Member Reviews
thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.
I really enjoyed Twin Crowns, and was hopefully about book 2 and continuing the story of Rose & Wren. I struggled with this one though. I felt like both sisters made a lot of decisions that felt obviously immature or unwise, and to have it happen again and again made it hard to want to keep reading. I thought the love triangle we ended the book with & the twist at the end did make me a little more interested in book 3, but the feel of Cursed Crowns as a whole didn't work for me. It truly felt like what teenagers running a country could feel like without help or input from others: pretty chaotic and worrisome. I felt like both Rose & Wren's decisions throughout the book felt like a barrier to rooting for the characters I'd already grown to like in Twin Crowns.
Oh my goodness this one was the perfect second book for the series! This YA fantasy just had so many twists and I loved the dual POV of the twins. Grandmother Lu was a great surprise, what a legend!
The covers are beautiful and the sprayed edges are spectacular! My copy had a slight coffee accident with my 9 year old knocking over my cup, but it's dried up nicely and the sprayed edges still look amazing! M
I need book 3, I'll be over here waiting (Im)patiently!!
From the blurb:
Twin queens Wren and Rose have claimed their crowns ... but not everyone is happy about witches sitting on Eana's throne.
Cool-headed Rose sets off on a Royal Tour to win over the doubters, but soon finds herself drawn to the Sunkissed Kingdom. Here secrets are revealed about those closest to her, and Rose finds her loyalties divided.
Meanwhile rebellious Wren steals away to the icy north to rescue their beloved grandmother, Baba. But when she accepts King Alarik's deadly magical bargain in exchange for Baba's freedom, the spell has unexpected - and far-reaching - consequences
As an ancient curse begins to arise from the darkness, the sisters must come together and unite the crown.
Their lives - and the future of Eana - depend on it.
Break the ice to free the curse, Kill one twin to save another.. thankyou netgalley for approving this arc!
This book is equally as charming and hilarious as the first one but with high stakes & action and crazy POVs from both ends… I am a huge fan of these books!
I enjoyed this book and I could not put it down. I really enjoyed the characters and the writing was really well done. It made you want to keep reading.
4.5 stars I believe this was better than the Twin Crowns, it brought more character building into the twins and their friends and enemies. They have multiple problems going on all at one time and they have to learn how to handle each one of them. I won't give 5 stars because of the predictability of Shen Lo's character backstory, but it wins in the way it is handled. The rebellion is also set as a placeholder for something else and not a big problem. Understandable with all that is happening but it becomes an afterthought fast even when the major battle is happening. I can say I'm looking forward to the next title in this series and hoping it is soon.
After loving the first book, it took me a little while to get into this one, but that is pretty typical of the seconf book in a series. I was really frustrated by Wren's choices, even though she is my favourite, and I enjoy her chapters more. By the end I was hooked and really excited for the next book. I also love the little romantic twist in there, and can't wait to see where that goes!
So fun! Who doesn't love a witchy fantasy romcom?
The tension is ever rising in this book, not to mention a deadly, nearly sinister twist!
Some language, a bit more steamy than the first, but, no sex on page! I recommend for ages 16 and up!
If you love royal drama, sisterly bonds, love triangles, forbidden magic, witchy vibes and uprisings... This book is a must.
Book of this series didn't grip me as much as the first book did, but I still enjoyed reading it. Many more subplots in this one, though not all of them were engaging--mostly, I think, because Rose just doesn't come together as a compex character for me. All together, however, definitely worth reading and can't wait to see what comes next!
Wren and Rose are now reunited, but not everything is according to plan. Their grandmother has been captured by the king of Gevra. And not everyone in Eana is too happy of having twin witch queens.
Twin Crowns got me hooked! And this time with Cursed Crowns, it took me awhile but I got hooked with this book too. The flow of the story is just unbeatable with the dual Pov of Wren and Rose. And though it would be fun to have these two have an adventure together, I love their personal struggles and how they grow as individuals. There were times that I got mad at Wren because of her actions. And there were times that I didn't like Rose for her selfishness.
I also have to add how the romance finally gets challenged even further in this book. And not only that, the romantic interests also get to grow on their own too. I just love it! And there were times that I can't help but swoon on certain moments.
There are so many things that I love about this book. We also get to explore Eana further and learn of its love and I love that there's always something new .
Honestly, did book. and the series so far, did not leave me room to feel any disappointed. I guess if anything, I thought this was going to be a duology, but I how know there is at least one more. And I'm looking forward to it.
Cursed Crowns was very enjoyable! It had duel perspectives that are unique and distinctively different. The voices mesh really well.
I really enjoyed this! Lots of great twists and turns! I really like the duel perspectives of the two sisters. It’s a great read and I love how distinct the voices are and their stories. They weave the plot lines together really well.
