Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
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After obsessively loving One Dark Window I immediately requested the conclusion to the story on Netgalley. And the publisher took pity on me and approved me to read an early copy of Two Twisted Crowns.

I LOVED IT SO MUCH.

Things I loved:
1-We get Elm’s POV. Elm was a great character in One Dark Window but after reading his POV in Two Twisted Crowns I realize that I sorely under appreciated him. He is possibly the best part of this second book.

2-We get so much more dialogue from The Nightmare and I was sooooo here for my favorite dark person who speaks in rhymes.

3-There were some people who got what was coming to them.

4-I loved everything about how this ended. Except that it was over. I want to reread these two books again over and over.
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5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I cannot talk enough about this. I loved the vibes, I loved the characters, I loved the plot, I loved the suspense, I loved the rhymes, I loved everything.

Thank you Netgalley, Rachel Gillig, and the publishers for this eARC in exchange for my review.

You know how, when you really love a book series and you don't want it to end, so you read it super slow in order to draw it out a little bit longer? That is exactly what I did with this book. I really took my time and read this throughout the week. I do not want this series to end! However, with that said I did love the ending of this one and I thought it was perfect. This book picks up literally right after the first one. Just like the first book this one is eerie, dark, mysterious, and beautifully written. I wish this one had the poems at the beginning of each chapter like the first book did. I loved that aspect of the first one, and was sad that was not included with this one. Overall an amazing book, and I can not wait to read what Gillig produces next!!

This was an incredible read. Rachel Gillig wrote a violent dark fairytale that will definitely stick around in my brain. This is an almost perfect autumn read, and is wrapped up so lovely in two books.

Things I loved? The story is both crisp and neat, while also keep you on the edge and wondering what could happen next. There are twists and turns and I found myself downright inhaling this book. The characters are raw and engaging, and the emotion captured feels real. I loved the multiple POVs and the two stories happening simultaneously, then coming to a triumphant and violent end. This book has incredible pacing, and a fun balance between character growth, plot, and lots of pining and tension. The spice was upped just a smidge and was truly the perfect amount. The world building was maintained from the first installment and the villains were so multifaceted. I cried very real tears in the last chapter.

The one thing I didn’t love? I just wished for a little more Elspeth and Ravyn. Don’t get me wrong I loved all the Ione and Elm, but when we got to the end my heart was in damn near shambles wanting them to finally be able to touch and hold and be together!!! I think I would sell my soul for another epilogue to see more of them together. So while I was slightly unsatisfied I did love all the Ravyn angst leading up to the end. I could read him yell at the monster to keep Elspeth safe for an eternity. (less)

Thank you Rachel Gillig, Orbit and netgalley for the arc!!

Two twisted Crowns is an epic sequel to One Dark Window. I can't stop thinking about this duology!! We get a unique magic system, not one but two romance storylines with a dash of spice that I found perfect for this book. I was too consumed with the plot to need a bunch of spice. I love that we get so many pov's in book 2 and the character development was great. The political intrigue keeps you on your toes and the pacing was was flowing with action and emotion perfectly blended. I could hardly put the book down. This duology is now a top favorite and I will be recommending it to everyone!!

What a fantastic follow up to One Dark Window! I am a huge fan of the first book and was so excited for the opportunity to read the follow up a little early. This book DELIVERED.

This book picks up right where ODW finished, where we find our gang on their quest to reunite the deck of Providence Cards and get rid of the mist.

This book expanded on the world we know from the first book. There was a ton of growth for all our main characters. The twists and turns were emotional and FANTASTIC; they had me gasping and clutching my chest. Everyone had secrets and trauma they had to work through, even the Nightmare. I was most surprised by The Shepard King's past, and how the Providence Cards came to be. Elm also became one of my favorite male characters ever. The world building was rich and wonderful. The characters were so real. Rachel's writing is poetic, and flows so wonderfully.

Tropes include:
•touch her/him and die
•magical possession
•revenge
•female rage
•multi POV

One of my favorite reads this year, I can't wait to go buy this book and have the real thing in my hands!

This is possibly the best book of the year for me. I felt like I was experiencing the story from the inside, right beside the characters! The romance was perfect. Not too spicy and not too bland. The magic system, the development of the characters, I cannot say enough good about this book. And just when you think you have it figured out, it will surprise you. This will be an auto buy author for me and I hope she never loses her spark. Simply amazing!!!!! Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

What an incredible sequel to One Dark Window. I was completely swept away and couldn’t have asked for a better conclusion to this haunting duology. The magic system, plot and character development was all perfection. I loved the multiple POVs and esp the exploration of Elm and Ione as characters. The dynamic of the Shepherd King and his relationship with Elspeth was also so intriguing and beautiful. This book left me crying and grieving leaving this book and these characters. I loved every minute.

