The second book in a gothic fantasy duology, Two Twisted Crowns picks up immediately after the events of One Dark Window. Nightmare has taken over Elspeth's mind in order to save her and the readers now get chapters from his POV as well! I was a huge fan of the multi-pov in this sequel. It provides depth to the story and necessary background into key plot pieces. I also loved the Elm POV additions, he had such great character depth and growth throughout the duology. I see him becoming a big fan favorite. My only nitpick is the conclusion which tied up everything a little too neatly. I appreciated that magic came at a cost system within this world, and feel as though the clean conclusion moved away from this a bit. There didn't really seem to be a cost for lifting the curse. But this is such a small nitpick. Overall this was a great conclusion to the story and I enjoyed it even more than the first!

Two Twisted Crowns picks up right where One Dark Window left off and is the perfect finale for the Shepherd King Duology. If you, like me, couldn’t put ODW down, Two Twisted Crowns is going to be a treat.

All of the best parts of One Dark Window are back in spades; moody atmosphere, complex romances, and a truly unique magic system. Two Twisted Crowns also adds in more POV’s which added so much more depth to the story without feeling forced or lazy. The lore and magic system established in One Dark Window is built on seamlessly and as we become more familiar with the Nightmare and start to see the ways history repeats itself.

I cannot recommend this duology enough to anyone who loves mysterious, gothic, magical stories filled with morally gray characters and just overall beautiful, complex relationships.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for this ARC!

I savored every word in this book. I always am leery of sequels to books that I love the first one of, but this was everything it needed to be! I loved the character growth you see in them all (good and evil characters). The relationship between Ione and Elm is the love I didn’t even know I needed. I found myself rooting for them waiting to see what happened next. The connection between the nightmare and Elspeth was as it should be, magical. By the end you could see his love for her as if she was one of his kids. I also enjoyed seeing more of his live in pieces, I would not be made if a prequel ever came out to see the Shepard kings life in a whole and entirety of what led him to the path he took, more of his life with his family, his sister and the Rowan man that would be come the first Rowan King. The only thing I wish I would have seen was more of Elspeth and Ravyns life after the mist was lifted. We got so much of them in the first book and then the second book, while obviously focused on a uniting the deck and lifting the mist, completely left Ravyn and Elspeth hanging as far as story’s end goes. Def a duology I will reread many times. One of my new favorites!

This duology has easily become a favorite of mine. I was lucky enough to receive Two Twisted Crowns as an arc. When I read the ending to One Dark Window, I knew that this duology was going to become a favorite of mine. I do wish that we would’ve gotten more time with Elspeth and Ravyn, but I feel like the ending was a great glimpse into the start of their forever.

This was amazing! 10 out of 5 stars! I loved how nightmare was trying to right his wrongs to make things better for their world. I cant wait to read more from this author.

OMG this was an incredible read. I loved One Dark Window, but this one? This one took the cake. It was one of my top read of the YEAR. The way Rachel wove together the fantasy world with such incredible romances is unmatched. This magic system was by far one of my favorites. I have never read anything like it and I loved it so much.

I don’t even know what to say about this book, only that everyone should read it. One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns are brilliant. The author is genius. Two Twisted Crowns is the second book of the duology and I am so sad to say goodbye to these characters and their world. Both of these books are 6 star reads for me. The characters, the magic, the family dynamics, all of it will live in my head, rent free, forever.

"Two Twisted Crowns" manages to wrap up the duology in an overall satisfying way. While the unique magic system and intricate family ties continue to shine, the shift in focus from Elspeth to other characters allowed us a new perspective but ultimately left me wanting a tiny bit more. Ravyn and Elm's perspectives add depth, but Elspeth's reduced role is noticeable. The romantic tensions are palpable, but the central pairing takes a backseat, creating a sense of anticipation for their eventual reunion.

The dark and atmospheric elements persist, with the Nightmare's complex character providing a compelling redemption arc. The handling of the villain and conflict in the final stretch is intense and well-executed. I did prefer the 2nd to the first. However, the initial pacing felt a little slower to me. Full disclosure I had a lot going on in my life, so it may have just been a personal thing for me. While the book offers a satisfying conclusion overall, it falls just shy of a perfect rating. Gillig's storytelling prowess and hauntingly beautiful style remain evident, making this duology a unique and emotionally resonant fantasy. A solid four-star read for those invested in this enchanting world.
Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher for the ARC! A there was a lot I enjoyed about this world.

