Three Dark Crowns audiobook

“No one really wishes to be a queen.” Oh my, I loved this. This book seems to be very polarizing on my feed, and from people I love, trust, and have similar reading tastes as, so I was a little apprehensive going in. I read that first chapter with my mouth open the entire time. Instantly drawn in, immersed, and in love. Most of you probably know the synopsis of this book, but it will still bring me immense joy to tell those few who might not know. Basically, this story is set in a world with an amazing matriarchy, where a queen will always give birth to multiple girls. For the most part, it will be triplets, each with different powers, who will be sent away to live among people who have also developed their powers. Yet, once these sisters turn sixteen, a battle will begin which only ends when only one of the girls are alive and the other two sisters dead. This lone triplet will be the new queen of Fennbirn. This world is gloriously feminist, and I loved each point of view from the different islands. And the writing? Beautiful, lyrical, genius. And I fell so very in love with each sister, easily, and happily. These characters are honestly a tier above almost every YA character I’ve ever read. And again, this was such an amazing journey and I hope more people give this book a shot, despite the mixed reviews. And the twists and turns? I was at the edge of my seat reading this! And I was going to say one of the only downsides while reading was because a friend sort of intentionally spoiled a twist for me, but then I was completely blindsided by another immediately after. The only reason I chose to give this four stars, instead of five, was because the actual plot itself was a little slow for my liking. This is a very character driven story, and I loved that so much, but some major plot points just felt like they took too long to get going. Even though, once they did? Lord, help me. Perfection. “In her mind, every last Queen lies at the bottom of the sea, drowned by the Goddess the moment she was done with them.” So, something I also really want to talk about is how this (in my mind and my opinion) is an own voices book. I watch a lot of Booktube, I read a lot of blogs, I spend too much time on book twitter, but I have never heard that Kendare Blake is Korean, ever. I noticed how the triplets’ descriptions were somewhat vague besides the dark black hair, so I went and did some searching, and I was absolutely shocked to find out that this book is written by a woman of color. I immediately went to snapchat, and all of my friends, too, did not know this. So, I just wanted to make this a point in my review, because me and so many of my friends want to support marginalized voices, and if I would have known this sooner, I wouldn’t have waited to pick this book up. On top of the fact that I loved it, and it was amazing, it warms my damn heart to picture three kickass Asian girls, trying to overcome to pressures that this world has put on them, while trying to decide their own destinies. Seriously, this meant so much to me. Breathing fanart by TheSenesXOkay, I’m going to do a quick breakdown of the three sisters! I found these amazing pictures from Epic Reads on my wonderful friend May’s review and I couldn’t resist adding them to mine, because they are so dang adorable and perfect! ➽Katharine 💚☠ - Gravesdrake Manor - Poisoner QueenThe poisoner queen always wins, so Katharine has a tremendous amount of pressure on her. But her body is weak and frail, from being forced to ingest so many poisons, and from the abuse she receives for not achieving her full potential. She is lonely, and scared, and somehow completely made her way into my heart. Katharine is my favorite of the three sisters. ➽Mirabella 💙🔥 - Rolanth – Elementalist QueenThe strongest of the sisters. The world already tells tales of her power. She is almost guaranteed to be the next queen, but she is constantly struggling with the idea of killing her sisters. She was raised among the people of the temple on her small, but very religious, island. She, too, has felt really lonely growing up. ➽Arsinoe ❤🐻 - Wolf Spring – Naturalist QueenThis sister for sure had the happiest upbringing, with friends and found family that actually loves her unconditionally. Sadly, she hasn’t developed any of her naturalist powers, but her best friend, Jules, is one of the strongest to have ever lived. She is desperate to develop any magical affinity, and starts tampering with magic that she probably shouldn’t, because this magic always comes with a price. And even though Katharine is my favorite, I loved all three so much. And all three sisters are so beautifully morally grey, especially by the end of this story. Morally grey characters will forever by my favorites, and Kendare Blake gave me three strong, powerful, and smart ones to cry over and to root for. Oh, and also, I told myself I wouldn’t devote a paragraph to this, but here we are with unpopular opinions: I don’t hate Joseph, not in the slightest. Like, did he do something he maybe shouldn’t have? Yes. Is this a realistic depiction of being a sixteen-year-old whose hormones are working double time? Yes. And I think he proved numerous times that he isn’t a bad guy. He does the “right” thing over and over, even if he is suppressing his own happiness. Also, I’m always here for all the sex positive depictions. More unpopular opinion: I totally ship him with the unpopular one to ship him with. Muahahahaha! “I should think that is what anyone would wish- to be loved for themselves and not their position.” Overall, I truly loved this. I can see it being one of my all time favorite series. And I cannot wait to start One Dark Throne immediately. Also, say a prayer for me that my Target still has the signed edition that I saw a few weeks ago. Trigger/Content warnings: abuse, violence, and animal death. Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | TwitchBuddy read with Kayla! ❤

