Three Dark Crowns

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.

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.