#Review - Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle, Katherine Webber

Series: Twin Crowns # 1
Format: Hardcover, 480 pages
Release Date: May 17, 2022
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Romance

The first in a delightful and thrilling fantasy rom-com duology about twin princesses separated at birth—one raised as the crown princess and the other taken as an infant and raised to kidnap her sister, steal the crown, and avenge their parents' murders—from acclaimed authors Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber.

Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she’d steal her sister’s place on the throne. Trained from birth to return to the palace and avenge her parents’ murder, she’ll do anything to become queen and protect the community of witches who raised her. Or she would, if only a certain guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic would stop causing trouble.…

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility—and she won’t let a small matter like waking up in the desert with an extremely impertinent (and very handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her duty. But life outside the palace 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 had.

But as coronation day looms and each sister strives to claim her birthright, an old enemy becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

Twin Crowns, by authors Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber, is the first installment in a fantasy rom-com duology about twin princesses separated at birth; one raised as the crown princess and the other taken as an infant and raised by her grandmother to steal the crown and avenge their parent's murder 18 years ago. Told in alternating perspectives, Twin Crowns is a fantasy rom-com that combines the high-stakes romance of The Selection with the humor of The Princess Bride and the commercial action of Serpent & Dove.

Princess Rose Valhart was raised as a princess and the rightful heir to the throne of the kingdom of Eana. She knows that with power comes responsibility. For 18 years, she's been under the thumb of Willem Rathborne aka Kingsbreath, who plans on marrying her off to a far off land so that he can raise an army to finally get rid of the witches that are left. What Rose didn't expect was to be kidnapped in the middle of the night by Shen Lo, or taken to a place where she will soon discover that not only does she have a sister she's never met, she's also got a grandmother who has been planning her revenge for 18 long years. Rose's journey learning more about the world and herself is very fulfilling. Rose also finds herself in an enemies to possible lovers situation.

Wren Greenrock was taken away for her safety to grow up in a community of persecuted witches after their parents are brutally murdered shortly after their birth. She has always known that one day she’d steal her sister’s place on the throne. Trained from birth to return to the palace and avenge her parents’ murder, she’ll do anything to become queen and protect the community of witches who raised her. Or she would, if only a certain Captain Tor Iversen wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic would stop causing trouble. Wren's romantic interlude is more complicated in that she's supposed to be Rose who is in love with her fiancé but finds Tor much more exciting.

The two storylines of Wren and Rose are certainly very different. Wren is enterprising, mouthy and ready to take on any challenge, while Rose, accustomed to royal life, expects everything to run smoothly and to be listened to. Both characters find themselves, getting to know a very different world than they knew until now. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

I think what makes this book more relatable is the fact that you have two authors writing two different characters instead of one author writing two different characters. The book also does a good job of switching between super heavy and dark, to hilariously funny and light scenes. Of course I will be waiting for the sequel to be released since the ending left a glaring issue for both sisters to deal with.   

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