“I know what I know. My secrets are deep. But long have I kept them. And long will they keep.”

This book was everything I wanted it to be. Atmospheric. Dark. Magical. Heartbreaking. Horrifying. Poetic. The POV change was necessary, considering the end of book one, and I was a big fan of the new POVs we got!

“Ione’s entire body went still, her leg tensing in the highwayman’s grip. Elm’s voice came from the back of his throat. “Get your fucking hand off of her.””

Elm:
Excuse me!?

“Then do it,” he whispered, gliding a hand up her spine. “Use me. Toy with me. Feel something, Ione.”

This tortured soul was perfect. His anxiety, his pain, his strength, his love, everything about Elm was top tier boyfriend material.

“Are you angry with me?” Ione’s gaze lifted slowly to his face.
“No. Why would you think that?”
“We haven’t found your Card.”
“That’s not your fault. You didn’t hide it.”
“No, but...you just seem—” He swallowed. “I don’t do well with long silences. I tend to overthink.”

I loved him and Ione together, both brutalized by Hauth and learning to overcome that trauma. His anxieties felt real, things that I’ve thought before, his reactions to situations. I love him.

“I’d be your King, but always your servant. Never your keeper.”

SWOON

“Men have no use for the Maiden. What is beauty to real power? My father never let me touch his Providence Cards. But the Maiden—the Maiden I was gifted freely, like a horse a lump of sugar. Something sweet to distract me from the bit they shoved in my mouth.”

I also loved Ione. What a character!! The reveal, of what Hauth put her through/did to her was absolutely horrific and her bravery and perseverance was truly incredible.

“It was surprisingly heavy, her hair. Dense. Long enough to wrap around his fist and tug.”

Did I say how much I love Elm?

“You cut her hair?” Whatever crossed his face stopped the Nightmare in his tracks. The monster peered through narrowed eyes, dropping his gaze to Ravyn’s knotted hands. “It will grow back,” he said slowly.

Ravyn:
My stupid bird, oh how I love you. His pain for seeing Elspeth the way she was was so well written and I love him so much. This review is going well 😂

“There once was a girl, clever and good, who tarried in shadow in the depths of the wood. There also was a King—a shepherd by his crook, who reigned over magic and wrote the old book. The two were together, so the two were the same: The girl, the King, and the monster they became.”

The Nightmare was such a unique character.

“The Spirit of the Wood has no need for crude walls or rope restraints, you little twit. Our captors are decidedly human.”

He was 500 years old but sometimes he acted like he was 5😂 There were times I hated him and times where I felt so much sorrow for him, but I think he got the ending he needed/deserved.

Petyr pulled back. “What the hell happened—is Jes all right?” He tripped over himself, getting to the Nightmare. He reached for Jespyr.
“I’m carrying her—”
“Shove off, you ancient windbag.”

There were so many satisfying parts and saddening parts and I honestly have nothing else to say because it was just great! The funny parts were so bluntly thrown in that I almost always snickered out loud😂

“For fuck’s sake, Tyrn,” a booming voice called. “Stop cowering. They’re only trees.”
“Only trees? When was the last time that wiry shrub in your courtyard ripped itself free and wrapped branches around your neck, Spindle?”

I’ll leave the review here, but if you’ve made it this far, read this duology!

"Nothing is free, the trees called after them. Nothing is safe. Magic is love, but also it’s hate. It comes at a cost. You’re found and you’re lost. Magic is love, but also—
“For mercy’s sake.” The Nightmare spat phlegm onto roots. “Shut the fuck up.”

Two Twisted Crowns….wow ok let me catch my breath. Two Twisted Crowns was twisty, endearing, and adventurous. This book elevated One Dark Window which was already a 5 star book. The riddles were lovely and challenging at the same time! I wish I could put into words how much this book has consumed my thoughts.

<i>I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

After reading One Dark Window earlier this year I could not wait to get my hands on the next book of The Shepard King series, I was lucky enough to receive an ARC prior to release day!

Both books in this set have been a 5 star read for me. Although I have read quite a bit of fantasy I was new to the gothic style fantasy novels and this did not disappoint.

I loved the unique magic system in these books, it was so different from what I had read previously but totally sucked me into the genre in general. This is the perfect set to read on a gloomy Fall weekend under a blanket.

