Could not access the audiobook. I tried to contact both NetGalley and the publisher and got no assistance. I was no able to listen to it or even download it. Very disappointed. This is the second time this has happened. I will not request audiobooks again.

Initial Thoughts

I was excited to read this book. I really liked the idea of a Romeo and Juliet retelling as well as the twin main characters.

Some Things I Liked

Technology vs. Magic. I loved the contrast between the two as well as that those themes represented the Capulet and Montague element of the story. I also was intrigued by the idea of the Heartless and their mechanical hearts.
Final Fantasy-esque world building. I also really loved the setting and the world building of this story. I found it to be a perfect balance of fantasy and science fiction and really enjoyed that.
Plot twists. Once again, I applaud the use of plot twists that I didn’t see coming.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About

The romance. I found it to be lacking. I wish the romance element had been more fleshed out. Hopefully, it will be expanded upon in later sequels.

Notes on the Audiobook

I listened to half of this book and read half. I used the NetGalley Shelf app for the audiobook function and unfortunately, there is a very metallic quality to the narration when you speed it up. I don’t think that’s the case in the actual audiobook recording but it was distracting as an ALC (advanced listener copy). I would probably not apply for more ALCs in NetGalley because of this.
Overall, I thought the narrator’s voice fit the title well and acting was well done.
Lastly, I didn’t find a difference between listening and reading. Sometimes, books come to life much more strongly in one medium over the other. I didn’t find that to be the case here. Each medium was equally vivid and I’d recommend the reader choose the medium of their preference here.

Series Value

This book ended with a bit of a cliffhanger and I am eager to read more. I would continue this series. It’s not a “drop everything” kind of series, but it’s good and I’d continue.

Final Thoughts

I liked this book. I think it has aspects that can appeal to fans of multiple genres and created a very interesting world. I’d continue with the series and I’d keep reading MarcyKate Connolly’s writing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendations for Further Reading

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong – if you liked the Romeo and Juliet vibes, try this November 2020 release.
Sisters of Shadow and Light by Sara B. Larson – if you liked the element of sisters who are opposites in many ways but also very similar, try this duology. Zuhra and Inara are some of my favorite literary siblings.

Twin Daggers by MarcyKate Connolly is about twin sisters that are trying to find their way in society. They have a scary secret. They are part of a magical race that is hunted and tortured. This race is imprisoned just for existing. Let's just say that these twins already have a tough go at it.

I found the first half of this book to be extremely good. I loved the characters. The world was great. It was super fast paced. Then everything slowed down. Nothing was happened. I was reading chapter after chapter wondering if the book was over but I still had several chapters left. I really don't' feel like any of the problems in the book were resolved by the end of it. This book just feels very incomplete.

The audiobook on the other hand ha da great narrator that I was really enjoying. I do think that is a plus.

a very unique book, mixing together old and new. Magic and Technology. Which seems like the worst pairing but it made for a great story. There's suspense, spies, love, hate, treason, royalty, curses. It has everything., a little of everything for everyone to enjoy. Both the main characters are great, Twin sisters, who want to help their family, their society, the Magis from the Evil Technocrats.

Twin Daggers is essentially a Romeo and Juliet retelling. I enjoyed this fantasy take on the story. You have two warring factions, the mages, and the technocrats.
I enjoyed reading about Aissa and her family. I have to admit that between Aissa and Zandria, I am glad that Aissa was the narrator. She seemed more level headed and much less rash than Zandria. The other characters, Remy and Aro were also well written and enjoyable.
Much like Romeo and Juliet, I felt like the love between Aissa and Aro blossomed a little too quickly. I would have liked a little more between the two of them to cement their feelings. I enjoyed the story and I thought the world-building was good if maybe a bit much. There was a lot of reiteration of the feud between the Mages and the Technocrats that I didn’t think needed to be repeated.
Rebecca Gibel did a good job as a narrator and I felt her voice fit the character. I wish she had done more with the other characters' voices. For the most part, they all sounded the same to me.
This book was interesting, and I liked the characters, but I think it could have moved a little faster.

Girl power? Magic? Forbidden love? This book has it all!

I loved the relationship between Alissa and Zandra. It was awesome to see two powerful women working together rather than being rivals. Instead, this powerful pair takes huge risks together as spies deep within enemy territory.

But nothing is as it seems and pretty soon the twins are enmeshed in a world that is more complex and more dangerous than they ever imagined.

Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for an Audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Twin Daggers follows Aisa and her twin sister, Zandria, while they try to find their rolls in their society. There's just one problem, they belong to a magical race that is hunted, tortured, and imprisoned just for breathing. When they are tapped by the Magi leaders to spy and possibly assassinate a hidden heir to the throne can they infiltrate undetected or will they be discovered and lose each other forever?

The beginning of this book is a thing of beauty. The world is so beautiful, the characters so rich, and the bad guys oh so bad! We are introduced to the concept of the heartless; citizens born without hearts, kept alive by mechanical devices but only for about 18 years. I was hooked from the start and couldn't wait to see what happened next. But for the next 9 hours not alot happened at all, so much so that I feel like this story didn't have an ending at all. This could be the beginning to a duology or a trilogy, but absolutely nothing was resolved in the last half of the book. I really wish this story had kept up the pace and trajectory it was headed in, this could have been one of my top reads of the year, but with multiple hours just hanging in limbo I found the five star rating slip away. After what felt like an incomplete ending, that fourth star was shot down.

There are plenty of people who will disagree with me about this book being less that 4 stars and I am thrilled for those people to enjoy this world, however it just didn't keep that fire alive for me. I recommend this for anyone 11+ who love magic and mystery

Thanks to Netgalley for the free audio arc!
Sci-fi/Fantasy, steampunk, magic, spies, romance
TWIN DAGGERS is told in first person, by Aissa, a young magi who, along with her sister, Zandria, and their parents, are spies for the Magi, who were conquered by the Technocrats 100 years previously. The story is that after the Magi were defeated, they cursed the technocrats such that some of their children would be born "heartless", without a working heart. This is where a bit of steampunk enters, and I'm loving the steampunk. This is also about where Aissa runs into Aro, a young researcher from the palace. Or is he??? Bwa-ha-ha-ha...
I enjoyed having a good audio book to listen to while I worked. The narrator did a good job; the character voices and narration were top notch.
I enjoyed the story. Aissa sort of got on my nerves occasionally. Don't fight the feeling, girl!
There should be a sequel. The ending is satisfying, but there is a lot that can happen yet.

<em>Twin Daggers</em> by MarcyKate Connolly is one of those books that could have been <em>amazing</em>, but fell flat somewhere between the writing and unnecessary plot devices. There was just <em>so much</em> potential and it was truly disheartening to see it all go to waste. So many good points could have been expanded upon from the world to the characters. But, at the same time, some of the writing and the villain plot kind of just wasted a lot of its potential.

<b>The World</b>

For me, the best thing about this novel is the world. In the simplest of terms, you have the Magi and the Technocrats. There is a long history of oppression from both sides, steeped not only in elitism and purist thought, but also in rebellion and rising against mistreatment. Though it is not how everything began, the fascinating piece is that the elitists are currently the ones being oppressed.

In the beginning, the Magi ruled everything. Later, the Technocrats worked to exterminate them and are now the ruling class. Thus begins our story.

I can't go too deeply into the intricacies of this world, unfortunately, without delving into some spoilers. Therefore, I will simply say that the more you find out about the history the more impressive it becomes. I was amazed when I learned the truth of everything. That amazement was promptly destroyed when I realized how much potential was wasted.

<b>Twin Daggers</b>

Aissa and Zandria are Magi twins working with a faction of Magi who call themselves The Armory. The Armory is a network of spies determined to overthrow the ruling Technocrats. Technocrats had previously deposed the Magi rulers and massacred their people to come into power. Unlike all other Magi, able to use magic only on the living, Aissa and Zandria are can affect inanimate objects. This makes them both a valuable asset, but only so long as no Magi learns the truth. It is seen as blasphemous to have such power.

They are given a task to find and kidnap the heir to the Technocrat throne. The child is said to be heartless, supposedly cursed by the Magi. Heartless are born without a heart and thus utterly dependent on a clockwork mechanism to keep themselves alive. As the sole heir to the throne, the kidnapping of this child would turn the tides.

