Three Dark Crowns (Three Dark Crowns #1) by Kendare Blake - Restarting February 14th 2022

[Berit☀️✨]

30%(view spoiler)[ I really spent the vast majority of the beginning of this book trying to figure out what sister had what power And what boy was with what sister and what friend was with who and who is training Who, all of it confusing, but I think I've got it straight now also the poisoner and the naturalist should switch names, just saying arson is a poison ;-) (hide spoiler)]

[Berit☀️✨]

50%(view spoiler)[ OK this is going a lot better now, I really like Merrybell, she is my favorite, and now we have a little makings of a love triangle (hide spoiler)]

[Berit☀️✨]

90%(view spoiler)[ all right, now I think I like all the sisters, maybe not equally, and as far as Joseph I believe he loves jules more as a friend, somebody who has always been there as an idea, but I think he is Lusting after and has true romantic feelings for Mirabella this book definitely got off to a slow start, but I am enjoying it now and I'm definitely going to read the sequel (hide spoiler)]

[Susan]

Berit☀️✨ wrote: "I just met the second clean, I think I'm just going to have to really try to keep all these characters straight, but I did like her, now we will see about her sister :-)"

Each sister has their own story line with different sets of friends for each queen. I know they will all come together in the end. I like how they set up this book once I figured it out and reread 2 chapters.

[Susan]

150-200 pages

So in the beginning I loved and sympathized with Katharine and now the one I am liking more and more was the one we were led to think was a tyrant. I may be team Mirabella ;)

(view spoiler)[ Joseph had to leave on a journey and would be back and Mirabella decided she loved her sisters to much to try and kill any of them so she decided to run away so no one could make her kill them. Along the way she saw a storm brewing and a ship being tossed around. She saw a sailor go under and saved him. She ended up sleeping with this sailor and is now horrified to find out the man she slept with is one from her sister circle of friends. (hide spoiler)]

[Berit☀️✨]

I am almost at the end, and Susan my loyalty has switched throughout :-) also just noticed my AutoCorrect changed queen to clean LOL

[Berit☀️✨]

Finished(view spoiler)[ well that book left me wanting more, got off to a slow start, but ended with a bang, and you could pick up on that twist with the Queen's names, I think I even mentioned it in an earlier spoiler, that the naturalist was named to be a poisoner (hide spoiler)]

[Blake]

Well, I ended up binge reading the rest of the book, so here's my opinions: (view spoiler)[ I was pretty miffed when Katherine didn't get her part for a while and it kept flicking through Arsinoe's and Mirabella's POVs. Arsinoe remained my favourite throughout the story, though Katherine did nearly catch up (Katherine and Pietyr were adorable, as was Arsinoe and Billy). I never grew to like Mirabella or Joseph, their entire story bugged me and just seemed like a forced plot point really. Still, the other two kicked ass. The book got so much better towards the end, still not my favourite, but I'm invested enough to perhaps pick up the sequel when it comes out. (hide spoiler)]

[Susan]

Kate wrote: "Well, I ended up binge reading the rest of the book, so here's my opinions: [spoilers removed]"

I'm so jealous. I love this book and today I got to read a sentence...just one sentence before I was interrupted...ha ha ha. My grandson is a week old and his brother has demanded attention. While my daughter in law is healing from her c section I have been taking care of her and the 2 years old. I have crawled into bed 2 nights in a row and crashed ;) TOMORROW is my time to read....my son will be at his labs....I also homeschool my youngest son. He's a Jr this year...eeeek never any time to read :( How did you like the book?

[Blake]

Susan wrote: "Kate wrote: "Well, I ended up binge reading the rest of the book, so here's my opinions: [spoilers removed]"

I'm so jealous. I love this book and today I got to read a sentence...just one sentence..."

I was kinda disappointed in the first half, because it all felt discounnected and a bit slow but it got so much better later!!! Katherine's and Arsinoe's stories were by far the best (never really liked Mirabella) and am looking forward to the next book :) (Arsinoe is still my favourite, who's yours?)

