Two Dark Reigns

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!

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.

Holy cow. How is this series still so amazing at book 3! The characters are all well written and the story has me completely invested. The cliffhanger!!!! Man I need to read the last book ASAP. This series so far is jam-packed: love, fight, treachery, loyalty, uprising, friendship and much more.

A dark and twisted cliff-hanger...

The saga continues with further expansion of the backstory of the queens, the history of the island, and some excellent interactions between people you wouldn't expect. And my god, the things done near the end of this one! I'm glad I had the next one ready to go because waiting to find out exactly what the heck the queens were up to would have been excruciating.

I am finally caught up on this series and ready for the 4th book in September. I have to be honest, I didn't love this one. I like the stories of the older queens but it seemed like the main story was stalled in order to stretch the series. It's possible it's just me, I read all three back to back, so I may have just reached saturation level on the books.

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.