangles, but this is starting to feel like it’s heading into ménage à trois territory, so nope. Not for me. If that little bit was different, the story would’ve kept me hooked.

[Ashlee » libraryinthecountry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is my guilty pleasure ♥️

[Rissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
Scarlett is developing her abilities
Cade is trying to figure out how to be a king
Raith is trying to find his mother
Kealem is being a gorgeous pain in the butt...

And i loved it once again!

[Cassie | Lost In Tomes · Rating 3 out of 5]

So fluffy and predictable BUT - I'm completely enjoying myself so I don't even care.


Content Notes:
- Strong Language
- Sexual Content

Recommend for fans of:
- The Iron Fey
- Reverse Harem Trope
- Fluffy Fantasy Reads

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been the least favourite of the series so far for me. After the last book, my ship drastically changed and I'm still rooting for it. My ship, of course, being Scarlett and Kaelem. After the events of the last book, they're becoming more comfortable with each other and more attracted and I need it! I just feel a bit meh about Scarlett being with Raith. At this point, it feels like the author is trying to come up with reasons why my ship can't happen, but the connection and attraction is there. Please just make it possible! I'm reading on in the hopes it happens!

[ME E]

This series keeps getting better and better. Easily one of my favorites now. 5+ stars!

[RedWych · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow

What an adventure.! I'm glad to see scarlett stay to come into her own. But the mysteries continue, all these juicy unanswered...yet...questions. So ready for book 4!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blog | Twitter | Instagram | As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

You can also find my review here.

It's no secret that Nissa Leder's Whims of Fae series has fast become one of my favourite series. I was positively smitten upon the first novels initial release. With two stellar releases under her belt, Leder has shown no signs of slowing down when it comes to her delectable story of one girls change from ordinary to extraordinary. Whims of Fate proves to be just as beautifully written (and suspenseful) as the previous two installments to the series--and, as per tradition, leaves readers breathless and longing for the fourth book.

NISSA! Girl, what are you doing to me? Did Whims of Fate just solidify my position as your #1 b*tch? (As if this was in question to begin with.) Absolutely. As with the previous two chapters in leading lady Scarlett's life, it was jam packed with heart, charm, scorching romantic entanglements, fast paced plotlines and more. Whims of Fate proves that sequels can be beyond even our greatest hopes. Leder shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to her spin on Fae and coming-of-age stories.

Whims of Fate picks up quite quickly on where its predecessor left off and gives us plenty to think about.

Will Ashleigh ever forgive Scarlett? Or return back to the mortal realm and her beloved boyfriend? What will Aria do now that she has been freed? What exactly is going on with Kaelam (swoon) and Scarlett (double swoon)? Will Raith and Scarlett reunite, for real this time? What truths are waiting for Raith when it comes to his mother? What will he and Sage discover? What do Poppy and Cade have up their sleeves?

And most importantly: who will receive the upper hand when it comes to the ultimate power struggle at the center of the entire series? Leder crafts a startling tale of twists, hope and magic, captivating readers until the final chapter. We get equal footing when it comes to both questions and answers. I'm so beyond obsessed.

I stand by what I said in previous reviews: Whims of Fae is the ultimate series for fans of Cassandra Clare and Sarah J. Maas. Nissa Leder's exploration of classic mythology themes is all her own, but there is certainly an element to her prose that will standout to fans of the authors listed above. Armed with a set of complex characters, witty dialogue, smart plot twists and steaming romance; Leder will have you cast under her spell before long.

So what can you officially expect from Whims of Fate?

-Answers about Raith's parentage. We learn of his mother's fate and whether or not the previous revelations were correct. There were a lot of bombshells in Whims of Fate but one, in particular, will stand out to readers. Trust me.
-Things heat up between Kaelam and Scarlett in a way that is surprisingly satisfying. At this point, Scarlett has chemistry with everyone--and so does Kaelam, for that matter. The real question is: Kaelam or Raith? (Or, is this badass character better off own her own?)
-When it comes to romantic elements, we see quite a bit more of that spark between Poppy and Cade. While Cade is--perhaps--my least favourite character in their narration, he has a bit more time to shine in this one. We see a much more vulnerable side to him as he is taken down a new path.
-An unlikely group forms an alliance, tying all of the prominent good-to-morally-gray characters together.
-SO. MUCH. CHARACTER. GROWTH. From literally everyone.
-More revelations and plot twists.
-OH MY GOD. That ending, though. The last four chapters! Don't! Look! Away!

In short?

Whims of Fate was one of my favourite reads of the year so far. Best enjoyed with coffee, your lights dimmed just enough, and a good record blasting--for me, Rainbow Kitten Surprise's discography was blaring the entire time on shuffle. Basically: get comfortable, set the mood, because you are not going to move until you finish the novel.

It is proof that Leder is not only someone you should look out for, but the sort of writer that just keeps getting better with every release. I loved Whims of Fate and I'm sure lovers of fantasy will, too.

