Well, ermm, that was everything I was hoping for and a little more! Eerie, fantastical and a beautiful emotional ride.

Lets be honest, sequels are hard to deliver on specially when the first is something so unique but Two Twisted Crowns was the perfect (yes perfect) conclusion. Focusing on the POVs of both Ravyn and Elm, with Elspeth woven in, this book delves a little deeper into the origin of the Providence Cards and how their conception may just be the answer to the riddle of their future.

There are so many touching moments in this book. Gillig balances the idea of profound joy, that can be found in the quiet and simple moments of life with the pain that can come from within ourselves or those who choose to wield it.

“The two were together, so the two were the same, the girl, the King, and the monster they became.”
I think this quote will forever be stuck in my mind, Elspeth and the Nightmares journey is twisted but so very beautiful.

Thank you to netgalley and littlebrownbookgroup for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Two Twisted Crowns is the sequel to One Dark Window and kicks off after that cliffhanger ending! The quest to find the Alder Twin Card continues!

“I was more than the girl, the King, adn the monster of Blunder’s dark, twisted tale. I was its author”

Beware of spoilers for the first book

I have loved loved loved the first book in the series and couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel! I was so happy to be approved to read it early and loved loved loved every second of reading this book!

This book starts off with the same haunting and creepy vibe that the first has! The alternating POV’s really made it so good and I was immediately invested in the events happening and wanting the best for each character.

The writing is just so beautifully done! The style is wonderful and really helps me get lost in the pages and losing all sense of time hahaha. It is whimsical and beautiful all in one. The pacing also really helps balancing the feeling I got from the reading itself and the vibe this book has. This book is emotional in the best ways!

The magic system, I already believed it was so cleverly done and intriguing and while we don’t really learn more about the magic itself, we do learn a lot about its origin. That was something I personally really liked and it helped me better understand the magic and cards at play!

I loved how the focus of this book was on the Shepherd King and the province cards he created! While bits of romance were present, it wasn’t the main theme in this book. I love how purely fantasy this book felt.

The characters evolved so much in my eyes this book! We dive deeper into their motivations and thinking and I loved it. I especially loved Elm’s character arc! Diving into his head was a blast! I did think Elspeth wasn’t as much a main character such as the Shepherd King, Ravyn and Elm, but I didn’t actually mind that all that much. I still loved seeing her! The Shepherd King is also a prominent character in this book and he truly became a star in my eyes. I learned so much about him and it honestly was such an emotional journey to learn all about him!

The chemistry still is just as noticeable between the characters and I loved seeing that. Same with the friendships and the family bonds! I also was all for the romance arc Elm had!! I loved that relationship, its progression and how real it felt. It felt like a sweet and refreshing breeze throughout all the horrors and hardship happening!

The ending, or well starting from Part III, the story really picked up! Like damn, it felt like twist after twist after twist and I loved every second of it! It had the highest stakes and my heart was beating in my throat from excitement, anxiety and anticipation! I just love the way this duology was concluded in the end! It felt like the perfect ending in my eyes! Just all around satisfying to read and see!

Overall, Two Twisted Crowns is an amazing closure to The Shepherd King duology! It is even better than One Dark Window with a continuation of amazing characters, an engaging plot and beautiful writing.

One Dark Window was a very interesting book and I fell in love with the characters. I was super excited for the sequel and gladly I did not have to wait too long.

This duet is not romantasy, it focuses on the Shepard King and the magical cards. It was always captivating and I loved that the plot focused on the magic and court instead of the love story. Nonetheless we got a beautiful love story between Ravyn and Elspeth as well as Elm and Ione in this book. I was surprised because Ione seemed like such a cold character in One Dark Window. It was definitely interesting to see more of her.

Again I have to mention the wonderful magical system of using these providence cards. They allow the wielder powers beyond their dreams, yet they also have side-effects which are very hurtful.

The author has a wonderful writing style with is so melodic and whimsical. I can’t believe that this was her second book! I can’t wait to read more of her works.

This is a sequel, so I don’t want to dive too much into the actual story to avoid spoilers. I just loved the road the author took. It was captivating, emotional, angsty and much more. A wild ride with a wonderful dark atmosphere. The pacing was very good and I could hardly put this book aside. A lot of sequels oftentimes disappoint me but this wasn’t the case with Two twisted crowns. It was the perfect sequel and ending of this duet. While I only gave One dark window 4 stars, this book deserves 5. The balance between plot and love story was outstanding.

