Wheel of Wrath

The Fifth Realm #2

by A.A. Vora

"A stellar follow-up fraught with political turmoil, violence, pain, and grief." - Kirkus (Starred Review)

Wheel of Wrath, set in an intricate world inspired loosely by karma, is the second book in The Fifth Realm YA fantasy trilogy and sequel to Spin of Fate.

Mayana is burning. Following the rupture of the barrier protecting the peaceful upper realm, soldiers from the lower realm of Malin invade and wage war on the Mayani kingdoms. Born into scarcity, the soldiers crave the lives of abundance they’ve been deprived of since birth. Meanwhile, the authorities of the upper realms race to fend off their attacks—and the key to their success may rest in gaining control of the planetary beasts who created the realms.

They attempt to recruit the Mayani princess and nature enthusiast Himalia to bond with a beast, a dangerous task that would earn her control of its powers. Himalia, who prefers the company of animals and books to humans, is unsettled by the idea of using another living being this way. After a life of disappointing her father, she should jump at the chance to bring honor to her family. But Himalia would rather be left in peace to continue her research, as she verges on a discovery that could change the tide of the war.

As Himalia edges closer to her discovery, the former members of the Balancers, a disbanded rebel group bringing aid to the unfortunate, choose their sides in the conflict. A grief-stricken Aina seeks revenge against the leader of the Malini army, who killed her mother. A conflicted Aranel sides with the lowers, intent on fighting for equality even if it means going against his homeland. And Meizan, now returned to his Malini clan, navigates internal politics as he tries to keep his clansmen out of harm’s way. When the three teens cross paths, as the attack on Mayana reaches a boiling point, they must reckon with their old, fractured friendships and their new reality as enemies at war.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, New Adult, Young Adult Fantasy

560 pages, Hardcover

First published November 18, 2025

About the author

I'm Ambika Vora-Nagino, an Indian-Japanese author living in Tokyo with my husband, our newborn, and our fiery-spirited dog Fëanor. I don't use this platform so I won't respond to friend requests but you can find me on

~Instagram: @a2vora
~Series website: thefifthrealm.net
~Author website: a2vora.com/home
~Other links: a2vora.carrd.co

(I have no idea how to format stuff on here, sorry)

Reviews

[A.A. Vora]

Wheel of Wrath, sequel to Spin of Fate, is my favorite of the trilogy. It comprises the meatiest middle ~40% of the story and character arcs (book 1 at 20% being the set-up, and book 3 at 40% being the finale). This also puts WoW at a longer word count of ~170k, where SoF was ~110k.

For better or for worse, I think WoW is the book closest to my original vision—with SoF being my debut, I felt like I had to make a few compromises due to industry trends and whatnot; but with WoW, my editor really gave me the freedom to tell this story the way I wanted to, for which I am so very grateful.

Onto a couple administrative notes. Firstly, due to page count restrictions, the SoF recap will not be included within WoW and can instead be found on my series website at: https://www.thefifthrealm.net/recap

Due to the same reason, the WoW glossary has also been relocated to: https://www.thefifthrealm.net/glossary

There's a pronunciation guide available for those interested at: https://www.thefifthrealm.net/pronunc...

Trigger warnings (with some spoilers) as listed in the opening note: abandonment, animal cruelty, cursing (minor), character death, religious manipulation, sexual assault (implied), suicidal ideation, violence, war, cliffhanger ending

There is an end note in WoW that talks a bit about my inspirations. While the theory of karma and the Bhagavad Gita loosely influenced the magic system, worldbuilding, and themes of SoF, that influence gets stronger in this book. Readers are free to interpret my work as they wish, but I have received some fun messages on GR and IG about how I will suffer various unpleasant fates because my book is a bad representation of a certain religion (one I have limited knowledge of, being a Hindu myself).

Firstly, given I believe in reincarnation, I'm afraid that threats of eternal damnation don't quite have much impact. Secondly, the realms in my series are not inspired by western representations of Heaven and Hell, but rather the Hindu concept of lokas (there are similarities and parallels but I believe the nuances are different). I understand a couple aspects of the magic system may be counterintuitive for some readers—but 1) the magic system isn't functioning the way it's supposed to yet and 2) the characters are figuring it out too! Things will get clearer with subsequent books and entirely resolved by book 3. In the meantime, I'm happy to answer questions (as much as I can without spoiling) if you reach out through my website contact form.

That's it for now. I'll be blocking this website until book 3. Thank you for reading!

[Varshverse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aranel is erased...? What do you mean Aranel is fucking erased!

I wanted to write a whole damn essay about how this series is the best ever and now you attack me with this?