4.5 stars. Wow this was bloody fantastic. BUT.The first 35% or so was ROUGH. I honestly would have DNF'ed this had it not been for friends telling me to keep going. I'M SO GLAD I DID. So if you're reading this and you get bored/overwhelmed with all the names/generally disinterested... it WILL pick up! (And don't worry about memorizing all the character names/who is who.)Basically we have three triplets. They are separated at a young age and each raised in separate parts of the kingdom/island thing. Each of them is tailored to have one type of magic. When they reach 16, they are all supposed to face each other off with said magic, and whoever wins gets the throne. (Not only are they supposed to try and kill each other, they try to gain supporters and win suitors to help them in this.) Then, the surviving queen will choose a suitor who will act as 'king consort'. She will have said triplets (thanks to the curse on the island?), be sent away, rinse and repeat. Pretty depressing world, if you ask me. The general vibe is pretty dark and bleak, so be prepared.*Very Minor spoilers below*Anyway, I went into this fully expecting to favor one queen and not like the others- but I was surprised. I actually adored each of them - and felt really sorry for them. What I didn't expect was to get really invested in each of their stories AND all the suitors as well. Each queen has a "guy" that they are close to/favor... but things do not play out the way you'll expect them to. Shit gets cray. We have Katherine - who is the 'poisoner queen' raised by the Poisoners. Except, she's so incredibly weak and isn't actually showing strength digesting said poisons. She's forced to eat poisoned food all the time and is constantly sick. Since she appears so weak, her clan is greatly concerned and tries to fake her strength. Poor Kat pretty much knows she's going to die- so her only chance at survive is to learn how to "woo" all the suitors. Enter Peityr - the boy who offers to train her on how to woo men.Then there's Arsinoe who I just adored. She's strong, kind, and generally just badass. She's raised by the Naturalists who have a gift for animals. Each naturalist has the power to tame one animal - and that animal becomes theirs / they can control said animal for the rest of their life. Except Arsinoe can't seem to do that. But, she has dear friends and has a great attitude anyway -- though they don't expect her to live past the ascension year either. Then she meets Billy, and ... I can't say anything else.Mirabella is the strongest of all the queens - her gift as an elementalist (she can control elements/weather) is extremely powerful. Everyone expects her to easily win/outlive her sisters... BUT... she is so incredibly kind and doesn't want to hurt them. I CANT EVEN with the guy. I can't. I can't. I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing either. Just wait.AND THEN there's Jules, Arsinoe's best friend and very powerful naturalist who almost feels like a fourth main character. She has several POVs and she gets very tangled in things and her love story.. I can't. SOOOOOO all that to say... the story picks up and lightly introduces you to each queen and blah blah. But their stories get intermingled REALLY quickly. And it happens in ways you won't ever suspect. And it gets emotional. And I was flailing and freaking out and.... Ugh. Just read it.AND THEN THE END OHMERGSKERJSLKFJSLKDFJSLDKFJ. I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING. Okay okay, but everyone told me the end was crazy awesome- but just to give a heads up... it's not this huge action packed scene. It's one kicker at the very end. LSKDFJ:LSKDFJ HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO WAIT A YEAR FOR THE NEXT BOOK?!??!?! WHAT THE CRAP. Oh also, the audiobook was fantastic. LOVED the narrator. The writing felt a bit dry at the beginning and when I switched to audio, it felt a bit more lively! My Blog ~ Instagram ~ Twitter ~ Etsy

