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Twin Crowns #1
Twin Crowns
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?
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?
480 pages, Hardcover
First published May 17, 2022
2116 people are currently reading
121094 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Doyle
27 books2,705 followersCatherine 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.
Aside from more conventional interests in movies, running and travelling, Catherine also enjoys writing about herself in the third-person.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 5,612 reviews
May 1, 2022
THIS BOOK.
Every trope I love, included.
Witches? ✔️
Enemies to Lovers? ✔️
Forced Proximity? ✔️
Overthrowing the Crown? ✔️
Twins separated at birth and set against each other? ✔️
Falling for the wrong person???? ✔️
I loved this book so much I read 95% of it in one sitting, and then left it a week before reading that last 5% because I didn't want it to end.
I love the characters, I love the world, I love the use of magic. This is such a fun read infused with real emotion and a romance that will leave you screaming in the last few pages (believe me, I'm still not over it.)
Book 2 cannot come soon enough!
Every trope I love, included.
Witches? ✔️
Enemies to Lovers? ✔️
Forced Proximity? ✔️
Overthrowing the Crown? ✔️
Twins separated at birth and set against each other? ✔️
Falling for the wrong person???? ✔️
I loved this book so much I read 95% of it in one sitting, and then left it a week before reading that last 5% because I didn't want it to end.
I love the characters, I love the world, I love the use of magic. This is such a fun read infused with real emotion and a romance that will leave you screaming in the last few pages (believe me, I'm still not over it.)
Book 2 cannot come soon enough!
September 18, 2025
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Pace
🆗 Magic and world-building
🆗 Wren
🆗❌ Convenient plot and over-simple politics and villains
❌ Overall predictability and convenience
❌ Rose
❌ Romances
Unpopular opinion coming in. It’s not a bad book, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary or memorable, and nothing we haven’t seen before in YA. It’s just overall okay.
Rose Valhart and Wren Greenrock are twins who were separated at birth, and their lives could not be more different. Rose has no idea that she has a twin, and she was raised to be the perfect, demure, crowned princess. Wren is a witch, and she’s known about her twin for her whole life. Wren plans to take Rose’s place right before the coronation, so she can become queen of Eana and make sure that witches are not hunted anymore.
This book was disappointing. Both main characters felt very juvenile, and the plot was very simple, convenient, and predictable. Both romances were predictable, the politics and the villains’ scheming were predictable, and honestly, I felt that not much happened for the first 60% of the story, and then everything was rushed, and the ending was just messy and over-the-top cheesy at the same time. The book mostly focuses on romance instead of the plot, and even if two romances are developing, they both feel overly simple and predictable. The world-building was also simple and your usual YA fantasy book, nothing memorable or original.
I like that Rose and Wren both realized that there was more to the other than they previously thought. Rose realized that witches were not all evil and do not deserve to be hunted and killed, and Wren realized that her sister’s life is not all fancy parties and a lavish life. There is politics involved, and Rose is more than just a spoiled princess. Besides that, though, I can’t really say that I know the characters or that I appreciate them. They were both childish at times, stupid at others, and both made me roll my eyes SO MANY TIMES.
The secondary characters were also bland (except maybe Celeste), and seemed to have no purpose besides supporting the main characters, or being introduced as obvious love interests that we are supposed to like, I guess, even though we know nothing about them, and they don’t have much personality. One of the two love interests was SO BLAND, he literally has no personality traits, not one, but that’s okay because he’s handsome and strong. 🙄
I didn’t care much for Wren because she was ordinary and dull, but Rose was SO ANNOYING. I know she grew up as a pampered princess, but she annoyed me so much with her constant reminder that she was the owner of all the land and her demands that the witches obey her when she felt threatened or challenged. I understand that she had no other means to defend herself, but it was made pretty clear from the start that the witches couldn’t care less about her and her status, so why the need to constantly remind everyone that she was their princess? It only made her seem petulant and spoiled and did not make the witches respect her at all. Quite the opposite, actually.
Rose and Wren are complete opposites, and they dislike each other very much at first, even though they have never met. Wren hates Rose because she’s the crown princess who has been raised by the man responsible for the death of so many witches, and she thinks that witches need to be killed. Rose hates Wren because she is a witch, and she plotted against Rose to take her place as the crowned princess. Yet, when they finally meet, it takes a few minutes and a simple discussion, and they are suddenly allies. Simple as that, they just trust each other and decide to work together. In general, they both trust other people way too easily. Wren just spilled the beans about the fact that she has a twin to an enemy, but she is not worried about him talking, because “she trusts him”, after knowing him for a few weeks only. They were both asking for trouble; it’s a miracle they both managed to stay alive.
The villains are generic and uni-dimensional. They are both power-hungry, and even worse, one of them just explains all his dark schemes and evil plans to Rose when she suggests that they push back the alliance between their countries for a few weeks or months. Rose and Wren had just discovered the whole “evil plan” and pertinent political alliances, simply because people accidentally shared information with them, or simply because they asked, and somehow, people told them everything. They even found a way to resolve everything, despite being both naïve and childish. Of course, there is one “tragic” death that is meant to bring forth sadness and anguish, I assume, but considering that this character, like all the others, was bland, boring, shallow, and most important of all, completely useless to the plot, I couldn’t care less if he lived or died.
Overall, this book was not bad, simply quite underwhelming. I would probably have enjoyed it at 15 yo, but not at 27. I know it’s a YA, but I do enjoy some YA books, even if I’m not considered a young adult anymore. This one feels closer to a middle-grade book than it does to a more mature YA or a NA book. The dialogues were awkward at times, both romances lacked serious development and chemistry to even begin to be believable, and this book as a whole was boring and juvenile. The characters lacked depth (big time) and were generally annoying and useless, and I skimmed the second half because I just didn’t care about any of the characters, the plot, or the cringy romances that were all SO predictable.
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✅ Pace
🆗 Magic and world-building
🆗 Wren
🆗❌ Convenient plot and over-simple politics and villains
❌ Overall predictability and convenience
❌ Rose
❌ Romances
Unpopular opinion coming in. It’s not a bad book, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary or memorable, and nothing we haven’t seen before in YA. It’s just overall okay.
Rose Valhart and Wren Greenrock are twins who were separated at birth, and their lives could not be more different. Rose has no idea that she has a twin, and she was raised to be the perfect, demure, crowned princess. Wren is a witch, and she’s known about her twin for her whole life. Wren plans to take Rose’s place right before the coronation, so she can become queen of Eana and make sure that witches are not hunted anymore.
This book was disappointing. Both main characters felt very juvenile, and the plot was very simple, convenient, and predictable. Both romances were predictable, the politics and the villains’ scheming were predictable, and honestly, I felt that not much happened for the first 60% of the story, and then everything was rushed, and the ending was just messy and over-the-top cheesy at the same time. The book mostly focuses on romance instead of the plot, and even if two romances are developing, they both feel overly simple and predictable. The world-building was also simple and your usual YA fantasy book, nothing memorable or original.
I like that Rose and Wren both realized that there was more to the other than they previously thought. Rose realized that witches were not all evil and do not deserve to be hunted and killed, and Wren realized that her sister’s life is not all fancy parties and a lavish life. There is politics involved, and Rose is more than just a spoiled princess. Besides that, though, I can’t really say that I know the characters or that I appreciate them. They were both childish at times, stupid at others, and both made me roll my eyes SO MANY TIMES.
The secondary characters were also bland (except maybe Celeste), and seemed to have no purpose besides supporting the main characters, or being introduced as obvious love interests that we are supposed to like, I guess, even though we know nothing about them, and they don’t have much personality. One of the two love interests was SO BLAND, he literally has no personality traits, not one, but that’s okay because he’s handsome and strong. 🙄
I didn’t care much for Wren because she was ordinary and dull, but Rose was SO ANNOYING. I know she grew up as a pampered princess, but she annoyed me so much with her constant reminder that she was the owner of all the land and her demands that the witches obey her when she felt threatened or challenged. I understand that she had no other means to defend herself, but it was made pretty clear from the start that the witches couldn’t care less about her and her status, so why the need to constantly remind everyone that she was their princess? It only made her seem petulant and spoiled and did not make the witches respect her at all. Quite the opposite, actually.
Rose and Wren are complete opposites, and they dislike each other very much at first, even though they have never met. Wren hates Rose because she’s the crown princess who has been raised by the man responsible for the death of so many witches, and she thinks that witches need to be killed. Rose hates Wren because she is a witch, and she plotted against Rose to take her place as the crowned princess. Yet, when they finally meet, it takes a few minutes and a simple discussion, and they are suddenly allies. Simple as that, they just trust each other and decide to work together. In general, they both trust other people way too easily. Wren just spilled the beans about the fact that she has a twin to an enemy, but she is not worried about him talking, because “she trusts him”, after knowing him for a few weeks only. They were both asking for trouble; it’s a miracle they both managed to stay alive.
The villains are generic and uni-dimensional. They are both power-hungry, and even worse, one of them just explains all his dark schemes and evil plans to Rose when she suggests that they push back the alliance between their countries for a few weeks or months. Rose and Wren had just discovered the whole “evil plan” and pertinent political alliances, simply because people accidentally shared information with them, or simply because they asked, and somehow, people told them everything. They even found a way to resolve everything, despite being both naïve and childish. Of course, there is one “tragic” death that is meant to bring forth sadness and anguish, I assume, but considering that this character, like all the others, was bland, boring, shallow, and most important of all, completely useless to the plot, I couldn’t care less if he lived or died.
Overall, this book was not bad, simply quite underwhelming. I would probably have enjoyed it at 15 yo, but not at 27. I know it’s a YA, but I do enjoy some YA books, even if I’m not considered a young adult anymore. This one feels closer to a middle-grade book than it does to a more mature YA or a NA book. The dialogues were awkward at times, both romances lacked serious development and chemistry to even begin to be believable, and this book as a whole was boring and juvenile. The characters lacked depth (big time) and were generally annoying and useless, and I skimmed the second half because I just didn’t care about any of the characters, the plot, or the cringy romances that were all SO predictable.
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May 23, 2024
4.52!
Wow!! Just when I had lost all hope in good YA romantasies this restored it because it was amazing 😌 I was not expecting it to be this good. The writing was very easy to follow and it kept me intrigued because it was very whimsical and the magical essence of it was something that I loved.
The characters easily stole the show in this book. They were so well written especially the twins because I genuinely couldn't decide which side to be on Rose was so likable and relatable meanwhile Wren was a character that I was rooting for. Both had such different pov's and the and such different ways when it came to their upbringing. Moving on, Tor was fun but Shen stole the show when it came to the MMC. He was so witty and I just loved that and the banter between everyone was amazing.
The plot and action felt like they were perfected because I have not read a plotline like this which has had me so hooked or a book where I actually preferred a lot of politics (I wished there was more 😮💨)
The romance was written so well, it wasnt smutty as it didn't have any closed door or open door scenes but the angst and the slow burn was worth ever page. Shen and Rose were superior to Tor and Wren because I shipped wren with someone else. I did however like the forbidden aspect between wren and Tor and the hate to love for rose and shen
Action was minimal but I didn't feel the need for it and book 2 does fill that void and the twists were not that big as I felt them coming but they brought a nice edge to the story
I loved how the author's wrote the sisterly bond considering they are sisters in law 👀
I don't understand why people say it was focused on romance because honestly it wasn't, there was more fantasy than romance.
