The reason I was attracted to Twin Daggers is that I noticed it was the New Romeo and Juliet. Instantly, I knew that I was going to love this book because I am a sucker for romances. Aissa is considered a Magi, and Aro is considered a Technocrat. Magis are distinct, or so Technocrats think and if Technocrats figure out someone is a Magi, the Magis will face death.
Unfortunately, I did not take to this book well at all. It's pretty much trash to me. The romance is pretty much nonexistent until about 75% in. Last I knew, Romeo and Juliet were in love form the start. I wouldn't call this a fantasy Romeo and Juliet in a million years. The writing does not do the plot justice. The plot could be strong if more would have happened that would suck me in earlier on. All you are really reading is Aissa running back and forth from the palace to home to the place she is supposed to be having her apprenticeship. It's just all over the place and I really was hoping I could enjoy this book

I realized pretty early on that this wasn't for me - around 10% or so. I stuck with it until 38% but I couldn't stand it any longer and started skimming... then quickly dnfed because if you're skimming what even is the point of reading?

By 10% I could predict where the story was going. By 40% it was going... exactly where I'd predicted. Now maybe I'm wrong and there's an amazing plot twist at the end but like, I'm not gonna slog through a book I don't like hoping for a plot twist.

The writing was littered with cliches: "can't make heads or tails of it", "jumped out of my skin", "on pins and needles", "my blood boils", "spitting image"... this strikes me as lazy writing. Cliches can *always* be replaced with something more original.

The text was SO repetitive. The 'must do anything so magi don't have to hide' comes up what feels like 100 times in the first 10%. Also *no one* is as evil as the king and queen are. They're cartoon villains.

The sisters seemed immature and I kept wondering why they'd been handed these missions that are so important and secret. Two seemingly young teens are the key to bringing down your enemy and saving your people? Improbable.

The only thing that kept me reading as long as I did were Aro and Sparky. but sadly they're not enough to keep me reading to the end.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book!

I quite enjoyed reading this! While I would have liked some things to have a little more detail/background, it had a good story line and likable characters. I would be interested in seeing where the story leads with the cliffhanger ending!

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

MarcyKate Connelly's newest book, Twin Daggers, pits technology against magic in a tale of star-crossed lovers. Readers follow Aissa and her twin, Zandria. Their magic is different in that it is able to affect both organic material and machines. Aissa and Zandria must keep this trait hidden from the Magi and the Technocrats, even as they work as spies for the Magi cause. As the story unfolds, the sisters learn that politics rarely leads to loyalty that is black and white, and their allies may not always be who they think.

This book was fast paced and combined a variety of classic tropes in a way that felt refreshing and modern. I read this book in one sitting, as Connelly's writing style made it so easy to get sucked in and just keep making progress. Nothing was particularly unexpected as far as plot or "twists" went, but I think Connelly still executed the writing well. Being able to anticipate what would happen did not affect my enjoyment of the story, though if you're someone who isn't a fan of transparent plot lines, it may be better to leave this story to younger fantasy readers who may not be as familiar with common plot devices.

My favorite character was undeniably Aro, and I look forward to seeing how his choices affect future books. This book sets up well for a series, and I am certainly interested in continuing in the future.

I received an ARC of TWIN DAGGERS thanks to the publisher through NetGalley.

TWIN DAGGERS is a techy, magic-filled Romeo and Juliet.

Aissa and Zandria, her twin, are special even in an already special world. They can use magic on unnatural objects, like metal, something Magi are not supposed to be able to do. Embracing any type of unnatural things is believed to taint them all because of the wars that occurred between the Magi and Technocrats that nearly eliminated the magic-users completely. The non-magical technos were cursed by the Magi at the end of the last war, causing children to start being born without hearts. Thanks to their advanced technology, technos were able to save the children through implanting a mechanic heart that is powered with poison. Over a year that poison corrodes the heart and seeps into the Heartless forcing them to undergo another surgery to get a new heart. With all of these surgeries and complications that come with the poison the Heartless have immensely shortened lifespans. Not that the twins care. Technos are the reason their people are in hiding and forced to work as spies. Only the death of the Technos (especially the King, Queen, and secret heir) can save the Magi, so who cares about a few Heartless children? But then Aissa sees the effects of the poison and realizes how important it is to find a new power source for the heart. Thankfully, Aro comes along to help her with that.

TWIN DAGGERS shattered my heart in a few places and then healed it in others. There are such warm moments followed by murder and murder followed by some of the most smile worthy developments. This book had the perfect mixture of action, fantasy, and drama/romance?. You grow to love the characters so quickly and the family bonds are powerful. I am desperately hoping for a sequel because I am currently broken.

I really liked the concept of this story, the magi vs the technocrats, which have more in common than they realize. I wish there was a bit more description for the machines that the technocrats use, I think cars are mentioned but other than the parade animals I feel like theres not enough of the bigger picture of how the machines are used in the world. Same with the magic, we only get a small sample of spells that are used over and over.

The romance was pretty predictable but I still enjoyed it and there were still some things I didnt guess right away.

I wish we could have seen some other POVs, Zandrias especially.

