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adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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.)
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.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Blood
Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol
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
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 ofThe 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
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.
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.
Adding Ravyn's POV added a lot of emotion to the story. We see his story reflecting that of
Tropes: found family
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief
Moderate: Infidelity
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
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Murder
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, Torture, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Surprisingly, I may have liked this sequel even more than the first book. Gillig really hit a thrilling stride with the pace and plot of this series, and while it had some flaws in my own opinion, I never once found myself bored of the world she painted. If anything, I think that her expansion of the magic in this world in this book really sold me on a few things that I had previously been contemplating in the first book, and I loved learning more about the Shepherd King through Elspeth’s eyes. Personally, I even found myself enjoying Elm and Ione’s blooming relationship leagues more than Elspeth and Ravyn’s! They had a truly beautiful dynamic that tugged on my heart strings in an unexpected way. In terms of critiques, I mostly just had small nitpicks based on personal preferences that I won’t go into, and one larger, character-arc issue regarding Elspeth. I didn’t love how Elspeth’s autonomy was so thoroughly scrubbed in the second book, especially after having spent so much time rooting for her in the first. I understand it was crucial to the plot that she took a more backseat role in the story, but I definitely was expecting her to still have a big moment for the climax where she was able to affect real change despite her position, and was thoroughly disappointed when that did not happen. However, I can totally own that this is less a critique and more a consumer complaint lol. Mostly, I was hoping for a bit more of a female-led adventure, and while Ione was a beacon of light in this book, I still was left a bit wanting in terms of female POVs and choices. But all in all, I would definitely recommend this series to others and think Gillig’s writing is well-deserving of praise! Looking forward to her future works!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexism, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood
Moderate: Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Murder
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Grief, Dysphoria
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Abandonment
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism, Death
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-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:
Yes
This book confirms for me that duologies are the superior story telling format, and THIS is the best I’ve read to date, hands down! I wish I could rate this book higher than than five stars.
The world building is exquisite, the story is captivating, and the character development sent me over the edge. By the last page I was crying (not for the first time) and was left feeling more satisfied by a book than I have in a long time.
This is my book of the year & I’ll be recommending it to all my bookish friends!
The world building is exquisite, the story is captivating, and the character development sent me over the edge. By the last page I was crying (not for the first time) and was left feeling more satisfied by a book than I have in a long time.
This is my book of the year & I’ll be recommending it to all my bookish friends!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Abandonment
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing