I live and die for a good duology AND this was that!
I think this wrapped up so perfectly. I loved getting to know Elm and lone. I ate up their storyline. I just adore the darker fantasy vibes for this series. Would highly recommend for all of the fantasy lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of Two Twisted Crowns.

I absolutely loved this ending to The Shepherd King duology. One of my favorite things about these two books was the magic system. I thought the Providence Cards were really interesting and fun way to keep track of the basic parts of the magic system. I think it's a cool idea that anyone can use this magic system if they so choose, not without some form of balance of course. I loved how each card truly had a different magic and the rarer the magic the rarer the card. I did however get lost in the other part of the magic and why some people would degenerate and others would be fine.

One of my favorite things about this book was the banter between Elspeth and the Nightmare. I just wanted more! You really saw the Nightmare as a "human" or at least the human he was before. I loved finding about more of his back story. Also the twist at the end with his family chef's kiss even though you could see it coming a mile away.

At first I didn't love that Ravyn and Elspeth weren't the main love interest in this, honestly could have done with a little more of them. But I loved Elm's perspective and going deeper into his past. You truly felt his compassion and motivations which might have been lacking in some of the other characters. It surprised me how much I wanted to stay in his timeline to see what happened. The love story between him and Ione was sweet. I was rooting for them in the end. All in all this was a really satisfying ending.

I went through this book so fast, I did not have time to take notes for this review. So, it will be a brain-dumping session for me because I am not ready to let go of this world.
I was not expecting to read the book through different characters, it was surprisingly good and written effectively. The Two Twisted Crowns also fixed some of the personal issues that I had from the first book (insta-love). In this book, the author didn't torture us with it and wrote it in a way that the characters were smitten with one another before the events of this book.
In my opinion, all the characters in Two Twisted Crowns were more developed and had more depth to them, well almost all of them but I just think I do not like Ravyn. However, I am obsessed with the Nightmare and maybe that is because I have issues but... He was funny and charming, while also being scary. He was brutal but yet... caring. *sigh*
Anyway...
The author delivered and didn't give us that dreaded Second Book syndrome.

After devouring the first book in this series, I was desperate to get into this book, especially after the cliffhanger ending. I love the whole storyline, magic system, world-building, and the characters. Definitely reads a little differently from the first book, but that being said, it does not detract from the book. I loved the main characters, Elspeth, Ravyn, the nightmare. their personalities and emotions were portrayed so well. And I ended up loving the secondary characters more and more as book went on.

Overall it was captivating read, that kept me on the edge of my seat. Makes me wish there was more in the cards for the series.

One of my favorite things about Two Twisted Crowns was that it took the world building and magic system established in One Dark Window and continued to build until the very last moment. While the foundation was built in book one, the building continued and enhanced everything in the conclusion.

The added points of view were something I thought truly added to the story, especially after the events of book one. One of the most compelling parts of this story for me was the idea of re-writing history as it begins to repeat itself.

Overall, this was one of the best duologies I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I can truly say I have read nothing like it and do not believe I will get to experience anything on the same level again. I will be keeping an eye out for Gillig's upcoming works hoping for another story as transporting as this one was.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the advanced review copy.

"The two were together, so the the two were the same. The girl, the King, and the monster they became."

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you so much, @netgalley , @orbitbooks_us , and @rmgillig for approving me for this ARC - it did not disappoint!!

Two Twisted Crowns is the second and final book of the One Dark Window duology. These two books will forever hold a special place in my heart and be on my list of favorite books. @rmgillig thank you so much for bringing this story into my life. 🥹 I cannot wait to order the physical copy on the release date of October 17th!

"Finish the story, dear one." *sobs uncontrollably* I was crying so hard by the end, happy tears but also sad ones because saying goodbye to these characters hurt.

I don't want to write a lot or summarize because IMHO, readers should get to enjoy every last part of these books without spoil. I will list some of the elements that made it amazing:

✨ Gothic fantasy atmosphere
✨ Top- tier magic system
✨ High-tension plot,
✨ Angsty romance (the best!😭🥹🙌)
✨ Revenge (best served cold)
✨ Characters (I would need an entire additional post to describe my love for Elspeth, Raven, Elm, Ione, Jespyr, and of course, Nightmare and how perfectly they were written).

I never wanted to put this book down. Perfection! 🤌

∞ stars.

This was absolute PERFECTION. It was everything a sequel should be and everything FANTASY should be. With the magic system, creepy Nightmare, some seriously hilarious lines with Nightmare sassing Rayvn constantly and Elspeth reprimanding Nightmare, the heartbreaking and incredibly sweet love story of Elm and Ione both of which I adore SO MUCH. I loved learning the story of The Shepherd King and Blunder as our characters raced to unite the cards.

This is surely a top read of the year and these characters will live rent free in my head forever.

Thank you Orbit and NetGalley for this ARC!

Absolutely loved Book 2 in the Shepard King duology. Rachel Gillig knocked the magic system out of the part in this book. I also enjoyed the way that the Nightmare played a major role in this book. 5 stars!!

This duology was some of the best fantasy romance I've read in a LONG time. I absolutely love these books, they are so original and fun, I recommend them to everyone!

Ate it up. I LOVED IT. WOAH. I really liked this book a lot actually I liked the romance and the characters and the more explained magic system. What dropped the book down to 4 was the whole thing where Hauth kept dying and coming back to life I think it was a bit dramatic. I liked how the cards were more explained but I also think some were more focused in than others like I couldn’t tell you what the golden egg card does but I could tell you all about the maiden card.
Did I cry about Elspeth and the nightmare at the end? Yes. Yes I did. I think book one was more my vibe because I loved the Elspeth and Ravyn romance and for some reason the vibes were vibey for me. That does not mean I am dissing book two I truly adored it perfect for fall and it was wonderful especially like I said before I loved the nightmare lore.

