Three Dark Crowns Series, by Kendare Blake -> Restarting October 30th, 2023

[Celia]

I'm really hoping to finish the series by the new year.

[Kim]

Celia wrote: "I'm really hoping to finish the series by the new year."

we can do it!!

[Kim]

Starting the last audio tomorrow during work (I love listening between doing interviews haha).

[Kim]

25% (view spoiler)[ a lot has happened so far. Katherine is in a tricky spot; I wish she would confide in Mirabella. Arsinoe's dabbling in poisons seems to be going well; it will be interesting to see if the tether will work to save Jules. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

Celia wrote: "Beginning of

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I agree, i feel like all 3 will have to die but i don't think that Jules will be the future queen. it seems to uncertain with that power. but i could see all of them dying to remove the mist and banish the dead queens. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Celia]

Kim wrote: "Celia wrote: "Beginning of

[spoilers removed]"

[spoilers removed]"

Yeah, Jules is (view spoiler)[the outlier here. It's so hard to tell how that will work out. (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

50% (view spoiler)[ i can't believe Katherine moved some of the queens to Rowe; that's gotta feel so crazy having them there and then not. i also understand that Mirabella is up to something but what actually is it? is it just to find out what "she is filled with dead" or is there more there? the parade should be interesting as well.

i can't tell who i find more annoying: Amelia, for being pushy and over-protective of Jules, or Jules, for talking out of both sides of her mouth of wanting to be the queen and not. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

71% (view spoiler)[ oh no, Katherine stabbed her?! well the dead queens did but things were going so well : ( i wonder if Pietyr will "switch" sides to protect her. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

Finished (view spoiler)[ i actually really loved the ending! i was getting nervous there for a minute that literally everyone was going to die. not that Arsinoe was my favorite queen or anything but if did make the most sense for her to survive. i was surprised that Billy & Jules survived, but the epilogue made my heart happy. overall solid series! (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Celia]

39% (view spoiler)[Finding this one a little harder to get into. It just seems like a lot of bureaucratic nonsense and deceit at this point (hide spoiler)]

[Celia]

55% (view spoiler)[This one just isn't holding my attention in the same way as the previous three. It's so repetitive.

It is pretty exciting that the rebellion took Pietyr though, and the Volroy has Billy. Hopefully this will make it more interesting.

Okay, one more day. We can do this.

(hide spoiler)]

[Celia]

69% (view spoiler)[I'm glad that Pietyr is back in play. He's become a favorite of mine in terms of what he's willing to do for both Katherine and the crown. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Mirabella's request and Arsinoe's decision. And Katherine is starting to grow on me too, especially as she takes initiative to rid herself of the queens. Even so, I'm finding this one lacking still. (hide spoiler)]

[Kim]

Celia wrote: "69% [spoilers removed]"

you can do it!!

[Celia]

72% (view spoiler)[I'm shocked but not surprised. I mean I guess a little, that the dead queens killed Mirabella instead of getting inside her. Will this death stop the mist? Or did that have to be a willing sacrifice? Did the dead queens kill Mirabella, or was it Katherine to keep them from getting to her? So many questions. I'm glad they got Billy out, though. (hide spoiler)]

[Celia]

84% (view spoiler)[I'm liking the dynamic between Pietyr and Billy. I know it can only last for a short time, though. It'll be interesting to see what Pietyr will do against Katherine. But everything seems so final, and they know it. (hide spoiler)]

[Celia]

FINISHED (view spoiler)[Okay, that ending was not what I expected, I feel it's what did need to happen. I liked how Katherine and Arsinoe came together at the end, even if it was just for Katherine to die. I had figured all three of them would have to die by the end, but Arsinoe as the last surviving queen was my next guess.

I have so many questions about what the next generation might look like. Will Arsinoe still birth triplets with a mainland suitor, if they have kids? Would they grow up as normal kids with different gifts on the island?

Definitely glad to be finished with this series. It was good, but I don't think I could have managed another book. (hide spoiler)]

[Celia]

Kim wrote: "Finished [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I guess it is still a young adult book, so there had to be some semblance of an optimistic ending. But I really loved the memorials to Mirabella and Katherine. After the island has spent so much time trying to erase the fallen queens, this is a good introduction to a new era. (hide spoiler)]