It was truly a gem of a book with all the tropes that I loved.
Especially the forbidden romance trope between wren and Tor and the enemies to lovers for rose and shen
I just wished we saw more the world and the magic system develop but as it's a trilogy I did understand why they left some things for other books.
Overall I would recommend it!
Wow!! Just when I had lost all hope in good YA romantasies this restored it because it was amazing 😌 I was not expecting it to be this good. The writing was very easy to follow and it kept me intrigued because it was very whimsical and the magical essence of it was something that I loved.
The characters easily stole the show in this book. They were so well written especially the twins because I genuinely couldn't decide which side to be on Rose was so likable and relatable meanwhile Wren was a character that I was rooting for. Both had such different pov's and the and such different ways when it came to their upbringing. Moving on, Tor was fun but Shen stole the show when it came to the MMC. He was so witty and I just loved that and the banter between everyone was amazing.
The plot and action felt like they were perfected because I have not read a plotline like this which has had me so hooked or a book where I actually preferred a lot of politics (I wished there was more 😮💨)
The romance was written so well, it wasnt smutty as it didn't have any closed door or open door scenes but the angst and the slow burn was worth ever page. Shen and Rose were superior to Tor and Wren because I shipped wren with someone else. I did however like the forbidden aspect between wren and Tor and the hate to love for rose and shen
Action was minimal but I didn't feel the need for it and book 2 does fill that void and the twists were not that big as I felt them coming but they brought a nice edge to the story
I loved how the author's wrote the sisterly bond considering they are sisters in law 👀
I don't understand why people say it was focused on romance because honestly it wasn't, there was more fantasy than romance.
It was truly a gem of a book with all the tropes that I loved.
Especially the forbidden romance trope between wren and Tor and the enemies to lovers for rose and shen
I just wished we saw more the world and the magic system develop but as it's a trilogy I did understand why they left some things for other books.
Overall I would recommend it!
March 30, 2024
reread
I reread this before reading the second one and it was just as good as the last time I read it! The book flew by once I started getting into it again just like the first time, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared for the second one, I just hope it's as entertaining as this was!
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This was better than I thought it was going to be! I've seen people saying that it was good, but not the best, and I can understand that, but honestly, I overlooked all of the issues because this was so much fun!
I actually had to force myself to stop reading so that I could sleep because it is literally so addicting. And I actually put off finishing the book because I didn't want it to end, which never happens to me 🤨
Yes, the book had flaws, like some things were very convenient, some things didn't really make much sense, but as I said, I overlooked everything.
I think the high from originally finishing this book has faded now, so I think instead of 5 stars I'd give it 4.5 (just because of those little issues) but it's not much of a difference.
The plot in this was actually so much fun. I will be using the word "fun" many times throughout this review. There was a lot going on, but it never really felt like there was high-stakes, despite the fact that Wren was in some very difficult situations. It just felt really lighthearted and cozy which is exactly what I wanted.
It's very much a typical YA fantasy, just with a lot of humor and fun packed into it, hilarious moments throughout the entire thing, so if you're looking for something more mature, this book isn't that.
As for the journeys that the two main characters were on, I actually preferred Rose's chapters to Wren's. I was surprised because everyone kept saying they liked Wren's better, but I loved reading through Rose's journey to discover who she is, what she is, her history, and let's not forget her banter with Shen, and honestly, their romance was the main reason I liked Rose's chapters better.
With Wren, I really did enjoy her story-line, navigating everything and all that, so I guess there's that. But nothing really intriguing was happening there, except for all the lies and deception that she was doing (which I love her for) And then there's also her romance, but we'll talk about that later.
Now for the characters, surprisingly again, I liked Rose better than Wren. Don't get me wrong, I love Wren, but I love Rose more. Yes, she's the stereotypical, bratty, "you must bow down to me" princess in the beginning, but she grows immensely from that. She made me cringe a few times, but only one of those times was because of something she did.
I also really enjoyed Wren's character too; I loved her sarcastic, not-a-care attitude, and her snarky personality. She's stronger and fiercer than I could ever be, and her loyalty is very admirable. I sound so stiff when I say all of that compared to Rose's; that's how you know when I have nothing more to say 🤭
Aaand now the romances. I actually loved the romances in this, but I definitely preferred one over the other.
Shen and Rose are just perfection. The banter and "enemies to lovers" (not really but close enough) was so fun and I was giggling over their moments so much. I want MORE.
Tor and Wren are all right. I do really like them together, it just doesn't feel like there's as much chemistry, and it feels a little rushed (Shen and Rose's is kinda rushed too, but I'm a hypocrite) But overall, I still liked them.
Just to add in some critiques because I'm supposed to be a "fair" and "honest" reviewer: some things were just very convenient. Like Rose and Wren became friendly way faster than I would've expected, since Wren literally tried to steal Rose's crown and then Rose just almost instantly forgave her, which was a little confusing. And as I said above, the romances were a tad rushed, like both couples grew to trust each other quite fast, but it's kind of different for both, like Wren told Tor a lot more than she should've after knowing him for not that long.
Anyways, I'm so glad I finally picked this up since I've been putting it off for a while because the size was scaring me a little. Overall, I loved this book more than I should have and it's now going to become a comfort read, and I'd recommend it for people who just want to have fun and don't care about the YA-ish feel. Can't wait for the sequel! 🥰
4.5 stars
(If you're wondering why there are no quotes, it's because there aren't any in the quotes section and I'm too lazy to go back into the book and find any good ones 🤩)
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I actually loved this so much more than I thought I would based off of people saying that it was all right. Yes I realize that this book comes with its flaws, but I honestly did not care one bit because I was having such a blast reading it. It was so freaking fun and I didn't want it to end
rtc
I reread this before reading the second one and it was just as good as the last time I read it! The book flew by once I started getting into it again just like the first time, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared for the second one, I just hope it's as entertaining as this was!
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This was better than I thought it was going to be! I've seen people saying that it was good, but not the best, and I can understand that, but honestly, I overlooked all of the issues because this was so much fun!
I actually had to force myself to stop reading so that I could sleep because it is literally so addicting. And I actually put off finishing the book because I didn't want it to end, which never happens to me 🤨
Yes, the book had flaws, like some things were very convenient, some things didn't really make much sense, but as I said, I overlooked everything.
I think the high from originally finishing this book has faded now, so I think instead of 5 stars I'd give it 4.5 (just because of those little issues) but it's not much of a difference.
The plot in this was actually so much fun. I will be using the word "fun" many times throughout this review. There was a lot going on, but it never really felt like there was high-stakes, despite the fact that Wren was in some very difficult situations. It just felt really lighthearted and cozy which is exactly what I wanted.
It's very much a typical YA fantasy, just with a lot of humor and fun packed into it, hilarious moments throughout the entire thing, so if you're looking for something more mature, this book isn't that.
As for the journeys that the two main characters were on, I actually preferred Rose's chapters to Wren's. I was surprised because everyone kept saying they liked Wren's better, but I loved reading through Rose's journey to discover who she is, what she is, her history, and let's not forget her banter with Shen, and honestly, their romance was the main reason I liked Rose's chapters better.
With Wren, I really did enjoy her story-line, navigating everything and all that, so I guess there's that. But nothing really intriguing was happening there, except for all the lies and deception that she was doing (which I love her for) And then there's also her romance, but we'll talk about that later.
Now for the characters, surprisingly again, I liked Rose better than Wren. Don't get me wrong, I love Wren, but I love Rose more. Yes, she's the stereotypical, bratty, "you must bow down to me" princess in the beginning, but she grows immensely from that. She made me cringe a few times, but only one of those times was because of something she did.
I also really enjoyed Wren's character too; I loved her sarcastic, not-a-care attitude, and her snarky personality. She's stronger and fiercer than I could ever be, and her loyalty is very admirable. I sound so stiff when I say all of that compared to Rose's; that's how you know when I have nothing more to say 🤭
Aaand now the romances. I actually loved the romances in this, but I definitely preferred one over the other.
Shen and Rose are just perfection. The banter and "enemies to lovers" (not really but close enough) was so fun and I was giggling over their moments so much. I want MORE.
Tor and Wren are all right. I do really like them together, it just doesn't feel like there's as much chemistry, and it feels a little rushed (Shen and Rose's is kinda rushed too, but I'm a hypocrite) But overall, I still liked them.
Just to add in some critiques because I'm supposed to be a "fair" and "honest" reviewer: some things were just very convenient. Like Rose and Wren became friendly way faster than I would've expected, since Wren literally tried to steal Rose's crown and then Rose just almost instantly forgave her, which was a little confusing. And as I said above, the romances were a tad rushed, like both couples grew to trust each other quite fast, but it's kind of different for both, like Wren told Tor a lot more than she should've after knowing him for not that long.
Anyways, I'm so glad I finally picked this up since I've been putting it off for a while because the size was scaring me a little. Overall, I loved this book more than I should have and it's now going to become a comfort read, and I'd recommend it for people who just want to have fun and don't care about the YA-ish feel. Can't wait for the sequel! 🥰
4.5 stars
(If you're wondering why there are no quotes, it's because there aren't any in the quotes section and I'm too lazy to go back into the book and find any good ones 🤩)
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I actually loved this so much more than I thought I would based off of people saying that it was all right. Yes I realize that this book comes with its flaws, but I honestly did not care one bit because I was having such a blast reading it. It was so freaking fun and I didn't want it to end
rtc
January 16, 2023
This was a super fun read!! 🤩🤩 I went in with high expectations bc of the stunning cover and interesting synopsis, and it was just as light and entertaining as I hoped it would be! 🥰🥰
Twin Crowns follows two sisters separated at birth- Rose Valhart and Wren Greenrock. Rose is the heir to the throne of Eana and has grown up trained to fear the witches that killed her parents. She will do anything to defend her kingdom. Stolen from the palace at birth, Wren is the sister whose existence is completely hidden. She plans to usurp the princess and seize the throne in order to protect the witches who raised her. In the battle for Eana's crown, where will your allegiances lie?
Twin Crowns is, in many ways, very similar to other YA fantasy books and has pretty low stakes, making it more fun than thrilling. It'll probably not be what you're looking for if you want an action-packed book with high stakes and lots of depth, but if you just want a good time (like I did), then it's great!! 💕💕
Starting with the characters. The book is dual-POV, with alternating chapters between Wren and Rose's POVs, which definitely helps keep the story interesting. The sisters themselves are very different- Wren is very fierce, while Rose acts a lot like a stereotypical princess- very stiff and a lot less laid-back, while also expecting everyone to answer to her.
