A fantastic ending to a duology. This in my mind is how a YA book should go. The additional POV was the perfect touch, I love that she split everyone up and saw how everyone came together at the end. Such a simple idea but it’s so hard to execute. I got a bit confused at the end. Not sure if that was my fault or she didn’t explain something but other than that I HIGHLY recommend this series!!

What a conclusion!!! I loved the first book and I was a little nervous that book two wouldn’t hold up? I was so wrong not only did it hold up but it was better!

I adored where the story went,. I don’t want to say too much because spoilers but i was worried that book 2 would be missing something but nope it added new things and was able to give me those same feelings.
The twists and turn of the story had me captivated. I could not put this one down!

This might be my top read of the year

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC! Two Twisted Crowns provided such as a satisfying ending to this duology. There’s so many things I love about this series and this book in particular. What I love most about this series as a whole is the magic system. That is what intrigued me from the very beginning. Rachel Gillig was masterful in crafting this dark and sultry atmosphere. One complaint I often have about intensely atmospheric books is that the plot lacks. However, the plot was plotting in Two Twisted Crowns. The adventure aspect of this book was really well done and I did not feel like the plot was lagging at any point. I also ended up liking the multiple POVs. When I first started the book, I wasn’t sure I would like Elm’s POV but oh was I proven wrong. Lastly, the characters in this duology were so memorable to me. Ravyn is one of my favorite characters, probably ever. And the Nightmare. I enjoyed how the banter was woven into the darkness and the twistiness. Literally had me kicking my feet at some points. The character development was palpable and soooo worth it. Highly recommend this duology.

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Spice: 1/5

I am a self described connoisseur of fantasy/romantasy, and also notoriously difficult to please. Keeping that in mind, this duology has me awestruck.

I have never read anything like this. The writing is in and of itself, magic. I prefer a sophisticated writing style, and Gillig surpasses any and all expectations. I'm sitting here staring at my keyboard trying to accurately describe the beauty that is this work of fiction and i'm coming up short.

You know a book is well done when you feel something. I feel warm? Uplifted yet kind of sad? Fully aware that this book isn't real but still missing the nightmare? Nostalgic - for what? I'm not sure.

Worth the hype. Extremely good. Bravo. Amen.

This was one of my most anticipated fall releases and it did not disappoint!

If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. I loved the first book but somehow this one was in a lot of ways...more.

It was perfect - perfect sequel, perfect ending, perfect resolution for the plot (though bittersweet), more romance and adventure than book 1, same magical, atmospheric, sometimes eerie writing. More characters, more emotional depth, more questions, twists and nail biting adventure. I finished it days ago and I'm still thinking about the Twin Alders and the twist with the Shephard King. 🤯😥

Like I said last week in my overview for ODW, this series is great for the fall season. It has that vibe that makes you think of dark woods, crackling fire, hot tea under the blanket and magic.✨️

Tropes:
- strong MCs
-One horse
-Touch her and I'll end you 🤭
-Magic
-Quests
-Surprise POVs
-Meddling old spirits
-Banter for days
-Plots and games and more barters
-Unlikely alliances 🤐🥰

This is the kind of Fantasy I'm looking for. With strong characters, unique magic system, fast paced plot that keeps me on the edge of my seat and guessing all throughout, mystery, suspense and a love so deep I feel hollow when I close the book, because not much else compares. When the plot and the writing are the main focus, and the romance only comes as a bonus - in teasers, in stolen moments, in surprise spice scenes, in shared looks, in that angsty feeling until the characters can reunite... it makes them all the more important and real.

