Rise of the Fae

Dragon's Gift: The Dark Fae #5

by Linsey Hall

Darkness rises. But so do I.

The false queen has taken everything from me. My throne, my people, and worst of all, my mate. Her dark curse has stolen Tarron’s mind and compels him to try kill me.

I’ll do anything to cure him and stop her. When a prophecy tells me to go find the Dragon Bloods, I know I’ll be walking into a deadly situation. It won’t stop me.

Together, my friends and I will face hell itself to save the Unseelie Fae from the false queen. The question is… can we? Revolution is on the horizon, and it’s time for a new queen.

Rise of the Fae is the thriling conclusion of the hit new series The Dark Fae.

Genres: Fantasy, Fae, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Magic, Dragons

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 8, 2019

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Before becoming a writer, Linsey was an archaeologist who studied shipwrecks in all kinds of water, from the tropics to muddy rivers (and she has a distinct preference for one over the other). After a decade of tromping around in search of old bits of stuff, she settled down to start penning her own adventure novels and is freaking delighted that people seem to like them. Since life is better with a little (or a lot of) magic, she writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end

Well kinda glad I kept with this series and also I am like why did I finish this.. it was great in some parts but I didn’t like a lot at the end… don’t get me wrong the storyline was good, just the repeating a lot of this and that annoyed me,and come on where was the good sex scenes… oh right there was none😱
But I finally finished this series

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of this author for a long time, and I have enjoyed every one of the books I’ve read. This one is a series-ender, and I’ll miss Mari. She’s been my favorite character so far (I say so far because it keeps changing!), but I feel she softened a little towards the end. Not a bad thing, but I miss her more kick-butt attitude. However, this was a great book with the author’s signature non-stop action, fun adventure, great writing, and interesting characters. I’m anxious to see what’s up next for everyone. Highly recommend! I was provided a copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Lynette Graf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series and for grown ups, not YA

The story is fascinating and the action keeps rolling throughout the book non stop. Characters are juicy and interesting and the different magiks they have are awesome.

[Marta Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this book couldn’t come quickly enough for this reader because at the end of the last book Tarron was cursed by the false Unseelie Queen to want to murder his much loved Mate Mari ! To say they were left in a pickle is putting it mildly so obviously I was keen to discover how they would break the curse. As if having Tarron trying to murder her wasn’t enough angst there’s also the fact that Mari’s mother seems genuinely unstoppable so time for Mari to seek help but the problem is poor Mari is starting to doubt herself !
Mari with her Elvira vibe has long been my favourite character but I must say I was quite surprised at just how vulnerable she appeared in this her final book. Yes she’s a powerful Sorceress but I think her love for Tarron brought out something in her that she had always kept buried. Since first meeting Mari’s evil Aunt it’s been obvious that members of her family are truly twisted and power hungry but her nasty mother just upped the ante . I won’t ruin the story but the ending felt appropriate and don’t worry if you enjoy these action packed stories than the author has said there’s a spinoff soon with Claire as the protagonist.
This voluntary take is of an advanced copy and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

[debturk1970_bookvibes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Conclusion Of Mordaca's Exciting & Frightening Story!!😳🙏🔪🌁👑💘🔥💥 4.5 Stars 🌟
(Read using Kindle Unlimited)
Rise of the Fae: Dragon’s Gift (The Dark Fae Book #5)

We restart the conclusion after Mari, her sister & their boyfriends frighten two Magic Bend. Tarron is chained up because after being hit by the Unseelie Queen's new magic he's become infected & kept trying to kill Mari!😭💔 After testing it they find out it's soul magic & WILL kill him, it's also unbreakable.😳💔😭 Connor makes a temporary dampening potion & using promotion magic Mari finds out they need to find the Dragon Bloods.😱 There is very little hope of saving him though!!

Mari has to prove herself to try to gain the abilities she needs for everything ahead, initially saving her man. If that's successful they need to get to the Unseelie Realm, kill the Queen & save everyone!!🙏

This is an emotional filled read. It's exciting & fast paced and a wonderful finale to this series!!🌁👑💘🔥💥🌟

Debbie, 1970, UK

[Bee Love · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the storyline and plot of this whole series but just felt it was rushed. I would have loved more details and to see how the relationships complexities were resolved. However for a quick read I did enjoy it. That being said I wouldn’t read them again.

