Natasha Ngan

The epic romance of Lei and Wren comes to a breathtaking conclusion in the explosive finale to the acclaimed, New York Times best-selling Girls of Paper and Fire series. "Don't struggle, Lei-zhi. It's time to take you back to the Hidden Palace. You're going home." The jaw-dropping conclusion to Girls of Storm and Shadow left the fates of Lei and Wren hanging in the balance. There's one thing Lei notes - she can never return to the Hidden Palace. The trauma and tragedy she suffered behind those opulent walls will plague her forever. She cannot be trapped there with the sadistic king again, especially without Wren. The last time Lei saw the girl she loved, Wren was fighting an army of soldiers in a furious battle to the death. With the two girls torn apart and each in great peril, will they reunite at last, or have their destinies diverged forever? Girls of Fate and Fury is the epic conclusion to the "glittering" and "adrenaline-soaked" series by Natasha Ngan, hailed as "a stunning, new talent" for her "beautiful, lush, lyrical" writing.

Girls of Fate and Fury

Rina

The two of us have beern toying with each other long enough. The last time I saw the King, I drove a knife into his throat. This time I know better. This time, I'll aim for his heart.

New York Times bestselling author Natasha Ngan delivers a stunningly beautiful, heartbreaking finale to the epic Girls of Paper and Fire series. "Don't struggle, Lei-zhi. It's time to take you back to the Hidden Palce. You're going home." The final pages of Girls of Storm and Shadow brought a jaw-dropping conclusion that had the fates of Lei and Wren hanging in uncertainty. But one thing was certain - the Hidden Palace was the last place that Lei would ever consider home. The trauma and tragedy she suffered behind those opulent walls would plague her forever. She could not be trapped there with the sadistic king again, especially without Wren. The last Lei saw of the girl she loved, Wren was fighting an army of soldiers in a furious battle to the death. With the two girls torn apart and each in terrorizing peril, will they find each other again or have their destinies diverged forever? Girls of Fate and Fury is the epic conclusion to the "glittering" and "adrenaline-soaked" series by Natasha Ngan, hailed as "a stunning, new talent" for her "beautiful, lush, lyrical" writing.

Bria

grace richards

Claudia Ganea

** spoiler alert **
           “Storytelling is a wonderful kind of magic, don’t you think? It is how we keep people alive in our hearts long after they are gone.”

TW: sexual abuse

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!!!!!! It doesn’t feel real that I’ve finally gotten to complete this beautiful series!!!

And it was beautiful, to the very end... through all the loss, all the hardships and trauma, every bad thing that our beloved Lei and Wren have to go through, the message that their story is trying to convey shines through. Hope. Resilience. The fact that you can break away from what you’ve been made or taught to be, and that you are more than what has happened to you.

I’ve said this in reviews of the previous books, but Lei will forever be one of my favorite characters from now on. I’m always drawn to people who are so dedicated to a cause, so passionate and determined, that it makes them absolutely shine, and she’s no exception. The satisfaction I felt when the King finally met his end?? Unparalleled!!! 

Through it all, though, Lei has kept true to her morals, which only made me appreciate her journey even more. All the horrible things she’s been subjected to could have easily made her resent every single demon that crossed her path (and we see a tiny glimpse into that with Wren, though she’s very quick to realize her misguidedness - with Lei’s help), but no matter what she’s been through, Lei shows empathy and kindness every time. Of course, in having to make the horrible decision of killing Caen herself, she begins to understand that sometimes the right way to go about things isn’t always going to feel right, but her fundamental goodness in the face of evil is what helps her triumph in the end.

Her relationship with Wren is also... so special. Their love for each other comes across as tender and pure as it should with every page. These two girls would go through hell and back if it meant that the other was safe. These two girls did go through hell and back to keep the other safe. And every fight, every clash and disagreement, is not swept under the rug never to be talked about again - but they actually communicate and talk to each other about what they feel!!!! Which is incredible!!!!!! They care about each other enough to acknowledge that what happened to make them drift apart a little is serious, and that they need time to get back to the way they used to be, but they do it together!!!!

And finally, all the other Paper Girls... I was so happy when Lei killed Himura, purely because of what she did to Chenna. Zhen and Zhin are pure rays of sunshine as always. Blue is the love of my life and her snark will always stay with me (also, spin-off with her and Lova? Please?) And Aoki, sweet, in love Aoki. Because she was in love, and that was both simple and incredibly complicated, because the person she fell in love with was her rapist. I think her story was handled with exquisite grace, and I was so, so happy that we left her in Xienzo, finally starting to process her trauma and beginning to heal alongside the other girls. Their friendship and love for each other was also incredible to read about.

I’m not sure I’m ready to say goodbye to this world, to these characters. But I know that what this series has taught me will stay in my heart forever, and that’s beyond precious to me!!

Randi Wagaman

4.5 stars! I love the character development and romance in this series. This series had me audibly gasping at several points, and this book moved way faster than the second which I appreciated. The characters are definitely more memorable than the plot, but I was still on the edge of my seat at 1 am.

Charmaine

My stars! How I loved this book and this trilogy. I didn't expect to fall so hard in love with all the characters. Lei, Wren, and all the other girls. I have never met girls so fierce and badass and beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading their journey of recovery and growth. Their hilarious shenanigans, the everlasting friendships, and the true love. I was awed by the sheer force of strength these characters can carry. I'm sad to part with them and their world, but it was a good one. ❤️‍🔥

Terra

Jennifer

I must admit that I wasn't expecting much with Girls of Fate and Fury, since I wasn't very sold into the second book of this series (it has its own fair share of common YA writing pitfalls). But alas, I'm the cat that curiosity has k-ed and I decided to just give the finale a go.

Without giving away too many things, I enjoyed Girls of Fate and Fury more than I'd thought. First and foremost, I'm pleasantly surprised of the chapters written from Wren's perspective. I thought the inclusion of Wren chapters did help flesh out her character arc, what she's been through, and what she's willingly going to fight for. I also thought Wren's pespective helped flesh out the previously less developed parts of the worldbuilding.

I think this foils well with Lei's chapters. I'm still not completely sold into Lei as a main character, but thankfully Ngan gave me the next best thing: developing the worldbuilding loopholes / the unanswered questions about what goes on in the palace & people there that weren't properly explored in the disappointing sophomore effort. I think by fleshing out the life back in the palace, I've not only learnt about what the other Paper girls had been through. 

While the plot build-up isn't optimal (the pacing has always been an issue in the series), I think the ending nevertheless closes the series nicely. To me, reading the ending has some sort of healing touch & some elements of found family that makes the ending feel hopeful.

So while not everything in the writing is excellent, Girls of Fate and Fury still managed to avoid the worst possible slump by straightening up the holes in the worldbuilding & putting more emphasis on the journey of healing.

N.B. This book contains following content warnings: abuse, self-harm, violence, blood mention, emotional blackmail, and death

(3.5 stars out of 5)