The plot is well-constructed, progresses at a steady and scintillating pace, and keeps things intriguingly messy.
Everyone has a believable and understandable motive, which is more than can be said for most YA characters - antagonists specifically, who usually just seem to be bad for the sake of being bad. The characters are likeable and enough of them are flawed in a human enough way that there’s no real antagonist, no one you’re really ever rooting against – not really. This story presents you with an interesting premise and then sweeps you away with the plot. Each of them are given traits that set them apart, and each of them are given different strategies to appeal to the public for favor and to overcome their respective struggles. We get to see each queen’s perspective – Mirabella the elemental, Arsinoe the naturalist and Katherine the poisoner – as they struggle with power and politics gearing up for the beginning of their death contest. For the most part, each chapter designates a change in perspective, but there are some moments that trade point of view between characters. Martin-esque in that she relies upon multiple perspectives to give the reader all sides of the story. Katherine is not the only protagonist in this book – in fact, Blake’s storytelling mode is George R. Katherine is a queen, and she is strong, and she has a life-threatening problem that she will never be able to overcome. She is not a Unique Innocent Girl Thrust into a Dangerous World.
She is not blue-eyed and honey-blonde she is not unnecessarily and obnoxiously self-deprecating or self-pitying. This girl is not what we’ve come to expect from YA protagonists. We are presented with a flawed main character. The one who survives is made Queen Crowned.
The three are raised separately, trained in their abilities by families who possess the same talents, and soon after their 16th birthday, they are given a year to kill each other. The last is a poisoner, capable of, well, poisoning - but really well. One is an elemental, capable of harnessing the elements, and one is a naturalist, capable of controlling plants and animals. It is the very essence of a pageturner.Įach generation in the kingdom of Fennbirn, the ruling queen gives birth to triplets. Not because it was short, not because it was written in a juvenile fashion, but because it was good. Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Suspense/Drama By: McKenna Graham, Assistant Arts & Life Editor
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