Wren was definitely my favourite sister- she was just a lot more entertaining to follow than Rose. If I'm being completely honest, I found Rose a bit insufferable and reading her chapters could sometimes be a bit of a struggle 😬😬 The second hand embarassment 😵😵😖😖
Next, the writing. I really liked the writing style- it was super easy to read and to understand, and helped the book fly by 😃 The whole book had an extremely fun atmosphere, which made it very entertaining to read. Although there are serious things happening, with the threat of war on the horizon, it felt a lot more like a fun fantasy romp, with the sisters messing up in hilarious ways and them having their own romances, than a serious book 😚😚
I did like the plot for the most part, but it had its issues. Although it was pretty fast-paced and both sisters' perspectives were equally interesting, I found that it did feel a little less interesting in the middle part of the book. Things were still happening, but it just wasn't holding my interest as much 🥱🥱 However, I really liked the end portion of the book- it was a lot more action-packed and the ending introduces the upcoming sequel really well 🤩🤩 So, definitely, mixed feelings on the plot.
Lastly, the romance. There were two main romances in this- one for Wren, one for Rose. I was actually surprised that I ended up liking both romances!! They were both cute and added a little something to the plot that helped make it a bit more interesting. I really liked the banter in Rose's romance, and the dynamic between Wren and her love interest was really good 💖💖 They definitely weren't the best romances ever, but they were fun and cute! 🥰🥰
Overall, an entertaining read!! 🤩🤩 It's pretty light & fun and a great pick if you want something a little less dark, or a quick read to get you out of a reading slump. I would recommend if you want:
✔ A quick & fun fantasy read
✔ Dual POV
✔ Cute romance subplots
✔ Witches!
✔ Easy to read writing
I will definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out! 💖💖
~ 3.5 stars
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I really enjoyed this!! 😃 A very fun fantasy read 🥰🥰
RTC!
Twin Crowns follows two sisters separated at birth- Rose Valhart and Wren Greenrock. Rose is the heir to the throne of Eana and has grown up trained to fear the witches that killed her parents. She will do anything to defend her kingdom. Stolen from the palace at birth, Wren is the sister whose existence is completely hidden. She plans to usurp the princess and seize the throne in order to protect the witches who raised her. In the battle for Eana's crown, where will your allegiances lie?
Twin Crowns is, in many ways, very similar to other YA fantasy books and has pretty low stakes, making it more fun than thrilling. It'll probably not be what you're looking for if you want an action-packed book with high stakes and lots of depth, but if you just want a good time (like I did), then it's great!! 💕💕
Starting with the characters. The book is dual-POV, with alternating chapters between Wren and Rose's POVs, which definitely helps keep the story interesting. The sisters themselves are very different- Wren is very fierce, while Rose acts a lot like a stereotypical princess- very stiff and a lot less laid-back, while also expecting everyone to answer to her.
Wren was definitely my favourite sister- she was just a lot more entertaining to follow than Rose. If I'm being completely honest, I found Rose a bit insufferable and reading her chapters could sometimes be a bit of a struggle 😬😬 The second hand embarassment 😵😵😖😖
Next, the writing. I really liked the writing style- it was super easy to read and to understand, and helped the book fly by 😃 The whole book had an extremely fun atmosphere, which made it very entertaining to read. Although there are serious things happening, with the threat of war on the horizon, it felt a lot more like a fun fantasy romp, with the sisters messing up in hilarious ways and them having their own romances, than a serious book 😚😚
I did like the plot for the most part, but it had its issues. Although it was pretty fast-paced and both sisters' perspectives were equally interesting, I found that it did feel a little less interesting in the middle part of the book. Things were still happening, but it just wasn't holding my interest as much 🥱🥱 However, I really liked the end portion of the book- it was a lot more action-packed and the ending introduces the upcoming sequel really well 🤩🤩 So, definitely, mixed feelings on the plot.
Lastly, the romance. There were two main romances in this- one for Wren, one for Rose. I was actually surprised that I ended up liking both romances!! They were both cute and added a little something to the plot that helped make it a bit more interesting. I really liked the banter in Rose's romance, and the dynamic between Wren and her love interest was really good 💖💖 They definitely weren't the best romances ever, but they were fun and cute! 🥰🥰
Overall, an entertaining read!! 🤩🤩 It's pretty light & fun and a great pick if you want something a little less dark, or a quick read to get you out of a reading slump. I would recommend if you want:
✔ A quick & fun fantasy read
✔ Dual POV
✔ Cute romance subplots
✔ Witches!
✔ Easy to read writing
I will definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out! 💖💖
~ 3.5 stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I really enjoyed this!! 😃 A very fun fantasy read 🥰🥰
RTC!
April 7, 2022
A magical romcom in the vein of The Princess Bride, taking place in a well-realised world of witches and royals. Katherine Webber and Catherine Doyle make a great team, blending their styles and voices seamlessly.
In a time where there's a lot of grimdark around, Twin Crowns – while it has occasional dark moments – is a welcome reminder that fantasy can be escapist, funny and joyful. I also really loved the Irish influences on the setting.
Note: I received a free Advance Reading Copy from the publisher.
In a time where there's a lot of grimdark around, Twin Crowns – while it has occasional dark moments – is a welcome reminder that fantasy can be escapist, funny and joyful. I also really loved the Irish influences on the setting.
Note: I received a free Advance Reading Copy from the publisher.
August 17, 2024
3.75 out of 5 stars.
I wanted to give this book three stars, but at last minute I felt very guilty by it and rounded it up 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, this may feel like a bit cliché YA fantasy, but it also has the charm of the beloved ones from the late 2000's till mid 2010's.
Also, check out this series if you love fairytale-esque fantasy and adventurous books!
—————————————————
I was planning to pick up this book last month, but it wasn't the right time for it, unfortunately.
Hopefully, in a couple of months I'll be able to read this.
________________________
I have the other two books of this trilogy in my tbr, and yet I never added the first book even though I’m going to pick it up very soon.
Anyways, I cannot wait to see what the fuss is about. So very excited!
I wanted to give this book three stars, but at last minute I felt very guilty by it and rounded it up 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, this may feel like a bit cliché YA fantasy, but it also has the charm of the beloved ones from the late 2000's till mid 2010's.
Also, check out this series if you love fairytale-esque fantasy and adventurous books!
—————————————————
I was planning to pick up this book last month, but it wasn't the right time for it, unfortunately.
Hopefully, in a couple of months I'll be able to read this.
________________________
I have the other two books of this trilogy in my tbr, and yet I never added the first book even though I’m going to pick it up very soon.
Anyways, I cannot wait to see what the fuss is about. So very excited!
October 4, 2025
Well, I didn't start this book with high expectations - in fact, i didn’t have any expectations at all. I just came across it by chance and picked it up because of the cover. But surprisingly... I liked it! I even want to read the second book now.
The beginning was especially enjoyable. I really liked Rose’s chapters. they were fun, engaging, and had a good pace. On the other hand, Wren’s parts felt a bit boring, and i didn’t enjoy her character much. She came off as arrogant and annoying, and honestly, not as “smart” as everyone kept saying. Personally, i think Rose was smarter. and yes, i liked her more overall.
Also... Shen!!! Rose’s love interest. He was so good. Maybe he’s the real reason i enjoyed Rose’s storyline more. I don’t know. but i loved their dynamic. 🖤
I also need to say this: i disliked Tor as much as i loved Shen. Tor, the other male character (but please tell me he’s actually not the love interest?), felt very dull and forgettable. Honestly, I liked Alarik more. He seemed way more interesting and had the potential to be a main character.
Overall, the book was okay. Not a great fantasy, but decent, maybe a bit average. But i have to admit: i hated the ending. Everything got messy and overly complicated, and i've already forgotten most of what happened.
Still, i’m going to continue the series. I’m holding out hope that Alarik gets more focus and saves me from Tor. 🙃
The beginning was especially enjoyable. I really liked Rose’s chapters. they were fun, engaging, and had a good pace. On the other hand, Wren’s parts felt a bit boring, and i didn’t enjoy her character much. She came off as arrogant and annoying, and honestly, not as “smart” as everyone kept saying. Personally, i think Rose was smarter. and yes, i liked her more overall.
Also... Shen!!! Rose’s love interest. He was so good. Maybe he’s the real reason i enjoyed Rose’s storyline more. I don’t know. but i loved their dynamic. 🖤
I also need to say this: i disliked Tor as much as i loved Shen. Tor, the other male character (but please tell me he’s actually not the love interest?), felt very dull and forgettable. Honestly, I liked Alarik more. He seemed way more interesting and had the potential to be a main character.
Overall, the book was okay. Not a great fantasy, but decent, maybe a bit average. But i have to admit: i hated the ending. Everything got messy and overly complicated, and i've already forgotten most of what happened.
Still, i’m going to continue the series. I’m holding out hope that Alarik gets more focus and saves me from Tor. 🙃
July 14, 2022
So much fun!
tbr-on-pause
March 27, 2023I’m pausing this bc i read the first couple of chapters and I see the potential but it’s not helping the slump I’m in ugh.
July 29, 2022
I was hoping to enjoy this as silly, tropey fun, and initially it met those expectations: it’s the written equivalent of a Disney movie, complete with spunky adventuring princesses, cute romances, and a paper-thin setting. Unfortunately, the fun wore off as the book insisted upon good-vs-evil morality while the actual portrayal is anything but. Pro tip: it’s helpful in a goofy fantasy novel if the “good” guys value human life beyond their own, and aren’t simply out to crush the rest of society under their thumb.
Twin Crowns has a totally goofy premise, involving a twin princess switcheroo. Chapters alternate between 18-year-old twins Rose and Wren (but, miracle of miracles for YA, in the third person past tense!): Rose has been raised as princess of Eana, not knowing she has a sister, while Wren was spirited away at birth and raised by her grandmother in a hidden community of witches, preparing to steal Rose’s identity and crown. The book kicks off with Rose’s kidnapping and Wren’s impersonation of her, and follows the twins in each other’s places as Wren tries to make the charade work, Rose discovers facets of her world she hadn’t been taught, and each begins to fall for a smug warrior dude. But the evil regent has plans to get rid of “Rose,” and of course, shenanigans ensue.
Given the premise, I naturally picked this up expecting nonsense, and for the first third or so was thoroughly satisfied. The plot moves briskly, and the alternation between the two viewpoints works well. Yes, it’s far-fetched and silly and works best if you picture it all happening in Disney animation, but it captures the magic of Disney: the princesses are spunky and entertaining, there is humor, the best-known tropes are there, cute animals appear to understand human speech, the dialogue feels right out of Frozen or Tangled, and I loved those movies and was happy to engage with the book on that level.
You do have to overlook a lot, from the horses that gallop for hours to the world’s most easily infiltrated dungeon. The royalty thing and the quasi-medieval thing are both purely aesthetic. All the characters think and behave like modern Americans rather than products of this (very thinly-drawn) setting. And of course the politics make no sense. However, it’s fair to say that the setting of Frozen is also wallpaper and withstands no scrutiny, and while that perhaps works better in a children’s movie than in a fairly chunky novel aimed at an older audience, as long as I was enjoying the characters and their story I was willing to accept it for what it is.
