Thanks to Orbit Books, Orbit, and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy.

This book! It picks up right where One Dark Window ends, following these characters as they search for the last providence card, the Twin Alders. With multiple points of view, secrets and schemes are revealed at the perfect pace. I found myself pulled to keep reading but also wanting to put the book down so it never ends. The character development is wonderful and the writing is just gorgeous. I found the ending utterly satisfying. I'm so sad it's over.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The Twin Alders is hidden in a place with no time. A place of great sorrow bloodshed and crime. Betwixt ancient trees , where the mist cuts bone-deep, the last card remains, waiting asleep. The wood knows no road- no path through the snare. Only I can find the Twin Alders....for it was I who left it there."

This Gothic Fantasy Romance absolutely blew me away, I'm not sure how it was possible to be better then 'One Dark Window' but Rachel Gillig has done the impossible. This by far is one of my top reads of 2023 . If you loved the Characters in the first book you will fall in love all over again and maybe find yourself falling in love with Characters you didn't like the first time around. The magical intrigue in this book is mysterious and beautifully written. The twist and turns keep coming right up until the very end. This book releases October 2023, run don't walk to get it.

'Be Wary, Be Clever, Be Good'

I have been waiting for the One Dark Window sequel for forever. Like I was low-key stalking Rachel Gillig's social media accounts nonstop. I needed to know what was going to happen between Elspeth and Ravyn after that major cliffhanger. I have to know, and thankfully, I was able to read an early copy. And I have so much to say regarding Two Twisted Crowns. So much to say.

Before I express all of my feelings regarding Two Twisted Crowns, I will warn my readers to avoid reading any further if they don’t want any spoilers. You are warned because I will let out little details in order to explain my thoughts and feelings. You are warned.

Let’s talk about my mixed feelings about Two Twisted Crowns. And yes, I did say mixed feelings. I know I have been waiting for this sequel, but after finishing it, I am kind of stuck about my mixed reactions. Let's talk about.

I have been waiting for Elspeth and Ravyn's reunion since the cliffhanger, and we don’t even get their reunion until the last three-thirds of the book. What is that? Please explain to me that I have been waiting for months and that I won’t get their reunion until I am almost done with this book. Literally, what the hell?

While I’m waiting for Elspeth and Ravyn's reunion, I get another love story that I didn’t want. I didn’t care for these characters at all. I always knew that it was going to bite them in the buttocks whenever they used their cards too much. It was a no-brainer, so I truly didn’t care for their love story. I wanted Elspeth and Ravyn more than what I received.

Beside my rant regarding the lack of an Elspeth and Ravyn reunion, I was pretty intrigued by the Nightmare's origin story. I always knew that there was always more to the story. And boy, was I there! I truly didn’t expect where it was going, but dammit, I was totally shocked. Literally, I didn’t expect it at all. You should have seen my face because I was so shocked. But then, everything made sense. It came full circle. In order to understand the full stack of decks, you needed to know the origin story. And we get it in the Nightmare chapters.

While I am happy that we finally have the sequel to One Dark Window, I am a bit disappointed that we didn’t get much of Elspeth and Ravyn together. That’s what I was rooting for for so long, and only getting a few chapters is a bummer. And yet, I was very interested in the Nightmare's origin story. I was intrigued until the end. And it also kept me shocked as I unraveled a few connections and secrets to the present time.

The perfect counterweight to One Dark Window. Two Twisted Crowns, the second book in the Shepherd King duology is poetic, haunting, exciting and swoon worthy.

I loved everything about this book. It started right where One Dark Window left off and the journey it takes you on is so beautifully crafted and balanced. The plotting and scheming, history reflecting in current day, the love and the loss met with lessons learned. The book is filled with lyrical quotes and prose that you will find yourself repeating in your head long after you've closed the book.

The Plot:
After gathering most of the 12 Providence Cards in book 1, Elspeth and Ravyn only have the Twin Alders left to find. They must find the last card and unite the deck before the Solstice, to clear the Kingdom of the mist and the infection that comes with it. The Nightmare knows where the Twin Alders Card is, but what will it take for him to lead the way, and why would he want to? Everything has a cost, nothing is free.

The Characters:
I loved Each and every one of the characters. The love between Ravyn and Elspeth, The strength of Ione. The determination of Renelm, and the will of the 500 year old monster. Their arcs are wonderful and carefully intertwined, playing off one another from chapter to chapter.

My General Thoughts:
** May Contain Spoilers ***
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I was so excited to read this book! (Thank you NetGalley and Orbit books for the e-ARC!)
In the first book, I was kind-of put off at how the world of Blunder wasn't very fleshed out. That changed in this book. The curse of the mist kept blunder small, and the fear of magic and Providence Cards could do kept focus on power. We get glimpses of of a mist free Blunder of the past and a richer history to go with it. With 500 years of Providence Cards and mist, and Blunder being cut off from the rest of the world, it makes sense to me now why that's all Blunder really centered around.

The Romance in this book was perfect. There are multiple romance stories being told. We know Ravyn and Elspeth fell for each other in ODW. in this book, we see a new relationship bud. Ione and Renelm. It's organic and pure. I'd say medium burn, so satisfying.

I loved how the Nightmare orchestrated everything to fall into place. To take his revenge on House Rowan, but not in the way we all thought he would. "Death to the Rownas, Long Live the King!"

The Maiden Card!! I loved how this card was used, and turned out to be one of the most important cards!

THIS BOOK is talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before and I LOVED it!! You have to read the first book before diving into Two Twisted Crowns, but you will not regret it because One Dark Window is also a five-star read. The story continues right where it left off in book one, and the action really just keeps coming the entire time. Our romantic focus is on a different pair of characters this time, and boy oh boy I might love them even more than Ravyn and Elspeth (*gasp* blasphemy)!

This duology is just PERFECTION for me, with both books equally fantastic. I love how Rachel Gillig has created such a dark, atmospheric world with so many incredible characters and a plot that is just to die for. I will read anything else she ever writes. I HIGHLY recommend this fantasy series to anyone and everyone, even if you're not typically a fantasy lover. The magic system is so unique, and I loved the resolution of this story beyond words. READ IT! Gosh I used a lot of all-caps in this review. NO REGRETS!

Thank you so so very much to Rachel Gillig, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy — I screamed when I got it and dropped everything to read it!

I don't know that I've felt as impatient for a sequel as I have for this one. Since first picking up One Dark Window at an airport bookstore last fall, I have been refreshing netgalley's search page weekly hoping this book would pop up. Once it was finally available to request, I returned daily to see if I had been approved (which I was not optimistic about due to my terrible ratings percentage). Then I let a couple weeks go by without checking and was very surprised to see the approved email pop-up.

I loved getting to know the characters better, especially a few side characters from ODW that became main characters in this one. The author expanded the world of Blunder by fleshing out the history some more and also taking us into the woods and mist. And there was a plot twist that I didn't catch onto ahead of time and I love when that happens.

Needless to say, Two Twisted Crowns was amazing. It was better than I'd hoped it would be and yet I'm not ready to leave Blunder! I wish this was a going to be a trilogy or an HP length series.

Thank you so much to Orbit and Netgalley for the chance to read Two Twisted Crowns as an ARC! I recently read One Dark Window and immediately requested this title, and I think this was such a wonderful conclusion to the duology! I absolutely loved the way Rachel Gillig tied in the magic system with the backstory/history of these characters, as well as a deeper dive into interactions with characters I wanted to see more of in book one. I was kicking my feet and giggling at some of the absolute TENSION and BANTER in this book, and truly found myself immersed in the storyline. I very much enjoyed this title, and I think anyone who enjoyed One Dark Window or the romantasy genre in general would benefit from picking this up.

Two Twisted Crowns hits shelves on October 17th, and I look forward to picking up a physical copy!

She did it again.

It's not often a second book will not only be as good as the first, but even better. If you loved One Dark Window, you will devour Two Twisted Crowns.

This book is perfect for those who like fantasy, with romance that thrives more on tension and banter than spice. It's perfect for readers who like world building, but don't want to be bogged down by it. It's perfect for readers who want to follow incredible character arcs.

Where do I even begin?

After One Dark Window, I was wrecked. I knew what was coming and still, I wasn't ready. Having to watch The Nightmare take over Elspeth's body and taunt Ravyn was rough.

Going on the journey with Elspeth as she learned about the Shephard King's past and then realizing her body was no longer hers... is it weird I enjoyed that story arc?

I didn't think I cared about Ione, but Rachel looked me in the eye and said "watch me." Not only did I like Ione, she became one of my favorite characters.

Speaking of favorite characters, I'd die for Elm. Twice.

I'm tired of the brooding, mysterious guy, but I am not tired of Ravyn.

And last, but certainly not least, we love a Villain we hate to love. The Nightmare's character arc is quite possibly one of my favorites. I wholeheartedly cared for him by the end.

5⭐️❤️💔

Well I'm absolutely speechless. This book was perfect and amazing ending to a wonderful duology. She straight up knocked this one out of the park that I loved second book just as much but for different reasons.

The first book I absolutely adored Elsbeth and the nightmares relationship. The dialogue was fantastic between the two. The nightmare was my favorite character. However in book one I couldn't care less about the romance.

In this book the secondary romance was sooo much better and I absolutely loved it. It's so well done. I really loved that there were two parallel stories occurring. What was happening at court and the quest of the elder card.

The writing in this book is exquisite and I couldn't get enough of it. The Shepard King and his snarky attitude is still hilarious. Reading him telling some trees to fuck off cracked me up. This book was also incredibly emotional and heart wrenching at times

Rachel Gillig is a mastermind and absolutely killed it for her debut duology. I can't want to see what she creates next. I am here and ready for it.

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

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit for this advance reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I will be posting my review to my Instagram page the.floofs.booknook and retail sites close or on publication.

Oh. My. God.
5 stars just like book 1.
She did it again. Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig was phenomenal.
"...'The two were together, so the two were the same: 'The girl, the King… and the monster they became.' "
You know how sometimes second books fall flat? Not here! When I tell you that Elspeth had me in a chokehold in One Dark Window, that is nothing compared to how Ravyn, Ione, Elm, the Shepherd King, and Elspeth hold me now. Just how Gillig wrote of them overcoming their weaknesses and their fears was pure wonder to read. Having everyone's point of view in this book my heart hurt. Am I allowed to get a Twin Alders tattoo? Because this duology with stick with me. I raved about One Dark Window. Prepare to tell me to shut up about Two Twisted Crowns (I see what you did there Gillig)
To right an ancient wrong, will a king fix his mistakes? To save the woman he loves, will the captain of the guard give up his masks? To save the kingdom from his brother, will the prince break the vicious cycle? To help the nightmare of her mind, will the girl be the last to understand him?
If you like Gothic settings and messed up family dynamics and romance, please read The Shepard King Duology.
Quote is from One Dark Window page 44 (kindle edition) by Rachel Gillig.

Well shit. This is a fully five star series for me. I will have to come back and write a full review after processing this.

Okay I’m back. This was a perfect sequel. It picked up from the original story and continued the pacing perfectly. It added additional POVs but did so in a way that didn’t make you feel like you left Ravyn and Elspeth behind. There were so many well crafted twists and turns in the plot line of this book it’s hard to talk about how awesome they were without spoiling everything.

What we learned of the origin of the providence cards and the mist was so creative and also heartbreaking. And somehow the nightmare went from being this kind of scary monster to a father figure in a believable way.

Ione and Elms relationship was *chefs kiss* just everything about it, I ended up liking them more than Elspeth and Ravyn by the end.

I will read anything Rachel writes

PHEW what a wonderfully exciting sequel and conclusion to this story. I loved the pacing and the use of multiple POVs, I was so invested in each different storyline that it kept pulling me along and made putting the book down difficult.

I deeply love when books tie every loose end together, especially when a story premonitions the future and twists the glimpses we see to fit the story, and the biggest disappointment of this book is that unfortunately this wasn’t one of those experiences. Both Ione’s vision of the future and Elm’s pointed forgetfulness to lock a specific door were irrelevant to the story, and that was a bigger let down than I expected. I hung onto those hints so closely, and while I can see the similarity to the predicted future, I’m disappointed that it played out the way it did. I was ready to be mind blown by the end of the book and instead I felt a decent level of satisfaction but not much else. It felt like this story was leading somewhere grander.

Overall I deeply enjoyed returning to this story. The characters were great, the pacing was fantastic, and even though I had too high expectations I still think the story wraps up in an exciting and emotional way.

Thank you to Orbit Books for my arc!

I'm not sure where to begin with how i feel about this book without giving spoilers. this story had me laughing crying, putting down my kindle in distress and i couldn't get enough. I've always loved the found family aspect of this story and i suppose i relate a little too much to Elspeth and how she feels about the world and I also wish for a nightmare to come and look after me.

If you are curious about these books, i urge you to pick them up. You won't regret it.

“I was the shadow that moved just beyond the corner of your eye. I spoke in murmurs, hummed songs you did not know. The hounds brayed, warning you of an intruder in your midst. The horses shied away and the birds grew quiet. And you…we’re afraid to look too closely. But you’re not afraid anymore, are you?” 5 Stars (it deserves even more).

It’s hardly a secret that One Dark Window is one of my favourite books ever, making Two Twisted Crowns my most anticipated release of 2023.

As always with a series, there’s that slight worry that as a whole it may just not stick the landing for you personally. Absolutely no worries to be had here. Two Twisted Crowns surpassed everything I could have wanted. It’s an absolutely phenomenal (at times heart-wrenching) ride. The duology is gothic, mysterious, romantasy perfection.

It’s so good it hurts. It’s everything. It’s written so well, that it is hard to say goodbye.

Be wary. Be clever. Be good. Be moving your bum to preorder it now.

Thank you to Rachel Gillig, Orbit Books, and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. Two Twisted Crowns comes out on October 17th.

𝐴𝑅𝐶 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑜𝑓 𝑇𝑤𝑜 𝑇𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝐶𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛𝑠, 𝐵𝑦: 𝑅𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑙 𝐺𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑔 (Spoiler Free)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

ʙᴇ ᴡᴀʀʏ. ʙᴇ ᴄʟᴇᴠᴇʀ. ʙᴇ ɢᴏᴏᴅ.

Tropes:
🐦‍⬛ gothic, fairy tale
🐦‍⬛ multiple POV
🐦‍⬛ touch her and 💀
🐦‍⬛ angst
🐦‍⬛ loosing yourself to find yourself
🐦‍⬛ dangerous mission
🐦‍⬛ tarot card magic system

𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸 was one of my favorite reads of the year, so I was ecstatic when I was approved to read this ARC.

The sequel picks up from where ODW ends. It kept all of my favorite things from the previous book — complex characters, adventurous storyline, dark, eerie, gothic atmosphere — and dove even deeper into the world of Blunder. I loved how Gillig was able to keep the same vibes but was able to lighten the mood with humor.

I was surprised that the plot veered away from Elspeth and Ravyn being the focus, but enjoyed the exploration of other storylines. I liked the insight into family histories, The Shepard King’s life, Elm, and Ione.

The Nightmare/Elspeth was my favorite. He was so funny and was majority of the comic relief for me. I ate up all of his rhymes and cryptic messages. I loved the creepy image the author built of him prowling around and judging everyone.

The journey to retrieve the Twin Alders card was intense, full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved that this one had me continuously guessing how events would play out.

This final book of this duology was tense, heartwarming, humorous, and thrilling. I appreciated how every story line, cryptic rhyme, karma and revenge were brought full circle. I was not ready to say goodbye to these characters but was left feeling satisfied.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing an ARC of this book.

Publication: 10/17/2023

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book for the opportunity to read this amazing ARC!!

One Dark Window was my most anticipated read of 2023 and currently sits in my top five all time best books ever! As I sit and read this I’m captivated!

OH MY GOD!! This did not disappoint!! I’ve never read such a unique magic system. The depths of these characters and the detailed world development is addictive! Rachel Gillig is a brilliant artist!

What a beautiful ending to a heart pounding duology. Book one was amazing and book two it’s perfect match. We switch to multiple POV in Two Twisted Crowns but the characters are so well written that this switch added so much more to the story. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Insanely clever and I can’t get enough!!

A nice sequel to the first great novel. I loved this book so much. The magic is terrific. The characters are great. I hope they continue with this series.

This book was fantastic. I loved book one so much, so diving into book two was exactly what I wanted to do going into the fall. It was perfectly paced the plot was so much better than book one, and Rachel continued to keep her claws in me. I could not put this book down, I was hooked right from the beginning.

Rachel does a fantastic job at balancing such a large cast of characters, which was really nice as a reader because there was never a moment of confusion when it came to reading this book. The romance had me in a chokehold and when I thought I couldn't fall in love with the characters more, Rachel proved me wrong by making me love them even more in book two.

This is a book that you're going to want to run to get. After reading book one, you won't want to miss this one.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book. All comments are my own.

I loved this so much. Two Twisted Crowns was everything and more that I needed for the sequel to One Dark Window. I devoured this book and could not put it down.

I will say that Elm and Ione stole my heart in this book. I was rooting for them so dang hard. Also, I will always love the magic system in these books. It’s just clever.

I think this is going to be a fantastic fall read. Its eery and magical. Highly highly highly recommend this

This book releases October 19th, 2023.

5 stars!