Review

The second installment in the Twin Crowns series, this story follows sisters Rose and Wren as they attempt to rule the kingdom of Eana. Despite only being on the throne for a short period of time, trouble is already brewing. There are those who are against witches being on the throne, and desperate to remove them. Their grandmother is also being held captive by King Alarik, and Wren will do anything to get her back. As the two sisters set out on separate quests, will they be able to survive long enough to rule their kingdom?

This book is something of a mixed bag for me. The story is so easy to read – the book is over 500 pages but I flew through this. I enjoyed the writing style and the plot was very compelling. The story is told in alternating points of view between Wren and Rose and I found myself particularly captivated by Wren’s POV as she attempts to rescue Banba. I was less invested in Rose’s POV but still enjoyed her chapters nonetheless.

Where this book falls a bit flat for me are the characters. I found Rose at times quite insufferable, and both sisters are quite naive and predictable. The character I found most interesting was King Alarik and I hope we get to see more of him in book three. It didn’t feel like there was much in the way of character development and where the first book felt more like an older YA read, this one felt much younger.

Overall Cursed Crowns is a quick and entertaining story, but one that didn’t quite live up to book one. I do plan to continue the series and will be interested to see where the authors take things in book three. If you’re looking for a light and sweet YA fantasy read, this could be exactly what you’re looking for.