Two Twisted Crowns picked up with the same momentum that One Dark Window left off on but gave us so much more of the characters that were introduced in the first book.

<spoiler>Ione and Elm's romance was so beautiful and I loved their storyline even more than Elspeth and Ravyn's in book one. I loved the additional POVs we got in this book and the character development for the Shepard King himself was fantastic. I felt all intricate details of the world of Blunder was tied up nicely in the last few chapters when all the Shepard King's memories were revealed. Although it was too late for him the Shepard King was able to use his past to guide the present day characters to learn from his mistakes and change what he wasn't able to change.</spoiler>

This is a wonderful conclusion to One Dark Window. I was a little skeptical when I saw we were getting a POV from Elm, but I actually ended up enjoying that POV the most! I wish we got to see more action from Elspeth but I understand why we couldn't. This world is such an intriguing place and I hope we will get more from this world!

Longest review I’ve ever written alert!

Thank you to Rachel Gillig, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for an ARC copy of Two Twisted Crowns. I was so incredibly excited to get an ARC copy of this book. It was the best news I had gotten and quickly became the highlight of my week. I needed this win. All opinions are my own.

I will start this review explaining what this book became for me over the short period that I devoured it. Simply put it was an escape. After losing my beloved pet, I was looking for any excuse to throw myself into anything that would distract me long enough from my grief. This book is an artistic masterpiece, a book that certainly delivered on being the best sequel novel I have ever read. Mrs. Gillig is a master at weaving a dark, gothic tale that is as enticing to read as it is thrilling. This was hands down my favorite book of 2023, followed closely by its predecessor, One Dark Window. After some recent disappointment with sequel novels, this restored my faith in duologies. This will become one of my favorite fall reads, a series I will be able to read over and over again without ever getting bored.

Although I was unable to re-read the 1st book before this one, I was happy that this book picked up right where we left off. It wasn’t hard to fill in the gaps of my memory from the first story. The story starts with Elspeth being taken over by the Nightmare, currently awaiting her prison sentence while Ravyn tries to find ways to find the Twin Alders card. Ravyn is trying to find ways to free Elspeth of the Nightmare’s clutches while also conspicuously working against the crown. Elspeth and Ravyn’s characters don’t receive much character growth but they are reminiscent of their previous characters. It’s nostalgic in a way that feels like a warm blanket on a cold day, or drinking a cup of coffee in your best sweater on a chilly, fall day. This book has the atmosphere of the netflix series The Haunting of the Hill House or The Haunting of Bly Manor.

We get glimpses into Elspeth’s current situation trapped inside her own body, while the Nightmare wreaks havoc on her personal life. I loved that Elspeth had to “find herself” again and had to find her desire to want to be at the forefront of own mind again.

Elm is the star character in this novel. He is truly book boyfriend material at its finest, a character whose development from book one to two was exceptionally well written. We need an entire BookTok dedicated to him. We actually get to be in his mind, to understand the way he thinks, which is so entertaining. Elm spends his time begrudgingly playing court politics and setting up potential loopholes like a professional con artist. I love the relationship between a new FMC (not Elspeth) and Elm, the witty banter made me smile tremendously, giggle like a little school girl, while simultaneously giving me a feeling of butterflies wreaking havoc in my belly. Their relationship felt real, authentic. Elm becomes such a complex and unique character, I truly enjoyed seeing more of him in this novel and getting to live rent free in his mind. I would devour an entire novel solely dedicated to him, regurgitate it, and re-read it again.

Part three of this book is where the action really starts to pick up. I was enthralled. There is so much character growth from One Dark Window to Two Twisted Crowns, it was unbelievable how these characters changed and grew into the badasses they were at the end. The way Rachel Gillig is able to humanize the monster and make you ache at the relationship between the Shepherd King and Elspeth is a true work of art. How was the ending? Perfect. Magical. Gave me chills. I can’t imagine another duology topping this one.

This book was just as good as the first!! This is a must-read in my book! It had the perfect amount of romance and adventure! Rachel Gillig is officially an auto-buy author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the digital ARC!

I am so obsessed with this duology! As this was one of my most highly anticipated releases this year, I was a little nervous this wouldn't live up to my expectations. I am happy to report that I had no reason to worry. This was absolutely phenomenal, and my only qualm is that I want more books in this world!

Just like with <u>One Dark Window,</u> the gothic atmosphere was immaculate. We learned more about the world and the history of the Shepard King and the cards. This story picks up where we left off, with Elspeth being trapped within her body and the Nightmare in full control. The Nightmare was just as sassy and cryptic as in the first book, but there was so much character development, and I grew even more fond of him. While Elspeth does still remain pivotal, we get more insight into some of the other characters while she is mind jacked.