[Cat- · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 5 of 5

Can’t wait for the next set of books revolving around d the world of Magic’s bend. Marisending wss a bit weak but I still enjoyed the book nonetheless.

[Rebecca Ralston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have truly enjoyed all her books so far! They all have a message, this one, find your own “truth” you are enough, strong enough and remember who you are!!

[Leah Runyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because it followed the last one well. However I did feel like it was rushed. And I feel like some sort of epilogue would have been nice for the main characters to talk about how their lives together ended up. The story line good besides being rushed. I overall enjoyed the whole series

[Kell Natalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tarron was struggling to get off his chain while Mari and Aeri tried to find out what kind of curse he was hit with. Turned out, it was some kind of binding spell that controlled his mind and soul, so she couldn't just easily released him. And the longer he was under the false queen's spell, the more his soul and magic was leaking. There was no cure and there was no guarantee that he would be fine if they kill the false queen, but there was a potion that could dampen its effect. So they visited this strange fae who hated his kind for one of the ingredient to make the potion. However, he was an asshole and tried to only steal their money without intending to give them the ingredient, so Mari trashed his place and got away with the ingredient and the money.

Then she asked for Connor's help to make the potion and gave it to Tarron. He was back to his usual self but of course the queen's curse was still inside him. Then Mari remembered something that her mother said, something about how she hadn't fully come to her full power so asked for Aethelred's help to find some answer. Her seeker gift showed her a clue to find the first dragonblood and an abandoned church where they could find some clue about their whereabouts so Mari, Aeri, Dechlan, and Tarron set out there to find some clue. However, the church was kind of hunted, but they managed to got some information out of a priest anyway (this book is full of bullshit).

The monk told them to go to York and find some dragongod ghost who might know where the original's whereabouts. They went there and of course, the dragongod ghost was their father. He told them to go find a dragon scale that was actually a portal and find a stone dragon that would take them to the island of dragon. They arrived and a dragon welcomed them. The dragon said if Mari wanted more power, of course she needed to proof herself to be worthy (CLICHE OMG, might die out of boredom). Of course she proof herself worthy and managed to create a new magic that could heal Tarron but her magic was still not strong enough to beat her mother. And while they were talking, her mother suddenly came to kidnap both Aeri and Mari, but the dragon woman intercepted and blasted her with her magic. It harmed the false queen but it drained her greatly.

The dragon told her to leave and they immediately met with the resistance to plan for attack. They told her that the queen had a power source where she kept the magic that helped her control the faes. She even managed to mind control some of the seelie fae's minister. Mari and Tarron went to find the well of power and tried to smashed it with the crystal, which would freeze the queen's power for a while, so they could kill her, but it was too well protected and they needed to approach from land. So they planned for a distraction, which was the battle and the firesouls as their double, while they sneaked to the well and froze it.

They managed to froze the well and the firesouls confirmed that her mind-controlling spell had broken, but after that, the queen came and shot them with those golden light, but it didn't have the usual potency. The queen said she would use Aeri and Mari to gained more power by throwing them into the well of power so she wounded her and threw her down the well, then she proceeded to do the same to Aeri. Broken under the well, Mari just realized that she was a dragon blood, and she could create new magic (dumb, i know) so she used it to turn into a dragon. She took the false queen into the sky and blasted her with green fire that neutralized her power.

The seelie and unseelie faes came into the well of power too, and those out for vengeance for the queen rushed too her. Powerless, they managed to tear her apart and the battle stopped. Mari was crowned queen (in name only), there was no mention about what happened to the unseelies who was willingly joined the false queen, Tarron planned to turn the seelie into democracy too, and happy ending.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great End to an Amazing Series!

Amazing series! I loved every second of it. I definitely did not expect that finale! It was great! Though, I am surprised there was no chinese food involved! Lol!