[LexiLikesLiterature · Rating 2 out of 5]

By Nissa Leder
Narrator Jesse Vilinsky

Well umm 😔...I still generally like the series but this was not my favorite installment. Things were a bit sloppy... it was a little hard to follow when transitioning from different point of views as they seemed to happen at random and sometimes occured in the middle of scenes.

There is a point half way through where things get too silly for me. The characters all band together to go on a MYSTERY journey to an UNDISCLOSED place so that they can search for a UNKNOWN power that they DON'T know how to find or even what it does... as far as they know it could only make them fart louder... I'm both "🤣" and " 😒" with this storyline.

This book should have been titled, Spontaneous Convenience. As with the last, all of these impossible things happen just at the right moment. If one person gets injured, then someone lost conveniently reappears out of nowhere. If you are about to be outplayed, then you Spontaneously get a new power that you've never had or heard of before that moment.

We've left the Love Triangle and moved on to the possible Harem category. But then conveniently another love interest comes in and resets us back to a Love Triangle.

And the biggest question of all is how can a person be Half Seelie, Half Unseelie, and Half Human... that doesnt add up 🤣 And if their mom was half far (of any sort) then Scarlett's sister should be at least Half Fae/Half Human... 🤣😂 I'm sure in the end we will get some type of unlogical but magically explanation.

Do you see where I'm going here?

It's not a terrible book, but just not what I was looking for from this series.

2 Stars 🌟🌟- Decent. Has Potential. Possibly a good idea for a story but something could have been better. Sometimes it's because too little or too much was in the wrong parts of the story. Doesn't mean I hated it. Just means it was missing something to push it over the hump.

[Brittany Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when you think it can’t get any better!!!

Scarlett and Kaelem teamed up in the last book and managed to get what they wanted-with some effort. Of course help came in the form of Raith and Sage and a lot of hard work!

We are now a few weeks after the disaster of the winter solstice and Ashleigh hasn’t forgiven Scarlett and refuses to even look at her. In a mad dash to help Aria takes Ashleigh back to the mortal realm to smooth things over and give the sisters a chance to breathe. At the same time Raith has gone off to Autumn court to chase up some leads with Sage and Kaelem is invited to the Seelie court. In an attempt to not dwell on the current situation Scarlett is desperate to go to court with Kaelem but there’s a hitch....... she has to feed off his feelings to hide her Seelie nature. Which opens up a whole new can of worms!

I found this book to be very fast paced and sewn together seamlessly. I’m finding it very difficult to pick out who my favourite character is most-I mean I love Raith so that’s always constant-but all the characters are beautifully worked out. I find myself rooting for them and cheering them on while the story goes on.

I can’t wait to see how the next book goes and I can’t stress how great these books are!!

[Wrenaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm.... I have a lot of questions.

What is Laik's role in Scarlett's heritage? Why isn't Scarlett's sister fae (or is she?)? Will Ashleigh ever be likable? Was their mom actually crazy or was something else going on? Why is Sage (who is cool and kick ass) so invested in this group of people she barely knows? How can Rowen have visions in a realm where supposedly no ones powers work? Does Raith's choice mean an end to the love triangle (or is that wishful thinking)? Why is everyone so dang nice to each other after everything that has happened thus far (or in general, since it's repeatedly mentioned how less than nice fae are)? Why are there so many typos/wrong/repeated words? Was this book properly edited?

The first two books felt very derivative of ACOTAR, but it's finally starting to feel like it's perhaps diverging down its own path. In hopes to have at least a few of my questions answered, and because it is a fun read despite it's flaws, I press on.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly love triangles suck. For me at least. On one hand I'm glad for Kaelem because he was there for Scarlett when few others were and he's never thought of her as some fragile person who needs constant protection however, his stunt at the end? Dude you deserved that knife to the back. Just when we think we can kind of trust you, you come back with the snakey moves. I still like him though, he's the only character I find remotely interesting.

But I did miss Raith and Scarlett. I found myself torn throughout the whole book, but Raith didn't really have any leg to stand on when he saw Scarlett's feelings for Kaelem. He literally left her with him for months and didn't check in so...

I liked when they got to the other world, it finally felt like something was happening in the story. But my god its still Typo city! Seriously I beg you to find a different person(s) to proof read your future work. I was having to rework sentences in my head to make them sound better...

[Geo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wait.... what? I didn't see that coming. The fantastical journey continues. Scarlett continues to surprise me as does Kaelem. He's becoming better in my opinion and my allegiance is changing from Raith to him the more I read. I understand why Raith does what he does but that boy is a fool. Sage is amazing!!! I'm beginning to understand Cade more but Poppy still continues to annoy the bejeezus out of me. Get a grip, girl. Is it bad to hope that either Kassandra or Nevina were going to die in this one? Or maybe both?? Laik..... I'm perplexed by him and his weird relationship with the Seelie Queen. I'm seriously hoping some stuff gets resolved in the next book. All this drama is making me crazy, but like with Grey's Anatomy I crave it. I cannot wait for the next book.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm starting to get tired of this series. It's interesting, which is what has been keeping me hooked, and is a different take on so many tired tropes. I also really enjoy Scarlett's character; she is very fleshed out and real.
But here's the thing. (I mentioned this in my review of the last book.) There were so many questions I had that weren't answered. Namely, why doesn't Ashleigh have fae in her? There were also minor errors that could have been fixed with a proofreader. These things make me wonder if this book went through the entire editing process, including betas and proofreaders, because I am not sure.
Still, it was a fun read. I'm just not sure if it was fun enough for me to continue with the series.

