The Three Crowns

New York Times Bestseller * New York Public Library Best Book of 2016 * Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2016 * Kirkus Best Book of the Year Fans of acclaimed author Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed in Blood will devour Three Dark Crowns, the first book in a dark and inventive fantasy series about three sisters who must fight to the death to become queen. 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. Don't miss Five Dark Fates, the thrilling conclusion to the series!

This new story in the Vision Books series of saints for 9 - 15 year olds is aobut Saint Elizabeth of Hungary who spent her life differently than most saints. Instead of living in poverty like St. Francis of Assisi, she lived most of her life in a castle surrounded by incredible wealth. She was born Princess Elizabeth of Hungary, the daughter of King Andrew. By the age of four she was already engaged to be married and was sent far away from her home to live with Louis, her husband-to-be, who was only 10 years old. From the beginning of her life in her new castle, Elizabeth was ridiculed by all of those people who were jealous of her. They noticed that she was always trying to be holy. As she would play games with other children, she would contrive little ways to sneak into the chapel and have a visit with Jesus. Although Elizabeth was a princess, she longed to live the kind of poverty she heard about through the Franciscans. She became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis and she constantly gave her jewels and best clothes to the poor. Sometimes she gave everything away and had nothing nice to wear, but Jesus always provided for her at the last minute. When she emptied the castle store-houses of grain for the poor, Jesus would miraculously fill them up again. Her subjects were never able to grow accustomed to the queen who lived the life of a saint, but they always appreciated her generosity and saw in her such simplicity and holiness. Only four years after her death she was canonized a saint.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake returns with the highly anticipated third book in the Three Dark Crowns series! And while Arsinoe, Mirabella, and Katharine all have their own scores to settle, there is another queen stirring things up on Fennbirn Island. Queen Katharine has waited her entire life to wear the crown. But now that she finally has it, the murmurs of dissent grow louder by the day. There’s also the alarming issue of whether her sisters are actually dead—or if they’re waiting in the wings to usurp the throne. Mirabella and Arsinoe are alive, but in hiding on the mainland and dealing with a nightmare of their own: being visited repeatedly by a specter they think might be the fabled Blue Queen. Though she says nothing, her rotting, bony finger pointing out to sea is clear enough: return to Fennbirn. Jules, too, is in a strange place—in disguise. And her only confidants, a war-gifted girl named Emilia and her oracle friend Mathilde, are urging her to take on a role she can’t imagine filling: a legion-cursed queen who will lead a rebel army to Katharine’s doorstep. This is an uprising that the mysterious Blue Queen may have more to do with than anyone could have guessed—or expected. Don't miss Five Dark Fates, the thrilling conclusion to the series!

#1 New York Times bestseller! In this enthralling sequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, Fennbirn’s deadliest queens must face the one thing standing in their way of the crown: each other. The battle for the crown has begun, but which of the three sisters will prevail? With the unforgettable events of the Quickening behind them and the Ascension Year underway, all bets are off. Katharine, once the weak and feeble sister, is stronger than ever before. Arsinoe, after discovering the truth about her powers, must figure out how to make her secret talent work in her favor without anyone finding out. And Mirabella, once thought to be the strongest sister of all and the certain Queen Crowned, faces attacks like never before—ones that put those around her in danger she can’t seem to prevent. Don't miss Five Dark Fates, the thrilling conclusion to the series!

In this must-read prequel to Kendare Blake’s New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns, the queens’ origin story is revealed. It’s a pre-crown lowdown of Fennbirn’s ruling class. Mirabella, Arsinoe, and Katharine weren't always scheming to murder each other. They weren't always surrounded by rival foster families, each swearing to have their best interests at heart. And they weren't always afraid of being unexpectedly attacked—by one of their own sisters, no less—in a way that could cost them their last breath. They used to be together. Just three sisters. Alone in a glen. This is the story of the three queens—after they were born, before they were separated, during the time when they all lived together, loved each other, and protected each other. Even as children, their personalities were starting to emerge—Mirabella was the responsible eldest; Arsinoe, the wild spitfire; and Katharine, the obedient youngest. It’s also the story of the day they were torn apart, and the several years that follow. From birth to eleven years old, this is a rare glimpse of the queens' lives…before they were at stake. Don't miss any of the Three Dark Crowns books, including Five Dark Fates, the thrilling conclusion to the series! Want to read more about Fennbirn’s history? Check out The Oracle Queen, the tragic story of the legendary last Queen with the gift of sight!

Celebrated in Italy as the 'Tre Corone' (the three crowns), Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio have exerted an immense influence over western culture. This book looks at their impact on Italian culture up to the Renaissance.

In the final book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Three Dark Crowns series, an all-out war is brewing—one that will pit sister against sister and dead against undead. After the grim confrontation with Queen Katharine, the rebellion lies in tatters. Jules’s legion curse has been unbound, and it is up to Arsinoe to find a cure, even as the responsibility of stopping the ravaging mist lies heavy on her shoulders, and her shoulders alone. Mirabella has disappeared. Katharine’s reign remains intact—for now. When Mirabella arrives, seemingly under a banner of truce, Katharine begins to yearn for the closeness that Mirabella and Arsinoe share. But as the two circle each other, the dead queens hiss caution—Mirabella is not to be trusted. In this conclusion to the Three Dark Crowns series, three sisters will rise to fight as the secrets of Fennbirn’s history are laid bare. Allegiances will shift. Bonds will be tested. But the fate of the island lies in the hands of its queens. It always has.