Sadly, it wasn’t to last. Enter the witches.
The witches, we are told, are Good, and anyone opposed to them is Evil.
The problem is, there is nothing actually good about these witches. They are persecuted, yes. But that isn’t the same thing. And what’s more, I can see why. Their powers are terrifying to a regular person, and they have absolutely no notion of ethics. Of the five types of witches, only one (healers) are pro-social, while another (seers) are whatever. Then there are the warrior witches, who are as they sound; the tempests, whose localized weather magic is exclusively shown being used to drag people about against their will, kill them by throwing them off of or into things, and destroy buildings; and the enchanters, whose wide range of powers includes the ability to falsify people’s identities and tamper with their minds. And anything the witches can do, they do in fact do without compunction.
Not only that, witch culture (realistically enough) is incredibly toxic. Their goal is to take over the kingdom for the benefit of themselves, and they talk loudly and often about how the rivers will run red with the blood of anyone who stands in their way. They are one step away from a Master Race theory of why they deserve to rule and no one else matters, and that step consists entirely of vocabulary. Ideologically and emotionally, they’re already there.
Now, I certainly don’t oppose including a dysfunctional group of fascists in a book, and exploring how to reintegrate the witches into society could be fruitful ground for storytelling. I assumed the twins would have parallels arcs in which Rose realized that witches are still human and not 100% evil and need to be incorporated into the kingdom somehow, while Wren realized the dangers of revenge and witch supremacy and that other people matter too. And that while Rose realized that the regent has manipulated her and raised her as a tool for his own ends, Wren would realize that the same is true of her grandmother.
But only one of those arcs happens. Rose has a rapid and complete personal transformation, in which she inexplicably becomes a partisan of the witches despite the fact that most of them—including her own grandmother—treat her poorly, with a youth cadre even trying repeatedly to murder her. Meanwhile Wren doesn’t grow or change at all, because who cares that the witches are violent fascists, they are persecuted and that makes them Good. The double standard is wild: a witch kills people gleefully and we’re supposed to sympathize with her; their enemies kill angrily, and that’s why we should hate them. (Hatred is acceptable, but only if not directed at witches; toward witches it means you’re a bigot, never mind that these people have every rational reason in the world to hate and fear them.) Grandma Stormfront over here orders something that will hurt someone, and she’s a strong leader making a tough but necessary decision; the regent does the same, and it shows that he’s a monster.
So given all that, why should Wren be sorry for helping kidnap her sister and attempting to steal her life? Apparently, there is no need for this, because Rose promptly forgives despite Wren’s lack of repentance, making their relationship feel entirely unearned. And the bad guys don’t seem quite as bad as intended either; there’s a throwaway comment that the regent is “respected across Eana,” which apparently isn’t supposed to affect readers’ judgment of him at all but which definitely affected mine, especially when the twins seem wildly unprepared to govern. (Rose at least has good intentions, which in a story like this is meant to be enough, but Wren doesn’t even have that.)
My second biggest disappointment, upon finishing this book, was that it’s definitively not a standalone, so possibly the sequel is meant to unpack all this. But it seems unlikely, when the book pushes the Witches are Good viewpoint so hard that character decisions and feelings only make sense when you accept that as a premise. Also, speaking of the ending: I feel that a book that describes itself as a “rom-com” has some obligation to actually resolve the romances by the end. This book does not.
So in the end, this proved to be a disappointment that I can’t recommend, despite a promising start. I knew it would be nonsense! I was here for nonsense! But nothing ruins my fun faster than moral dissonance, and Twin Crowns failed to keep my sympathy where the authors wanted it.
Twin Crowns has a totally goofy premise, involving a twin princess switcheroo. Chapters alternate between 18-year-old twins Rose and Wren (but, miracle of miracles for YA, in the third person past tense!): Rose has been raised as princess of Eana, not knowing she has a sister, while Wren was spirited away at birth and raised by her grandmother in a hidden community of witches, preparing to steal Rose’s identity and crown. The book kicks off with Rose’s kidnapping and Wren’s impersonation of her, and follows the twins in each other’s places as Wren tries to make the charade work, Rose discovers facets of her world she hadn’t been taught, and each begins to fall for a smug warrior dude. But the evil regent has plans to get rid of “Rose,” and of course, shenanigans ensue.
Given the premise, I naturally picked this up expecting nonsense, and for the first third or so was thoroughly satisfied. The plot moves briskly, and the alternation between the two viewpoints works well. Yes, it’s far-fetched and silly and works best if you picture it all happening in Disney animation, but it captures the magic of Disney: the princesses are spunky and entertaining, there is humor, the best-known tropes are there, cute animals appear to understand human speech, the dialogue feels right out of Frozen or Tangled, and I loved those movies and was happy to engage with the book on that level.
You do have to overlook a lot, from the horses that gallop for hours to the world’s most easily infiltrated dungeon. The royalty thing and the quasi-medieval thing are both purely aesthetic. All the characters think and behave like modern Americans rather than products of this (very thinly-drawn) setting. And of course the politics make no sense. However, it’s fair to say that the setting of Frozen is also wallpaper and withstands no scrutiny, and while that perhaps works better in a children’s movie than in a fairly chunky novel aimed at an older audience, as long as I was enjoying the characters and their story I was willing to accept it for what it is.
Sadly, it wasn’t to last. Enter the witches.
The witches, we are told, are Good, and anyone opposed to them is Evil.
The problem is, there is nothing actually good about these witches. They are persecuted, yes. But that isn’t the same thing. And what’s more, I can see why. Their powers are terrifying to a regular person, and they have absolutely no notion of ethics. Of the five types of witches, only one (healers) are pro-social, while another (seers) are whatever. Then there are the warrior witches, who are as they sound; the tempests, whose localized weather magic is exclusively shown being used to drag people about against their will, kill them by throwing them off of or into things, and destroy buildings; and the enchanters, whose wide range of powers includes the ability to falsify people’s identities and tamper with their minds. And anything the witches can do, they do in fact do without compunction.
Not only that, witch culture (realistically enough) is incredibly toxic. Their goal is to take over the kingdom for the benefit of themselves, and they talk loudly and often about how the rivers will run red with the blood of anyone who stands in their way. They are one step away from a Master Race theory of why they deserve to rule and no one else matters, and that step consists entirely of vocabulary. Ideologically and emotionally, they’re already there.
Now, I certainly don’t oppose including a dysfunctional group of fascists in a book, and exploring how to reintegrate the witches into society could be fruitful ground for storytelling. I assumed the twins would have parallels arcs in which Rose realized that witches are still human and not 100% evil and need to be incorporated into the kingdom somehow, while Wren realized the dangers of revenge and witch supremacy and that other people matter too. And that while Rose realized that the regent has manipulated her and raised her as a tool for his own ends, Wren would realize that the same is true of her grandmother.
But only one of those arcs happens. Rose has a rapid and complete personal transformation, in which she inexplicably becomes a partisan of the witches despite the fact that most of them—including her own grandmother—treat her poorly, with a youth cadre even trying repeatedly to murder her. Meanwhile Wren doesn’t grow or change at all, because who cares that the witches are violent fascists, they are persecuted and that makes them Good. The double standard is wild: a witch kills people gleefully and we’re supposed to sympathize with her; their enemies kill angrily, and that’s why we should hate them. (Hatred is acceptable, but only if not directed at witches; toward witches it means you’re a bigot, never mind that these people have every rational reason in the world to hate and fear them.) Grandma Stormfront over here orders something that will hurt someone, and she’s a strong leader making a tough but necessary decision; the regent does the same, and it shows that he’s a monster.
So given all that, why should Wren be sorry for helping kidnap her sister and attempting to steal her life? Apparently, there is no need for this, because Rose promptly forgives despite Wren’s lack of repentance, making their relationship feel entirely unearned. And the bad guys don’t seem quite as bad as intended either; there’s a throwaway comment that the regent is “respected across Eana,” which apparently isn’t supposed to affect readers’ judgment of him at all but which definitely affected mine, especially when the twins seem wildly unprepared to govern. (Rose at least has good intentions, which in a story like this is meant to be enough, but Wren doesn’t even have that.)
My second biggest disappointment, upon finishing this book, was that it’s definitively not a standalone, so possibly the sequel is meant to unpack all this. But it seems unlikely, when the book pushes the Witches are Good viewpoint so hard that character decisions and feelings only make sense when you accept that as a premise. Also, speaking of the ending: I feel that a book that describes itself as a “rom-com” has some obligation to actually resolve the romances by the end. This book does not.
So in the end, this proved to be a disappointment that I can’t recommend, despite a promising start. I knew it would be nonsense! I was here for nonsense! But nothing ruins my fun faster than moral dissonance, and Twin Crowns failed to keep my sympathy where the authors wanted it.
January 11, 2023
Everything I hope to find in a fantasy and more. I love this book so much.
July 17, 2022
5 ⭐️
THIS WAS SOOO FUN TO READ!! It had everything I love in a fantasy and more! 😍 rtc
THIS WAS SOOO FUN TO READ!! It had everything I love in a fantasy and more! 😍 rtc
October 1, 2023
—reread—
—👑 4.5 stars 👑—
“Since we're trying to avoid suspicion on our way in, I'd rather not leave eighteen bodies behind us.”
————about the book————
Age: YA
Genres: Fantasy, Teenage Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Witches,
Writing: 8/10
Quotes: 7/10
World building: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Romance: 8/10
My rating: 9/10
trigger warnings: Violence, Kidnapping, Loss of Parents, Murder, Death, Attempted Murder, Poison, etc.
———my thoughts———
Wren Greenrock has always know she will steal her sister’s place on the throne.
Raised in hiding and trained to avenge her parents, she’ll do anything to protect the community of witches she loves.
Rose, her twin, has no idea Wren exists.
All she knows is the palace and the looming responsibility of the throne.
But now as Wren’s plan is finally in motion, the twins are going to know each other’s lives a lot better...
I read a lot of YA books, and when I tell you “YA” is a large spectrum, I’m not joking.
YA can be many things.
Good, bad, in between, irritating, boring.
But there are YA books that are, quite simply, fantastic.
And Twin Crowns is one of them.
Wren and Rose (our protagonists) are both naive and completely relatable.
They may be twins, but they were raised in such different places, with different people, that they are glaringly different.
And of course, all twins are different.
But it’s especially obvious when you have Rose and Wren in the same room (or on the same page.)
I’ve heard them compared to the Duarte sisters, and while that may be a little true...it’s also not.
Honestly, the only real thing they have in common is that they’re twins.
And apart from that, I love them both.
But in completely different ways.
Wren, I adored from the first moment I saw her.
And Rose? It took longer. She’s definitely a little spoilt, but she’s also the most heartfelt and sweet human ever.
Because the book is told though their alternating POVs, you end up jumping from one parallel plotline to the other.
They might be completely different, but sometimes their similarities are exposed.
For example, Wren’s kinder side is akin to Rose, while Rose’s more dangerous side is close to Wren...
They’re almost mirrors of each other.
And it’s always funny how much my feelings stay the same when rereading.
