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kiwij96's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. After seeing it posted about a lot, I finally caved and gave it a go and I fell in love with it.
The pacing, the writing, the worldbuilding through the lore, the characters, the romance and friendships. Everything was written so wonderfully. It is genuinely one of the best new YA books out there, 100% recommended this to anyone 13+. The romance even had me kicking my feet and giggling at the age of 27. I just had fun with it. I mean, a lost princess trying to reclaim her family's throne, and a princess in name only being controlled by a power-hungry protector? What's not to love?
The pacing, the writing, the worldbuilding through the lore, the characters, the romance and friendships. Everything was written so wonderfully. It is genuinely one of the best new YA books out there, 100% recommended this to anyone 13+. The romance even had me kicking my feet and giggling at the age of 27. I just had fun with it. I mean, a lost princess trying to reclaim her family's throne, and a princess in name only being controlled by a power-hungry protector? What's not to love?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Xenophobia, Blood, Colonisation, War, and Classism
abby_can_read's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
đź“–
This was a cute read. I had a good time. I thought parts were funny. I liked the romance between Rose and Shen, and I thought the relationship between Wren and Tor.
This was a cute read. I had a good time. I thought parts were funny. I liked the romance between Rose and Shen, and I thought the relationship between Wren and Tor.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, and War
Minor: Animal death, Death, and Sexual content
soph22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
At halfway through I ordered the next two books. Honestly, as a Disney girlie, I loved everything about this. The only reason it didn’t quite get to five stars is because the ending felt slightly rushed. Otherwise, this is one of my favourite books I’ve read this year!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
runefiction's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Animal death, Death, and Alcohol
oystersauce's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, and War
Minor: Animal death and Death
nirellis's review against another edition
3.0
Beginning: Interesting concept and paced really well therefore keeping my attention
Middle: Still interesting but feels like some aspects of the lore and plot are underdeveloped
The end: Oh boy. I really disliked the ending. It was just so easy and so much was predictable and again underdeveloped key plot-points and lore.
Middle: Still interesting but feels like some aspects of the lore and plot are underdeveloped
The end: Oh boy. I really disliked the ending. It was just so easy and so much was predictable and again underdeveloped key plot-points and lore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment
2blueshoes's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Sometimes in order to write convincing character development, your characters have to be very unlikable at the beginning of your book. For me, this was the case here. I almost stopped reading about a third of the way through, BUT I’m glad I didn’t. About half way through the book, Wren and Rose become much more thoughtful and less juvenile and their dialogue becomes much more witty and engaging.
There is some romance in this story, but it is not the main focus, and the “heroes” are very much secondary characters. (Albeit very charming ones). Spiciness is fairly tame - it’s mostly longing looks.
Overall a fun read, with increasingly like-able characters. (Low key obsessed with Celeste.) Not life changing - I did not want to stay up all night reading this book, but I’ll definitely read the next one in the series.
There is some romance in this story, but it is not the main focus, and the “heroes” are very much secondary characters. (Albeit very charming ones). Spiciness is fairly tame - it’s mostly longing looks.
Overall a fun read, with increasingly like-able characters. (Low key obsessed with Celeste.) Not life changing - I did not want to stay up all night reading this book, but I’ll definitely read the next one in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Sexual content, Vomit, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and War
takarakei's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Princess and the Pauper retelling, kind of. A bit too long especially cause it's a duology. I felt like they could've cut at least 100 pages. Plotline was a bit predictable for regular ya fantasy readers. I likely won't continue with book two as I feel like I know what's gonna happen and I'm not moved to read another 500 pages.
2/5 🌶️ basically some hot and heavy kissing
2/5 🌶️ basically some hot and heavy kissing
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Sexual content
bzliz's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Rose and Wren are twin sisters separated at birth to protect them from their parent’s murderer. Wren grew up in a colony of witches with her maternal grandmother Banba after being hurried away from the attack on her mother by a witch midwife. She’s spent her whole life preparing to help take back the country from the man who killed her parents and controls her sister. Rose grew up in the castle, raised and protected by the Kingsbreath and fully indoctrinated into his anti-witch world and unaware that she has living family until the day finally comes that Wren takes her place and she’s spirited away to the witch colony and learns that she’s been lied to and manipulated her whole life.
This is a really solid YA story. It’s kind of Prince and the Pauper-y with a magical spin. The twins are both interesting and their respective love interests make sense with their arcs. Some of the background characters are kind of one dimensional and single use (one witch is there to spill secrets to Rose before Shen has told her the truth, another is there to represent the animosity some witches have against the crown and to show Rose’s kindness, etc).
The beginning was a little slow with Wren trying to integrate herself into the castle and Rose being kidnapped and going on her first journey outside of her gilded prison. It picked up once Rose gained some confidence but it also got a little confusing because there seems to be some time passing but it wasn’t really clear how much skipping around there was. You could tell me the twins had swapped places for two weeks or 4 months and I’d believe either. I also wish we’d gotten to see more interactions between the sisters. A few scenes of them plotting and scheming were boiled down to “we spent the whole night talking”. I think some of it is meant to show their innate twin connection but it would have been nice to see them actually get to know each other.
Content warnings:
Blood, injury, violence (on page):Shen is injured in the desert which is his Rose learns she’s a healer witch. Big fight at the wedding.
Child abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse (flashbacks):Described in chapter 12. Rose was tested by the Kingsbreath for witchcraft as a child, which she described in her thoughts as him making her crawl through mud, pushing her face into it and forcing her hands closed around it until her fingernails cracked. This happened monthly until she was twelve. He continued to manipulate her as his puppet to present day. Rose does not voice these thoughts.
Death (on page):During the climax at the wedding, the Kingsbreath hurls a dagger at Wren but Tor pushes her out of the way which causes the dagger to strike and kill Ansel instead. Rose tries to save him but Alarik pulls her off his body.
Death of parent (off page):The Kingsbreath poisoned the twin’s father and then slit their mother’s throat moments after she gave birth to Rose. This is mentioned a few times as it is essential to why the twins were separated. Rose spent most of her life believing a witch was responsible for their deaths and learns the truth about halfway into the book.
Kidnapping (on page):Rose is kidnapped so Wren can take her place. She is protected by Shen and ends up being pretty chill about the whole thing in a way only a YA protagonist could be.
This is a really solid YA story. It’s kind of Prince and the Pauper-y with a magical spin. The twins are both interesting and their respective love interests make sense with their arcs. Some of the background characters are kind of one dimensional and single use (one witch is there to spill secrets to Rose before Shen has told her the truth, another is there to represent the animosity some witches have against the crown and to show Rose’s kindness, etc).
The beginning was a little slow with Wren trying to integrate herself into the castle and Rose being kidnapped and going on her first journey outside of her gilded prison. It picked up once Rose gained some confidence but it also got a little confusing because there seems to be some time passing but it wasn’t really clear how much skipping around there was. You could tell me the twins had swapped places for two weeks or 4 months and I’d believe either. I also wish we’d gotten to see more interactions between the sisters. A few scenes of them plotting and scheming were boiled down to “we spent the whole night talking”. I think some of it is meant to show their innate twin connection but it would have been nice to see them actually get to know each other.
Content warnings:
Blood, injury, violence (on page):
Child abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse (flashbacks):
Death (on page):
Death of parent (off page):
Kidnapping (on page):
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
taryn_g's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Alcohol