Three Dark Crowns
by Kendare Blake
YA Fantasy
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 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.
I really wish I could have given this more stars, but there is one part that completely ruined that for me.
The more I read Kendare Blake's books, the more I realize that she has great ideas but lacks execution. I loved her first book Anna Dressed in Blood, but have yet to find another one that holds up to expectations. It has nothing to do with plot and concept, but how it is executed.
Three Dark Crowns is a fantastic idea and fairly original. There are three queens, raised in isolation from each other and trained to kill the others using their powers when they come of age to take the crown. I really like the queens - with the exception of Katharine at the beginning; she was just a little too weak and naive. I think my favorite character, however, ended up being Jules. She is so strong and I think that she has the makings of a great queen - even though she could never be one.
Where this book is lacking can be found in the background and setting. It is stated that all three girls live on the same island, but each location is vastly different from the other that more setting development is needed in order to understand how the island works. That is also where some background would come in handy as well, as it is implied that the island is basically a living breathing entity... I think.
SPOILER ALERT:
Now to come to the worst part of the book. To call it a love triangle is inaccurate; at least those I can handle to a certain degree. What I can't handle is Joseph. I did not really like him from the start, and what he did made me almost put the book down. While practically engaged to Jules, Joseph gets lost at sea and is rescued by Mirabella. Within minutes of meeting, they have sex with each other - and many more times after that. To me, this is unforgivable, but what makes it worse is that he seems to think the can be with both Mirabella AND Jules. I also think it was really unnecessary to the plot. Blake could have handled the bear situation without needed the Jules-Joseph-Mirabella dynamic to set it off. The whole situation was unnecessary, and from what I understand, has ruined the book for many other readers. If it wasn't for my genuine interest in the queens and the plot as a whole, I probably would not have continued reading it.
But... I did continue reading, and I have to say that with the surprise ending I am very excited for the next book. I just hope the whole Joseph thing is handled very differently in the next one.
I wish I could say that I recommend this book, but I honestly don't know. If it wasn't for that one big situation, I would say yes... but I just don't know. 3 out of 5 Stars.