But it’s also interesting what different things I pick up on.
The first read, I’m always concentrating on the plot, the storyline—but while rereading I focus on the characters and details.
Maybe that’s why I like Rose more now, as I had the chance to just read instead of trying to figure out all the plotlines.
I got to enjoy the relationship more as well, and while Wren and Tor will always be my favourites...Rose and Shen are sweet together.
So if you’re looking to pick up this series (if the gorgeous cover isn’t enough of an endorsement) do so with the knowledge that it’s good
————quotes————
“Calm your heart, anxious one. Let me heal what is broken.”
“Rose wished her sister were here to see this. What would her life have been like, having fierce and fearless Wren always next to her? Anger flared inside her, as hot as the flames crackling in their cages.”
“She cleared her throat. "I found a new vocation." "Stalking me?" "Wanting you." Wren's cheeks flared. Damn. She looked away sharply.”
“Will you catch me if I fall?" "No, but I'll wave at you on your way down." "Ever the gentleman.”
“Of course I wanted to meet you," said Wren, and when her own tears fell, she scrubbed them away, wishing she could erase the unpleasant feelings that came with them. Guilt and loss, and this new yearning for the life they might have had together if things had been different. If only things had been different. "I thought about you every day of my life.”
———random extra thoughts———
Tor’s wolf has my heart forever
Thanks for reading! ❤️
—👑 4.5 stars 👑—
“Since we're trying to avoid suspicion on our way in, I'd rather not leave eighteen bodies behind us.”
————about the book————
Age: YA
Genres: Fantasy, Teenage Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Witches,
Writing: 8/10
Quotes: 7/10
World building: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Romance: 8/10
My rating: 9/10
trigger warnings: Violence, Kidnapping, Loss of Parents, Murder, Death, Attempted Murder, Poison, etc.
———my thoughts———
Wren Greenrock has always know she will steal her sister’s place on the throne.
Raised in hiding and trained to avenge her parents, she’ll do anything to protect the community of witches she loves.
Rose, her twin, has no idea Wren exists.
All she knows is the palace and the looming responsibility of the throne.
But now as Wren’s plan is finally in motion, the twins are going to know each other’s lives a lot better...
I read a lot of YA books, and when I tell you “YA” is a large spectrum, I’m not joking.
YA can be many things.
Good, bad, in between, irritating, boring.
But there are YA books that are, quite simply, fantastic.
And Twin Crowns is one of them.
Wren and Rose (our protagonists) are both naive and completely relatable.
They may be twins, but they were raised in such different places, with different people, that they are glaringly different.
And of course, all twins are different.
But it’s especially obvious when you have Rose and Wren in the same room (or on the same page.)
I’ve heard them compared to the Duarte sisters, and while that may be a little true...it’s also not.
Honestly, the only real thing they have in common is that they’re twins.
And apart from that, I love them both.
But in completely different ways.
Wren, I adored from the first moment I saw her.
And Rose? It took longer. She’s definitely a little spoilt, but she’s also the most heartfelt and sweet human ever.
Because the book is told though their alternating POVs, you end up jumping from one parallel plotline to the other.
They might be completely different, but sometimes their similarities are exposed.
For example, Wren’s kinder side is akin to Rose, while Rose’s more dangerous side is close to Wren...
They’re almost mirrors of each other.
And it’s always funny how much my feelings stay the same when rereading.
But it’s also interesting what different things I pick up on.
The first read, I’m always concentrating on the plot, the storyline—but while rereading I focus on the characters and details.
Maybe that’s why I like Rose more now, as I had the chance to just read instead of trying to figure out all the plotlines.
I got to enjoy the relationship more as well, and while Wren and Tor will always be my favourites...Rose and Shen are sweet together.
So if you’re looking to pick up this series (if the gorgeous cover isn’t enough of an endorsement) do so with the knowledge that it’s good
————quotes————
“Calm your heart, anxious one. Let me heal what is broken.”
“Rose wished her sister were here to see this. What would her life have been like, having fierce and fearless Wren always next to her? Anger flared inside her, as hot as the flames crackling in their cages.”
“She cleared her throat. "I found a new vocation." "Stalking me?" "Wanting you." Wren's cheeks flared. Damn. She looked away sharply.”
“Will you catch me if I fall?" "No, but I'll wave at you on your way down." "Ever the gentleman.”
“Of course I wanted to meet you," said Wren, and when her own tears fell, she scrubbed them away, wishing she could erase the unpleasant feelings that came with them. Guilt and loss, and this new yearning for the life they might have had together if things had been different. If only things had been different. "I thought about you every day of my life.”
———random extra thoughts———
Tor’s wolf has my heart forever
Thanks for reading! ❤️
November 23, 2024
Shen needs to date me instead
July 5, 2022
knew it was gonna be a rollercoaster when i saw sarah j maas on the cover. i would have ate this up if i was 12 years old i promise 😭… but this is such a classic dumb YA fantasy that y’all will just go crazy over…
to understand what i’m talking abt let’s play a game
you have to murder someone and you are going to get poison from the market. do you….
1. secure the bag and run away asap
2. chug beer until you’re so drunk you can’t function! #Lit #Wild
the answer is 2!
you are pretending to be someone else and they are engaged. do you…
1. make an effort to connect with your fiancé to avoid suspicion, then plot his downfall and get rid of him in a quiet manner
2. fuck your fiancé’s bodyguard
the answer is actually 2🤯
here’s some classic YA fantasy tropes this book has!
tyrant that destroyed magic with zero motive, killing witches ✅
telling instead of showing writing ✅✅✅✅
so predictable that you can guess every plot point ✅
stockholm syndrome instalove ✅
badass sassy one dimensional main character ✅
forced character development ✅
soft uwu girl turns powerful ✅
ancient prophecies, chosen one ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅
things this book lacks
an editor ❌
an original plot ❌
3 dimensional characters ❌
heartfelt moments ❌
WHY couldn’t this have been middle grade. the writing is for elementary schoolers, so i almost spit out my water when they started talking about dick. authors, WHY DID YOU DO THIS, what went into this decision 💀
in conclusion, this was horrible but the kind of horrible where it gets more fun as you keep reading and laugh at it. ya fantasy do better 👎 maybe i'm just getting older and can't appreciate it anymore but either way it's sad. at least the last 25% was entertaining.
to understand what i’m talking abt let’s play a game
you have to murder someone and you are going to get poison from the market. do you….
1. secure the bag and run away asap
2. chug beer until you’re so drunk you can’t function! #Lit #Wild
the answer is 2!
you are pretending to be someone else and they are engaged. do you…
1. make an effort to connect with your fiancé to avoid suspicion, then plot his downfall and get rid of him in a quiet manner
2. fuck your fiancé’s bodyguard
the answer is actually 2🤯
here’s some classic YA fantasy tropes this book has!
tyrant that destroyed magic with zero motive, killing witches ✅
telling instead of showing writing ✅✅✅✅
so predictable that you can guess every plot point ✅
stockholm syndrome instalove ✅
badass sassy one dimensional main character ✅
forced character development ✅
soft uwu girl turns powerful ✅
ancient prophecies, chosen one ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅
things this book lacks
an editor ❌
an original plot ❌
3 dimensional characters ❌
heartfelt moments ❌
WHY couldn’t this have been middle grade. the writing is for elementary schoolers, so i almost spit out my water when they started talking about dick. authors, WHY DID YOU DO THIS, what went into this decision 💀
in conclusion, this was horrible but the kind of horrible where it gets more fun as you keep reading and laugh at it. ya fantasy do better 👎 maybe i'm just getting older and can't appreciate it anymore but either way it's sad. at least the last 25% was entertaining.
June 5, 2024
Wren supre,acy>>>
Want to read
December 21, 2023well, if sarah janet maas says it’s good! (derogatory)
all jokes aside, they’re hot.
all jokes aside, they’re hot.
May 18, 2022
The fact that the characters weren't replicas of a distinct stereotype filled me with more happiness than I thought it would.
July 26, 2022
Super fun! Although Oonagh for a name… I just can’t take that seriously.
October 5, 2025
‘Fly away safe, little Wren.
Rose, grow strong and true.’ 🦅🌹✨
Usually it takes me at least a few chapters to get into a Fantasy novel, but that was not the case here. From page 1, I instantly felt inserted into the Island of Eana. It felt as though a spell had been cast on me, transporting me into their lives, and it was SO MUCH FUN 🤩
After being scarred for life after my last fantasy romance read, I had zero expectations going into this book, but I can honestly say it is one of my favourite fantasy novels. I can’t even explain why, it just had those GOOD VIBES 😌💖✨
As usual, I think one of the key factors in my enjoyment of this book was the characters! The twins were so well written and the dual POV worked PERFECTLY in this case. I honestly loved both sisters, both sides, so much I couldn’t choose between them. And that is something special in itself. In dual POV stories I pretty much always have a side I prefer reading but, I can honestly say I enjoyed every page of this magical read.
Whilst the two sisters were both completely different, I found them both to be strangely relatable. Rose was the more gentle, sweet and caring of the two. Meanwhile, Wren was a strong, independent woman. Nobody could stand in her way. I think much of their differences were due to their own upbringing.
“I am Eana; Eana is me.” 🗺️
As for the male characters. The prince is not worth talking about 😅 but Tor and Shen - they were my two MMC 🙌🏽 I loved how they both gradually slipped into the twins lives….I will say no more 🤐
There were many other characters that played important roles in the story but I won’t go into them in great detail here, but just the mention that the whole cast worked perfectly together; the goodies and the baddies alike 😈
Furthermore, the writing style was very easy to follow and there was no complex world building to get my head around straight away. I hate having to work hard in a fantasy novel and I certainly didn’t have to in this case.
The plot was simple, yet it had depth to it. It was easy to follow, unlike some Fantasy novels, and it definitely focused more on the storyline of the 2 sisters, rather than romance, which I liked for a change. It made this story standout as being unique and also showed the power of women sticking together. However, if fantasy romance is your thing, there was something to be found for each of the sisters, leaning mainly on the forbidden romance or enemies to lovers side of things.
Overall, I had so much fun reading this book. It felt really nostalgic for some reason and, I believe, it would make a FANTASTIC movie! In fact, it reminded me a little of parent-trap (gosh, I love that movie 😅). When I started out reading this book I had no intention of reading the whole series, however now…well I think I might just HAVE to 🙊
‘Rose threaded her arm through Wren’s. Despite everything that had turned her world upside down these past few weeks, with her sister by her side and the future ahead of them, she was happy. Perhaps more than she’d ever been before.’ 👯 💖 👑 ✨
5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Rose, grow strong and true.’ 🦅🌹✨
Usually it takes me at least a few chapters to get into a Fantasy novel, but that was not the case here. From page 1, I instantly felt inserted into the Island of Eana. It felt as though a spell had been cast on me, transporting me into their lives, and it was SO MUCH FUN 🤩
After being scarred for life after my last fantasy romance read, I had zero expectations going into this book, but I can honestly say it is one of my favourite fantasy novels. I can’t even explain why, it just had those GOOD VIBES 😌💖✨
As usual, I think one of the key factors in my enjoyment of this book was the characters! The twins were so well written and the dual POV worked PERFECTLY in this case. I honestly loved both sisters, both sides, so much I couldn’t choose between them. And that is something special in itself. In dual POV stories I pretty much always have a side I prefer reading but, I can honestly say I enjoyed every page of this magical read.
