Book Review: One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns, #2)

The first book in this series left me with mixed feelings. The story took a lot longer to reach the darkness that I was first expecting from reading the synopsis. However, there was no wait needed in One Dark Throne (Three Dark Crowns, #2) by Kendare Blake. This sequel was dark from start to finish, just how I like ’em.

The battle for the Crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail?

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent.

In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other.

The Good

• Plot Made for a Black Heart – If you had issues with missing all of the dark and twistedness that the synopsis for the first book promised, fear not! This book starts off dark and never stops there. Our three sisters are out for blood and on a mission to win the crown. Yes, there’s still a little bit of romance peppered throughout the plot, but it never erases any doubt that things could get ugly really quickly. I LOVED IT.
• Killer Katharine – I think it’s safe to say at this point that Katharine is just plain evil. I mean, ***SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE FIRST BOOK*** she’s definitely not the same girl that she was before crawled out of the chasm. ***END SPOILER*** She might be awful and cruel and just a tad bit unhinged, but I have to say that I’m living for it. I cannot get enough of her chapters and watching her slowly mentally unravel before everyone. I really appreciated how Blake was able to truly allow the readers to get a taste of it by following Natalia’s POV, as she tries to navigate how to deal with this new Katharine.
• Non-Stop Action – There was a little bit of pacing issues in the first book, but this sequel is chock full of action. I never found myself growing bored or waiting for something interesting to happen. Instead, I couldn’t put the book down! I had to know what was going to happen next, as there was something interesting or important going over in every chapter.
• Arsinoe Takes the Stage – My favorite “good” sister was finally brought to the spotlight in this second book. While I felt she was pushed a little to the wayside in favor of Jules in Three Dark Crowns, we are finally able to truly experience her POV here. She is such a badass, too. Pretty sure that we would be best friends.
• Another Fantastic Cliffhanger – Oh, Kendare Blake, you just want to ruin me with anticipation for the next installment, don’t you?

The Bad

• NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING!

I’m going to be honest here and say that I didn’t really have any issues with this book. I thought it was well-written and entertaining, almost drugging me with it’s awesomeness. Overall, this book was a fantastic read and sets the bar extremely high for other series’ second books. It was dark, full of action, tension, and all pulled together by amazingly independent and strong women. If you’re looking for a book with some strong heroines, this series just might be the answer.

Final Verdict: 5/5 Stars

Have you read One Dark Throne? If so, what did you think of it? Did you enjoy it more than the first book? Do you like to read books with dark plot lines?