Three dark queensare born in a glen,sweet little tripletswill never be friends.Three dark sistersall fair to be seen,two to devourand one to be Queen. This was SO much darker than I originally expected and it is GOOD. The world-building, the twists, the characters, the premise itself. It's hard not to be pulled deep into the story. Consider me invested! For a first book where clearly the concept had to be set up, as well as the world..I still found there was a lot going on. This just gives me more hope for the second where I have a feeling there will be a lot more action and excitement. Three Dark Crowns follows a set of triplets, all three queens - heirs to the crown, though only one will reign. All three born with a different gift. At the age of six, they are separated to be raised by different families each of their same respective gift giving each a completely different upbringing. The sisters don’t see each other again until they turn sixteen, when they will have to kill each other leaving only one to be the ruling queen of Fennbirn. Every generation a new set of triplets is born. This is how it has always been.Katharine is a poisoner. She’s supposed to be able to consume excruciating amounts of poison without any side-effects. The problem is Katharine’s gift is quite weak. The Arrons have been poisoning her as often as possible to try and build up her immunities. The result is a frail, feeble queen covered in scabs and other markings the poisoning attempts leave. The Arrons are desperate to keep a poisoner on the throne as it keeps their family on the Black Council. It has been a poisoner queen the last two years..Mirabella is an elemental giving her power over the elements such as fire, water, and wind. This includes some capability of creating nasty storms and it’s pretty badass. She has the strongest gift out of her sisters making her the clear contender for the crown. This is why the temple openly backs her (something unheard of in years past). They want power on the island and need a queen on their side to seize that power from the Black Council giving importance back to the temple. Is Mirabella the Queen they all believe her to be or is her heart having different ideas?Arsinoe is a naturalist. She should be able to make flowers bloom, have control over animals, and have an animal familiar. She cannot do any of these things and is still waiting on her gift. Her best friend Jules has an extremely strong naturalist gift giving her a mountain cat as a familiar. Arsinoe tried to escape her fate years ago by running away, but the island wouldn’t let her go leading to the banishment of Jules’ boy. One of the best things about Arsinoe is her loyalty to her friends. I love that the power of friendship truly means something to her. Of course I do not wish that. No one really wishes to be a queen. To be a queen is to be cursed. Two have a fate of death, while only one will rule. Knowing this makes you want to resist connecting with the characters too much. Unfortunately, I found something I enjoyed about each of the sisters. I may have changed who I’m rooting for several times and even now am not sure who my actual favorite is. But if the plot rings true, only one can live.The book is written in third-person with each of the sister’s perspectives in addition to several other characters’ POV (some we see way less often than others). There are a variety characters including the families that raised the girls, friends, priestesses, and a couple love interests. It’s interesting how each sister is raised in a different city by a completely different family working on an entirely different gift. Each of these girls lives in a fully fleshed-out, complex world with their own characters and storylines. Though it’s all intertwined together, it still helps to make a plot that really moves along. There are plenty of twists and surprises throughout, a small bit of romance that doesn’t overwhelm, an epic world created, and the perfect amount of darkness. The ending had me screaming YES give me more!! I highly, highly recommend!

