"Three Dark Crowns" by Kendare Blake

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born - three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomach ache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn't solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it's not just a game of win or lose...it's life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown. 

While this book started out slow, I'm so glad that I listened to everyone who told me to keep going and insisting it would get really good. They were totally right and I'm so glad I stuck it out. Despite the slow start to the book, when it speeds up it gets really good.

Obviously, I enjoyed the story a great deal, but I also liked the characters.

First, there's Katharine, a poisoner who struggles with even the smallest amount of poisons. Her foster mother Natalia rules the Black Council with an iron fist and is determined to get Katharine on the throne to maintain power. Katharine does everything she can to appease her family even if it means consuming deadly poisons. Of the three sisters, I found Katharine to be rather bland, but I get the feeling she will be better in the sequel One Dark Throne.

While Katharine may not have been my favorite sister, I found myself constantly looking forward to reading about the poisoners as I found them the most intriguing of the three groups. The whole eating poison and wearing black was all very creepy and I loved it.

Second, there is Arsinoe, a strong willed girl who seems to have no gift as a naturalist even though she is supposed to. However, everything she lacks in ability, her foster sister Jules has. Despite her lack of gift, Arsinoe, like Katharine, continues to try to find a way to survive her sisters. I loved Arsinoe's attitude and how strong she was in the face of adversity.

Finally, there's Mirabella. A powerful elemental who is rumored to be unstable. Largely under the thumb of the temple, Mirabella puts on shows of power as the priestesses prepare to use her to control the island. Overall, Mira surprised me the most of all the characters and that's why I have to say the least of her. I don't want to spoil anything because Mira's secret could be a big factor in the story.

Overall, it's totally worth slogging through a slow start for the excitement at the end of the book. This book clearly sets up the series and I think it's going to be a fun ride so I can't wait to read One Dark Throne.

Rating: 4.5 stars