I really enjoyed this sequel. I think it was edited really well and was more polished than the first. It tied up the story well and was fast paced and action packed. I liked the 3 POVs. It was enough to keep the story moving but wasn’t annoying jumping between POVs. Really enjoyed this series and will look forward to more books by this author in the future.

Wow what an excellent conclusion to this series. I absolutely loved it. The multiple POVs were well done, I liked learning things gradually, I couldn’t put this down.

5⭐️!
I absolutely LOVE Two Twisted Crowns. It is the perfect finale to the duology, full of surprises and dark magic. This world-building and lore is immersive and whimsical with an edge that is perfect for spooky season..

For me, it's not often that a second book in a series lives up to the first, but that is definitely the case for Two Twisted Crowns. The first book, One Dark Window, was one of my top reads of 2023, and I had high hopes for Two Twisted Crowns, its sequel. It did not disappoint! Elspeth and Ravyn are back to continue their quest for the twelve Providence cards. They're not the only focus this time around and we get more depth into some of the other characters. Very well written, dark and enchanting. I loved it! I will read everything this author writes!

This series is EASILY the best two books I have ever read. I didn’t think it possible to love this book more than the first but here we are. Gillig is weaving her way to becoming a legend in the fantasy world. I’m just happy to be here at the start.

This book is SO GOOD. Two Twisted Crowns was definitely my most anticipated read for this year and it did not disappoint. I flew through this and read it in one sitting. I loved returning to this world and these characters (this is book two in The Shepherd King series). This book is also a little different than I thought it would be-there’s multiple POV’s, a new romance element, Elspeth’s character is a little on the back-burner, and there’s some new character dynamics that I really enjoyed. I could not get enough of this and immediately ordered a physical copy when I finished.

Warning: this review contains spoilers. I will try to indicate the paragraphs where they are prevalent.

2.5 rounded up because I'm in a good mood, but buckle up buttercups because I am BAFFLED by the hype.

First, I think I should state that I wasn't a huge fan of the first one, but I did read it pretty quickly and I was curious to see if this one would be better. And... maybe it was? But also it wasn't? This feels like a YA book (not an insult, it just feels miscategorized) where they aged up by the protagonists and then declared the book to be daaaaaaaaark and baaaaaaaad and it's... not. Like, at all. I don't know why people keep insisting it's some sort of dark fantasy when it feels like a very standard YA plot copied and pasted between new covers.

So, some of my qualms. First, I found Ravyn to be a pretty dull character when we only saw him from Elspeth's perspective, and he somehow became less interesting when we were inside of his head. He was the kind of character where I would have been just fine with his death because it would have added interest to the story. Next, just a casual LOL at the lack of side characters. Look, one of my gripes with the first installment was how the side characters felt like cardboard cutouts (I'm looking at you, Wicked Stepmother whose name I don't remember), but I don't think the answer was to just have them all vanish completely from the second book.

(Spoiler paragraph)
However, my biggest gripe about this book is that the women it it had no agency. None. We got to see more of Ione (which was by far the highlight, and I still want Elspeth to at least acknowledge that she treated her like shit in the first book) and flesh out more of her story, which I was thrilled by. However, she was under the influence of the Maiden card almost the entire time which dictated many of her actions. She gets saved a bunch. Oh, and after she chooses to trust Elm but makes it clear that she never wants the Scythe card used on her again? Yeah, he does it anyway, but because it's "for her own good." And that is never once mentioned as a betrayal. Elspeth, on the other hand, spends the entire book minus the epilogue trapped in her own mind while the Nightmare controls her body. That's kind of it. She learns backstory, and pines after Ravyn, but she does not take a single action that influences the trajectory of the story .

(Spoiler paragraph)
Finally, some of those plot holes felt a mile wide. You seriously mean to tell me that NO ONE EVER told a man about the power of the Maiden card?? Ever?? I know that dismissing female interests is a thing but I don't buy it. Someone would have used it to save someone they love, or had to explain how they're miraculously uninjured. There is no way that remained a steadfast secret for 500 years. Also, I seriously thought that we had figured out the Yew family lineage at the end of last book? Am I misremembering?