I'm an adult and read YA and adult books but Cursed Crowns read more like a middle school age book. Both girls had no idea what it meant to be a queen and the fact that the adults in the room where okay with following/stay loyal to the crown was beyond me. This book was just a big disappointment, Book 1 was promising, not the great but I left me intrigued enough to be excited for book 2 :(
The possible beginnings of a love triangle.
Unnecessary amounts of angst that DOESN'T END.
A story that gains complexity without reward.
I'm out.
This storyline always made me vaguely uncomfortable, but I gave it a chance. That chance has run its course; I just can't get over the angst upon angst upon angst. Grief leads to poor decisions which then leads to more grief. I can deal with that if we get a bit of positivity, a bit of hope, to counterbalance the bad.
If it's there, I'm not seeing it.
I read for enjoyment- to escape harsh reality. I don't read to be dragged down in darkness, or to come away tense, aggravated, or depressed. So, for my own mental well-being, both "Twin Crowns" and "Cursed Crowns", are headed out of my library. They just aren't for me. I will say though, that I love the writing style of these two authors, and their talents blend seamlessly. Hopefully they continue to write together -- I'd love to read something by them. Just not this one.
Content:
- Gratuitously macabre situations
- 5+ "sh" swears, and a handful of lighter swears
- Fade to black moment, coupled with a few instances of heated kissing
Thank you, authors and publisher, for allowing me to read this title! I really did appreciate it. All opinions expressed are my own.
Cursed Crowns is another fun, light YA fantasy sequel.
Shen-Lo is again my favorite character, and I love how his backstory was more fleshed out in this book, and his continued romance with Rose is amazing.
Wren's story this book was frustrating to read, and she really got on my nerves at times with her choices.
But overall this was a fun fantasy, and I'm excited to read the last book.
Loved Wren’s and Rose’s growth in this Twin Crowns installment!!!! I would consider this leaning more towards New Adult, as opposed to YA, with the way some of the romantic relationships are portrayed, but still very well done. I love the individual and joint aspects of the sisters’ journeys in this series so far. This was a nice and light, sweet and fun read with some mellow moments and angst, but for the most part a feel-good read. I can see this series becoming a comfort (re)read for me!
4⭐️
<b> “You witch queens sure like to get yourselves into trouble.”</b>
Wren and Rose are now queens of Eana, and trying to find a way to save their grandmother, Banba, from Gevra while trying to unite their kingdom that has been divided by Edgar Barron and his Arrows. Wren cannot take waiting for something bad to happen to Banba, and sets out in the middle of the night on a trading ship, leaving Rose alone in Eana to try to unite their people. Both twins set out on daring and unexpected adventures, finding themselves in over their heads.
This was a great sequel and I really love all of the characters so much. I am at war with myself for liking King Alarik and also kind of hating myself for loving him and Wren together. Also my love for Shen Lo is strong, and seeing him blinded by his desire to have his kingdom back at the risk of losing Rose hurt a little. Overall, I had a really great time and this is a great YA series! I can’t wait to see what happens next. I really hope Rose and Wren stick together in the next installment, although it is fun to see what they both get into when they’re apart.
<b>“We must hope for a world beyond this one, where the love we spend in this life will be returned to us ten-fold, and the people we gave it to will be waiting for us, with their hearts full of it, when we die.”</b>
Um ok wow. WHAT DO I DO WITH MY LIFE NOW?.😭😭 I still need to cope. But basically I have no patience to wait for the third book, like I need the third book like I need air??? Like you expect me to wait after that ending??? Absolutely criminal.
Liked book 1, not a fan of book 2. Specifically because Rose.
All her “proper” upbringing, makes her judgmental, a snob, and even a bit of a hypocrite.
Wren on the other hand, I love. She’s the reason why I was able to get through the book.
With that ending, we’ll see how the different characters and relationships are developed.
Cursed Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶️/4
**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!**
SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1, TWIN CROWNS BELOW
Cursed Crowns starts almost immediately after Wren and Rose have been coronated as queens. They are supposed to set out on a royal tour to see and get to know the country, but things take a turn. Dissent is stirring among many of the townspeople. On top of that, grief over losing her grandmother to the enemy kingdom is tearing Wren apart on the inside. The night before the royal tour begins, Wren slips away with the intent to sneak into her enemy's palace and rescue her grandma. As Rose sets off on the tour alone, things unravel fast. The prophecy of a curse the twins heard seems to be happening a lot faster than they anticipated.
Alright, first, I'm so disappointed I didn't finish this last night hahaha. I was trying to sneak it in as my last June read, but unfortunately tiredness won the battle. I devoured it this morning though. I thought this sequel was sooooo much better than the first one. I felt like I slogged through Twin Crowns, but I couldnt put this one down. Wren's chapters were especially exciting, and I LOOOOOVED the new potential love interest. It was so much better chemistry than I felt with Tor. Rose herself is exceptionally annoying, but I feel like the author did a great job of portraying how an actual royal would act in scenarios. So while she was hard to deal with, I thought she was well written. Overall, this was so much better than the first book, and I am anticipating the third one very much!
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