When I requested this book I figured I'd never get approved...I hadn't read One Dark Window yet despite it being on my TBR for quite some time. Let me tell you i got to reading!

Two Twisted Crowns is the final book of the duology and is not to be missed. Easily one of my favourite books of the year! The Shepard King and Ravyn set off to find the Twin Alders card while Elm and Ione have their own battles to fight back in Blunder. Elm wasn't my favorite character in One Dark Window but certainly changed my mind in book 2! A beautifully written story that is so we'll developed, keeping the reader intrigued right until the very end. I really enjoyed this series, the description of Blunder, the characters, the story arc and especially loved the magic system - found it to be quite unique!

Fantastic read! 4.5 stars rounded up :)

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for an advanced copy!

what an amazing conclusion to the Shepard King
Duology 62
this book rounded out book one so so nicely, with it picking up right where One Dark Window left off but in a way i was not expecting - new POVs!
the addition of these new POVs, in my opinion, rounded out the story so beautifully because we got to see different perspectives in this book.
AND an added bonus of the new perspectives was a cheeky little romance w two unexpected characters that i LOVED
Nightmare's voice & perspective was my FAV. his lyrical voice & witty remarks had me literally laughing out loud @ my heart was RACING during part three of this book & the adventure aspect was SO much fun & switched up the pace beautifully
this series will always be one of my most highly recommended series
AND throwing in a buddy
read for this one made it that much more fun!
thank you @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for the
ARC, this was my honest review!

I absolutely blew through One Dark Window on my flight to Japan a couple weeks ago and I was thankful to have received an eARC for Two Twisted Crowns cause I immediately needed to start reading TTC upon finishing ODW.

I love the unique magic system and the story telling that accompanies it throughout this book. The multi-POV has been a great addition in the sequel compared to the single POV in the first book.



Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me an eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Books, and the author Rachel Gillig for the opportunity to read this in advance! This is my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️
I absolutely loved One Dark Window - the perfect book to read during autumn!
I loved being able to get parts of the story from not only Ravyn’s POV, but Elm as well. They’re both such interesting characters, so being able to see into their thoughts a bit really added to the story.
I will say I’m a little disappointed we didn’t get nearly as much from Elspeth. It made sense for the story of course but I got so attached to her in the first book, I wanted more time with her!!
I loved seeing more into the Nightmare’s past, and the author tied not just the ending together beautifully, but the whole story. I’m sad that it’s over 😭
Will definitely be keeping an eye out for anything else Rachel Gillig writes!

Was it perfect? No.
Did I enjoy the hell out of it? Absolutely.
This sequel picks up right where One Dark Window ended. We get 3 POVs in this one: Elspeth/Nightmare, Ravyn, and Elm. The fate of our dear Elspeth is in the hands of The Nightmare and the fate of the Nightmare in the hands of Ravyn.
After One Dark Window, I was still curious about Elm and I’m so glad that we got his POV on this sequel. However, every time Ravyn and the Nightmare would be in the middle of something exciting on their adventure, the next chapter would always switch to Elm and it slowed down the momentum.
Still, this is one of my favorite reads of the year.
Two Twisted Crowns is everything I wanted it to be and more. It really feels like the perfect progression for this duology. It's one of my top 2023 reads, I absolutely love this book,

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Publishers and Rachel Gillig for the gifted arc.

Absolutely amazing. 5 stars well deserved. It was the perfect second part to one dark window and I wouldn’t change a thing. I am in love with Elm!! This series is probably one of my favorite in 2023

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶

I enjoyed the ride with this book. It's an interesting concept that I wish was expanded upon a little more. We got to know the Nightmare, but lost Elspeth a bit, especially with the multiple POVs. Though his quips were great throughout the book. We learn how to some of the cards can be truely used. But all in all, it was a fitting ending for such a tale. There are a decent amount of twists and turns. Another romance to add to the plot. And I think everyone gets what they always wanted in the end.

