Hello there guys!
Today I'm more than elated to be part of the Blog Tour for Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake, organized by the lovely Hannah of Irish Banana Tours!
I was super happy when Hannah told me that I was to make decorated cupcakes inspired by Three Dark Crowns and I made sure to take some notes as I read (as best as I could, because I got so into the book at some point I completely forgot to take notes and simply immersed myself into it!).
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.
If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest…but she may be the darkest.
Three Dark Crowns Ink & Batter Cupcakes
I was extremely lucky to be able to chat with Kendare herself about the cupcakes, their flavours and the possible decorations for them all, and she was super excited about them and approved all of my ideas!
I decided on vanilla & caramel cupcakes for Mirabella, red velvet cupcakes for Katharine and strawberry with white chocolate cupcakes for Arsinoe.
Arsinoe's cupcakes (the Naturalist queen)
Arsinoe's were strawberry cupcakes with white chocolate cream cheese icing, with a rose & chocolates (if you've read the book, you know they're quite important), a big wild bear and a crown!
Katharine's cupcakes (the Poisoner queen)
Katharine's are red velvet, red and luscious, with cream cheese icing with a hint of bitter orange flavour. She has her crown as well as a candied scorpion and Katharine's beloved snake, Sweetheart.
Mirabella's cupcakes (the Elemental queen)
Mirabella's are vanilla cupcakes, with caramel sauce filling and caramel cream cheese icing. She has her crown, a serrated knife (again, you'll know how significant they are if you've read the book) and a flame of fire (made as best as I could, I tried a bolt of lightning, but it was quite impossible!).
Three Dark Crowns!
Kendare Blake is the author of several novels and short stories, most of which you can find information about via the links above. Her work is sort of dark, always violent, and features passages describing food from when she writes while hungry. She was born in July (for those of you doing book reports) in Seoul, South Korea, but doesn’t speak a lick of Korean, as she was packed off at a very early age to her adoptive parents in the United States. That might be just an excuse, though, as she is pretty bad at learning foreign languages. She enjoys the work of Milan Kundera, Caitlin R Kiernan, Bret Easton Ellis, Richard Linklater, and the late, great Michael Jackson, I mean, come on, he gave us Thriller.
She lives and writes in Kent, Washington, with her husband, their two cat sons (Tybalt and Tyrion Cattister) and their red Doberman dog son, Obi Dog Kenobi.
GIVEAWAY
3 Finished Copies of THREE DARK CROWNS (US Only)
CLICK HERE FOR THE RAFFLECOPTER
Tour Schedule:
Week 1:
9/15: Pandora's Books - Review
Week 2:
9/23: Arctic Books - Review
Oh my! How long has it been since you made book themed cupcakes for a blog post? I am so happy to see these! They are beautful. A lot of people are loving this book. Who gets to eat all the goodies? Do you take them into work?
ReplyDeleteProbably over 2 years! Thank you so much LaLa! The extra cupcakes I get from making these go to work or to my friend neighbours, and these I'll be keeping as decorations at home! =D
DeleteWow! you are a great baker and pastry chef designer. Besides looking absolutely delicious, they are beautiful. Fun post today thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Danielle!
DeleteYou're so talented and so thoughtful with the flavors! I love these <3
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Eileen!! =D <3
DeleteYOUR CUPCAKES ARE SO PRETTY PILI!!!! Also, I want to eat them all. Damn you for living so far away so I can't come to your house and steal them ;-)
ReplyDeleteGorgeous job my friend!!!
THANK YOU JENNY!! I wish you lived closer so I could share my cupcakes with you!! =D
DeleteThese cupcakes are awesome! They fit the book perfectly!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kaitlyn!
DeleteI already said this, but OH MY GODS they are SO pretty! You are very talented! Also, my mouth is watering, lol.
ReplyDeleteThree Dark Crowns sounds very intriguing, and I love Kendare so I'll have to check out that book!
Thank you, Lili! And YES, you need to read Three Dark Crowns!
DeleteI love the cupcakes, they are almost too pretty to eat, but they also sound delicious!
ReplyDeleteThank you Kara!
DeleteThis was such a fantastic idea, but now I'm hungry! I love that you chose red velvet for Katherine - hers should be bloody. :) And a bear for Arsinoe! So much thought was put into this. I admire you so much for doing this.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Maja! I just love baking and decorating!
DeleteYESSS I have missed your baking posts Pili! These cupcakes sound absolutely delectable and I love how you matched them to the characters!
ReplyDeleteYAY, thank you Jeann! =D
DeleteEee, I love this :D Thank you for sharing Pili. <3 Your cupcakes always looks so amazing. Sigh. I WANT THEM :D And they are so gorgeous. Eee. I loved this book. <3 And so glad you did too :)
ReplyDelete