This book was truly amazing, even better than the first one. 

I like how in this story, the problems we have outside in the world some don't seem to exist here. People can be who they are. Of course there are some differences and that leads to rebellion, but that is mostly because of fear(as in this world). 

Wren her character felt more real to me. The choices she had to make and how she reacts to certain situations, makes this book al to real. 
Rose her character grows in this book. You can read how she slowly becomes a true and honest queen. 
I did find Wren her character more realistic than Rose hers. But then after all this is a fantasy book. 

I hope the third sequel will come very soon. I hate to see an open end at a book. 

It felt like they’re being stupid on purpose 

I found the start of this book a tiny bit boring, but as soon as it got going I fell back in love with all the characters.

Ansel 😭

I'm sad cause I didn't love this one it really just dragged and it took me a year to pick it up 😭

It’s pacy and plot twisty, and I’m soo glad I decided to wait until closer to Burning Crowns’ release to read. As I don’t think I could’ve handled the wait after THAT ending or the rollercoaster-esque events that took place. 

Suffice to say I absolutely loved it! Though I am still processing everything that happened (and there’s a lot, so do pick a comfy seat as you’ll be on the edge of it a good long while.)

I really enjoyed delving into the character development of the ensemble cast that we haven’t had much time with, particularly our frosty king of Gevra, Alaric, who I was not expecting to like at all after the events of Twin Crowns. However, like Wren he hides behind a guarded exterior (preferring to be seen as as callous and cruel), in order to protect the people he loves most. But the small glimpse of humanity (and his love of painting) that we briefly see has me all kinds of intrigued as to what his journey will entail next.

Though, I admit it was the sisterly bond between our witchy Twin Queens and their very different methods of ruling (and general problem solving) that I found myself most interested in. Separated for quite a large chunk of the book, and with very limited means of communication it was fascinating to see how they coped with troubleshooting without each other to lean on quite as much. 

Wren, unsurprisingly is still the sarcastic, impulsive and chaos inclined twin that I’ve adored from the beginning. But I was most impressed with Rose, whose emotional journey (and maturity) has seen her thrive in her new role as Queen. Which given how unsure and self conscious she was previously is a significant achievement. She definitely came off as more at ease in this position than Wren (who still thinks like a rebel witch than a Queen governing her kingdom) and I look forward to seeing how they both they progress in the third and final instalment. 

There’s plenty of swoon worthy moments (Shen and Rose had some particularly cute ones) however, I was a little disappointed we didn’t get much time with Tor, who was wuite possibly my fave love interest in book one. 

Wren does have some surprisingly intense scenes with a different character that did take me by surprise—the beginnings of a love triangle, perhaps?  I can’t really explain further without spoilers, but just know it’s deliciously good. 

Overall, a fun and fabulously witchy, YA fantasy that grumpy/ sunshine and enemies to lovers fans don’t want to miss! 

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

Representation: Implied Asian characters
Score: Seven points out of ten.

At last. I wanted to read this book for so long after reading and enjoying the first instalment in the series, Twin Crowns so when I heard that one of the two libraries I go to now has this I immediately picked it up and finally read it. When I finished it, I only thought it was okay and unfortunately not as good as the first one but the third one which will be published in 2024 could be an improvement. It starts (more like continues) with the main characters, Wren and Rose, who I know already and I pick up right after the events of the first book with both of them being queens of Eana to mixed reactions. After that the story's pace slows with Wren going off alone to the ice kingdom in the north and Rose going to the Sunkissed Kingdom to meet more characters I've never seen before up until that point. Here is where the flaws surface, of which there are few: the writing of the characters wasn't outstanding as I couldn't connect or relate to them but I somewhat liked some of them. But not all. At least the worldbuilding is intriguing enough to keep me reading with examples including how the Sunkissed Kingdom and Eana came to be and even a myth about a bear but it leaves unanswered questions like where did the north ice country come from and how can the Sunkissed Kingdom hide in desert with its population intact? The only explanation is an eternal water source but I didn't find that realistic. The pacing is as slow as the first part of the series (that doesn't bother me usually but it does here) which left me reading a few hundred pages with not much action. The conclusion has more action though finishing the narrative swiftly on a cliffhanger.