Three Dark Crowns
by Kendare Blake

Published by: HarperTeen
Form: Hardback (from OwlCrate)
Big Themes: Royalty, Competition, Death, Sisterhood, Magic

Summary from Goodreads:
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.

What I Loved:
Unique and Creative World and Concept. The concept of triplet sisters who have to fight for the crown is unique in and of itself. Then add each sisters distinctive magical abilities on top of it–and you have a fresh story! I especially liked the poisoners. Their world and ability was deliciously creepy.
The Ending. Whew! The ending will blow your mind. I’m quite good at predicting where stories are headed, but I did not forecast this ending! There are two major twists that have left me so excited for the sequel. Bravo to the author for a super satisfying twist! That is hard to pull off!

Criticism:
Secondary Characters. My only criticism is it was hard to keep all the secondary characters straight. I think the author needed to provide more character descriptions or distinguishing characteristics. I couldn’t tell you what half the characters looked like. I can handle big casts of characters (Harry Potter, Game of Thrones), but this cast of characters left me confused at times.

Overall: Four stars! Loved the unique world and premise. Many unexpected twists. Changing POV from queen to queen left you rooting for all of them!