My only issue with this book is that our heroine Elspeth felt like a side character in this book. She was the MC in the first book and even though this duet is mostly about the Shepherd King, she still deserved to be more focused on. However, I also liked to get Elm’s POV in this book and him finding love. It was very surprising, I never expected this outcome.

I am happy to say, that I will look out for the next book of Rachel Gillig!

I loved this book from start to finish, it was such a great conclusion to the biology, I’ve never read a book so fast.
It was really great being in the mind of the Nightmare and finding out who he is and why he is the way he is!

Elspeth and a character is great but my favourite person in this book has to be Elm, the character growth and development he goes through is amazing.

The romance in this book is so sweet and it was nice to read.

Trying to review this with no spoilers but honestly it was such an amazing book and 5stars for this book and this whole duology.

All that to say, read this book!!

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig.
Released 19th October.

I’m not sure how to do this review without giving away any spoilers 😫 so I’ll highlight all the reasons you should pick this up.

This sequel is just as good as the first. It’s charged, it’s emotional and it’s immersive. It has two romances running through it, characters that have depth, a plot that is unlike anything else I’ve read, a unique magic system and revenge drives the storyline.

This book starts where One Dark Window ended and like with the first book the star of the show for me is Nightmare/The Shepherd King. His story is heart wrenching and emotional. I loved how everything came together, and by the end I was left quite sad because I could’ve read another 50 chapters in this duology. It was Amazing!

Don’t walk to the bookshop to grab this book… RUN!

Thank you to @netgalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for providing me with an ARC in retiring for my honest review.

4.5.

This was one of the best endings I’ve ever read! I loved it from start to finish. I haven’t gave it 5 stars because in some places I felt it was a little bit dragged, too much information for that moment in book.

This one picks up right after the ending from “One dark window”. I’ll try to make a proper review without spoiling it.

This book was extremely enchanting and fast paced. I have no idea when the pages flipped, how I was suddenly in the middle of the book and then, done, it’s finished. “Two twisted crowns” has multiple POVs, which I loved. You have Elspeth as well, and you still find things about her and The Nightmare throughout the story, but she’s not the main narrator anymore. I loved the other two POVs, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much these two characters grew. Great character development. They became more likeable, I loved to see their emotions and fears and their relationships with other characters.

I love how the lore continues from “One dark window”. The Shepard King is still the best character in this duology and his story pained me so much. We find who he actually is, why he did what he did, and he tells us more about The Providence Cards. I was saddened by his story and his past, and his rhymes were still on point and amazing. I felt his love for Elspeth in the end.

The romance was definitely spicier and there’s a little bit of smut, but not so much that you loose focus on the story. It was a great combination of tension and flirty, and I loved how they both grew for each other and that it wasn’t a forced interaction between them.

The ending was perfect! I felt the gothic vibes, with the enchanted forest and the Spirit Wood and the short, but well done fight. It has its dark and atmospheric elements, and i enjoyed the fact that it was not easy for them to get there. They lost things and people.

It was a great story and a great ending. I ever cried a little when it was finished. I recommend the duology to be read without a break between the books, it’s worth it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I deeply appreciate it.

*Actual rating is 4.5 stars*

Two Twisted Crowns is the second and final book in The Shepard King duology. This book is a lot of things, but boring isn’t one of them. It kept the action, the suspense and the characters I loved from the first book - and then just added more of that while also raising the stakes. The writing is also beautiful and very lyrical, and the magic system still holds a great deal of interest for me.

The main characters are Ravyn and Elm, but we get the occasional Elspeth, and especially Elm turned out to be such a good character. I didn’t pay much attention to him in the first book, but here he really proved that he could carry the story. Speaking of characters who was just kind of there in the first book but made me love them in this book, there’s Ione - Elspeth cousin. I won’t go into anything of her plot for the risk of spoiling things. But let me tell you, she’s precious and deserves the world. Getting to see side characters getting fleshed out and getting an added layer of complexity was amazing, and the author did such a great job at it!

In conclusion - I love this duology so much! Two Twisted Crowns was just as good as One Dark Window, and I especially loved the way the side characters got to shine in this one. So go read One Dark Window, and then read Two Twisted Crowns. Don’t snooze on this dark fantasy duology!