Whilst the two sisters were both completely different, I found them both to be strangely relatable. Rose was the more gentle, sweet and caring of the two. Meanwhile, Wren was a strong, independent woman. Nobody could stand in her way. I think much of their differences were due to their own upbringing.
“I am Eana; Eana is me.” 🗺️
As for the male characters. The prince is not worth talking about 😅 but Tor and Shen - they were my two MMC 🙌🏽 I loved how they both gradually slipped into the twins lives….I will say no more 🤐
There were many other characters that played important roles in the story but I won’t go into them in great detail here, but just the mention that the whole cast worked perfectly together; the goodies and the baddies alike 😈
Furthermore, the writing style was very easy to follow and there was no complex world building to get my head around straight away. I hate having to work hard in a fantasy novel and I certainly didn’t have to in this case.
The plot was simple, yet it had depth to it. It was easy to follow, unlike some Fantasy novels, and it definitely focused more on the storyline of the 2 sisters, rather than romance, which I liked for a change. It made this story standout as being unique and also showed the power of women sticking together. However, if fantasy romance is your thing, there was something to be found for each of the sisters, leaning mainly on the forbidden romance or enemies to lovers side of things.
Overall, I had so much fun reading this book. It felt really nostalgic for some reason and, I believe, it would make a FANTASTIC movie! In fact, it reminded me a little of parent-trap (gosh, I love that movie 😅). When I started out reading this book I had no intention of reading the whole series, however now…well I think I might just HAVE to 🙊
‘Rose threaded her arm through Wren’s. Despite everything that had turned her world upside down these past few weeks, with her sister by her side and the future ahead of them, she was happy. Perhaps more than she’d ever been before.’ 👯 💖 👑 ✨
5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
January 11, 2023
✨ FAVORIS DE L’ANNÉE NUMÉRO 3 ✨
Moi qui croyais que je n’aimais plus la Romantasy YA…que nenni !!! Celle ci est PARFAITE ! Des chapitres courts, un rythme impeccable, pas une… MAIS DEUX ROMANCES ENEMIES TO LOVERS !! (Shen le nouvel amour de ma vie !!!!) De l’humour et des rebondissements de folie à la fin : PARFAIT !!
Moi qui croyais que je n’aimais plus la Romantasy YA…que nenni !!! Celle ci est PARFAITE ! Des chapitres courts, un rythme impeccable, pas une… MAIS DEUX ROMANCES ENEMIES TO LOVERS !! (Shen le nouvel amour de ma vie !!!!) De l’humour et des rebondissements de folie à la fin : PARFAIT !!
June 2, 2025
4.5 ⭐ !!!!!!!!!! **ugly review incoming btw**
i loved this SO much. needed some time to recollect my thoughts cuz i finished this literally yesterday but i dont even want to wait anymore to write this review. i wanna pour my thoughts out abt this story 😫😫💖
summary: rose is a parentless princess, raised alone in a castle for her entire life, and is set to become queen soon. once she does, she will banish the witches in all of Eana for good. but wren, her twin sister she doesn't know about, has plans to break into the castle and switch herself with her sister to get to the throne instead in order to keep the witches-her family-safe. in a story of wretched actions and survival and injustice, both will have to learn to adapt to unfamiliar circumstances and devastating revelations while keeping their hearts safe.
this romantasy is dual-pov between the two sisters and, ofc, YA 💘
---
this was such a beautiful tale... right off the bat i realized that it wasn't for everyone because it was reallyy YA and a tiny bit juvenile in some instances but i personally adored it . the dual pov kept me so hooked, the pacing was fast and perfect, and some scenes had me fighting back screams 😭😭
the writing was literally stellar. again im such a sucker for pretty prose so everytime a book has that im INSTANTLY swept into whatever the story is lollll. i just loved the descriptions so much, and the writing fit perfectly with the fairytale story. another thing i appreciated was the differences in writing in wren's pov and rose's pov; this book was written by two different authors and each wrote their respective pov but the differences were not overwhelming. in fact, it took me a while to realize that it was two authors who wrote each sisters' pov (i had to go and search it lol). both katherine webber and catherine doyle have incredible storytelling skills and i often found myself rereading some of the passages because they sounded so nice. not that it took away from the plot itself. wren and rose and two very different characters and it was easy to tell by their inner monologue, the way they handled situations etc.
the plot was as enticing as the writing. wren's plan was so nice to see in action, all while rose was living a completely different life. there was always a new situation happening, something or another would have u holding ur breath. u rly have to have some patience with some points of this book cus all i wanted was for certain things to be different but then OHHH.... that's why that happened....
having said that, i would be lying if i said my fav part of the book wasn't the romance 😭💓 shen and rose. can we talk about SHEN AND MF ROSE!!!! UGHHHHHHH TEARS ALL OVER AGAIN
rose valhart is the princess by birthright, loved and admired by the entire country. her beauty & kindness is her power. i love her character because she's soft but brave, and while some people might call her weak i thought she was authentic. she had to endure quite a lot and absolutely didn't come out of it unscathed, but her kindness remained. while wren was the other extreme, rose still wanted the best for everyone. i absolutely hated the way she was treated by the witches and how they tried to strip her of all the softer virtues that made her who she was.
shen lo is a bandit who rose had ALL the reason to be mad at but hes so hot omfgggggggggggg😭😭 im in love w him. he was so charming but still stood on business and still had morals n people he cared about more than anything. every single scene he was in was an amazing one, his aura was literally palpable even when the book was closed, when i wasn't at home, when i was asleep(he slithered his way into my dreams) . he was loved as well, by many, in a more profound way that rose ever was. he understood that about her. he understood everythinggggg this man😫😫😫😫😫😫
their romance LITERALLY KEPT ME UP AT NIGHT. shen and rose is EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR YALL. the most scrumptious, banter-y, toe-curling serious romance ive read in a while. THIS WASNT INSTA LOVE I CANT BELIEVE IT !!!!!!!!!! rose and shen complimented each other so well, they were so different and that's why they worked. they helped eachother, shen was there through rose's difficulties, internal and external. HE RESPECTED HER SO FUCKING MUCH, even if he sometimes joked as if he didnt, HE WAS SOOOOOOOOOOO UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH . so tender when it came to rose, he always listened. and she saw him in a different light. i loved how she tried not to laugh around him and how visibly happy she was with him compared to when she was with ansel, who had the same amount of aura as unseasoned chicken breast...
shen was softer with her but he still pushed her and showed her that she wouldn't break. she needed those pushes. and he was rly authoritative. the slow burn was actually slow burn and not that they fell in love after two chapters. they were just real sweet. the tension, the chemistry GODDDDDDD 😭😭😭💘💘💘💘💘 ppl saying fourth wing is slow burn would find this TORTUROUS. i loved the differences they had, they were reminiscent of evajacks (!!!!!!!!!)
now let's talk about ....... wren .....................................
wren greenlock. sister to rose, witch, lost princess... she was the more headstrong type, much more prone to violence than rose. she had also gone through a lot but she had family.
wren pissed me off so many times in this, i have to be so honest. she was often drooling over tor instead of focusing on the task at hand, which was the worst thing to experience. she once thought that shen, her best friend, would be disappointed in her if he found out the things she did or thought of doing, and i wholeheartedly agreed. wren evidently was a witch and didnt exactly have good intentions. she's a morally grey character, thinks shes doing something good and does smt bad to get there. but sometimes it was just so far???? even, it often came off as though she cared more about tor than her own blood. her sister. she is literally a manhater so it was surprising how much she was obsessed w tor. besides that, i deeply disagreed with how she and others wanted to take some of the most important things from rose.
but at the same time, wren got better in the second half and she acknowledged her wrongdoings so i was grateful for that. i liked that wren was brave and determined, just not the way she regarded her sister. thankfully that slowly changed.
tor was singlehandedly the most uncharismatic person ever. how was he worse than prince ansel. HE MIGHT EVEN HAVE BEEN WORSE THAN TAMLIN 💔 i'd wager the only reason wren liked him was bc he was hot and tall and muscular like euuuuuughhhhh😭😭 he was literally still all the time, how are u going after a man that isnt going after u girl??? technically he was going after her but only in scenes when it literally meant so little. shen would have scaled mountains, crossed scorching deserts and treacherous forests for rose.... wait.
he already did.
i dont have anything to say about tor. not of his family, his personality... he was just incredibly stale like he always stood around and watched wren with 'desire in his eyes' and literally theres nothing noteworthy about this man.
their romance, as ive hinted, was pointless and torturous and insta love which i hate. the moment wren saw him, she couldnt stop looking and imagining what his arms would feel like beneath his hands. THAT'S IT. FEELINGS DID NOT MATTER i cannot make this up. cant even call it insta LOVE tbh. just lust (at least as much as ya can get loll). but after a certain point of continuously questioning why the romance was terrible i realized it was bc it probably just had to be considerably different from shen and rose's. and it was.
then i went and spoiled something for myself abt it that i wont be spoiling for yall here 😞 just trust the process ygs...
in conclusion, this book pulled me out of my reading slump and im so grateful for that. it's one of my fav books already. i surprised myself by how much i read this week. as u can see this book wasn't perfect at all but the 4.5 is because of how it made me feel and shen and rose my sweethearts 💘💘💘💘💘 every book has its imperfections and this one made me realize that the good in a book can always overshadow the bad stuff if done correctly. cannot wait to continue this, ive never wished to have a second book from a series more. i want a kindleeeeeeee
this book changed my brain chemistry in the best way possible. RTCCCCC.
pre-read: this just came today i cant wait to start reading it!!!! it's me and YA against the world 😫🫡
i loved this SO much. needed some time to recollect my thoughts cuz i finished this literally yesterday but i dont even want to wait anymore to write this review. i wanna pour my thoughts out abt this story 😫😫💖
summary: rose is a parentless princess, raised alone in a castle for her entire life, and is set to become queen soon. once she does, she will banish the witches in all of Eana for good. but wren, her twin sister she doesn't know about, has plans to break into the castle and switch herself with her sister to get to the throne instead in order to keep the witches-her family-safe. in a story of wretched actions and survival and injustice, both will have to learn to adapt to unfamiliar circumstances and devastating revelations while keeping their hearts safe.
