Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake | Book Review
Hello lovelies how are we all? I’m finally getting around to reviewing one of my favourite books of all time, Three Dark Crowns!
I fell in love with this series immediately and I own so many copies of this book it’s unreal! I’ll be reviewing the other books in the series in the new year and will also be including an interview with Kendare Blake so keep an eye out for that!
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake Series: Three Dark Crowns #1
Published by HarperTeen on September 20th 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 416
Goodreads
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.
If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest … but she may be the darkest.
Three Dark Crowns is an amazing story that compels you throughout and throws some twists and turns at you when you’re least expecting it. It is inherently dark in nature, as the three Queens are born and brought up together until they’re toddlers, then they are sent to live with different families relating to their power and are expected to fight to the death when they come of age. If you sit and think for a minute, it’s actually heartbreaking, you’re expected to kill your siblings?
I also really love that Kendare took inspiration from queen bees for the three sister queens. I love bees, and even though it’s not inherent in the story I find it fascinating. I love finding out more about where a book idea came from, and this was no exception.
The World building for Three Dark Crowns is on FIRE. As I mention it takes place on Fennbirn island. Usually I kinda struggle a bit getting to grips with fantasy worlds and where everything is located, but Kendare does it so well!
The narrative is told through three POVs, for each of the Queens. Through them we learn more about the world, their customs and their journeys. Each queen is supported by a different family and they are all very different people with very different beliefs.
I love the magic in this book, the idea that Fennbirn island is protected by a magical mist from the mainland and has families with different magics coexisting is incredible. I was hooked immediately. I also loved how well developed the History of the world is too, Kendare has written some novellas about their history and they’re brilliant! (But don’t read them until you’ve read the first two books in the series!)
There is romance, kissing happens and implied sexual happenings but that’s about it (booooo).
The three main characters, the Queens, are so well developed. Kendare kinda goes down the nurture route a bit as each Queen is definitely different personality wise, though their natures are still in there somewhere. Each Queen had their own personalities and their own journeys, which really impressed me.
Arsinoe is definitely my favourite! She’s rough around the edges and nothing like her sisters. She seems to not have come into her powers so she’s had to get by in life believing she’s weak. I love her attitude and her journey.
Katherine is the Queen who you want to protect. She’s innocent and frail, the family she’s with being harsh and brutal in trying to coax her poisoner abilities out of her. I liked her but she didn’t take the top spot for me.
Mirabella struck me very much as the Mary-Sue of the story, meaning that she was sweet and kind, perfect presentation and just did everything right. This is by no means a criticism, other than it made me not like her as a character as much as the other Queens.
There is a whole host of other characters who support the queens, but I won’t go into details. They each have their own stories and are well developed, they definitely add to the story.
I hope you enjoyed this review! I highly recommend this book, I loved it and own SO MANY COPIES haha. If you’ve read it, which is your favourite Queen?
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28 Comments
Great review! I’ve been meaning to pick this book up for ages! I loved Kendare’s book, “Anna Dressed in Blood”, which I highly recommend!
Ah I keep meaning to pick that up! One day…. I will pick it up haha.
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I am so in love with this series. I mean, I even read the novellas, and I don’t really read novellas, but they added a lot to the story for me. Glad you enjoyed it!
SAME! They were awesome additions to the story! Definitely would have been rubbish without them!
I’ve heard so much good things about this series! I’ll have to give it a try someday 😀
Yes I hope you do! You’ll love it!
I might have to pick this up!
YES you do! It’s such an amazing series.
Great Review! I loved this book! I want to do a re-read and then finish the series because I haven’t read the others yet. I’ve been lacking in my motivation for fantasy these days so I’m hoping that’ll change next year.
Yes I recommend a reread! That’s what I did, and will probably have to do before the next one. Though that’s mainly because I have a poor poor memory for books haha!
Haha! Me too! I think it’s also bc I read so much & then have a busy life on top of it so sometimes I remember some books more than others!
Sameeee! It’s a nightmare haha. Being book obsessed with a bad memory lol
Bahaha!! Yes!!
I have read this one! I wasn’t as a big a fan as you unfortunately buuuut I did love Katharine a lot. I just felt so bad for her?! Like whatttt was with the people who raised her. They were like Slytherin Extremes. DO NOT FEED THE SOFT FRAGILE CHILD POISON WHAT ARE YOU DOING. 😭😭I’m so glad you adore this series!
Yes poor Katherine! She really had an awful time, but that’s because that family were just AWFUL!!! How could they keep feeding her poison when it wasn’t working?! Bless her. Have you read the others?
A great review for a great book!! I went to an author event with Kendare Blake a few months ago where she talked about the queen bee inspiration, which I think is so cool!! Do you have a favorite of the three sisters?
Thank you! That’s so awesome! I’d love to meet Kendare. My fave is Arsinoe!! How about you?
I love Arsinoe too!! 😄
YAY that’s because she’s the best.
I loveed this book!
YAAAS I’m glad you liked it!
Omg this looks amazing! What a great review. Can’t wait to start reading.
YAY! Thank you. I know you’re going to love it <3
This one’s on my TBR! Bumping it up after your glowing review. 🙂
Yay I’m so happy! I know you’re going to love it, it’s such a great series!
Lovely review! I want to read this one SO BADLY now. At one point this year I planned to start it, but got distracted by life and haven’t picked it up since. Definitely hoping to get to it in 2019!
YES I hope you do! It’s so so good! Let me know what you think, also who your favourite queen is!