The Hidden Twin

by Adi Rule

For eighteen years a girl with no name, a Redwing, has been hidden away in a small attic room within a city of hissing pipes and curving temples perched on the side of the great volcano, Mol, while her sister, Jey-identical except for her eyes-has lived her life in public as an only child. Their father had hoped the hidden girl would one day grow up to be a normal human girl and not the wicked creature mythology has promised, so he secretly spared her life as an infant.

But when she switches places with her sister, striking up a flirtation with the son of the Empress while working in the royal gardens and gets attacks by two suspicious priests on her journey home, she is forced to call forth fire to protect herself, unleashing her previously dormant powers and letting her secret out. She soon catches the attention of a cult with a thousand year old grudge as well as a group of underground rebels, both seeking her for their own gain. But when her sister goes missing and the Redwing uncovers a great plot to awaken Mol and bring fiery destruction upon them all, she is forced to embrace her powers.

In Adi Rule's new novel, The Hidden Twin, the girl with no name, must choose a name and a path for herself, drawing a line between myth and history to prove herself more than a monster if she is to save both her sister and her home.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Gothic, Mythology, Romance, Magic, Fiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2016

About the author

Adi Rule earned her MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is represented by Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List



This book was so cool! First off, the cover is stunning! I had no idea this book was going to be so good!

***************MILD SPOILERS******************

There were once twins born to a human and an Other. The one twin that was a Redwing was supposed to be killed at birth, but was not.

******************EXCERPTS********************

Redwing. A creature of twisted soul with the vengeance of the ancients burning under its skin, the result of an unholy union between a human and an Other.

**

When Jey and I were born, somehow my parents convinced themselves we were both human. They even let the local priest of Rasus into our house to perform the holy branding on our splotchy little foreheads.

**

But our mother was an Other, a princess of light and virtue straight out of a fairy tale. Jey and I are the forbidden porduct of an Other and a human--always twins, one human and one redwing. A redwing is supposed to be drowned by it's parents at birth, but mine thought I was special. You just looked so much like a baby, my father says.

**

Others are beings of light and justice, so it is only natural they feel no remorse in destroying creatures of evil destined to seek the destruction of all humans-creatures who fought alongside the monster Bet-Nef when he battled Dal Roet in the War of the Burning Land.

*****************END EXCERPTS*****************

So Jey and no name are sisters, twins. But no name is to always be hidden so she will not be killed for being a Redwing. They didn't even name her, which is sad... She will be known as Redwing. But she isn't an evil creature, she is special like her parents thought. She has something to do to protect the world and humans. It turns out the supposed good guys are the bad guys... isn't that always the way!

Redwing has to go through a lot of different trials, not only trying to keep herself hidden. I was upset at certain parts where her sister Jey put her in positions to get Redwing caught. Jey was being a spoiled girl.

Redwing manages to get a crush on a man in the book who turns out to be Royal. I mean, here you are a Redwing trying to hide and then you make friends with a Royal. Classic :-)

But there are a group loyal to the Redwing, they have been looking for Redwing because they know she isn't bad and can help the cause, they call themselves "Fog Walkers."

Redwing and her friends have to go through some extreme things to make a quest they are on, a reality.

I thought the characters in the book were great and well thought out. I loved so many of them and they all had a vital part in helping the world. In this particular book the author didn't make a huge world to meander through, it's just about the quest and the Redwing for the most part. I'm hoping there is going to be another book so we can branch out and see what Redwing is going to do next.

*I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.*

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting 🤔 in a way I didn’t expect it to be. It was an original story about creatures I haven’t had the pleasure to read before. I also like the cover. A lot.
I recommend it for teenagers mostly...

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise for this The Hidden Twin was so interesting. This is a hard review to do because (the cover is gorgeous, and) I wanted so much to like this book.

A girl with no name is born a twin. She is identical to her sister, except she has blue eyes. Oh, and she is also a Redwing. Redwings are suppose to be a myth. Redwings are fire monster, born of lava, and so they are killed at birth. Spared by her human father she is kept a secret her whole life due to her possible identity. She lives through her sister’s stories. When her sister agrees to trade places with her for just one day she manages to accidentally flirt with the most powerful son in the kingdom and gets identified by a cult of priests. When her sister is captured in an effort to draw her out, she face what she might actually be.

