Aissa’s life is a web of carefully constructed lies. She and her twin sister, Zandria, are Magi spies, a magical people most believe to be extinct. And they’re on a mission for revenge. This action and adventure spy thriller–a fantasy spin on “Romeo and Juliet” from New York Times bestselling author MarcyKate Connolly–is perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Elly Blake and is about to become … to become your new obsession!
By day, Aissa and Zandra play the role of normal young Technocrats eager to fulfill the duties of their new apprenticeships. By night, they plot their revenge to retake their city from the Technocrats. But then Aissa is given a new mission: find and kidnap the heir to the Technocrat throne, who is rumored to be one of the Heartless–a person born without a working heart who survives via a mechanical replacement–and has been hidden since birth.
Aissa is more likely to be caught than to be successful, but she’s never been one to turn down an assignment, even if the hunt is complicated by a kind Technocrat researcher who is determined to find a cure for the Heartless. But when Zandria is captured by the Technocrats, Aissa will do anything to get her sister back. Even if it means abandoning all other loyalties and missions … and risking everything by trusting her sworn enemies.
more
Twin Daggers is a unique fantasy read. Great world building and interesting characters. Right from the beginning, the story takes you on a journey of mystery and intrigue while you follow Aissa and Zandria. As the story progresses, you learn more about the war with Technocrats. Not all is as it seems. The pacing is up and down with some suspenseful scenes and then some lulls. I was still very invested in the story. There are some twists and turns you don’t see coming. At one point I shouted “No way!” Yes it was THAT good! The ending left me wanting more and I need the second book like NOW!
As a whole, this is an entertaining young adult fantasy read. Both the storytelling and the writing was excellent. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it won’t be my last! This is a must add for you TBR. Actually, move it up and start it today! I give this 4 stars.
This book blew me away.
I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, this author is new to me, and I was a little put off by the low average rating on the reviews that I had seen floating around. But let me tell you, this book worked for me. I read it all in one day, which is rare for me these days.
Aissa and her twin sister Zandria are Magi, and they have been in training their whole lives to take down the Technocrat empire that has oppressed and persecuted their people. Aissa is the more serious and reserved of the sisters, while her sister is impulsive and charming. The story is told through Aissa’s eyes, and the closer that she get’s the enemy the more she finds everything that she was taught may be a lie.
This book is fast paced and engaging, with fantastic speculative, fantasy steampunk worldbuilding. I loved uncovering the layers of this fresh and imaginative setting, how it juxtaposes the powers of the Magi against the cold science of the Technocrats, as well as the dark and light sides of both. This book has intrigue, mystery, and many twists along the way, which made me not want to put it down.
This book was marketed as a Romeo and Juliet re-telling, and while there were shades of forbidden love, sacrifice, and betrayal, as well as two warring peoples, I think that this story takes that inspiration and makes it something completely its own. I also saw that it drew comparison to Marissa Meyer’s Renegades Trilogy, to which I wholeheartedly agree.
Aro is a very intriguing character, he is compassionate and determined. He is willing to make up his own mind, and not just follow what he is told. I loved the layers in his character. Remy is also a very interesting character, a lifelong friend of Aissa and Zandria, he is at times brooding and secretive, and there were times when I didn’t know what to think of him. The side characters were not as fleshed out, and even though Zandria was Aissa’s twin, I felt that she could have been explored more to give me more than just Aissa’s feelings to go on.
As for content I would say that it is PG-13 for violence, disturbing scenes. There are a few heated kisses, and two characters fall asleep together, but it doesn’t go any further than that.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this speculative fantasy, with its excellent worldbuilding, fantastic tension throughout, and strong, likable, and mysterious characters. I loved learning about the world, the differences in culture between the Technocrats and Magi, and as the book progressed, everything started to fall into place, while simultaneously raising more questions, all leading up to the explosive climax that left me wanting more. I will definitely be picking up its sequel when it releases. Can it be June 2021 already?
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I really, really wanted to love Twin Daggers. There was so much potential with this book: magic, conspiracy, enmity between the Magi and the Technocrats, a twin bond between Aissa and Zandria, romance, the Heartless (an especially intriguing aspect). Unfortunately, none of these aspects fully developed in a way I hoped. This book was very slow-moving for me, and when it finally seemed like the story would pick up, it fizzled out again.
Furthermore, the world-building as well as character building was lacking for me. I didn’t care for Aissa all that much, Zandria and Remy almost felt like superfluous characters, and Aro seemed especially underdeveloped for me. Maybe I would’ve felt differently if we could have gotten his perspective; I find it more and more difficult to enjoy books with a single point of view.
Even though Aissa is a Magi and Aro is a Technocrat, I don’t really see why Twin Daggers is marketed as a Romeo and Juliet retelling. If I hadn’t read that, I doubt I would have made the connection. Also, this does not compare to Marissa Meyer at all. I’m specifically thinking of the Lunar Chronicles….just no.
To finish it off, this book ends with a cliffhanger. I’m not sure where the storyline is going or how it will sustain itself, and I’m not sure I care.
***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***
A magical fantasy retelling of Romeo and Juliet. In the fair Technocrats city, twin sisters Aissa and Zandria spy and infiltrate the highest parts of society so that they can destroy the people that decimated her people. As magi, they are thought of as dangerous, people who must be killed on the spot. However, Aissa, on a mission, meets a Technocrat researcher who is determined to find a cure for Heartless, Technocrats who were born without hearts and have steam-powered hearts to keep them alive.
Two kids from different worlds, each one determined to destroy the other come together in unveiling something even more horrible.
It is a compelling story with many allusions to Romeo and Juliet but different enough to make it unique. The character dynamics, the plotline, and the story altogether, they make the story unique and fresh. Admittedly, the story drags just a little because Connolly, she gives much devotion to the world-building, which is okay, but it seems as though some scenes were just there. Some scenes don’t seem to add to the characterization or to the world-building and where there as space fillers.
As the story blends steampunk and fantasy, they worked to give the story a fresh edge that kept the reader enthralled in the world-building and history that slowly unveils as the story progresses. Steampunk is such a cool genre and Connolly celebrates it with her storytelling and skill at detail and scene structure.
As for the characterization, there were times when Aissa fell flat, but her tension, her drive, and her conflicted narrative do resonate throughout the novel. In those scenes where the tension is high, those are the scenes where Aissa comes alive, especially when she works her magic. Aissa’s development is slow, but it does happen, allowing the readers to relate to her and like her.
Admittedly the romance, it forms to quickly, which is a little unbelievable, but Aro is a charming character and a good foil for Aissa. So their evolution works for the development of the plot.
Twin Daggers is a compelling, exciting story for readers interested in new retellings that meld genre’s together.