REVIEW: One Dark Throne

One Dark Throne

by Kendare Blake

Pages: 464

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: September 19th 2017

Received From: HarperTeen

The battle for the crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail? 

With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favour without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before - ones that put those around her in danger that she can’t seem to prevent.

When I read Three Dark Crowns I think I gushed about it for about a month! The world in which Kendare Blake creates pulls you in and the story keeps you on tender hooks until last page is closed... and I have to say One Dark Throne is no different! I was so excited to get a copy of this and I read it within a couple of days. The three Queens are just as kick ass and awesome as I remembered and the story just kept getting better and better. 

One Dark Throne picks up where Three Dark Crowns finished, with the three queens, Katherine, Mirabella and Arsinoe about to start their Ascension Year. The purpose of this year is for the Queens to kill each other until only one is left to rule over Fennbirn and after the events of the The Quickening it is set to be a very exciting and dangerous year indeed. With the hurt of Arsinoe's betrayal still hanging heavy in Mirabella's heart, with Katherine's sudden strength and Arsinoe's new found ability no one knows quite where they stand. But when the poisoned gifts arrive and the festivities begin only one thing is certain... no one is safe from the three deadly Queen's as they fight for the throne and for their lives.

This is one of those reviews where I keep it all quite vague as I don't want to give anything away. I love YA fiction but with it such a huge genre it can mean the stories become a bit predictable. However, One Dark Throne had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, I didn't know what was coming next or how the story would unfold. If I'm honest I didn't know how Kendare was going to keep up the pace after Three Dark Crowns but holy moly on toast she did it! I couldn't put this book down, I NEEDED to know what was going to happen to the characters that have well and truly made their way into my heart and I must say I was not disappointed! 

When reviewing the first installment I wrote, "All three queens have their moments where they could do with a slap," and this book was no different! Kendare creates these characters that will have you wanting to give them a good shake and yet, by the end of the book you want to wrap them up in your arms and tell them everything is going to be okay. I found that with this book more than the last this was the case and I went on an emotional roller-coaster within the covers of One Dark Throne. 

Overall One Dark Throne is fast paced, unpredictable, exciting, heartbreaking and everything I hoped it would be. For those of you that adored Three Dark Crowns as much as I did you will fall in love with this book in less time than it takes you to make a cup of tea. The island of Fennbirn takes no prisoners and this book will leave you begging for more! If there is only one book you read this month can I recommend that it be this one... you wont regret it. 

**I received this book as an ARC from HarperTeen to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

INTERVIEW: Kendare Blake

Q&A with Kendare Blake

Author of Three Dark Crowns

What was the inspiration behind Three Dark Crowns?

A bee swarm. I was at a book event in Oregon in 2013, just before Antigoddess came out and there was like, a ball of bees in a tree. Literally, a ball made of bees. Hundreds and thousands of them.  Lucky for us, there happened to be a beekeeper there, who assured us we were safe, and told me all about bees, that there was a queen in the center of the ball, and that was who they were trying to protect, and that the queen probably laid her queen eggs back at the old hive, and when the new queens hatched they would kill each other for the right to take over.

I thought that was delightfully brutal, and HAD to do it to people.

You have 3 very strong protagonists, what was the most challenging part to making them all individual?

Thankfully, they sort of took care of that themselves. I thought at the start that I would have a favorite. That one sister would become the lead protagonist over the other two. But it didn’t happen. They all have their strengths, and weaknesses. Their admirable qualities. Their…less than admirable qualities. And I found I couldn’t choose between them.

Readers though, seem more able to pick sides. But not the same side! I get messages about Team Mirabella and Team Katharine, and Team Arsinoe. Even Team Jules, who could really be considered a fourth protagonist.

What would you say Katharine, Mirabella and Arsinoe’s strongest and weakest qualities are?

Mirabella’s strongest quality is her love for her sisters. Of course it’s also her biggest problem, as it’s in direct conflict with her desire to fulfill her responsibilities to the island as its Chosen Queen.