<b>Motivations</b>

So, there's a <em>lot</em> going on in this story.

It's oddly difficult to tie down. Unfortunately, Connolly tells a lot of important information to her readers instead of showing it. In general, the writing was fairly lackluster. Though I liked the characters, very few seemed to have developed motivations. Of everyone, only Aro seemed to have any that made sense consistently.

Aissa and Zandria seemed very brainwashed. At times, it even felt like an incredibly racist way of thinking. The sheer hatred they had for the technocrats simply because of things they'd been told was excessive. Very little of it seemed based on personal experience. Instead, they seemed to hate Technocrats simply because they're supposed to. Even <em>worse</em>, Aissa would regularly think to herself that it was not her place to understand or question the decisions of her superiors.
The heartless plot was perhaps one of the better threads within this story. Not only was it deeply entrenched in the history, but it was also incredibly important in the present. I especially loved how it impacted the romance. Though somewhat predictable, the execution was <em>brilliant</em>.

<b>Villainy</b>

Honestly, both sides are problematic here. I <em>loved</em> that. It was genuinely refreshing to feel as though neither the Magi nor the Technocrats were the right side to join. This alone is why the wasted potential disappointed me so much. Connolly had so many directions that she could take and instead of adding nuance to her story, she took the easy way out.

<u>Technocrats</u>

All of her villains were very cookie-cutter. The King and Queen of the Technocrats were basically evil for the sake of being evil. There didn't really seem to be <em>anything</em> to them other than a love of torturing their enemies and caring for their child. In a way, neither the King or Queen felt like real people. Upon the revelation of who their child was, I couldn't help feeling as though their evil nature was very contrived.

And I could chock this up to Aissa being an unreliable narrator, but that doesn't quite feel right. Even with her indoctrinated hatred of Technocrats, it just doesn't add up.

<u>Magi</u>

The leader of The Armory is a villain of his own, believing Magi to be superior and seeding pure hatred of the Technocrats among all his people. He isn't solely concerned with finding a place of equality for his people but instead is looking to destroy the entire race of Technocrats. He regularly spies on his spies and ultimately makes decisions based on how they will benefit him most.

This played a role in the poor motivations of his son, but I won't get into that.

<u>The Unnecessary Big Bad</u>

Of all the villains, though, the "surprise" villain is the worst. My biggest problem with this villain is the fact that this person didn't even <em>need</em> to be one. The most potential wasted is with this character. All of the awful things this character did never should have been included in the book to begin with. In fact, I think this character needed an entirely different role.

There could have been so much nuance to the novel if this character had represented a third option for Aissa and her sister. An option that was not corrupt in the ways the other two were. The world building even had an opening for it! The benefits this would have given the novel are huge!

But, instead, this villain was also a cookie-cutter mess. This villain did horrible things for poor reasons, had <em>terrible</em> dialogue, and was needlessly cruel.

<b>Final Thoughts</b>

So, I read this as an audiobook. I don't have a lot to say about that other than the fact that the narrator was nice. She managed to capture each of the characters fairly well.

In the end, I think <em>Twin Daggers</em> could have gone a lot farther than it did. There were so many opportunities for incredible dimensionality within the story. Each opportunity was passed up, though, in favor of a bland cut-out of the same old story. It's a real shame.

<em>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</em>

thanks to NetGalley and the publishing team for giving an opportunity to get acquainted with the work.
Overall a nice read, the narration was very well done, twin sisters' points of view presented very well.
Overall 3.5 * read: young adult work with the notes of sci-fi. in a technocratic society, which is sure the magic/intuitive/nonrational is being completely swiped, a small group of occult mages is passing information generation to generation, trying to recover a library with ancient/pre-war spells which will allow them to get back the power of old dates and win over the war and finally live freely and practice magic, which is white and does now carry destructive powers.
Two very active mages from this hidden society have twin daughters, who were prepared for the ultimate goal of library recovery and despite their young age are very advanced and well trained, are starting the quest of finding a hidden heiress in order to recover old ways of living.
Plot-wise I wish we had a bit more advanced quest library representation, as it was( personally for me) a more interesting plot other than changing the idea of finding this child.
However, that is a minor point and just from persona; preference. I also wish we had a bit more tension in their regular school setting between technocrat society and magical society, just from the point of propaganda and how a new generation of technocrats perceive magical powers and skills.
I really loved the work the hidden society and especially parents put into our protagonists and make them very capable, which is a very heart-warming view of the idea of training the chosen ones. The naming of the book was very representable, at the beginning of the book we get acquainted that sisters are used as a weapon, to recover old ways of living, and yet tools in someone else's hand.
The language was very easy and overall a very fast-paced read, the plot was not very unique, however enjoyable. The climax was worked out well and overall its was a very solid YA read. many thanks to authors and publishers,

