One Dark Throne

July 15, 2017
Three sisters intensify their deadly struggle for the crown in the second of a horror-tinged fantasy series. After the spectacular catastrophe of the Quickening (Three Dark Crowns, 2016), the balance of power among the queens has shifted. With the rampage by Arsinoe's bear, the naturalist candidate has demonstrated unexpected strength, and now elemental Mirabella is no longer treated as the foreordained victor. Meanwhile, poisoner Katharine has returned from her rumored death with a vengeance...and a mission. Alliances shift as the various factions play Temple against Council, and potential suitors become both rivals and pawns--but not even the Goddess can prevent the queens from deciding to take their fates into their own hands. Blake's already pitch-black tale shades even darker, as the queens' cruel contest piles up an escalating (and grisly) body count. Yet more excruciating is the curse upon their experience of love, whether with siblings, parents, or friends; in romance, passion, even religious devotion--all relationships are twisted, broken, abandoned, and betrayed. With numerous alternating viewpoints, the exquisitely restrained prose limns a nuanced, subtly realized matriarchal society: all-white, normatively heterosexual (but with exceptions), in which even the most complex male characters function only in relationship to women. The deliberate pacing at the outset serves to re-establish the labyrinthine web of characterization and plot, paying off in a tumultuous climax that piles one shocking twist upon another. Achingly gorgeous and gruesomely fascinating. (Fantasy. 14-adult)

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August 1, 2017

Gr 8 Up-Following up on the events of Three Dark Crowns, Blake brings the queen triplets to their fates as they fight for their lives. While the teen queens deal with suitors and advisors, they must also grapple with the reality of their tasks in killing one another for the ultimate throne. When Katharine seems to gather strength, Mirabella and Arisonoe must determine whether they can work together or if they even should. The author takes the cursed sisters to new exciting heights with a driving plot. A continued detailed development of characters carves out unexpected alliances with Blake's careful manipulation. Readers will appreciate the epic payoff of the first novel in this second installment. The present-tense style throughout underlines the drama of the plot. The large cast of characters may seem overwhelming at times, but each is characterized skillfully. Though Blake describes some violence, the gore is minimal, making this appropriate for a broad range of ages. VERDICT Dark indeed, and exploring themes of loyalty, this is a thrilling sequel with everything from action to romance to entice readers. A strong purchase for YA fantasy shelves.-Abby Hargreaves, D.C. Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 This Ascension Year has surprised the whole of the island of Fennbirn. Now 16, the three queens are locked in a battle to death for their crown. Mirabella, the most powerful elemental in generations, should have decimated her weaker sisters by now, but she hesitates to attack. Meanwhile, Arsinoe, raised by naturalists who commune with plants and animals, has discovered she's not as powerless as she once appeared. But it's Katharine, the meek and almost ungifted poisoner, who has become ruthless after a brush with the dark, violent magic of the island, and the crown may be within her reach. But the families who raised the queens have their own agendas and are more than willing to tip the scales. This sequel to Three Dark Crowns (2016) loses none of that book's momentum, powering toward a conclusion that, though it works as a finale, also leaves several open doors. With wonderfully drawn characters and a lethal, unpredictable plot, this follow-up will leave readers breathless as the queens' fates unfold.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)