this romantasy is dual-pov between the two sisters and, ofc, YA 💘
---
this was such a beautiful tale... right off the bat i realized that it wasn't for everyone because it was reallyy YA and a tiny bit juvenile in some instances but i personally adored it . the dual pov kept me so hooked, the pacing was fast and perfect, and some scenes had me fighting back screams 😭😭
the writing was literally stellar. again im such a sucker for pretty prose so everytime a book has that im INSTANTLY swept into whatever the story is lollll. i just loved the descriptions so much, and the writing fit perfectly with the fairytale story. another thing i appreciated was the differences in writing in wren's pov and rose's pov; this book was written by two different authors and each wrote their respective pov but the differences were not overwhelming. in fact, it took me a while to realize that it was two authors who wrote each sisters' pov (i had to go and search it lol). both katherine webber and catherine doyle have incredible storytelling skills and i often found myself rereading some of the passages because they sounded so nice. not that it took away from the plot itself. wren and rose and two very different characters and it was easy to tell by their inner monologue, the way they handled situations etc.
the plot was as enticing as the writing. wren's plan was so nice to see in action, all while rose was living a completely different life. there was always a new situation happening, something or another would have u holding ur breath. u rly have to have some patience with some points of this book cus all i wanted was for certain things to be different but then OHHH.... that's why that happened....
having said that, i would be lying if i said my fav part of the book wasn't the romance 😭💓 shen and rose. can we talk about SHEN AND MF ROSE!!!! UGHHHHHHH TEARS ALL OVER AGAIN
rose valhart is the princess by birthright, loved and admired by the entire country. her beauty & kindness is her power. i love her character because she's soft but brave, and while some people might call her weak i thought she was authentic. she had to endure quite a lot and absolutely didn't come out of it unscathed, but her kindness remained. while wren was the other extreme, rose still wanted the best for everyone. i absolutely hated the way she was treated by the witches and how they tried to strip her of all the softer virtues that made her who she was.
shen lo is a bandit who rose had ALL the reason to be mad at but hes so hot omfgggggggggggg😭😭 im in love w him. he was so charming but still stood on business and still had morals n people he cared about more than anything. every single scene he was in was an amazing one, his aura was literally palpable even when the book was closed, when i wasn't at home, when i was asleep
their romance LITERALLY KEPT ME UP AT NIGHT. shen and rose is EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR YALL. the most scrumptious, banter-y, toe-curling serious romance ive read in a while. THIS WASNT INSTA LOVE I CANT BELIEVE IT !!!!!!!!!! rose and shen complimented each other so well, they were so different and that's why they worked. they helped eachother, shen was there through rose's difficulties, internal and external. HE RESPECTED HER SO FUCKING MUCH, even if he sometimes joked as if he didnt, HE WAS SOOOOOOOOOOO UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH . so tender when it came to rose, he always listened. and she saw him in a different light. i loved how she tried not to laugh around him and how visibly happy she was with him compared to when she was with ansel, who had the same amount of aura as unseasoned chicken breast...
shen was softer with her but he still pushed her and showed her that she wouldn't break. she needed those pushes. and he was rly authoritative. the slow burn was actually slow burn and not that they fell in love after two chapters. they were just real sweet. the tension, the chemistry GODDDDDDD 😭😭😭💘💘💘💘💘 ppl saying fourth wing is slow burn would find this TORTUROUS. i loved the differences they had, they were reminiscent of evajacks (!!!!!!!!!)
now let's talk about ....... wren .....................................
wren greenlock. sister to rose, witch, lost princess... she was the more headstrong type, much more prone to violence than rose. she had also gone through a lot but she had family.
wren pissed me off so many times in this, i have to be so honest. she was often drooling over tor instead of focusing on the task at hand, which was the worst thing to experience. she once thought that shen, her best friend, would be disappointed in her if he found out the things she did or thought of doing, and i wholeheartedly agreed. wren evidently was a witch and didnt exactly have good intentions. she's a morally grey character, thinks shes doing something good and does smt bad to get there. but sometimes it was just so far???? even, it often came off as though she cared more about tor than her own blood. her sister. she is literally a manhater so it was surprising how much she was obsessed w tor. besides that, i deeply disagreed with how she and others wanted to take some of the most important things from rose.
but at the same time, wren got better in the second half and she acknowledged her wrongdoings so i was grateful for that. i liked that wren was brave and determined, just not the way she regarded her sister. thankfully that slowly changed.
tor was singlehandedly the most uncharismatic person ever. how was he worse than prince ansel. HE MIGHT EVEN HAVE BEEN WORSE THAN TAMLIN 💔 i'd wager the only reason wren liked him was bc he was hot and tall and muscular like euuuuuughhhhh😭😭 he was literally still all the time, how are u going after a man that isnt going after u girl??? technically he was going after her but only in scenes when it literally meant so little. shen would have scaled mountains, crossed scorching deserts and treacherous forests for rose.... wait.
he already did.
i dont have anything to say about tor. not of his family, his personality... he was just incredibly stale like he always stood around and watched wren with 'desire in his eyes' and literally theres nothing noteworthy about this man.
their romance, as ive hinted, was pointless and torturous and insta love which i hate. the moment wren saw him, she couldnt stop looking and imagining what his arms would feel like beneath his hands. THAT'S IT. FEELINGS DID NOT MATTER i cannot make this up. cant even call it insta LOVE tbh. just lust (at least as much as ya can get loll). but after a certain point of continuously questioning why the romance was terrible i realized it was bc it probably just had to be considerably different from shen and rose's. and it was.
then i went and spoiled something for myself abt it that i wont be spoiling for yall here 😞 just trust the process ygs...
in conclusion, this book pulled me out of my reading slump and im so grateful for that. it's one of my fav books already. i surprised myself by how much i read this week. as u can see this book wasn't perfect at all but the 4.5 is because of how it made me feel and shen and rose my sweethearts 💘💘💘💘💘 every book has its imperfections and this one made me realize that the good in a book can always overshadow the bad stuff if done correctly. cannot wait to continue this, ive never wished to have a second book from a series more. i want a kindleeeeeeee
this book changed my brain chemistry in the best way possible. RTCCCCC.
pre-read: this just came today i cant wait to start reading it!!!! it's me and YA against the world 😫🫡
May 8, 2023
8.5/10
There are two sisters who were separated at birth and brought up in completely different domains. One sister, Princess Rose, lives in the royalty of the palace while the other, Wren the Witch, is a practitioner of magic in the wild and hidden land of forbidden witches.
Wren always knows that should take her sister's place in the palace, but Rose has no idea about being kidnapped and discovering their witch grandmother in the wilderness beyond the palace walls.
Switching places was a new experience for both sisters and fun for me! They got to know each other slowly in amusing ways.
Honestly, I was initially drawn to this book solely based on its cover. However, I am pleasantly surprised to find that it has exceeded my expectations. The twin sisters, despite not knowing each other, were not cruel and prioritized their family. They showed care and love towards one another.
Overall, this was an entertaining young adult romance book. The dual POVs are beautifully narrated by Ann Marie Gideon and Ell Potter. The audiobook even included an interview with the authors, which was a nice touch. I am looking forward to listening to the sequel, Cursed Crowns, as well.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio via NetGalley for giving me a chance to listen to the first book of Twin Crowns by Katherine Webber and Catherine Doyle. I have given my review solely based on my personal viewpoint and completely honest.
There are two sisters who were separated at birth and brought up in completely different domains. One sister, Princess Rose, lives in the royalty of the palace while the other, Wren the Witch, is a practitioner of magic in the wild and hidden land of forbidden witches.
Wren always knows that should take her sister's place in the palace, but Rose has no idea about being kidnapped and discovering their witch grandmother in the wilderness beyond the palace walls.
Switching places was a new experience for both sisters and fun for me! They got to know each other slowly in amusing ways.
Honestly, I was initially drawn to this book solely based on its cover. However, I am pleasantly surprised to find that it has exceeded my expectations. The twin sisters, despite not knowing each other, were not cruel and prioritized their family. They showed care and love towards one another.
Overall, this was an entertaining young adult romance book. The dual POVs are beautifully narrated by Ann Marie Gideon and Ell Potter. The audiobook even included an interview with the authors, which was a nice touch. I am looking forward to listening to the sequel, Cursed Crowns, as well.
Thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio via NetGalley for giving me a chance to listen to the first book of Twin Crowns by Katherine Webber and Catherine Doyle. I have given my review solely based on my personal viewpoint and completely honest.
March 3, 2024
princess rose is mother wife and child but this book reminds me of the dusty fantasies at the back of the school library. also, fanfic authors on goodreads, please write a sapphic romance with rose + celeste. (because they're both gorgeous girls but shen and the weird other guy are the human equivalents of raw spam.)
update: too much magic not enough realism
----------------------------------------
magic realism is magic and escapes real realism which is horrible
i’m a twin. this book is literally every day of my tween life,with much higher stakes. but fighting for a kingdom and fighting for your own room is basically the same thing, right?
update: too much magic not enough realism
----------------------------------------
magic realism is magic and escapes real realism which is horrible
i’m a twin. this book is literally every day of my tween life,
April 19, 2024
یه 2ستارهی تقریبا قابل پیشبینی، چکیدهای از عناصر فانتزیای که خیلی خلاقیت خاصی توش نیست. ولی سرگرمکننده ست و خوبه... برای یه استراحت بین کتابای دیگه.
August 27, 2023
رِن همیشه میدونسته روزی میرسه که باید جایگاه خواهرش در قصر رو بدزده. اون از بچگی با این هدف بزرگ شده روزی به قصر، جایی که پدر و مادرش در اون به قتل رسیدن برگرده و با به دست گرفتن تاج و تخت از جادوگرها محافظت کنه و اونها رو دوباره به قدرت برسونه.
رز میدونه که قدرت به همراه خودش مسئولیتهایی میاره... رز در انتظار روز تاجگذاری و ازدواج از قبل برنامه ریزی شدهای هست که ویلیام راثبورن، دست راست پادشاه براش تدارک دیده. ویلیامی که رز تمام عمرش اون رو به عنوان تنها فرد خانوادهش میشناخته...
فقط یک مشکل هست اونم این که یک روز رز به جای بیدار شدن توی اتاقش، وسط صحرا روی یه اسب از خواب پا میشه و تنها کسی که میبینه پسری هست که اونو دزدیده. رز قراره در این سفر با ماجراهای زیادی مواجه بشه و رازهای زیادی رو کشف کنه...
این دو خواهر که تمام عمر جدا از هم و به شکلهای کاملا متفاوتی بزرگ شدن قراره بیشتر با زندگی همدیگه آشنا بشن. روز تاجگذاری نزدیکه اما مشکلات زیادی هم سر راه هست... آیا این دو خواهر بعد از ۱۸ سال دوری و با شخصیتهای متفاوت میتونند باهم دیگه به این مشکلات غلبه کنند؟
یک داستان فوقالعاده فانتزی و جذاب.
یعنی فانتزی بودن به معنای واقعی کلمه از این کتاب چکه میکنه. فضا و وایب داستان رو واقعا دوست داشتم. همچنین تاریخچهای که این داستان داشت برام واقعا جالب بود.
نکتی جذاب بعدی برای من اینه که ما دو خط داستانی داریم که میشه گفت کاملا از هم متفاوت هستند. رن که وارد قصر شده و تلاش میکنه تا به هدفش برسه و رز که داره از صحرا عبور میکنه و قراره از جادوگرهایی که تمام عمرش از اونا میترسیده بیشتر آشنا بشه.
