Two dark reigns

Against all odds, Arsinoe and Mirabella have escaped the island of Fennbirn and now struggle to do what no queen before ever has: live a normal life on the mainland. That, however, is proving to be easier said than done. Though their powers wane as they're separated from the island, Arsinoe is having visions of the legendary Blue Queen a rare fourth-born queen considered so blessed that her sisters were murdered at birth and she is telling them, unmistakably, to go home. Meanwhile, on the island, Katharine is queen at last, but her reign is uneasy. And Jules Milone, who, as all of ­Fennbirn now knows is cursed with two powerful, magical gifts, is surprised to discover how many people support her. Revolution is coming, and it could shatter the island's foundation. This third series installment expands the world introduced in Three Dark Crowns (2016) and One Dark Throne (2017), and the stakes, if possible, are higher than ever. There's one more book to go, and the cliff-hanger ending makes it clear: this battle's only just begun. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: One Dark Throne hit number one on the NYT best-seller list, and demand was high enough to make this original duology a quartet. Fans will be ready to kill for this volume.--Maggie Reagan Copyright 2018 Booklist

Katharine finally holds the crown of Fennbirn, but a growing rebellion troubles her reign. On the mainland, Arsinoe's and Mirabella's new lives are interrupted by haunting dreams that call them to return home. But it seems the rules the triplet queens were raised with have changed... With her large cast of characters fully established, Blake's expertly labyrinthine plotting comes to the fore in this third installment in the series. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In the third entry in a pitch-black fantasy quartet, everyone acts with the best of intentionsand everything goes terribly, terribly wrong.Katharine, newly Queen Crowned of Fennbirn, just wants a peaceful, prosperous reign, but the people fear her, the vengeful spirits strengthening her urge ever more dreadful deeds, and even the eldritch mist protecting the island has seemingly turned against its inhabitants. Jules Milone wishes only to learn more about her cursed legion gift, but the warriors and oracles insist she lead their rebellion, defying the prophecy that she may be the island's doom. Mirabella and Arsinoe try desperately to conform to the patriarchal culture of their mainland refuge, but visions of a centuries-gone Blue Queen demand their return. The barrage of intrigue, betrayals, spells, portents, and grisly violence unleashed in this volume almost overwhelms, as multiple viewpoints follow several intertwining plotlines, both epic and intimate, across present and past. Blake's (One Dark Throne, 2017, etc.) elegant, understated prose unfolds new facets of the island's culture, revealing sinister truths behind pious legends. The richly-drawn characters default to white and mostly heterosexual (although at least one culture celebrates bisexuality). Some take comfort in male lovers living or dead, but the narrative is mostly driven by the complicated relationships between strong, vibrant women: mothers and daughters, friends and rivals, Goddess and priestess, andabove allsisters. Tragic, devastating, horrifying, enthralling. (cast of characters, map) (Fantasy. 14 -adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Against all odds, Arsinoe and Mirabella have escaped the island of Fennbirn and now struggle to do what no queen before ever has: live a normal life on the mainland. That, however, is proving to be easier said than done. Though their powers wane as they're separated from the island, Arsinoe is having visions of the legendary Blue Queen—a rare fourth-born queen considered so blessed that her sisters were murdered at birth—and she is telling them, unmistakably, to go home. Meanwhile, on the island, Katharine is queen at last, but her reign is uneasy. And Jules Milone, who, as all of ­Fennbirn now knows is cursed with two powerful, magical gifts, is surprised to discover how many people support her. Revolution is coming, and it could shatter the island's foundation. This third series installment expands the world introduced in Three Dark Crowns? (2016) and One Dark Throne (2017), and the stakes, if possible, are higher than ever. There's one more book to go, and the cliff-hanger ending makes it clear: this battle's only just begun. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: One Dark Throne hit number one on the NYT best-seller list, and demand was high enough to make this original duology a quartet. Fans will be ready to kill for this volume. Grades 9-12. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.