The ending is definitely a cliffhanger, and I look forward to reading a part 2!

Thank you NetGalley for providing an e-ARC for an honest review. Sadly, I do not have many positive things to communicate about this particular title.

The plot synopsis of Twin Daggers sounded intriguing, but the resultant work failed to deliver on the shiny, abbreviated promise. It moved at a glacial pace, lacked necessary backstory, and was peopled by prosaic, one-dimensional characters. I doggedly read the first 20% but commenced skimming until the precipitous cliffhanger was revealed on the last page. The plots twists were predictable, and the story was too deficient to properly engage my reading senses. I will not continue with this series.

I really, really wanted to love Twin Daggers. There was so much potential with this book: magic, conspiracy, enmity between the Magi and the Technocrats, a twin bond between Aissa and Zandria, romance, the Heartless (an especially intriguing aspect). Unfortunately, none of these aspects fully developed in a way I hoped. This book was very slow-moving for me, and when it finally seemed like the story would pick up, it fizzled out again.

Furthermore, the world-building as well as character building was lacking for me. I didn't care for Aissa all that much, Zandria and Remy almost felt like superfluous characters, and Aro seemed especially underdeveloped for me. Maybe I would've felt differently if we could have gotten his perspective; I find it more and more difficult to enjoy books with a single point of view.

Even though Aissa is a Magi and Aro is a Technocrat, I don't really see why Twin Daggers is marketed as a Romeo and Juliet retelling. If I hadn't read that, I doubt I would have made the connection. Also, this does not compare to Marissa Meyer at all. I'm specifically thinking of the Lunar Chronicles....just no.

To finish it off, this book ends with a cliffhanger. I'm not sure where the storyline is going or how it will sustain itself, and I'm not sure I care.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

This was thoroughly. enjoyable, with original world-building, engaging characters, and a believable romance. It promises to be the first of a series. - at least I hope there's a continuation of the story - and I'll look forward to any sequels.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and were not affected by the free copy.

Aissa and Zandria are Magi, a supposedly extinct group of magic users, in a world where technology rules. During the day, they are Technocrats, excited for their future; but at night, they are spies plotting the downfall of the Technocrats and get their revenge.

I was very excited for this book. First, look at that cover-absolutely stunning. Second, magic vs. technology? Exactly what I imagine would happen. Aissa and Zandria really are twin daggers. Where one is weak, the other is strong. Aissa struggles hiding her contempt for Technos, Zandria thrives on the manipulation. Zandria is too enthusiastic, Aissa is able to reign her back.

The Romeo and Juliet vibe is not very strong, which I really enjoyed. The romance grew over time, no insta-love drove me insane in R&J. For the most part, I liked Aissa's character. She was strong and dedicated to her family and the cause. However, she was not close-minded, so she was able to grow. She was also naive, completely oblivious to the happenings around her. Zandria was a little annoying, because I'm the serious, quiet type. That much enthusiasm in one person is too much for me. The plot was a bit obvious, I was never surprised by what was happening. Didn't stop me from reading though. I look forward to the sequel, that was quite the cliff hanger.

What a great read! The world and magic system in this world is refreshing and unique. If you are a gamer, you might understand when I say that this book gave me Horizon Zero Dawn vibes with the relationship between organic matter and technology. However, I really have not read a story quite like this one.

The first half of the book sets up the world and explains the motivations for the main characters. We learn that Aissa's people, the Magi, have been killed to nearly extinction and they have been growing for the last 100 years to take their revenge on the evil Technocrats. About halfway through the book, Zandria is captured and while Aissa spends her time trying to find and save her, she quickly learns more about the history of her people and the ancient war only to find out that not all is as it is told in both the Technocrat AND Magi history books.

Aissa is the narrator of the story and I enjoyed her character. She is smart and tough however not so close-minded that she doesn't grow throughout the story. Since this is marketed as a Romeo and Juliet fantasy retelling of sorts, you can guess that since Aissa is a Magi, she falls in love with a boy who is a Technocrat. It is not very subtle and the twist is pretty obvious however I didn't feel that it took away from the story for me. The world and discoveries were more than enough to keep me interested!

I feel bad, because I wanted to like this. There was magic, a twin sister bond, and romance, but it just didn't play out like I hoped. The plot was really slow and I had a difficult time staying engaged. The twists were fairly predictable and I got frustrated with Aissa for not seeing who was betraying her.

I did like Aissa and Zandria's relationship, especially with them being twins and very close. Zandria could be irritating, they're spies but she finds a cute guy and tells him everything then gets taken. Hmm, who could have seen that coming? The romance with Aro had some cute moments and I did like him, even though he's a Technocrat. There's a lot of prejudice between the two groups, so I get that he had his own ideas about the Magi. He was kind and really liked Aissa, I felt bad that she was lying to him. I do get where the Romeo and Juliet retelling comes from, with them caring for each other, but I wouldn't necessarily market it as such.

I understand what the author was trying to do, but other than Aissa and Aro, I didn't care much about the characters and the plot seemed too predictable. Mostly my issue was pacing, if it had moved quicker than I might not have minded the other things as much. The ending was very open and had almost no resolution, so I would think there will be a sequel.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took me forever and a day to get through this. No I'm not being completely dramatic but damn did this book drag on and on.