The Hidden Twin story started off pretty good. I liked the no name main character at first. She comes across as such a sweet and sheltered girl. Her father and sister seem like they are trying to protect her, at least at first. As the story progressed, it became clear that her sister was a bit bratty and her father was not really home much. I was a little confused when people were chasing the her. Then, when the one person she met on her one day out ended up being the most powerful son in the kingdom, I lost interest really fast.

First of all, the main character doesn’t even have a name. So we start following this no name person who never leaves the house. Her history, or how she came to be, was pretty interesting, but that’s it. She has no idea what she is, or even if she is a dangerous thing. All she knows is that her blood is black and her eyes are not the same as her sister’s. Also, her family doesn’t really know either. The only people who seem certain are the cult of priests. When faced with them, she does the most monstrous thing. It was hard to understand her motivations in this story. I didn’t really feel anything for the girl with no name, or her mission.

The world building in this story left much to be desired. I know that the town is near a volcano, but other than that not much is given. I really had a hard time picturing the scenes and the characters in this story. The kingdom (?) isn’t really explained much. We meet one royal player in this story. I didn’t understand the slaves verses the workers at the palace. The difference wasn’t clearly explained.

For me this story was a complete miss. I have to admit it did pick up and towards the end I felt like I had to see it through. This story was very character driven and I had a real hard time connecting with the characters. Sadly, I don’t recommend this book.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

The Hidden Twin was a rather unexpectedly fun read that didn't take me long to get wrapped up in with the myth and lore of the Others and the Redwing and its memorable characters and circumstances.

With hidden meanings, lies, and mystery riddled throughout the pages, this ended up being a read that took me by surprise and was compelling in both theory and writing.

I wish I could say more about it but I'm afraid I will give too much away. Instead this is a read that you really need to experience for yourself.

With a main character that desperately doesn't want to be a monster and is willing to do more than most to prove she isn't this story really will sweep you away and leave you wanting more by the end.

If you are looking for something different, a bit out there, and unlike most YA fantasy, this just might be the read for you.

*ARC copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eighteen years ago a set of twins were born to a couple that the father was human and the mother was what was called an Other. When twins are born to a human/other couple one twin will be human but the second will become what is known as a Redwing. Redwings are feared and thought to be monsters so when discovered they will be killed at birth. The mother of this set of twins though gave her own life to protect her daughters.

Raised by her father with her sister Jey the Redwing twin was never even given her own name. She has lived in hiding her whole life barely ever coming out of their home. One day when her sister coaxes her out she runs into two priests when returning home that attack and try to capture her. This event starts a chain that brings our Redwing into a plot to save her city.

The Hidden Twin sounded very intriguing and had such a great looking cover that I couldn't help but want to read it. However when finished I just came away with an it was OK feeling unfortunately.

While the writing was good and on the surface very descriptive, unfortunately I felt myself waiting to find out more of the world in which this was taking place. It also felt like it got off to such a slow start and took me a while to figure out the characters and plot. There were also still a lot of questions left for me when it ended that might have made me love it more if ever answered.

Overall, a bit different of a story but I would have liked more depth to fall in love with it.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Simona · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fost o amestecătură, un fel de multe feluri... Îmi place genul fantasy, dar acum nu am înțeles nimic. 🤷‍♀️

[Shannon Miz · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

I am going to go ahead and assume this book is a standalone, since I see no indication otherwise. That does affect my feelings, so I wanted to put that out there. You'll see why later. I tried to do some internet stalking, but found no mention of one- only several reviewers questioning if there would be one.

Anyway. This was a fairly even split of positives and negatives- so a middle rating is in order.

The Good:

• The premise is kind of amazing, right? Right off the bat I enjoyed that her family didn't just cave to pressure and drown their baby. Because who drowns their baby!? But of course, now our unnamed main character lives- and that's about the only thing she does. She can't be seen anywhere near her twin, Jey, because obviously everyone will know she's a twin.

