Having recently delved into the pages of "One Dark Window," I was immediately compelled to request its sequel, and I must express that it served as a truly enchanting conclusion to the duology. Rachel Gillig's narrative prowess shines through in the seamless integration of the magic system with the characters' intricate backstory, offering a richer understanding that adds layers of depth.

What stood out to me was Gillig's ability to explore the dynamics and interactions of characters who piqued my curiosity in the first book. The sequel not only addressed lingering questions but also provided a more profound connection to these characters, elevating the overall narrative.

The infusion of tension and banter within the storyline had me both enthralled and amused. Kicking my feet in anticipation and giggling at the character dynamics created a captivating reading experience. It's evident that Gillig masterfully crafted a world where not only the magical elements but also the interpersonal relationships are central to the narrative.

Such a well done sequel that still left you wanting more. I loved the characters as much as I loved them in the first book and I could not put it down.

A wonderful conclusion to this lovely duet. I thought everything was wrapped up very nicely. I really enjoyed the characters and the story. The magic system was very intriguing as well.

DNF around 25%

I think this is just a case of right book wrong time. And it may have a lot to do with my book slump at the moment.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this book, so I don’t have any critiques or negative feedback to leave.

It’s easy world-building and I like the characters. Which are both very helpful for someone like me who usually doesn’t read high fantasy stories. I read books with magic and witches a lot, but they are usually very romance focused right from the start. So I need it to be easy to understand.

I also love the magic system in this because it’s completely different than any other book that I’ve read so far.

I haven’t been able to get into the story though as much as I tried. And I don’t want to force myself to finish it and leave a negative review on my goodreads. I’m going to revisit it someday when I’m more in the mood for this story and can actually enjoy it.

I will still recommend this to people when I’m asked about it by other readers because I know it’s me that’s the problem and not the book.

Thank you so much for sending this to me! I really appreciate it, and I’m so sorry I couldn’t get into it right now. If I wasn’t in a book slump, I know I would have really loved it.

This book was PHENOMENAL. Not only has Rachel cemented herself as an author to reckon with, but the twist of shelving the main character in a sense and the book going on was impressive. Loved elm’s character development as well

I thought the conclusion to the series was perfect, and this duology is one of my all-time favorites. It's such a perfect blend of dark and creepy and romantic. I did a reread of the first book before diving into this one, and I'm glad that I did. I absolutely loved getting the new perspectives/points of view in this book. LONG LIVE ELM <3 The world building and the story telling is just impeccable. Each character is so well-written. So atmospheric. This book feels like traipsing through the woods at dusk. I'm so to say goodbye to these characters and this world, but that ending was so satisfying. Need more by Rachel Gillig RIGHT NOW.

This was such a great conclusion to this duology. I loved thebadditional POV's and the more in depth history of the cards and why and how they are important. I loved the additional love interest and felt like the pace was well suited to the story.

I am docking a star for the unnecessary "spice" Such a shame because this had potential to be great.

Two Twisted Crowns was truly everything I could’ve asked from the conclusion to this duology and more. It hit all the marks for me! The storytelling and world-building was phenomenal and I enjoyed seeing how Rachel Gillig expanded on the world and lore she’d already built in One Dark Window and how she seamlessly incorporated new characters and POVs. I loved Elm and Ione’s relationship way more than I was already expecting to, and I loved getting to know more about them individually as well. However, the relationship that truly stole the show for me in this sequel was that between the Nightmare and Elspeth; it was incredibly beautiful, emotional and heart-wrenching and I genuinely still cry if I think about them too much. But in a good way! Two Twisted Crowns was 100% one of the best books I’ve read this year and one of the best sequels/conclusions I’ve read in a long time.

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

Monsters by Ruelle was on repeat again as was live like legends & war of hearts—among others as it enhanced my experience with it.

I enjoyed and adored this but the pacing initially felt slow or maybe it was both? Idk but thankfully it picked up soon enough for me.

After the events that unraveled in One Dark Window, the kingdom of blunder and its future are hanging by a thread and the nightmare and Ravyn are forced to work together against their wishes to retrieve the 12 providence cards needed to unite the deck to get rid of the darkmagic/infection by solstice. Here we get a better sense as to how the cards are used and how they were created and let me just say can I have a maiden, mirror, chalice, nightmare & scythe card of my own?

The multi povs in this not only helped me connect to them more individually—but also see how everyone went about and their journey in gathering the cards. One aspect in particular felt predictable in retrospect (given the foreshadowing in OWD) but I enjoyed it regardless

I was much more immersed in the storyline here and at first thought this would come up short but to my surprise it didn’t. I know there are some who didn’t like elspeth getting less screen time and the second romance subplot in this but I didn’t mind it. its obvious & understandable why elspeth wasn’t in this but I was still able to feel her presence through her POVs.