I enjoyed this one.

I thought the world-building was great. I could really feel the tension between the magi and technocrats.

The characters were okay. I didn’t necessarily agree with all of her decisions, but overall, I thought Aissa was alright.

I wouldn’t say this is a spin on Romeo and Juliet, but more enemies to lovers.

Overall, this is a fun spy YA fantasy!

I received a copy of both the audiobook and e-book. I ended up DNF'ing the audiobook for the reasons listed below:
-The audiobook sounded like it echoed. I'm not sure if it was just my device (I only have NetGalley shelf downloaded on my iPhone), but it distracted me from the story as a whole.
-It seemed like there were words missing from the audiobook. I listened alongside reading the e-book. This might be normal for audiobooks as I've noticed it in one other book, but I would feel like I missed certain pieces of the dialogue/plot.
-The narrator's voices for each character sounded like they were too similar. I do need some distinction between characters so I don't feel lost when characters other than the main character are speaking.

As for the story, I really enjoyed Twin Daggers by MarcyKate Connolly! The characters are very relatable and real (as in experience emotions/feelings I have felt before). The idea of how their magic works seemed fresh and new from other novels about magic. The novel started out slow as the world was built and characters explained, but around about 30% into the novel, it picked up. I literally read 46% in one day because it was so interesting and different. I'm excited to see if there's a second novel because I'm invested in knowing what happens next. There wasn't a cliffhanger per se, but definitely potential for another novel.

For all those reasons, I'm giving the audiobook a 2-star rating and the story a 4-star rating. It's going to be evened out to a 3-star rating for the audiobook version.

*received free audiobook from netgalley for honest review* Ah so, good book, very quick and rather unsatisfying ending imo. like actually got into the story and really liked it but feel this would be better as a series :l

Thank you to HarperCollins Christian Audio/ Blink and Netgalley for providing me with audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest i had a hard time deciding on how to rate this book and my mixed feelings took care of that.
The Romeo and Juliette comparison isn't very accurate in my opinion,but still the thing in common is the love between a technocrat and a magi - two warring fractions.
The whole idea of Technocrat society that rely and evolve around technology versus the hunted ,hiding and extinct Magi society possessing the power of magic and cherishing all things natural was interesting idea and world.
There were some things that rubbed me the wrong way...i will start maybe with the narrator and it felt like she overplayed a little and gave the whole book a slightly petulant tint and not the serious mystery vibe that was needed.
The main male character felt a little flat for me and absurdly trusting and naive that made it hard to connect with him.
As for Aissa....it was a hot-cold sort of relationship with her.....and maybe she was given too many flips in her mind about important matters and decisions.
The things i DO liked were puzzle like information about characters and world building that was given to you bit by bit throughout the book and made it more interesting.
Zandria was the most interesting and vivid character for me and as it was mentioned in the book perfectly balanced the character of Aissa.I would've loved to explore more of her.
The second character that intrigued me was Remy and his change of heart but unfortunately his character wasn't explored very deeply.
Despite the quirks i found myself interested and continuing reading(listening in my case) and for me that is the most important thing for a book.
If it keeps you reading then the mission accomplished and thats why i am giving the 4 stars instead of 3.
I don't know if there will be a second book,and i strongly hope there will be given the open ending and all the questions begging for an answer....i am definitely interested what will happen furtehr with all of them.