[Susan]

Kate wrote: "Susan wrote: "Kate wrote: "Well, I ended up binge reading the rest of the book, so here's my opinions: [spoilers removed]"

I'm so jealous. I love this book and today I got to read a sentence...jus..."

The beginning was tough and I had to reread chapter 2 & 3 and once I did that I was a little better off...not much though. I think I am Team Arsinoe but I am starting to lean towards Mirabella but since you just finished the book you know more then I do as to if Mirabella is just misunderstood or not. I will give another review tomorrow. fun stuff!

[Blake]

Susan wrote: "Kate wrote: "Susan wrote: "Kate wrote: "Well, I ended up binge reading the rest of the book, so here's my opinions: [spoilers removed]"

I'm so jealous. I love this book and today I got to read a s..."

Yeah, it is a bit slow and confusing at first, but it improves. Can't wait to see the rest of your thoughts!

[Dannii]

I am hoping to get to this one later in the month, I have been meaning to read it for some time.

[Susan]

Dannii wrote: "I am hoping to get to this one later in the month, I have been meaning to read it for some time."

You will love it...I am almost done and I love the characters so much

[Susan]

Pages 201-308

I LOVE this book!!! I am connected to each and every queen (I have my favorite) but I love them all. I love the supporting characters in this book which is what my spoilers will be about

(view spoiler)[ Kat has Pietyr who seems to be the one who has Kat's back the most. He was not supposed to fall in love with Kat but he ended up falling for her. He won't even go on the Hunt because of what is planned for the 2 weaker queens. So far Kat is considered 1 of the weaker queens. Natalia is also behind Kat and I believe she truly loves her and prays her gift will come soon. She knows that there is not much she can do to save Kat from the elementals plan.

Arisone has several friends I have fallen in love with. I LOVE Billy who may not be in love with Arisone but he considers her a true friend and he wants to save her. Arisone is consider the 2nd of the weaker queens and the plan to kill her sooner along with Kat has Billy so worried he helps Arisone disappear on a boat. Arisone's best friend is Jules and Joseph and I love Jules character. She has the strongest magic and she has a familiar which is a cougar. If Arisone can get a strong familiar soon they would not have to worry about her being killed by the elementals.

Mirabella's friends are Bree and Elizabeth and you really feel bad for poor Elizabeth who tried to cover for her friend who tried to escape (Queen Mirabella) she never told on the queen and for that they cut off her hand for helping or staying quiet about her running away. I love her friends just as much and Mirabella is the strongest of the 3 queens but she doesn't have it in her to kill her sisters when the time comes so her court is going to take it into their own hands to ensure she is the queen. I love the little love triangle that Mirabella and Joseph have going too.

Joseph has longed for Jules and they were supposed to be together but Mirabella shows up during a time Joseph almost drown and they folled around and have this strange connection. He wants to be with Jules but at the Hunt he runs into Mira and they can't stay away from each other and end up holding hands and kissing.

So sad I will finish this book and have to wait for the next one to come out. I love this book so so much.... (hide spoiler)]

[Susan]

OMWord!!!!! I did not see the ending of this book coming at all. I loved this book and really would like to get my hands on the next one right now. A lot of characters but once you get them sorted out and which ones belong to which queen you are good to go.

309-to the end

(view spoiler)[ the Beltane is finally here and all camps are ready to go. Arisone is still missing but she and Billy wash up the last minute and they almost kill her for running away again. She was saved by her sister Mirabella. Each queen performs for everyone trying to prove they are gifted and worthy to be queen. Poor Kat is thrown into a pit of some kind by someone she loves and trust and the last line of the book made by Arisone is enough to flip the whole of each queen....I cannot say more about the ending of this book because it was so good you wouldn't want to be spoiled I promise you it's better not to know until you are reading it. (hide spoiler)]

[Blake]

I know, the ending can come across as a bit of a shock!