This was even better than the first! I loved the twists in the tale, I couldn't predict what was going to happen, and who would stand by who. The mysteries overlapped and became clear in a beautiful way, all coming together and making perfect sense, as if I should have known all along.
The town, the mist, the magic. It all has such autumnal magic to it, it is perfect for this time of year. The romance as well, it was just enough to keep you interested but not so much it was overwhelming.
I loved the characters, and I loved their development, seeing their personalities and seeing them laid bare.
The ending was perfect, a dramatic finale to a wonderful conclusion. Overall, an excellent duology I'd highly recommend

I absolutely loved the first book and I almost had a heart attack once I saw I got the e-ARC. The sequel and the finale didn’t disappoint.

I dove into it the same way I did with the first book: clueless and eager. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. It continues exactly where the previous story ended and it builds up perfectly until the explosive ending. It explores this unique magic system even further than the first, and this time we have multiple POVs. There are also two romance storylines which are both delicious to follow among all the political intrigue and quest for revenge.

It's an enchanting and dark atmosphere described through a perfect and lyrical writing style. I could feel the tension building throughout the story, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

The pace of the story is perfect going from heart-stopping moments to single moments of introspection by the characters. These quieter moments are far from boring and they didn’t break the rhythm of the plot, only added to the tension and to the details needed to build the finale.

I loved to get to know other characters apart from Elspeth, even if her development throughout this story is incredibly described and amazing to see. All this despite her taking the backseat in most of the story. I must admit, I was quite surprised with Ravyn’s evolution too. He was so good!

Loved his banter with the Nightmare. I also enjoyed seeing Elm’s perspective and his struggles, and his chemistry with Ione. Their interactions and POVs add depth to the story, and it was great to see how it all fitted together in the end.

A fitting conclusion that will not let you down! A exceptional duology that I can’t recommend enough.

To start off, I binged this is less than 24 hours but it's taken me 2 extra days to process what's happened and how I feel.

I will be recommending this duology to everyone who wishes to read something new! This is the perfect book for autumn reading, fantasy romance, a fair bit of action, a magical journey and some uncovered secrets.

When you thought One Dark Window was amazing, Two Twisted Crowns was exceptional. I thoroughly enjoyed this duology, and it's in my top 5 favourite series I've read this year.

The world building never fails, it's amazing and unique. Details aren't missed but it's not over the top! Characters, I loved some of them all, regardless of how evil they were. Multiple POVs are my favourite, managed to see more of Elms POV. My top favourite character is 1000 % Ravyn, I love a dark mysterious guy who has many hidden sides and hides his affection for Elspeth.

The journey was jaw dropping and I couldn't stop page turning, the ending had me crying because I can't believe that's it. Why? I need more! Nothing will ever compare to this.

Fantastic book, fantastic read. If I could rate this more than 5 stars I would, and it certainly would be over the chart. The author Rachel Gillig has a way with words and I naturally felt like I was there alongside these characters fighting battle that started 500 years ago all because of a greedy king.

I'm so happy with how the ending came to a conclusion. Rachel's writing is fantastic! This wasn't rushed or muddled, this was thoroughly thought through and was a mind blowing ending to the duology.



🥀 𝔹𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕪. 𝔹𝕖 𝕔𝕝𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣. 𝔹𝕖 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕. 🥀

~ Fantasy Romance
~ Unique Magic System
~ 500 Year Old History
~ Revenge
~ Lore


Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
World Building: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Two twisted crowns via Netgalley. In the second part of this duology we continue to follow Ravyn and Elspeth in their fight against the mist, the crown and that absolute tyrant Prince Hauth. I'm sure there is an origin story there but he really is just plain evil!
We are also gifted pov from Prince Elm and Ione Hawthorn which, if possible, are even more delectable than Rayvn and Elspeth's. Their suffering is heartbreaking and takes the reader on a journey aside from the overarching plot.
I found the pacing faster this time around, especially in the last third of the book. Things really escalate and you have no idea how things will pan out until the very end. Its so exciting and terrible for my nerves. I loved it. 
The Nightmare is an exquisite example of morally grey. Corrupted by magic and ambition, he seems irredeemable. However, his relationship with Elspeth and even with Ravyn gives so much possibility for good. I did also like his one sided conversations with Elspeth, a highlight.

So excited for future work of Rachel Gillig. Perfection.

5★ !!

Thank you netgalley for this e-arc!!! This was my most anticipated read this year and I can’t express how grateful I am that I got to read this early.

*“The once was a girl, clever and good, who tarried in shadow in the depths of the wood. There also was a King - a shepherd by his crook, who reigned over magic and wrote the old book. The two were together, so the two were the same. The girl, the King, and the monmster they became.”*

Thoughts:

☆ Where do I even begin. This book was everything I hoped it would be and more! Such a beautiful ending to this duology. I’m sad to part with these characters that very much grew on me. I wish I could stay with them a little longer. I was so surprised when I got to the epilogue because I expected to have at least another 40 pages left, but I didn’t. I just loved the story in this.

