Three Dark Crowns
New York Times Bestseller * New York Public Library Best Book of 2016 * Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2016 * Kirkus Best Book of the Year
Fans of acclaimed author Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood will devour Three Dark Crowns, the first book in a dark and inventive fantasy series about three sisters who must fight to the death to become queen.
In 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.
Don't miss Five Dark Fates, the thrilling conclusion to the series!
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Community Reviews
Dark, Delicious, and Addicting | Review of ‘Three Dark Crowns’ (Three Dark Crowns #1)
Gripping, tension driven, and powerful, Three Dark Crowns is a masterful novel[...]
Read more of this post at Cyn's Workshop
Gripping, tension driven, and powerful, Three Dark Crowns is a masterful novel[...]
Read more of this post at Cyn's Workshop
At first I was having a difficult time getting into this book. I felt like there needed to be more of an explanation of the background of their society and the separation of the sisters etc. I thought I was going to give up on this book but I am very glad I didn't.
I found myself reading it anytime I had a free moment.
Looking forward to moving onto the second book.
I found myself reading it anytime I had a free moment.
Looking forward to moving onto the second book.
Man, this is a cool concept and the world-building is great. I am a bit disappointed that it ended where it did, but it was fun to read along the way.
That said, there were a LOT of characters from the get-go. I'm not great with names to begin with, even worse when listening via audiobook, but at some point, I just stopped trying to keep all of them straight until I knew they were going to play a future role because it was impossible to keep them all straight.
Why the bloody hell does Jules get more 'screentime' than Arsinoe? I had to start the audiobook over because I mixed up the characters initially and was incredibly confused. Giving non-Queen characters POVs/screentime is not a choice I particularly enjoyed nor cared for. It lessened the importance of the three Queens and made it more difficult to get to know them.
I think the book focused a little too heavily on setting the stage and not enough on moving the plot. I was expecting the Queens to off each other by the end of the book, especially given the title of the second one in the series, but they don't even get to try until the next book. Thus my comment of being disappointed. I had hoped for more action in this first book.
That said, there were a LOT of characters from the get-go. I'm not great with names to begin with, even worse when listening via audiobook, but at some point, I just stopped trying to keep all of them straight until I knew they were going to play a future role because it was impossible to keep them all straight.
Why the bloody hell does Jules get more 'screentime' than Arsinoe? I had to start the audiobook over because I mixed up the characters initially and was incredibly confused. Giving non-Queen characters POVs/screentime is not a choice I particularly enjoyed nor cared for. It lessened the importance of the three Queens and made it more difficult to get to know them.
I think the book focused a little too heavily on setting the stage and not enough on moving the plot. I was expecting the Queens to off each other by the end of the book, especially given the title of the second one in the series, but they don't even get to try until the next book. Thus my comment of being disappointed. I had hoped for more action in this first book.
4 stars! Spoiler-free review!
Synopsis: The last queen standing gets the crown! On the island of Fennbirn, magic and the Goddess rule, and in every generation, a set of triplets is born, each with a special gift of magic. Separated in early childhood, they are each raised according to their specific gift with a foster family. They are raised to rule...and to kill their sisters. Only one queen may reign.
This book's writing style threw me off the first time I read it. It's written in third-person, present-tense, as if it's being written as the events of the book happen. The style makes the book a breeze to read, and I have easily finished it twice in a matter of days. It makes the book stand out for me, as well, as it is the first book I have found written this way. Kendare Blake is a master of the dark and macabre, and weaves a truly sinister tale wonderfully.
While the style is definitely unique and makes for quick reading, it is a bit jarring at first and takes some getting used to. While I can't begin to imagine the book being written any other way, Iwonder if it would have been less of a struggle at first if written in a more familiar way.
Fennbirn feels like a living thing as you read, ready and eager for blood to be spilled. The author has a delightful knack for creating such a familiar stranger in Fennbirn, almost as if it's the world we live in. It is very easy to get caught up and lost in this world, which adds an amazing layer to the book.
