Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle, Katherine Webber
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Special thanks to Harper Collins for sending a copy for review.
Summary:
Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…
Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.
Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown? (Goodreads).
Thoughts:
Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber has an intriguing premise that hooked me instantly. It takes place in a fantasy land where witches, magic, and other beasts and creatures exist. Two twin princesses, who were separated at birth: one raised to become Queen and another by witches, must now fight for the throne and the future of Eana.
The book follows both Rose’s and Wren’s POVs, switching between them every chapter and tells the stories of two drastically different lives. Their lives get switched when Wren takes Rose’s place in the Anadawn palace, and Rose gets kidnapped and taken to Ortha where all the witches reside. While Wren had her worries about being exposed, Rose traversed harsh deserts, whispering magical forests, and dangerous steep cliffs. As the story unfolds, more things get revealed. We learn about the tragic history of the witches and how the present was built from lies. After learning the truth, the twins become allies, and instead of fighting for the throne, they now fight together for the future.
I absolutely loved all the characters, especially the twins. Both Rose and Wren contrasted each other perfectly. Rose was more reserved, prideful, and gentle, while Wren was much more outspoken, sarcastic, and witty. My first impression of Rose wasn’t the greatest, especially during the scene where she meets Shen (the bandit who kidnapped her and Wren’s best friend). I thought she was really haughty and sort of arrogant. Luckily that impression did not last; I’ve come to really love her character. Her development was amazing, and it really showed how strong she was. I especially loved the scene near the end where she and Wren exposed the crimes of the Kingsbreath. Compared to when she was just kidnapped and learned the tragic history of the witches, and how her life was built on lies, she was stronger, more courageous as she had found her true self. Her story was emotional, and after finishing the book, I think she is probably my favourite character from Twin Crowns.
The romance in this book was both adorable and heart-fluttering. It’s a slow burn that stretches all the way from the beginning to the end. When I first picked up the book, I thought that it might’ve been a love triangle because of how the twins are fighting over the crown, and that perhaps they might also be fighting over the same person’s love. I’m glad that it didn’t turn out that way or else more hearts would’ve been broken; instead, there are two male leads, one with Rose and one with Wren. As Rose traveled outside the palace with her kidnapper, Shen, their relationship slowly bloomed through hardships and adorable interactions.
When Wren took the position of Princess, she took her sister’s role as a betrothed too. She was now engaged to the Prince of a neighboring kingdom as an alliance. Though it was a political marriage, both Prince Ansel and Wren were charmed by each other. So at this point, readers are led to believe that these two will slowly develop a relationship, but nope, the male lead was actually Tor, Prince Ansel’s guard. I’d say that Tor is probably a better match for Wren, but at the same time, I feel bad for Prince Ansel getting rejected by both “Rose’s.” I really like the chemistry between the two couples, and there were some scenes that made me blush and feel surprised. Overall though, I’d say that I’m very satisfied with the romance.
The writing for Twin Crowns was very detailed. The way the land and places were described felt extremely vivid, and it made me feel incredibly immersed. The dual POVs also urges you to continue since the story will cut off and switch every so often. I also really liked some of the smaller details, like using “stars” or “hissing seaweed” to replace some curse words.
Overall, I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. I had so much fun, and I’m really looking forward to a sequel (at least I really hope that there will be one). The book is filled with magic, romance, thrills, twists, and many emotions. I highly recommend giving this book a read!
Reviewed by Emily W.