Lady Business

At first glance, Kendare Blake's Three Dark Crowns series appears firmly anchored in storytelling traditions of brutal, female competition. Three magical queenly sisters, Arsinoe, Mirabella, and Katharine, battle each other for dominance on the island of Fennbirn. These girls from the opposing magical camps of naturalists, elementals and poisoners are competing for the crown, their suitors' hearts, and the right to bear the next set of "blessed" triplets who will, once born, again do battle for the crown. In accordance with age old tradition, only one queen can survive; the other two queens must be despatched by their sister's hand.

So far, so conventional. Fiction is littered with stories about women locked in unhealthy competitions with each other; the fairy tale jealousies of queens, the recurring 'not like other girls' narrative, the one Strong Female Protagonist surrounded by women still bound up in their sexist culture. However, it quickly becomes apparent that Fennbirn is no "ordinary" magical island, and the structure of Fennbirn's society recasts the contest between the queens in an extremely interesting light.

( Includes mild spoilers for the series )