Fables&Wren

Three Dark Crowns #.2: The Young Queens

/ 05 STARS, 2018 JANUARY, KB YA THREE DARK CROWNS

The Young Queens Book Cover The Young Queens
Three Dark Crowns
Kendare Blake
Young Adult Fiction
HarperCollins
December 26, 2017
EBook
112

In this must-read prequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, the queens’ origin story is revealed. It’s a pre-crown lowdown of Fennbirn’s ruling class. Mirabella, Arsinoe, and Katharine weren't always scheming to murder each other. They weren't always surrounded by rival foster families, each swearing to have their best interests at heart. And they weren't always afraid of being unexpectedly attacked—by one of their own sisters, no less—in a way that could cost them their last breath. They used to be together. Just three sisters. Alone in a glen. This is the story of the three queens—after they were born, before they were separated, during the time when they all lived together, loved each other, and protected each other. It’s also the story of the day they were torn apart, and the several years that follow. From birth to eleven years old, this is a rare glimpse of the queens' lives…before they were at stake.

WrensReads Review:

“Three black witches, the mainland would say. Born to a descending queen. One would rise to become queen in her place. Perhaps the strongest of the three. Perhaps the cleverest. Or perhaps it would be the girl born under the best shield of luck.”

Okay… *deep breath*

Public Service Announcement: There were a lot of confirmations in this novella. This is something you need to read before you read book three and after you read book two. Novellas these days are actually starting to be necessary to a series. They aren’t just fillers or side stories you don’t need to worry about; they are actually short stories that are dire to the story as a whole. This is one of those instances. Do not read this book before you read book one or after you read book three.

The first story in this, you meet the Triplet Queen’s mother Camille and their father Philippe. It was so heartbreaking to see how these parents weren’t even allowed to hold their own children. And the fact that the triplets were torn away from them and taken to another room before the parents leave to go to the main land.

“Philippe was a strong consort, but he was too softhearted for this. If he saw the triplet queens, he might want to hold them. And if he held them, he might start to feel that they were his instead of Fennbirn’s.”

I just don’t understand why the parents can’t raise their own children. And the Queen reigns for like five years basically until she gives birth to the kids and then leaves and then there is no one ruling for a long time besides the counsels… It’s all kind of heartbreaking and confusing, but mostly heartbreaking. One of the last thoughts we get is the mother wishing that she could save her daughters from the pain and the hurt she went through with her own sisters.

“But when Camille looked at the babies, for just a moment she wished she had jaws like her beloved snakes, so she could unhinge them and swallow the girls back down under her heart forever.”

We see the girls grow up with one another until they are taken to the separate corners of the island. The girls did not want to leave one another, and they didn’t go quietly.

The whole concept of this book is really heartbreaking, and reading about it happening instead of being told it happened is completely different. You see what is expected of the girls, you see why they are at the places they are in the beginning of the book, and you also learn more about Jules and Joseph’s back story with Arsinoe as well. Honestly, Arsinoe got the best deal out of all three of the girls.

The one who got the worse is Katharine. I mean, can you imagine your poisoner gift not appearing and the people in charge of you forcing you to continually put poison in your body that you aren’t ready for? The things that can do to your skin, hair, your insides, your internal clock, your brain…. I just feel for Katharine the most and where she left off at the end of book two makes me so worried for her…

I can’t wait for the next novella, but I really can’t wait until the third book. Can I get at least a title reveal please?!

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Three Dark Crowns #02: One Dark Throne

/ 05 STARS, KB YA THREE DARK CROWNS

One Dark Throne Book Cover One Dark Throne
Three Dark Crowns
Kendare Blake
Young Adult Fiction
HarperTeen
September 19, 2017
Audiobook
320

THE BATTLE FOR THE CROWN HAS BEGUN, BUT WHICH OF THE THREE SISTERS WILL PREVAIL? With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent. In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other.

WrensReads Review:

I seriously have no idea where to start with this review. I absolutely loved this book and I’m so angry I read it in one and a half days and didn’t make it last until the third book was in my hands.

I can’t count how many times I was literally praying to the Lord please oh please don’t let any of these queens-who-are-born-just-to-kill-each-other die or their friends-who-help-them-kill-each-other. I mean, this whole book is about triplets who have to kill one another so only one queen rules… there’s hope for a happy ending for all of them right?

Don’t be an optimist WREN. The titles and the series literally has the word DARK in them. Everyone is going to die and you’ll just have to live with it.

The pace in this one just hits the ground running. It doesn’t stop. Everyone is fighting for their lives and trying to kill those who are trying to kill them. People are fed wrong information, there are plots that fall through and information that literally made me sit up a little straighter and go without sleep. I couldn’t put this book down. The writing was wonderful and even though I sometimes felt overrun by characters, I still enjoyed this book so much.