this book was a real fcking treat. but i can't say i'm all that surprised given the description & how much i love ~dark shit™~so imma break it down for you like this: we got 3 black haired hoes (shhh i know, thats misogynistic of me whatever i do my part in dismantling the patriarchy too) and they got some POWERS more specifically we've gotkat the rat: - overall pretty lame- kind of described as a drowned rat, hence the name- terrible taste in menmirror mirror:- also pretty lame but like she's kind of nice- doesn't like slaughtering people even though it's kind of her job? get over urself, sis- terrible taste in men, seriously what were you thinkingarsenic: - the least lame- wears pants (appreciate her trying to keep it spicy when she's forced to wear black everyday)- pretty decent taste in men... but sweetie his name is billy so maybe notannnnnd there's also a whole host of other insane ass side characters that i'm much too lazy to describe to you but rest assured they have equally as titillating character traits.what do these hoes do you may askthey try and kill each other! or like not yet, but that's kind of the point of the series. one ring to rule them one hoe wins the crown and the others go bye bye.in all seriousness, i thought this was pretty excellent and i really appreciated the thought and detail that not only went into the world but also into the development of relationships. that's what makes books stand out to me. the three queens had distinct traits and their interactions with their own inner circles and with each other made them feel very real to me. and i mean cmon, the description alone for these is intriguing. i would highly recommend these to anyone who likes things with a historical fiction feel. maybe don't pick it up if you don't like political drama or slow moving plot. i wholeheartedly enjoyed this & hopefully you enjoy these hoes tooalso this was a buddy read with nadhira who is lovely and delightful and put up with me being slow as shit in the beginning and then finishing this book before her. she's a queen & is a general treat to talk books with

Firstly, I have to say that I really did not jell with this book. It took me a moment to get used to the POV it was written in and also, didn't really understand what was happening in the first three chapters, then when I realised that it was written from different perspectives every chapters i GOT IT! -P.s that is not the books fault, completely my fault! I really did enjoy this novel, the ending was brilliant. My only issues was it could be slow at times, and not much happened in the middle of the novel. Apart from that it was a good start to a series, brilliant world builder and gave insight into the characters we were introduced to........Looking forward to the next book,

This was an all around great story, but sometimes the characters made me mad lol, otherwise BRING ON BOOK TWO

I want to reread this before the fourth book

“Three dark queensAre born in a glen,Sweet little tripletsWill never be friendsThree dark sistersAll fair to be seen,Two to devourAnd one to be Queen” When I first heard about the premise of this book, I instantly knew I was going to enjoy it because it sounded right up my alley. Basically, there are three dark sisters who have to try to kill each other after their sixteenth birthday because only one of them can be queen. DUN DUN DUUUUN. Tell me this doesn’t sound like the coolest story ever.  Katharine is the youngest of the three sisters. She is supposed to be a poisoner which means that she can ingest the deadliest poison without getting sick, but that’s not really the case. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison. She is small and frail and is basically sucking at being a poison witch. Arsinoe is a naturalist witch. She should be able to bloom the reddest flower and control the deadliest animals but just like her sister, Arsinoe sucks at being a witch.  Mirabella is an Elemental witch and she does not suck at all. She is the fiercest of all three sisters. She started using her powers at a very young age and now the whole island is rooting for her to be queen. Well… except her two sisters.  ➨ The info dumps: The first few chapters are packed with too much information. It gets hard to keep up after a while. A relatively large cast of characters is introduced all at once and the magic system is also explained in those same chapters. I feel like this is the main reason why people disliked this book. Some people might get annoyed and dnf it but if you just give it a chance and stick with it you won’t regret it. The second half of the book is so interesting and keeps you on the edge of your seat and don’t even get me started on that ending. ➨ Joseph: What the bloody hell, man? The only possible explanation I can think of is that (view spoiler)[ the spell Arsinoe threw in the fire messed up his relationship with Jules and somehow this is all beyond his control because otherwise he is the biggest asshole I’ve ever read about (maybe not but he’s definitely on the top 10) (hide spoiler)] (view spoiler)[ So does that mean that Arsinoe is the poisoner and Khatharine the naturalist? Did the nurse put wrong tags on them when they were babies? (hide spoiler)]Overall, I feel like this is such an under-hyped book. It was really good. You guys need to pick this one up asap. Thanks for reading. Please share your thoughts.----Initial Reaction:WHAT! You can't leave me with an ending like that! I need answers!! ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

