I’ve been working my way through Kendare Blake’s Three Dark Crowns series and just finished book three, Two Dark Reigns. I am really enjoying these books but unfortunately, this one has been the weakest so far. This review will be spoiler free.

Synopsis:

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. There’s also the alarming issue of whether or not her sisters are actually dead—or if they’re waiting in the wings to usurp the throne.

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.

This is an uprising that the mysterious Blue Queen may have more to do with than anyone could have guessed—or expected.

My Thoughts:

• Rating– 

It took me much longer than it should have to read this book because it never fully captured my attention. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t dislike reading it but I could easily put it down. It is the third of a four book series and I feel it fell into that middle book, filler trap. It was mainly the characters getting from point A to point B and setting the stage for the fourth book finale.

I do enjoy where the storyline is going, especially the Blue Queen’s role, but I wish more would have happened. I don’t really have anything of note to say because again, it was primarily filler. I’m still interested in the overall story though, and will start the next book, Five Dark Fates, as soon as possible.

Final Thoughts:

I really hate I don’t have more to say about this book. It was necessary for the storyline and I didn’t absolutely hate reading it but other than that, it was pretty unremarkable. If you’ve read this series, let me know how you felt about it! Thanks for reading and have a great day!