Cover Image: Cursed Crowns

Cursed Crowns

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Member Reviews

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

It's always a pleasure to return to the world of one of your favourite books.

When I read Twin Crowns last year I absolutely loved it. It gave me both Frozen and Barbie Princess and the Pauper vibes and I loved how light-hearted and magical the book felt. With Cursed Crowns we returned back to the world of Eana with twin princesses Rose and Wren having to deal with a new challenge of changing public perceptions about witches now that they ascended the throne. When insurrection grows within the kingdom, Rose seeks out the help of the long lost Sunkissed Kingdom while Wren tries to get help from her grandmother, currently trapped in a Gevran jail cell.

This book definitely had a darker tone than Twin Crowns but I really enjoyed the surprising direction this book took. Where in the first book I preferred Rose's POV more than Wren's, in this book it was the complete opposite. I was sucked into the world of frosty Gevra and the challenges Wren had to face along the way. I was also surprised about the direction the romance went, creating a love triangle that I didn't see coming. I am so excited to see where that goes in book three.

With Rose, I felt like her character took a bit of a dip. She sometimes came off as jealous and arrogant especially when everything happened with Shen. I think she redeemed herself at the end of the book but it took me a while to find my footing with her.

I also felt like the first part of the book was a little slow but it definitely made up for it in the book's middle and end. I am eagerly anticipating the series's conclusion and finale in April!

ACTUAL RATING: 4.8 STARS

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A fun follow up to the original title. Good read for teens, very easily readable. The relationship between the sisters was lovely.

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I am not a series person. I swear if book 3 isn’t the end I’m going to loose it. I’ve really enjoyed these book. I’m just made because I thought it was a duology. My fault, but I’m not happy about being left hanging like this.
No bad cliffhanger. Some romance that I wish was more descriptive than it is. Again, my fault. I know this is YA.
I’ll see after book 3, but right now it seems like a book 3 is pushing it for this story. This still had a lot happening so it didn’t feel like a second book, but I don’t know what all is important for the ending.

Special thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this digital ARC.

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This follow up to Twin Crowns was beautiful. I wish Wren and Rose weren't apart for so long, however, that's my only gripe. It's important to the story to be sure, but I feel like the banter between the two sisters is the strongest writing points.

Adding the third one to my list of highly anticipated reads!

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I did not like this one as much as the first. And I only care about Wryn and ole Ice King. Everything else just felt boring or dragged

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Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this book early! I really enjoyed it. I thought the writing was very well done, and the story kept me interested. I believe my students/patrons would also love this book and will be acquiring it for the library!

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Cursed Crowns is the follow up to Twin Crowns and continues to follow twin Queens Wren and Rose. Similarly to Twin Crowns, Cursed Crowns finds Wren and Rose in two very different places as they both attempt to bring peace to their kingdom through their individual missions.

Overall, I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I listened to the audio, which is absolutely fabulous. Ann Marie Gideon and Ell Potter bring Wren and Rose to life, and the story is easy to follow.

I found myself much more drawn to Wren's storyline and not connecting to Rose's as much. I generally prefer Wren to Rose already, but there were some great side characters in Rose's chapters that made those chapters more interesting.

I am really hopeful for the next book, particularly when it comes to Wren's romantic arc. Rose's romantic story was more settled at the end of book two, but Cursed Crowns introduced a new potential love interest for Wren. I know who I would prefer for her to end up with, but I know that Katherine and Catherine will make me love whoever is her endgame.

Thank you to Balzer and Bray for an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

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This is a great Ya read! My daughter blew through book 1 so then of course I had to. It was pretty good! I was eager to get more into the story.

I was excited for this book to come out. I read it with my daughter. We had a little mini bookclub. She really loved it. For me it was ok. I do love the sisters and their strength. They have come a ways since book 1. My daughter couldn’t put it down. She said it’s one of her favorite book series.

The author has a light way of writing. It just brings you and you flow along on the story. The characters are relatable. The continued adventure the sisters have to go on for the kingdom has such a nice hook. It keeps you reading! For me I was missing some things for my reading needs. But for my 14yr old daughter she was really into it and liked it. Not as much as the first one but she would recommend it.

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Cursed Crowns is the second installment in the Twin Crowns series by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber. I adored book one (which I purchased and read on my own), reading that in one sitting, so I knew I would love its sequel - and I was right! Usually a sequel suffers from second-book-slog syndrome, but this was so exciting. I greatly enjoyed this action-packed, heart-wrenching, impactful story. I am very much looking forward to the next installment!

What I loved:
- believable character development
- more in-depth look at supporting cast from book one, like Shen Lo and Alaric
- realistic romances between specific characters (no spoilers here!)
- emotionally devastating plot points
- blindsiding plot twists

This is where I would write what could be improved, but I genuinely have no feedback here :)

Overall, I LOVED Cursed Crowns!! I am rating this title five of five stars. One of my favorites of this year!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, Balzer + Bray, Catherine Doyle, and Katherine Webber for providing me a free ARC of this title in exchange for my fair and unbiased review!

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I loved this book more than previous book because it wa filled with actions, secrets and swoon worthy romance! One of my favourite read of the year! The story was captivating, the characters growth was well written and the slow burn romance was awesome. I enjoyed, laughed, and loved every single moment. I can't wait for the book 3!!

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So so so amazing! I love these characters so much. I will say that I highly prefer the audio for these books. The narrator is superb.

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I was initially unsure how much I would like this book, as Queen Rose is sort of whiny at first, as well as fairly naive about how the kingdom is going to respond to the significant changes brought about by the revelation that she is a witch, her formerly secret twin sister Wren is a witch, and the Kingsbreath, who had railed against the dangers of witches/witchcraft for years, is dead. However, as the story progresses into the two parallel stories of Rose trying to find allies against the rebellion that is mounting and Wren going to Gevra to try to rescue her grandmother Banba from the clutches of evil King Alarik, the book becomes much better. Both storylines are good, and I enjoyed some of the new characters that are introduced when Rose and Shen Lo find the seers and later find the Sunkissed Kingdom (Shen Lo's home). However, Wren's time in Gevra and her interactions with Tor and King Alarik were my favorite. The story has some really good surprises. More significantly, a critical event occurs that sets up the next book in the series.

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thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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