Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Two Twisted Crowns

The first book in this duology was good, but the second book was even better! There is so much growth in the characters, and the pining between two of the romantically involved characters and their banter had me hooked.
Rachel has earned herself a place on my instant buy/read list for whatever she comes out with next!!
From here on out there are going to be spoilers.

The first book ended with the melding of the Nightmare and Elsbeth's mind, the title of the book One Dark Window becoming prophecy to what Elsbeth endures from that point forward.

Two Twisted Crowns is no different in that regard. Like Shepherd King when he wrote the Book of Alders, Rachel Gillig offers her readers a glimpse of the ending once more in her title.
Even with the ending laid at our feet, the journey there is still one that is difficult to turn away from. The relationship forming between Elm and Ione was enough to have me on the edge of my seat, but the hardships Ravyn and the others face on their quest to save Elsbeth and blunder are no less interesting and endearing.
To take a note from Taxus's style of speaking, I'll leave my review with this:

The monster becomes Martyr, Foe becomes friend. The future unwritten, until she holds the pen.
;)
(I had to give a nod to the final line of the book haha.)

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amandam71's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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amanda_reads13's review

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emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Elspeth's mind is now completely taken over by Nightmare. We follow the group as the continue to search for the Twin Adler card.

I enjoyed this one a bit more than the first. First off, I am so glad that it switched to multiple POVs. It added so much more to the story and character development. Also, I really liked that there was a lot more world building and history of the magic throughout the book. For those who found the first book slow, the pace was a lot faster in this one.

I am so glad we got Nightmare's POV. That was exactly what I was looking for. In the first book, I found it was lacking information about his story and motivation. In book two, we got all that and so much more. We learn about the creation of the cards, his family, and the truth of what happened to him.

He was betrayed by his captain, Brutus Rowan. Brutus murdered his entire family and took the crown for himself.

He is definitely the most interesting character for me. We see how the magic completely twisted his priorities.

In this book, we also get Rayvn and Elm's POVs. We get to see the development of Elm and Ione's relationship. They are so cute together.

I thought it was a smart choice to make Elm king over Rayvn. Though still within the Rowan line, he was so unlike any king before him.

Adding Ravyn's POV added a lot of emotion to the story. We see his story reflecting that of

The Shepherd King. Yet while Nightmare is willing to sacrifice anything for magic, even his sister, Rayvn is only willing to sacrifice himself. Though I did see this coming, we find out that Rayvn is a descendent of the Shepherd King. The King's eldest son escaped Brutus' slaughter and went on to change his last name to Yew.

I love how they ended up using Hauth's blood to unite the deck. Justice.

Tropes: found family

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razalicious's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I really loved this duology and am sad to be finished with it. I'll be thinking about this story and the feelings it evoked for a long time to come. I can't wait to see what else Gillig writes in the future!

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alexasolis98's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Loved it. I cried at the end. It was a satisfying conclusion to this story.

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artmuseam's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

what a magical ending to this beautifully written duology. after that insane cliffhanger left behind from the first book, i was very glad that this one wrapped up a conclusion through an insane emotional rollercoaster. the plot twists had me hooked from the start and seeing a new romance between the characters actually made me enjoy this book even more. i felt like the ending was a little bit underwhelming since it did feel rushed, especially since the pacing of the book earlier had been perfect. regardless, i absolutely loved this book and i am genuinely so sad that we will not be getting more of elspeth and ravyn any time soon :( definitely definitely recommend!! 4/5 stars

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