In this fifth and final installment Carys, Lady Hilgaard sets out to win her Crown before freeing her city and closest friends from the tyranny of the violet witches. If only her Fated wasn't dogging her every move, nudging her off balance growling her name, smelling like snowflowers and sunshine, shooting smouldering glances across the room.

This is a definite winner for me - although I'm still picking Book 4 as my series favorite. You'll need to read them all (in order!) and judge that one for yourself. The great thing about this series (as well as being a kick-ass romantasy) is that it addresses mental health and gender identity head-on, normalising experience, reactions and choices with humor and empathy along the way. In The Amethyst Kingdom the insidious power of loneliness to incapacitate and overwhelm us, particularly if we are already vulnerable to anxiety or depression is laid bare:
"The feeling of that physical absence left her bereft. How quickly this isolation warped her mind. Even with so many loved ones propping her up, in the briefest absence she could slip, foundationless without them."
Followed quickly with the stark reminder that often those of us who most need help are not willing or able to ask for it.

I also love the way that the female characters take private moments in the woods, have periods, get drunk, throw-up, collapse into fits of ugly-crying, and throw themselves in front of burning swords (not literally) / practically die for each other without turning into a shrew/heroine/victim caricature, And there's a perfectly healthy shake of spice (or 3) to keep everyone happy. [Some readers might find the bathing scene in Ch.24 uncomfortable].

The question of fate vs free choice permeates this novel. On the one hand, we have a FMC appearing to 'cut off her nose to spite her face'. On the other, she's punished for exercising free will - even if the choice appears questionable. The MMC is an arrogant ass who cannot help fighting to the bitter end to save her life but refuses to do the one thing that might save their relationship, I was so caught up in this petty "to be or not to be" interplay that I failed to catch the foreshadowing of a deftly executed and yet unsatisfying conclusion. The final gathering of the series main characters avoids clumsy sentimentality, but its over so quickly. Exit stage left, Talk about leaving them wanting more!

If you haven't already, I'd recommend reading Carys's backstory, detailed in the enchanting novella in The Witches Goodbye (Five Crowns of Okrith, Book 4.5) before tucking into this book, as well as the previous novels in the series. Carys's bid for the Eastern Crown, her relationship with her father an the broken bond with Lord Ersan are all explored in greater detail. It's easier to be kind to Carys with this knowledge.

You'll probably enjoy The Amethyst Kingdom If you like woman kicking-ass romantasy that acknowledges mental health issues (think A Shadow in The Ember, by J.L. Armentrout - more GAD; for loneliness/loss/depression it's a stretch but Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros is similar); or spicy elf-human shindigs (e.g. Fall of Ruin and Wrath by J. L. Armentrout).

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for access to an ARC.