Three Dark Crowns has a fantastic premise: three sisters who must kill the others in order to become the queen, each with her own set of unique powers and interested king-consorts. Even before I began reading, I was excited. The plot promised drama, blood, romance, and darkness.

Unfortunately, Three Dark Crowns fell short of my high expectations. It lacked a clear plot, and the entire book felt as though it were leading up to an epic moment that never happened. The climactic, highly anticipated battle between the queens always seemed right around the corner, but to my disappointment, it never happened. Consequently, the entire book felt like it was merely the backstory for the sequel. And, as a reader, I felt teased! It seemed like the author was merely pushing off the big battle until the next book, brushing off all her anxiously awaiting readers and saying “that’s a problem for a sequel to handle.”

So, okay — poor plot. How about the characters? Again, the premise of the characters was amazing. I loved the idea of the contenders for queen being sisters. Family ties are a practically unbreakable bond, and we all have a soft spot for our loved ones, so the sisterhood of the characters was a unique twist. However, just as with the plot, the execution of these characters throughout the book didn’t hold up. For one, the sisters’ powers could have been more vividly portrayed, as they came across as fake-magical and underplayed. I also thought that the failed attempts at romance were a significant downside; none of the sisters’ relationships fully developed — even though some of them played significant roles in the plot! — and they felt awkward, out of place, and uncertain.

Overall, I thought that Three Dark Crowns‘ significant potential was left largely unfulfilled. The plot caves in, the characters are flat, and readers are left feeling not only dissatisfied, but played. If only the long-awaited battle had occurred! Hey, as much as I was disappointed with Three Dark Crowns, I still want to know what happens! I am keeping my eyes peeled for the sequel, and I am crossing my fingers that it will be a significant improvement from its predecessor.