[Natasha Clark-French · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series. I don't know how but each book is better than the last. Just when I think the next book can't possibly be as good as the last I'm proven wrong. I love how real Scarlett is. But even with all her worries and insecurities she still always makes the right decision.
I also really like the steamy sexual tension throughout the book and how we get the information we need about what happens without having to suffer through too many details.
I can't wait to continue this series and I really hope that Nissa continues to write about this world even after this storyline is completed.

I definitely recommend this series and I'll definitely reread it in the future.

*I volunteered to read and honestly review a free Kindle copy of this book*

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised

These books keep getting better. I was iffy on the first one, and only gave it three stars. The second, was a little better, but I still wasn't completely sold. That one received four stars. This one is getting five! Finally some good action, a quest! I enjoyed learning about other courts, and finally Scarlett is growing stronger and not some damsel in distress. She's still got a funky love square going on (Cade raith AND Kaelem) but I am so team Kaelem!!! Can't wait to find out what happens next! It took three books to get here, but now I am officially hooked. I'm glad I didn't give up on the series.

[Camille Dent · Rating 2 out of 5]

This installment in the series made me very confused. It basically becomes a Rat Race for this vague "power" that the Fates talked about, and the character's team up as easily as a JRPG party. Scarlett would be a much more compelling character if she actually had thoughts and opinions rather than constantly trying to convince herself that she's a good person and justifying her decisions. I'm also really frustrated with the turn that Kaelem's character takes after how much GROWTH he has before all of this. Cade and Poppy are the most solid and consistent characters in the series so far, so it's a shame that their development has been so shallow thus far.

[Rach · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
There are parts of this book I really loved, mostly Scarlett learning about her fae powers and how she fits in the fae world. But then, there’s the love triangle that’s developing and making me cringe. I feel like it’s been done before - the main female character has all the male characters drawn to her and she has to choose. I’m not sure it’s really necessary in this story.
I will keep reading the series though, because the story of the fae courts and the mysterious Fates has me intrigued. I want to see how this impending war plays out.

[Skyler Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit. Yea there were a few messy spots and confusing bits here and there but I loved the character development, the gained relationships along with the lost relationships, the slight plot twists towards the end and definitely the more mature further in depth descriptions during the rated R parts that seem to slowly increase more and more through out the series which is apparently keeping a firm grip on my curiosity as i get further and further into the series!

[Mercysk28 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well....

Well, this installment was somewhat boring and the main character still remains a weak heroine! I really hate this "lust" triangle that shouldn't even be! If she has to be with someone let it be Kaelem! At least he'd make the story more intense and interesting! But honestly, how can a main character have all this power yet still be weak?! I hate the wimpy leads! Give me Kate Daniels please!

[Stephanie Akin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of the series since book 1 and this latest book did not disappoint at all. From the beginning it sucks you in again into the complicated life of Scarlett. The storyline continues and does a beautiful job of tying everything together and continuing to tell the intriguing story. I can't wait to see how the story continues!

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Enjoyed the story, I didn’t like how helpless and naive Scarlett’s is portrayed. Also, the love triangle is frustrating. I am curious to see the direction it goes, but I sure do hope it doesn’t go the way it is starting to look since the person in mind is selfish and never puts Scarlett’s first.

[Lindsay Merrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not even sure why I'm still reading these, I'll be honest. They're not great. The story is circular. There's no real growth. The characters are meh. The world isn't flushed well, the writing isn't fantastic, and they always just abruptly end. I'm torn between almost masochistic like curiosity that wants me to continue and see how it all ends... and really just not caring.

[Big Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

What in the world was up with that ending? I'm no fan of cliff hangers but this story just dribbled to a close. While the story is still somewhat entertaining, the editing has declined to the standard of book one and most of the sentiments and thoughts of the characters are so repetitious it's beyond annoying.

[Jennifer Pezzella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This book was very very good, unexpected plot twists that I didn't see coming but honestly we all knew that Scarlett was the key and had a bigger role. Still a couple grammatical errors but alas I digress. I think I liked this book better than part 2, and am anxious for part 4 now.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a plot twist!

Whoa. In a six book series, it has the potential to become a drag. And the halfway point a a big deciding point as to whether I'm gonna read past the standard 3 books for a series. But the plot twist at the end of this has me reeling for a book 4!

[Genni Piatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm loving the interactions between Raith, Kaelem, and Scarlett, who is becoming a force to be reckoned with. I need to know more about Sage, Rowen, and Scarlett's mom. And what about that ending? War is definitely coming but where will the pieces fall?