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A review by aksmith92
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
I loved the dedication for Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gilig! There is something about finding in losing.
Setting the stage: we have round two of Blunder-mania with all the Providence Cards! Without giving spoilers away from the first one, we are met with the same cast of characters: Elspeth, Ravyn, Elm, Ione, Jespr, the Nightmare, and other characters like Hauth, the King, etc. In this novel, we get perspectives from Elspeth, Ravyn, and Elm, which is an interesting touch. Some main characters are off to find the Twin Alders Card, and some of them must stay behind and face the Rowan rule and the consequences at the end of One Dark Window.
Here is what I loved: I absolutely adored Elm and Ione. While maybe the tension was a bit rushed or even borderline lust, I was HERE for it. I was so glad that Gilig put in their perspectives and story arcs instead of just following Elspeth and Ravyn's. I rated One Dark Window a 3.5 because I didn't love Elspeth or Ravyn too much, so this second book actually really worked for me, adding in this additional layer. I also just loved the idea of the plot. Magic cards and a town steeped in magic because of them is such an interesting take on fantasy, and I think Gilig did great intertwining other sub-plot points as well.
I think this mostly read as a 4-star book. There were also a handful of action-oriented plot scenes throughout that I feel made this a pretty amazing read. What didn't work for me were the moments that were so silly - that one decision by one character that you were like, NO, DON'T DO THAT. I don't know what it is, but sometimes I really struggle when one character's decision leads to a plethora of other annoying plot lines. I'd rather those plotlines happen organically or not because someone was such a ding dong. It's a personal thing, so that's why I can't fault Gilig/the novel too much. A prime example of this is when Elm decided to put the Nightmare card BACK into Hauth's room. COME ON! It would have been better if he never picked it up or someone stole it from him, but that action just made him seem like an idiot. .
Overall, though, I was VERY immersed in this novel. Gilig's writing and prose were fantastic, and I loved the little rhymes throughout. It was a great concept, and it came together pretty nicely. I had a good time with this book and was very surprised since I didn't love the first one. It was a blast!
Setting the stage: we have round two of Blunder-mania with all the Providence Cards! Without giving spoilers away from the first one, we are met with the same cast of characters: Elspeth, Ravyn, Elm, Ione, Jespr, the Nightmare, and other characters like Hauth, the King, etc. In this novel, we get perspectives from Elspeth, Ravyn, and Elm, which is an interesting touch. Some main characters are off to find the Twin Alders Card, and some of them must stay behind and face the Rowan rule and the consequences at the end of One Dark Window.
Here is what I loved: I absolutely adored Elm and Ione. While maybe the tension was a bit rushed or even borderline lust, I was HERE for it. I was so glad that Gilig put in their perspectives and story arcs instead of just following Elspeth and Ravyn's. I rated One Dark Window a 3.5 because I didn't love Elspeth or Ravyn too much, so this second book actually really worked for me, adding in this additional layer. I also just loved the idea of the plot. Magic cards and a town steeped in magic because of them is such an interesting take on fantasy, and I think Gilig did great intertwining other sub-plot points as well.
I think this mostly read as a 4-star book. There were also a handful of action-oriented plot scenes throughout that I feel made this a pretty amazing read. What didn't work for me were the moments that were so silly - that one decision by one character that you were like, NO, DON'T DO THAT. I don't know what it is, but sometimes I really struggle when one character's decision leads to a plethora of other annoying plot lines. I'd rather those plotlines happen organically or not because someone was such a ding dong. It's a personal thing, so that's why I can't fault Gilig/the novel too much. A prime example of this is
Overall, though, I was VERY immersed in this novel. Gilig's writing and prose were fantastic, and I loved the little rhymes throughout. It was a great concept, and it came together pretty nicely. I had a good time with this book and was very surprised since I didn't love the first one. It was a blast!