#katharine blake is the only really likeable character

[rachaelslibrary]

Let’s Talk Books - One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

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Let me just start by saying I was not expecting to finish this book as quickly as I did.  I bought this book mainly to read during slow portions at work, and I got about halfway through it in a week.  Yesterday, I didn’t get a whole lot done at work because it was busy, so I decided to read a bit at home as well.  My goal was 50 pages and...I read 200 and finished the book because once I got going I couldn’t stop.

This book is the sequel to Three Dark Crowns, and it was a fantastic follow up.  If you haven’t read my thoughts on Three Dark Crowns, here’s the link.https://rachaelslibrary.tumblr.com/post/188702413603/lets-talk-books-three-dark-crowns-by-kendare, and if you haven’t read the first book, you should probably stop here because there will be spoilers ahead.

So One Dark Throne picks up directly where Three Dark Crowns left off, at the beginning of the Ascension year, with the three queens beginning to plot on how to kill each other.  Katharine is super creepy and willing to accept her roll, whereas Arsinoe and Mirabella are reluctant and more hesitant, although Mirabella thinks that Arsinoe tried to set a bear on her so she’s a little less hesitant in that aspect.  This book essentially follows the girls throughout the beginning of the year, Mirabella is confident in her abilities, Arsinoe is exploring her newfound poisoner abilities, and Katharine...Katherine’s creepy AF, I don’t know what else to say about her.

I enjoyed this book more than the last one because it did have a quicker pace, and it was interesting to see not only the plots of the girls, but the plots of their “parent figures” as well.  Natalia, Luca, and Madrigal all have their own stakes in this competition and all three of them are willing to do whatever it takes to get their girl to win.  I was not expecting the girls to get together as often as they did though. Throughout the book there are a few public events that the three girls must attend, therefore running into each other and possibly killing one another.  I was more expecting the plots to be sort of sneaking into cities and assassinating each other, but that’s not what this book was at all.

One Dark Throne continued to have excellent world building and magic system, but one thing did change for me character wise.  The last book, I couldn’t pick a queen that I wanted to win, I liked all three of them equally.  This book...it definitely starts to set Katherine up as the villain in the story.  I’m not sure how it’s going to play out, but I’m definitely looking forward to continuing on with the series. It seems like the next book is going to showcase a whole new world, and be completely different from the first two.

4.25/5 stars from me.

Now for some spoilery notes

Can I just say I really like the notebook feature on the Kindle? I can make notes as I go and then go back and look at them at the end...way easier than trying to remember all my thoughts and feelings.

Jules and Joseph’s relationship came a long way in this book, Jules seems way less naive and understands that he did cheat, and is working on forgiving him for it.  I highlighted the portion of the book where he says “Do you trust me?” and she goes “Not one bit.” Like yes, girl, yes....her eyes are open to his flaws and she’s not just blinded by affection for him.  With that being said, I felt like he redeemed himself quite a bit in this book, but I still barely cared when he died at the end.  I was upset that Jules was upset, but not that he died.  That line about how she kissed him until he stopped kissing back (he died) like...ugh...right in the heart.

Speaking of death, Katharine’s suitor, Nicolas, was helllllaaaa creepy.  I don’t use the word “hella” a lot, but it seems appropriate here.  Every time he referenced death and getting excited by it...you could tell he was like creepily aroused...I was legitimately convinced that he would turn out to be abusive towards Katharine in the end and wanted Pietyr to kill him, but luckily it didn’t get that far. He dies after having sex with her.  What a fitting way to go, to be honest.  He was sexually aroused by death, and died because he had sex with Katharine, who apparently is poisonous now? It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but it will be interesting to see where this goes. Either way, I’m glad that freak is dead. 

A few notes on Katharine as well, I spoke earlier about how she was starting to be set up as a villain, and I’m really starting to not like her.  She’s snobby and getting to be really stuck up, and apparently the dead queens are like kind of possessing her.  I like that she’s stronger and more of a contender now, but she’s soooo eager to kill her sisters.  Like calm down crazy.  And then at the end where she slices her face with a knife to convince Pietyr to leave...she just got weird and crazy and I want Pietyr to save her but also not to because then she won’t be constantly after Arsinoe and MIrabella, who frankly are wayyyyy more likeable.  Natalia’s death at the end was pretty sad (but way to go Rho for killing her killer right away) so hopefully that sort of sets Katharine back on the right track, but I doubt it.

Billy, Arsinoe, and Mirabella, I loved all three of them in this book, and how Billy at first didn’t like Mirabella out of principal, but he eventually couldn’t help but like her. Just that whole friendship between the three of them is so pure and cute it warms my heart. They all truly just want the best for each other, and now that they’re off the island, hopefully they get it.

But anyway, that’s about it for this book for me.  Not sure how I feel about Jules ditching Arisone and going back to the island, feels a little out of character considering she’s basically devoted her whole life to Arisnoe, but I’m open to see where everything goes.

Until next time.