This book is absolutely everything. I already adored One Dark Window so much that it was my favourite book of 22 so I was a bit nervous for TTC. This exceeded all my expectations.

The different POVs were done so well and everyone had a distinct voice, so you could've recognized who it is about even without the chapter stating it. In this book, we get the POVs of Elspeth, Ravyn, Elm and The Nightmare.

Elspeth and The Nightmare are still intensely interwoven and what we see of their relationship is amazingly done - I really loved their bond.

Following Elm was so exciting and we also got to see more of Ione!

I didn't know I could love Ravyn more but he is amazing!

The charactization is constant and every main character is so damn likeable. It's very noticeable which character the author wants us to like and whom to hate.

The pacing in the book is great. It's exactly what I needed - not too fast but also not slow. Following the journey and the revelations was easy and so entertaining.

If I could I would write a love letter about the language - it is perfection! It's my favourite thing ever and the rhymes and how they flow are as good as in book one. Rachel Gillig is a mastermind concerning this and this will be a thing I'll never get over. Even if you don't like the storyline, you have to admit this is the most beautiful prose ever.

The story in itself is so good - the journey, the lore (the cards!! Don't tell me this magic system isn't actually the best and so intriguing), how the past and the present tie into each other. The development of the characters is also so real and sometimes raw - Rachel Gillig really knew her characters and their growth.

Everyone should read this duology because it's just so good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book for providing me an ARC for "Two Twisted Crowns" by Rachel Gillig, which is a captivating sequel to "One Dark Window."

“And to think, I didn't even have to kill anyone for you to owe me a favor.”

Moving from a singular perspective of Elspeth which we found in the first book, to having the points of view of Elm and Ryven's enriched the plot of the book in my opinion. It gave it more depth, and understanding of characters and their motivations, giving it a fun (though sometimes emotionally painful) perspective. I especially loved reading from Elm’s point of view. Dare I say, he was my favourite character in this book? His backstory and struggles of growing up with Hauth especially made me very emotional and like I wanted to wrap him in a cosy blanket and take care of him. Him falling in love, especially was the cherry on top.

“I'd be your King, but always your servant. Never your keeper."

The exploration of Providence cards history adds an intriguing and for me personally, a unique layer to the book. Whilst we learned a bit about them in the last book, the history of how they were created and what for was especially interesting.

Learning more about Nightmare's character paints him as a misunderstood villain, which gives him the perfect “morally grey” character element that I know many readers love and adore. Nightmare was cruel, cunning, but you could see that he was also trying to protect Elspeth like he did in the previous book.

Personally, I love the fast-paced writing which for me contributed to the book's appeal as in my opinion it keeps the readers engaged. For me, Gillig's style of writing is not only swift but also beautiful and lyrical. At times it reminded me of Erin Morgenstern’s writing.

I think that whilst the love story here is strong and definitely something which will appeal to all the “romantasy” readers out there, if you took out the romance, the book would still hold strong. The story and adventure is so strong, you can easily get lost in it. I found the storyline unique and not “washed out” like I do find many books which take characteristics and themes from other books. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get lost in the woods for a little while.

This duology is perfect for fans of "A Court of Thorns and Roses," "Fourth Wing," and "Divine Rivals," and I will be making everyone read it as soon as possible.

And now remember.

“Be wary. Be clever. Be good.”

i received the arc on netgalley. thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book!

it was the perfect follow up and conclusion to one dark window. i love everything about this duology. from the storyline, the atmosphere and the characters

we get 3 povs in this book - elspeth/the nightmare, ravyn and elm. i loved every single pov, they added depth to it.
elspeth takes a backseat in this book for obvious reasons for the people who’ve read the first book. the nightmare is such an interesting character i like how we got more information about his character.
ravyn is quite boring to say the least. i don’t dislike the character. he was just univentful. his chapters was only good because of the storyline.
elm’s chapters were my favourite. they’re the ones i enjoyed reading the most. elm became my favourite character in the series.

i would definitely be recommending this duology to anyone who likes fantasy. this series was a masterpiece

Loved, Loved, Loved it!!!
Have been waiting for this sequel ever since I finished One Dark Window!
The cliffhanger in the first book was epic, and this sequel carries on pretty much straight away from the events of the first book.
I liked that this book was told from multiple POVS - I think that gave an extra dimension to the story compared to the first book, which was told entirely from Elspeth's perspective.
I found the backstory for the Shepherd King really interesting and that also gave some context into his character and the providence cards too.
One of the things that I loved about the first book was a lot of the twists and turns were cleverly hinted at, so the reveals were surprising and had quite an impact, and this also continues in the second book - there were so many things that I wasn't expecting (although the main reveal in this book I actually guessed quite early on!)

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Books, Orbit & Rachel Gillig for providing me an ARC of this book.
I absolutely loved One Dark Window - and whilst Two Twisted Crowns was great, I felt a *little* dissapointed. I wanted more Ravyn and Elspeth so badly, and I understand the reason WHY we didn't get much this time around, it's still a little sad. Even the epilogue didn't have much for them either 😭I did like seeing more of Elm, who is such a complex character, I cant help but want to protect him 😭
That being said I'm going to miss these characters so much, and the parting scene between Elspeth and the Nightmare lowkey had me tearing up 😭

This is the conclusion to The Sheperd King duology, and I am so sad that this is the end but also so satisfied with the ending and everything within this story.
Two Twisted Crowns differs from One Dark Window as it follows multiple characters and switches from them in 3rd person to Elspeth in 1st person, I personally loved this as it added such a personal touch with the attachment I had already made to Elspeth.
I really enjoyed Elm and Ione’s story, more than I thought I would after falling in love with Elspeth and Rayven, but they added another complex layer to the story.
This conclusion answered all questions I needed it to whilst giving even more information and characters to fall in love with. The complexity of the relationship between Elspeth and The Nightmare was one I really enjoyed, and one that brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions. In fact I cried multiple times throughout this book, from both happiness and sadness.
I loved the elements of mystery, lore and Blunders history that we learn throughout this journey. I don’t know if I have ever hated a character more than I hate Hauth Roman.
The Shepherd King duology has fast now become one of my all time favourite reads that I will recommend to anyone that will listen!

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig – My Rating: 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Books and Orbit for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This sequel was brimming with everything I wanted and more – and it was delivered in such a phenomenal way by Rachel’s writing style, one which I adored in both ODW and TTC. And it certainly got me in the mood for spooky season.

After finishing One Dark Window a few months ago, and being left completely distraught from that ending, I dove into the sequel ready to be emotionally wrecked. And let me tell you – Two Twisted Crowns was nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster.

In this conclusion to The Shepherd King duology, we shift away from the familiar narration of Elspeth and her Nightmare, and instead follow both Ravyn and Elm – two characters I’d grown to adore in One Dark Window. There are also some keen developments in terms of Elm’s love life, and this was honestly such a beautiful relationship arc to follow. And whilst I did wish we saw more of Ravyn and Elspeth in this book, I still loved following Elm’s journey. The world could be burning and you’d still find Elm making a joke of it.

Within this duology, Gillig has managed to craft one of the most complex characters I’ve ever encountered - that being The Shepherd King himself, otherwise known as the Nightmare. I feel like I can’t bring myself to hate him, but he isn’t the most loveable character out there, either. Although his character arc throughout this book was really notable, and I can’t say that I wasn’t in tears towards the end.

The reason I’m holding back from giving this the full 5 stars is that I wish we could’ve saw more of Ravyn and Elspeth’s relationship in this book. Of course it’d been difficult at the start due to certain circumstances, but I definitely think towards the end we could’ve had at least another scene or two of them just for some added clarity.

Other than that I had an absolutely amazing time with this book, and this duology as a whole has definitely earned a place amongst my favourites. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend you to pick up One Dark Window – and be sure to snag a copy of Two Twisted Crowns on release day!

This... this is how you write a sequel. Two Twisted Crowns contained all the things I loved about book one, but everything just seemed heightened... something helped by the deadline looming through the story. Please note this review will contain spoilers for the first book!

The ending of book one was pretty explosive and Two Twisted Crowns picks up pretty much straight after. Elspeth has been taken over by the Nightmare, though we now know his true name & imprisoned for attempting to murder the crowned Prince. Ravyn is doing everything within his power to get her out, not only to remove the nightmare from her head, but also because the nightmare is the only one who can lead them to the Twin Alder, the one card left to unite the twelve Providence Cards and break the Kingdom free from the mist that has infected it. There's no easing us in, Gillig simply drops us back where she left off in book one and manages to draw us into the story straight from the start.

Despite the Nightmare taking over Elspeth's body we still get plenty of her POV, though it feels more emotionally heightened and dangerous. She knows the nightmare is the only one who can lead them to the Twin Alder card, but that doesn't mean she's going to take having her body ripped from her lying down. She's still as feisty and determined as ever, and I enjoyed seeing her fight, despite how dire the circumstances were. Ravyn's cool facade is gradually starting to wear away. He hates the King and all that he stands for, and the only thing that has stopped him from voicing that is his brother who the King has kept as a sacrifice for years. Gillig knows we love a good tortured, self sacrificing boy because she graces us with not one, but two, in Ravyn and Elm. Elm was a character who took a bit to grow on me in book one, but he really shines as a character in Two Twisted Crowns. We get way more chapters from his POV, learning more about his history, and why he comes across so cool and aloof to Elspeth at first.

I love the magic system that Gillig created with this series, twelve Providence Cards, each with their own magic attached; Black Horses that offer speed and strength, Mirrors that offer invisibility, Nightmares that offer entrance into the minds of others... I could go on and on. Each of these cards was brought into the first book and yet Gillig still manages to develop them in the second, showing previously unknown potential, in the most horrifying way, and also allowing us to see how the Shepard king made them in the first place, what it cost him to bring them into being. I thoroughly enjoyed the chapters that took us back in time to the Shepard King, learning about his family, how he lost his crown to the Rowan line. Gillig twists it perfectly so the story you thought isn't quite the truth, but also ensures that the Shepard King isn't seen as the 'good guy.' Simply a man filled with greed who made bad decisions, and put his trust in the wrong person.

Gillig's skill at foreshadowing really shines through with this book because so many of the big plot points and reveals were hinted at in book one & I was constantly just going 'OH... I see what you did there.' There were some truly epic and dark plot twists, and while this is described as dark fantasy, I wouldn't say it is in the traditional sense. There are still plenty of traumatic and physical scenes, but the darkness for me is more psychological. We see Elspeth finally loosing herself to the voice she has had in her head as long as she can remember, loosing her body autonomy. We see Ione & Elm, as well as others having their wills taken away from them via a Providence Card, being forced to simply stand by while the people they love and care for are hurt. But this almost makes it darker for me, it's not what happens, it's what could have happened, the threat of it alone that really hits you emotionally as a reader and ensures that you are fully invested in these characters.

Thanks to Elspeth's mind being overtaken by the Nightmare, her and Ravyn's romance somewhat takes a back burner in this book. It's still there, we see it in the fight that Elspeth put's up, and the dark glances that Ravyn gives the nightmare, his inability to hurt him because he is in Elspeth's body. But the true star of this book was Elm and Ione. Two people tortured and held hostage by the same person, both having gone through trauma, both not sure if they can, or are, willing to trust one another. I loved seeing the pull and push between these two, neither one willing to give the high ground to the other, neither one willing to show their true feelings. It was a romance that grew slow and steady throughout the book, and I enjoyed seeing them open up to one another, allow them to see each others scars both physical and mental.

In case you couldn't tell, I loved this book, this series as a whole. Gillig has cemented herself as a favourite author of mine and I will eagerly anticipating whatever she graces us with next.

Apart from a slight niggle with the ending this was perfection. I'll be very much looking out for whatever Rachel writes next. A very satisfying second half to the duology. All I needed was *that* reunion scene. But it will just have to live in my head!

Incredible. I loved this book. Interesting and unique magic system, wonderfully cryptic and loveable characters. It’s a duology not to be missed.

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

This second book was undeniably better than its predecessor.

The plot thickens and also spreads to other characters; it extends the universe in a very engaging way. There are also several points of view, and it makes the book more appealing to me. Some storylines are actually fascinating to learn about, and I was thrilled to read these in particular. The universe is truly one of the most original that I’ve ever read about. It is honestly the strength of the duology. It was not a fast-paced nor action-packed novel but the pace was still fine for me. And the lack of action is not much of an issue.

The characters are more developed yet none of them is particularly pleasing to me. But it did not bother me while reading this novel, because the plot and the universe are captivating enough — same feeling that I had while reading another series actually.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Trees, if I could give this book infinite stars i would.

I loved One Dark Window but was apprehensive when I came into this, worrying it wouldn't top my favourite book of the year. How wrong was i?!

Following on immediately from the events in the first book, we follow Elspeth and her friends as they try to reunite the providence cards and save Blunder from the mist and the rule of the royal family. We are given several different viewpoints in this book rather than just Elspeth and have various branches of the plot unfolding at once.

Character development was fantastic in this - Elm and Ione's story in particular had me gasping in shock and crying in fear. These were characters we didn't see much of so to get to know them and their motives was a fantastic addition to the story. Raven, my favourite book boyfriend of all time, was his tortured self throughout but we saw him finally realise and accept who he was. The best development was the nightmare, and learning his backstory and seeing how he truly felt really made Elspeth's chapters the most exciting to read.

The book was fast paced and the it kept me on the edge of my seat. I think it will live in my head rent free for a long time and I am very sad to never return to the land of Blunder and my favourite highwaymen again.

I implore everyone to read this book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Five huge well deserved stars for this gorgeous conclusion to the Shepherd King duology. I was elated to be back in misty, haunted Blunder - and even happier that we got multi POV chapters throughout, from the Nightmare/Elspeth to Ravyn to Elm, it just expanded the story above and beyond what we got in book one.

This was a fast paced, nonstop thrill of a read, there was a dangerous journey, dastardly villains, swoony romance and a curse to be broken. I adore this series and loved the way it was concluded - what a satisfying ending it was!

100/5⭐️
Just like the first one this book was AMAZING.
I just love the world and the characters were just perfect!!!
The Nightmare was as always annoying and amazingly funny…
I am so sad that my journey with Elspeth, Elm, Ravyn and all the others is over…
I cried, I laughed… I could not rip myself away from the book …
It was an honor to read it and now this series will join my ultimate favourite books !!!
One again I will not look at other books the same way for a long time !!!
Thank you for giving me the chance to read it before it’s released ! I already ordered the physical copy as well as the audiobook for my collection!!

The book satisfyingly gives the same spooky and mysterious vibe as the first one, a perfect autumn read! The introduction to new POVs and a whole new romance subplot was done with grace and ease, I was worried - yet it was fab! I personally wished a couple minor things had been done differently, and certain scenes had played out in front of us rather than being brushed over. Especially since the whole book was leading up to a scene that never happened! Even with that, I LOVED it! I cannot believe that this duology was the authors debut as it’s so well developed in every aspect. I can’t wait to see what this author creates next!

Less than two weeks from now the conclusion of this amazing duology will be released and I'm so excited to finally have it in my hands! That's why I'm honored that Little Brown Book group gave me the chance to read this book in advance (and thanks to Netgalley too of course) so I can present it to you.

Review: 5 stars! ⭐

As I've already mentioned above, Two Twisted Crowns was one of my most expected books of 2023 after falling in love with One Dark Window last year, so I shuddered to read it after THAT final cliffhanger (because this author is a master at endings and breaking hearts).

I have to say that this novel was everything I needed from this series and even more. I missed the One Dark Window's characters SO much and, even if an year has passed, it was easy to come back to their stories, magistrally woven together by Rachel Gillig's poetic writing style. It was like entering in a dark, gothic story, where you can feel that cold sensation of danger surrounded by shadows that could hit you in every moment. I love think kind of atmosphere, when the story comes alive and you just live it with the characters (and deeply suffer with them, thank you for that too, Rachel).

Anyway, this is not an easy book to face, but that was already clear with One Dark Window for the themes treated and the violence portraited, but I really appreciated the sensibility with which the author wrote certain scenes. It's sad to see how low people value human's life, especially if it isn't theirs, and Rachel Gillig showed it so well in her stories, where in the end everyone got what they deserved.
My heart broke multiple times for Elm and Ione, not to mention Elspeth and Ravyn who, together with the Nightmare, still hold my soul in their hands. What an unexpected and "funny" triangle they were! They drew me a smile multiple times. I really appreciated how the Shepherd King interacted with Ravyn and the others, along with his affection for Elspeth.

That said, it's true that the main characters of the first book left a good amount of space to two "new ones", and even if I understand Rachel's choice, because it's useful to the story, I missed my Captain of the Destriers and the Girl with a monster inside her as primal protagonists and also together! 😢 They have one of the most beautiful relationship I've ever read. But, I repeat myself, it's an understandlable decision and it makes sense once you arrive at the end, because multiple knots had to be unraveled, and the readers already know Elspeth and Ravyn's love is truth. They didn't have to prove it more than they already did, they just had to stay alive so they could be reunited.

However, it was impossible not to be dragged in that grim and dark atmosphere that accompanies the quest for the search of The Twins Alders card and the resistance of who stays "behind", dotted with entertaining moments and lovely ones that made me smile. They created a good rhythm with revelations and bigger events, that I personally found irresistible.
Praise also to the fact that finally there is a book with a proper ending, that gives the ultimate confrontation with the villain its space to unravel. I couldn't ask for more and I think this has just become one of my favorite duologies ever. Now, the problem is: how can I image not to read about those characters anymore? (so if Rachel will gave us in the future some extra scenes I will love her until the end of times).

** follow me for more reviews on my blog: https://spillthebook.blogspot.com/

Two Twisted Crowns is exactly the kind of sequel I adore— rich in atmosphere, expansive in character building and perfectly paced to deliver an explosive ending. Picking up shortly after One Dark Window ends, it’s told chiefly through Ravyn and Elm’s POVs, with a dash of Elspeth thrown into the mix too. Following the quest to unite the deck and break free of the mist long infecting Blunder, the reader is immediately launched into the intriguing world Gillig so effortlessly created. I loved Elm’s chapters in particular— his scheming tempered with some outright devotion for a certain yellow haired character was just wonderful. The romance had a perfect mix of slow burn yearning (and a hint of spice), which I know will do well in the burgeoning romantasy market. As with the first book, I found the magic system based around a tarot-inspired deck of cards to be utterly fascinating and one of my favourite parts of the book. I really enjoyed seeing how little teasers in the first book came to fruition and think it pays testament to Gillig’s skill that she was able to craft a sequel just as gripping as the first. A truly wonderful duology with a fresh and atmospheric world— Gillig is sure to do well with whatever else she may write!

To start this I want to say I absolutely LOVED the first book, and was entirely over the moon to get an early copy of Two Twisted Crowns.

Firstly I was so glad that characters we met in book 1 got fully fleshed out and their own story line with chapters being evenly distributed between POVs. Given the storylines behind these are extremely different it was a fun change of pace.

Clearly I’m not great at predicting what will happen because this book had me on my toes the whole way through (in a good way obviously), like it said that’s probably just me.

Whilst I am very sad this was only a two book series I couldn’t have asked for a better more emotional ending and will inevitably be recommending my series to my unsuspecting siblings and everyone I work with. Not really sure what to do with myself now

Two twisted crowns, by Rachel Gilleg.
5 stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book absolutely blew me away! I didn’t think it was possible for it to have as much of a chokehold on me as the first one, but I was so very wrong. This duology, in my eyes, is perfect!

I loved the dark, eerie and gothic vibes. The totally brilliant and unique magic system. The multiple POV was everything, with all of the main characters being so complicated and flawed in their own individual ways.

The last 100 pages had me panicking, biting my nails, holding back the tears, the list goes on…. This story as whole has been one of my favourite reads of the year.

This is brimming with: magic, forbidden romance, sexual tension/chemistry, betrayal and is an all out fantastic, dark fantasy read. I can’t wait to see what else Rachel Gilleg brings us!

I’ll be posting this review on my TikTok account on release day!

Two Twisted Crowns is the perfect conclusion to this atmospheric dark fairytale duology.

This series has everything I could want in a fantasy story but the setting sets it apart as a favourite for me. It takes beautifully described gothic small town setting with castles and manor houses that somehow manages to feel eerie and cosy at the same time, it’s a perfect choice for this time of year. I’ve never wanted to visit a fictional place as much as I want to visit blunder and experience the mist. I loved getting to explore a little further into the woods in book two.

I initially thought I might not enjoy Two Twisted Crowns as much as One Dark window, having guessed that the plot would centre around some of the characters going on a quest to unite the deck of providence cards. Quests are something that I don’t usually enjoy, but the three perspectives alternating between their adventure and the happenings back at the castle made for a nice balance and the characters easily made up for the plot going in a direction that doesn’t usually work for me. I adored the Nightmare, his sense of humour and all of his interactions with Ravyn in book two. His and Elspeth’s goodbye had me in tears.

I wasn’t expecting a second romance in book two so that was an extra treat. Elspeth and Ravyn’s romance took a back seat in this instalment but the new couple that was introduced more than made up for it. I absolutely loved Elm and was so happy to get his point of view and a happy ending for him.

I enjoyed the second book just as much as the first and both One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns will be in my top ten reads of this year.