Fifth Fjord
By Isabel Marie
Reviewed by Jubilee Anderson
GENRE: Dark Academia Fantasy
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐☆ (3.5)
“The dragons are waiting. Go and get one.”
In Norchar, dragon mages are the elite. They are the ones who bond with dragons and hone powers untouchable to any normal man. But to become a mage, one must sacrifice everything.
Enter the school where only the strongest survive.
At the deadly academy for dragon mages known as the Fifth Fjord, eighteen-year-old Fiora Volar is sent to spy, lie, and die. With her brother’s life hanging in a balance, Fiora enters the place where her enemies are forged- even though she knows the dragons will kill her. Just as they killed her parents.
And that won’t be the only danger.
One wrong move, and she could be executed, start a war, cost her brother’s life, and doom her soul. And still, the hardest battle may not be for her life, not for her mind– but for her own heart.
Writing
Every line in Fifth Fjord is like being in Sight & Sound Theater. The author’s vivid and sharp style impressed me. Because it’s written in first person present, it immersed me in the scene. I was hooked instantly.
I read an ebook version of Fifth Fjord, so it was difficult to flip back and forth from the chapter to the map. But the worldbuilding was so developed and relevant that I didn’t need the map. It affected the plot and characters. From the Norns to the dragons to Fifth Fjord itself and the Tournaments, every twist and turn literally kept Fiora on her feet.
Sometimes in princess movies, the script claims that the “evil step-mother” is so cruel. Sure, she makes the princess do all the chores, or she shuts her at the top of a tower, but her “evils” are more annoying or spiteful than wicked. Her opposition isn’t relevant enough. And so we never actually hate them.
Aunt Sigrid in Fifth Fjord is relevant and wicked. We actually hate her because she directly opposes what Fiora wants most, which is to keep her brother alive. And she uses Fiora’s deepest desire to get what she wants. Not every book needs a manipulative villain, but I think the best villains are like Aunt Sigrid.
There are so many other positive things I could mention. The author has amazing writing!
(Spoilers ahead!)
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I would have liked a more resolved ending. Fiora’s character arc came to a partial resolution, and we learned the fate of Fiora’s brother which is directly related to her core desire. I don’t think the beginning of book 2 will have the same driving force as Fifth Fjord, because Fiora’s purpose will be gone. It was a little disappointing. Either way, I highly doubt that Frode is gone, and I guess he will appear again in the second book. I am excited to read it!
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(Welcome back everyone!)
Worldview
Isabel wove each theme into Fifth Fjord very well. A few themes I agreed with, and a few I disagreed with. As usual, I’m going to list a few quotes from the book, share the context, and my thoughts on them. There are two main themes I see in Fifth Fjord: courage, and healing through love.
On Courage
Courage only comes when we realize how strong we are, and that can only come if we’re strong enough to perform despite the fear.
Fearless means what the two words mean separately– that you’re going to fear… less. It’s not a word that means without fear. It’s one that means courage despite it.
The first quote is a thought of Fiora’s while she is trying to escape murderous dragons, and the second is something Fiora’s dragon says to her when she’s about to face her bully.
First of all, I appreciated that the author explored the theme of courage in this book. I see the theme of courage in kids books, but I haven’t seen it in a lot of YA.
I think Fiora has the right idea. Courage is doing what is right despite being afraid. What Fiora doesn’t always understand is that the key to courage is doing what is right. Sometimes she wants courage to spite her enemies, but by the end, she is courageous for the right things. I see some character growth in Fiora for the second and third books as far as where her courage comes from. I am curious to see how the author will finish out Fiora’s character arc.
On Love
I would not explore the intimacy of love– if I was ever worthy…
You are the wound and I am the healer.
The first quote is a thought of Fiora’s after Aunt Sigrid tells her she must go to Fifth Fjord, when she is mourning the broken childhood that she is about to leave for a worse adulthood. The second is something a love interest says to Fiora after confessing that he loves her.
(Slight Spoilers Ahead!)
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Fiora thinks she is unworthy of love, but through her time in Fifth Fjord, she learns that her worthiness does not depend on herself or her past. Atlas, the love interest, acts as a Jesus-figure, although he, too, is broken and human.
I think the fact that Atlas despised Fiora at one point marred the theme of healing through love. Human love cannot heal a wound. It can understand it, as Atlas understands Fiora’s hurt. But only heavenly love can heal a wound. You can read my article about Biblical love and how it relates to fiction here. (For those who have read the article, I think that Atlas does sacrifice for the good of Fiora, and so he does truly love her… somewhat. However a huge portion of his ‘love’ is more of a feeling of connection, which, while it’s not necessarily wrong, it’s also not necessarily love.)
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(Welcome back everyone!)
As I said before, I am curious to see where the author takes these themes in the next book.
To Watch For
- Violence: Characters die in various ways throughout the book, including by falling, stabbing, and being decapitated by a dragon’s teeth. Characters beat the main character up, mentions of dead bodies.
- Swearing: A character gives someone the middle finger. A few made-up swear words.
- Sexual Content: A girl looks herself in the mirror while trying on a dress and notes her slender figure. The dress is described as “dipping down her chest and back enticingly, almost falling off her narrow shoulders.” There are several instances of kissing. A boy and a girl converse in a room alone while the girl is covered by only a blanket and undergarments.
- Substance Use: Characters drink and deal with the side effects of drinking.
To summarize, Isabel’s writing is exceptional. Some of the themes need more time to grow in the next couple books before I can evaluate them completely. Overall, it’s a great debut novel!
Stand up for what’s right, even when you’re afraid. Love with heavenly love, because true love can heal wounds. And check out Fifth Fjord by Isabel Marie!
PAPERBACK: $16
PUBLISHED: 2025