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queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: Violence , descriptions of blood and gore, death/murder, animal cruelty, infanticide mention
One Dark Throne is book two in the Three Dark Crowns quartet. I felt similarly about this book as I did the last book. The story is interesting, but some of the dialogue is still a little weird.
We pick up after the events of last book with Arsinoe is trying to keep her discovery to herself and Jules, as well as trying to figure out how not to die in the Ascension year. Arsinoe continues to be the best queen of the bunch and I want to see how she puts her gift to use in the coming books. As always, Jules is the real MVP and he she got to have a really fascinating discovery as well.
Queen Mirabella just wants to not have to kill her sisters. Even though she has been acknowledged as the chosen queen, she isn't doing as well as hoped. Not to mention the guy she's in love with belongs to someone else. We get to see more of Mirabella's powers at work here. I love that she can sail a ship with her elemental abilities.
And then there is Queen Katharine. She went through some shit last book that she truly didn't deserve, but her personality took a complete 180° turn. She went from being meek and sickly to evil and slightly less sickly. It isn't really explored why she's so different, but it is hinted at that it's connected to the Breccia Domain. I hope we get more of what she's thinking next book, because she just seems evil for evil's sake.
This is a decent series with good characters, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
One Dark Throne is book two in the Three Dark Crowns quartet. I felt similarly about this book as I did the last book. The story is interesting, but some of the dialogue is still a little weird.
We pick up after the events of last book with Arsinoe is trying to keep her discovery to herself and Jules, as well as trying to figure out how not to die in the Ascension year. Arsinoe continues to be the best queen of the bunch and I want to see how she puts her gift to use in the coming books. As always, Jules is the real MVP and he she got to have a really fascinating discovery as well.
Queen Mirabella just wants to not have to kill her sisters. Even though she has been acknowledged as the chosen queen, she isn't doing as well as hoped. Not to mention the guy she's in love with belongs to someone else. We get to see more of Mirabella's powers at work here. I love that she can sail a ship with her elemental abilities.
And then there is Queen Katharine. She went through some shit last book that she truly didn't deserve, but her personality took a complete 180° turn. She went from being meek and sickly to evil and slightly less sickly. It isn't really explored why she's so different, but it is hinted at that it's connected to the Breccia Domain. I hope we get more of what she's thinking next book, because she just seems evil for evil's sake.
This is a decent series with good characters, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Blood, Gore, Death, and Domestic abuse
rinku's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
5.0
In the second book of the Three Dark Crown series, One Dark Throne, the pace of the story finally picks up and the stakes are higher than ever. While the first book was more an introduction to the characters and the world, the battle between the sisters intensifies here and gets more dramatic-
I’m still so much invested in this intriguing story. Since I’ve bounded so much already with certain characters, I was always worried that something terrible would happen to them. This leads to a more suspenseful atmosphere than before. Adding to this is that Katharine has lost her mind which makes her even more unpredictable than before. Besides her, the other two queens develop so much in the course of the story which was amazing to see. Thanks to the many different POVs besides the sisters, we get a closer insight in the politics of Fennbirn and how they play a huge role in the fight for the throne.
The ending was so dramatic as well: It was so hard to see how Katharine became the queen and how Mirabella and Arsinoe couldn’t do anything to prevent it. They should be executed as well but Arsinoe was able to fake her own death while Mirabella thought it was her real death. Natalia’s death was so dramatic too, just as Nioclas’ death was brutal. After this, it is revealed that Katharine is barren, meaning that the whole system of the queens will probably end and nobody knows what will happen then. In the end, Mirabella and Arsinoe are able to flee but Joseph dies, and Jules goes back to Fennbirn .
I’ve said it before, but all the characters are so well written. I’ve bounded so much with some of them (like Arsinoe and Jules) that I’m always worried that something will happen to them. My opinion on the queens has also changed a bit; the main ranking is still the same (Arsinoe > Mirabella > Katharine) but I don’t like Katharine now at all.
I mentioned this as well before, but I love that are only females in power positions. Besides this, there are so many great female characters. In comparison, the male characters, and the love triangle every queen has are just not great. I hate how Joseph couldn’t make a decision, and Pietyr’s justification for what he did was so weird.
In summary, One Dark Throne took all what made the first book great and extended upon it. There’s so much potential for the rest of the story since so many things happened that will change everything.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Self harm, and Violence
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy and Vomit
bookishgoob's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Such a beautiful and heartbreaking sequel. part of me doesn’t want to go to the next book from the fear of my heart breaking even more. Katharine is terrible and i can not stand any of the arryns. this book series is such an adventure and i very much recommend it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, and Violence
taryn_g's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5 Stars
I read Three Dark Crowns about a year ago, and I’m just now, finally, coming back to finish the series. This sequel definitely took me by surprise in that I wasn’t able to put it down. Every spare moment I had, I found myself reaching for One Dark Throne.
What perhaps most took me in this book was how well the tension is done. The whole time, the three queens are racing towards at least two of their inevitable dooms. Along with the tension, the pacing was also very well done. The action and the lulls aligned excellently, and there was never any time that I found myself getting bored.
The payoff and continued development from the events of the first book is was another aspect that I enjoyed, especially in regards to Katharine and Arsinoe. I was hoping for some more explanation on how it is that Arsinoe is a poisoner but was sent to the naturalists, and we did get a little, but that’s something I can look forward to learning in the coming books.
