#Review - Burning Crowns by Catherine Doyle , Katherine Webber #YA #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Twin Crowns # 3
Format: Hardcover, 480 pages
Release Date: May 7, 2024
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Romance

The thrilling finale to the high-stakes fantasy rom-com trilogy that began with Twin Crowns, about twin princesses separated at birth—from bestselling UK authors Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber.

Twin queens Rose & Wren survived the Battle for Anadawn and brought back magic to their kingdom. But danger lurks in Eana’s shadows.

Wren is troubled. Ever since she performed the blood spell on Prince Ansel, her magic has become unruly. Worse, the spell created a link between Wren and the very man she’s trying to forget: Icy King Alarik of Gevra. A curse is eating away at both of them. To fix it they must journey to the northern mountains—under the watchful guard of Captain Tor Iversen—to consult with the Healer on High.

Rose is haunted. Waking one night to find her undead ancestor Oonagh Starcrest by her bed, she receives a warning: surrender the throne—or face a war that will destroy Eana. With nowhere to turn and desperate to find a weapon to defeat Oonagh, Rose seeks help from Shen-Lo in the Sunkissed Kingdom, but what she finds there may break her heart.

As Oonagh threatens all Rose and Wren hold dear, it will take everything they have to save Eana–including a sacrifice they may not be prepared to make.

 

Burning Crowns is the third and final installment in co-authors Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber's Twin Crowns trilogy. Key Characters: Wren Greenrock and Rose Valhart. Setting: Kingdom of Eana, The Sunkissed Kingdom, and Gevra. The story alternates between Wren and Rose. The story itself picks up two months after the Battle of Anadawn where rebels sought to overthrow the twin witch sisters who were raised apart. Wren in Ortha, Rose in Anadawn Palace. 

It has been two months since Wren broke the ancient curse that split 5 strands of magic (tempest, enchantment, warrior, healing, and seer). Upon breaking the curse, it not only freed a very angry spirit, Oonagh Starcrest who has vowed to change the world in her image. It also left a hole in Wren's heart because of the shocking loss of the woman who raised her. At the same time, thanks to Wren's blood magic spell, she is now bound to Alarik, and a curse is slowly eating away at her magic making her a liability in the fight against Oonagh unless she can find a way to break the curse. 

Meanwhile, Rose is trying to keep the newly freed witches of Ortha happy, while making sure the non-witches are taken care of, and not left to feel that they don't belong in Eana. When a celebration goes wrong, Rose finds herself once again alone because of Wren's magical misfiring, and her desire to break the curse that has bound her to Alarik. When Rose's beloved rose garden suddenly dies without warning, and birds disappear from the sky, Rose knows that Oonagh is making her move.  

Rose is awakened one night to find her undead ancestor Oonagh Starcrest by her bed. She is told that she must surrender the throne or face a devastating war. With nowhere to turn and desperate to find weapons strong enough to defeat Oonagh, Rose seeks help from Shen-Lo in the Sunkissed Kingdom. Rose's relationship with Shen Lo, the lost heir of the Sunkissed Kingdom, goes through some interesting twists which include a King's choice selection for women around the world who might become the next Queen of the Sunkissed Kingdom. 

While Rose searches for allies and weapons, she finds herself under attack time and time again by Oonagh who seemingly out thinks and outguns the twin sisters at every angle. Wren and Alarik search for a way to break their bond, break the curse which sends them on a long journey to a sacred place of healing. 

Wren prays for her ancestor, Eana to help her find a weapon that can defeat Oonagh who has begun the process of creating a nearly unstoppable undead army that includes witches, ancestors, and deadly animals. In one of the more action packed action-packed finales of the year, nothing is off limits, and characters from all three Kingdoms have no choice but to put their lives on the line to save their world.

*Thoughts* I am glad that I started and finished this series. I loved that Wren and Rose finally are comfortable with each other after a year of finding out they had a twin sibling. Although Wren goes through the most troubles with her curse, Rose is the one who gets in the deepest with her war with her ancestor. I love the relationships in this book. In a way, there was a semi-triangle, but in the end the authors did the right thing for both Wren, and Rose. 

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