King of Beasts

Twin Crowns #5

by Catherine Doyle

King Alarik Felsing.

A lone wolf.

A frozen heart …

Deep in the mountains of a snow-swept kingdom, an ancient beast is stirring. When a beautiful young wrangler arrives to try and tame it, she is not expecting to tame the beast that lives inside the king too. But sometimes, all it takes is an unexpected spark to melt even the iciest of hearts …

A stunning new romantasy novel filled with magic, tantalizing romance and thrilling action.

498 characters ( 2000)

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Royalty

432 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 29, 2026

About the author

Catherine Doyle grew up in the West of Ireland. She holds a first-class BA in Psychology and a first-class MA in Publishing. She is the author of the Young Adult Blood for Blood trilogy (Vendetta, Inferno and Mafiosa), which is often described as Romeo and Juliet meets the Godfather. It was inspired by her love of modern cinema. Her debut Middle Grade novel, The Storm Keeper's Island (Bloomsbury, 2018), is an adventure story about family, bravery and self-discovery. It is set on the magical island of Arranmore, where her grandparents grew up, and is inspired by her ancestors' real life daring sea rescues.

​Aside from more conventional interests in movies, running and travelling, Catherine also enjoys writing about herself in the third-person.

Reviews

[sarah ༊*·˚]

how can i wait for 2026?? JUSTICE FOR ALARIK 😭

[Claire ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SOOOO good. Romantic, adventurous, and immensely funny, I genuinely cracked up a few times. An amazing conclusion to the series and a great goodbye to the king of my heart Alarik Felsing. Proper review to come closer to publication.

1. TWIN CROWNS ★★★☆☆
2. CURSED CROWNS ★★★☆☆
3. BURNING CROWNS ★★★★★
4. CAPTAIN OF FATES ★★☆☆☆

THE STORM KEEPER'S ISLAND ★★★★☆
THE DAGGER AND THE FLAME ★★☆☆☆

—

finally my king gets the recognition he deserves 😩👌

[tappkalina]

I haven't even read book 3 yet, so I guess I just spoiled the love triangle endgame for myself, but who cares, because this was the very few instances where I loved both of them equally.

[Emelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Frostbitten, Fierce, and Perfect Goodbye – Infinity of Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

An emotional, unforgettable and perfect conclusion to the series that owns my whole heart. King of Beasts is everything I hoped for and then it melted me with more.

With a looming war and an arranged marriage meant to protect his kingdom, King Alarik Felsing is a man burdened by duty, closed off to the idea of love—if his frozen heart can even want.
Struggling to tame the beasts around him, he calls upon a skilled wrangler, one who meets him with fierce calm, steady hands, and a soul wild enough to match his own: Greta Iversen.

Her fierceness lies in her gentleness, her wildness, her quiet strength. Greta doesn’t just wrangle the kingdom’s wildest beasts—she meets Alarik head-on, sees through him, and opens his eyes to a world beyond war.
Together, they are everything.

They are my favorite couple in the entire Twin Crowns world.
Greta didn’t just win Alarik’s heart, she won mine too.
She’s easily become my favorite book character of all time. Kind, steady, beautifully strong in both mind and soul—just as Alarik sees her. They are absolutely perfect for each other.

I couldn’t have wished for a more beautiful, soul-deep love story to bring this series to a close.
It made me feel the very same way Twin Crowns did when it first swept me away and reminded me why I fell in love with this world in the first place.

Alarik and Greta’s story is my favorite of all, and King of Beasts fits them—and this world—so perfectly.
Even as it concludes and closes the door of the Twin Crowns series, it doesn’t feel like a goodbye. It feels like a full-circle, heart-swelling ending that warmed me through and through. It left a key tucked in my heart and an echo of a beast’s roar that will live in my chest forever.

[_booktique2_ D Amora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe I just finished my pookie ALARIKS book. Like it’s over? That’s IT? Me need more😭😭😭

[Iris]

My song:
I want it
I want it
I want it I want it I want it
Hey!
And repeat

[Amy Kirton]

As much as I love the idea of this - Justice for Alarik ✊- I just can’t seem to grasp the idea of him with someone that isn’t Wren. They should’ve been endgame.
How am I meant to wait this long for it to come out 😭
I’m really exited about this book but it still makes me sad as I think about what could have been with Wren and Alarik.
But I’m sure it’ll still be good 😊

[Trish]

Finally justice for Alarik!! 😭😭

[Tuktuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait! I will storm into the bookstore on the release date and get Alarik asap 🥷. He deserves the best and I am sooo happy that his story continues 🥹🌬️💕.

[Emelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Frostbitten, Fierce, and Perfect Goodbye – Infinity of Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

An emotional, unforgettable and perfect conclusion to the series that owns my whole heart. King of Beasts is everything I hoped for—and then it melted me with more.

With a looming war and an arranged marriage meant to protect his kingdom, King Alarik Felsing is a man burdened by duty, closed off to the idea of love—if his frozen heart can even want.
Struggling to tame the beasts around him, he calls upon a skilled wrangler—one who meets him with fierce calm, steady hands, and a soul wild enough to match his own: Greta Iversen.

Her fierceness lies in her gentleness, her wildness, her quiet strength. Greta doesn’t just wrangle the kingdom’s wildest beasts—she meets Alarik head-on, sees through him, and opens his eyes to a world beyond war.
Together, they are everything.

They are my favorite couple in the entire Twin Crowns world.
Greta didn’t just win Alarik’s heart—she won mine too.
She’s easily become my favorite book character of all time. Kind, steady, beautifully strong in both mind and soul—just as Alarik sees her. They are absolutely perfect for each other.

I couldn’t have wished for a more beautiful, soul-deep love story to bring this series to a close.
It made me feel the very same way Twin Crowns did when it first swept me away—and reminded me why I fell in love with this world in the first place.

Alarik and Greta’s story is my favorite of all, and King of Beasts fits them—and this world—so perfectly.
Even as it concludes and closes the door of the Twin Crowns series, it doesn’t feel like a goodbye. It feels like a full-circle, heart-swelling ending that warmed me through and through— it left a key tucked in my heart and the memory of every wild heartbeat behind it.

It’s not a goodbye, but a full-circle, heart-swelling finale—an echo of a beast’s roar that will live in my chest forever.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

KING OF BEASTS is an epic send off for this world.

Gevra is the second most important country in the main trilogy, but the land and its people have always been seen through outsiders' eyes (mostly Wren's). I was so excited for this book to show us Gevra through its people's perspective. This is the book that shows readers why an icy land could be beautiful and be home to its inhabitants, not merely a dangerous, cold place.

I was also very excited to get inside Alarik's head. He was my favourite major (non-POV) character from the main trilogy. I appreciated that the book didn't go down the "he might be brutal but he secretly hates it" route. Of course, he is humanised (more so than in CURSED CROWNS and BURNING CROWNS) with more depth given to his reasons, but I'm very glad the cliché method for having brutal characters be love interests was avoided.

The book revolves around a dispute with Gevra's neighbour, Vask. I really liked that the plot evolved from the consequences of BURNING CROWNS. Gevra has been massively damaged by the events of that book and so the ambitious neighbour is taking advantage. So often books gloss over the consequences of the final battle (largely because they're ending there and want happy epilogues!) and I loved that this book interrogated that. This set up allows for plenty of action, including one major battle (that doesn't form the ending, to further kick the trend!)

The romance is as swoony as you'd hope from this world. It's not quite enemies-to-lovers but there's a certain antagonism between them (partly because Alarik keeps everyone at bay and partly because Greta dislikes what's happened to the kingdom under his rule). Once they find their common ground, their fledgling feelings then take on a forbidden aspect as he's engaged to someone else.

Like with CAPTAIN OF FATES, several characters from the main trilogy also get cameos - Anika, Tor, and Wren. It was lovely to see glimpses of them, particularly as they are the three with relationships to Alarik. Tor and Alarik's interaction was my favourite. Their relationship was an undercurrent of tension in the main trilogy and I really liked seeing it explicitly addressed.

I am so sad to see this series end, but we could not have said goodbye in a better way.

[Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly magnificent, my favourite of hers so far. This book reminded me that I’m not growing out of YA when masterpieces like this exist.

Read it for the beasts (both animals and man), read it for a new fmc to love, read it if you’ve read and loved Twin Crowns, read it if you haven’t. Just devour it and thank me later.