I'm in denial still and I cannot accept you left things unsaid between Aranel and Meizan. Somewhere along the way I was solely reading just to watch them find love but then it ends like this. Idk I want Aranel's soul to be at peace.

I knew there was a cliffhanger but what a cliffhanger this was. Maybe I knew it inside, Aranel is a self-sacrificing fool after all. But how could you give hope to Meizan, my poor child and have them both traipsing through the plot as if they were two fucking lovers going to have a happy fucking ending? I'm so heartbroken and I'm not insulting the author but I'm very sad so very sad. I saw myself in Aranel as I did in other characters but his erasure has left me... Idk soulless you can say. I'll probably regret this review when I become normal but I hate this book with my whole fucking being. Everything else is good. I was making notes of all the sweet moments Aranel and Meizan had, hell I was shipping them like crazy. Aina was also slowly forgiving Aranel and then this little shit pulls up with a suicide attack. Fuck him really, my poor, poor child.

A part has made peace with this but no. No I hope Aranel comes back, no matter how preposterous that idea is. I cannot imagine what a disaster Meizan will bring upon the universe with him gone.

Oh I hate this. I hate this. I hate this.


Edit: Okay I may be going crazy but I think Aranel is truly not erased. The author mentioned about romance that may be developed in later books than book 1. Well yeah it did develope in book 2 until it ended abruptly. But I still have a feeling Aranel is truly not dead. He and Meizan haven't yet talked about their feelings or just in general. Aranel's character arc (I suppose) is about him finding his own path and I know he was influenced by Samarel's last words so still it doesn't complete his arc. He has followed Mayana's rules, Seirem, Zenyra and lastly Samarel's words. He hasn't yet found himself. Idk even though his actions were very much influenced by his own desires, he was influenced by the people around him. It comes off as a tragic ending but I think there's more to it.

Or maybe I'm just in denial. Who knows, only the third book can tell.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need A.A. Vora to write books forever so I can keep reading them. She is a genius.

This book was beyond spectacular. It's the kind of epic YA fantasy that makes me want to swallow it whole. It lets characters be wrong, make mistakes, and face the sometimes devastating consequences of their choices. It's about the painful reality of growth, of how fraught making the right choice can be. It's truly a masterpiece.

[Katie]

Yayayay we have release date and title !!!

[Lee Lightsong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Any quotes/passages are subject to change.

This is an aside from the actual review, but the content warnings for this book are, to put it nicely, awful. “Cliffhanger ending?” You’ve gotta be kidding me. Here’s what I would say they actually are:
-blood and gore
-violence
-murder
-war
-implied SA (past, side character)
-animal cruelty resulting in death
-suicidal thoughts/ideation
-intrusive thoughts
-attempted suicide (on page)
-weaponization of religion/religious manipulation
-self-medication via drugs
Those are all the ones I caught. If you’re going to put any content warnings at the front of your book, you should take it seriously. I, for one, would’ve liked to know ahead of time that there was an on page attempted suicide because in the past, that would’ve sent me spiraling. Luckily, I’m on medication now and am in a place to handle it, but it was still an unpleasant surprise. I cannot stress enough how different suicidal thoughts/ideation are from actually attempting it. Ok. Onto the actual review.

Before I get into my bitching and moaning, let me get the good stuff out of the way. On a craft level, this book is miles better than the last one. The writing on a line level has improved drastically, the dialogue is more natural and smooth, the pacing doesn’t feel like you’re in a timeless void, and the characters, as much as I personally dislike some of them, are far better written. With one exception, but we’ll get there.

If the last book focused on Aina, then this book focused on Aranel. While I didn’t like him in the first book and still don’t really care about him, even I can see that his personal arc is very well written. The individual chapters are, unfortunately, a bit boring as he learns and relearns something we as the readers already know. From a character perspective, I can understand why it takes time for him to finally take action, but as a reader, seeing him go through the same thought process with little to no variation in all his chapters up to the 50% mark isn’t the most interesting. Once things kick into gear… they’re still a little boring. Sorry. Personal biases are getting in the way.

Aina is going through her depression era as a result of her mother dying in the last book. She is the one with the previously mentioned on page suicide attempt, but it happens pretty early into the book, so if you’re sensitive to that, I would skip or skim her chapters until about the 25% mark. Her suicidal/intrusive thoughts continue throughout the book, and I thought they were handled fine. It was nothing groundbreaking, but I thought her relationship with one of the other new characters and how he encouraged her was sweet. She’s probably my second favorite character in the book, behind Meizan.