Twin Daggers⭐️
Aissa and Zandria are magi spies assigned to search the tunels and help their people. But when a strange boy follows them so effortlessly into the tunnels and he doesnt have magic their senses are on high alert.
So the girls recieve a new mission Aissa is to kidnap the heir to the technocrat throne but on her mission her sister is taken and she had to decide if she is going to be a good sister or a good solider.

I liked the sisters relationship and the magic system was new but I wasnt in love with the way the technocrat society was set up. The world seemed very stiff. Magi are good. Technocrat are bad. Magi are fugitives and we can never get along with technocrats. I wanted more depth.

Thank you to Harper Collins Christian Audio via netgalley for sending me a copy of Twin Daggers by MarcyKate Connolly. Available on August 25 2020
All opinions are my own.

A fantastical story inspired by Romeo and Juliet. Magi and Technocrats pinned against each other for decades, but when Aissa and her sister are charged with finding the Technocrat heir, secrets will be exposed that may change hearts forever.

This audiobook was a wild ride! A fantasy dripping with magic, technology, and romance. I enjoyed this book with its intricate plot and faceted characters. The story though slow-moving in spots picked up quickly and held my attention. I'm truly hoping that Twin Daggers is more than a stand-alone and is at the very least a duology. The ending left so much more to explore and I need to know!

If you enjoy stories of star-crossed lovers, sprinkled with espionage, magic, and tech, I recommend checking out Twin Daggers by MarcyKate Connolly!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blink YA Books / HarperCollins for the Audio Arc of Twin Daggers!

While looking at this book's current reviews on GoodReads, it's a total mixed bag. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much after seeing that. But I was pleasantly surprised to really like this book. I thought the characters were interesting. I thought the world that they were living in was also interesting. I really don't think that you can say it was an adaptation though because the biggest parallel it had was the star-crossed lovers theme. It didn't really remind me of R & J otherwise.

I would recommend this book to a friend and I would read subsequent releases if this were to become a series.

Thank you to Blink YA for an Audio Arc of Twin daggers.

I will be posting a full review of the title on Netgalley (if approved for the regular ARC), Edelweiss, Goodreads, and my website (Novellives.Com). I can add that review here, as well.

If this is provided as a nookbook, then yes I would recommend it to Barnes and Noble. If not, then I couldn't recommend it, as that is all Barnes and Noble recommends.

The narrator does a great job with the story. She sounds like the age of the characters, which isn't always the case with YA titles

There is something I I will mention in my normal review, but I believe is important overall. Since I'm not sure if I will be approved for the galley here, let me say this.

I think Blink is a very important imprint. As an educator of 15 years, and a bookseller, they provide an invaluable position in the market. Parents can be very confused and concerned about the content in YA and what is considered YA. Blink provides a place for those parents to find content that is mature but what they consider suitable for their children.

Not everyone raises their children the same and while I might be willing, or you might be willing to expose your children to certain content at a certain age, not everyone is. And that is their right. Blink provides that stepping stone, and that is very important.

_________________________________

Full Review (Posted across all platforms 8/17) Fully Formatted Review Novellives.Com
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Twin Daggers By MarcyKate Connolly
Blink YA And Publishing
Before I discuss Twin Daggers by MarcyKate Connolly, I want to note something important about Blink YA and its importance within the Publishing world. As both a bookseller and a veteran in the education field, I have noticed a value-add they provide. Parents and those at an age not quite ready for the content often categorized as Young Adult but have grown out of the "juvenile section" feel lost. Blink YA provides not just one book, but a safe harbor of books. I can point to the Blink YA logo as something to look for when trying to find a set of core values. Values/guidelines include but are not limited to:
1. Lack of cursing
2. Lack of drinking
3. There is minimal romance. Any romance that is present is very innocent (aka there isn't much beyond kissing).
4. There is minimal violence. Any violence that discussed will be in very broad or non-descriptive terms.
At the same time, do not let this fool you. Blink YA still provides a multitude of books that have representation (Wardens of Eternity Review and Q and A With Courtney Mouton), and deal with current events (Every Stolen Breath).
Twin Daggers (which falls on the younger spectrum of YA) by MarcyKate Conolly continues to follow the above traditions. Then, Mary Connolly includes themes around war and oppression. Lastly, how those born with medical needs can be left to fall through the cracks.
________________________________________
Twin Daggers by MarcyKate Connolly
This is one of those rare times I am not Captain America. I do adore Shakespeare. While Romeo and Juliette is not my favorite Shakespeare play, I do know it well. So, it is fair to say that yes I understand this reference.