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 tripletswill never be friends.Three Black Witches, all fair to be seentwo to devourand 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.---THIS WAS MIND BLOWING. RTC. ---A little over the halfway point and action is happening... normal action stuff like someone gets their hand sawed off and someone else is mauled by a basically-zombie bear type of action. Totally normal action things. *eye twitch* ---.. because nothing screams queen more than killing your siblings and having a pet snake. 🐍

This book was so unique! It took me a little while to settle into the new world and familiarize myself with the characters, but once I did the story took off. It took so many twists I wasn't expecting and by the end of the book my heart was pounding. I think this book is going to be big!

MY QUICK REVIEW: I gave Three Dark Crown's 4.5/5 stars! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is my personal current ranking of the queen's:Katherine>Arisnoe>MirabellaEven though I did rank the queen's, I did like all of them,I think the world is super interesting. I enjoyed all of the little story arcs, characters and writing. I found the writing style different then what I am used to, but not in a bad way. I quite enjoyed it. THE ENDING WAS SUCH A GOOD ENDING BUT I WISH IT WAS LONGER! WE HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR UNTIL THE NEXT ONE D: sidenote: I hate JosephSYNOPSIS AND LONGER REVIEW: What it is about!This fantasy book takes place on an island, a secret place that is unbeknownst to most of the mainlanders (those who aren't on the island). On this island, most people are blessed with a gift. The three most common are poisoner, naturalist and elemental. There are also the gifts of sight and war but those are rarer. This world, like most fantasy worlds, are ruled by a monarchy of sorts. Every generation, there are 3 queens born. After the 3 queen’s are born, their mother (the previous queen) must leave the island with her king-consort and never return. In the Queen’s absence, for 16 years a council will rule the island, in a sort of regency. The 3 queens are raised in seclusion together until they are 6 years old. Then they are separated to be brought up by affluent family’s. Each queen possesses a different gift and the family’s that raise the queens are in charge of not only taking care of the queen’s well-being but help them develop and train their gifts. Once the Queen’s turn 16, they begin the ascension year. In which, they must prove their power and kill their sister’s until there is one left alive. The Queen that survives, becomes the next queen. About the 3 Queens:Arisnoe: Arisnoe is the 'naturalist' and lives in a tiny village on a coast of the island. A naturalist entails being one with nature, having the ability to help plants bloom and have special connections with animals. Arisnoe's best friend and the one designated to help her develop her gift, is the most powerful naturalist the island has seen in almost 60 years. Unfortunately, Arisnoe has not been able to access her gift and the ascension year is upon them. Giftless, Arisnoe is deemed weak and does not believe she will live through the year. She seems to have somewhat accepted this and tries to enjoy her life while she can with her friends and the town that helped raise her. Mirabella: Mirabella is an 'elemental'. This means she can control elements such as; water, fire, wind and lightning. She is very strong and all over the island people talk of her strength. The island’s temple (religion) is supposed to be neutral in terms of backing a queen. This year, the temple has backed Mirabella. This is unheard of and they will do anything it takes to secure Mirabella the throne. Mirabella is being oppressed by the temple and her ‘duties’ as they try to mold her into the queen they want her to be. Katherine: Katherine is the youngest of the 3 sisters and is the 'poisoner'. Being a poisoner is a lot of pressure because the last 3 queen's have been poisoner queen's. The Arron's (the family raising her) do not want to give up their power. Katherine is supposed to have a natural immunity to poisons, but her gift is very weak. She is small, skinny, pale and sickly looking because of being poisoned throughout her childhood. They are trying to build up her immunity because she doesn't seem to have much natural immunity. The woman caring for her, Natalia is nice but has a wicked sister who does not mind abusing Katherine to get what she wants. Katherine may have a weak immunity, but she does have an affinity with brewing poisons.All three queen's must prove their strength as the ascension