Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

This book has left me conflicted because it was awesome but a different kind of awesome than I was expecting. The blurb sounds incredible and based off it, I was expecting a Stardust-esque series of attempted murders between the siblings. In actual fact the attempts to kill each other aren't even allowed to begin until almost the end of the book. Instead what you get is a beautifully-crafted fantasy world with fairly compelling characters and a grand sense of epicness.

Each of the three princesses is focused on in turn and the chapters rotate, which is a mixed blessing. As with any book that chooses this style, you inevitably find one storyline more interesting than the other. However, all three of the princesses are intriguing or likeable enough to keep you wanting to read about them and I liked how each of them developed. I found Arsinoe to be the one who suffers the most-unfortunately the side characters steal the spotlight in her story and she fails to have as distinct a personality as the others. This is something that is fixed near the end of the book/in the sequel though.

I think the strongest aspect of this book is indeed the world and the way the author tells the fantasy story. As I mentioned, there is a sense of an epic story building and this is maintained incredibly well. You are initially fascinated by the world itself, then become emotionally invested due to the characters which is the perfect blend. Without saying too much, the book ends exceptionally and it made me grab the sequel instantly to see what would happen next. It also manages to pull off a twist you don't see coming but makes perfect sense afterwards, and develops the story rather than being just for shock value. Until the ending, I was annoyed this book wasn't a standalone and felt that the plot should be wrapped up by the end of it. I still would have preferred a standalone but that ending alone made me happy there were more.

All in all, I did absolutely adore this book. Am I disappointed it wasn't what I thought? Yes, but only because I was so excited for that imaginary story. Thankfully Three Dark Crowns is a fantastic book in its own right and I am definitely going to read the rest of the series. If you want a well-built fantasy with some dark elements thrown in, this is definitely for you.

Overall Rating:

.5