BLOG TOUR: Witchy Book Recs with Kendare Blake

Hey guys! 

Halloween may have been yesterday...but why not keep on celebrating today? Let's be real, Halloween should be more than one day. Anyway, to celebrate the release of the latest book in the Three Dark Crowns series, Two Dark Reigns, I asked the lovely author Kendare Blake to tell us about some witchy books she's loved recently and can recommend to everyone! I don't know about you guys but I'm a sucker for witchy books...possibly because I grew up watching Sabrina! 

So check out the three Witchy books Kendare has loved recently! 

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

This quest of warriors takes you through some of the best witchy landscapes. The Mercies may be on the trail of a beast and glory, but their detour through the domain of the Salt Marsh Witches and the ensuing Witch Wars were among my favourite moments of the novel.

Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd

It's a magical caper through the streets of Paris, putting you face to face with goblins and spells and an entire hierarchy of witches. Also it made me hungry for macarons.

A Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto

This one doesn't come out until February, and it doesn't have witches exactly, but there's definitely something like spellcraft involved in the hatching of a new Phoenix. And there's magic aplenty with so many animages running around. Be on the lookout for it, for sure!

I don't know about you guys, but I'm loving the sound of all three of Kendare's recommendations! I'm definitely going to need to pick them up! Don't forget to check out The Three Dark Crowns series! 

Three Dark Crowns | One Dark Throne | Queens of Fennbirn | Two Dark Reigns

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown. 

Review: The Queens of Fennbirn

The Queens of Fennbirn
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Uncover the sisters’ origins, dive deep into the catastrophic reign of the Oracle Queen, and reveal layers of Fennbirn’s past, hidden until now.

The Young Queens

Get a glimpse of triplet queens Mirabella, Arsinoe, and Katharine during a short period of time when they protected and loved one another. From birth until their claiming ceremonies, this is the story of the three sisters’ lives…before they were at stake.

The Oracle Queen

Everyone knows the legend of Elsabet, the Oracle Queen. The one who went mad. The one who orchestrated a senseless, horrific slaying of three entire houses. But what really happened? Discover the true story behind the queen who could foresee the future…just not her own downfall. 

I have been so ready for this novella bind up to flesh things out some more and just take me back to the world of the series while I wait for the next book! For those of you who don't know, this book is two novella's in one and I'm gonna review each one individually! 

The Young Queens
This is a prequel of sorts, and I'm guessing the main purpose of it was to flesh out some of what we already know! For instance, we get to see the Queens when they where younger and find out more about their backgrounds, as well as certain...events that are fleshed out more. I feel like Camille is more real for me after reading this, and I feel like the world has been expanded upon a bit more! This novella basically provides more detail for us, and things we've been curious about. 

We follow the same narrative style as the other books, so we switch POV's between different characters which I actually really liked because it kept it fresh and helped you delve in to each of the characters. Of course we get to discover more about Jules and her younger self too, not just the Queens, we get to see how she met her familiar and what happened when she first met Arsinoe. And speaking of the Queens....seeing how they interacted as girls together, before being separated, was actually really interesting. 

This one is actually kind of heart breaking, because there's always been this question of how exactly did Arsinoe and Katharine get switched, and this novella answers that and it was actually quite a sad opening scene with Queen Camille. 

Interestingly we get to see some of the injustices of the Poisoner's being in power for so long. I have to say...Natalia really does intrigue me, and I really can't quite bring myself to dislike her (I have written down in my notes before I read the second novella). We also get to see some more of Madrigal, who I didn't really care for after what she did in the first book, and this novella serves to make me like her even less. 

Oh, we meet Willa in this novella too, which I really loved because I'd been super curious about who raised the girls until they left and got separated and so on and I was really invested in her POV and her story. 

Overall, we get to see the girls at various different intervals, how they grew up and we get more depth to events that have been mentioned...as well as having a mystery solved! It's a nice addition to the canon to flesh out the world and the characters a bit more! 

The Oracle Queen
Okay, so the Oracle Queen has been mentioned multiple times throughout the main series and I don't know about you guys, but I've always been super curious about her and felt like her story had to be told at some point...and here we are. I think this is my favourite of the two novellas. I got so invested in to it, and it made me so ragey. 

We meet Queen Elsabet, the last Seer Queen...the rhyme about her is even mentioned in the previous novella. There's so much deceit and backstabbing in this tiny, tiny little novella, not to mention all the politics and the general shadiness between the different groups. It was interesting to see how the different groups interacted with each other though. 