☆ The writing is one of my favorite things. I love how this author writes. It’s simple and yet poetic. I just wanna read whatever else this author writes.

☆ The characters: Ravyn and Elspeth will forever be in my heart. I love both of them so much. And the Nightmare also grew on me even more than in the first book. I loved the scenes with him. In general I enjoyed the banter the characters had. It could be a very dark moment but the banter was so fun it made me laugh. And there’s also Elm who I loved very much and was happy to see his story through.

☆ One character that deservers a special point is Ione. I remember I didn’t like her very much (read “at all”) in the first book. I thought she was just cruel. But seeing the backstory of the what and why… I can’t help liking her too. I wonder if I read the first book now if I’d see her differently there.

☆ The autumnal, dark anf gothic vibes in this book were once more on point. I love the world of Blunder.

☆ Also, the PoV?! We got more of them, not just Elspeth and I was living for it. That was such a good decision and I think it made the book even more enjoyable.

☆ I was never bored while reading, there was always something happening. And towards the end I just couldn’t put it down! (I feel like I’d have normally read this book in two or three days, but working overtimes ate my reading time)

☆ I don’t really know what more to say at this point. This book was everything. It made me laugh, it made me cry. I enjoyed it so so much.

*“Be wary. Be clever. Be good.”*

If you enjoyed One Dark Window, just read this! It’s so good! 🖤

Rating:2/5
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ummm......yeah. This was even worse than ODW. I lie in the minority here, but this duology is wayyyy too hyped. It should've been a longer standalone, because this book just feels too weak. Elm was my favourite character in the first book (didn't care about Elspeth and Ravyn at all, that's why I wasn't really bothered that Elspeth hardly shows up in this book), but in this book, he felt so..... useless. I hated the entire plotline of Elm trying to find Ione's lost maiden card and their romance, because it didn't add any value to the story. The nightmare was the only character l liked in this one. I enjoyed learning about the Shepherd King's past a just family, but the worldbuilding wasn't cohesive at all. I'd expected the author to flesh out the world which was just vibes and nothing else in the first book, but it is still underexplained. The Ravyn plotline was also boring af. The acquisition of the Twin Alders proved to be too easy and low stakes. Another thing that irked me was the fact that the author HAS TO CONSTANTLY REMIND US OF THE NIGHTMARE'S OILY VOICE. Just...why?? I liked the last 10%, though. The ending was quite good and Elspeth and the Shepherd King's final farewell did stir the slightest hint of emotion in me. I'm astounded by the high rating this has gotten. Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of this duology and will most probably forget about it within a few days.

5 ✰

Be wary. Be clever. Be good.

I had the absolute honour of reading an ARC of Two Twisted Crowns and I simply cannot describe how emotional I am after reading this book. We have come to the conclusion of this beautiful, dark, and gothic fairy tale duology and it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to this world and its characters. I had the best time reading this book as I did the first one and as much as I’m not ready to leave, this was the perfect ending.

Picking up where we left off in One Dark Window, we once again follow Elspeth, Ravyn, Elm, Jespyr, and The Nightmare in this quest to find The Twin Alders card. As they continue to find all 12 of the Providence Cards, we are also in for a treat as we get to read more POVs from these characters! When Rachel Gillig said we’d be getting more character POVs in this book, I was most excited about Elm’s POV. I was not disappointed. Besides Elspeth and Ravyn, Elm has to be one of my favourite characters hands down. In One Dark Window, we really only see bits and pieces of Elm — he’s the sarcastic, intelligent, prince who, given any opportunity to use his Scythe card, would do it. So I was very happy that we got to see Elm in a more complex way, especially in his moments with Ione. We get to see how caring and gentle he is with Ione and I loved every second of it. I really was obsessed with their little snippets in One Dark Window so to see them really take the cake in this book was a nice surprise! Although we did get more of them, I still would’ve liked to have read more of Ravyn and Elspeth together. We didn’t really get a scene with them together until the epilogue and I was kind of sad about that. It was understandably so, since in order for us to see Elspeth we would have to say goodbye to The Nightmare.

Which brings me to my next point, the goodbye between Elspeth and The Nightmare was truly another bittersweet moment. As much as I wanted Ravyn and Elspeth to reunite, I never realized the bond between Elspeth and The Nightmare was actually one of comfort and redemption. Taxus trying to make things right with another child figure in his life and Taxus also being one of the only dad figures in Elspeth’s life — it truly made me cry 😭

“The two were together, so the two were the same, the girl, the King, and the monster they became.”