Many of the characters, except for a very select few, are rather two-dimensional. Similar to Holly Black's "The Cruel Prince," however, that works rather well with the way this book is written. I see a piece of myself in each of the three sisters, and, even though I told myself I wouldn't pick sides, Katharine and Arsinoe captured my attention. The two dimensions of most of the characters works to compliment the ones that are more fleshed out, and more character and dimension to the island itself. It also ensured that the characters with more depth took center stage. However, even though this did help add an extra something to the book, I would have liked to see more depth from some of the characters, namely Jules Milone, Madrigal Milone, High Priestess Luca, Rho, and Mirabella. Each of these characters is extremely interesting, but never seem to get any real development in the book. I do hope to see more development in later books.
I would like to make a quick note, as well, that it does seem or feel that this book was written with a mostly female audience in mind. While this does not make the book bad, nor does it necessarily make it any better, it may make for slower reading for a male audience.
Synopsis: The last queen standing gets the crown! On the island of Fennbirn, magic and the Goddess rule, and in every generation, a set of triplets is born, each with a special gift of magic. Separated in early childhood, they are each raised according to their specific gift with a foster family. They are raised to rule...and to kill their sisters. Only one queen may reign.
This book's writing style threw me off the first time I read it. It's written in third-person, present-tense, as if it's being written as the events of the book happen. The style makes the book a breeze to read, and I have easily finished it twice in a matter of days. It makes the book stand out for me, as well, as it is the first book I have found written this way. Kendare Blake is a master of the dark and macabre, and weaves a truly sinister tale wonderfully.
While the style is definitely unique and makes for quick reading, it is a bit jarring at first and takes some getting used to. While I can't begin to imagine the book being written any other way, Iwonder if it would have been less of a struggle at first if written in a more familiar way.
Fennbirn feels like a living thing as you read, ready and eager for blood to be spilled. The author has a delightful knack for creating such a familiar stranger in Fennbirn, almost as if it's the world we live in. It is very easy to get caught up and lost in this world, which adds an amazing layer to the book.
Many of the characters, except for a very select few, are rather two-dimensional. Similar to Holly Black's "The Cruel Prince," however, that works rather well with the way this book is written. I see a piece of myself in each of the three sisters, and, even though I told myself I wouldn't pick sides, Katharine and Arsinoe captured my attention. The two dimensions of most of the characters works to compliment the ones that are more fleshed out, and more character and dimension to the island itself. It also ensured that the characters with more depth took center stage. However, even though this did help add an extra something to the book, I would have liked to see more depth from some of the characters, namely Jules Milone, Madrigal Milone, High Priestess Luca, Rho, and Mirabella. Each of these characters is extremely interesting, but never seem to get any real development in the book. I do hope to see more development in later books.
I would like to make a quick note, as well, that it does seem or feel that this book was written with a mostly female audience in mind. While this does not make the book bad, nor does it necessarily make it any better, it may make for slower reading for a male audience.
2.5 stars.
I'm so mad at myself because despite this low rating, the book actually made me want to read the sequel, which makes no sense, and yet, here we are. But I was promised killing, and there was no killing! The premise of the book sounded awesome - three sisters with different powers having to kill each other for the throne - but what we got was just three sisters with their respective romantic woes. None of the side characters were particularly interesting and they all blended together except for Jules and Joseph. Nothing happened for like 75% of the book and I almost DNF it, and I also kept wondering what the history was behind this island and the mainland and why they had this tradition, etc. But because they set it up to the Hunger Games-esq feel and didn't deliver, I feel compelled to read the next book when it comes out just to see how it all finishes up at the end.
I'm so mad at myself because despite this low rating, the book actually made me want to read the sequel, which makes no sense, and yet, here we are. But I was promised killing, and there was no killing! The premise of the book sounded awesome - three sisters with different powers having to kill each other for the throne - but what we got was just three sisters with their respective romantic woes. None of the side characters were particularly interesting and they all blended together except for Jules and Joseph. Nothing happened for like 75% of the book and I almost DNF it, and I also kept wondering what the history was behind this island and the mainland and why they had this tradition, etc. But because they set it up to the Hunger Games-esq feel and didn't deliver, I feel compelled to read the next book when it comes out just to see how it all finishes up at the end.
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