Spoiler Free Review.

It has been a good while since I’ve had a good and decent cry over a book.

I loved this duology, the first book grabbed me from the get go and this was the perfect companion/continuation and ending to the story.

Deeply magical, dark and lyrical—the second half of Two Twisted Crowns had me on the edge of my seat. Sickly sweet, hopelessly romantic and filled with angst, I love everything about the unique world the author created. The magic system, the dark gothic and eldritch horror fairytale vibes, the romances and the plot from start to finish enraptured me.

Will be recommending this duology until I’m blue in the face.

BIGGEST THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND ORBIT BOOKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THIS BEFORE ITS OUT, I feel so so honored.

Two Twisted Crowns was my most anticipated read of the year and it did not disappoint. I have to gather my thoughts to write a better review but for now I will say this books is brilliant, poetic and so so emotional. I was deeply attached to most of the characters, except my biggest enemy Hauth, so when I finished this I was ugly crying. I loved seeing more of other characters and how they all grew. I truly believe this is one of the best books I've ever read. That being said im the Nightmare biggest fan, I love him. If he has one fan is me, if he has no fans? Im dead.

I'll come up with a more coherent review soon enough but please preorder and read TTC, its truly a masterpiece. Rachel Gillig you are a genius.

“Be wary, be clever, be good.” … and definitely READ THIS BOOK!

It is not rare for me to love a books sequel more than the first of a duology or series, and Two Twisted Crowns was no different.

This books picks up right where we were left in One Dark Window. With Elspeth trapped within her own mind and the Shepard king (Nightmare) forefront.

The transposing of Elspeth and the Nightmare set forth an adventure of epic emotion. You will laugh, love, hate, fear, want, and more for the characters within these pages. Two Twisted Crowns not only gives us the continued story of Ravyn and Elspeth but also introduces us to a whirlwind story between two other characters. Including a new character POV.

Having the Nightmare outward in Elspeth’s body lets us have him interact with other characters and let me just say, THE BANTER between the nightmare and our other characters made this book a top read of 2023 for me. It’s everything you’d want and more in a love to hate you relationship

Absolutely fantastic conclusion! Nothing felt forced or rushed, and while it was jarring to get used to the multiple POVs, well worth it

Starting Two Twisted Crowns feels like I never stopped reading One dark window. This book picks up right where the first ended and flows so smoothly like the first.

I love all the different views in the book too! Elms chapters really were one of my favorites in this.
We get to see a new love blossom (and another game of truths!) between two characters I never expected but was so so happy with as it went on!

We also get to see more of the Shepherd King and learn more of his back story which was a great twist throughout book two. It really made me like his character that much more. But I have a soft spot for villains so what can I say?

I am so sad this duology has ended, it was a truly amazing story that Rachel Gillig should feel so proud of. She did such a wonderful job and I am so grateful that I was able to read and review for her!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Orbit Books for allowing me to read this arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit books for an ARC.

4.5 stars

This book starts off right after One Dark Window ends. Everything is a mess- Elspeth is still trapped in her body by Nightmare. Ione is still using the Maiden. Ravyn is about to go in the hunt for the Twin Alders card.

The eerie, haunting vibes are still present in this book which I was scared they wouldn’t be since most of the plot is told through Elm and Ravyn’s POV. I thoroughly enjoyed reading their POVs and when it was time to change to a different one I didn’t want to- that’s how you know the story is good. Neither POV kept me bored.

The romance is sizzling. I was scared with Nightmare taking over Elspeth that we wouldn’t have romance but it came in the most unexpected way and I loved every minute of it.

One thing I really wanted from this book was more about the Shepherds background, and why Nightmare is using Elspeth’s mind. And Rachel Gillig delivers. I was scared we wouldn’t get all the answers and still have some open ends but everything is perfectly tied up.

Such a great ending to a very magical duology.

I have been so excited to read Two Twisted Crowns and it did not disappoint! This book was a great wrap up to the story of Elspeth. I loved that there was a new love story to read about but I did wish we got more Elspeth and Ravyn. There is a big reveal toward the end of the book that I did not guess! I loved the character development of Elm. Overall, I was definitely satisfied with the ending and love that this story isn’t your typical fantasy. The world building is unique with the Providence cards and I really loved learning about this world and how the magic in it worked!

The hallmark of a good book for me is my inability to express how much I love it. The overwhelming urge to put "I love this book, go read it," for my review, is so strong, that I had to sit with this one for several days to put together something relatively coherent.

(spoilers for One Dark Window)

Two Twisted Crowns picks up right where One Dark Window left off. Everything is in shambles, and the Nightmare has taken over Elspeth's body. Ravyn is devastated that he couldn't protect Elspeth, but must move forward with the original plan, hoping to get her back. Uniting the Alders Deck is still the end goal, but the path to get there is much more treacherous as key characters are forced to split up and deal with different obstacles blocking their paths.

