“I thought I would learn to juggle three herring,” she says. How are you going to manage that?” he asks, and braces for another hit.Īrisnoe chuckles instead. “Where the suitors are presented to us,” she says, and punches him in the arm. “Where you are presented to the suitors.” Everyone will be preparing for the Disembarking the night after the Hunt, and the Quickening on the night after that.” But this year there won’t be much of that. Then normally there are daily blessings, and rites that the temple performs. The ritual hunt meant to provide meat for the feasts.

“It is still three days,” she says, “and there is always the Hunt. Neither she nor Jules has ever attended one. “But how is it different? Does it still last for three days?”Īrisnoe cocks her head. This Beltane is the start of the Ascension Year.” The queen has no relationship with her daughters after birth they are separated and sent to live with foster families and train in their respective arts.Īfter the Beltane ceremony on their 16th birthday the sisters have one year, a period of time called the Ascension, in which to kill each other: There are poisoners who can consume any poison and remain unharmed. There are elementalists who control fire and lightning and hurricanes. There are naturalists who can tame wild animals and make plants grow and summon fucking whales to pull their ships. Each girl is the recipient of one of three principle forms of magic. Every generation the current queen births triplets, all girls. This richly imagined, wonderfully detailed fantasy world is ruled by a matriarchy.

It’s about three sister queens who must kill each other to get the crown and if that sounds fucked up, it is. This is a dark YA fantasy, a grimdark fairytale about badass ladies and it is delicious. I am literally sweating right now under a cat and my blankets, typing this on my phone in the dark (#baddecisionsbookclub). Since I started the book I’ve done nothing but read, and now I’m reviewing it late at night because OMG YOU GUYS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS. All hope of being productive today or tomorrow went by the wayside when I started Three Dark Crowns this afternoon. I should be getting a good night’s sleep before I start my work week tomorrow, but I’m not. Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult

Three dark crowns book