Yeah, that was a surprise to me too. Mr. I’m Just Here Because the Author Said So is actually pretty important in this book. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, I have a soft spot for characters who are done with everybody’s shit, and Meizan falls perfectly into this category in this book, but in a fun way this time instead of a “why doesn’t he just leave” kind of way. Like Aranel, he has a good character arc that I think is going to be explored more in the next book. There wasn’t a lot of payoff to the bloodlust he experiences when under the influence of Malin’s chitrons, which was disappointing, but his chapters were consistently the most exciting for me.

That brings me to Himalia. *sigh* In case you’re new here, let me introduce myself. Hi. I’m Lee, lover of books, and also science. You could say I’m something of a scientist myself. So tell me why I keep stumbling head-first into reading books with the worst representation of scientists and/or science. Himalia falls into what I like to call (and what I stole from M) The Scientist™️. Basically, it’s a character archetype that appears in all forms of media that’s there to exposit Science. What kind of science? Uh, there’s different kinds?

Science is a very, very diverse subject. Even within individual disciplines, such as biology, my area of study, there’s a ton of different niches that people study. Hell, there are people that devote their entire life to studying algae, which is frankly impressive. Of course, people in similar fields that have a similar basis tend to have overlapping knowledge, and have overarching knowledge of other disciplines. To use myself as an example, I know a lot about the anatomy, physiology, and phylogeny of herps (amphibians, reptiles, and caecilians). I can apply some of that knowledge to other species since they share similarities, but if I was asked to identify all the bones in the human body, I would struggle. Similarly, I have a passing knowledge of chemistry, such as what atoms are composed of, how they interact with each other, etc. But if someone were to ask me a question about organic chemistry, I would have no clue. Of course, you have to have a good understanding of multiple areas if you want to conduct any decent study, but that knowledge is limited to what’s relevant to your field. If I’m looking at fossils, I don’t exactly need to know how the nuclear fusion of a star works, you get me?

Himalia is the quintessential Scientist™️, knower of all things (especially those that are plot relevant). She also talked exclusively in jargon, which annoyed me to no end. Yeah, scientists use jargon to describe their work, but not all the time. We’re human beings, not robots. Maybe that’s just the way Himalia talks, but it feels more like the author didn’t have a good grasp on what scientists are like and threw as many technical words as she could find into Himalia’s vocabulary to make her seem smart. Which she categorically isn’t. Sure, she can rattle off theories and has a major revelation at the end of the book which turns out to be a setup for the next book, but she makes choices that paint her as a stupid, selfish child (for reference, she’s supposed to be 18. I was 18 only 2 years ago, and while teenagers are stupid, they aren’t this stupid). I’m going to be vague to avoid spoilers, but there’s a situation where Himalia is sent to collect medical supplies. This is an urgent task. So guess what she does? She takes a detour to collect a sample. No, I’m not exaggerating to make her look worse, she literally does this. And I really don’t think the intention was to make her look bad.

She also exposits about the magic system, but none of it adds to our understanding. She’s just reiterating what we already know, and it’s boring and annoying. I’ll be honest, about halfway into the book, I started skimming some of her chapters because I knew nothing was going to happen. And guess what? I was right.

This brings me to our final character (because honestly, the rest are kinda just there except for Mirya, we love Mirya): Zenyra. Dear god. This bitch. The story treats her like L when she’s really Light Yagami, but at least he was amusing to watch because in every episode he’s freaking out about how L is going to find him out. And even he has more than 2 brain cells. To stop myself from going on a pages long rant about her, I’ll end it there.

Going back to the magic system, it’s basically just plot convenience at this point. Which is fine, but in the first book, there was such an emphasis on the rules and limitations, and now it’s random bullshit go. All that setup for everything to basically be thrown out the window. If it had always been this way, I wouldn’t have mentioned it, but it was, so I will.

Honestly, this book’s biggest flaw was that it was just boring. I’m self-aware enough to realize that’s a me thing. I didn’t really like the first book (I gave it 2*) and didn’t have high hopes going into this one. I will say, it impressed me in some ways, but completely disappointed me in others. I won’t be continuing this series. With that being said, I think if you enjoyed the first one, you’ll love this one even more.

[Akankshya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wheel of Wrath is the second book in the Fifth Realm series, which is a YA epic fantasy series that is massively underrated. It is based on a world that has four realms, kept in cosmic balance by the perceived morality of their denizens. Oh, and they can wield their souls as their main source of magic. The series mixes together inspirations from the Mahabharata, and shonen anime to deliver a unique take on fantasy that is a breath of fresh air.

