Woohoo, it’s Hype or Like Friday again! This meme and Goodreads group were created by myself, Jill @ Rant and Rave Books, and Britt @ Geronimo Reads. To join our group and find out more information about what it’s all about, please go to our Goodreads page HERE.
The November BOTM is going to be Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. All of the topics this month revolve around being thankful! Perfect for the upcoming holiday season, right?
RULES:
- Answer the weekly discussion topic.
- Optional: Discuss your chosen hyped book of the week.
- Optional: Talk about your progress on the BOTM.
TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Three Dark Crowns Book Review
Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns, #1) by Kendare Blake
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.
If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest…but she may be the darkest.
The Good
- World Building – Fennbirn was a really interesting world. I loved how the island was set up with the different magic wielders each living in their own cities and areas. The magic system was really interesting, too. I never would’ve though of poisoning being a magic, so that was really unique. The poisoners were also very perfect for their magic – clever, cold, haughty, and malicious. It was also really neat to see how the different magic wielders each had their own characteristics and personalities. I think I would’ve been a naturalist running wild through the woods and reading books to squirrels up in the trees. HA!
- Arsinoe – This girl is me. She doesn’t care what others think of her, is stubborn as hell, and just does whatever she wants. I loved her personality and sarcastic little comments. She was really the only character I thought that had any personality, other than Pietyr. I would have much rather the entire book just be in her POV.
- The Ending – All of the action FINALLY showed up in the last 60 or so pages. I would’ve preferred more throughout the rest of the book, but I’m just glad that it showed up at all. Things were so intense once Beltane arrived and I couldn’t put the book down to see what was going to happen next! And that plot twist?! Seriously, my mouth dropped and was like WTF?! Then it ended… And now I have to wait until the sequel arrives. I’m not pleased.
The Bad
- Almost Every Character – I really just didn’t care for any of the characters, except for Arsinoe and Pietyr. Katharine started off all whiny and “poor me”, and kept being described as too small and weak. I found it extremely annoying. Then she has some sort of sexual revelation and turns into a horny bitch. I wish I was kidding, but I’m not. I really didn’t like her but I’m hoping that she goes on a psycho revenge binge in the next book because of her little ‘adventure’ at the end. Maribella was just boring. She didn’t really have a personality to me and so I found myself bored during her chapters. As for Jules, well she was a bit too obsessed with her boyfriend (who I really didn’t care for). I mean, come on girl – grow up!
- Pacing – As I briefly mentioned earlier, this book was a bit slow. While I never struggled to make myself pick it up, there was never any real action either. I would’ve preferred to have a bit more of it spread throughout. I think it was sacrificed in this book for all of the world building, background information, and information that was needing to be explained.
- Pointless Sexual References – I don’t know if this society is just more sexually open or something, but there was just a lot of references to it. I swear everyone was either doing it, talking about it, or doing it. It was just weird. Like what is the point of this? I don’t mind sex in books at all, but it just seems strangely prominent in this book serving no purpose at all other than to maybe create some drama. Yawwwwwwnnnnnn….
Overall this book was alright – nothing special or terrible, just alright. I enjoyed that it was dark and I really liked the plotline, but I wish that the characters would have been better. I would have also liked there to have been a bit more action, and not the sexual kind. I do plan to continue with this series to see where it goes and if there is any growth in the characters. Blake is a pretty popular writer so I’m hoping that she knows what she’s doing with this story. I think this is one of those books that is going to get very polarizing reviews and I’ll be interested in seeing what others think of it, so you should read it just for that reason alone. Now go read it and then let me know what your opinion is!
Final Verdict: 3/5 Stars
Have you read the Three Dark Crowns? What did you think of it? If you haven’t read it yet, do you plan to in the future? Have you read any other books by Kendare Blake? Leave a link to your Hype or Like Friday post in the comments!
Wonderfilled Reads 