My personal rating: four out of five stars.
Premise – (5/5) The premise for Three Dark Crowns drew me in immediately. Each generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of royal triplet girls is born. But only one can be the queen. Thus begins a cycle where the queens fight to kill each other until the survivor is crowned. I love a good high fantasy with cutthroat politics, and this is the epitome of that. The three sisters who are the focus of this book each have a type of magic: immunity to poison, elemental control, and power over plants and animals. I was super excited to dive into this book and find out who was going to survive the competition.
Characters – (4/5) I have some mixed feelings about the characters. Mostly, it took me a while to warm up to our protagonists, Katharine, Arsinoe, and Mirabella. Their personalities took a while to develop, but by the end of the book, I thought they were much more complex and interesting than in the beginning. Some side characters were definitely compelling — Jules and her wildcat were a couple of my favorites, and Natalia, head of the poisoners, was really interesting. Though not all the side characters were fleshed out, they all had different motivations which put them in constant conflict, which was a lot of fun to read about.
Plot – (3.5/5) The plot took its time getting rolling. This book was a bit of a slow start for me. There was a lot of what felt like exposition, setting up the rituals of the fantasy world, providing background for each of the queens. But things really picked up by the climax. Once the action got going, I wanted to read through right to the end in one sitting! And I really enjoyed the plot twists at the end.
World – (3.5/5) There’s a lot of potential in Blake’s world. I don’t think it’s quite maxing out on its potential yet though. The battle for queenship, the politics and religion of the island, and the island’s relationship with the mainland are all fascinating pieces of the world Blake has created. They just need a little refinement. There’s a lot of room for more world-building, but Three Dark Crowns is off to a great start.
Writing – (3.5/5) I don’t have too much to say about Blake’s writing. I’ve read a couple of her other books, and while I don’t feel her writing style is particularly memorable or unique, I enjoy it. It’s easy to read, which is always appreciated.
Overall – (3.9/5) Although it started off rather slow, Three Dark Crowns really drew me in the farther I got in the book. Everything really came together in an exciting climax, with plot twists tucked in here and there. By the end of the story I was really invested in the characters, and I can’t wait to see where they go from here. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for book two, One Dark Throne, next time I’m at the library.