Arsinoe’s strongest quality is her inner stubbornness. It goes hand in hand with her staunch loyalty to her friends and foster family. Her biggest weakness would be her somewhat fatalist attitude…that she was born to lose so the only thing to do is be pissed about it and cause a little trouble. But she’s working on that.

Katharine’s strongest quality would have been her desire to please. She very much wanted to make Natalia proud, and do what was expected of her. But after what happened to her over the course of the book…I think we’ll see a whole host of new strengths from Katharine.

How did you come up with the idea of Fennbirn?

The concept of Fennbirn borrows heavily from the legend of Avalon. The protective mists and the association with mystical women. The society of Fennbirn followed logically from the inspiration of the bee hive: in that it is matriarchal.

Speaking of Fennbirn, there is a strong emphasis on female empowerment throughout the book with the women on Fennbirn holding all the power. Why was that?

It lended itself rather naturally from the original inspiration of the bee hive. Ruled by a queen, filled with female workers. I was very excited to write about a matriarchy, a government and a society that had always been dictated by women, and contrast it with the patriarchal suitors from the mainland.

Who was your favorite character to write and why?

I love to write the animals. So Hank the rooster was fun, and Camden the cougar. The poisoners were probably my favorite society to write about. And Billy, the first mainland suitor, was surprisingly fun, too.

The UK publication of Three Dark Crowns saw a cover for each Queen, out of curiosity, which is your favourite cover?

I actually love Katharine’s. The snake. So cute. But I have loved all of the covers for Three Dark Crowns. The German cover is striking, and on a white background, and the Persian cover is very graphic novel-like. And of course I love the US cover as well.

If you had a gift would you have an elemental, poisoner or naturalist?

Naturalist. I want an animal familiar, and also, I really want to be able to ripen my avocados and stuff whenever I want.

If you could pick anyone, whom would you cast as the three queens in a movie adaptation?

Oh, that’s a hard question. I’m better at casting the supporting adults. Like, it would be cool to see Anna Torv from Fringe somewhere, Natalia maybe, or Madrigal.

For the queens though….Mirabella needs intense emotion and solid beauty, but with a sweetness to her. Katharine should be delicate, with innocence and an edge. Summer Glau, ten years ago maybe. Or a young Eva Green. And Arsinoe has to be tough and contrary, who keeps their vulnerability hidden. Dye Shailene Woodley’s hair, maybe.

Lastly, if you could describe Three Dark Crowns in one sentence what would it be?

Triplet sisters with powers; whoops only one can rule.

THREE DARK CROWNS

by Kendare Blake 

Pages: 405, paperback

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

Publication Date: 22nd September 2016

ISBN: 1509804552
Received From:  Macmillan Children's Books via Netgalley

Summary 

Three sisters. One crown. A fight to the death. 

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 stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of 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.

CLICK HERE 

FOR MY REVIEW 

A MASSIVE thank you to Kendare for doing this! When I finished reading Three Dark Crowns I had so many questions about how the book came about and I'm sure I'm not the only one! I hope you enjoyed the Q&A as much as I did lovelies, as always leave your comments below. 

#5Questions

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Author Bio (via Website)

Kendare Blake is an import from South Korea who was raised in the United States by caucasian parents. You know, that old chestnut. She received a Bachelor's degree in Business from Ithaca College and a Master's degree in Writing from Middlesex University in London. She brakes for animals, the largest of which was a deer, which sadly didn't make it, and the smallest for which was a mouse, which did, but it took forever. Amongst her likes are Greek Mythology, rare red meat and veganism. She also enjoys girls who can think with the boys like Ayn Rand, and boys who scare the morality into people, like Bret Easton Ellis.

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Title: Anna Dressed in Blood

Author: Kendare Blake

Publication Date: July 5th 2012 (original publication date October 17th 2011)

Publisher: Orchard Books

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
Yet she spares Cas's life.

1. How did you get into writing?

Through reading, I suppose. I read voraciously as a kid. It just flowed naturally as the next logical step. Plus, teachers make you.

2. When starting a book how much of it comes straight from your imagination and how much is research?

As far as plot, it's 90% imagination and 10% drawing from other sources. I try to make my settings accurate, but I'm also not above twisting them to meet my needs, so I'd say those are 50/50. I don't research overmuch. 

3. Who is your favourite character you have written and why?

I can't pick favourites. I love them all for different reasons. Athena because she's so damn tough and has such a wicked, noble heart. Cassandra because she's a warrior, going through the stuff she does and handling the responsibility that comes with it. Cas because he's a secret sweetheart. Anna because she's a tragedy but not tragic. And all their friends and loves too. Even the villains. Except the Obeahman. He was a dick.

4. Do you go into a book knowing how you want it to end?

Not usually. I thought Anna would end in Lake Superior. I knew how Antigoddess would end because I wanted to nod to the Iliad and end it similarly. Halfway through writing Girl of Nightmares, I suspected which was it would go. But I rarely know when I start. I think Antigoddess is the only one so far. At least of the published ones.

5. What 5 books would you recommend for your readers?

The Red Tree by Caitlin R Kiernan
NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
IT by Stephen King
The Iliad & The Odyssey by Homer, Translated by Richmond Lattimore. I know that's technically two, but they're so excellent.

If you haven't done so already why not check out our review of Anna Dressed in Blood?

Anna Dressed in Blood

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary (From Back Cover)
Cas Lowood is no ordinary guy - he hunts head people.
People like Anna. Anna Dressed in Blood. A beautiful, murderous ghost entangled in curses and rage. Cas knows he must destroy her, but as her tragic past is revealed, he starts to understand why Anna had killed everyone who's dared to enter her spooky home.
Everyone, that is, except Cas...
Just your average boy-meets-girl,
girl-kills-people story.

Review
Have you been wanting to read a effortless written ghost story that's enchantingly eerie, witty and has a streak of romance through it that will melt your heart? Well look no further than Anna Dressed in Blood. The story is constantly moving forward and unlike so many other ghost stories this is completely unpredictable and actually creepy. There's nothing forced about Anna Dressed in Blood and I challenge you to not fall in love this book!

The story itself follows one Theseus Cassio Lowood - also known as Cas - as he hunts down a murderous ghost that's been killing anyone who sets foot in her house for the last 50 years. Her name? Anna. Anna Dressed in Blood. Cas hunts ghosts for a living, his father did the same before he died and now Cas disbands the undead that haunt our world. But there's something different about Anna. He doesn't know what it is but there's something that makes him linger. Linger long enough to cast doubt on what he's been sent to do. Should he put an end to Anna's afterlife? And more importantly, will he be able to?

The tale is told from Cas' point of view, however, Anna was my favourite character. Even when she was simply the sociopathic ghost girl with a mountain of bodies in her basement I found myself drawn to her. I wanted to know her story, I wanted to know why? Her story - which gets told about half way through - is heartbreaking and brilliant. I found myself holding my breath almost the whole way through those two chapters! There's never a moment when you think what was the point in that? Which I find happens a lot in supernatural books. Although there where the occasional points where I had to back track and figure out what had happened. For instance... THE CAT!

I adored the magical aspect of it all, with it's dark voodoo rituals and occult references. Blake has a way of describing what's happening in such vivid detail that you feel like you've been transported into the page. Also her phantoms feel almost real, giving them the ability to freak you out and make you sleep with the light on. My poor electricity bill...

Overall - Blake keeps you dangling all the way through this book. There was never a point where I thought I knew what was coming. And if there was ever a point where I suspected where it might be goig I was proven wrong within a couple of pages. It constantly twists and swaps directions and it's a very cleaver approach to a genre that can be all too predictable. I'd recommend this book to anyone and everyone! I loved it and there wasn't a thing I would change. Bring on book two, Girl of Nightmares.

Oh, just before I go a couple of characters for you too look out for when reading. Firstly Tybalt the witches cat and also Carmel. Even though she's a secondary character her transformation within the book is actually really interesting and worth keeping an eye out for. So enjoy lovelies and let me know what you thought of Anna Dressed in Blood!

Bellow are some of the notes I made while reading Anna Dressed in Blood via My GoodReads Page