• Twins switching places is always fun. I like it. I had friends who were twins, and they always switched in high school and even college. I had no idea how our teachers couldn't tell them apart, but they couldn't- or didn't care enough to. Anyway, I always enjoy this particular trope. Only Jey and No Name aren't exactly the same, because No Name has like, marks on her, and special powers, and is potentially evil. You know, the everyday things that all twins go through.

• No Name is kind of badass and snarky, and I liked it. She doesn't agree with this "you're supposed to be dead" business. And once she has a taste of the world... well, she's fun. The thoughts in her head are a lot like the thoughts in my head, so that's fun. Plus, she's quite resourceful.

• The rebel group is pretty great too. When they came into the picture, the book really picked up for me. They were smart, and they had plans, and they were going to do things to change this society. I approve!

The Not So Much:

• The aforementioned society is kind of confusing. There are all kinds of different baddies. And some of the priests are baddies? Or maybe all of them? See, it's really confusing. There were names and phrases that just never made sense to me, I think because there were so many of them that my brain stopped trying to compute.

• To that end, the world-building was lacking for me too. It all takes place in one... country? City? I don't know, but there's royalty. So some kind of place ruled by people, but also priests. I kept wondering where the rest of the world was- or even if the was a "rest of the world".  Maybe it was just this one place?

• The sister, who had been an integral part of the story, turns into a real jerk and then is out of the picture for most of the time, with the occasional reference. Dad also handily goes missing for a great case of Parent-in-YA Syndrome. (Mom is dead, because I guess you die if you don't drown your devil baby.)

• I didn't really feel a huge connection to any of the characters, even though I found some of them entertaining.

• There were just a lot of loose ends and unanswered questions for me when the book was done. While staying vague, there were loose ends romantically, with the main character's family members, with the world in general, and a lot of information about the "others" in general. So if there was a sequel, I think I could have been more satisfied with there being questions, but since this is currently a standalone, there were just too many topics that were unsettled.

Bottom Line: It was entertaining and I enjoyed certain aspects, but the confusion of the world and its members and the general lack of connection and cohesion were turn offs. 

[Stacee · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I loved Adi's other book, so I was quite eager to dive into this one, even if I wasn't entirely sold on the premise.

I liked Redwing well enough. The first couple of chapters have her a bit timid, but as she starts switching places with her sister, the true personality comes out and she's quite sarcastic. There are a few other secondary characters who are amusing, but no one really stood out.

My main problem was the world building. For me, none of it made sense. It felt like there wasn't a real explanation to any of it. Almost like this was the second book, just picking up from the ending of the first one.

Overall, I loved the snark, but it was definitely missing something for me. From the reviews already posted, I'm definitely in the minority.

**Huge thanks to Griffin Books and NetGalley for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**

[Dede · Rating 4 out of 5]

O carte care mi-a plăcut mult! Sper că povestea nu se oprește aici, deoarece simt că nu s-a spus chiar totul și mai sunt destule lucruri de lămurit. Vreau să cunosc mai bine personajele și să înțeleg unele decizii ce le-au influențat să facă anumite chestii pe parcursul acestei lecturi. În plus, chiar vreau o continuare, deoarece finalul pare unul care promite neapărat una!

Recenzia aici: https://bookysme.wordpress.com/2017/0...

[Mon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

This took me a little while to get in to but I'm glad I stuck with it because it ended up being a great read. The writing is really compelling and I thought the world was populated with great characters.. Would definitely recommend.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Source: I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley, thanks to St. Martin's Griffin and Netgalley.
Cost: Free

 Hidden and alone. 

For 18 years she has been nameless, she has been invisible while her identical twin walks in the daylight, she is condemned to shadows. 

And all because of her blood, the wrong blood that flows through her veins and the evil creature that mythology says that she is. Redwing. But after 18 years, she might be able to break free and show that there is more to her than her past, than the monster she has been the labelled. She might be able to leave the shadows for good, she might earn a name other than Redwing. 

