I’m not sure if this is the end of this series, but this at least didn’t have the massive cliffhanger of the first two books. The author absolutely left room to go somewhere, but I was screaming in pain for the next one, either.
About the Book
PICK YOUR PATH.
[Author note: Dear reader, in case you weren’t aware, there are two alternative paths to book 4. This one, and A Tale of Something Borrowed: The Third Path. If you are planning on reading both paths, I recommend starting with this one here. However, either one will lead to book 4, and you won’t be missing any key information to follow the story either way. The last 5 chapters are overlapping.]
The Path of Resistance
After centuries of slumber, Sartiria awakens to find a world gone soft, where, despite everything that was sacrificed during the war, vampires reign in the shadows rather than rule in open dominion. Granting humans too much freedom is nothing short of dangerous. So she will rise to the top to crush the Light magic and its followers for good.
This would be a lot easier if it weren’t for the meddling of the powerful but foolish elite, especially one infuriating Lord Eldric of Finsterwald. He seems to have entertained a grotesque relationship with the human, whose body Sartiria now inhabits — one she fully intends to exploit.
My Thoughts
I think we might just have a rising star in the romance field on our hands! This intriguing “choose your path” set of a third book in a series is pretty unique. It’s hard to really get into a lot of plot details about this one without spoiling some of Book 2 and even this book. But, the author does an amazing job of pulling off some pretty cool fantasy/scifi tropes that you might not typically expect in a vampire series or a romantasy series. But the political intrigue is off the charts if you’re into that. The slow-burn romance is just insane. And the deep levels of so-called “good vs. evil” and typical religious wildness you’d expect to see in a vampire book are through the roof.
There are a lot of new characters in this one, which is always exciting in a third book. Sometimes, you really need some fresh characters to liven up the series, and this one really answers that call! We see a whole new vampire family, a lot of new human faces, and some new facets of some old faces. It’s really a case of not everything is as it seems.
I’m really grateful to the author and LBT for including me, and I really encourage you to pick this series up if you love a good vampire or romantasy series!
Who’s It For?
If you’re a fan of romantasy with unique twists and turns, you’ll love this one! The past books have been considered low fantasy and gas-lamp fantasy. These have some of those elements, but this one also features heavier fantasy elements because of the particular storyline. But if you enjoyed the first two, this is a must-read! You should also read the first two before reading this one!
Content Warnings: This book contains topics that may disturb some readers, including, but not limited to, Violence, Body Stealing, Religious Ideology, Blood/Vampirism, War, Adult Themes/Situations, and Adult Language.
About the Author
D. S. McColgan emigrated from the Swiss mountains to Wales, where she now writes her stories surrounded by green hills, countless sheep and castles. She writes in German and English, and her short stories reside in the realm of fairy tales or magical realism. This year, she has published the first two books of her fantasy series: A Tale of Something New & A Tale of Something Red. If you are not afraid of blood and fancy a historical tale with slow-burn romance, secrets, authentic characters and atypical twists, you will love her series.
Links
Amazon US: https://a.co/d/ccfsn2K
Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/avS00OH
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230284595-a-tale-of-something-borrowed
Author’s Website: https://www.ataleofbooks.com/
Additional Reviews/Articles
Sue Loves to Read: https://suewallacesite.wordpress.com/2025/04/15/a-tale-of-something-borrowed-by-d-s-mccolgan-blog-tour-and-book-review/
Love Books Tours Links to Reviews: https://kellylacey.com/2025/04/02/follow-the-virtualbooktour-for-a-tale-of-something-borrowed-the-path-of-resistance-proudly-organised-by-lovebookstours-booktour-supportingauthors-bookpromotion-booksky-%f0%9f%92%99%f0%9f%93%9a/
Author Interview: https://winnpublications.com/meet-d-s-mccolgan/
My Reviews of the Author’s Prior Books
Book 1, A Tale of Something New
Book 2, A Tale of Something Red
As a Bookshop.org (US) Affiliate, I may earn on qualifying purchases. Bookshop.org purchases support local, independent bookshops. My chosen affiliate bookshop is Tubby & Coo’s Traveling Bookshop, a local, queer-owned bookshop in New Orleans.
Published by Amorina Carlton. Award-winning American author, Amorina Carlton, is currently working on her first novel. You can find more about her published work and works in progress on the home page. She also serves as the PR/Marketing Lead for Ravens and Roses Publishing, and reviews books, mostly by other indie authors, here and on Bookstagram.