Sons of Day and Night by Mariposa Aristeo
YA Retelling. 272 Pages. 4 Stars
Synopsis:
Not even death can tell them apart.
In the wild and lush kingdom of Twinsbane, everyone has a look-alike, and each twin is cursed to die when their double breathes their last. When an ancient plague arises, the kingdom’s only hope is to sever these deadly ties. Yet King Daccias refuses to relinquish the cure, a legendary potion called the Separator.
Waruu, an orphan determined to break these ties, discovers he’s the king’s doppelgänger. He’s certain that if he can switch places, he can save the kingdom. But if anyone learns his true identity, he’ll lose everything—including the people he’s desperately trying to protect.
King Daccias wants nothing more than for his subjects to cease threatening to behead him if he doesn’t hand over the Separator. Intent on catching those opposing him, he finds himself ensnared in his own trap. If he doesn’t break loose, the kingdom will rest in the hands of an insolent boy who knows nothing about the truth behind the events unfolding around him.
To save their kingdom, both Waruu and Daccias must face their greatest enemy—each other.
My Review:
What a fun read!
First, the cover is so pretty! I love the contrast of the night and day, and I found it a particularly intriguing element of the worldbuilding. I’m really hoping the sequel dives even more deeply into the distinct cultures between the Sons of Night and the Sons of Day. I loved the mythology hinted at behind the two different lineages. And I found the whole premise of the doppelgangers fascinating from the beginning. It’s kind of genius to expand the Prince and the Pauper to the whole society – and super clever to flip the idea on its head for the king to be the only one without a twin – and it made for some interesting character moments as different people interacted with the “twin” of the person they knew better.
The nods to the Prince and the Pauper (and beloved retellings, such as the classic Barbie Princess and the Pauper *heart eyes*) were delightful. I loved the hidden Easter eggs woven throughout the story. I could also absolutely see how the absolutely incredible The False Prince inspired Aristeo’s story and writing. Both Waruu and Daccias had a distinctive sass and wit reminiscent of one of my all-time favorite characters, Sage. I also really liked the playful adventurous nature of both Waruu and the story itself.
I was a little confused with some of the transitions between scenes. A few places felt abrupt and were a little hard to follow when we’d moved to a new idea or place, but overall, the story kept me engaged and the world was compelling. There were some neat twists and turns that kept me guessing. Oh, and I loved all the tunnel stuff! The characters were fun and the themes hint at something deeper that I’m very excited to see where we end up with in the sequel. This story hinted at some themes of trust, vulnerability, and depending on one another. I hope we can follow the thread of leaning being close, rather than separated from, your twin. I really want to see where that idea leads. Looking forward to the sequel!
This story is a fun, intriguing adventure that I think boys especially might enjoy. A clean middle grade fantasy with no romance, no foul language, and some mild fantasy violence. I’d be fine recommending it to middle grade students.
More
The first book in the Chronicles of Twinsbane is Sons of Day and Night (4 Stars)
The sequel hasn’t been announced yet, but I’ll come back to update once it are.
This duology should be read in order.
On GraceBought
If you enjoyed this story, you may also like:
The False Prince, A Time to Die, Fawkes, Twinepathy, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, or Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key