The ancient dominion of Ordefima faces a catastrophic invasion that will rip it apart.
This is a tale of desperate duels, greed and loss, dreams unrealised and the ultimate price paid by those in love. Can the close siblings, Rupert and Socha, survive such insurmountable odds and find any kind of happiness? Or will darker powers and covetous enemies prevail?
The Dominion - Destiny is the unmissable concluding part of the fantasy trilogy. Fans of legendary sagas leading to dramatic conclusions, with a vibrant cast travelling strange lands, can't fail to find thrills in this final instalment by emerging author Chris Cloake.
Buy The Dominion - Destiny and prepare for an odyssey that knows no bounds.
The ancient dominion of Ordefima faces a catastrophic invasion that will rip it apart.
This is a tale of desperate duels, greed and loss, dreams unrealised and the ultimate price paid by those in love. Can the close siblings, Rupert and Socha, survive such insurmountable odds and find any kind of happiness? Or will darker powers and covetous enemies prevail?
The Dominion - Destiny is the unmissable concluding part of the fantasy trilogy. Fans of legendary sagas leading to dramatic conclusions, with a vibrant cast travelling strange lands, can't fail to find thrills in this final instalment by emerging author Chris Cloake.
Buy The Dominion - Destiny and prepare for an odyssey that knows no bounds.
Rupert, Marquis of Ordefima, stood atop the Wall that had for so many centuries marked the line between paradise and wretchedness, and reflected on the frightful changes. His beloved dominion had seemed eternally beautiful, a place where birds soared and fine maidens sang sweet songs that spoke of peace and plenty. It was where, in his childhood days, he ran in green meadows, barely noticed by nonchalant sheep with thick, woolly coats. And with his sister, Socha, games of hide and seek were played out until they could not bear to be apart any more.
Looking at it as it was now, he knew the idyll was gone. The once abundant expanse of the Fields was a muddy bog. The vines had been drowned, the grasslands and pastures could no longer support livestock. The people endured, repairing their houses where the rain was getting in, walking in the Town Square, maybe even making plans for the future. But it was an odd sense of normality. The smiles, the effervescent hope, the deep sense of trust, were no more. Daily activities lay in ruin, replaced by a crisis only chaos can bring. And it was hardly surprising, given what lay on the other side. The protective ring of the Tutelors had been broken.
The Waolings, under the abiding blanket of black clouds, had become what resembled an inland sea. All that was visible above the turgid water was the top of the odd sickening bush. And a thousand Gharids. They swarmed across the surface, their scaly backs arching and long, wide tails splashing. Occasionally, a hideous head would emerge, revealing rows of blade-like teeth and eyes tinged with purple. On the rubble that had been the Keeper’s Lodge stood Gaticus, nearly twice the size of his surrounding minions, in a rich coat of red, his triumphant crest erect. In one claw he held the Goblet of Fecundity that had been so precious to Ordefima. In the other, was a sword taken from a sentinel after he had defeated the invading force at the Luroghs.
What he desired now was Socha. Her blood mixed with his would make all in his army as strong as him and each could create another thousand like them. Rupert met his intense glare with defiance. He felt the beast trying to steal into his thoughts, measure the level of his fear and work himself into any gaps he found.
“The Germinid is mine. It is only a matter of time before the Lady of the Goblet succumbs and all of Ordefima follows.”
Gaticus said this into the minds of his own kind. Rupert heard it too, as did Socha sitting on the floor of her room high up in the Balaltura. It was an impressive show of strength. Yet Rupert knew this was the best Gaticus could muster. To co-ordinate a force as large as his and maintain the constant downpour he needed took most of his power, sparing them his devastating infiltration of the mind.
“Brag as much as you like, you old sack of scales,” Rupert replied. “You still have to get past this Wall, and our weapons.”
“Do you think we can hold out?” the captain of the guard, standing beside him, asked, his face thin and worried.
Rupert looked along the massive line of defence. “I have faith in the Wall,” he said. “But we are much depleted in number. We can bring out all the weapons we want. You still need someone to wield them.”
“Indeed. We paid a heavy price at the Luroghs.”
“I remain hopeful. Every man, woman and child will resist. There is much courage in my people.”
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**