I’ve been thinking about the difference between “formulaic” and “badly written” recently and this…

I’ve been thinking about the difference between “formulaic” and “badly written” recently and this got me contemplating my favorite YA series that I would describe as formulaic, Kendare Blake’s Three Dark Crowns. It’s an EXTREMELY 2010s YA premise: on this magical island, three sister queens must battle to the death to determine which type of magic will rule the island for the next generation.…