Wednesday 11 May 2022

Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber



Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister's place in the palace. Trained from birth to avenge her parents' murder and usurp the princess, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves.


Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility including marriage into a brutal kingdom. Life outside the palace walls is a place to be feared and she's soon to discover it is wilder than she ever imagined. 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 who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?



So the clever people who talk about this kind of thing have discussed in many places, I've just linked to one, how different people visualise what they're reading. I personally don't see anything at all when I read, and I don't usually hear anything either (the exception is for fanfiction, where I know what the characters sound like so can imagine their voices.) I've known people who get the whole movie experience, though, which sounds really cool. I'd love to be able to do that.

This is my very long winded way of saying, this is one of the most visual books I've read in a long time. I would love to see this get picked up. I'm torn on the type of movie, though. It would really suit Disney Frozen-style animation, but I'm afraid Disney would take all the darkness out of it. A live action version could be awesome too. How to handle the twins, though? I know techniques have come on, but having the same person play both still isn't brilliant.

Well, that's not for me to worry about, I guess. Now, let me say some actual things about the book.

First; although it says this exactly nowhere in the blurb or descriptions, this is the first of at least two. Or, at least, I hope it is, because if it isn't that's the worst, most cliffhangy ending I've read in a while. Having said that, I quite like where most characters ended up; I'm sad about one particular one, but I don't know how many readers will agree with me.

There's some really funny dialogue here, and Rose matures and changes quite nicely. Wren doesn't, so much, but then she didn't have her world changed in quite the same way. Maybe the sequel(s) will take care of that. Their supporting casts are good, and I suspect one in particular might turn out better than they seem at the moment.

I'm looking forward to reading the (surprise!) next volume in this series. I can't wait to see where the girls are going next.



Twin Crowns publishes on the 12th of May, 2022 in the UK and on the 17th of May, 2022 in the US, using the same cover as far as I can tell. I received a free copy and am giving an honest review.

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