The Three Dark Crowns series order brings together Kendare Blake’s dark young adult fantasy novels set on the island of Fennbirn. The story follows triplet queens Katharine, Arsinoe, and Mirabella, equal heirs who were raised apart and trained to compete for the crown.
Each sister has been shaped by a different magical family determined to see her rule. The series mixes dangerous magic, court politics, betrayal, and a complicated bond between sisters who have been taught to see one another as enemies.
Jump to:
- Three Dark Crowns Series in Publication Order
- Three Dark Crowns Series in Chronological Order
- Is There a Three Dark Crowns Movie?
- About the Three Dark Crowns Series
Three Dark Crowns Series in Publication Order
I recommend following Kendare Blake’s preferred reading order for your first time through the series. It keeps the major reveals in place and puts the two Fennbirn prequels between the second and third novels.
- Three Dark Crowns (2016)
- One Dark Throne (2017)
- Queens of Fennbirn (2018) (Novella Collection)
- Two Dark Reigns (2018)
- Five Dark Fates (2019)
Queens of Fennbirn contains both prequel novellas: The Young Queens (2017) and The Oracle Queen (2018). You can read the novellas as separate ebooks instead of buying the collection, but you don’t need both versions.
If you choose the individual ebooks, read The Young Queens first and The Oracle Queen second. Save them until after One Dark Throne. The Young Queens reveals information that can spoil Three Dark Crowns.
The paperback edition of Five Dark Fates includes a bonus epilogue set after the original ending.
Three Dark Crowns Series in Chronological Order
The chronological order begins with two stories set before the main novels. I recommend saving this version for a reread because The Young Queens contains spoilers for the first book.
- The Oracle Queen (2018) (Novella)
- The Young Queens (2017) (Novella)
- Three Dark Crowns (2016)
- One Dark Throne (2017)
- Two Dark Reigns (2018)
- Five Dark Fates (2019)
If you own Queens of Fennbirn, you already have the first two stories. Read The Oracle Queen before The Young Queens when following the internal chronology.
Is There a Three Dark Crowns Movie?
Fox acquired the feature-film rights to Three Dark Crowns in 2017, with 21 Laps Entertainment attached to produce. That announcement hasn’t resulted in a released movie.
About the Three Dark Crowns Series
Three Dark Crowns is a completed young adult dark fantasy series about triplet queens born as equal heirs to the throne of Fennbirn. The sisters are separated as children and raised by rival families who expect them to fight for the crown.
Mirabella is raised as an elemental with power over fire and storms. Katharine is trained as a poisoner, while Arsinoe is raised as a naturalist with a connection to plants and animals. Their gifts shape their lives, but so do the families, friendships, and political factions surrounding them.
The series has romance, but its main focus is the struggle between the sisters, the secrets of Fennbirn, and the brutal system that forces three queens to compete for one throne. Readers who enjoy dark magic, court politics, shifting loyalties, and complicated family relationships should feel at home here.
Looking for more books in order?
If you want more fantasy authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Fantasy Books in Order index.