Much like in Three Dark Crowns, the atmosphere and worldbuilding is amazing. I love the world of Fennbirn and how vividly developed it is. I also liked how this book expanded the world, particularly by introducing more about the war gift through Jules’s story. I’m very interested to see where her war gift and legion curse go throughout the remaining two books.
The only reason that this isn’t a five-star book for me is just because it lacked that certain, extra “umph” that really pushes a book into five stars. It was a great, un-put-downable read, but there was nothing that was really mind blowing or left me totally surprised.
I think that One Dark Throne was a great sequel to Three Dark Crowns, and I’m very excited to see where this series goes!
2022: 14
I read Three Dark Crowns about a year ago, and I’m just now, finally, coming back to finish the series. This sequel definitely took me by surprise in that I wasn’t able to put it down. Every spare moment I had, I found myself reaching for One Dark Throne.
What perhaps most took me in this book was how well the tension is done. The whole time, the three queens are racing towards at least two of their inevitable dooms. Along with the tension, the pacing was also very well done. The action and the lulls aligned excellently, and there was never any time that I found myself getting bored.
The payoff and continued development from the events of the first book is was another aspect that I enjoyed, especially in regards to Katharine and Arsinoe. I was hoping for some more explanation on how it is that Arsinoe is a poisoner but was sent to the naturalists, and we did get a little, but that’s something I can look forward to learning in the coming books.
Much like in Three Dark Crowns, the atmosphere and worldbuilding is amazing. I love the world of Fennbirn and how vividly developed it is. I also liked how this book expanded the world, particularly by introducing more about the war gift through Jules’s story. I’m very interested to see where her war gift and legion curse go throughout the remaining two books.
The only reason that this isn’t a five-star book for me is just because it lacked that certain, extra “umph” that really pushes a book into five stars. It was a great, un-put-downable read, but there was nothing that was really mind blowing or left me totally surprised.
I think that One Dark Throne was a great sequel to Three Dark Crowns, and I’m very excited to see where this series goes!
2022: 14
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Violence
Moderate: Body horror and Death
emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
I feel pretty much the same about this instalment as I did about Three Dark Crowns: this book had the same selling points and pitfalls. I added a quarter star to the rating as the second half is better and has definitely breathed new life into the plot line; I’m intrigued to see where the series goes next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Self harm, Ableism, and Physical abuse
Minor: Animal death, Alcohol, War, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Grief, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Misogyny
martereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Self harm, Police brutality, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, and Blood
Minor: Sexual content, Animal cruelty, and War
jo_lzr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
books_and_coffee_vibes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I found this book a lot better then the first book. It had a quicker pace and the plot was a lot better. I found there was more character development and the last few pages left me crying. I loved how there was a turn of events that kept me on my toes.
This book is one of my favorites in the series so far.
This book is one of my favorites in the series so far.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Self harm, and Violence
booksthatburn's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ONE DARK THRONE is a pretty good sequel to THREE DARK CROWNS, but it feels like it's not sure which role to play: final book in a duology or book two in a long series. Since there are more sequels, the second option won out, but the story doesn't seem to know that quite yet, and it suffers a bit for it. It was definitely easier to stomach than the first one, with much less animal death (but still some). I think the human body count is lower too, now that the big shows of dominance and power are exchanged for more pointed attacks. It does mean the deaths which do occur tend to get more individual focus in the narrative. It's an okay continuation, but where book one was drenched in poison, book two mostly gestures with the threat of it. Since book one poisoned me once, it was enough to keep the tension until book two delivered, but I wasn't nearly as stressed while reading.
This wraps up several things left hanging from the first book. I don't think it has any major storylines that didn't exist in the first book, since most of the big events are ones which were planned in the first one (provided that the main characters survived to reach them). Some big things are resolved, but most of them were introduced in the first one. This leaves some things to be picked up in further books, but if the series ended right here I think I'd actually be okay with it. There are more books so I will keep reading. The main narrators haven't changed, though the mix of minor and secondary characters who occasionally get to narrate is a bit different. The narrators are definitely different people, but the style of the narration is pretty consistent across narrators. It works since the whole thing is in a rotating third person view, getting the thoughts of one character per chapter but never quite narrating from their perspectives. It's a good thing this is the second book because it wouldn't make much sense without the first book. There's enough explanation to refresh a returning reader after a gap, but the first book explained a lot of backstory and this volume only lightly attempts to re-explain things. Since it's book two it's not a big deal, but I'll be watching as I continue with the series.
This wraps up several things left hanging from the first book. I don't think it has any major storylines that didn't exist in the first book, since most of the big events are ones which were planned in the first one (provided that the main characters survived to reach them). Some big things are resolved, but most of them were introduced in the first one. This leaves some things to be picked up in further books, but if the series ended right here I think I'd actually be okay with it. There are more books so I will keep reading. The main narrators haven't changed, though the mix of minor and secondary characters who occasionally get to narrate is a bit different. The narrators are definitely different people, but the style of the narration is pretty consistent across narrators. It works since the whole thing is in a rotating third person view, getting the thoughts of one character per chapter but never quite narrating from their perspectives. It's a good thing this is the second book because it wouldn't make much sense without the first book. There's enough explanation to refresh a returning reader after a gap, but the first book explained a lot of backstory and this volume only lightly attempts to re-explain things. Since it's book two it's not a big deal, but I'll be watching as I continue with the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual content
librariangeorgia's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Violence, and Domestic abuse