I have to say...I knew Gilbert was shady AF right from the start, I don't know if that makes me jaded or what, but I didn't trust him further than I could throw him. I was disappointed but not at all surprised in him. William I just didn't like at all. Sorry dude. It reached a point in this novella when I was kind of wary of Bess and Jonathan too which they didn't really deserve. 

This volume we meet Natalia's ancestor....Francesca. Oh how I hated her. This novella made me so sad, I could see in my minds eye what was going to happen and how they'd twist things. It was like being on a rollercoaster and anticipating the drop. You knew it was coming, and you're speeding towards it but you can't do anything about it other than brace. I felt so damn bad for Elsabet and Rosamund and Bess.....and I felt so much rage towards Francesca and the Arrens. I feel like this novella has changed how I look at the Arrens for now. I kinda want them to suffer. 

Considering the behaviour of certain male characters in the main series, I could see what was going on with Francesca and the Consort a mile off. Again....disappointed but not surprised. I think because I kind of like Natalia, I was like...Francesca can't be that bad. Oh how wrong I was. 

For a novella, it really painted the character of Elsabet perfectly...even if she herself wasn't quite the perfect Queen. You got to know her really well and despite her faults you could empathise with her. It was a wild ride, filled with politics and betrayal and treachery and it was actually quite juicy, let's be real! 

Review: Three Dark Crowns

Three Dark Crowns
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy 
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest…but she may be the darkest.

Okay ladies and gentlemen, this was an interesting read for multiple reasons. This book is very, very hyped and a lot of the time, I'm reluctant to read overhyped books, I had this conversation with Becca the other day actually! As I went in to this, I was intrigued, it sounded promising, three Queens and only one can live and rule....one being super powerful the other two having to fake it...and it was presented to me as a kind of Hunger Games type thing! I liked the book. I did. But there where some things that bugged me a little bit. But first....the good! 

The first three parts of the book introduce us to the Queens, and I really, really liked how it was done. It intrigued me and presented a certain image of each of the Queens, that gradually changed as you read the book and they grew and changed. I really enjoyed getting all three Queens POV's as it helped you to understand what each of them was feeling and thinking, what their motivations where, and it was really, really interesting to see how each of the Queens viewed each other. I liked how each Queen was different depending on their upbringing, it really reflected in them and I'm interested to see where their characters go in the next book. 

I haven't really picked a team per se. I'm kind of Team Anyone But Mirabella, for reasons I will explain soon! I really, really felt for Katharine. So badly. Don't get me wrong, all three of them are in a rough situation, but I feel like Katharine's was the worst from what we see. Sure she has people who care about her, but she's also left on the floor suffering and no-one makes a move to help her, and there's a bully of sorts too. Plus the power she has to fake has some really unpleasant consequences. I'm so intrigued by her and what she's going to do next, and what she's going to do, and what she's going to become in the next book after her last line in the book. I actually cackled when I read it! I'm also not going to lie, I kinda shipped her with Pietyr, sure it was a little bit suspect at places, but it was the least annoying of the romances in the book, although I don't think it's going to end well after the end of the book. I'm assuming he wasn't being all evil but we'll see! 

Arsinoe....she was tricky for me. I wasn't sure I liked her at first, but the more I got to know her the more I liked her. She didn't let anything keep her down for long, after the bear incident she didn't react at all how I was expecting and it really made me respect her even more. She was so loyal to Jules, her best friend, and I loved the friendship between the two of them, although in the beginning it did kind of seem like Jules was overshadowing Arsinoe a bit. She wasn't a main character, she was more a secondary character, but her large presence makes me wonder if she's going to be a bigger character in the next book...for reasons. ANYWAY. Arsinoe is with kinder people than the other two, I think, and much like with Katharine, I'm interested to see what's going to happen to her in book two based on the ending of the book! 

Mirabella. Personally, I kinda think she has it the best, she has her power. Sure the priestesses have her guarded and everything, but she isn't treated quite how the other two are, and like I said, she's all powerful and everything. Perhaps too powerful in ratio to the other girls, although there is a reason! I guess I just root for the underdog, or in this case underdogs. I really didn't warm to her. I wasn't too sure about her in the beginning, she was bigged up as being the most powerful and how she was totally going to win and become Queen and she seemed kind of haughty and everything. I thought I might grow to like her but then something happened that just made me irritated. The Joseph thing. I actually had to poll Twitter to check it just wasn't me that was bugged by it and put off of both characters. Like I was thinking it might have been me having a problem with it for personal reasons but apparently not! 

