Two Dark Reigns by Kendare Blake

One Crowned, Two Exiled, A Revolution Rising. The battle has been fought, blood has been spilt and a queen has been crowned, but not all are happy with the outcome. Katharine, the poisoner queen, has been crowned and is trying to ignore the whispers that call her illegitimate, undead, cursed. Mirabella and Arsinoe have escaped the island of Fennbirn, but how long before the island calls them back? Jules is returning to Fennbirn and has become the unlikely figurehead of a revolution threatening to topple Katharine's already unsteady rule. But what good is a revolution if something is wrong with the island itself? Kendare Blake's Two Dark Reigns is the heart-stopping third book in the bestselling Three Dark Crowns series. Discover more about Fennbirn and the three queens in the thrilling start to the quartet, Three Dark Crowns, and its sequel One Dark Throne.

At this point, you have to know what is happening with the characters.

I am not super into the awkward romance setup in this series, but I do like the political intrigue, adventure, and the world.

This book goes by fast, but it leaves everything unfinished. The ending is not so much an ending as a pause. You have to read the next book.

Pros:
- Each book in the series keeps getting better and better. I love this series and its ability to make me constantly change which queen I'm rooting for and which queen I think is going to succeed.
- I love all the complexities of the characters in this series, and I felt in this book they became even more real and more relatable. Arsinoe, Katharine, and Mirabella all have unique perspectives and stories that lead to these amazing characters that I want to know as much as possible about.
- Kendare Blake keeps adding to the complexity of this story with more storylines and more twists and turns. I really cannot wait for the conclusion and to see what she has up her sleeve for the finale.

Cons:
- With the expansion of the story, we have gotten more POVs in this installment and there were even more characters to learn and understand who they are and what “side” they are on. I feel like there were some storylines that were unnecessary (and yes I know I just said I love how complex this story has gotten).
- I think with all the different storylines we should have started to get some closure to certain things and we did not get that. So I'm a little worried Five Dark Fates is going to feel rushed to get everything in and tie everything up. Or worse we are going to get one of those “open endings”.

Regardless, I'm beyond excited for the conclusion of the series and this book has yet again made it impossible for me to choose my favorite Queen among the three. I definitely think each one has strengths and weakness that make them unique and the better fit to rule.

A dark and twisted cliff-hanger...

I can't say too much about this book as it would be a spoiler, but OMG .. the stakes have never been higher. I am worried about all of my favorites and the ending... Just wow. I am super excited to pick up the next book and get a conclusion to the story. Such a super easy read and I did not want to put the book down. I recommend this series for those who like dark reigns, fights for the throne, and sibling dynamics (if that's what you want to call it lol). So good!