Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide. Get started Close This book was supposed to be dark and mysterious so when did it turn into an angsty teen drama with insta-love and love triangles. NO I did not sign up for this. I HATE the whole Joseph drama that we have going on in this book so much I can’t even begin to explain it. The third sister, Mirabella, is an elemental magician and more skilled than the other two. She is most likely to win the crown. She has the support of the temple priestesses but is tormented by the thought of killing her sisters. The temple priestesses ask her to participate in a sacrifice. Mirabella performs the sacrifice but does not enjoy it, which leads the priestesses to wonder if she is strong enough to be queen. I am also afraid my expectations may have influenced my reading experience as well. I believed Three Dark Crowns was going to be an epic battle between sisters for the crown, but I’ve found that’s more the focus of the sequel, One Dark Throne. Three Dark Crowns is VERY character based and the majority of the novel is more focused on getting to know the characters, understanding the magic system and monarchy, and “setting up” the events to take place in the ascension year. I think had I known this beforehand, I would have enjoyed it more so I could appreciate the detail put into character development and political ties without waiting for a greater amount of action scenes, because those are all things I really enjoy in fantasy novels! If you like a more character-driven fantasy story with political intrigue, I feel Three Dark Crowns would be of interest to you. If you’re looking for the story of sisters competing to the death, I believe you’ll need to keep reading for book two.

stars! I struggled with this start to a new series, but I’m currently reading the sequel and am SERIOUSLY enjoying it, so it was worthwhile for me to push through the first novel! In her mind, every last Queen lies at the bottom of the sea, drowned by the Goddess the moment she was done with them.” Weeks later, Joseph tells Jules that he is going to Trignor to return a repaired boat to its owner. He asks Jules to go with him, but she declines because she feels guilty at neglecting Arsinoe to be with him. Animal Companionship: ability to form a bond with an animal, whose feelings and actions will mirror theirsAnd that, our friends, is where Three Dark Crowns ends. Which brings us immediately to One Dark Throne, because how can you sleep on cliffhangers like that?! Sinister Minister: The Temple is playing favorites for the first time. They plan to kill Katharine and Arsinoe the moment they realize that Mirabella cannot do it herself.

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. Wham Episode: Arsinoe eats three poisoned candies with no ill effects. Her friend Jules only ate one and nearly died. It makes Arsinoe realize that she is a poisoner rather than a naturalist. 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!

Did we miss something on diversity?

I probably loved Arsinoe the most she was very carefree and just badass but her chapters were wasted on the love triangle :)

Foregone Conclusion: The Oracle Queen is about Elsabet, a past Queen who is most well known in present-day Fennbirn for slaughtering three families. So you already know that not everyone will make it to the end. Released to Elsewhere: What Arsinoe suspects happens to the reigning queen once she gives birth to triplets. Supposedly she and her king-consort leave the island for the mainland.Arsinoe receives Mirabella's letter of Katharine's condition after her burning and grudgingly agrees to banish the dead queens from Katharine and kill her after in the final battle at Indrid Down. Not What It Looks Like: Jules loses control of Arsinoe's pretended bear familiar. Said bear goes straight for Mirabella and would have killed her had Joseph not jumped in to protect her. This causes Mirabella to think that Arsinoe tried to kill her and vows to kill her sister the first chance she gets. 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. Abraham Lincoln Award Nominees" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-03 . Retrieved 2018-01-13.