Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber
Rose and Wren are long-lost twins. Separated at birth after the murder of their parents, Rose was raised as the Princess of Eana, while Wren was raised by the witches in the village of Ortha. The story opens with Wren kidnapping Princess Rose from the palace and assuming her sister’s identity. Wren wants to steal her sister’s throne to bring back peace between humans and witches. But taking Rose’s place as princess is more complicated than Wren had anticipated.
Meanwhile, the kidnapped Princess Rose is taken on a difficult journey across the desert to Ortha, the hidden village where witches have lived ever since the war pushed them out of Eana. Having been raised to despise witches, Rose has a difficult time learning that she is descended from them.
While both twins struggle to fit into each other’s worlds, a new danger arrives, which threatens the entire kingdom.
The novel’s dual narratives, following each of the twins, create different roads into the complex kingdom and its history. The story is fun and fast paced, filled with magic, mystery, longing and love. Despite being identical twins, the girls couldn’t be more different. While Rose is soft and elegant, Wren is feisty and witty, each strong in different ways. While perhaps some plot points are predictable, unexpected turns and romances happen along the way.
Twin Crowns is a perfect read for fantasy lovers, fans of Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, Lynette Noni and sister-centric stories such as Disney’s Frozen. I was hooked from the first page. For ages 13+.