The character development was executed well in hashing out Elms, the nightmare, ravyn and even iones character arcs. As a result of getting the added povs, all of their emotions and despair were known because of it. One character in particular for sure got off too easy

“There were not enough pages in all the books Elm had read, in all the libraries he’d wandered, in all the notebooks he’d scrawled, that could measure—denote or describe—just how beautiful she was” “there you are”

Elm made it incredibly easy to swoon over him and that ^ is a prime example. I was here for it and i regretted nothing. I would’ve loved to switch places with the fmc in this moment besides others. this man was in complete awe of her and truly saw her for who she was and past what she was glamoured as. There’s plenty i could say but just know I ate up every moment and that one spicy scene between them. I was invested and enjoyed the romance we got with them as It felt like more than what we got in ODW since there was more depth & emotion to them. However, the longing between elspeth and Ravyn was felt throughout their separation.

“You and I are blunder’s reckoning, ravyn yew. Not its peace”

"Elspeth says if you do not get up, she'll never kiss you again" "that's-not-what she-said" “get up, Rayvn. The nightmares oily voice echoed through the wood. "Get up."

As for the nightmare, I was relishing in his and ravyns new found bromance as most scenes of theirs fueled my laughter in this. The constant teasing and banter had me wanting a novella for them and their bickering 😂 these two for sure surprised me and it was all ultimately a sweet bond they had going on

I felt compassion for the nightmare here in getting more of his origin story and the whys and hows of how everything came to be. It was nice to see another side to him than the one we got in ODW. there was less rhythmic lore here from him and I was pleased about it as while necessary in the last book it would’ve felt entirely redundant here

Small mention of ione. The answers and suspicions i had about her initially ceased to exist after seeing what she had to endure and I ultimately felt and cared for her

Lastly, I’m going to miss elspeth and the nightmare and their evolved connection with their threaded minds as is and because It was a unique aspect in fantasy for me. The last 30-25% gave me so much. It was action packed and somehow emotional? I somehow teared up at the end with how bittersweet it was with them as it felt very full circle. This was an amazing conclusion to the duology as everything that occurred prior was tied up greatly here. My one qualm has to be the last bit of the ending being rushed as I wanted more of the characters. But Gillig's storytelling power captivated me after this and I cannot wait for more of her work 🖤

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated reads so I was so excited when I was chosen to read an arc of this book. It was such a good plot and lived up to one dark window. It starts off exactly where one dark window ends which was so easy to follow. Overall, such a good book!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an arc of this book.

This was the perfect way to wrap up this sequel. I loved the first one so much and still think about how unique the magic system in this duet is. Adding in Elm POV was the best. It was genuinely the perfect progression moving forward without the back and forth conflict. I actually really loved that Elspeth took a bit of the backseat in this ad we focused more on Elm in this part of the duology. This book was so well written and tied the story up nicely with a bow!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was an amazing finale to a fantasy series! I am in awe and adored this book.

Holy mother of duologies! This was absolutely amazing and unlike anything I have ever read. Rachel Gillig has been added to my list of auto buy authors. This story was so beautifully written. There is a rag tag found family aspect that will have you rooting for every one of them (almost) and a completely unique magic system that is complex yet easy to follow. I can’t even put into proper words how much I loved this installment, you just have to go read it for yourself! Big thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Absolutely amazing! Love the romance, plot, and smooth transition from brook 1 to 2. Perfect sequel. I could not put it down.

I absolutely loved this series. This 2nd book was beautifully written. The point of view of the secondary characters was fantastic. Elm grew to be one of my favorites!

Thank you NetGalley for the e-Arc!

Rarely does a sequel to a phenomenal book live up to the standards set by the first book. But Two Twisted Crowns did and then some. I loved the different perspectives and found myself looking forward to Elm’s chapters when I wasn’t his biggest fan in Two Dark Windows. An excellent YA fantasy that I would highly recommend

This was one of the best duologiws I have read in a long time.
It picks up immediately after one dark window. I loved everything about this book. It was a perfect conclusion

LOVELOVELOVEE

Two Twisted Crowns was a fantastic follow up to One Dark Window, and I loved every minute of this novel. The Shephard King duology has absolutely captured my heart and soul. The magic system is so cool, the romance is fantastic, the atmosphere is *chefs kiss* and the plot is a page-turner.

Read this duology for:
- Gothic Atmosphere
- Mystery and intrigue
- Romance
- Unique magic system
- A Quest
- Fake dating
- Secret identities

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

You know you love a book when you talk to it the whole time you read it. Even yell at it sometimes. I am hooked on this series. Im invested in these characters. I want to save everyone. The magic system and the providence cards are so cool. I want to know all the things about them. I did not want to stop reading this while also not wanting it to end. I cannot wait to read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for sharing this book's digital reviewer copy in exchange my honest reviews.

First of all, that was such a FANTASTIC surprise!! Two Twisted Crowns exceeds all my expectations and then some. It truly represents the ideal evolution for this duology, elevating everything I enjoyed about One Dark Window to a whole new level. Right from the start, 'Two Twisted Crowns' envelops you in its captivating atmosphere, and the angst in this book resonated with me, adding another layer to its appeal.