One Dark Window is one of my top reads of 2023. I've been eagerly awaiting October for the second book and end to the duology to publish, and was elated to receive an early copy of Two Twisted Crowns. Wow. This is my #1 read this year. I'll be thinking about this book for days. Weeks, even. Five stars for both books in a duology is rare for me, but man, did Rachel Gillig earn them.

I received an ARC of this book. As much as I enjoyed book #1 of this series (One Dark Window), I enjoyed this sequel even more. I read a lot of books in the fantasy/romance category and this series along with the world and magic was very unique. I appreciated the character development for both Elm and The Nightmare. I thought that book #2 was much more fast paced than the first and I was happy with the way the story ended. I always enjoy a book with multiple POVs, so that was another selling point for me. Definitely worth the read!

I would give this book a 4.5 star rating. While book one for me was perfection, book two has a wonderful story and adventure but was lacking in the creepy vibes that I got from book one. Still, I loved the story and the way the duology wrapped up. I adored the romance between Elm and Ione. I found myself wanting to get to Elm's pov more and faster, which helped me get through the books fairly quickly. I think there might be some plot holes regarding the providence cards but I chose to over look those due to the beautiful story that Rachel Gillig created. I know I will be reading this duo again. Be wary. Be clever. Be good.

This book was one of the best I’ve read this year! It took all the best parts of the first book in the duology and made them even better. We get more time focused on Elm, who is a great character, and I think the time away from Elspeths POV is well done. I found this book to be even better than the first book!

i really liked the gothic feel of the first book, one dark window, and this one cranked it up to 10. more mist, more monsters, more mythology. there was more of everything in the best way. elspeth took sort of a backseat in this one, for obvious reasons, but the attention and development that was given to the other characters more than made up for it. (if i had to pick a favorite, it would be a fight between elm and the nightmare.) elspeth and ravyn's relationship stepped down so ione and elm's relationship could have some time in the spotlight and, now, this is another book in the bank of "i like the secondary romance better than the main romance." sorry not sorry.

the ending was shockingly devastating, but heartwarming and wholesome at the same time. i'll be thinking about it for awhile. definitely a good book to read for spooky season. ty netgalley and orbit <3

After reading One Dark Window, I was heavily anticipating the second Shepherd King book and it did not disappoint! Rachel Gillig intricately weaves the stories of Elspeth in present-day Blunder and the Shepherd King in the Blunder of 500 years in the past. The forethought that went into both Shepherd King books is astounding; Gillig placed the perfect amount of hints and foreshadowing to allow the reader to begin to piece together the Nightmare's story while still keeping the big twists in the dark.

I loved how unique the fantasy world is in this duology! It's clear how much forethought Gillig took in creating a plausible magic system and assessing how magic would affect each of her characters.

My only critique is how neatly everything wrapped up in the end. A constant theme throughout the books is the cost of magic: the price paid to create the Providence Cards, degeneration, the effects of using the Cards too long, etc. When we get to the resolution of the book, it feels like everything comes together a little too neatly (I'm talking about the way magic is used in the epilogue, not the way everything occurred during the climax).

I'd definitely recommend this book, and the entire duology, to anyone looking for a spooky, cozy fall read!

This is a gorgeous conclusion to the One Dark Window duology. I loved that this sequel picked up right after the events of the first book, and the author has done a beautiful job of tying the stories together.

I appreciated the focus on secondary characters and a new romance in this second book. I also loved learning more about the Nightmare and his connections to characters in the past and present.

It's dark but hopeful, and I will be thinking back on this series for a long time to come!

Thank you to Orbit books and Netgalley for the ARC! The book releases soon, but I'm still happy to have been able to read it sooner! :)

“Be wary. Be clever. Be good.”

Why in the world is this duology not talked about more! It was absolutely everything I wanted in a sequel and majorly delivered in plot, character development, and heart-pounding scenes.

This is one of the more unique stories I’ve read. How the magic worked in this world was fascinating - the idea that everything has a cost and that magic has limits was done so well. The pacing was incredible. The banter was on point. I loved that we got more POVs in this book. Also, I’ve become obsessed with Elm.

I don’t want to give away too much here because I think this is a story that works best if you just dive in. If you are looking for spooky vibes, amazing characters, interesting plot, and a magic system that’s unique but not difficult to understand, I implore you to read One Dark Window and add Two Twisted Crowns to your TBR. This one comes out October 19th! Thank you to NetGalley and the Orbit Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an excellent follow up to One Dark Window. I really enjoyed Elm and Ione's story and Ravyn and Elspeth's journey to find the cards.

It's hard to say too much without giving it all away, so I will just say that this was a solid way to wrap up this story and I'm glad the author didn't try to stretch it out too long (definitely could have been a possibility if she'd wanted to write a series).

If recommended this duology to anyone who's looking for a little bit of adventure, a little bit of romance, a little bit of darkness, and a lot of magic.

👑👑
Two Twisted Crowns
Author: Rachel Gillig
Publication Date: October 17, 2023
Price: $18.99 USD
Number of pages: 368

Multiple POV
Fantasy
Dark Magic

⭐️ 5
🌶️ 1 (the tension is there BUT it’s different)

Whewwwwwww ok. So the ending of One Dark Window WRECKED me. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to the group after that doozy.
Two Twisted Crowns picks up right where ODW left off and this go around we get more POVs (four in total).

The Nightmare and Ravyn are playing a very dangerous game with the King. I wasn’t sure if it would pay off or not. The Nightmare is so set on his revenge everyone is collateral and he doesn’t seem to care. Ravyn is desperate to save the ones he loves and is willing to do whatever it takes; because of this the two of them make the most unlikely allies.

