Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns #3) by: Kendare Blake

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Published: September 4, 2018 by: Quill Tree Books
Pages: 464
Rating: 4/5 stars

Katharine finally has her crown. But the war is far from over. Still reeling from the loss of her most trusted advisor, Katharine also faces her two estranged sisters, Mirabella and Arisone, who have aligned together and are hiding on the mainland. A mysterious Blue Queen visits the two joined sisters in visions, tempting them to return to Fennbirn and reunite with their sister once more. Also in hiding is Jules, and she is tasked with an frightening proposition: become a rebel leader and take Katharine down once and for all.

I LOVE this series. It's fiery and cool, and the family dynamics are off the charts. Basically each of the sisters has a power. Katharine can ingest deadly poisons without getting sick. Mirabella can use the elements to create chaos. And Arisone uses nature to fight her battles. The three girls are so different, and yet so alike. The third installment of this series was nothing short of entertaining.

I really enjoyed seeing Mirabella's and Arisone's relationship in this novel. In the previous books, the girls have been very much divided, as they fight separately for the title of Queen. Now that the "fight" is virtually over, Mirabella and Arisone can be reunited and are tasked with whether or not to fight with their sister and new queen, or see if they can change her. I think sisters in books is such a great trope, especially in fantasy novels, because the stakes are so high. This book offered a different sisterly bond than the previous two novels, which I enjoyed.

I also really enjoyed the focus on Jules in this book. She has always been an intriguing character to me, and this book is where she really shines. I loved how she had the potential to become a badass rebel leader, and yet she still was very rational and level-headed. I think Jules is a great character because she is relatable. She's not your typical power-hungry rebellious figure. She has her apprehensions, and she seems very worried with the burden of it all. I really felt for her in some moments.

The only thing that prevented me from giving this book a full five stars, is that I'm not crazy about the Blue Queen storyline. Idk, but I kinda liked the idea of the three sisters and the addition of Jules just fighting against each other and seeing who comes out on top. This new supernatural element of the Blue Queen just doesn't really interest me. I didn't get it, and I don't really see its significance.

That being said, I still thought this was a satisfying addition to the series. I can't wait to read the next book, and see how the triplets' storyline all plays out.

Have you read Two Dark Reigns? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess

Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #1) by: Kendare Blake

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Published: September 20, 2016 by: HarperTeen
Pages: 398
Rating: 4/5 stars

On the island of Fennbirn, triplet girls are born to every generation, each possessing a powerful gift that they will use to kill the others once they come of age in order to become queen. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to control the weather to her advantage. Katharine is a poisoner, trained to consume deadly poisons without even a stomachache. Lastly, there's Arsinoe, the naturalist, who is said to be able to control the fiercest of animals, however her powers have not come yet. Mirabella is the favourite to win the crown, but Katharine and her mentors will not go down without a fight, and Arsinoe is determined to prove her worth to herself, and to her sisters.

This book was wild!! It captured my attention straight away, and I was in love with the concept. I thought it was such a unique book overall, with beautiful writing that didn't seem overly descriptive. While it took a slow turn, I was fully into it from the start.

I loved the concept of this book. The fact that this is a fight to the death situation and each girl has a gift they find most powerful was so cool. I found myself wanting to read more because I was so captivated by the writing and wanted to see if the girls would start fighting yet.

The problem is, that by the middle of the book, things slowed down!! I wanted so badly for the big fight for the crown to begin, and they built it up so much, but by the middle things lagged so badly and I was just itching for some more action. It seemed to me that a lot of the focus was put on Arsinoe, who in my opinion was not the story I was most interested in, and I wanted to get some more content with Katharine and Mirabella.

That being said, I will be continuing the series because I have got to see what happens next! I am so into these girls' stories and I hope this next book will contain more of their fight. I need more action.

Have you read Three Dark Crowns? What did you think?

Emily @ Paperback Princess