kaziaroo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? No
4.0
This was fun to read, with likeable characters and quite an predictable yet enjoyable plot. I recommend it to fans of the Lunar Chronicles as it has a similar style, and The Priory of the Orange Tree for the theme of re-examining history (and another queer-normative world!). The clichés and unoriginality made for quite a relaxing read, although I wasn't always a fan of the romance (why did the characters' attraction to each other make them forget everything important and throw caution to the wind?) – I suspect that's a case of me no longer being in the target age range, however :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Alcohol, Violence, Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: War and Death of parent
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia, Sexual content, and Torture
renettereads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Separated at birth, two girls grow up leading very different lives. Rose, who remained at the palace, is preparing for her coronation whilst her closest advisor continues to plot against the witches. Unbeknownst to her, her twin sister, Wren, is one of the witches of Ortha planning to usurp the throne and take back what is theirs.
I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, but it certainly wasn’t for it to be such a fun, adventurous and lighthearted read.500 pages felt like nothing and I sped through this book pretty quickly. Surprisingly though, despite the gripping nature of the parent-trap-style plot, it was the characters that won me over. We have a very prim princess, a bit of a scoundrel and a witch, a character who gave me ALL the Matthias Helvar vibes, and a really cocky but sweet character who all jelled and contributed to incredible chemistry throughout this book.
There were silly, laugh-out-loud moments in this that offered relief in what was otherwise quite action-packed and pacy story. This is a great book to pick up between darker/heavier books. The ending is tied up nicely – as in no cliffhanger – but it does leave you with some questions going into book 2. Overall a really fun reading experience.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, War, Violence, and Injury/injury detail
beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Death, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Injury/injury detail, and Physical abuse
Minor: War
kirstenf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail, Blood, Grief, Murder, Genocide, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Sexual content, Torture, and Alcohol
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