I still love all of these queens, even though I don’t agree with the turn their character takes. We have my favorite, Arsinoe (Naturalist [assumed]), who isn’t ashamed of the huge marks on her face and who has the upper hand with the discovery at the end of the book. She is such a bad ass. I can’t express it. Her spirit is strong though her power was told to be weak. She has friends willing to fight and die for her cause and I need her to be okay.

Sidenote: I am here for Billy. Literally just Billy. Team Billy for everyone named Arsinoe who is a triplet queen of the island.

We have Mirabella, the oldest by three minutes. She is the strongest of the sisters and just wants everyone to be happy. She was raised a queen and she acts like a queen out of all the sisters.

Then we have Katharine… who’s character takes a hard twist to the right and she is ready for blood. She has basically been tortured with downing poison her whole life, and then to be betrayed by the one she loves at the end of the first book… she’s just done playing victim and she’s ready for her crown.

I can’t even talk about Jules without spoiling anything with her… let’s just say she has a bomb thrown at her… and then another bomb thrown at her… and yet a third bomb still finds her. I just want her to be happy but… AHHH.

I wasn’t even mad about how many love triangles spouted out of this book. They are such clichés in young adult but I was living for them.

We finally meet someone who has the war gift and that is explained a little more and becomes a huge deal. The War Gift is basically someone who never misses and can memorize things really well. They can also make something miss their mark. I thought it was a pretty cool gift to add to the little bundle of Naturalist (animals and plants), Elemental (air, fire, water) and poisoner (can’t be killed with poison).

I will tell you that someone dies… but I am not going to tell you who because that would be wrong.

Lots of gore and deaths and creepy things. I like your style, Kendare Blake.

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Three Dark Crowns #01: Three Dark Crowns

/ 05 STARS, KB YA THREE DARK CROWNS

Three Dark Crowns Book Cover Three Dark Crowns
Three Dark Crowns
Kendare Blake
Young Adult Fiction
Pan Macmillan
September 22, 2016
Hardcover
432

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 stomach-ache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of beasts.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.Three Dark Crowns is a heart-stopping fantasy from Kendare Blake, acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood.

WrensReads Review:

So, triplets.

Three queens are born. They bond when they are little, bond a little when they are little, separated to strengthen their individual powers (naturalist, poisoner, and elemental) and then…

… then they must kill each other so one can sit on the throne, have triplets, and start the cycle over again.

Three Black Witches are born in a glen,
sweet little triplets
will never be friends.

Three Black Witches, all fair to be seen
two to devour
and one to be queen.

I know what you are thinking… because I thought the same thing: what in the living heck is going on and why is this a thing that people are okay with? Like you are forcing three teenaged girls to go out and kill their two sisters to rule over people who want you to do the same thing to your children? Absolutely not.

But, strangely, everyone is okay with it. It’s a good thing this is fictional.

The three main powers:
Naturalist: These people have the power over like living animals and plants. They can make things bloom and control animals sometimes. Their familiar shows the strength of their power. Like one character has a cougar and so she’s super powerful. Another has a rooster… he’s not as powerful (though those birds can be feisty in my personal experience…).
Poisoner: A poisoner is the power that has held onto the thrown the longest. They can digest poison of any kind and not even get sick from it. So, they just always eat poison to show they are unkillable. It’s rumored they can also heal others as well, but that’s not really touched on except for the one mention.
Elemental: My personal favorite. Water, Fire and Air. I would love to have this power. They can control those elements

So, our triplet queens, Mirabella (Elemental), Arsinoe (Naturalist) and Katharine (Poisoner) are amping up to kill each other. They must court suitors and please the people in the meantime before that time comes.

The book is super overwhelming in the beginning. It’s a little slow to start and a lot of names are thrown at you; but as all the other reviews on here say, it is worth it to get to the end. I thought this was going to be a four star and then that twist happened at the end and it became a five star. It can get pretty graphic (which I love) and the amount of characters can be a little overwhelming (I don’t love), but I still loved this book so much.

Our three queens are in completely different places than where they were in the beginning of the book. The journey is worth it. In the beginning, Katharine is super weak because her poisoner power isn’t very strong and she is trying to get an immunity to it, Arsinoe isn’t showing her power at all, and Mirabella is the strongest elemental the world has seen in years but doesn’t want to kill her sisters.

I feel Jules deserves a shout too because she is just as talked about and mentioned as the queens are. She is friends with Arsinoe and is the one with the Cougar. Her journey is just as important and is tangled up with at least two of the queens at this time.

Give this book a try if you love graphic details, fantasy and just a darker book than the normal young adult fantasy genre.

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