Review: Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
Blurb:
In the New York Times bestselling sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must confront the weight of her actions as she and Ravyn embark on a perilous quest to save the kingdom—perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten's For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson's The Year of the Witching.
Gripped by a tyrant king and in the thrall of dark magic, the kingdom is in peril. Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last—and most important—one remains to be found: the Twin Alders. If they’re going to find the card before Solstice and set free the kingdom, they will need to journey through the dangerous mist-cloaked forest. The only one who can lead them through is the monster that shares Elspeth’s head: the Nightmare.
And he’s not eager to share any longer.
Review:
Picking up right where One Dark Window concluded, this duology is everything I was hoping it would be and the hype is absolutely justified. And this time, we get more than the first allowed us: more POVS!
Characters
Last time we had only Elspeth to rely on as our narrator, but in Two Twisted Crowns, Gillig gave us exactly what I had been hoping for: more points of view. This time not only do we have Elspeth and the Nightmare living in her head, but we get to see things through the eyes of Ravyn Yew and Renelm “Elm” Rowen.
“But I do want it said, loud enough so everyone hears, that I am nothing like Hauth.”
I was very happy for this change, even though the perspective alters between first and third person, it blends so well and is woven into the story in a way that brings us back to our original narrator in a deliciously dark way. I especially liked seeing things happen with Elm, since our beloved band has been mostly separated during the search for the Twin Alders Card. Readers got to see a side of the broody, wayward prince that we didn’t before and it made me like him as a character more. I even gained a respect for Ione, which I never thought I would do.
Hauth is still a prick, and I curse the day he started walking on the page again, because all he does is make me want to choke him – as I know Elm wanted to do very badly as well.
Because we already met these characters in the first book, the second installment was all about developing these characters further. Not only did we know our main characters better but we got to know the Nightmare on a deeper, more intimate level that I praise Gillig for indulging us in.
“Surely you didn’t think it was sheep I shepherded.”
Atmosphere
“Yews do not break…they bend”
The charms of this series are ever present, and continued on in a great way. While the setting is still the same, we get a deeper look in the woods and the mist, and even get a vivid peak into the mindspace of the Shepherd King. The magic had me drunk and wanting more books like this.
Writing Style
Again, this sequel gave us new perspectives that only made the story that much broader. Gillig certainly has a wonderful way with words, stitching eloquent and quote-worthy phrases in scenes of peril and romance all in one. The back-and-forth from first to third person drew me in, and was done with such an ease that it was easy to fall into the pages of this story.
Plot
Just like One Dark Window, the plot takes center stage. Now that the gang has all but the Twin Alders Card, Ravyn is sent out into the mist to find it – along with his sister Jespyr, two spare Destriers, and Elspeth/The Nightmare. Elspeth is stuck in the depths of her mind, but in her place sits the Nightmare front and center (and as snarky and confounding as ever.) They face barters and tribulations in the mist they never expected.
Left behind by command of the king is Elm, forced to endure his father and the demands of the court pressed upon him. But he finds solace in Ione as he helps her find her lost Maiden Card. She is trapped in its grip, but while it may be stripping her of all emotion and feeling, it’s saving her life as she sits in a den of wolves.
Intrigue
To say I flipped page upon page is an understatement. There is so much at stake on both ends of this story that I couldn’t help but fervently seek the last page. There’s a lot going on, and there is no shortage of intrigue.
Excitement
Excited to talk about this book is another understatement. While everyone was reading this duology months ago, I kept telling myself “I’ll get to it soon! My TBR is calling!” And what a fool I was. I should have put everything down and picked this series up immediately. I loved it all to say the least, and I would absolutely recommend it to readers looking for something unique in the fantasy/romantasy realm. The romances are not center stage, but they are not exactly closed-door, so (as I always do) I caution a younger crowd or anyone not interested in those scenes, but I also wholeheartedly believe the few that exist can be skimmed over in favor of reading this series, and this sequel in particular.
