Three Dark Crowns
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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