"When Kingdom Come, there will be One"

This first installment of Kendare Blake's "Three Dark Crowns" series was phenomenal. Written in third person point of view, Blake introduces three sisters: Katherine, Arsinoe, and Mirabella. They all hold a similar past that is slightly alluded to throughout the novel, but present day scenarios show the distaste and contempt each of the girls holds against each other. All three girls are prospective queens for the crown, but only one of them may rule accordingly. Each queen has a fine group of people backing them, along with their other-worldly capabilities: Katherine as a poisoner, Arsinoe as a naturalist, and Mirabella as an elementalist. Blake's ability to create a world where sisters become strangers who fight to the death is intriguing--a world where becoming one of the hierarchy means committing unimaginable atrocities (something us as readers are familiar with when reading particular story lines--eh, hem, Shakespeare, perhaps). The novel was an easy read, a page turner of course, and the ending was perched on such an unexpected cliff hanger that starting the sequel was less of a consideration and more of an necessity!