I was actually pretty shocked by how much I enjoyed this book, I went in completely blind, expecting a YA contemporary or something with magic in it. I did not expect what I got, pure and utter YA Fantasy/dystopian/awesomeness.

I'd never even heard of this author before, and I'm kind of disappointed because I now know what I've missed out on.

I loved the point of view this book was written from, the idea that the main character was battling between good and evil within herself, that she didn't even have a proper name. I loved it. I also loved how she didn't depend on a man or any type of love interest in this book and she was pretty self sufficient.

My only quarrel with this book is that it takes a while to get into, but once you're over that, it's incredibly fast paced and enchanting.

[Ashley M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hidden Twin is about a girl that for a total of eighteen long dreadful years she has been hidden away in a small cramped attic room within a city of hissing pipes and curving temples perched on the side of the great volcano, while her sister, Jey-identical except for her eyes-has lived her life in the public as an only child. This girl doesn't have a name. Their father had hoped the hidden girl would one day grow up to be a normal human girl like everyone else, and not like the wicked creature mythology has promised, so he secretly spared her life as an infant. Everything changes when one day she switches places with her sister, and she explores the real world.
This story made me feel like I was on a hunt for a big mystery that felt like it would never end. I recommend this book to people who are interested in mystery and things that feel like they are going on for an eternity. This book reminded me so much of Daughters of Ruin in so many different ways, and if you liked that book you would for sure like this one. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

[Irina · Rating 3 out of 5]

,,Oamenii sunt in multe feluri, frate. Toti monstri. Toti ingeri."

Idee originala, dar cam superficial scrisa pentru gustul meu. Chiar mi se pare ca are potential, dar se putea mai bine :))

[TheBlueBookworm]

A dark gothic fairy tale? Is it a retelling?

I eagerly await more news ! :D


the blue bookworm reviews @ wordpress

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fost o lectură plăcută, dar aș fi vrut mai mult. Premiza e interesantă și mi-au plăcut personajele, însă mi s-a părut prea concentrată povestea, mai ales spre final.

,,Însă puterea are nevoie de teamă ca să supraviețuiască...''

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am citit multe distopii in ultimii ani de cand au devenit o moda, așa că am avut oarece așteptări de la această poveste. Nu ma întrebați de ce. Posibil sa fi fost din cauza descrierii, care este una foarte atrăgătoare... Am fost putin dezamagita, recunosc. Cartea asta nu vine cu nimic nou. Adică, are niste denumiri noi si niste personaje mitologice, sa le zicem, inventate, dar acțiunile lor sunt parca trase la indigo din cele alte patru milioane de distopii. Trebuie să salveze pe cineva, este căutată de forțele de ordine (Aici sunt popi si călugări, dar ati inteles ideea), tre sa gaseasca un lucru pentru a salva omenirea...etc. Păi, treburile astea sunt cam fumate, așa că pe ici pe colo m a cam luat somnul citind. Cartea nu este rea si nici prost scrisa, numai ca mi a lăsat impresia ca as reciti faze din multe alte cărți, acum toate adunate la un loc. Personajele sunt cam șterse, nu se pune pret pe descrierile lor sau pe sentimente... mi s a parut totul un pic superficial. Ce pot sa admir la autor este faptul că a avut inspirația să inventeze atât de multe denumiri de plante si legendele alea de adormit copiii. Nu serios, asta e ceea ce m a făcut sa duc povestea la final. Nu ma interesa neaparat deznodământul, pt ca a fost previzibil de la început până la final, ci doar sa vad ce i a mai trecut autorului prin cap sa inventeze. Cred ca mi am dat seama care e problema cu povestea asta. Este foarte previzibilă si nu te mai incită si nu te mai tine cu sufletul la gură să vezi ce urmează. Modul în care autorul construiește povestea este previzibil. Mda, clar asta nu mi a plăcut.
Cred ca pe masura ce trece timpul, incep sa devin mai pretențioasă cu privire la cărțile pe care le citesc poate si de aici lipsa de legatura cu aceasta carte. Nu m a dat pe spate, nu o consider pierdere de timp, dar nici nu intra in categoria cărților pe care le voi recomanda vreodata. Poate tinerilor de 15 ani sa le placa... ma gandesc, dar cam atat. 3 stele si cred ca nota de pe goodreads este una corectă.