I reserve my compliments for the series as a whole because this book really bogs it down from a unique, almost flawless narrative to a bit of a slog. The beloved protagonists are back, with the addition of a new one, but they feel a little off. The pacing, the dialogue, the tension and the world building that was so well done in the previous book is simply not as good (second book syndrome say what). Most of the first half of the book is boring, and relies on one main reveal. The romance is stinted, and cringe. Midway, I stopped enjoying the book, but as a YA fantasy, it still holds up, just, probably not for adult fans. The ending few chapters are really good, though, which rescues the book a lot, in my opinion. I'd recommend this series to people who like fantasy regardless of age, this is definitely one of the more interesting magic systems I've read, and I remain invested in this relatively unknown series: a solid 3.5!

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I want to clarify something: I highly recommend this sequel, even though I'm debating between 3 and 4 stars in terms of rating. The Fifth Realm trilogy is a breath of fresh air for me, a YA fantasy discussing politics and religion in a world highly inspired by the concept of karma. Our broken universe becomes even more broken, as war erupts between Malin and Mayana, and the gods--the seirtarius--begin to awaken. If the world's broken pieces are to be put back in place, someone needs to bind their souls with each of the planetary beasts and bend their will to those of the humans.

This second book excelled in many ways:
- The world keeps expanding in ever more interesting ways. New beasts, new concepts, and new laws are carefully laid out. The magic/chitronic system makes sense in a nearly scientific way, and I love it.
- New characters that are really interesting. If I dare say, Himalia and Myria are even MORE interesting than our initial 3 protagonist, and I greatly enjoyed our time with them.
- Surprise! Surprise! There were a few very well placed twists that I did not see. And although some are devastating, I think they were the right choice!
- The story is just a whirlwind, and I loved letting myself travel with it. I was a boat in the middle of an angry river and I enjoyed my roller coaster, adrenaline-filled ride.

But this second book also let me down in multiple ways:
- The character work was and remains the weakest point about this series. The three protagonists have no satisfying arc, with the exception of Meizan. Aina, the character who may be our main protagonist, leaps ahead in ways that are unjustified, making both her lows and growths very unsatisfying to read. Her evolution is mostly unearned.
- Characters also just act very stupid. People are always able to hide in the middle of an important secret meeting, and then they almost always reveal themselves stupidly because they're too impulsive. They have childish arguments which are incredibly annoying to read, and I would have preferred they be skipped so that we could instead focus more on...
- the big things that happen and then go dormant all of a sudden. A god awakens? Someone binds with them? Well that god would really completely change the course of the book and make the rest of the human actions barely meaningful so we're going to have the gods go to sleep. Over and over again. They wake up, have a little fight, then go night-night again. Perhaps the gods should have awaken later and used in more meaningful ways. Also, so much bounding happened off-page, even though it represented a big part of the character's arc.
- The book felt rushed. The author admitted she wanted to talk more about the economic systems that inspired her, but she cut most of it out. This left the book feeling more shallow than the first novel, where the religion and politics were much more central to the plot. Speaking of the plot and rushing through it: an ungodly amount of deus-ex-machina moments.

So this is more a 3.5 stars for me, rounded up because the final reveals really worked for me! I know I said that unless the character work improves, I won't continue the trilogy. Turns out, I'm a sucker for good world building and plot, so I'll most definitely read the third book. While I complained about the writing and some of the beats, I'm not complaining about the overall plot. To me it feels like the author is really in control of what she wants to do with the story and her characters. And for this reason, I cannot wait for the final book.
PS: I know the author cited Naruto as her inspiration, and the book does read at times like the plot of an anime. This may explain the rapid shifts from one state to the next, and the cyclical nature of big events (like the gods awakening, and going to sleep over and over again). I don't think this works well in a book. I hope we get more cohesive story telling in the future, but again, I really did enjoy the ride.

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wheel of Wrath by A.A. Vora has a world that feels massive and mythic, yet deeply human, all centered around the haunting question of balance between duty and compassion, privilege and survival, vengeance and forgiveness.

This sequel drops us right into chaos. The barrier between realms has shattered, and now the peaceful upper world of Mayana is under siege by the lower realm of Malin. It’s a story fueled by injustice and longing for those born into scarcity rising against those born into plenty and every side believes they’re fighting for what’s right. The moral complexity had me constantly torn about who to root for.

At the heart of it all is Himalia, a quiet princess who would rather spend her days with plants and beasts than wield power. She’s offered the chance to bond with a mythical planetary creature to turn the tide of war but her compassion and reluctance to exploit another living being make her one of the most compelling YA heroines I’ve read in ages. I love that she isn’t fiery or reckless; her strength lies in empathy and intellect, which makes her courage all the more striking.

