Three Dark Crowns by
Kendare Blake
Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.
But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.
If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest…but she may be the darkest.
The sisters. Oh the sisters. I liked them all, for different reasons. I felt an overwhelming desire to protect Katharine, a need to befriend Mirabella and a need to sit Arisnoe down to explain stuff. The three sisters have been crafted beautifully. I liked how their personality traits have been influenced by each of their communities.
I really liked Jules. Jules and her familiar Camden add so much character to the story and am a sucker for animal companions!
That being said, I wasn't a huge fan of the love interests in the story. I wasn't sure what to make of the romances in the story. For starters, there's insta-love happening a lot in the story which wasn't realistic at all. Then there is this love triangle about which I can't talk without giving away spoilers so let's just say I wasn't a fan of that love triangle.
There are a lot of characters introduced throughout the story which many people found confusing but I just found it interesting. The multitude of characters makes the setting and the world all the more three dimensional.
If you're probably wondering how come I've given five hearts to this book despite my comments above, THIS IS WHY. The plot! The frigging clever plot. Before reading the book, I knew from the blurb about the triplets fighting to be queen; fighting to death. I was expecting the action to start from page one but most of the book goes into laying the groundwork and while I missed the action, I appreciated the careful world and character building the author does. It helps in understanding the story so much better.
The story is in third person PoV that shifts between the sisters and certain other characters. Surprisingly, this did not affect the flow of the story in any way.
The plot, as it unraveled, took my breath away. It is dark and complicated. The twists are unexpected and in a way, creepy.And the ending. The ending left me flabbergasted and I definitely cannot wait to know what happens next till the next book is published! I mean, that's like the biggest cliffhanger that made a 1001 questions pop in my head and no answers!!
Kendare Blake's writing style is absolutely beautiful. The writing is clear and well structured. The writing is fast paced even when the story is not. I've only read one Kendare Blake book before, Anna Dressed in Blood and I think I can safely assume that her writing style in all her other books is beautiful as in these two.
- The plot
- The sisters
- Other characters (especially Jules)
- The writing style
- The romantic elements in the story
Go read the book. NOW! Go read it so I can fangirl about it with you. Go read it and get entranced by the dark world Kendare Blake has created. Once you've read it, pledge your allegiance to Kendare Blake forever. Thank you.
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