**I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the author and Reedsy Discovery. Receiving a copy for free did not impact my review in any way. This is an honest, spoiler-free review, and all opinions expressed within are solely my own.**
Rupert is facing impossible odds. Gaticus, his arch nemesis and a foe who will only be satisfied with the extinction of humanity across the globe, holds the high ground in every way.
Only one goal supersedes this villain's desire for world domination: Rupert's sister.
And Rupert is not about to let his sister die if there is another living being with breath to protect her.
In a heart-wrenching, breath-stealing fashion of utter darkness along the lines of a Helm's Deep moment from Lord of the Rings, the devastating realities of war, loss, and fragile, unpromised recoveries, The Dominion: Destiny is a tale that pulls you in right away and doesn't let you go.
Having read prior works in this series, I did not imagine the emotional toll that this book would take on me. Characters, over the course of the now three-volume series, have become friends, enemies, and more.
Very little of that matters, though, when it is life and death in its rawest forms that are waiting for you. Rupert is no longer an idealistic youth. Instead, we witness a battle-hardened warrior who must scrape up enough hope to keep himself breathing and his men fighting to their dying breaths.
Meanwhile, political power struggles, abandonment by allies, and twisted would-be rules scheming for Rupert's throne paints an even bigger picture of the odds stacked against this dwindling, defeated kingdom from very early on.
Despite the darkness of the story, hope sprouts up here and there, with a realistic, passionate, bitter-sweet love story at some point in the tale, and a promise for a potential future for all of these characters.
With writing so realistic and deep, I struggled with only giving it four stars. After giving it a second read, though, I feel that while I do love this book (and highly recommend it), there are two key factors that play into my four-star review.
The first is related to a key plot point that (even after reading twice) could be a potential oversight/hole. As this is a spoiler-free review, I will not go into that here, but it did not detract from the main storyline.
The second is the ending. This may be my personal preference, but as this is the third and final volume of The Dominion Trilogy, I was wishing there would be a solidly resolved ending for Rupert and the other players in the story (in case there is nothing more to come from this world). Instead, while the current book's plot felt resolved, the ending reads like a promise that more books are coming with two new potential plot lines. I wish I could have seen more of what happens to resolve those, but maybe Cloake is planning an entirely new series in this universe? *Crosses Fingers*.
With that being said, if you like epic fantasies that are on the darker side, pit destiny against strong-willed characters, and war against hope, this is a story I highly recommend. Cloake has really upped the bar with this book, and I truly hope there are more to come!
**Trigger Warnings: Genocide attempted/discussed, racism, slavery discussed, war, death, torture, rape, incest mentioned but not shown, cannibalism, death of a loved one, depression, suicidal ideation**
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There are 4 books in this series.
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From the Publisher
Fiction from the heart
Chris Cloake is an English author with a passion for writing. His deeply personal and carefully crafted stories take you on a journey of love and loss, hope and grief.
What you can expect
- Raw emotion
- High stakes
- Sensitive characterisations
- A sense of fulfilment
- Painful lessons
About the author
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2022
Top reviews from other countries
- Big FanReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2022
The Dominion – Destiny is a fitting end to a fine fantasy trilogy
- cathryn melaniReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2022
Brilliant conclusion to an fantastic fantasy series.
Book three in a fantasy trilogy,The Dominion Destiny is the conclusion to what was a very enjoyable fantasy fiction series.cathryn melaniBrilliant conclusion to an fantastic fantasy series.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 7, 2022
Following 17 centuries of peace in Ordefirma, Rupert the youngest son is now Marquis. A deadly enemy, previously thought to be nothing more than mythical stories to scare children, has arisen set on destroying life as they know it.
I really enjoyed this series, and The Dominion Destiny is probably my favourite of the three books.
A brilliant conclusion to a very well written and developed series. This book definitely has some darker aspects in the plot than the first two with some epic battle scenes and unsavoury characters.
It's full of danger, destruction, battles, laughable family dysfunctional dynamics, romance, hope and despair. The best and worst of people are shown that's for sure.
I loved the conclusion to this book series following a very edge of seat ride throughout.
Definitely a must read book for all fans of epic style fantasy.
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