I haven’t finished reading any books since my last review, y’all. I’ve been slacking on the whole “actually reading” part this month. But! There are quite a few books that I’ve read and not reviewed, so I’m gonna talk about Three Dark Crowns and One Dark Throne here today, in yet another Mini Review Monday!

Three Dark Crowns & One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake

I listened to both of these books by Kendare Blake, and it really surprised me how much I enjoyed them. I had heard a lot of great things about them, but had always thought they wouldn’t be my thing. I was wrong, dear readers.

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. (via Goodreads)

TW: torture, child neglect, animal death, political intrigue, assassination mentions

So, fair warning, I called the ending plot twist very early on. Despite that, I really enjoyed a lot about this series. I had some questions about some of the plot points, but didn’t find it problematic despite the classism baked into their society. I loved that so many people got to be their own people in this series, and that all of the queens do their own things to be independent, even in as small a way as they can. I cannot wait to see where this series goes from here.

A Recipe for Magic by
Kat Howard & Fran Wilde

I found out about this beautiful short story because I follow the illustrator, Wendy Xu, on twitter. When I found out it was free, I knew I had to scoop it up.

At the Night & Day Bakery, spells are baked right into the sweets, cakes, and pies–sugar magic for joy, grains of patience, dark as chocolate.

This story is about grief, healing and magic. It is as sweet and soft as any cake ever made, with mouthwatering descriptions of the magical items Esmé and Lux created together and separately.

This twelve page short story can be found at Barnes and Noble for free! If you’re looking for something that will bring you to happy tears, I highly recommend it.