I read an eARC of this so thank you to Net Galley, the author and the publisher.

While I was reading book one in this series I was completely engrossed, I loved it, the magic system, the atmosphere! Then we got to the end and it was left on such a cliffhanger that I was so frustrated! I felt like a huge chunk of the book was missing.

I have bad luck with duologies sometimes where the first book is amazing but it ends on a cliffhanger and then the second book just falls flat and feels unnecessary. Often like one book has been stretched to two. I’m pleased to say that did not feel like the case here. I wanted to read book two because I like this author’s writing style and I was hoping she had an over-arching vision that made the second book necessary. Having finished the second book, I can see what she was trying to (and did) achieve.

Across this duology the atmosphere has just been exceptional. You can so clearly picture the oppressive mist in the woods where the infected are banished to, the haunting trees and the melancholy stone castles and the insistent malaise throughout the realm. The other star feature is the magic system, it’s just wonderful, such a clever and fascinating system based in specific cards with characteristics and powers granted to those who wield them. Their scarcity adding to their allure and how influential they are in determining who has power.

Book two was a winner for me because of the exploration of the nightmare. We learn so much about his backstory and how the cards were created. Also the knock on effect this had on power in the realm and how the characters are still feeling this today. All the content around the Nightmare, Elspeth and Ravyn I was thoroughly enjoying. I was less interested in the Elm chapters and I wasn’t completely engaged by the romance in that storyline. However I did see why it was necessary for the story when we see how things wrap up.

I’m so glad book two ended this story well! I really wanted this to help resolve some of the frustration at the cliffhanger in book one and it did manage this. It also restored my faith in duologies somewhat. I loved the atmosphere and magic system so I really wanted the narrative to end strong and it did. I’m very glad I read the second book and didn’t just leave it after book one.

I have just finished this and it is a 5 star read for me.

It picks up directly where the first book finishes so I would highly recommend reading them back to back if you can. I was so emotionally invested in the characters by the end of the first book that I couldn’t wait to see what happens next.

I adored this book, it gave me absolutely everything I wanted and tied everything up so well, I was left with the biggest smile on my face, the ending was just perfect. I loved the extra POV’s in this book, Elm and Ione are such great characters that get fleshed out more in this one. Elspeth and Raven are complex characters and we get to see more of their development in this book, although Elspeth doesn’t get such a big role in this as the first book, she still plays her part in the story. The writing is so beautiful and detailed that I felt like I was there with them. I did guess where the story was going, not that there is a twist as such more a reveal but I feel like that was intentional, the reader knows before the character does even though so many clues are laid out for them along the way. Even though a lot happens in this book I didn’t feel it was as dark as the first book, it was definitely much more fast paced, I struggled to put it down.

This duology is one I know I will read again and again and the author is now an auto buy for me. I honestly haven’t felt so attached to a group of characters since Throne of glass!

I was so, so excited for this book. One Dark Window was one of my strongest reads this year, and I was thrilled the sequel would be out only a few months after I picked up the first book.

However, while the writing and worldbuilding is as strong as ever, I liked the first book because of the romance between Elspeth and Ravyn. I'm not a fan of sequels where the two love interests are kept apart and barely able to interact, because it takes away the reason I enjoyed the book in the first place. Sure, they were together at the end but they'd had such little interaction that by that point I didn't really care.

The author tried to make up for the lack of interaction between Elspeth and Ravyn by giving us Elm and Ione, but I wasn't there for them so it didn't really help.

The writing is so strong and I can't take away any of the technical ability here. The world was great, everything was atmospheric.... but I'm here for the interactions between characters - specifically E&R for this book - and by taking away their interactions, you've taken away the very thing I want to read!

So: a strong book that didn't live up to what I wanted it to be, but it nevertheless could be excellent for people not here for the romance or who love Elm and Ione.

Two Twisted Crowns was one of my most anticipated books of the year & I was so happy when the arc did not let me down!

Following straight on from the events of One Dark Window, Two Twisted Crowns jumps straight into the action. The plot felt faster paced than ODW & as the world building was mostly done in book one, less explanation was required & everything just built onto that existing lore providing rich back history in the process. The magic system was explored further (it continues to be one of my favourite systems I’ve read) & the way it has been designed really played off well in TTC. Overall I liked the way the plot felt broken down into sections that came together neatly in the end, although not in a particularly surprising way, there were plenty of twists & turns to keep me more than invested.

One of my surprise favourite things about this book was the multiple POV’s, typically I don’t like changes in POV’s mid series or more than 2 POV’s really, but this worked so so well. I’m finding this review so hard to do without giving any spoilers, but some of my favourite side characters from ODW really come into their own in TTC & all of them had amazing growth throughout the book. There were several moments between 2 characters that genuinely made me have to stop & collect myself because I was so overwhelmed by how much I loved their arc!