[Nate Brightman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book concludes the Dark Fae serleies and is perhaps one of the best of the entire Dragon’s Gift series. Our resident bad girl of Magic Bend turns out to have the heart of gold we all knew she was hiding under her snarky attitude and Elviraesque appearance. Why did I find this book to be so enjoyable? For me a lot of it had to do with the relationship between Mordaca or Mari and Taron. As per her M.O. there were not explicit sex scenes, just a hint that took the book into PG land along with the language. But it was clear that Mari who throughout the Dragon’s Gift series refused to show a softer side was a woman in love and willing to go to any length to protect and save the people she loved. I enjoyed the fact that while of course Mari and Taron with the help of her sister Aeri and Declan had to overcome several challenges, unlike many of the other books in this series it didn’t turn into a mind numbing and exhausting marathon of death defying challenges. Sometimes less really is more. From the point in this series where it was revealed that Mordaca was the true UnSeelie queen I’ve been wondering how she could be queen and continue with her life in Magic Bend working alongside her sister performing blood sorcery and killing demons? It was nice that the author had Mari asking herself the same question. The ending was great. Even though she didn’t bring in all the heroines and their significant others to win the final battle, fittingly the FireSouls and Aiden were there along with Claire and Connor. Although having Aiden in the battle with no mention of Nix or Del’s significant others was odd. I have to believe that with Claire being such a strong secondary character in this series and the appearance of her strange white light power in the previous book, the badass woman who has always been there to help her friends fight their battles is finally going to get her own series next. It should be fun seeing what Claire’s magical powers will be and whom the author pairs her with.

[John A. Sillasen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5th & final episode i Dragons's Gift: Rise of the Fae

Be certain to read all 5 in order. The first four are more like Novella's or Tune in to the Continuing Saga kind of element. This is Mordaca's or Mari if you prefer, story. Her sister, Aerdaca or Aeri's story precedes these and is 4 books in duration. Again some are Novella like and all are priced accordingly so easy reads to get to the next in the Saga. The Dragon Blood sisters Meri and Aeri escaped torture and imprisonment by their Aunt and Uncle in a dark world beneath their magical world of Magic's bend. Magic's Bend is hidden from the human world so all kinds of supernaturals can live there in peace - mostly. Mordaca and Aerdaca live as Blood Sorcerers making potions for the right price to high paying customers. It's their 'cover' as they are really Demon Slayers, working for the Demon Slayer Council in part as payment for rescuing them from Grim World of their jailers. Demon Bloods can make new magic. It's what makes them so rare, sought after and potentially dangerous. They could make new magic that would put them in charge of the world for example. Not that these sisters ever would. The twist in this saga of Meri's is she learns early on in Book 1 that Aeri is only her half sister. They share a father - the dragon blood. Her mother is Dark Unseelie Fae. I'll say no more as you live through Mari's dilemma on what to tell her sister and how to deal with this man who comes to her door looking for a special magical potion. Only his magical signature doesn't match what he is presenting as himself.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will start with what I really loved,
I enjoyed the world, and was intrigued by all the characters and the fast paced writing. I loved how everything, pretty much exists in this world, it was really fun, I did enjoy the overall story.
What I didn’t enjoy; I felt the supporting characters had more potential then the two main romantic love interest, I felt it was lacking big time, I was hoping it was going to get better as it progressed, i really liked the beginning of the series, and could see the potential of them being together and how they could grow to love each other and could definitely get on board with them, but as it progressed, I just felt as though they didn’t really go anywhere,i couldn’t feel anything with them as it went on, I actually got bored of them pretty quickly. I also wished there was more to the characters,like I would love to know more about everyone, Mari is a great main character and I love her growth and who she is, she is truly a badass, I just wished there was something more to everyone, I didn’t feel as anyone had a connection, except for Mari and her sister, but still. And with so many unanswered questions with nothing in return, Overall it’s a good quick read, and I think it has potential, I also wouldn’t say this is at all spicy, definitely steamy, definitely more spicy then The Cruel Prince, definitely way less then Forth Wing but definitely not anywhere near smutty, I don’t think i will be reading this again, but I’m still happy I gave it a go.

[mellymoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enigmatic read

So as always there are many twists and turns through the book, part of the dark fae series, lots of drama, sensual love, drama, brilliantly adventurous for every character, so much I want to say but I don't want to be a spoiler.
I am addicted to reading, covered everything from Nude the obscure to all of Shakespeare 's works, death of a sales men to works of Philippa Gregory.....I have really enjoyed and read all of this Author 's works and I like her combative scenes and the world's within worlds, many realms, like Terry Pratchet and his world's !Linsey takes you on a magical tour that's impressive

In the other books Mari is a scary lady, dangerous, and it's lovely to delve into her character and fears, the woman behind the mask, again can't say much as it would spoil it.

I've enjoyed all of these books in this series because you have the main story but each book also goes in-depth with each character and so by the end you know them like friends, like you could bump into them

Still think these books should be turned into screen plays because of the depth of each story and character!

I also like the sexual tension but it's tastefully written so you can allow teens to read without the worry of it being too much

I'd really recommend this series for anybody who is looking for a journey filled with adventure, magic, mystery, bit of lurve and fun, something to help timescale for a bit

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some authors are consistently wonderful. Linsey Hall is certainly one. Some series are pretty darn consistently wonderful too. That’s certainly been the case with her Dragon's Gift: The Dark Fae series, which now comes to a perfect ending in Rise of the Fae (Book 5). Things are looking pretty bad here for Mari & Co. The false queen had even twisted Tarron mind and turned him against Mari. I’d not count her out, though. She’s one heck of a bad-a** (my favorite sort of character) to get on the wrong side of and she is indeed ready to face hell itself to save the Unseelie Fae from the false queen. The result is one heck of a perfectly written tale that’s a triumphant series ender. Fans will be delighted. Newcomers too, though you’re missing out if you don’t start this fabulous series with book 1.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mini series was fairly enjoyable even though there were definitely things I would've changed (especially when it wasnt even realistic enough for the fantasy world. Regardless, I enjoyed it enough to possibly explore other books by Hall. This book was very action packed and never really lost your attention. However, the ending fell flat for me. There was this great, big battle... and then the next thing you know, it was over. I'm not sure I liked the outcome of her mother either. I felt perhaps there should have been more closure there since she was constantly having conflicting thoughts about her. And what about the father, he was brought into the picture and then completely disappeared as if he never existed again. So like I said, there were things I personally would have changed, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

[Tiffany Weeks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started strong

Okay, here's the thing. The lore? Stunning. I wish it was talked about more. What drove me nuts is a lot of the scenes just felt like the dreaded filler episodes in a good show. The series overall had an amazing plot. It was just very much a pattern. Even down the how many chapters for each event. And all the books had very similar events. So it was hard to stay in the series and not bail. The other problem I have is that the conversations between characters are bland. Like, "the world is ending?" = "I need to be stronger." Over. And over. And over again. The amount of times that a single sentence, phrase, or word is basically copy/pasted (and not even a full page from it being said again) is quite boring. The diversity for word/verbage is extremely lacking. I'd give a 3.5 overall.

[Aima Hameed · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun series. It started off strong with an exciting plot, a bit of enemies to lovers action and one adventure after another. What I didn't like was how one dimensional and bland the main antagonist was. The false queen did what she did just because she wanted to. There was no other explanation given except for her being just plain evil. I like my villains with a bit of depth, with some underlying reason (no matter how twisted) for their actions. Unfortunately, here the false queen was just a plain old cartoon villain who didn't bring much to the story.
This series did a good job scratching the itch I had for some fae/magic fantasy story but didn't leave me wanting more or attempting to re-read it in the future.

[~Shawna the crazy coffee reader~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent addition to the series. I truly enjoyed seeing a more vulnerable side to Mari as she has grown in her series. We know she is badass and can pull off the cold stares as well as be confident exterior. It was great to see inside her head and what she went through.

Mari just knows she is “not enough”. Not able to heal her love or defeat her mother, let alone lead others to do so! From beginning to end she struggles with her sense of self. Finally, the understanding comes that she must remember who she is in order to succeed.

I only hope to see some spin off or short stories about how all these relationship progress and potential families?? Who knows but this is a great read!