Elm and Ione are back at Stone playing the game of court. Surrounded by enemies, they’re every move is being watched and questioned. Those loyal to Hauth want revenge for what has happened to him and go out of their way to make their displeasure known. With Hauth balancing between life and death, Elm and Ione’s futures teeter with it.

Then there’s Elspeth… oh Elspeth. I went back and fourth on trying to figure out what was happening with her. When it finally clicked, just WOW. Without giving too much away through Elspeth we learn it all. The past, present and future are all in play because of her and her relationship to the nightmare.

When I was at about 80% in I really wasn’t sure how this was going to end. Honestly until I got to the last chapter I was ready for it all to turn on its head and throw me. THAT ENDING was everything! And that’s all I’m going to say about that. This book, this series was amazing! I’m not sure I’ve read anything like it before and I can’t wait to see what Rachel Gillig brings us in the future.

Thank you to Rachel Gillig, NetGalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to read this amazing story.

#TWINALDERS

No spoilers but fans of the first book are going to love this one as well. Great sequel and I am going to re read when the audiobook is out!

Overall Score: 5/5⭐️
Character Development: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Ease of Reading: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5

Rachel Gillig’s newest and final installment in the Shepherd King duology picks up shortly after the end scene in One Dark Window. Gloriously dark and gothic, this enchanting and action packed sequel has me on the edge of my seat wanting more for so many different reasons.
Two Twisted Crowns is told from multiple POV’s which I LOVED. Seeing the inner workings of multiple characters we met in the first book was so exciting and led me down so many paths that I wanted to take. I never felt bored during any one character’s chapter and although the plots were vastly different, each was equally gripping.
The unexpected love story in Two Twisted Crowns was amazing, so well-developed and I craved more and more as I read on! The writing in the sequel felt more refined and confident in where it was headed which I loved. The first book was very good but the writing felt a little too whimsical at times especially when compared to the second book. I felt like the characters had grown up more in this book and I loved that we got to see that growth from the characters.
I loved this duology and definitely recommend it for anyone who loves a dark and twisty fantasy with a unique magic system and complex characters that you’ll be sad to leave!

This was everything I wanted it to be. This duology has quickly become one of my favorites. I loved Elspeth and Ravyn and was happy to get more of them but I really think Elm and Ione might have stolen the show for me in this book. I didn’t expect to love those two characters as much as I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and @orbitbooks; @orbitbooks; @orbitbooks_us for this ARC.

#TWINALDERS

Rachel Gillig absolutely delivered on this sequel! One Dark Window left me begging for more, but Two Twisted Crowns was the PERFECT completion to this story. I loved reading it from the different POVs, especially that Elspeth/Nightmare’s was first person while the others were third person. The writing is beautiful and the characters are so fleshed out. I read this in a day because I was so drawn into the story. I can’t wait to see what else Rachel Gillig comes out with!

Two Twisted Crowns is atmospheric perfection! And the yearning! Misery loves company and I volunteer wholeheartedly.

The characters are troubled, and I've never wished for happy endings as hard as I've wished for theirs.

Rachel delivers some wonderful twists. Expect tears!

Oh WOW, this tale was absolutely amazing. I received an eArc of Two Twisted Crowns in exchange for an honest review. My honest opinion on the closing of this duolgy is that it was beautiful. The writing was amazing, the story, the small details written in that made you think, we’re perfect. I honestly wish it was longer but the ending was exactly what I had imagined it should be and more. I absolutely loved Ravyn Yew’s character in One Dark Window but oh boy after reading TTC I’m absolutely obsessed with Elm. He was absolutely chefs kiss. I love that we got more than just Ravyn and Elspeth in this book. I cannot rave enough about this book. Rachel has become and auto buy author and that’s putting it lightly. I loved this!

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC! While I didn't
know this was a duology when I started, I could tell it
was going to wrap up with this one and honestly it
was beyond satisfying. I feel like it's so hard to do a
good duology that doesn't just feel like one long
book while still having adequate time to wrap up the
story nicely. Except for the fact that I loved the
beautiful writing and poetic storytelling, I wasn't left
wanting. Everything tied up perfectly with an
emotional yet happy ending. One of my favorite
reads of the year!

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for providing me an E-ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
When I read One Dark Window, I was floored and could not wait until Two Twisted Crowns came out. So when I opened my email and saw that I received an ARC, I was excited to read it, and it did not disappoint!
The book begins right where the first book ends....there are two plot lines going; one is Elspeth and Rayvn along with the monster are on a mission to retrieve the Twin Alders card to end the illness. Then there is the Ione and Elm storyline, which was my favorite part of the book! I was rooting for both of them to find their true feelings for each other.
Overall I loved this book and would recommend the entire series to anyone who loves fantasy!

One Dark Window was one of my favorite reads of all 2023, so I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of Two Twisted Crowns from NetGalley!
I loved everything about this book! The unique magic system, world building, the history, the romances, etc. were fantastic! This book was such a journey and it concluded everything so well. I’m sad to say goodbye to my friends in Blunder!

What a read! This was a perfect ending to Blunder’s story. The dual POV, the never ending twists, the delectable plot- all of it kept me on my toes the entire time I was reading these pages. They often say that the sequel to a book isn’t as good as its beginning, but Gillig proves them wrong with this follow-up. It’s dark, it’s gorey, it’s everything it should be. Perfect for a Fall read or if you want sweet, sweet revenge!