WOW I was shocked at how much I loved this!!’

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC (even though I didn’t get to it before release - whoops!).

After reading my One Dark Window, I knew I needed to immediately get into Two Twisted Crowns. One Dark Window was a bit on the slower side, and also was a bit too poetic and lyrical for me personally, but Two Twisted Crowns was NOTHING like that.

First of all, I loved the change of perspectives, and the way that the author was able to change the tone of each characters monologue so well that it seemed like a different writer was PERFECTION. Kept me interested and not confused throughout! If I finished reading mid chapter, I always knew who’s perspective I was in just by how the writing SOUNDED, which is so undeniably impressive.

This book was action packed, and was set up so perfectly in the first book that you know all that you need to know going into it. And the ending, so perfect. Exactly how a duology should be done.

Although, wouldn’t mind some novellas of some of our side characters stories 👀

4.5 ⭐️

I love this series so much! This book executed the ending perfectly. I loved Ione and Elm having their story, as well. At first I wasn’t sure how I would like this book without having Elspeth free. The focus moving to Elm’s story was a perfect way to keep my interest. I would love to see a spinoff in this same world or with these characters because I just loved it all so much!

"Two Twisted Crowns" by Rachel Gillig is a captivating sequel that builds upon the dark fantasy world established in the first book of the Shepherd King duology. The story picks up immediately after the events of "One Dark Window," with Elspeth now under the control of the Nightmare and imprisoned for attempting to murder the crowned prince.

Gillig's storytelling shines as she weaves together multiple perspectives, including those of Ravyn, Elspeth, and Elm. The narrative skillfully explores themes of manipulation, loss of autonomy, and the psychological darkness that permeates the characters' experiences. The author's foreshadowing from the first book pays off with satisfying plot twists and revelations.

While Elspeth and Ravyn's romance takes a backseat due to the Nightmare's control, the developing relationship between Elm and Ione emerges as a highlight of the novel. Their slow-burning romance, built on shared trauma and gradual trust, adds depth to the story.
Some readers may find the shift in focus from Elspeth and Ravyn to Elm and Ione jarring, as it leaves certain storylines feeling unresolved. However, this change in perspective also allows for a broader exploration of the world and its characters.

Overall, "Two Twisted Crowns" is a well-paced, engaging sequel that expands on the magic system and character development established in the first book. Gillig's ability to balance multiple storylines and deliver unexpected twists makes this a satisfying conclusion to the duology, cementing her place as a promising voice in dark fantasy.

My heart was not ready for this to end. Most amazing duology I've ever read. I'm absolutely blown away.

An excellent conclusion to this duology. I loved the multiple POVs. There were not too many but just enough to keep the story moving in an interesting manner. Elspeth and The Shepard King were such a fun duo. And the character growth of her sister was just so good.

I loved ODW, it’s one of my favorite books. Unfortunately Two Twisted Crowns didn’t hit the same way the first book did.

The sequel is here! I really enjoyed the first book, the magic system, the characters -- all of it! The author continues all of the things she started in the first book -- he prose is beautiful and atmospheric, the characters SHINE in such compelling ways, AND understanding the reasons for all of the plot things was so satisfying! Loved it!

One of the greatest books (&series) I’ve read in a long time. Beautifully written in it’s entirety and unlike anything else I’ve read

I loved this book! I am often skeptical when authors completely change up the style and format between books but I thought Gillig did an excellent job of switching things up in a way that still felt true to the story and overall vibe of the series. The overlap and twisting and blending of what is a monster and what is man was continued into this sequel and done super well. I also LOVED all the rhymes and riddles so I am glad Gillig continued that as well. This book had me grinning evilly and wishing for both romance and violence in the best way possible from cover to cover.

Blog Link goes live June 25th
Imgur link goes to Instagram photo scheduled for June 20th
Will be discussed in upcoming Fantasy Wrap-up on Youtube
Amazon review pending system approval

TL;DR: A great wrap-up to the story, I loved this and read it SO fast.
Source: NetGalley & I purchased a copy so thank you to us both!

Plot: The Shepard King has taken over Elspeth and we follow multiple PoVs as the king’s family begins to fracture and the final hunt for the Twin Adders begins.
Characters: We actually get quite a few characters in this as PoV and I loved that. Elm and Ravyn finally having chapters was my favorite part, I do wish we’d gotten one from Ione (though I see why we didn’t)
Setting: The same dark and moody place as book one but we do get a hair less emphasis on this as everything is moving very quickly
Magic: The source of the cards was revealed finally and the magic that made them explained to some extent

Thoughts:

I’ll admit, I have the worst habit of putting off highly anticipated books. They’re almost always going to be a win, but man do I procrastinate! Two Twisted Crowns is a great example of this, I loved this wrap-up to the duology but I put it off for far too long. This follows almost immediately after the mind blowing ending of One Dark Window. Because of that ending we get a drastic shift in PoV, in fact getting multiple ones as the story hurtles to it’s conclusion.

I say ‘hurtles’ because the book is fast and we move quickly. The king’s family is in shambles, the king drunk and mad while Ravyn and the others go out on the final hunt for the Twin Adders. If they fail, everyone they know and love will be killed (if they aren’t already dead). The stakes felt high, and the tension in this one was just strong enough to string me along and quickly without being too much. I loved our new PoVs in Ravyn and Elm, and having their voices really added some depth for me I didn’t know was missing from ODW.

I can’t say much without absolutely spoiling this but it was a great sequel and conclusion. I loved this and if you’re putting it off like me, just go right in. It’s fast and you’ll eat up that ending.

Be wary. Be clever. Be good.