So yeah, I have some issues with it, but I think I'm going to leave it there for now. And all that being said, I still read it, and felt pretty sucked in at times. Just because I have some major grievances doesn't mean didn't get enjoyment out of it. I really liked Ione, and it wasn't a bad book. It just had things that stood out in a really glaring way to me, and I'm truly confused about how these books are so highly rated and beloved.

First off I want to thank NetGalley, Orbit Publishers and Rachel Gillig for the gifted arc. This was one of my most anticipated books of 2023 and couldn’t believe I was lucky enough to read and review this early. But man I think that’s where my luck ends. 2023 has not been kind to any of my most anticipated reads. I’ve either really loathed them or found them kind of meh. And regrettably Two Twisted Crowns falls in the meh category of 2023 releases.


My Pros for Two Twisted Crowns:
-Rachel Gillig writing style is hauntingly beautiful. I’m not usually into dark and eerie atmospheric writing but Rachel grabbed me hook line and sinker.
-The Nightmare. I loathed him so much in the first book but after learning his backstory it truly helped me embrace his character.
-Elm & Ione..that’s all I’m going to say about that but YASS Rachel I loved.
-Getting all my questions answers. Finally seeing the Lore flushed out was highly satisfying.

My Cons for Two Twisted Crowns:
-Elspeth, she was my favorite character in One Dark Window. And to basically ignore her the entire book felt cheated. Now I understand she wasn’t left in a great position but still. You Hines could’ve erased some of her chapter’s and it wouldn’t have impacted the plot in the slightest.
-Which brings me to my next issue Elspeth & Ravyn. I loved their relationship in One Dark Window and for them to basically be sidelined not cool. I needed more of my favorite couple.
-My last con, the pacing. Even though there were some great spooky scenes in the woods. I hate when books take forever to travel from point A to B. And I’m this books case basically 80% of the book. Or Every time, something exciting was happening in the woods with Ravyn and the Nightmare we would immediately get away from their POV and go to Elm POV. I’m like a kid with an action movie stay with it.

Overall I would still highly recommend this duo-logy. Rachel Gillig is an talented writer and I will continue to read anything she writes!

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig is a mesmerizing and emotionally resonant conclusion to the Shepherd King duology, following the enchanting journey that began with One Dark Window. This dark fantasy masterpiece seamlessly continues the tale, as Elspeth and Ravyn embark on a perilous quest to find the final Providence Card and save their kingdom from dark magic. With exceptional character development, dual romance storylines, and a richly woven magic system, the story grips readers from start to finish. While some resolutions may leave a minor sense of dissatisfaction, the overall brilliance of Gillig's storytelling, combined with her evocative writing, makes Two Twisted Crowns an unforgettable and must-read fantasy novel.

Phenomenal. It kept me at the edge of my seat, and I couldn’t wait to figure out what happened at the end. I loved the adventure, and the HEA! 5 STARS as this is a story that will stay with me for some time!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book! Here is my honest review:

Honestly, no notes. This was a perfect ending to this duology. I love all of these characters so much, and I’m actually so sad it’s over now. I’d say my favorite aspect of this book is how the relationships between all of the different characters developed over time. I really felt whatever the characters were going through, even to the point of tears.

I highly recommend this duology to fantasy readers who love a good helping of romance and mystery in their fantasy worlds! This series is atmospheric and really had a way of enveloping the reader into the world. I tend to have a hard time envisioning fantasy worlds and characters, but this story just came alive in my mind. Seriously, definitely check this out if you haven’t yet!

We dive back into Elspeth’s and Nightmare’s journey- right where we left off in the first book. Once again, I’m blown away by Rachel Gilling’s fantastic prose. Rachel Gilling’s ability to create an immersive, haunted, and dark world had me hooked from start to finish.

I won’t dive too much into the plot to avoid spoilers, but if you loved the first book, you will love this one too. The book was perfectly paced with the same dark and atmospheric elements. There was a lot more focus on the action, backstory, and character development. We also get POVs we didn’t have before that add depth to the plot and will leave you giggling. Overall, I would recommend this book if you love a well-crafted haunted, mystical, and romantic story.

I wish I could go back in time and reread this duology for the first time. Now, one of my favorite books of 2023, Two Twisted Crowns was a brilliant finale to an enchanting story.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Publishing for the advanced e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.