year is upon them and only one can come out alive.This book is full of many different characters and story arcs that are sure to keep you interested. It follows not only the 3 queen's but characters close to them as well. With power, family, friends, politics, love, life, death and the kingdom on the line, it is a thrilling read. I recommend this to all YA fantasy lovers!! The rest of my review contains spoilers Alrighty! What a whirlwind of a book that was. I'm SHOOK. Let’s start with Arisnoe. She was a great character, steadfast, opinionated, caring but had NO GIFT, like we all thought Katherine’s was weak but at least she can stand some poisons and can make them really well. Arisnoe couldn’t do ANYTHING. I felt so bad for this character because she didn’t deserve that. Then we got into the whole low magic thing which involved a lot of blood. The whole incident with Arisnoe’s hand being stabbed right through and pinned to a tree?? Then the bear??!! Poor girl is just getting a shred of hope that she may actually live but no one is really supporting what she’s doing. I feel like Jules and everyone sort of gave up on Arisnoe, like they knew nothing was going to happen. Arisnoe knew too. Then at Beltane, for a split second, I thought maybe that bear was her ACTUAL familiar. That thought died quick. I was thoroughly pissed at Joseph throughout this book. Like how dare you cheat on Jules, then tell Jules you love her THEN LITERALLY RIGHT AFTER YOU SAY YOU LOVE HER, SHUT DOWN SEX BECAUSE YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT MIRABELLA???Not down for that. I don’t blame Mirabella though. It’s all you Joseph. I hope Katherine poisons him in the next book, that would be a great idea because then Mirabella AND Arisnoe will be mourning him. Also I’m still wondering if/how the burning of the low magic love spell effected Joseph and Jules. Like which part of the DISASTER that was Joseph ruining the relationship have to do with the spell? If anyone knows, please tell me.Billy and Arisnoe's friendship was cute and I like that they are just friends. I think it's sweet and I can't wait to see more of that in the next book. Mirabella was probably my least favorite of the sisters. Although I did like her. I found myself more interested in her friend Bree and Elizabeth. Elizabeth was such a weird character. She got HER HAND chopped off for helping Mirabella, yet still is unwaveringly faithful to the temple. That would make sense if the temple convinced her that what she did was wrong, but they didn’t. Elizabeth continued to support Mirabella in ways that is contradictory to the temple thinking it was okay. So that really didn’t make any sense to me. Bree is just a fun character, I just want to see more of her. I thought it was interesting that Mirabella remembers time spent with her sister’s when they were young. It was clear that would be her downfall. I’m still sure that even though at the end of the book she seemed okay with killing Arisnoe, that she will not be able to do it, at least not on purpose. I would have liked her and Joseph’s relationship if he hadn’t been involved with Jules. Unfortunately, he was and I hate him because of it.Last but definitely not least is Katherine. Katherine is no doubt my favorite of the queen's. I have a bad feeling that she will die in the next book though. I loved her character so much, I was not a huge fan of Pietyr but thought their relationship was okay. After that ending though, I am not a fan at all. Katherine can kill him. I'm excited because the ending means that Katherine is a naturalist?? Does that mean her original snake was her familiar? That would make sense. Can you get another familiar once one passes away? HopefullyGenevieve is a bitch and needs to die. I was thinking that maybe Arisnoe or Katherine had the war gift or something, not that they were switched. This is cool too though. The book let off at such a good cliff hanger spot I love it. I wish it was longer and we got to read more into the ascension year.I’m excited because if Katherine is a naturalist, that is awesome. BUT THAT ALSO MEANS SHE IS A NATURALIST WHO CAN MAKE KILLER POISONS AND HAS A WEAK BUT BETTER THAN NOTHING IMMUNITY TO POISONS BUILT UP OVER TIME. IT’S LIKE 2 IN 1 GIFT! Arisnoe knows nothing about poisons and though I am pleased she has a gift, I fail to see how her growing up as a naturalist and being a poisoner will help her much other than her immunity. Whereas Katherine kind of has the best of both worlds, minus the immunity to poisons part. I am so upset that I have to wait a year until the next book. I know this review is long but there was a lot to cover!! Tell me your thoughts