#onedarkwindow #twotwistedcrowns #rachelgillig #gothicfiction #darkfantasy #horror fantasy #fiction #bookreview #arc #advancereaderscopy

Thanks NetGalley for sending me an ARC to the sequel of The Shepherd King duology! I enjoyed reading One Dark Window last month and jumped right in to read Two Twisted Crowns. If you haven’t read One Dark Window, definitely take a read! The sequel begins straight from where ODW ended and I was immediately drawn back into the dark, atmospheric, eerie world of Blunder.

There were more main characters for this sequel and alternating POVs which I enjoyed reading and I was very invested in the various quests that I sped through this book. While Elspeth and Ravyn are the actual lead characters, surprisingly, Elm and Ione stole the show for me in this book. I was very invested in their story as they grew to trust one another and I loved the sizzling chemistry and hella sass. Elspeth really takes a back seat in this sequel so I wasn’t as invested in her romance with Ravyn since she isn’t able to do much being trapped in her mind and unable to do anything on her own. But I did love her squabbles with the Nightmare.

The Nightmare was also a favorite scene stealer, his no-nonsense lines genuinely made me laugh. He’s just as cranky, secretive, unpredictable, complex, and hellbent as ever on seeking balance and revenge but you see more to him than what he shows. TTC shows more about his tragic history, exploring his memories, and his caring protective side. I didn’t have the best impression of the Nightmare when I read the first book but he’s definitely a character that grows on you.

I also loved the plot twist legacy of a certain character as it added an interesting dynamic 🤫 I do wish the ending wasn’t so neatly packaged as it didn’t seem like there was a permanent price or high stakes cost to pay. But I still think this duology is the perfect atmospheric fall book to read. I enjoyed the sequel even more than the first book, with faster pacing and a satisfying plot.

Absolutely amazing, I loved this so much! What a perfect sequel to a beautiful dualogy! The deeper this story goes the darker and twisted it becomes. I loved that we got more POV’s, especially Elm. I completely fell in love with him and Ione, what a swoon worthy romance! The ending was so exciting. Actually the whole book was fast paced and exciting, I could not put it down. I don’t think I’ve read such a satisfying sequel in so long! It was fun to read this during spooky season but this is definitely an amazing dualogy for any time. I will be recommending this to everyone I know! Absolutely loved this!

If you see this and have not read the first book in this duet, One Dark Window, I need you to stop what you are doing and go download it immediately.

No like seriously- GO READ IT NOW.

These books are absolutely OUTSTANDING and not talked about nearly enough. Spooky, gothic fantasy romance perfection.

I felt like this was the best conclusion to the duology. It wrapped things up but also left room for a spin off series. The author is so brilliant with her lyric writing that stays eerie and provides one of the best atmospheric reads I have encountered in a long time.

Amazing. This was so good. I just want to peek inside Rachel Gillig’s brain because I don’t know how she thinks of this stuff?? This duology will definitely go down as one of my favorites. I like how we got a new POV, but I do wish we got more of Ravyn and Elspeth (even though she was kind of unavailable).

This book made me feel allll the emotions. I wanted to throw Hauth off a cliff. I wanted to give a big hug to Emory and Jespyr. Gillig did an amazing job making you feel so much conflicting love for The Shepard King - we were supposed to dislike him, but I ended up emotionally attached to him in the end?

I wish I could read it all over again!! Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this arc!

enjoyed this book! it was a strong finish to the duology. It is very fast-paced, and I loved the different POVs. well-written book. there were some parts I was a bit confused by because it didn't come together in a way that's fully fleshed out but overall this fantasy series is good for beginners trying out fantasy. the atmosphere and vibes are perfect for a fall read!

I read the first and second back to back so I could get a full picture. It was amazing! I loved every minute of it. I loved how different the magic system was from everything else I've read. It was also explained really well multiple times so it wasn't forgotten or glazed over. However, I was/am still confused about the charms. Did I miss something? I wish I got some information on what made a charm work and how the person chose theirs or if they just picked one at random. They really didn't feel random, like there was more meaning to what they meant to the characters. I kept waiting for an explanation and I only got the one sentence from the nightmare at the very end that he was given the information on how to make charms.