I absolutely loved and adored this series and I definitely see myself having a reread in the near future.

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for this ARC and thank you to Rachel Gillig for bringing this masterpiece to life!

5 misty stars/5
OMG! I’m writing this straight after finishing and I can’t think of any word to describe how utterly amazing it was, everything you needed and even more! This was such a great sequel and a perfect way to finish this story!
I really enjoyed that you could see the story from any point of view, so it would give you a complete understanding of the plot. Also, the immaculate vibes of the first book were even better in this one! What can I say, it was pretty amazing, and that ending! Prepare your tissues, friends. It’s been a long time since a duology has made me empathise with the characters so much that I would get all emotional over them. Great, great, great writing style. I would recommend this series 100%,even more if you already like the first instalment.
Be wary. Be clever. Be good.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book for this e-ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. This was a brilliant sequel to one dark window! I wasn't sure on some of the relationships and pacing at the beginning but the journey this book took us on after the events at the end of book one was immense. I again loved the riddles and poems and the nightmares's wit. Elspeth was my favourite in the last book but following Ione and Elm in this was great. I loved the development of their characters and how they fit in with the overall narrative. I loved the gothic fantasy of this book and the unique writing and magic system within. Absolutely brilliant!!

I received this as an ARC from netgalley for an honest review

I devoured One Dark Window and an ARC of Two Twisted Crowns in less than a week. Everything about them was just perfect and it's the best duology I have ever read.

Two Twisted Crowns picks up right where ODW ends and the story is told from multiple POVs.


Reasons I loved this book:

This is the perfect book to read during the spooky season. The way the world was created meant that I could not only see it but I could feel it, the gothic, spooky atmospheric vibe the author created in my mind of this place surrounded in mist.

The chemistry between the characters was great and in this book thanks to the multiple POV's we got to explore different aspects to the characters. The main story is a quest but there was also an element of romance. I was here for the quest but I enjoyed the romance as I felt it was a great way to develop the characters but it didn't detract from the overall story.

I loved everything about this book, the writing, the world, the magic and the characters. It delivered in all the ways I needed it to and this duology is one of my favourite things I have ever read.

I devoured One Dark Window and an ARC of Two Twisted Crowns in less than a week. Everything about them was just perfect and it's the best duology I have ever read.

Two Twisted Crowns picks up right where ODW ends and the story is told from multiple POVs.


Reasons I loved this book:

This is the perfect book to read during the spooky season. The way the world was created meant that I could not only see it but I could feel it, the gothic, spooky atmospheric vibe the author created in my mind of this place surrounded in mist.

The chemistry between the characters was great and in this book thanks to the multiple POV's we got to explore different aspects to the characters. The main story is a quest but there was also an element of romance. I was here for the quest but I enjoyed the romance as I felt it was a great way to develop the characters but it didn't detract from the overall story.

I loved everything about this book, the writing, the world, the magic and the characters. It delivered in all the ways I needed it to and this duology is one of my favourite things I have ever read.

Atmospheric, eerie, dark, and gripping. it's the second part of an original and fascinating duology.
Great world building, excellent storytelling. God and read it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

AHH, I’m so excited to have read this as I loved One Dark Window! I am not gonna lie though, I had kind of forgotten what happened at the end of that book, so I was a bit scared I wouldn’t be able to follow the storyline of its sequel…

Two Twisted Crowns, however, is very good at getting you back into the story. I was immediately intrigued again, and Rachel Gillig really manages to draw you in. I loved seeing the story develop throughout the book, and I feel like having three different perspectives all throughout really added to its depth. I also loved all three perspectives (almost) equally.

However, Elspeth’s perspective was sometimes a bit confusing. I am guessing that that was purposely done, but it was sometimes a bit hard to keep track of what exactly you were reading.

The writing of the book is just as easy to get into as the first book, and the chapters are pretty short too, which I personally love. As mentioned, the book has three different perspectives, and every chapter the perspective changes, which definitely worked in favour of the book. I feel like otherwise the pacing of the book might have been off, but this worked perfectly!

My favourite part of this duology has to be the magic system, it’s so unique! I really don’t think I’ve ever seen something like it before. The way the cards work, their powers, everything?? I love it so much.

Overall, I really enjoyed the sequel to One Dark Window, and I am excited to see what Rachel Gillig comes up with next!