“‘Two queens. One curse.’ Twin queens Rose and Wren sit together on the throne of Eana. But as Rose plans a Royal Tour of the kingdom, rebellious Wren sneaks off to the icy real of Gevra, where King Alarik offers Wren a deadly magical bargain in exchange for their grandmother’s freedom. Rose finds herself drawn to the long-lost Sunkissed Kingdom. But as an ancient curse rises from the darkness, Rose and Wren must come together and unite the crown. The future of Eana depends on it. ‘Break the ice to free the curse, Kill one twin to save another…’”
What is the book about?
After the events that took place at Rose’s wedding to the price of Gevra, Ansel, Rose and Wren, now ruling as twin queens, thought that the kingdom of Eana would finally be peaceful and safe for both the witches and their citizens. However, it seems that not everyone is pleased to have two witches as queens and will stop at nothing to get them off the throne. Not only that but King Alarik of Gevra holds Rose and Wren’s grandmother in his palace and doesn’t appear keen to negotiate giving her back. In order to secure their throne and calm the fast approaching rebellion, Rose organises a Royal Tour of the kingdom to show that both her and her sister want peace and are not dangerous. However, Wren has other plans and sneaks out of the palace to make her way to her grandmother all the way across the Sunless Sea in the icy real of Gevra. There she makes a deadly deal to perform some impossible magic for Alarik, but she will do anything to help her grandmother. Meanwhile, Rose’s tour doesn’t go to plan and she finds herself searching for the long-lost Sunkissed Kingdom in the middle of her desert. After all of this, an ancient curse is also rising and Rose and Wren must come together to save their kingdom and throne, or it may all be destroyed.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
Twin Crowns was an absolutely amazing book and as soon as I finished I immediately begged my friend if I could borrow the second book, Cursed Crowns, which she happily brought to me despite having not read it, which is why I took ridiculously good care of the book and didn’t even leave a single mark on the spine. The ending of Twin Crowns had left me with many questions and I knew that I needed to get answers so, as soon as I got my hands on the next book, I began to read. Even from the first few pages I could tell I was going to absolutely adore reading Cursed Crowns and was sucked back into the kingdom of Eana from the very first chapter. I was honestly shocked at how easily I jumped back into the story and that it took me no time at all to forget the world around me and just become one with the book. Soon I found myself nearing the end and the cliff-hanger that was waiting for me made me wish that the third book wasn’t months away from being released (honestly how could I be stupid enough to start reading an unfinished series, no matter how amazing it is!).
Who was your favourite character and why?
My favourite character was definitely one of the twins; however I don’t know which one I liked best because they each bring out the best in each other. In the last book, my choice for favourite character was Wren because Rose was too spoilt and whiny for my taste and I also thought that she was the one who would ruin everything if she ended up on the throne. However, this time I could see that Rose was not as bad as I had initially seen her and that with Wren she was at her strongest. I loved Rose because she was calm and calculated and knew how to be a peaceful and merciful queen. She always knew what to do in a situation, however she also had her flaws and the main one was that she didn’t always have the courage to do certain things because she didn’t think it was proper or she was too scared. In contrast, Wren had all the bravery and courage in the world and was more than capable of getting what she wanted. However, she wasn’t the best at thinking through her decisions and often let her temper and desire for revenge lead her. So the twins each had their flaws, however together they taught each other to fix those flaws and Rose became braver and Wren became calmer because they had each other. This time I clearly don’t have a favourite because they are better together.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
My favourite part of the book would probably have to be when Wren finally kisses her second love interest. I know that there were a lot of more interesting parts of the book and this wasn’t the most action-packed or exciting part for most people, however it was for me. From the moment Wren entered the palace in Gevra and found herself face to face with this character I knew there was something there and as they slowly started to get to know each other and see more of each other I was sure, however until the moment the kissed I had been worried that I had been mistaken and the feeling I felt radiate off the page had been a figment of my imagination (which it technically was either way). I loved seeing how they acted around each other and how they subtly flirted. Although everything they did was to annoy each other, I could clearly tell that there was something more. They were both so similar in the way they sought revenge and cared more about family than anything else, however they were so blinded by their hatred for each other that I don’t think either of them even considered that what they were feeling wasn’t hate but actually love. I hope in the second book Wren gets to see more of her new lover and I honestly don’t know how she will choose between him and Tor because I don’t even know which one I prefer.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, Cursed Crowns was an incredible book and I loved reading it so much that I honestly can’t bring myself to regret starting this series before it was finished being written. One thing that I loved about the book was the amazing plot and how every time I picked up the book I forgot all my problems and just lived in another world much more magical than my own. I don’t know what I was expecting when I started to read the book but it certainly wasn’t a plot so perfect that I could believe that everything that was happening was true and not part of my own imagination. It was clear that this whole series was perfectly thought out and it wasn’t one book and then the next, it was all one beautifully written and flowing story. Most sequels and second books in trilogies aren’t the best and usually there isn’t enough of the plot to fill it. However, Cursed Crowns was nothing like that and I swear so much happened that I feel like months passed rather than a couple of weeks. I was fully immersed in the plot and loved that I saw none of it coming, especially not the plot twist near the end. I love books that make me forget that I’m reading and this book was definitely one of those and one of the books that I read late at night and because of how invested I was in it I found myself losing sleep just to finish a couple more chapters. Another thing that I loved about the book was the introduction of a new romantic interest for Wren. I was seriously waiting for the love triangle that I knew there had to be for it to me a young adult fiction book and here it was. However what I loved about it was that I actually found myself rooting for both couples and right now if anyone asked me which couple I shipped more I wouldn’t be able to tell them anything because they were both perfect love interests. I just can’t wait to read the next book and see which guy Wren chooses, thought I don’t know how she could possibly make that decision. Also, can we just stop for a moment to admire how beautiful the front cover of the book is? I thought that Twin Crowns had a gorgeous cover but this actually tops it. The colours are just incredible and the fact that the twins are identical and yet so different in their style and the fact that I can clearly tell which one is Rose and which is Wren shows how much thought has been put into this.
Which book did you like better, the first or the second?
My favourite book so far has definitely got to be Cursed Crowns, although Twin Crowns was also a great book. I think the main reason I preferred the sequel over the first book was because the plot was a lot more packed and there was so much more happening in this book than in Twin Crowns. In the first book it was less action and more of just setting the story and answering questions about the twins past while also watching Wren live as her twin, terrified that she would be found out. In contrast, Cursed Crowns had two action-packed storylines, one with Rose, the Sunkissed Kingdom and the rebellion and another with Wren, Alarik, her grandmother and the forbidden magic she was being forced to use. I can’t believe that on top of all that there was also a major plot twist that set the whole tone for the third book. Another reason that I liked Cursed Crowns more than Twin Crowns was because I got to learn a lot more about Gevra and the King It really made me see him in a new light and I know that it made Wren do the same. I honestly can’t wait to read Burning Crowns and I hope that it’s even better than the previous two books, though I don’t know if that’s possible.
Would you recommend this book?
I 10000000% recommend that everyone reads this book right away, although it is important to read Twin Crowns before. It was perfect and I believe any reader over 15 who loved romance, fantasy and adventure will absolutely love this one.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
An action-packed, magical adventure with plot twists, romance and discoveries that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole book.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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