Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake - Book Review (Post by Khadeejah)

On the Island of Fennbirn, every generation, the queen gives birth to a set of triplets, each with a different power. This book follows the story of Mirabella, an elemental, who can control weather, and spark fires at the snap of her fingers, Arsinoe, a naturalist, who can bloom flowers, and tame wild animals, and Katharine, a poisoner, who can ingest the deadliest poisons. After their birth, the triplets live together for six years before they are taken to be trained by others with their power. They are trained to master their power until they turn sixteen, and the Ascension Year begins. The triplets have to fight each other to the death for the crown, and the last one standing wins.

For the last few generations, a poisoner has ruled Fennbirn, so Katharine is expected to fulfill that legacy. The only problem is that she is not as strong as the queens before her. Katharine is a frail girl, who can barely eat any poison without throwing up. Despite this fact, Katharine is knowledgeable in the field of poison, and can easily poison others. Katharine has a deep hatred for her sisters and will stop at nothing to win the crown. Arsinoe is the weakest sister. She is unable to bloom any flowers and is yet to find her familiar. Every naturalist has a familiar, and the stronger the animal, the stronger the person. The last naturalist queen had a wolf for a familiar. Arsinoe lives in the shadow of her best friend, Jules, who is prettier and stronger than she is, so she turns to low magic to amplify her power. The practice of low magic is illegal, because of how dangerous and unpredictable it can be. Mirabella is the strongest sister, and everyone expects her to win the crown easily. But Mirabella does not want to kill her sisters in order to win the crown. She believes that no one has to die, and they could all rule together, but no one else feels that way.

I recommend this book because it does not have a predictable, sappy ending. This book kept me on the edge of my seat, with its interesting plot and characters. I felt that all the characters had good development, without compromising their true selves. This book felt lengthy, at times, where one scene was drawn out for multiple chapters, which made the book hard to read. Despite that, I really enjoyed the book. I recommend Three Dark Crowns to anyone who loves a fiction and fantasy world, and “dark” fairy tales.