[Meaghan]

Susan wrote: "Next couple chapters (they are not number grrrrrr wrecks havoc on my OCD nature :)

Page 90-150 (best way to tell where I am for the reviews of this book...for me)

More in love with this book now..."

(view spoiler)[I agree! I love how they all lead such different lives, and seem heavily influenced by the people that raised them, and the societies they grew up in! (hide spoiler)]

[Meaghan]

Berit☀️✨ wrote: "30%[spoilers removed]"

Yea having three POVs does mean a TON of side characters! Was confusing for me at first too!

[Meaghan]

Berit☀️✨ wrote: "Finished[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Oh wow I didn't even notice that! Definitely makes sense now, since the Queen that gave birth to them knew right away what they all would be! (hide spoiler)]

[Meaghan]

Kate wrote: "Well, I ended up binge reading the rest of the book, so here's my opinions: [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I agree almost completely with you! It seemed like the author just cared less about Kat's storyline, or just had no idea what to even write for her! In addition, I hate the unnecessary love triangle between Mira, Joseph, and Jules ): I agree it feels forced, and a tad random (Joseph can't seem to control himself at all around Mira?? Which seems totally against his personality?). I was also meh about the book for most of it, but due to the twist at the end, I guess I just have to see how it ends! (hide spoiler)]

[[deleted user]]

Finally got this one. Had to buy it cuz the library doesn't carry it... it better be great!!!

[Berit☀️✨]

Cynthia, stick with it, it is very slow in the beginning, but very worth it by the end :-)

[Cami]

16% (view spoiler)[ I don't know if it's slow in the beginning and it picks up later, but I'm not really impressed so far. When reading the synopsis, it didn't give off a heavily romantic feel, but each sister seem to have some sort of love interest. I was hoping that one of them was all like "I don't have time for guys." (hide spoiler)]

[Cami]

36% (view spoiler)[ So I confirmed that Mirabella is the only sister that I don't dislike as much, just because she didn't fall for this stupid game to kill her sisters so she runs away. Although I'm not too sure about her moral code.... (hide spoiler)]

[Cami]

65% (view spoiler)[ How is this a book about three sisters killing each other when one of them is killed by a bear? Can't she control animals and nature??? And I don't trust Luca, he seems like a backstabber. (hide spoiler)]

[Cami]

Finished (view spoiler)[ I'm pretty disappointed, this was not what I was expecting. I wonder if they knew what powers each sister has before they were born or after. And I was really surprised that Billy didn't die, the good ones always do. The end got kind of heavy, the plot actually came into play, so I may read the next one. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date Changed. Restarting June 12th 2017. Happy Reading ☺

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[Megan]

Katharine (view spoiler)[She was my favorite out of the sisters, but I thought she was very weak (and I don't just mean physically). (hide spoiler)]

[Megan]

Arsinoe (view spoiler)[I think she had it the easiest out of the sisters, because she had Jules, but I still liked how she handled herself. (hide spoiler)]

[Megan]

Mirabella (view spoiler)[I liked how she didn't want to kill her sisters and tried hard to avoid having to do so. I didn't like how she knowingly cheated with Joseph. (hide spoiler)]

[Megan]

Ending (view spoiler)[I had thought early on in the story that maybe the sisters had been switched, because Katharine and Arsinoe didn't show signs of power, but then when it was described how they were branded I thought it wouldn't be possible. Then at the end it shows that they were somehow mixed up. I wonder who did it and why. Hopefully the next book will explain more. (hide spoiler)]

[Heather]

starting soon!