Twin Daggers started off on a pretty good start. Then about halfway through I was finally getting hints about this being a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Not much but a hint is something, I guess. I continuously hoped and prayed that things would pick up for me but unfortunately I was completely bored throughout the book.

Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how I made it through this book. Or how other people rated it so highly.. maybe we read a different version? I will say it had it's ups and downs but once we got to something somewhat exciting or intriguing it just suddenly became boring. I felt like I was dragged throughout this entire book by the slowest sloth ever known to man.

In the end, it had so much potential to be amazing. Or maybe even likable. Yet, I was bored and disappointed throughout the entire book.

This book wasn’t really my thing personally, but I can see it really appealing to some of my students.

Forbidden love, spies, high stakes. For the right reader, this will be just their cup of tea. That right reader is sadly not me. The characters just weren’t fleshed out enough for me to really care what happened to any of them.

Hopefully there will be a sequel though, because that right reader will be very annoyed at the cliffhanger ending if there isn’t.

Aissa and Zandria are twin sisters with a secret--they are Magi, a people with magical abilities who almost got wiped out due to the technological advances of the Technocrats. However, they have another secret that is much more dangerous--their magic can be used on the very technology that killed their people. The girls are spies in the capitol Technocrat city along with their parents. For the sake of their people, the girls take on a mission while pursuing their own goals at the same time. Aissa usually has no problem following orders, but a certain Technocrat is making it harder for her to follow through. What is the most important to her: family, orders, or love?

This book was a pretty interesting take on a Romeo and Juliet type of story. I had a hard time getting into the story at first due to all the information about the Magi vs. Technocrats that I had to read through. Once I got past that, I thoroughly enjoyed the story! Aissa is such a strong, level-headed character. I really liked watching her wrestle with her duty and her heart. I don't want to spoil anything so I can't discuss my favorite character, but the side characters in this story are also very likable! The whole concept of the Magi was fascinating and I hope to see the characters learn more in the next book. Ultimately, this was a great fantasy romance and I'm looking forward to the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Romeo and Juliet retellings and this one might be my favorite of all time. I like that this book differed from Shakespeare's version in that the romance didn't start right away, it felt more real and grounded. Besides the Romeo and Juliet aspect this book and all of the things I love; magic, spies, and daggers.

The sense of adventure was prominent throughout the whole story and MarcyKate Connolly did a great job getting me connected to the characters, especially Aissa. I thought the world was really well thought out and fully fleshed out. I can't wait to read this author's other works. I give this book 5/5 stars and recommend to anyone who likes magic and spies in their fantasy books.

Author MarcyKate Connolly started with a wonderful concept; a spin on Romeo and Juliet which puts magic users against the seemingly futuristic Technocrats. Twin sisters with magic talent and deception skills, and two handsome, age-appropriate guys; one on each side (one Magi, one Technocrat) and the setup is enough to draw in most readers of YA, Fantasy, re-tellings, and futuristic sci-fi.

I found this book to be an easy read that kept me interested throughout. The plot was decent, and the mc’s were likable. A little predictable at parts but it’s a fantasy novel and that’s to be expected.

Overall I recommend.

The very first line of Twin Daggers drew me in. I was immediately captivated by the story of two girls on the search for something important to their people, the Magi. Unfortunately, that interest dimmed a little the more I read.

Aissa and Zandria are both interesting characters, but to me, Aissa was a little boring. There was just something about her that I couldn’t really connect with. The overall tone of the book, however, was interesting and the writing very good. I could see elements of Romeo and Juliet in the book, and I did like how the whole romance thing didn’t really start right away.

The plot was very well written. I found it to be intriguing and I wanted to know what would happen next. I just didn’t connect with the book the way I thought I would. It was good, but not enough for me to be excited to read a sequel.

Despite my feelings, I would definitely recommend Twin Daggers more to lovers of steampunk than lovers of fantasy, though both could read it and still enjoy the story. I would also recommend the book to lovers of Marissa Meyer and anyone who loves retellings and the tale of Romeo and Juliet.

I received this book from Netgalley and Blink in exchange for my honest review.
I think this is the first one in a long time guys that I am posting a review and I have literally nothing negative to say about this. I LOVED how MarcyKate Connelly built this world. It was unique and I found myself being dragged in and not wanting to put it down.
In a world where Magi have been all but eradicated by Magi Aissa and Zandria have a unique secret. In a world now run my technology that can prove useful and when they are given a mission to retrieve the heartless heir they see their chance to bring the Magi back to their glory. When Zandria gets taken she’s willing to join forces with a technocrat who would sooner kill her if he knew what she was. It seems that something else is brewing between that may prove more problematic.
Aissa was an amazing MC who would do anything for her Magi. I loved her and the fact that she had so much inner turmoil through this. Yes she found herself falling for a technocrat BUT she fought it, which might I say killed me with this slow burn. There were many characters who had so much growth and the things that the Magi were put through is horrifying to say the least.
I loved the twin daggers story and I’m eager for the next one already.