Three dark queens are born in a glen, sweet little triplets will never be friends. There dark sisters all fair to be seen, two to devour and one to be Queen. Devoured this book so easily. Honestly, I've been on such a winning streak with books lately. And this book is no different. As mentioned in the summary, the book follows the tale of three sisters raised apart with the sole purpose of the killing the others in order to claim the throne. It is a complicated, dark and deadly journey for these sisters as they try to navigate this timeless island tradition. But as always nothing and no one is as they seem. Loyalties will be tested. The twists and turns will have you questioning everything, but just remember nothing and no one is safe. My sister rankings: Katharine > Arsinoe > Mirabella Katharine: Sweet, shy, playful and a bit childish - Katharine is the youngest among the sisters. Backed by the Arrons, a family with an old powerful poisoner bloodline, she seems to have everything going for her. Except that she is a poisoner queen who cannot seem handle poisons the way a true poisoner should. (view spoiler)[ Which given the ending, makes sense because she is likely not a poisoner after all. (hide spoiler)] To be honest, she is quite trusting of those around her, but by this story's end a startling betrayal leaves her cold and has her ready seek vengeance on those who have wronged her. Arsinoe: Brave, stubborn and loyal Arisone is the middle sister. She lives with the Milones, who, unlike the backers for her sisters, do not have much to offer in terms of material wealth. Even so, she grows up happy and rather carefree with her friends. But she also grows up powerless. Or so it would seem. (view spoiler)[ But by some twist of fate, it appears she is, in fact, the true poisoner queen, which puts everything into question. How could the families have mixed up the children? Does this mean Katharine is, in fact, the true naturalist queen? Will her foster family and her people except her once they find out? Or is their drive to have a naturalist queen going to pull their support away from her? (hide spoiler)] Turns out Arsinoe is not quite who she or anyone else thought she was. Now it is all a matter of what she will do about it. Mirabella: Beautiful, gentle and kind is the eldest sister of the three. And unlike her sisters, she appears to be the only one with any memory of their past times together. Despite being the clear power player in the game of life and death, Mirabella does all she can to try to escape having to kill her sisters. But one misunderstanding finally pushes her over the edge and now she will surely be out for blood. Relationships (Though I think I use that term pretty loosely here in a certain case) Pietyr & Katharine: I tried. I tried so hard not to love them, but I did. They are just so playful, flirtatious, comfortable and seemingly honest together. He helped Katharine grow, helped her develop confidence in herself. And I truly believed that against all odds they loved each other. "I am your servant," he answers, and touches her cheek. "I am your slave. I am here to make sure every one of the suitors does not think of either of your sisters before they think of you." --- "Do you think the suitors will kiss like you do, Pietyr?" she asks, just to see his lower lip stick out. "Of course not. They are mainland boys. All fumbling and drool. It will be difficult for you to pretend to enjoy it." "They cannot all be bad," she says. "I am sure to find one who I like." Pietyr arches his brow. His fingers dig into the back of the chair but relax when he sees her expression. "Are you teasing me, Kat?" "Yes." She laughs. --- Pietyr eyes the snake ruefully as he holds his wrist. Reacting was the right thing to do. Katharine would have been sick with the venom for days, even after receiving treatment. But he did so without thinking. And he had been afraid that Katharine would be hurt. Truly afraid. "Only a king-consort is fool enough to love a queen," he says quietly. But as always in the back of my mind I tried to remind myself that when things seem too good to be true in these sorts of situations they usually are. (view spoiler)[ And naturally that proved all too true when Pietyr literally pushes Katharine off into an abyss. Lousy bastard. (hide spoiler)] (view spoiler)[ Now I am simply left to wonder if he betrayed her because he somehow secretly knew or