What a wonderful ending to an awesome duology! The premise behind this story as a whole is intricate and enticing, but Gilling’s writing just brings it all home. This sequel did not disappoint. We pick up where we left off in One Dark Window and we see even more of Magic, mystery, and the history of Blunder unfold. We get a deeper look at characters that could have easily been swept aside, but Rachel teases out more and more of them until they are fully fleshed out and you are just as invested in them as our main characters from One Dark Window. But don’t worry she doesn’t leave Ravyn, Elspeth, or the Nightmare to the wayside. Their stories unfold like a flaky croissant for your mind as you read along. This sequel was just as dark and delicious as the debut. And while I believe she did a spectacular job tying up the end of this tale, I am sad to see them go. Today is the publication release of Two Twisted Crowns and I suggest that if you haven’t already read One Dark Window, that you pick them both up today because you will not want to wait for this ending. Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy.

Two Twisted Crowns is the sequel to One Dark Window, the epic conclusion to an eerie, gothic tale about a girl who keeps a monster that lives inside her secret from everyone she knows.

I DEVOURED One Dark Window, and this was no different. I disappeared into the pages, completely engrossed and returned deeply satisfied.

Told between multiple POVs, Two Twisted Crowns is full of adventure, mystery, and romance. We went so much deeper with our characters, and I was LIVING for it.

The plot had me in a chokehold. The pacing superb. The politics/family dynamics were wonderful. Gah, it was so well done.

The magic system is well developed and interesting, each specific type of card having its own fleshed out magical ability, that couldn’t be overpowered due to the cost associated with the card.

The romance is strong, but this is definitely a fantasy with a romance subplot - it is not the forefront of the story. The tension is great. The yearning - ugh, yes, love.

This duology had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, and I will be recommending it to everyone I know who are curious for an eerie fantasy absolutely perfect for fall.

I will be waiting not-so-patiently for Rachel’s next book.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this sequel! I found it even more enjoyable to read than the first. Mostly because I liked all the mew character POVs. And the author improved so much from her debut!

I recieved a free arc of this book, and am leaving an honest review.

Rachel has done it again! This dark, moody and unique sequel to ODW is just.... the same vibes, but better

Multiple POV, and a thrilling villain. I just loved all of it. The atmosphere, the magic system, the FMC and MMC were just as great this time around

I am so happy to get the end of our story, but so sad to see it go.

Two Twisted Crowns was a 4/5 star for me. The first 30% of the book I was pretty confused and this followed through the rest of the book for me. Overall, it was good and the ending was a perfect way to complete this duology but there were definitely times where I struggled reading it. If you loved One Dark Window, I definitely recommend reading it still but I probably won’t think about it much after this.

Two Twisted Crowns is the sequel to One Dark Window and the conclusion to The Shepard King Duology. I’m going to try to keep this brief to avoid spoilers, but I ABSOLUTELY recommend this book. Two Twisted Crowns picks up shortly after One Dark Window. The pacing in this book feels a bit faster than book one with Rachel Gillig skillfully creating a sense of urgency without sacrificing her lyrical writing style. I felt that Two Twisted Crowns skillfully fleshed out several side characters taking them in a direction I didn’t expect, but absolutely loved and masterfully wrapped up this dark fairy tale. As with One Dark Window, I devoured this book in a fee days as it felt impossible to put down.

With Halloween only a week away Two Twisted Crowns is the perfect read for those looking for a bewitching rather than terrifying read. It is absolutely one of my top reads of this year

Brillant conclusion to the Shepherd King duology.

Two Twisted Crowns was just as good as One Dark Window. I loved the new POVs, extensive character backstories, and romance subplot. I don’t have a lot to say except that if you enjoyed book 1, TTC does not disappoint. Exactly what I wanted out of a series finale. 4.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.