Meanwhile, Aina, Aranel, and Meizan each carry emotional scars from the rebellion, and watching their paths collide again now as enemies on opposite sides was both painful and mesmerizing. The themes of loyalty, loss, and moral grayness run deep, and by the end, I found myself questioning what I’d do in their place.

Vora’s writing is lush and cinematic equal parts mythology, philosophy, and gut-punch emotion. The world feels ancient and alive, threaded with karmic symbolism and cosmic scale, but it never loses the personal stakes that make it hit so hard.

Wheel of Wrath is a brilliant continuation of a story about cycles of fate, of vengeance, of love and whether we can ever truly break them. I closed the book feeling equal parts awed, gutted, and desperate for the finale.

[Allioth ☆]

We're so back

[AndiMan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has an extra hundred and thirty pages equaling about 60K words that the first book didn't have and it mostly makes effective use of that extra content. Before discussing the plot of this sequel, I'd like to mention that I believe the content warnings are pretty insufficient. There's mention of animal cruelty that doesn't include animal death and suicidal ideation that doesn't include an actual suicide attempt. It was something I noticed as I still felt like I was blindsided while reading because the warnings lacked specificity.

That aside, as sequels tend to, this book focuses on the aftermath of the last as the barrier between Mayana and Malin has been taken down and all the character are reeling from the events that led to its destruction. Aina is plotting for revenge, Aranel warily stands on the side of Zenyra as he tries to do the right thing, while Meizan re-joins clan Kanjallen and wonders what's best for them in these new circumstances.

We're also offered a new POV from Himalia, the Mayani princess that Aina shot in the ankle last book in her attempt to descend to Malin. Ever curioius, Himalia, who prefers botany and science over her courtly royal duties, is researching chitrons as she attempts to discover if the seitarius-the planetary beasts that are believed to not only have created the realms but also be sleeping underneath them.

This book offers more emotional depth for the characters as they all undertake quite an emotional journey. Aina spirals further into her negative emotions and struggles to not let her desire for revenge consume her. Aranel is navigating his new purpose and becomes determined to do the right thing regardless of the cost. Meizan has the most positive character arc of the three as he begins to grow tired of the violence that has plagued his life in Malin and begins to wonder where exactly he fits in the world. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey our characters underwent in this book as it helped me to become much more emotionally invested in them. There was a lot of growth on the part of the characters and it was compelling to see where they each ended up in their respective arcs.

Himalia, being a new point-of-view, doesn't have a character arc but rather serves to offer context for a revelation that takes place at the end of the book. A revelation that did serve to heighten my interest in the world and get me even more invested in the last book. That being said, Himalia is an enjoyable character and it was nice to see what became of her after her brief appearance in Chapter One of book one. She did conform to scientist character stereotypes as she's constantly curious about everything and will go off on tangents or ask voracious questions even in the most inappropriate situations. It just seemed very cliché and unoriginal characterization but Himalia was still charming and enjoyable as a character.

The plot of this book follows two different sides of a war as one side wants to return the realm to its original state while the other seeks reform and equality and the method of conveying this plot can feel more complicated than necessary? The plot and progressing of events had compelling moments but the overall effect was much more lackluster compared to the character moments.

During certain moments of this sequel, Aranel really, really tried my patience. I always felt that I understood him the most out of the three in book one as he's privileged and ignorant and indoctrinated and slowly becomes more plugged in to reality. He becomes quite unpleasant in this book in his quest to be a better person and seek equality for the less fortunate but his crush on Meizan never failed to soften my heart. It was so sweet seeing these two interact after already establishing their connection in book one. It also served Meizan's character as he starts to change his priorities as he ponders what he truly wants out of life as an individual and not as a member of his clan.

Aina gains a new romantic interest in this book: prince Mirya. Prince Mirya is a difficult character to talk about without spoilers but it was pleasant to see Aina gain new connections outside of her mother and the previous leads. The reveal thatMirya and Ryuhan were the same person could be seen coming from a mile away. All I was waiting for was the explanation and it wasn't adequate enough to explain why we needed to do this in the first place. I very much enjoyed Mirya, Himalia and Aina all in the same scene as it was a level of chaotic fun that was missing from the last book. I am interested in seeing how Aina and Mirya's relationship progresses further in book three.

The revelation at the end of the book that there are actually six planetary beasts and two have been lost to the wider universe was a compelling reveal. Especially when the characters are already struggling to decide how to make their world a better place. The journey to Narahk was pretty cool as I was hoping we'd get a glimpse of it and it definitely didn't disappoint. I am hoping to see Andraken in the final book since all the other seitarius make an appearance except for him.