Rachel’s writing continues to be wonderful, it is just so beautifully written, bordering on poetic. The atmosphere she created remains perfect throughout TTC, I can always vividly imagine the settings, it’s one of the things I love about this duology & I know it is a series I will keep coming back to time & time again.

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group/Orbit UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

I’m almost lost for words as to describe how good this was. It would get infinity stars from me if that was a possibility. Not only is the book well written but the concept of the book (and duology in general) is so original and creative that it just had me captivated from the first page.

This was everything it needed to be and more for the second and final book, and I think that it wrapped up everything from One Dark Window in the most perfect way. It was also great that we got more point of views in this one, like Ravyn’s and also that we got to see more of Elm and Ione.

I would stay forever in this world if I could, and the universe and characters will have my heart forever and ever.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC, and I’m so excited to read more of Rachel Gillig’s books in the future.

i previously said in my recent review of One dark window, Rachel Gillig is a genius. You cannot write a duology like this and not be one.
This time Elspeth is not the only narrator, we have Ravyn and Elm’s povs as well which i loved. The nightmare is more conscious as a character in this second book and his relationship with Elspeth is more clear and easily understandable. Elm’s character is SO important to me like idk he gave me something Ravyn was lacking and all his storyline is soooooo good, Ione’s too. Every choice Rachel made with this book is sooo clever and honestly didnt want it to end. LOVED everything in it, the plot, the characters the dynamics, ugh!!! absolutely phenomenal <3

I am so divided about this sequel, that is hard to put in a review.
Let me start by saying that the author is an absolute master in writing atmosphere and intricate magic systems. These were easily the best things about this sequel and series. You still have the eeriness yet dark surroundings, laced with these powerful and cunning cards.
The word cunning is actually the main presence of this whole book, which keeps you hooked and intrigued regardless how you are gelling with the plot.
I felt the cards were a person here. The Maid, for example, had such great yet blurred contours, that I could almost see an independent person in it. Very fascinating.
The focus of Two Twisted Crowns however….I don’t know what to say. The success of the first book, for me, was Elspeth and her Nightmare, and this is completely stripped away here. She does have her POVs but they are so dull for the most part, it made me sad and missing book one Elspeth. Does it make sense? Yes. Does it fit the narrative? Yes. I can’t help thinking though that she could have had….a bit more.
I enjoyed Elm and Ione and their romance. Elm is a great character and seeing overcome his abuse and abuser was fantastic. Can’t change my mind about this choice of focus could have been a spin off series or something else.
Fleshing out the Shepherd King was fantastic, slightly creepy and eerie and still humane. I would like that he was evil through and through, I have to confess.
The ending isn’t punchy or gut wrenching as you would think, but it was satisfying.
I have to say the arc contains A LOT of repetition, specially regarding the effect of tapping a card. It was driving me mad the amount of times “the smell of salt”, “it smelled like salt”, “salt punched through his nose” and derivatives was written through the book.
Maybe what I am trying to say is that the direction taken for this book was not what was expected and I am still sitting on that.

After finishing One Dark Window I had to immediately start this book!
We pick up where we left off, instantly being drawn back in!
The world building in this book was just as good if not better than the first, duel POV is my fav so for this book to have a few more characters thoughts really had me hooked!
I devoured Ravyn’s POV, loved every part of it! His love and dedication to Elspeth was everything!
His interactions with Nightmare gave me life!
Still loving our sneaky villain Nightmare (or is he the villain?) and really enjoyed learning more about him and his past.
I really started to love Elm so much more in this book and was glad we got his POV.
I like Ione so much more than I actually thought! She doesn’t take anyone’s shit and you can tell she really cares for Elspeth.
The chemistry between Elm and Ione is just perfect and I just can’t get enough!
Elspeth and Nightmare are just the perfect duo! Watching their relationship grow and change really was amazing, with all that happened throughout the book the ending really did have me feeling everything!!
This book really does have you feeling everything! The magic and world building complete and utter perfection! I could not put this down and whenever I could I just had to read more!
If I could rate this book more I really would! I have loved everything about this series and am sad to see it end!

One Dark Window, book one of the Shepherd King series left us on a cliffhanger - Elspeth was all but lost, the Nightmare having taken over her mind and body, High Prince Hauth had been brutally attacked and the search for the remaining providence cards by Ravyn and his group (of essentially traitors) was still ongoing. There were a lot of threads to tie together and the final book in a series always has that extra weight hanging over it - will all the questions raised be answered and the stories that have been started be finished or left and forgotten about by the author? Gladly this book was in my opinion the PERFECT completion to the duology. All of the ongoing storylines were wrapped up, new ones were started and finished, characters continued acting within their original personalities (sometimes they change completely in order to round up a story more easily, but thankfully not in this case). The original history of the Shepherd King was finally brought to light at the end of so many riddles and rhymes and it felt like all of the characters ended the book in a position that fit their journey through the two books. Two Twisted Crowns has a lot of twists and turns throughout the book, whereas one moment it seems like our band of cardhunters will prosper and then suddenly that will be flipped on it's head and it seems as if no happy resolution will be found. It kept me guessing and hoping until the end!