We have several different POVs, which worked really well. I wasn't Ravyn's biggest fan in the first book (a tad too dramatic and broody for my taste), but he really shines here. In his head, he lost a lot of the walls that prevented me from liking him in the first place. His determination and grit rivaled Elspeth's and his morally questionable decisions made him even better. Our other POVs are Elspeth's and Elm's, which made me deliriously happy. I'm a big ole sucker for sassy characters with tragic backstories, so Elm is a new favorite book boy. He shines here, stepping up and playing a much bigger role than in the first book. He's clever, quick-witted, and kept the plot moving at a breakneck speed. I was sad that Elspeth wasn't as present as I expected. Her chapters are relatively short until the last quarter and don't have much bearing on the overall story. While they were important, her chapters were used to move the story along instead of delving into her character's psyche. Getting to approach the story from several angles was a clever choice since it meant we could move between several places in the plot.

The romance. I am SWOONING. It was definitely ✨spicier✨ and a tad smuttier than the first book, be warned. I loved Elm and Ione's relationship. It was the perfect combination of flirty, mutual pining, and tension that was off the charts. Watching them go from a hesitant alliance to something more was so pleasing and organic to the story. No forced romantic notions here. Elspeth and Ravyn were so sweet, even though their love story is more tragic here. We actually see Ravyn's love for her instead of just being told, and his desperation and selflessness toward her are so beautiful. Even in dire circumstances, the two are always thinking of the other, and reach out to comfort the other as best they can. Safe to say, I have some new standards for my future man.

Gillig nails the classic fairytale vibes. The plot and writing are reminiscent of the stories I fell asleep to as a kid. Two Twisted Crowns has a dreamy quality, complete with royal balls, enchanted forests, and magic that comes with steep prices. The dark morality and often brutal nature of the story made this a more mature version of fairy tales that have shaped many readers' lives.

This woman is a saint for making this a duology. If she had tried to drag this into more than two books, I would have lost interest. It would have lacked the intensity and urgency that made this duology such a compelling and quick read. Except for very minor things, the ending was satisfactory and tied up all the loose ends. The bad guys got what they deserved, and the good ones...actually, go find out for yourself what happens to them. 😊

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the advance copy! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This sequel was everything and I wanted and more. It’s so rare that a sequel wraps everything up and leaves you smiling and fulfilled. And this book did exactly that. I won’t lie and say there weren’t plenty of tears along the way but at the end I couldn’t asked for it to go any better

Two Twisted Crowns is the much anticipated sequel to Rachel Gillig’ shot debut novel, One Dark Window, and a stunning finale to the Shepherd King Duology. This book follows our cast of characters as they deal with the cliff hanger of book one, learn details about the secrets of the past, and embark on a journey to find the Twin Alders card and cure Blunder of its blight.

In my opinion a well done fantasy duology is an impressive feat and I was blown away was so wowed with Rachel Gillig’s ability to make Two Twisted Crowns both intriguing and capable of tying up the immense magic system building she built out in One Dark Window. One of the small things I was perplexed by in One Dark Window was that I felt the romance should’ve had a bit more tension and been more drawn out for a duology, but as Two Twisted Crowns follows another primary couple, I know understood why she wrote our first couple the way she did - a lesson in trusting the author!

This magic system is truly so unique and I continued to be impressed with the intricacies of the world that Gillig expanded in this book. She was able to tie together the current timeline and important pieces of history to make the Nightmare’s motivations and some previously obscured details make so much sense.

I dropped everything when this arc came through and I’m so glad I did because this was a thoroughly enjoyable read! Huge thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the arc. Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig is set to publish on October 19, 2023.

Two Twisted Crowns is the exciting conclusion to the Shepard Kind duology. The story picks up right where One Dark Window leaves off and it takes the baton running! There is still all the action I loved from the first book with an amazing romance storyline added - and not from who you would expect! The characters feel more layered in this book as we learn so much more about them and the history of characters' past. I found a new favorite character in this book with Elm. He came off as kind of a jerk in the first book so his character redemption from a readers standpoint is my favorite. I loved learning more about him and having more background.

There was so much Rachel was able to give us in this book with a dual storyline and multiple POVs. TTC still has the lyrical rhymes and eerie gothic vibes I loved from the first book and so much action! The action jumps from the pages.

Dare I say, favorite duology written?! Excuse me while I mourn having to say goodbye to these characters.

ʙᴇ ᴡᴀʀʏ. ʙᴇ ᴄʟᴇᴠᴇʀ. ʙᴇ ɢᴏᴏᴅ.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘖𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

In this book, we pick up exactly where we left off in One Dark Window. All of our characters trying to find balance in a world of magic.
This book was incredible and will sit as my favorite that I have read in a long time. I felt every sentence of this book. When the characters were panicked, loved, sad, scared, so was I. Rachel Gillis’s writing will bury itself deep inside of you and take you to the world of Blunder where you cheer on your favorite characters to succeed in their quest.
I am going to be thinking about this book for a very long time.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to preview this book as an ARC. It is going to take me long after the actual release to recover from reading this beautiful book.