found out she was not the true poisoner queen. And thus, despite his "love" for her, decided having a poisoner on the throne was more important. Or if he had some other motive for betraying the girl he claimed to love. (hide spoiler)]Billy & Arsinoe: I liked these two. Not so much romantically, but as friends. Which for the most part is how they treated each other throughout the book, but I could see that changing the future. I certainly would not object to their relationship evolving into something more. Initially, Arsinoe did not like Billy on account of him being a stranger trying to infiltrate her friend group. And perhaps also because he was one of the suitors sent to court all three queens, however, they did become quite close. Close enough to the point that they were willing to risk their lives for each other. "You jumped in front of that bear for me," he says. "You jumped in front of it for me, first." --- Arsinoe does not move. She stares them down to the last and lets the mask do its job. Until Billy comes ashore. Her heart warms. He does not seem weak or injured. Billy stands below the cliffs and looks up at her. He bows, deep and slow, and the crowd murmurs. Arsinoe holds her breath. He bows only to her. So with my main ship sinking rather epically, I think I'll board this one. But I will be more cautious this time, lest I get heartbroken again. Joseph & Mirabella: These two confuse me so much. Actually, no. Joseph and his back and forth confuse me, no, it pisses me off so damn much. Like what the hell dude? Pick one girl and stop lusting after another! Ugh. (view spoiler)[ Though I am trying to be fair because maybe his stupidity has to with the weird spell Arsinoe messed up. Maybe? Point is, as of now, Joseph is a lying dumbass. (hide spoiler)] But Mirabella is not innocent in this either. She fell for him way too fast. Like hello instalove/lust whatever you are. No one likes you, so please leave. Mirabella does not know anything about him. Other than him being one of the most attractive boys she's ever seen *eye rolling* and their obvious physical attraction to each other, what else do they have going for them? They've known each other for a few days, and yet the "romance" is getting treated like it's some epic, star-crossed lovers shit. But it's not. You're both awful and really, really dumb. Please think with your brains instead of with the parts below your waist. Relationships aside, this book had me flipping page to page waiting to see when the final shoe to drop, and when it did I was like "No...fucking way..." (view spoiler)[ Honestly, I did not see the Arsinoe thing coming. I know I spoiled it up above but I just wanted to emphasis my shock again here lol (hide spoiler)] Which I think proves how good the mystery of it all was. I like to be kept on my toes and it is interesting when things do not go as I predict all the time. So yeah, this book was a good time. It's basically kind of like what I imagine crack would be like. You know it's probably not actually good, but it's addicting so you're stuck sitting around.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

I honestly don't get why people think this is boring?I had a hell lot of fun with this lol. I already ordered the sequel and I'm looking forward to what's going to happen.

I was on a panel at Portland, OR's, Wordstock last year and the lovely Kendare Blake was also on the panel. As a sign of respect for my panel mates, I always buy their current releases. I am thrilled that I purchased THREE DARK CROWNS! This book is fantastic! I love the three intersecting storylines and getting to know all three sisters. Kendare does a masterful job of making the reader empathize with each of them, and pull for each of them - while still wanting NONE of them to die! The world is created with lovely detail. I do hope we get to know more about the Goddess in the next book. And the twist at the end left my mouth hanging open. Literally.I highly recommend this book - this series - and this talented author. Well done Kendare!

"I want revenge. And then I want my crown." I'm shamelessly and without any second thought giving this 5 very indulgent stars this book is a bomb and I loved every second of its tropey, trashy and mind-blowing entireness. And all those twists...Oh my God, how will I ever recover. I'm also shamelessly getting the second book as I type this. Send help, I think I'm obsessed.