**I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review**

[Lita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing conclusion to the series and so exciting. I do wonder if Ms. Hall knew the ending before she began the book because it was so well written. No spoilers! But, I've read many books by other authors who seemed to run out steam before getting to the end or seemed to just make up the most outrageous (bigger, badder, more power, etc.) ending for the final battle. Not Linsey Hall. This epic battle was most satisfying. The loose ends were nicely tied up. I picked this up and read it in one sitting. It was engaging, riveting, adventurous, and amazing. I simply loved it which is no surprise since I've loved all of her books.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic ending to an amazing series! This book was jam packed with so much amazingness I just couldn’t put it down! It was like watching a movie with the action, suspense, and romance. The previous book ended with Tarron not himself and Mari realizing she now had to find a way to help him. I seriously loved reading about these two as they embarked on their journey to cure Tarron and defeat the false queen. It was also awesome to have appearances by so many other characters from Linsey’s other books. Highly recommend this one, but you totally need to read the rest of the series before diving into this!

[Roseanne Lobbezoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final battle.

"To win you must remember who you are." These words, spoken by the dragon to Mordaca, are the answer to defeating her mother, the false queen of the Unseelie fae. Thankfully, when the final battle arrives, and all seems lost, Mordaca finds her true self and gains the power she was born to.
I loved this series! It has all the magic, imagination, and wonderful storytelling that imbued all the fairytales I devoured as a child. It's about good overcoming evil, and gaining victory, even in the face of impossible odds. I will definitely be reading more of this author's books.

[Nancy Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mari and Tarron and Friends have to defeat the evil Queen of the unseely

Mari and Tarron are back from the dead and with their friends seek to plan to kill the false Queen of the unseely. They get together with the resistance UnSeeley and their other friends to plan. Tarron gathers his troops from the Seely Court and stations them around the portal area to the unseely realm. Meanwhile the resistance grows inside the unseely realm as more and more gather to support the rightful Queen. When Mari and Tarron arrived with their friends and the other warriors they find hundreds waiting for them ready to fight.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The finale is finally here and as always nothing is simple or straightforward for Mari and her friends. Mari is desperate to find a cure for Tarron before she loses her fated mate to her mother's darkness, while also trying to discover a way to get more power to take out her mother for good. With the help of her friends and family Mari goes on a quest to find the Dragon Bloods and see if they can help her attain the power she needs to save Tarron and defeat her mother, and on the way she may meet someone she was not expecting.

[Bri Mooney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this series several years ago...

I loved it from the start and then fell off while waiting for the next book.
I was a bit disapointed. I don't know if my taste has changed or if the writing got a little lazy. It just wasn't as satisfying of a read.
The plot was quick, the dialogue was okay, the characters were good enough, but the story was predictable and unimpressive. Which may be my fault from reading so much of her work, I may have just grown accustomed to her style.
Either way it's not a bad book, just a bit boring.

[judy Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Linsey Hall has become, hands down, my favorite author. I’ve read several of her series’s now and love that, though each is unique and engaging in itself, they’re all interconnected. The characters are well developed and relatable and many make appearances across other series as the group of friends aid and encourage each other. At this point each new series I start is a sort of homecoming; greeting and becoming reacquainted with old friends and making new friends as the stories unfold.

[Lisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series was marketed as a fantasy romance series.... If we see it fantasy series it was above average with good plot although I think it was a bit streched out for my liking... As for romance I liked the characters and their bond although not enough time was invested on them as a couple , for making me belive that they fell in love and are even ready to die for each other...the whole time during "their relationship" they were trying to save each other from one problem or another... They didn't interact but and I could feel a bit chemistry between them but it was not explored much

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fitting end to Mari's tale

I thoroughly enjoy Linsey's books and this one did not disappoint. It is the end Mordaca deserves, but I hope we will have a bit more of her in future books. As usual, there's enough historical detail to make my wee History loving heart soar. Mordaca's character development was a joy to witness. And I do agree Buckfast is something to be avoided, even if Glaswegians love the stuff.
I strongly recommend this book and all that precede it.

[Kristina Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series!!!

I loved reading this series, it was full of romance, strong characters, and a love of family!!! Part of me wish it ended with Taron and her getting married because I feel that it would be a huge challenge for her and there kingdoms. Then there child being half unseelie and seelie. So much I wish I could find out!! Thank you again Linsey for writing this amazing series!!!