This book is full of pining and magic, full of life and well loved characters. I truly loved every single page and I don’t know what to do with myself now!

Read if you love:
🐺 Wild Beasts
❄️ Frozen Kingdoms
🌲 Pining, Longing and Slow Burn Yearning
✨ Royals and Magic
👑 Cameos from your fave Twin Crowns Characters

I also finally forgive Cat for the end of the Twin Crowns love triangle ❤️

[Nija (love triangle apologist)]

I'm not gonna read this after the mess that was Burning Crowns (I do not trust these writers with my fav), I'm just here to say what kind of wasted opportunity is it to have a Marino AND an Alarik sequel and NOT have them get together?? think about it. it would have worked so well. the closed-off ice king and the whimsical swashbuckling captain. going on a journey together and falling in love against all odds. they'd annoy each other so much. Celeste & Anika being matchmakers. we could have had it all

[Farah ♡]

alaric my man.... only youll have me reading this...

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Electric Monkey for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my review. All opinions are my own.

As a MASSIVE fan of Twin Crowns and its universe I was buzzing to be approved for this ARC, and it did not disappoint!

King of Beasts follows Greta Iversen (Tor’s younger sister) who is summoned to be the wrangler of King Alarik Felsing’s beasts, in preparation for an upcoming war. With the war looming, Alarik is set up for an arranged marriage in hopes to protect the kingdom.

Alarik is burdened by duty and he is closed off to the idea of love, his heart is made of ice and thankfully Greta melts it!

Behind Rose and Shen, these are my next favourite couple of the series. The slow burn was beautiful and was at the right pace, I really loved the relationship that they built and how they weren’t afraid to shout at one another. Some of their moments were really funny. It was lovely to see Greta come out of her shell and I felt like they both complimented each other well.

(Funny moments: every time Lief was there. He was hilarious and Alarik hated him so much! And also when Tor made his appearance!! I was literally kicking my feet!)

I thought this story was perfect to close the series. I am sad that the Twin Crowns series is over, I am hoping in the future that the authors will revisit! My first 5 star read of the year!

Also worth mentioning, a true YA novel, with no spice meaning it can sit in my school library.

Thank you again to NetGalley and Electric Monkey for allowing me to read this ARC!

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an ARC via Netgalley*
I'm so sad that this is over! But what a fantastic end to this series. Alarik is my favourite character, so this is the book I was most excited for and it did not disappoint.
With Alarik's Kingdom on the brink of war, he needs a new wrangler. Greta was not only perfect for the job, but a perfect addition to this series. I truly enjoyed her character and her story.
I loved the plot for this book. The world building has been fantastic throughout the series, and I loved the imagery and descriptions.
This was an incredibly satisfying ending to the series. But I am truly sad that it is over. Once again, Doyle's writing did not disappoint!

[booktokandchill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alarik is a babe

[Kaitlynne]

someone please give this to me now, Alarik is my favorite

[Beth Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect frosty tale and epic addition to the Twin Crowns world. Cat Doyle returns us to Gevra and Alarik Felsing the brooding monarch who once had designs on Wren.

War looms over Gevra and Alarik lacks a wrangler having lost Tor to Wren and Eana. Frustrated he sends for one of Tor's Sisters. Oh and there's the small matter of the betrothal his mother has arranged behind his back to a foreign princess he doesn't know and doesn't want beyond the potential political alliance.

Into this walks Greta Iversen, Tor's youngest sister. Sharp witted, sharper tongued, and wholly focused on the beasts Greta immediately butts heads with the taciturn, irritable king.

obviously this is a Twin Crowns book so sparks soon fly but they have to weather Alarik's upcoming marriage, war, betrayal, and a mystery in the mountains.

I loved the way these two work together, Greta never holding back even if she regrets running her mouth, and the way Alarik finds himself drawn to her fire and shared passion for the animals she cares for

There's a delightful cameo from Wren and overprotective big brother Tor at the perfect moment and I loved the harried, ever interrupting, delightfully irritating Lief as he tries to plan the wedding the King could not be less interested in. (Big Pepper Saltzman vibes xD)

It's sad that this is out last trip to the world of Twin Crowns but it's a barnstormer.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six star read — or infinite stars tbh.

This just absolutely warmed my soul and I didn't ever want to finish this book, if I could have had a whole series dedicated to Alarik and Greta I would take it all.