چیز دیگهای که توجه من رو جلب کرده شخصیتهای داستان هستند. به نظرم نویسندهها خیلی خوب شخصیتهای کتاب رو به ما نشون دادن.
خوندن این کتاب خیلییییی چسبید.
به معنای واقعی کلمه فانتزی بود.
داستان قشنگ با ریتم خوب و شخصیتهای دوستداشتنی.
میشه یه سری ایراداتی بهش گرفت ولی در کل حس خوبی به من داد.
رز میدونه که قدرت به همراه خودش مسئولیتهایی میاره... رز در انتظار روز تاجگذاری و ازدواج از قبل برنامه ریزی شدهای هست که ویلیام راثبورن، دست راست پادشاه براش تدارک دیده. ویلیامی که رز تمام عمرش اون رو به عنوان تنها فرد خانوادهش میشناخته...
فقط یک مشکل هست اونم این که یک روز رز به جای بیدار شدن توی اتاقش، وسط صحرا روی یه اسب از خواب پا میشه و تنها کسی که میبینه پسری هست که اونو دزدیده. رز قراره در این سفر با ماجراهای زیادی مواجه بشه و رازهای زیادی رو کشف کنه...
این دو خواهر که تمام عمر جدا از هم و به شکلهای کاملا متفاوتی بزرگ شدن قراره بیشتر با زندگی همدیگه آشنا بشن. روز تاجگذاری نزدیکه اما مشکلات زیادی هم سر راه هست... آیا این دو خواهر بعد از ۱۸ سال دوری و با شخصیتهای متفاوت میتونند باهم دیگه به این مشکلات غلبه کنند؟
یک داستان فوقالعاده فانتزی و جذاب.
یعنی فانتزی بودن به معنای واقعی کلمه از این کتاب چکه میکنه. فضا و وایب داستان رو واقعا دوست داشتم. همچنین تاریخچهای که این داستان داشت برام واقعا جالب بود.
نکتی جذاب بعدی برای من اینه که ما دو خط داستانی داریم که میشه گفت کاملا از هم متفاوت هستند. رن که وارد قصر شده و تلاش میکنه تا به هدفش برسه و رز که داره از صحرا عبور میکنه و قراره از جادوگرهایی که تمام عمرش از اونا میترسیده بیشتر آشنا بشه.
چیز دیگهای که توجه من رو جلب کرده شخصیتهای داستان هستند. به نظرم نویسندهها خیلی خوب شخصیتهای کتاب رو به ما نشون دادن.
خوندن این کتاب خیلییییی چسبید.
به معنای واقعی کلمه فانتزی بود.
داستان قشنگ با ریتم خوب و شخصیتهای دوستداشتنی.
میشه یه سری ایراداتی بهش گرفت ولی در کل حس خوبی به من داد.
June 2, 2022
DNF 20%
I was excited when I heard this was a fantasy romcom.
Well, it didn’t last.
The main reason of my almost insta-drop: I found the different situations taking place to be very stupid, bad developed, and far-fetched. Yes. For a fantasy book.
In particular, every dialogue, reaction and behavior from Rose’s side of the story had me eye rolling so hard I ended up with a headache.
This isn’t for me. Bye.
I was excited when I heard this was a fantasy romcom.
Well, it didn’t last.
The main reason of my almost insta-drop: I found the different situations taking place to be very stupid, bad developed, and far-fetched. Yes. For a fantasy book.
In particular, every dialogue, reaction and behavior from Rose’s side of the story had me eye rolling so hard I ended up with a headache.
This isn’t for me. Bye.
November 4, 2022
I loved this book and I am so annoyed that I didn’t pick it up sooner! I can’t wait for the sequel as it was such a fun and captivating YA fantasy
November 11, 2023
☆ ۴ ستاره نقرهای با اسپارکهای طلایی ☆
کتاب "تاج دوقلوها" داستان دوتا شاهدخت به اسم "رز و رن" ئه که ۱۸ سال پیش درست وقتی که به دنیا میان و والدینشون کشته میشن از هم جدا میشن.
"رز" تو کاخ بزرگ میشه و تمام زندگیش رو با نفرت از ساحرانی میگذرونه که والدینش رو کشتن و برای ملکه شدن آماده میشه.
ولی ساحران یکی از خواهران رو از قصر میبرن و "رن" تمام عمر تو صخرههای بادگیر در میان ساحران بزرگ میشه و یاد میگیره چهطور روزی به قصر نفوذ کنه تا جایگزین خواهرش شه...
▪︎داستانِ ما اینطوری شروع میشه و فصلها یکی در میون از زبان رز و رن هستند. فصلهای رز وایب سلطنتی و ماجراجویانه دارند و فصلهای رن پر از جادو و دسیسهچینی.
بهطور کلی کتاب ساده و خوشخوانی بود، داستان اونقدر گیرایی داشت که دوست نداشتم کنار بذارمش و واقعا غرقش شده بودم با این که چند جاش کاملا برام قابل حدس بود و از همون کلیشههای همیشگی فانتزیهای عاشقانهی یانگ ادالت پیروی میکرد اما بازم برام دلنشین بود و فانتزی بودن توی وایب و فضاسازی کتاب حس میشد. چیزی که توی کتاب برام جذابتر بود قصهها و افسانههای ساحران بود. من عاشق کتاباییم که توشون پر از افسانهست و این کتاب هم از اون دست کتابهاست. ♡
شخصیتپردازی و فضاسازی کتاب رو دوست داشتم و امیدوارم تو جلدای بعدی نویسندهها ما رو به سرزمین سرد و یخزدهی "گورا" ببرن. حقیقتا گورا و پادشاهش، الریک برای من وایب مجموعه "شب زمستانی" رو داشتن و دلم میخواد برم به سرزمینشون و ببینم میتونم "موروزکو" رو اونجا پیدا کنم یا نه :)) [ pov: وقتی قیمهها رو میریزی تو ماستا و کتابای فانتزی رو قاطی میکنی باهم ]
▪︎ فکر میکنم این کتاب، جلد اول یه مجموعه سه جلدی باشه اما پایان تقریبا بستهای بود. حداقل اکثر اتفاقای این جلد همینجا تموم میشد و کلیف هنگر (قلاب :-؟) آنچنانیای نداره. البته یه سری چیزا بازه که تو جلدهای بعدی قراره مشخص بشه اما آدم تو خماری نمیمونه.
بهطور کلی "تاج دوقلوها" کتاب سادهایه و ریتم خوبی داره به نظرم برای شروع فانتزیخوندن مناسبه.
از اونجایی که خیلی وایب "شاهزاده و گدا" و کارتونای باربی رو برام داشت، واسهم نوستالژیک و فان بود و از خوندنش لذت بردم.
▪︎ کتاب رو با ترجمه خانم پگاه خدادی خوندم، در واقع بازبینی نهاییش برعهده من بود و بهزودی از نشر مجازی چاپ میشه و اخبارش رو میتونید از پیج کتابم (bookophill) دنبال کنید. اما یه نکته دیگه که دوست دارم در موردش بگم ترجمهی کتابه که بسی تمیز و حرفهای بود. "رن" یه ساحرهست و وردهاش رو آهنگین اجرا میکنه و این آهنگین بودن و حالت منظوم هم توی متن ترجمه فارسی حفظ شده بود و این هم یه مورد بود که هم داستان رو برام دلچسب کرد و هم باعث شد از ترجمه خیلی راضیتر باشم.
کتاب "تاج دوقلوها" داستان دوتا شاهدخت به اسم "رز و رن" ئه که ۱۸ سال پیش درست وقتی که به دنیا میان و والدینشون کشته میشن از هم جدا میشن.
"رز" تو کاخ بزرگ میشه و تمام زندگیش رو با نفرت از ساحرانی میگذرونه که والدینش رو کشتن و برای ملکه شدن آماده میشه.
ولی ساحران یکی از خواهران رو از قصر میبرن و "رن" تمام عمر تو صخرههای بادگیر در میان ساحران بزرگ میشه و یاد میگیره چهطور روزی به قصر نفوذ کنه تا جایگزین خواهرش شه...
▪︎داستانِ ما اینطوری شروع میشه و فصلها یکی در میون از زبان رز و رن هستند. فصلهای رز وایب سلطنتی و ماجراجویانه دارند و فصلهای رن پر از جادو و دسیسهچینی.
بهطور کلی کتاب ساده و خوشخوانی بود، داستان اونقدر گیرایی داشت که دوست نداشتم کنار بذارمش و واقعا غرقش شده بودم با این که چند جاش کاملا برام قابل حدس بود و از همون کلیشههای همیشگی فانتزیهای عاشقانهی یانگ ادالت پیروی میکرد اما بازم برام دلنشین بود و فانتزی بودن توی وایب و فضاسازی کتاب حس میشد. چیزی که توی کتاب برام جذابتر بود قصهها و افسانههای ساحران بود. من عاشق کتاباییم که توشون پر از افسانهست و این کتاب هم از اون دست کتابهاست. ♡
شخصیتپردازی و فضاسازی کتاب رو دوست داشتم و امیدوارم تو جلدای بعدی نویسندهها ما رو به سرزمین سرد و یخزدهی "گورا" ببرن. حقیقتا گورا و پادشاهش، الریک برای من وایب مجموعه "شب زمستانی" رو داشتن و دلم میخواد برم به سرزمینشون و ببینم میتونم "موروزکو" رو اونجا پیدا کنم یا نه :)) [ pov: وقتی قیمهها رو میریزی تو ماستا و کتابای فانتزی رو قاطی میکنی باهم ]
▪︎ فکر میکنم این کتاب، جلد اول یه مجموعه سه جلدی باشه اما پایان تقریبا بستهای بود. حداقل اکثر اتفاقای این جلد همینجا تموم میشد و کلیف هنگر (قلاب :-؟) آنچنانیای نداره. البته یه سری چیزا بازه که تو جلدهای بعدی قراره مشخص بشه اما آدم تو خماری نمیمونه.
بهطور کلی "تاج دوقلوها" کتاب سادهایه و ریتم خوبی داره به نظرم برای شروع فانتزیخوندن مناسبه.
از اونجایی که خیلی وایب "شاهزاده و گدا" و کارتونای باربی رو برام داشت، واسهم نوستالژیک و فان بود و از خوندنش لذت بردم.
▪︎ کتاب رو با ترجمه خانم پگاه خدادی خوندم، در واقع بازبینی نهاییش برعهده من بود و بهزودی از نشر مجازی چاپ میشه و اخبارش رو میتونید از پیج کتابم (bookophill) دنبال کنید. اما یه نکته دیگه که دوست دارم در موردش بگم ترجمهی کتابه که بسی تمیز و حرفهای بود. "رن" یه ساحرهست و وردهاش رو آهنگین اجرا میکنه و این آهنگین بودن و حالت منظوم هم توی متن ترجمه فارسی حفظ شده بود و این هم یه مورد بود که هم داستان رو برام دلچسب کرد و هم باعث شد از ترجمه خیلی راضیتر باشم.
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