[❅ Karen ❅ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So first off, this book caught my attention because of the cover. Like how gorgeous is that! Second off the synopsis was very new to me and I had never read anything like this. When I first started reading it was confusing. I wish there had been a bit more to help me imagine the world they were living in. There were few things that I had a hard time trying to picture. But the story in the history was very well developed and I really liked it. I loved the little bit of romance that Adi threw in there.
To be quite honest the length of the book was actually perfect. I always worry that sometimes if it looks too long it'll drag out the story and if it looks too short it's not going to have enough details. But this book was very fast paced for me and it was a very nice read. Also the ending was definitely a nice little twist.

[Megan Houde · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn’t get into this sadly! The concept was interesting but the story didn’t grab my attention

[Lexah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recenzie: http://pierdutiinliteratura.blogspot....

Iubitorii de plante își vor imagina paradisul în timpul lecturii, la fel cum am făcut și eu. Pasiunea fetelor și a tatălui despre plante m-a făcut să-mi doresc și mai multe plante în cameră și să am grijă și mai mult de ele.
Jey și cu sora ei mi-au dat idee de o pasiune și anume plantele. Când le auzeam cum vorbeau despre plantele, le știau numele fără rețineri, știau ce fac și la ce sunt folositoare, mi-au dat stare de fericire și m-au făcut curioasă.

[Laura.125Pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on [www.125pages.com]

First of all, we all need to admire this cover for a minute. Seriously it is awesome and sparkly and is what immediately drew me to this book. I fully admit, I am a cover judger and I am okay with it. Now with that out of the way, lets break down The Hidden Twin. Two children born. One human, one not. She is considered a monster and must hide from those who would kill her upon finding out what she is. Unnamed, uneducated and unsure, Redwing is careful to stay in the shadows. When the shadows fail to hide her, she must decide her path; succumb and perish or stand tall and fight (Not to be spoilery but I'm gonna point to my gif for the answer to that, if not the book would have been over in the first third).

Adi Rule crafted a plot full of twists and turns with a very solid base. Unfortunately the world building was a little lacking, it was hard to decipher the lay of the land and figure out if dystopian, alternate earth, high fantasy, or other. The characters were also a tiny bit off; the Redwing was great but the father and sister were frustrating as they acted as if not naming a child was normal and and treated Redwing semi-Cinderella-y. The emotions ran high though out and helped balance some of the slight character issues. The pacing was well done once the story ramped up. The first few chapters were slower, but that was all due to needed build up. Once the story started, it really ran. I enjoyed Rule's writing even with the few small issues I had. Descriptive, with a good interplay of sights and sounds, the writing helped wrap the seemingly disparate elements together.

The Hidden Twin had so many good things going for it. I did have a few issues, but overall this is a tale I liked sinking into. The ending implied a sequel and I would happily read it, as I would love to see Redwing come further into her own. Adi Rule is an author who I think will grow with each book published, and I also think that the things that I wasn't crazy about will naturally work themselves out in a sequel. I will recommend The Hidden Twin as a great book if you are in the mood for some action and intrigue, and don't need a fully structured world.

Favorite lines - I lash out at the priest, a release, an exhalation. After only a moment, I tamp the surge of energy back down into my core, into the earth below, terrified of what I might unleash. But now the priest is on fire. Well. I’ve never done that before.

Biggest cliché - As long as no one finds me, everything will be okay.

 Have you read The Hidden Twin, or added it to your TBR?

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally the Redwing (non-human) baby of twins conceived by a human and an Other is being drowned. The children don't get any names and they aren't supposed to live. But a Redwing has survived and her father is keeping her hidden. Her sister Jey has had the chance to live a normal life, pretending to be an only child. Redwings are supposed to be evil and the priests are doing everything they can to spread the word about how wicked they are and how they should never get a chance to live. They also execute possible Redwings. Only Jey's sister is just a regular girl. She maybe has a little bit of power, but she isn't very different from her sister and she has a big heart. Why should they execute someone who isn't evil at all?