I loved the secondary plot and the new POVs. They helped get the full story and understand all the little things and motivation that led to that end. I feel like I miss even the Nightmare now and Elm is one of my new fave characters!🤧

I can't wait to get my final copy, I'm sure I will reread it 🤎

Thank you Orbit Books for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I LOVED THIS BOOK. Two Twisted Crowns is the second book, after one dark window, in the shepherd king series. Elspeth, Ravyn, Jespyr, Elm Rowan and the Nightmare return in this second book to finish the mission they started in book 1.
After reading the first book I was so excited to dive right into this second one and it was even better. The creepiness of Elspeth and the nightmare gave me chills. The author described her movements and personality in such a vivid way. I don't get this feeling from books often and loved every second of it.
It is so hard to talk about how much I loved the ending and the reveals without spoilers. The strength that was required from all of the characters pulled at the heart strings and kept me on the edge of my seat. You could see the growth of all of the characters, even the nightmare, throughout this novel and the bonds of their group solidify in such a strong way.
I would recommend this book to literally ANYONE. I loved this book and have been talking about it nonstop since I have read it. If you like fantasy even a little bit then you should read this book! I can't wait for this author's next release!

I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a great conclusion for this duology. I found the beginning a bit slow, but it picked up pace as the story continued. I'm happy to have had a chance to read this fantasy series.

I love a duet. They are my favourite when done well. However, often times, book one is the best and book two is just an extended epilogue.
Not in this case.

The Shepherd King duet (One Dark Window & Two Twisted Crowns) is a new, interesting, intelligent, magically book.

The magical system of cards is really well thought out and very creative.
There are 12 different cards each with a different amount of created. So obviously the less cards there are, the more valuable they become. Oh and each card gives the holder magical power.
The goal is to collect all 12 cards, add some blood and the curse will broken. But the question is, is the king who is collecting the cards the right man for the job?

One Dark Window starts with Elspeth and the Nightmare who lives in her head. (Think Tairn from Forth Wing, but the Nightmare
mostly speaks in riddles and is more of a prick)
Add Elspeth and the Nightmare to a collection of friends/family and you have the adventure for the book.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the book. It wasn’t dark, but more gloomy/old gothic.
The story itself was interesting and kept my interest. Even though, the “twists” were slightly obvious, it still was fun to read in print. I enjoyed the change the twists brought and extra bit of magic this information gave us

Unfortunately, even though the plot and magic were fantastic, the relationships really feel flat. The friendships could have been extraordinary and really played with my emotions, but I felt nothing. I didn’t care who lived or died. I had no connection to the main characters or really anyone else.
I know this isn’t a romance book per se, but what romance there was, was also very boring. It was instant love and not as robust as I would have liked. In Two Twisted Crowns, side characters become main characters and their dynamic was my favourite out of everyones.

I really wish I loved these books as much as everyone else did. Even though the magic was really cool and unique, the over all fantasy aspect was very simple. It wasn’t shocking or gasp worthy.
I really felt like the books had such good potential, but the bland relationships really put a damper on my love for the books.

With all that said, I’m still excited to see where Rachel’s writing goes for her next book. And hope the characters grab my emotions more.

The cliffhanger of book one set up book two wonderfully and Gillig certainly delivered. Without giving too much away, the Nightmare in Elspeth's mind has some great character development and the action is thrilling. There is also a new romance that develops and readers will enjoy the story that unfolds between the two characters.

Where do I even start? This was an absolutely incredible sequel to One Dark Window. The suspense, symbolism and plot captured my attention and kept it from start to finish. The magic system is so unique, and quite refreshing. I loved how Rachel gave just the right amount of plot in book one with the side characters that I was ecstatic to see some of the characters more in book two. I wanted to stay in the world longer, but I genuinely do believe the length of the duology was perfect and not drawn out. 5/5 ✨

I loved this duology so much. If you liked the first book you're going to LOVE this.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the complimentary copy

i’m literally obsessed with this series. this sequel was everything. i wasn’t sure how it was going to play out the way the first one ended but i loved that we got multiple pov’s in this one. elm was my favorite this time around and i loved him and ione’s story. i also really loved nightmare. this series so just so dark, eerie and beautiful i couldn’t get enough of it!