Overall, this was a worthy follow-up to book one even as the plot failed to invest me on the level that it did in Spin of Fate but the characters gained more depth and I became much more invested in them and their journeys. I'm strongly hoping book three sticks the landing.

[Olivia Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this book perfect? No. Did I love every single page of it? Yes.

This one feels like an outlier in my taste because there are plenty of reasons why this book shouldn’t work so well for me: It lacks atmospheric, moody writing, has a hard magic system with a very fast pace and a lot of world building, focuses on intricate political strategy…but for some reason none of that matters when it’s outweighed by moral complexity, compelling characters that feel so human in such a foreign world, multiple POVs, and anime-inspired content.

I think what’s so miraculous about this book is that even though it’s heavily inspired by Indian/Hindu and Japanese culture, the concepts and ideas translate so well to a Western, English-speaking audience. So well that apparently the author has gotten flack for “misrepresenting” Christianity. What I think it means is that Vora has her finger on the pulse of those universal themes of morality and religion, and the text is all the better for it. This book/series feels like such a hidden gem and I hope it gets the hype it deserves.

In terms of the characters, they're a lot more well-defined here than in the first installment. In Spin of Fate, Aina, Meizan, and Aranel sort of felt like the author put Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura in a blender and then separated the mixture into the main three. But here, we get more characters who aren't Team 7 in masks, and our main three really grow into their own. I LOVED the touches of romance actually. I love a good B-plot romance, and this was the perfect amount for me.

My only real criticism is that I do feel like the book moved really fast. Too fast, maybe. I always like a little more yearning, a little more ruminating, a little more filler, than the average reader I suppose. Given that this is Naruto-inspired (and Naruto is already way too damn long) I wonder if the author intended for it to be longer, but because of publishing constraints, it was cut down. Based on the pace of this book and the scope of the world, I could envision this being a 5-7 book series. But alas, we don't live in a perfect world.

Also, this book had way more stoners and homoerotic yearning than I thought it would, and I love it all the more for that. Hats off to A.A. Vora for breaking this year's trend of terrible, disappointing sequels. Fuuuuuckkk yes to everything about this book and series.

[Bri B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been meaning to start posting here for forever so I figured I'd start out with this incredible sequel to the first one! I'd freshly re-read the first book right before this so I didn't need to check out any recaps.

While the first one had me Stressed™ in the last 100 pages or so, this one had me stressed almost the entire time (in a good way). It's rare to have the big battles in the second book of a trilogy, but it worked in this! I really enjoyed the pacing of the plot and I had a lot of fun theorizing what was coming next. Without spoiling anything, the additions to the lore of this world have me really excited to see what Vora is planning for us in Book 3.

Character-wise, I had a good time with everyone. Even if there are a handful of characters I would never like to meet in person, I like what they brought to the table. I was hesitant at first with Vora adding a 4th POV to the mix, but by Himalia's 2nd chapter, I was vibing with her. I think there were times that I just wanted to get back to the part of the story where another character was, but I think that's something that happens with any series with multiple POVs. I am curious to see if Himalia gets an even larger arc next book since hers were smaller compared to the Big 3 from book 1. Similarly, I also feel like Aina's arc is building for something huge next one, but I think the building blocks for what she needed to learn were set up nicely in this. Meizan had a really nice arc as well and I feel his is actually the easiest to see progress-wise since his appears the most straightforward. And my boy Aranel...his arc is messy (not from a structural standpoint) but because people aren't linear and you can't always measure growth in a straight line. I LOVE that Vora allows her characters to make mistakes and sometimes they even learn the wrong things from their mistakes, but that's okay because they're human.
The growth in the relationship between Aranel and Meizan was something extra-special this book and I think that was my favorite part.

I adored this entry and my read ended in tears for reasons I won't spoil, but the set-up for the final book had me on the edge of my seat. Will definitely be reading Book 3 when it comes out!

[Lexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

First of all, I appreciate the recap on the author's website. NetGalley wouldn't let me copy or click on the hyperlink but it wasn't that long to type out. While I remember the gist from the first, I haven't re-read it since it first came out so the recap was definitely essential for people who haven't re-read. Slightly off-tangent but I did fall-down a rabbit hole on the author's websites because the website was very nicely done and had a lot of information available regarding the world-building in the book. There was a page for the magic-system alone and a detailed summary of the first book! I wish more authors would do this if there has been a significant time gap between the release of books.