When Jey asks her sister to switch places wit her she can finally come out of hiding. There's one difference though. Jey's eyes are brown and her sister's are blue, so she should avoid people who can recognize her. Jey's work is with plants and her sister loves that job. Her father has taught her everything he knows. When she meets the son of the Empress she flirts with him. This leads to more outside time, which is really dangerous. Redwings aren't safe and when she suddenly has nowhere to go Jey's sister needs allies. She finds out she has a mission to accomplish and it isn't an easy task to fulfill...

The Hidden Twin is an unusual story. There's nothing I can compare it to. The world building is strange. There's a city, with an Empress and the city is built on a volcano that has an identity. It's a lot to take in, but I decided to let every expectation go and see where the story would lead me. It's enjoyable and different and I liked that about it. The main character doesn't have a name at the beginning of the book. She does have a personality though. She's feisty and isn't afraid to speak up. She has a great sense of humor and she's brave. It's obvious from the start that the stories the priests tell about Redwings aren't true. She's looking for answers and constantly has to find out who's good and who's evil. I liked that it wasn't all black and white.

Adi Rule has a great writing style and I love her imagination. She showed me an original and creative new world and I enjoyed reading about it very much. The Hidden Twin isn't an easy story. It took me a while to wrap my head around everything I was reading, but once I let the feeling go that I had to understand it all completely I had fun reading this book. The reader will get some answers, but there's also the opportunity to let your own imagination fill in part of the story. I recommend it to anyone who loves to read a creative book.

[Jamie (Books and Ladders) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Actual Rating: 2.5*

This one started off really confusing but ended up being pretty good. I think the mythology was good here but left some to be desired. I think we learned too little at the beginning that didn't really make sense and then once we actually saw it play out I understood it. The issue I had is that it felt like the author tried to make it sound much more poetic than it had to be and it ended up being more confusing than interesting. I spent a good chunk of the book being confused tbh.

But I think what confused me the most is that Lin (I guess that's what I'll call her) knew what she was but didn't want to acknowledge it? It seemed to me like she was 100% sure of what she was but then would kind of deny it to herself and it left me a bit confused. But again, I think this was also partly due to how it was written.

It seemed like there was a weird setup for a love triangle but I also didn't really enjoy the bits of romance that we got. It felt a bit forced and rushed and I wasn't really into either of the dudes and thought there were bigger fish to fry. I'm all for making out at the end of the world but this dude wasn't really worth it imo. He had the personality of a wet paper towel. Actually, all the secondary characters did.

I thought Lin's character did like a 180 from what w got in the first couple of chapters to her switching places with her sister. She was very brash and a little rude to people when she was under the guise of her sister which didn't really make sense to me because she should have been trying to be invisible, not standout.

Anyway, the ending was pretty interesting but also a little predictable. I think there could have been a bit more in terms of worldbuilding and mythology because none of it really made sense to me. I feel like we just scraped the surface of what is to be known and I would have liked to delve a little deeper.

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[Constantina ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Misterul gemenelor" de Adi Rule este un roman standalone (nu vă spun cât mi-aș dori să existe un al doilea volum) de fantezie, de doar 250 de pagini, dar în care se întâmplă atât de multe. Trebuie să precizez că primele douăzeci de pagini îmi strigau să las cartea, abia apoi a devenit cât de cât interesantă ideea și, până la sfârșit, n-am mai lăsat-o din mână. Mi-am petrecut și noaptea până la 1 cu ea.

"Misterul gemenelor" se petrece într-o altfel de lume, în care mașinăriile își fac simțită prezența, dar în care încă plutește un iz fantastic, oamenii crezând în legendele de demult. Puterea preoților orașului Caldaras este prezentată ca fiind atât de puternică încât, la un moment, chiar și împărateasa își ridică mâinile pentru a-l apăra pe Tronul de Sare. Însă tot ei sunt cei care ascund secrete întunecate și, mânați de Tronul de Onix, îi pun bețe-n roate protagonistei. O aripi-roșii, o fată de optsprezece ani fără nume, care trăiește învăluită în umbre, în timp ce sora ei geamănă, umană, își duce existența prin grădinile orașului, îmbrăcată în haine la ultima modă. Abia când cele două fac un schimb de identitate, lucrurile iau o intorsătură groaznică.