Twin Daggers doesn't have enough for the retelling category. This isn't a knock against Twin Daggers or MarcyKate Connolly. I think it is a matter of proper marketing. Retellings are a huge trend right now, but mismarketing books into that trend can cause more harm. If I pick up a glass expecting wine and end up drinking water. It isn't that I don't like water, I was expecting wine.
Instead, this is a friends to lovers trope, not Romeo and Juliette. If readers go in knowing that, then they are more likely to enjoy it for what it is, instead of being disappointed for what it isn't. It isn't the first-time trends have run amok with comparisons, and it won't be the last.
There was, and still is, Six of Crows comparisons (and I love Six of Crows). So many brilliant books that I loved were set-up for failure because they were compared to it and were nothing like it. It is a marketing ploy that I hope becomes a fixture of the past.
All this to say:
1. Do not go into Twin Daggers expecting Romeo and Juliette.
2. Do go into it knowing it is the younger side of YA.
If you do those two things, you will enjoy Connolly’s latest book in a series of well-received titles.
________________________________________
Characters
I am a sucker for sister power. Zandria and Aissa are twins that are magically gifted spies trying to help the Magi regain their place after the Technocrats took over and eradicated them after a long war. The Technocrats believe magic to be evil, and the Magi believe anything having to do with machines is an abomination.

Zandria is the flirty, loose and carefree of the two, while Aissa is more focused and grounded. Together they are known as the Twin Daggers, and they are a formidable team, especially for their age. Their parents were well-known spies within the ranks of the Magi spies.
Remy is the son and heir to the Magi leader. He is also their childhood friend. Aro is a Technocrat researcher, and that is all I can say about him. There is also a large assortment of supporting cast. While the girls attend a Technocrat school during the day to gather information, there are many school mates. Some the girls grow to care for, even if they are faking their enthusiasm for their classes.
Sometimes I wish our friendship with them could be real. We've shared so much- class, laughter, and the trials of staying awake through lectures. Everything I do must be a deception, but despite my best efforts, I've grown fond of them. So has my sister. It's a sad thing to admit you care for people who despise everything you are.
This quote represents the depth and layers that Connolly brings to all characters in Twin Daggers, both primary and supporting. As characters become intertwined and begin crossing paths, it adds tension and emotional anguish that increases throughout the story. It was also easy to invest from the beginning.
________________________________________
World-Building
There were different landscapes within the city of Palinor. All of them are built out distinctly. It is easy to not just picture but feel and sometimes smell (even if I would really rather not) the different areas.

The tunnels beneath Palinor that the twins often had to sneak through when spying was grimy, dark, and filled with rats. The smell, dirt, and overall city waste of them felt like they were on my clothes and in my hair. It often felt claustrophobic, like the walls were closing in around me. There was an urgency that clashed with the darkness and unknown that held my attention.

The castle was every opposite of the tunnels in look and smell. However, when necessary, that feeling of danger and claustrophobia came through in very different ways. MarcyKate Connolly used unyielding threats of deceptions (known and unknown by various characters) being played out to keep up the constant feeling of being watched and looming danger.

There are things I can and can't say about the magic system. While some of it isn't original. It has been done before; again, this is a younger YA novel. That should be kept in mind. However, there are also things going on behind the scenes with how the magic systems work that I can't discuss because of spoilers. Having said that, it does have a flair of originality that comes toward the end of the book, as well.

Look, when the leader of the Magi comes and says (paraphrasing here) yes, I know you found this magical door, but I have something more important for you to do, then your parents kick you under the table? The proper response is yes, sir. Not, yes sir, but we are going to go sneaking around to figure out the door, behind everyone's backs, including your parents.

Wrap-up
Yes. I know. They are sixteen, and we don't have a plot without it. And from the onset, it all seems sneaky suspicious. It all smells as rotten as the state of Denmark from there on out. However, maybe involve your parents, at least. They are the greatest spies in history for the Magi. They could help. Definitely don't... oh, I can't tell you that because of spoilers. Kids will be kids, though.