The beginning was very slow with very little action. There's also the introduction of a new character, Himalia, who I had to Ctrl + F the recap to remember who she was it. I wasn't very interested in her POV as I didn't think she was that compelling of a character and I felt there was too much from her POV which mostly consisted of her wandering around and doing research. I also didn't like how Aranel was willing to turn a blind-eye to the atrocities being committed by Zenrya, I felt like that was out of character. Not only that, but that he would also become very close with Zenrya too. I also thought Mirya was an unnecessary character and I wish it just stuck to the main cast from the last book because I had some trouble keeping everyone straight.

I found myself less interested in this book because most of it focused on battles with Zenrya rather then the truly interesting world-building and magic-system. The story did pick up though, with the introduction of bonds with the planetary beasts. I thought that was the most interesting part of the book and it definitely makes me plan on reading the next book.

Altogether, I thought this was a good sequel to the first but it didn't hold my attention until the last third or so. That being said, the world-building is definitely the strongest part and I wish it focused more on that and less on the battles.

[ETD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. I have some fucking complicated feelings on this book. It is So Much nowhere near as good as Spin of Fate which is the reason for the rating and it has nothing to do with the ending. Actually the ending and what happened to Aranel are the reason this is getting 3 stars instead of 2. The only things I liked about this book were Meizan (because he is just fucking exquisite, he’s probably one of those catnip characters for me and I just haven’t given any thought to why) and Aranel toward the beginning/before he bonds with Sherka. Himalia was a big miss for me, and Aina wasn’t my favorite to begin with but she ended up coming off as inconsistent rather than complicated and being a teenager about it. I did like her in Spin of Fate, so that’s a shame. The Mirya/Ryuhan thing was a little obvious but I managed to talk myself out of it no less than 3 times before the reveal so ????? Not sure what more to say about that.
My biggest gripe with this book is the apparent lack of editing, except apparently there was extensive editing! It really didn’t feel like it in A Lot of places. There were a lot of little copy errors absolutely riddling this book that really irked me but the overall arc needed some uhhhh………refinement. We’ll go with that. And again, the end of this book, while I am So Upset About It, is a positive! That was a horrible great place to leave things. But the road to get there was a mess and felt wildly incoherent. I will be reading the last book in the trilogy when it comes out even though I was on the fence about continuing this series through the entire book mostly because there are some holes I’m curious to see if she can write her way out of and I would love some closure for Meizan, please and thank you.

[Yamini · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed book one a lot, so the open ending had me waiting eagerly for the sequel. It opens up the world even more, especially with the introduction of Paramos, Narkh and all the new creatures. The world building definitely levels up here.

The lyrical verses before a few chapters were a highlight for me. As a poetry aficionado, those lines really intensified the mood and made the storytelling feel richer.

As for the characters, Aina is drowning in self doubt and moves from realm to realm hoping to find something good, yet ends up facing more disappointments than comfort. I genuinely felt bad for her. Her push and pull dynamic with Kyrian adds tension in the best way and kept their scenes interesting.

Himalia’s journey is another strong thread. A princess who prefers animals and books over people, she is suddenly expected to bond with a planetary beast to help shift the war. Her discomfort with using another living being felt relatable and made her arc more grounded.

The impending vibe of war is present throughout, and all the planning and calculations beforehand build a strong sense of anticipation. Even the side characters play meaningful roles, and you slowly start liking them as the story progresses. I also spotted a few familiar touches inspired by Indian mythology, which made the reading experience even more enjoyable for me.

Overall, this is a hefty and satisfying fantasy read. If you enjoy detailed world building, beasty creatures and rising war tensions, you will absolutely enjoy this one.

[Mitra Mustafa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wheel of Wrath takes the world of Spin of Fate and pushes it into open conflict. The story expands from quiet discovery into war, politics, and impossible choices, following Aranel as he’s forced further into a role he never wanted. His journey is no longer about learning magic, but about surviving the consequences of wielding it.

The magic system remains one of the most unique aspects of the series, fate, balance, and divine forces are not just background lore but active, living parts of the plot. Magic here is philosophical as much as it is powerful, and every use of it carries weight, cost, and moral consequence.

Characters from book one return, but in very different roles. Aina continues to represent healing, science, and restraint, while Meizan lingers as a sharp moral presence rather than a guiding hand. New perspectives, especially Himalia’s, bring political and intellectual depth, while Zenyra embodies the brutal pragmatism of war. Even the gods, like Sherka, feel distant and unsettling - powerful, but not comforting.