Two Twisted Crowns is the sequel One Dark Window needed
The story picks up right where we left Eslpeth/ Nightmare in the dungeon. If it's been awhile since you read book 1, it's a good idea to reread the last two chapters (I had to)
There were parts in the book I did not see coming and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I was left wishing for a tad but more in the epilogue on our two main characters, the ending wrapped quite quickly, but it still tied things together
Highly highly recommend!

Ok so in my review for One Dark Window I said I was thinking of DNFing and WOW would I have been mad if I did. This is probably going to be my favorite series this year. Even though the author did an exceptional job at giving up the lore/backstory and a glimpse into what happens after the end of the conflict I still wish there were more books. I don't know what they would be about (😂) but I definitely wasn't ready to leave these characters yet.

I love this series. I especially appreciate that it is two books and then complete, without drawing the story out for indefinite followup stories. (at least it seems to be over at this point.) The addition of the dual romances really worked for me, and I became doubly invested with more character's story arcs. It was a great fantasy/romance/adventure,
and I give it 5/5 stars. Can't wait to see what this writer puts out next.

These books were everything !! I loved the magic system and the relationships between all the characters. This is a must read and one of my top of 2023!

I love this world and these characters, I won’t go into full details just because it is the second book in this dark but intriguing Duology. The setting, the writing, the world will take you out of the real world! I highly recommend if you’re looking for a little more of a dark fantasy series!
#teamnightmare

Spoiler free review. Two Twisted Crowns picks up where One Dark Window left off which was ideal because ODW left me wanting more! Immediately! TTC offers the POVs of Elm, Ravyn & Elspeth vs just Elspeth in ODW. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the two complement each other perfectly. This was a home run debut for Rachel Gillig. The follow up book in any series can often fall flat but that is far from what happened here. Rachel is a gifted writer, and the book was engaging from start to finish. The series tied up all the loose ends and ended in a perfect way. If I had any critique, it would be that I cared less for the POV of Elm and his storyline with Ione and wanted only to read about Ravyn and Elspeth. I think this is because the first book centered around them and I was invested. Elm's story did become interesting, and I did see the purpose.

I am officially a Rachel Gillig fan and look forward to all the books she releases in her career as an author.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me this ARC!

You know when you finish reading a series and you just know it’s something that is gonna stick with you? That was me with this duology
What Rachel Gillig has accomplished with this duology is truly magnificent! Even without taking into account this this was a DEBUT series!
Without wanting to reveal too much about the previous book I’ll say that this book has a unique magic system and a haunting, enchanting atmosphere! The new POVs in this book really helped add depth to already established characters! These characters will stay with me. I loved them all so much!
The plot and pacing keep you engaged and wanting to keep reading! I found my heart literally fluttering reading the second (Yes, SECOND!🙈🤩) romance in this book!

This was a beautifully written and captivating tale and I applaud the author 👏🏼

4.5 STARS

I love this duology so much! But let me get the one negative out of the way: I wish we had a little more of Elspeth and Ravyn, I felt a little disconnected with them and I was really wanting to know more of Ravyn feelings and heartbreak after the ending of One Dark Window. Especially with this being the last installment to the series I was just craving them badly. BUT I did love the dual POV's and found myself really enjoying Elm and Ione's POV a lot more.

This story picks up right where One Dark Window left off and once again I am in love with Gillig's writing and dark and creepy setting for this story. I was happy with the multiple POV's because it gave me a much better understanding to the overall backstory and I am glad we got more insight to the magic and Providence cards.

My love for the Nightmare has grown throughout this story; and the last few chapters made me tear up. The Shepherd King was a big, important piece to this story and how it all connected and led up to the present was executed perfectly. He has become my favorite character in this duology.

This duology ended so well. Although there were quite a few grammatical errors (misspellings) it doesn't hinder on how beautiful this writing was. This duology is perfect for fall season and I definitely recommend reading these two books back to back. I'm excited to read more of Rachel Gillig! Huge thanks to netgalley and Orbit Books for the arc.