Everything I loved about One Dark Window continues in Two Twisted Crowns — and then some. We get all the same gripping tension and magic we saw in book one, and the earthy, blustery autumnal atmosphere I’ve come to expect in the land of Blunder. This book differs from ODW with the addition of multiple POVs, which deepened the love I already had for these characters.

As with the first book, TTC gives us another budding romance that is absolutely to die to for. The banter between these two characters was deliciously flirtatious, brimming with tension and longing.

And while Gillig’s prose was hardly lacking in One Dark Window, there’s no question that her skill has evolved and improved. I often found myself highlighting full paragraphs, each line keenly descriptive; other times she sliced through me with a single sentence.

I can’t WAIT to get my hands on my physical copy and annotate all my favorite parts.

Thank you to Orbit Books, NetGalley, and Rachel Gillig for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023 and it did not disappoint.

Phenomenal! The perfect follow-up and ending to One Dark Window and The Shepherd King duopoly as a whole! I loved the depth behind each character and the two different storylines we got to follow! Ravyn, Elspeth, Ione, and Elm all have my heart. Rachel Gill owns my heart and soul and I cannot wait for whatever she publishes next!

This was wonderful conclusion to the story that began in One Dark Window. It’s a little spooky, a little mysterious and full of twists and turns. I even got a bit emotional at the end and shed a couple of tears. I really enjoyed that it was unpredictable and had me on the edge of my seat multiple times. It truly is a great story and I loved the characters and their growth. I definitely recommend reading this and will probably look for other books by this Author.

“Be wary. Be Clever. Be Good.”

“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.”

Thank you so much Netgalley and Orbit Books for the Arc!
I’ve never read a series quite like this, the writing is breathtaking. Rachel is a master story teller!

Two Twisted Crowns picks up right where One Dark Window left off and you continue into this eerie, heartbreaking world. This book is told through multiple new POVs and is done so beautifully. The characters continue to be so real and devastatingly easy to love and feel for.
The way Rachel so easily made Elm become a favorite of mine is magic. In One Dark Window I hadn’t even liked him or thought much of him, and yet in Two Twisted Crowns, I couldn’t get enough of him!
I am honestly so lost on what to do with myself. This duology is one of the best pieces of fantasy that I have ever read.

And oh lord, this has some of the best romances I have ever read!! It is tender and raw. Rachel made me explore the lengths to which I could feel with this book.

Overall, this book is eerie and written so poetically. The characters and lore are sheer perfection. There are not enough compliments to be passed on to Rachel. Hands down, the best fantasy series I have read in so very long. It was intriguing from the first page of One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns ended with all of my questions answered.

Blunder and all these characters have such a special place in my heart. I absolutely love the fairytale type writing, the dark and twisted theme, and the personalities of these characters.

We got multiple POVs in this book and also got to learn more about the past and how the Providence Cards came to be. And it was perfectly done. Seeing more of Elm and Ione was an absolute pleasure and the switching between two main story lines was so interesting. Usually when books have multiple POVs or flashbacks, you can get lost or not as excited for certain parts. But I can assure you that wasn't the case for this!

I found myself constantly attached and thinking about this book even when I wasn't reading it. This was a perfect follow-up and end to the duology.

I cannot recommend these books enough and will now have my own Nightmare in my head as this story lives rent free.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Rachel Gillig is amazing. Her writing is so poetic. It felt like there was a musical flow to her words. When she described things, I felt like I was there. I didn't think it was possible, but I loved this book even more than book one.

In this book, we are following more than just Elspeth, we got to delve more into Ione and Elm's characters as well as a few more that are introduced.

We do get a little bit of spicey scenes. But I won't give any spoilers 🤐. Overall, this was a phenomenal read, and I'm so thankful I was chosen to get get this arc. I can't wait for everyone to get this so we can all talk about this book!!

All I can say is wow. I could not have imagined a better way to end that story. The way the story flows, the resolution we find, and the way everything was done had such care put into it. I was hanging on to every word by the end of it. I am so sad to say goodbye to this story, but all good stories must come to an end. I am thankful to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this early in exchange for my honest review. My final thoughts are: read this book, you will not regret it. I know I am not. Also my final thoughts, I am shocked as to who my favorite characters are in this book. I will not say them right now because of spoilers, but WOW. I am shocked.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc! I had such a great time reading it. I love this series and it has been one of my favorite reads of the year! This second installment was amazing and I gave it 5 stars. It was a page turner and had me hooked right from page one.