From there, things go south fast. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy how it all goes south, though. Plus, so many themes are interwoven that I mentioned above because of the cascading effect of these decisions. And all of those (above) themes, wrap-up into questions of loyalty, and when loyalty isn't as black and white as you thought.

Truth, perception, and lies don't always draw pretty lines in the sand, easy to stand behind. Sometimes they intertangle. And if you stand in their crosshairs? It can cause a lot of anguish. Also, it takes bravery, courage, and the ability to leave behind everything your life stood for, a foundation your moral compass was built on, to find something unfamiliar and new.

MarcyKate Connolly walks this tightrope with precision. She writes her characters on this tight right imperfectly because no one could walk it, in real life and not make mistakes. Not any age.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an audiobook ARC of Twin Daggers in exchange for an honest review.
​
Hi! If you're new here I'm a massive nerd! Shakespeare & classic retellings are some of my favourite things and I honestly felt like the R&J comparison here was this book's low point. I kept waiting for this to turn into a retelling and it just... didn't happen? Twin Daggers is pretty much an R&J retelling in the same way almost every other star-crossed lovers story is a retelling. It has similar themes, but I would call this a loose reimagining, if anything. (Before someone yells at me, yes there's poison and daggers but I guarantee if this book hadn't been compared to R&J, you would have just went 'huh. Look at those daggers and poison!' not 'wow maybe this is inspired by R&J!)

Anyways, plot wise I loved this! Worlds that combine magic and sci-fi elements are some of my favorite and the whole 'clockwork heart' thing was a really interesting plot element. It is definitely incredibly predictable but not all fantasy/sci-fi needs to be ground-shattering. Some things just need to be fun and Twin Daggers definitely is. The character dynamics were familiar and fun to fall into and it was all in all a really fun cast to follow.

My main complaint with the writing would be the amount of times things are reexplained to us. This book could have been a lot shorter if it didn't keep showing us every single character playing catch up. Our protagonist would learn something, then we'd relearn it as she explained it to every other character she came across and it felt like the narrative was hitting you over the head with "look! Important!".

Rebecca Gibel did a wonderful job with the narration and really brought the story to life. My one nit-pick there was that I'm pretty sure she used 2 different pronunciations of 'magi'
interchangeably. I might have just been more sensitive to that than I normally would be though since the last audiobook I listened to was also about magi so my brain had locked into one pronunciation.

I requested this audiobook because I wanted to listen to it while reading the ebook version of this ARC. When I couldn't find the audiobook anywhere on Netgalley, I thought I would never get it so I started reading the ebook. Therefore, when I received this audio, I was surprised and a bit disappointed because I had already finished the story. I will copy the review I already shared here:


After reading the first 20%, I almost stopped reading this book completely. I was not impressed and it was a bit of a chore to read. I was thrown into a world were two people were against each other, one in hiding, the other in power but we didn't really know what happened before and I had no idea of the world we were in other than some sort of rebellion was happening. It didn't really appeal to me. But then, I gave myself three hours to start reading again and finish the book or be done with it. I also had a BR planned for it so it helped and I managed to finish the book. I'm glad I did but that doesn't mean I'm giving it four or five stars. I didn't hate Twin Daggers but I didn't love it either.

In Twin Daggers, you'll follow twin sisters (but get only one point of view). They are Magi and even though they're young and sometimes pretty stupid, they have been given spy missions. One is a messenger, the other will infiltrate a mechanic shop since she's good with mechanics. The thing is, the twins can do magic on machines but no one except their families know about it. If the Magi were to discover it, they would consider them a threat. And the Technocrats, well they consider all Magi enemies.

I liked the idea behind the Heartless. It was interesting and had potential. However, the twists were very predictable and I wish the bits of worldbuilding wouldn't have been thrown in in the middle or the end of the book as by that point, I didn't really care anymore and it slowed the pace too much. I wanted to know those things at the beginning. I liked the romance and I liked Aissa and Aro for the most part but the rest of the characters? Meh.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Edelweiss)