I had difficulty remembering the characters and plot of the first book at first, but once I got into it, I found it easy to follow the story of Elspeth and Ravyn, who were struggling to collect Providence Cards. More action-packed, with a clearer explanation of the origins of the twelve Providence Cards and some plot twists. It still has a dark, mysterious vibe, but it's very well written and has unexpected character development.

What I like best is how the POVs shift so that we can get to know the characters better. I was surprised to see Elm's POV. Oh, he's my favourite! I'm glad the author revealed more about him and how significant he is in the second book.

This book was as interesting as the first one.

The plot and the rhymes were even more chilly then in the first book.

The author has managed to make Nightmare, a 'villain', into such a carefully written character that is very complex and very cocky and snarky.

You should expect from this book banter, a very interesting history and plot, and a lot of tension between characters AND INTERESTING PLOT TWISTS.

I hope there is another book about Elspeth and Ravyn coming soon bc i am sooo obsessed with them!

BIG thank you to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this arc.

5 stars. AND I WOULD GIVE IT SIX IF I COULD.

please this is absolutely in my top three favorite reads of the year. easily. this book had EVERYTHING that i like in books, and it was so good. better than the first one, that i also loved. the characters were just so good, and they were my absolute favorite part. their dynamics, the character development, just everything. i loved them.

i'm always hesitant about multiple povs, but this book handled it soooo well. i was invested in ALL the storylines, and it never bothered me when they switched.

anyways, overall, i dearly recommend this duology to all fantasy/fantasy romance lovers and MISS RACHEL i will read everything you write from now on.

I absolutely loved this!

After One Dark Window, I was so keen to start Two Twisted Crowns which picks up right where book one left off. The writing flows so well and the pacing is great throughout, I never felt the story was dragging, even with the various POVs.

One of my favourite aspects of TTC was learning a lot more of the history of Blunder, particularly The Nightmare's back story, and the way in which the history was interwoven with the current events was excellent.

As with ODW, there were some moments and banter between characters which lightened the mood, whilst the tension in the plot still remained.

The additional POVs in this book were really enjoyable and I was absolutely rooting for a particular pairing. My only slight complaint is that I did miss having more interaction between Elspeth and Ravyn, although this is entirely understandable.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this duology and I look forward to whatever Rachel Gillig writes next

Exciting conclusion to The Shepherd King story.

I received an ARC of this book and was thrilled to be able to read it before it was published.

The book begins right after the events in the first book and follows the multiple POV's of not only Ravyn and Elspeth/The Shepherd King, but Elm as well. Elm's POV allows the reader to learn more about the Rowan family and explore Elm's relationships with the king, Hauth and the Yew's further. I loved the deeper delve into The Shepherd King and his mortal life too, along with his relationship with Elspeth now that he's at the forefront of their consciousness.

Although this book explores another romance that provides the reader with some much needed relief amongst a dark plot, Ravyn and Elspeth's romance consequently takes a back seat and as it was one of the reasons I loved the first book so much, I couldn't help but feel its absence.

Even though the ending felt a bit abrupt, Gillig wraps up the story nicely in the Epilogue and draws a satisfying and hopeful conclusion to the end of dark story.

Not quite as great as the first book, but still absolutely worth a read!

Book 1 in this duology was a surprise huge hot with my students and in this action packed follow up - I can see this sequel bring an even bigger success than it's predecessor!

Thank you to Netgalley, little Brown book group and orbit for providing me with this ARC.

This book is the perfect conclusion to a stunning duology.

Picking up where One Dark Window left off, we're thrown back into the turmoil that Elspeth, Elm and Ravyn are facing in Blunder.
With the search for the providence cards picking up, and the time running out the book keeps a hefty pace through out. Keeping you on the edge of your seat and keeping you guessing what's going to happen next.

The multi point of views allow you to keep up with what's happening throughout Blunder as each characters journey takes them somewhere different, allowing us to get a whole picture of the timeline. Each chapter us like a mini cliffhanger as you find out what's happening with someone else.

The Nightmares riddles, quirks and wit throughout the book give a touch of foreshadowing, a lightness thats shrouded in shadow when you just need something "else" in a scene. And seeing how other characters interact with Nightmare when he's around is something I didn't realise I needed.

I put off finishing this book because I didn't want it to end. But the ending is so fitting for this story, it leaves you wanting more but also closes the duology off perfectly.

Rachel Gillig is incredible!!!

After absolutely devouring ODW I needed the sequel to be absorbed into my bloodstream. Safe to say, this book was a perfect ending for a duplogy.