I liked Elm before, but now I absolutely love him. I adored the exploration into his past traumas and present psyche. Hauth is a little bitch, which I already knew, but still needs to be said. We also get a lot more from Ione, and her character arc was more intriguing than I ever expected it to be, as she seemed a little dull in the first book. We still get a good bit of Ravyn as well, just not as much.

The pacing in this was incredible and there was never a dull moment. I literally had to put my life on hold and read this in like, two days. All the action in the last 50% was pure gold. Their journey to re-unite the cards was harrowing and it truly felt like I slipped between the pages and into the mist.
By then end, all my questions were answered, and I felt satisfied with how it all wrapped up. No stones were really left unturned, I was just heartbroken that this duology was over.

I will never stop recommending this series, if you haven't read it, fall/winter is the perfect time!

The sequel to One Dark Window and finale to the duology, The Sheperd King, DID NOT DISAPPOINT! If you liked the first book, you’re going to love this! The two books were so beautifully woven together and the progression of the stories, histories, character development, and complexities of this dark magical world just keep you intrigued and wanting more. This is definitely a top read for me and I’ll keep thinking about this for the days, months, years to come. It’s so so good and I cannot wait to read more from Rachel Gillig!

Thank your Net Galley and Orbit Books for the e-ARC!

This book was such a satisfying conclusion to this duology. It started off a little slow for me, but once everything is set up and in place the story takes off and sucks you in. This books is just as good as the first book and definitely has a place as one of my favorite books of the year.

The book picks up right where the first book left off and is multi-POV, something I usually have a hard time with but I am so invested in all of the characters that I loved all of the POV changes. The book is well paced and every chapter left me on the edge of my seat for what was going to happen next. There were twists in this book that I didn't see coming but the more that is revealed about the past the more the present situation makes sense. The story is dark and atmospheric and everything I wanted. Perfect read to add to your October/ Fall TBR.

"𝑩𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒚, 𝒃𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒃𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅."

Wow. Just....wow. Another absolutely beautiful, heart-wrenching, immersive novel off the pen of Rachel Gillig. I thought One Dark Window was one of, if not, my top read this year, but Two Twisted Crowns has topped it.

This is the kind of book that makes you forget that you're reading. It's so immersive that it just feels like you're THERE. You're there alongside the characters, in this wretched mist-filled world, hoping to right the wrongs of the Kings. You get action, sorrow, suspense, love and heartbreak, and it's all so perfectly balanced and paced that I didn't even realize how fast I was reaching the end of the book. (I haven't cried so hard during an ending in a LONG time, btw)

I don't even know how to properly express how much I absolutely adored Two Twisted Crowns. I'll probably come back to edit this with better thoughts once I'm not an emotional mess from finishing the book.

I will say this - If you read anything at all this year, it needs to be The Shepherd King duology. There's nothing like it, truly.

This sequel was gorgeous, and I am so satisfied with how things ended. Overall, I would rate this a 4.5 stars just because the "twist" seemed a bit obvious to me, but overall, the writing and the world had me just as in love as the first book. I love the Nightmare and seeing more of his background and past made me so happy. I cried SO hard at the end. Amazing and atmospheric and perfect. <3

Wow!
It's rare for me to find a book that i enjoyed the second one just as much as the first. Two Twisted Crowns did not disappoint!

The begging was a little slow and it took my about 25% through to really get hooked but once it did, i couldn't put it down.

First off, I really enjoyed how this book went through 3 different perspectives and we learned a lot more from Elm POV as well as Ravyn's which i really liked. Ione is lovely and i'm so happy how the Author got more into her story and what was going on with her. and Oh my gosh do I love the rhyming and riddles in TTC just as much as One Dark Window. gosh, over all Rachel Gillig did not disappoint! A 5 star read all around for me.

I will forever more read all of Rachel Gilligs work. girl you have a fan out of me!

like one dark window, this book really took me by surprise! i am so grateful to rachel gillig, orbit books, and netgalley for the eARC. being able to go straight through this duology was incredible. i could not predict where this was going to go by just reading the cliffhanger from one dark window. we are left as they are trying to find the final providence card. as we know from the last book elspeth and the nightmare’s dynamic has shifted creating a completely different plot line in itself. we are still following their goal of uniting all of the providence cards, but how do they do it? will they do it? what is going on at stone and how does that affect what is happening in the grand scheme of things? i would write way more in this review; however, i really want you to go into this story as blind as you can. i promise you this duology is worth it!