[Dannii]

I'm going to start this later today :)

[Heather]

I will start it with you if I finish Harry Potter #3

[Dannii]

1/4: (view spoiler)[This had such a strong start and I was immediately invested in the three sisters' plights. The plot was initially easy to follow and the story felt an unique one. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

2/4: (view spoiler)[I really thought there would be one sister who played the role of the stereotypical 'bad guy' and one the reader was supposed to root for, but I am loving them equally, so far. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

3/4: (view spoiler)[I can't seem to get everyone's names straight,
in my head. I am used to complex fantasies so I don't know what it is with this one. I think I would be enjoying it far more if I didn't keep getting confused every time I pick the book back up. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

4/4: (view spoiler)[I had no idea how this book would end, and even when I was 90% of the way through, there felt like so much still to resolve. The next book has a lot of questions to answer!

Some things, like the lack of thorough world foundations and the acceptance of a cheater bothered me but, in all, this is a solid fantasy read. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Megan wrote: "Mirabella [spoilers removed]"

My opinions on her character were split because of these two things.

[Alley]

I'm starting now. A little late. Oops. :D

[Alley]

16%
(view spoiler)[It's pretty good so far. I'm not sure how well I like Katharine so far. She seems pretty plain. Mirabella is interesting, and I like how carefree she seems. The ending of her first chapter was pretty brutal though. No wonder she's having horrible dreams and episodes of insanity if they're making her "sacrifice" children. I think Arsinoe's story is my favorite though. I really like Jules and Cam. I hope we do find out what Arsinoe's familiar is even if she dies at the end of this all. Also, I want to know more about the war gift. How do they know that Katharine or Arsinoe won't have it? (hide spoiler)]

[Alley]

27%
(view spoiler)[I'm still not really interested in Katharine a whole lot. I'm really liking Arsinoe still, mostly because of Jules. Jules' mother is odd. I wonder what the broken love spell will do now.(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Alley wrote: "16%
[spoilers removed]"

This book has some BRUTAL moments!

[Alley]

Dannii wrote: "Alley wrote: "16%
[spoilers removed]"

This book has some BRUTAL moments!"

I'm hoping for more. It's kind of dragging at this point.

[Alley]

54%
(view spoiler)[Ugh! Mirabella is horrible! Could she be anymore selfish? Joseph expressed that he's in love with someone else and felt bad about the events of the previous night, and still Mirabella throws herself on him using her status as a Queen as an excuse that he won't be punished and it doesn't mean anything. WTF!!!??? But, oh! She loves her sisters so much, that she only knew for six years and knows will do their best to kill her in just a few months. I suddenly hate her so much.

Katharine is just so plain. She seems to care so much about romance, and still is so confident that she'll ascend, but she can't even touch a poison ivy leaf without practically dying. I feel REALLY bad for her snake though. :(

And Arsinoe is confusing me. She was so against low magic, but all of a sudden she's practicing it like it's her gift. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Alley wrote: "Dannii wrote: "Alley wrote: "16%
[spoilers removed]"

This book has some BRUTAL moments!"

I'm hoping for more. It's kind of dragging at this point."

I really liked the slowness, but lots of reviews I have read have hated the pacing of this.

[Alley]

67%
(view spoiler)[Dang. Natalia does have a heart! Though I find it hard to believe that Pietyr is in love with Kat barely knowing her. I feel bad for Arsinoe. She seems to be getting the worst of the turmoil and tragedy with all this false hope she's been getting. (hide spoiler)]

[Alley]

Done
(view spoiler)[OH MY GOD THAT ENDING

I'm shocked. I've spent the entire book trying to make sense of why Kat and Arsinoe didn't have gifts, but them being switched at birth or whatever was not one I considered. So then the question is, what's Kat's familiar? I'm really messed up about this one, because the only logical answer is Sweetheart. And she's dead. Either that or she hasn't called her familiar yet because she doesn't know how. (hide spoiler)]

[Alley]

Dannii wrote: "3/4: I can't seem to get everyone's names straight,
in my head. I am used to complex fantasies so I don't know what it is with this one. I think I would be enjoying it far more if I didn't keep ge..."

(view spoiler)[I think it would help if most of the names weren't so basic! When I read fantasy like this, I expect long names I can barely pronounce. Not normal names like Billy and Joseph! (hide spoiler)]