One Dark Throne
by Kendare Blake Book Review by Miranda Fraser (Moses) ISBN: 978-0-06-238546-8 As we return to the Island of Fennbirn I want to start by saying there are spoilers. ahead. I don't really think I could review this without giving things from the first novel away. IF this is the first you're hearing about this series go ahead and click on this link: pickupabooktoday.weebly.com/young-adult-fiction/three-dark-crowns . It will take you over to my review on the first novel (which was amazing!). I want to start by saying that during the first novel there is a lot of information and names to learn. It gives it a very slow moving pace at first. With the sequel we already know the characters and their world so it's a very fast paced, edge of the seat, type novel. If the first book dragged for you, I assure you it's easier this time around. The Queens are now in the Ascension Year and are playing a game of cat and mouse to kill the others. On top of a pace change the biggest plot twist (alright, one of the biggest) has been revealed to us. We now know that one of the 'talent-less' queens is actually not talent-less, she's just a different magic type then originally believed. (I'm trying to be careful to tell you who without actually telling you. Is it working? *cringes at how awkwardly I'm describing things*) Now, since it's clearly too late to do anything about this type change, the only thing this queen can do is use it to her advantage. That really makes things interesting in the second novel. I mean, think about it, they don't know she has this ability or that she's not weak to a certain magic type. Now this woman, who believed she was as good as dead, has a chance. On the other hand, where the story picks up there's one sister whom we all thought was dead. When she shows up miraculously alive there's so many unanswered questions. How did she survive? And most importantly, why is she so eerie and different now? What is going on with her? This plays a pivotal role all the way through the second novel, as she is now a true threat to her sisters. By the end of the novel I still felt like her story-line needed more answers but I felt slightly better about her as a whole. On top of the queens, Blake basically made Jules, the naturalist friend, a main character. That girl is ridiculously overpowered! One might even say she's a ticking time bomb. She has become such an important part of the novels that I would be very surprised if by the end of the series she isn't playing an even larger role than she already is. As things stand she's got double the power, just as much mystery and heartbreak to grow from, and enough predictions about her to sustain her story-line through the rest of the series. And it's not just her, somehow Billy, the weak love interest, has become a powerful ally and main character. I've grown to love him so much that I am honestly afraid for his future. Given the state of this world it's clear that love interests tend to get burned not flourish. In the end, I want to assure you guys that this really is a good novel. I LOVED the first one, and I've seen a great number of people who actually loved this one more than the original. But I almost wrote this review as two 'sentences' and hit publish. "Good book. Mad ending". The ending left me so upset and emotional and confused. It wasn't a cliff hanger but it was also a moment of "this can't be the end...?" Well, there are two more books set to come out. One this year and one next year. They are untitled and there isn't anymore information about them then that. But I pray that she REALLY brings it with the next one. I need answers and honestly justification for the things Blake has done, lol. That's a little dramatic but it's how I'm going to leave things. As always links to the author's pages are below. Read on my fellow books worms, may we one day have Belle's library.
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