This was an amazing follow up to the first book and end to the duology. I love this series and will be recommending it to everyone. It is a great romantasy that is low on spice but stellar on plot and world building.

Rachel Gillig did it again; this duology is so good! I loved One Dark Window, and was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Two Twisted Crowns. This is one of the most unique magic systems I've encountered, and I really enjoyed the gothic vibes of this series. I really loved the characters, even the ones of questionable morals. Look forward to more from her.

THANK YOU to the publisher and to netgalley!! Two Twisted Crowns picks up after One Dark Window with the Nightmare taking over SPOILER mind. This is an author with a craft for fantasy! The world building is incredible, there is not just one romance but TWO and the storytelling leaves you on the edge of your seat. Who knew a book about a cursed town would leave such an impact on me :)

This is how you end a story. Just. Bravo to Rachel Gillig and her beautiful brain. One Dark Window was a huge hit for me last year, it really took me by surprise how much I ended up loving it, but I can confidently say that Two Twisted Crowns is even better. The expanded worldbuilding, the character arcs and developments, and the plot reveals made it to where it was nearly impossible to put this book down. I was quite surprised by the shift to the focus on Elm and Ione but it worked so well, I ended up rooting for both of them wholeheartedly and absolutely loved their storylines.

This duology has one of the most unique and fun magic systems I have encountered and I have read many fantasy books in my life. Two Twisted Crowns added to this and created more interesting ways to show the magic system and I ate it up. I loved it. One of my favorite aspects about this book is that magic has a cost and the answers do not come easily or conveniently to the characters, they have to work hard for what they want and need. Everything is earned and as the reader, you truly feel it.

The characters in this book just completely took my heart and I full-on cried at a part in the book that you will *know* when you read it. I highly, highly recommend this series if you want one with unique and complex magic, mystery, romance, and characters that will stay with you.

I already look forward to rereading this in the future, it was incredible and I will make it my personal mission to get this series in the hands of other readers. Rachel Gillig is a huge talent and I very highly anticipate her next book! This book, and duology, is 5 stars.

The absolute perfect conclusion to the story. Just as engaging and intriguing as the first one. I found the characters to be just as well developed and I loved watching their stories progress. The intro of new characters was done really well.

These have been the BEST books. They were top of my list for 2023 and they did not disappoint. The magic system is so different from other books I have read, and the spooky vibes were everything,

I can’t believe I put this book off as long as I did 😨
This was sooo good!!!! It’s rare to read a fantasy book that isn’t the “bad guy turns good” “girl has typical unknown powers” which, don’t get me wrong, I’m a SUCKER for that but it was refreshing to learn about a completely NEW magic system with the cards! Treeeeeees I’m blown away tbh
The tension between them was better than most smut I’ve ever read and I needed more more more. This was mainly my review for book 1, but I felt it was justified here too!! I will rec this series to everyone. I did give book 1 five stars and this one 4, but I still enjoyed it immensely!!

I may have liked this more than the first. It was incredible! The absolute perfect duology!! I love that it’s high fantasy but still easy to follow!

My first ARC review!! What a PACKED duology. 4.75 ⭐️ I can’t even get over how much happened between these two books. This was the first fantasy series I’ve read to date that I felt the author did a perfect continuation from book 1 to book 2 without repeating details to get reader up to speed. I could not put the book down because the pacing between each POV was so good and left me hanging. I absolutely LOVED getting to know the side characters more in TTC. Every Elm scene had my heart racing 🥵💋🌶️ I’ve decided that the sixth love language is to feel seen and that’s what Elm and Ione give each other. Nightmare and Elspeth banter is pure gold. Ravyns devotion to Elspeth, family, and friends 🥹

The unraveling of the truth was A LOT to take in but I plan to reread this book 2,495 more times to fully comprehend everything/twists and turns. I also needed just a tad more for Ravyn’s reuniting with Elspeth - a love story separated in book one that didn’t really get the payoff it deserved in second book ending. However, Tears were shed multiple times for this wonderful, satisfying ending for most of the characters !

Rachel Gillig wrote a wonderfully fun and pleasant escape that reminds me of For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten. The sequel holds up and continues with Elspeth and Ravyn trying to find the Providence Cards. I appreciate that the romance did not take over the book, and the adventure and mystery were plentiful.

I requested this book on NetGalley, but ended up buying it instead because I loved book one so much. I will gladly read anything this author writes as she is consistent and her pacing is what I enjoy. The characters are enjoyable, smart, and her worlds are detailed.

This series is amazing!! I couldn't get enough of this! I loved this so much!! I loved the first book but the second one is perfect and the ending!!! Yes!! This is a must read fantasy!!!!
I just reviewed Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

This pains me so much 😭😭 But I am SO DISAPPOINTED with this book. I did not understand how the plot ended up what it was, I did not like the other perspective that was included in this, it felt TOTALLY unnecessary and it really did not add ANYTHING to the plot.

What saved this was Ravyn's POV. Literally.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Orbit Books for this arc!!

5/5 stars!!

This duology was AMAZING! The best I've read in a long time. This entire book had me on the edge of my seat. I won't say much bc I don't want to spoil anything about this, but this is such a fantastic, imaginative concept. I LOVED IT

What a finale to a stunning duology! It's not often that I find the second book to be better than the first in a series/duology but Rachel Gillig did it in this one! I loved trying (and failing) to figure out how she was going to conclude this stunning fantasy. The world built up in this series is so absolutely unique and the connection between the main characters is what I dream of in all of my fantasy romances. What really pushed me up to five stars was the extra POVs and side character arcs that we got to follow! I was as invested in the side characters as I was in the main, which is a feat in and of itself! Do yourself a favor and read this duology ASAP!