Incredible, immersive writing. Beautiful settings. Was kicking my feet and giggling the whole time, and when I wasn't I was gasping in surprise. Just an glorious romantic journey and great plot lines. I miss them already :(

[Zara]

nooo i can’t wait till 2026 please 😭😭😭

[Beth Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

King of Beasts is a brilliant conclusion to the Twin Crowns series - I've really enjoyed reading the series as a whole but this may be my favourite yet. I liked Alarik's character since we met him, and found his character arc really interesting to follow throughout the original trilogy. When I heard we were going to follow him in this book, I was definitely intrigued.

This book was exciting, emotional and heartfelt. I really liked seeing Greta's storyline and hearing about her family, which gave a new dynamic to the world as a whole. I liked the nods we had to the other characters in the series, including Wren and Rose. Seeing some of our beloved characters on the page was a real treat!

I've always admired how this book focuses on larger, more hard hitting topics, such as a looming war and arranged marriage, without being overly complicated or difficult to digest. We follow everything through the eyes of these young characters, making the plot easy to follow and navigate.

Then we have the romance! I loved these two, and I must admit I found the romance highly addictive. My heart truly melted to see the way they cared for and looked after each other.

Overall, such a lovely part of this series and the perfect way to leave these characters!

Thank you to Harper Collins for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Omiai · Rating 4 out of 5]

so I have loved every book in the Twin Crowns series SO much. including Captain of Fates, the other spin-off book.
but there was something about this one that I just didn't quite gel with. I never connected with the characters particularly well, they felt too generic (I think I connected better with the landscape and weather to be honest!). Alarik and Greta's story...it was like someone said 'we need you to write a spin off where Alarik finally finds love.' and it was shoe-horned into the story. the story itself wasn't particularly original either, I've read very similar in fantasy and ya fantasy before, so it left me feeling a bit like I just wanted to get the book over with.
that said, I do love the idea of the wranglers, and Greta's power as one was fascinating, and I'd have loved more of that.
the typical 'here is a princess you must marry' story is in there too, and that felt like it was again, shoehorned in as a fantasy trope.
despite how negative my review sounds, it still gets a 4 because despite the story itself being sub par, Doyle has such a great writing style that she managed to just about save this book. I think had someone else written it, it would have been a DNF.
so worth it if you're a fan of the series, despite it's unoriginality, but Doyle is such a good writer, she makes it readable.

[LJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leaving witches and magic for snow leopards, wild things and war, in King of Beasts Cat perfects a slow-burn romance in the iciest of settings. The new characters, Captain Vine and Princess Elva are refreshing and so likeable but
all readers will fall in love with Greta. For Twin Crown fans though, the cameos are immensely satisfying, humourous and some of my favourite parts. I love Greta's connection to animals and landscape the most, alongside Alarik's recognition of that, which I think is the magic of this story. In this romantasy wild spirits meet among wolves and mountains and it is beautiful.

[thetravellerslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a stunning, fast-paced romantasy that hooked me from page one. Catherine Doyle blends fierce magic, sharp tension, and deeply emotional character moments with absolute perfection. The world-building is brilliant, the stakes are high, and the chemistry is electric. I couldn’t put it down. A brilliant addition to the series and easily one of my new favourites.

[Lifeinbookland · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I absolutely loved reading this one! The chemistry between Alarik and Greta was great! I loved all the small moments and yearning, I was definitely giggling!

The only annoying thing was - how the Iverson family was STARVING? They were getting coins from Tor, Greta was hunting, and they had a fisherman, and still starving?? Should have just moved to Eana then.

[larasbookcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book in this series! Despite his frosty exterior, you can't help but warm up to Alarik as he navigates his feelings for Greta alongside his duties as King of a kingdom at war. Greta's protectiveness of the animals made her an insta favourite character for me, and I'll be keeping all my fingers crossed that CD and KW do one day return to this world as I'd love to see more from it <3

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosh, I am going to miss this world and its characters so much. They have well and truly stolen my heart and I don't want it back. Although I hate to say goodbye, this was such an epic finale and a brilliant way to end a wonderfully fun and memorable series.

[Ghvvhv Chinprai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good one

[~• Savannah •~]

This is probably going to be my most anticipated book of 2026 lol