Fata aripi-roșii mereu s-a ascuns, dar de această dată, pentru a nu fi ucisă din cauză că este așa-zisa progenitură malefică dintre o ființă a luminii, un alter, și un om, se va aventura pe un drum care va implica soarta tuturor celor pe care-i cunoaște. Împletindu-și povestea cu cea a preoților manipulați, cu cea a familiei imperiale și a unei grupări care-și dorește Inima, un obiect magic ce ar putea deschide ușa spre o altfel de lume, aripi-roșii va încerca să descopere adevărul și să aducă o viață mai bună celor din jur. Și, până la urmă, poate își va găsi un nume într-o lume înțesată de minciuni și taine.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

St. Martin's Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

After being hidden away for 18 years in an attempt by her father to have her remain human, the unnamed twin switches places with her sister, who has been publically raised as an only child. Although her powers are dormant, Lin is a Redwing, a dark creature of mythology with four wings and sharp teeth. When her sister goes missing, the Redwing is forced to embrace her dark side to possibly save them all.

The Hidden Twin is definitely character driven, which diminishes the world building to a bare minimum. The addition of a few extra pages would have made all of the difference to this story, as it feels very incomplete. I was intrigued with the premise of this novel, but the execution of said ideas disappointed me. The character of Lin holds promise and I hope to see her appear again in a more well developed novel.

[Stil de scriitor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pentru mine cărțile fantasy trebuie să aibă foarte mult mister și mult suspans. Altfel nu mă câștigă. Am citit mai multe recenzii după terminarea acestei cărți și am fost surprinsă să văd că pe unii i-a dezamăgit, iar altora le-a plăcut extrem de mult. Eu cred că nu mă aflu în nici una din aceste categorii, pentru că nu o pot numi dezamăgire literară, dar nici o capodoperă. Am citit-o în câteva zile, în condițiile în care am avut o perioadă foarte aglomerată, iar timpul de citit nu a fost atât de mult. Sper să recuperez cu cititul cât mai mult în vacanța care se apropie.

http://stildescriitor.ro/blog/2017/12...

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

O lectura interesanta, daca ai putina imaginatie, altfel...nici o sansa sa intelegi ceva din incalceala asta. Daca nu era personajul principal (fara anume?!, cum sa nu ii dai un nume copilului tau? oricat de secret ar fi!) atat de amuzant, nici doua stele nu ii dadeam. Cred ca traducerea a stricat tot, niste denumiri ciudat de lungi care te incurca si mai mult. Poate nu ar fi stricat sa fie presarata cartea cu cateva schite pentru a putea vedea totul mai usor. Mi-a placut mult dragostea personajelor pentru plante, flori, dat fiind ca si eu sunt "green thumb".

[Tanya Grech Welden · Rating 3 out of 5]

A competently written and composed story with all the appropriate arcs and plot twists you would hope for. Yet, I can't say I loved it. It failed to capture my imagination and I can't really put my finger on why. To some extent, feeling somewhat distant, I did struggle to connect with the characters. The world created was an interesting one, yet I didn't quite believe it. Perhaps more time spent in world-building was needed to fully immerse the reader into the universe.

[Madalina Badin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nu stiu de ce, dar abia asteptam sa termin aceasta carte.
I-am dat 3 stelute, cred ca atatea merita :))
Nu stiu daca e din cauza cartii sau daca m-o fi prins pe mine intr-o pasa proasta, da' nu m-a dat pe spate deloc, si aveam ceva asteptari.
Am avut impresia ca autoarea nu m-a lasat sa descopar personajele, sa aflu care-i treaba cu ele :))

[Jaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

So creative, great worldbuilding, beautiful writing, and a protagonist to love and empathise with, but what I didn't enjoy was the last third of the plot and pacing.

[Jennifer Parr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly I feel like there was just so much missing from this story. Another fifty pages or so probably would have done the trick.