Now I need to talk about the Joseph thing and there will be SPOILERS for this paragraph. When we first met him, I really liked him. I really liked Jules even though I thought it was strange that we got such a lot of her when she wasn't one of the Queens. I shipped Jules and Joseph really badly. But then the thing happened. The thing that made me latch on to Katharine and Petyr because I needed some form of romance to get over the horrible situation with Joseph. I'm not sure if I was supposed to start shipping Joseph and Mirabella or what, but I know it's going to bug me to another level if in the next book there's some huge thing between them. I really didn't like the scene with Mirabella and Joseph. I know why it happened and if you read the book I'm sure you'll know what I'm talking about, it's technically Arsinoe's fault, you could say. But at the same time, it felt like it was randomly popped in there. I wasn't expecting it at all. It bugged me. Sure he was delirious in the beginning but then he wasn't, and he really wasn't the second time. He comes back and he begs forgiveness from Jules and so on. But then it happens again. Then there's the tent scene and my heart broke for Jules. And then there's the end. Yet again Joseph and Mirabella like to irritating magnets go towards each other. Joseph really started to piss me off at this point, and his character will forever be marred now. I don't think he can be redeemed. After the events of the Disembarking he gets all pissy at Jules. I was not having that. She lost control and she had every right to be so hurt and heartbroken that she couldn't control things properly. Yet he's all accusing. HOT DAMN I wanted to punch him in the face. I was totally done with him at that point and then at the end he's all "I'll never leave her again" and I was like sure dude. Until Mirabella shows up again and then off you'll trot and repeat your past behaviour. Like go away you stupid sod. I know it's going to happen in the next book and keep happening, and they'll probably end up together and ugh. I can't be dealing with it. It pissed me off so damn much! I just want Jules to be happy you guys! 

SPOILERS CONTINUE because that wasn't the end of the cheating. I don't know what it was about it. Like usually I'd be like "oooh drama" and I'd be raving about how it livened up the book, but the author got me so damn attached to Jules that I couldn't be anything but irritated at Joseph's behaviour. I was even more angry at Madrigal though. All I'm going to say is that her sister raised Jules when she couldn't be bothered to do it herself. She took Jules punishment so Jules could carry on living her life. And then Madrigal goes and does what she does. HELL NO SISTER. I'm 99% sure she's used some freaky magic. And I'm really hoping I'm right otherwise I'm going to lose all faith in romance in this book. ALL FAITH. 

So. Anyway. I loved Katharine, Arsinoe and Jules. I loved the friendship between Jules and Arsinoe as previously stated. I got on board with Katharine's romance because I needed something to counteract the bad romance. The other things I enjoyed about the book? The supporting characters, other than Jules we had Billy. I loved him for everything he tried to do for Arsinoe, his friend, and I'm kind of hoping that might develop in to a romance....I need someone to get a happy romance okay. I liked Natalia, she wasn't all soft and fluffy with Katharine but she did care for her. I loved Jules family and how they looked after Arsinoe. The author really created characters and brought them to life, and you could see how the characters that raised the girls influenced who they became. There where plenty of secondary characters you love to hate, Genevieve for one. And Madrigal. Idiotic Joseph....and so on. The Priestesses too! *growls* 

I need to also mention the world of the book, I was really intrigued by it and it's existence with the mainland. I thought the author created the world very vividly and the world sucked me in and I was so curious to know more about it and it's history. I also enjoyed the whole government/religion struggle going on. I didn't really like the Priestesses so wrong or right, I was kinda rooting for the Council, sorry guys! 

Now what I didn't like, aside from the abundance of cheating, randomly shoved in or otherwise....I felt like the book was kind of slow. I kept reading because I was intrigued to see what would happen and the book got really good towards the end. But like I said previously, I was expecting an action packed Hunger Gamesy book with battles or whatever going on, and I didn't get that BUT this book has set the next book up for that. It introduced us to the Queens, it showed us their motivations, and it kicked things off ready for the forthcoming battle. I think there where some things that could have been cut out to streamline it down, but while it was slow, I get that this book was an introduction and I was probably influenced slightly by the preconceptions I had about it. I enjoyed the authors writing and she drops a massive bombshell at the end that changes everything. Like as soon as I saw a certain sentence I had to sit and mull it over for like 5 minutes after it hit me. Then I read the last few sentences and it was confirmed and I again, had to sit and mull over the implications. It genuinely changes everything and I'm really excited to see what's going to happen in the next book after this revelation!