Blog Tour: Two Dark Reigns - Kendare Blake

Two Dark Reigns
Kendare Blake
Series: Three Dark Crowns, #3
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake returns with the highly anticipated third book in the Three Dark Crowns series!

Queen Katharine has waited her entire life to wear the crown. But now that she finally has it, the murmurs of dissent grow louder by the day. Mirabella and Arsinoe are alive, but in hiding on the mainland and dealing with a nightmare of their own: being visited repeatedly by a specter they think might be the fabled Blue Queen. Though she says nothing, her rotting, bony finger pointing out to sea is clear enough: return to Fennbirn.

Jules, too, is in a strange place—in disguise. And her only confidants, a war-gifted girl named Emilia and her oracle friend Mathilde, are urging her to take on a role she can’t imagine filling: a legion-cursed queen who will lead a rebel army to Katharine’s doorstep.

While one queen rules, another queen rises. Don’t miss the next thrilling chapter in this dark and dazzling fantasy series!

Praise for TWO DARK REIGNS

“Tragic, devastating, horrifying, enthralling.” ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for ONE DARK THRONE

★ “Blake’s already pitch-dark tale shades even darker. Exquisitely restrained prose, deliberate pacing, paying off in a tumultuous climax that piles one shocking twist upon another. Achingly gorgeous and gruesomely fascinating.” ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“This sequel to Three Dark Crowns loses none of that book’s momentum, powering toward a conclusion that leaves several doors open. With wonderfully drawn characters and a lethal, unpredictable plot, this follow-up will leave readers breathless as the queens’ fates unfold.” ―ALA Booklist

Praise for THREE DARK CROWNS

“New exciting heights with a driving plot. 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.” ―School Library Journal

“Three Dark Crowns is a brutal and inventive fantasy that is as addictive as it is horrifying. I can’t begin to guess the fates of these three remarkable sister-queens, but I’m salivating like poisoners at a feast to find out what will happen next.” ―Marissa Meyer, New York Times bestselling author of the Lunar Chronicles

“Full of mystery, intrigue, and deadly girls I wouldn’t dare cross, Fennbirn is a darkly magical world I’m both drawn to and frightened by. In short, this is a book I could linger in for months, with three girls I am rooting for with all my heart.” ―Megan Shepherd, New York Times bestselling author of The Cage series

★ “With exquisite world building and luminous detail, this is high fantasy at its best. The magic is fierce and the plot intensely twisted, but at this novel’s dark heart beats a story about sisterhood, the unbreakable bonds of family, and ties that bind enough to kill.” ―Booklist (starred review)

★ “The opener to a pitch-black epic fantasy series. Blake has constructed an insular, matriarchal society from convincing intimate details, vivid, complicated characters, [and] sumptuous, poetic prose. Gorgeous and bloody, tender and violent, precise, and passionate; above all, completely addicting. ” ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“I loved this book. Blake’s Three Dark Crowns is hypnotic, twisting, and beautiful...as satisfying as a drop of poison in an enemy’s cup.” ―April Genevieve Tucholke, author of Wink, Poppy, Midnight

“Readers will be riveted by Blake’s ingenious world-building, stunning developments of main and supporting characters, and spiraling tensions. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy action thrillers with strong female leads, such as Victoria Aveyard’s ‘Red Queen’ and Sarah J. Maas’s ‘Throne of Glass’ series.” ―School Library Journal

REVIEW

This series just keeps getting better and better with each book. This story started strong from page one and didn't really let up any, in my opinion. Just when I thought I knew the ins and outs of this tale, Blake showed me that she still had quite a few details to add to this world and its history, and I say, bring it, Blake!

Two Dark Reigns expanded on much of the legend and lore we had previously learned. Blake revealed additional information about the dead queens, who were inhabiting Katherine's body, and let me tell you, these queens were restless. They were NOT letting Katherine enjoy a quiet reign.

I am still firmly team Arisone, though I am worried about her. She was being haunted via her dreams, which led her on a quest. For what? Arsinoe didn't know, but she had to pursue it or risk being driven mad.

Many of the things I latched onto in the TDC novellas were put into play in this book. Most notably, we saw the Blue Queen emerged as a player of sorts. I had been intrigued by the Blue Queen and though my theories regarding her were not correct, I was excited to learn the whole story behind this Blue Queen and getting deeper into her background.

Being team Arsinoe also makes me team Jules, and I was really excited to see her role in this story getting even bigger than before. Jules was still trying to learn about her legion gift, and when the oracles and warriors united with Jules, more and more was revealed about her gift and its curse. Jules' storyline was one of my favorites, because there was quite a bit of mystery surrounding her in the last book. Many details were unveiled, but I was still left with a multitude of unanswered questions, and nothing but concern and worry for our Jules.

A new character of importance emerged in this installment. The island and its mist played a large role in this book, and though the results were quite gruesome, I was enthralled by the mystery and history surrounding it. It's not clear what prompted the island's actions, but I know I am more than eager to get to the bottom of that story.

On the whole, I was really impressed with how these seemingly isolated people and events were tied together. The story's intricacies kept me flipping the pages and searching for more links. I am still enthralled by all the strong female characters inhabiting this world, and Blake continues to impress me with her ability to reveal additional layers to characters we have already met.

By the end of the book, I had nothing but genuine concern for Jules, Arsinoe, and Katherine. All three were in some sort of peril, as the island, the mist, and the dead queens were all wrecking havoc.

The island was revolting! The mist was revolting! The people were revolting! No one was safe.

More legends, more magic, more betrayals, more battles -- this book was just a lot more of the things I loved in the first two books.

Overall: Another fantastic addition to one of my favorite series! Be sure to buckle up, because Blake took me on a wild ride, and left me eager to get my hands on the next book.

* ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

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BOOK LINKS

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kendare Blake is the author of several novels and short stories, most of which you can find information about via the links above. Her work is sort of dark, always violent, and features passages describing food from when she writes while hungry. She was born in July (for those of you doing book reports) in Seoul, South Korea, but doesn’t speak a lick of Korean, as she was packed off at a very early age to her adoptive parents in the United States. That might be just an excuse, though, as she is pretty bad at learning foreign languages. She enjoys the work of Milan Kundera, Caitlin R Kiernan, Bret Easton Ellis, Richard Linklater, and the late, great Michael Jackson, I mean, come on, he gave us Thriller.

She lives and writes in Kent, Washington, with her husband, their cat son Tyrion Cattister, red Doberman dog son Obi-Dog Kenobi, rottie mix dog daughter Agent Scully, and naked sphynx cat son Armpit McGee.

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