From birth, the triplets were raised to be the perfect queens; their betrothals were sealed before they could walk. At 16, the princesses were gifted a wish from the stars and sent to their new lands to fulfill their destinies. But their mother, Empress Margaraux, had her sights set on far more than advantageous marriages. She trained the triplets in seduction, persuasion and even violence, to prepare them to carry out her plans of conquest. Each girl had a specific task to perform, the combination of which would lay the kingdoms to waste before their new empress. Their mother’s plan starts to crumble when the stars lead the sisters down different paths, and loyalties and boundaries are tested.
This book relies on the idea that a girl’s ability is usually underestimated, and the author does a great job playing on that belief. Her world-building is masterful; each sister, king and country has a unique feel. The creation and cost of magic is something I haven’t seen before. There were a couple times I was bogged down by that, but the pieces fit and the deception is exciting. There are a few things I would love to see explained in the sequel including who the triplets’ father is, and how Margaraux became empress in the first place.
I loved this dark fairy tale and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoyed Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber, and Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken.