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bookish_bridget's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second half. I found the ending of this book to be pretty devastating and unsatisfying. This is a book in the middle of a series though so I understand why the book was concluded the way it was. I really enjoyed how much politics were included within the plot and I found all the political scheming to be very interesting and engaging.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Blood
maple_dove's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, Death, Blood, Misogyny, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Gore, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, and Self harm
Minor: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Child death, War, Animal death, Vomit, and Sexual content
Self-harm (graphic - Ritualistic purposes)zaesbookshelf'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? Yes
5.0
Okay. Wow.
You often hear about “the second book curse”. This phenomenon in which the second of a series is a bit of dud - something to get through to continue the story. This book is not.
Since the world has already been built and as much time is not needed spent creating this island of Fennbirn, this book moves quickly. Lots of action, lots of character development. The beautiful writing and storytelling started in the first book continues here.
Kendare Blake does such a good job of keeping the reader on their toes; never quite sure what will happen. Which I deeply appreciate! Halfway through this series and (though I have hopes) I genuinely have no clue how it will end. And I am very excited to find out!
You often hear about “the second book curse”. This phenomenon in which the second of a series is a bit of dud - something to get through to continue the story. This book is not.
Since the world has already been built and as much time is not needed spent creating this island of Fennbirn, this book moves quickly. Lots of action, lots of character development. The beautiful writing and storytelling started in the first book continues here.
Kendare Blake does such a good job of keeping the reader on their toes; never quite sure what will happen. Which I deeply appreciate! Halfway through this series and (though I have hopes) I genuinely have no clue how it will end. And I am very excited to find out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Violence
Moderate: Death, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Grief, Confinement, and Animal cruelty
cardlikecredit's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This book was so intense! The pace definitely was better than the first one, especially the utter chaos at the end. I also appreciated the character map at the beginning.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
rafacolog's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Violence, Blood, Gore, and Murder
pagesbycaroline's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book definitely keeps you on your toes. There was so many ups and downs where you thought something was over and then it comes back later. A good sequel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Gore, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
mia_luvsreading'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Animal cruelty, and Murder
Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, and Vomit
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