“Three Dark Crowns” by Kendare Blake will entertain any fan of series such as “Game of Thrones” and “The Hunger Games,” where there is not only action and betrayal on the field but also behind closed doors.

In Fennbirn, three triplets are born to the queen. Separated at birth, each is doomed to inherit a powerful magic like their predecessors. Katherine is the poisoner, supposedly able to be immune to all poisons and a master at crafting them. Mirabella is the elementalist and the only sister with control over the elements. Arsinoe is the naturalist, and is supposed to summon a deadly familiar and make plants bloom with a thought. Once the girls reach the age of 16, they will be given a year to kill each other and the last one standing will be the new queen of the realm. However, when only Mirabella’s gift awakens, the other two factions of magic users are left scrambling for any hope for their queen to be.  

Blake does an excellent job of creating an entirely new and original idea in a genre that has become increasingly less inventive in recent years. This new fantasy novel is well written and will keep readers attention throughout the entire novel. And even though there may not be a lot of physical action, the vast amount of political games and internal conflict more than makes up for this.

One flaw with this book is that it just tosses the reader into the middle of the story when the girls are only months away from their birthday. This makes it hard to understand what is going on at times and the significance the main characters actions will have. For instance, the reader will have no idea the book took place on an island until a nonsignificant character makes an offhand comment about the mainland towards the end of the story. Missing small but important details about the settings and the customs of the people throughout the majority of the book makes some of the characters actions seem disjointed and unreasonable.

Still, even knowing that two of the girls may be doomed, the reader will be unable to avoid becoming attached to all three. Each has a realistic personality and their own personal flaws that allow them to be more relatable to the audience.

Overall, while this book’s plot was disjointed at times, it was still an enjoyable read that any lover of the fantasy or dystopian genres will enjoy for it’s fresh take with this unique world. And with a shocking twist at the end, readers will be eagerly waiting for the sequel.