I need to start off by admitting that I didn't really like book 1 of this duology, I thought it was kinda predictable, the main romance felt very insta-lovey, and honestly many of the character relationships felt as though they lacked chemistry- I can't say the same about book 2. This book far exceeded any expectations (and granted they were pretty low) and I enjoyed it so much more than book 1. To be fair, there were still some issues I had with it, but they all chalk up to personal preference and nothing I can say the book actually did wrong. It was a bit predictable and while the new romance introduced here I felt was much better written and paced than the last one there were still several interactions between the two characters that I had to force myself to read through because I found them to be very cringey and kind of awkward (especially the sex scene, I don't think I'll ever find a well written sex scene in a book, but then again I'm not looking for one either) - but again that is purely personal preference and seeing as how I am VERY picky when it comes to romance, I'm not surprised or upset by that. Aside from those nitpicks, I did enjoy this book a fair amount- it expanded on the lore and history wonderfully, many of the characters I disliked in book 1 got a lot of much needed development and I genuinely felt connected to them, the multi pov was huge step up from the purely first person narration of book 1, and the pacing stayed fast moving and engaging throughout the book. The development Ravyn specifically got in this book made me genuinely enjoy his character and I found myself empathizing with him quite often as trauma after trauma and burden after burden was dumped on this poor guy- he could NOT catch a break. Speaking of trauma, I also enjoyed Elm's character here, he got some much needed characterization and development and towards the end of the book he became one of my favorite characters with just how much I felt for him and just desperately wanted him to be safe and happy and away from his sorry excuse of a shitbag father and brother. I kind of struggled through the first few chapters with his pov due to how much of it consisted of him ogling Ione and dishing out some top tier cringey flirting, but once he got serious by the 50% mark of the book I actually really started to like him and was able to appreciate how much he was put through and how much he faced. The Nightmare/The Shepherd King was my favorite from book 1 and in book 2 was no different, his dynamic with Elspeth is expanded on much more and I really enjoyed seeing his past and just having him be a more active participant in the plot. This book was a perfect 3.5 star for me but I'm rounding down to a 3 because while I am impressed by just how well this built on the foundation laid down by book 1, it was a serious struggle for me to get through the first half of this book and really start enjoying it- thank you to NetGalley and thank you to the publisher for giving me access to the e arc in exchange for an honest review!

Let’s not talk about how long it’s taken me to write this review after reading TTC, but we can focus on the fact that this duology has been living rent-free in my mind since August of last year.
(TLDR: We had a sudden cross-country move in September that spun my world upside down.)

After reading Gillig’s debut, <i> One Dark Window,</i> I was SO excited to read an early copy of <i>Two Twisted Crowns</i>. This novel picks up right where we left off, and we get additional POVs that I was not expecting. I ended up loving getting a different viewpoint from both Elm and Ione that showed a brand new perspective in the familiar world of Blunder.

Gillig expertly wraps up this duology with the second installation but also does not rush headlong toward it. I loved getting the same gothic romance vibes as I did from <i>One Dark Window</i> while not feeling like we were treading over the same ground to drag the story out.

I’m so grateful to have been sent an early copy and have been consistently shoving the first book into the hands of my friends and family to get them to read it as well. Gillig is 100% a new favorite author, and I can’t wait to read whatever comes next from them.

<b> <u>Overall (TLDR)</b> </u>
In this sequel you can expect:
-Swoon-worthy romance (I do not say this lightly!!!)
-Spooky woods
-Tarot-card-esque magic used via Providence Cards
-Found family
-Gothic, dark, fairytale atmosphere done RIGHT
-Unexpected redemption
-A plot to keep you reading through the night

I gave both books in this duology a 5/5 stars and found a new favorite author! Highly recommend.

I initially had doubts about "One Dark Window" but ended up discovering a new favorite fantasy author with "Two Twisted Crowns." The sequel picks up right where the first book left off, following Ravyn and Elspeth as they embark on a quest to eliminate dark magic from the kingdom. The addition of Elm's perspective adds depth, and the romantic tension between characters adds a compelling layer to the story. The book draws readers in with its rich atmosphere and storytelling, while providing new insights into the fantasy world without overwhelming exposition. I look forward to Rachel Gillig's future works.

Oh my gosh!! I’m so unbelievably grateful that I received an arc copy of this book because it was sooo much better than the first!!! Elm definitely became my favorite character in this book. I loved how the story progressed and you were able to see the povs of the other characters. Rachel Gillig picked up right where she left off from book 1. It was fast paced, filled with action and romance, and I couldn’t put it down! It was a great way to end the series.

I absolutely LOVED this series. Book 2, being more about the Monster and how the world came to be was so fascinating to me. The perfect gothic romance fantasy. I'm in awe of the magic system and world Gillig created. I will definitely be reading this again, and again!

This is how you write a sequel!! I truly thought Rachel Gillig couldn't top what happened in One Dark Window, but she did and went beyond that. Two Twisted Crowns was my favorite book of 2023 and made Rachel Gillig and instant read author for me.