The writing style flows as effortlessly as the first, I was hooked from page one. Gillig is masterful at creating beautifully atmospheric scenes, reading this book felt like watching what was happening right behind my eyes.
This duology has one of my favorite magical systems I have ever read. There was never a point where I felt confused or didn’t understand the magic. I loved the limitations to the magic, especially for Ravyn, and how not everything can be solved by it.

For those who loved Elm and Ione in book one, you will love the sequel even more. They both make many many more appearances. I love their character developments.

( spoilers for ODW ahead)
The banter between the nightmare and Ravyn throughout the entire book was impecable. We learn the nightmare is not as evil as he was first made out to be, and I love him as a character.

Thank you so much orbit books UK for bestowing the honor of reading this book.

SUCH a fantastic sequel to One Dark Window, I binged them together as I could not get enough of the world!

Rayvn and Elspeth & The Nightmare I thought had a well rounded ending! I was ROOTING for them and Elm & Iona through the entire book!

Love love love this duology and highly recommend it. I did rate this a little lower than the first book. I loved the plot and seeing how it would pan out I found it well written and thought out and could not put it down! Look forwards to seeing what the author does next!

I was worried I wasn't going to like this book as much as the first, because the pace was much slower for the first 30% of the story, but it picked up just after that and didn't slow down until the very end.

The characters and the story go from strength to strength in this book. Characters I didn't think much about in book one became some of my favourites in book 2 and I loved getting swept away in their stories.

I absolutely adore the gloomy, almost gothic atmosphere Gillig has created in this world. I loved that I could feel every drop of terror, despair, hopelessness and determination the characters did. I loved the little twists in the book and how they tied everything together.

We also got a deeper, clearer look at the magic system and how complex it was which I appreciated.

If you enjoyed the high stakes of book 1, you'll love book 2 even more.

This review will be posted on Goodreads on 9 October 2023
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This sequel starts off not long after the events that ended One Dark Window, and I loved it from start to finish. I tried to read it at a more leisurely pace to allow myself to enjoy it more, and to make it last longer, but I ended up reading over half of it in one day and finished it at 1am because I just couldn’t put it down 😂

Spoilers ahead for those who haven’t read it yet!

Here are my (stream of consciousness) thoughts, not in any particular order, and written down within around 14 hours of finishing the book:

1. Ravyn and Elspeth’s journeys to get back to each other (physical and otherwise) were just *chef’s kiss*, I just loved how dedicated they were to each other. One of my favourite tropes is when an MMC gets back at someone who hurts the FMC (the “who did this?” growl gives me shivers every time), but I equally love when the FMC gets back at someone who hurts her man - and one of my favourite scenes was when the Nightmare broke Hesis’s nose to get them back for breaking Ravyn’s nose at Elspeth’s request 😏

2. Speaking of the Nightmare, his banter was top notch, and I really enjoyed the scenes he was in. I also loved how we saw his history through Elspeth’s POVs. It was a really interesting way of showing it (rather than him just talking a it or having his own flashbacks).

3. Elm and Ione’s relationship was not something I saw coming after the first book, probably because I was so focused on Ravyth? Elspyn? (Is there a commonly used ship name for Elspeth and Ravyn?) So at first I wasn’t sure about Elm and Ione, but I very quickly grew to love watching their relationship develop. I also enjoyed hearing Elm’s inner thoughts, given that he outwardly plays the role of jokester prince. One of my favourite lines in the whole book is when Elm sees Ione remove the Maiden’s influence and return to “normal” - just 🥹 (everyone needs someone who looks at them like Elm looks at non-Maidenified Ione).

4. Speaking of Ione, I’m really glad that everyone didn’t just forgive her father for the bs he pulled to arrange her match with Hauth. I didn’t want him to die (for her sake more than because I liked him at all), but him being relegated to the back of the venue for her wedding to Elm was great.

5. The pacing was perfect and kept me engaged the whole way through. I also think a duology was the perfect length. A standalone book would definitely have been rushed, but if it was a trilogy I think it would have felt dragged out.

6. I guessed pretty early on that Ravyn and the Yews were related to the Shepherd King because of his son having grey eyes instead of yellow, but it was still a very nice twist and I enjoyed seeing how the characters reacted to the reveal. My only complaint is that I do wish we could have seen how the rest of Ravyn’s family reacted to that news. (Although given that they are actually reasonable people, they probably accepted it and took it in their stride, which I imagine is the reason it wasn’t shown.)

7. Hauth was awful and I wanted to throw *him* out the window, but for me that’s always a sign of a good villain. The scene where Ione was thrown out the window was horrific, but not so bad that I didn’t want to stop reading.

Overall, I didn’t want this book to end, and I imagine I’ll be doing more rereads in the future just so I can see all of the characters again.