This sequel trades softness for complexity. Relationships strain, ideals are tested, and the plot refuses easy answers. Wheel of Wrath isn’t about hope blooming, it’s about what survives when hope is no longer enough.

[Sahana Ramnath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay I just finished the book and OH MY GOSH IT WAS SO GOOD, it's like consumed my whole self right now???? 😭 And that ending??? The pain, the shocking plot twists, the cliffhanger???? How am I gonna wait for book 3 oh my gosh 😭

I loved reading Eragon as a teen, with all the intricate details and extreme world building and so many characters and plots converging to a grand conclusion, and after so many years, this series has taken me back to that mindset. I binged the 550 ish pages of this book over the last couple of days, and I want to stay in this world for longer (like, A. A. Vora can write a 700 page book in this series just exploring the mind of one of the characters like Murtagh did, and I will be First. In. Line. 😭)

I loved all the character plots in this book, and my top fav has to be Himalia <3 Himalia and her sincerity and her research have my whole heart 😭 I loved the shocking world building twists this one had (it's like, 10 times the world building of the previous book and it's so frickin good), and the ending was just >>>>>

-- ty to the author, the publisher and @coloredpagesbt for a gifted copy of the book!

[Shakera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, you get dumped right into the fire in this one! It has been well over a year since I read book 1, I appreciate the author providing a link to read a recap. She also sprinkled a bit of recapping throughout the beginning of the story. We get to meet new characters in this story. They were interesting and dynamic. But it was also confusing at times trying to follow who is who. (That’s on me... not the author.) There were times when I had to remind myself that these are young people, so I can’t expect them to act the way I want them to. Just as with the first one, the pacing wasn’t my favorite. While a lot does happen, there are moments when the story drags. With that said, there were a few plot twists that were heartbreaking, but some were really cool. Vora’s writing is spectacular. She puts you right in the world, which she did a fantastic job at creating. The magic system is still intricate and fun. This story has everything from all emotions to mythology. I’m so interested in what the finale has in store!

[Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an epic sequel to this magical ya fantasy! The story sucked me in and I was hooked from the start. With the addition of two new characters there was a lot going on in this one.

Aranel was definitely my favorite in this one. I enjoyed his arc and how he always sought to do the right thing.

This story really made you think about right and wrong and the greater good and so many morally grey areas that are real and messy.

I enjoyed how the story didn’t shy away from mistake and flaws in the characters. I do look forward to seeing how things go in the next book. For this one it’s an emotional rollercoaster for sure!

If you enjoy epic fantasy, karma inspired stories, morally grey characters, flawed characters, unique magical creatures, unique magic/world system, warring kingdoms, and so much more then check this one out!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many characters and places with names that are difficult to figure out how to pronounce. The story continues from Spin of Fate. It was hard to get back into it, for the reason stated regarding the characters. Once I got past that, and figured out who was who and who was bonded/bonding with whom, the story became better. Power! AA Vora explains in her notes about the economic why of the story but it still seems as power is what is wanted to “keep” the realm aligned. Book 3 will close it out and hopefully to a good resolution.

[Ceindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was stubborn and did not want to read the very thorough recap that A.A. Vora sends you to at the beginning of the book. I trusted that she would recap anything important within the second book, and I’m happy to report that felt mostly true.

The pacing of this book felt slow in the beginning due to the added povs and trying to remember the world-building. But around 50%, the characters from book one are finally converging and the plot seems to be moving a lot more.

I mostly enjoyed our very flawed and angsty teenagers balanced by the new characters, who were quirky and interesting in their own ways. The relationships between them are really starting to flourish. I think it still feels like it’s missing that magic that makes me feel more for the characters, but this book is definitely strongest in it’s more unique worldbuilding.

Which leads me to exclaim that I loved seeing the planetary beasts and being able to explore more than just Mayana and Malin. This world and magic system is quite unique to me and I liked the questions that were brought up when we have these opposing sides trying to make changes. What does it mean for one realm if we were to change the other?

I’m excited to read the conclusion after some of the big events in book two and am curious to see how the conflict may be resolved, if it even can be.

[Queer Queen · Rating 5 out of 5]

damn that escalated fast 😍 😭

this book was so much fun. yeah a lot of awful stuff happens but lets not dwell on that right now okay. all broken things heal in time. 👀 🙏

if i could give this ten stars i would. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[Jackie Hughes]

awww yeah! Been waiting on this one!

[Caitlin]

I’M SO READY!!!!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

the theme of this book is definitely grief and I'm feeling it. World building was better this book but plot wasn't always clear and some events happen 'off screen' and then seem to have a pretty big impact on the plot which is a shame

[Shaitanah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic!