03 January 2025

Two Twisted Crowns By Rachel Gillig Review And Book Club Questions

Reviewed by: Melissa Ng

Full Yellow Stars

Quick Facts

Book Publication Date: 17 October 2023

How I Read It: Borrowed from my local library

Where You Can Find Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig: Amazon | Kobo | AudibleDymocks | QBD Books | Apple Books | Spotify

Content & Trigger Warnings: Mild coarse language, spice, violence, gore, blood, terror. For more trigger warnings, please visit Rachel Gillig’s website.

Book cover of Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig with the text "Two Twisted Crowns Review & Book Club Questions" on a gray background

Spoiler Alert

This blog post spoils major plot lines of One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns. If you haven't read the book, stop here!

If you haven't already, you can read my blog post about One Dark Window.

Two Twisted Crowns Summary

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig picks up where One Dark Window left off, plunging us back into the mist-covered kingdom of Blunder.

Elspeth and Ravyn are racing against time to complete the Providence Deck before the Solstice and cure the kingdom of its deadly mist. To do so, they must find the final, most elusive card: The Twin Alders.

But there’s a catch. The Nightmare — the ancient spirit who has taken control of Elspeth’s body — is the only one who knows where the card is hidden.

The journey to complete the deck is treacherous. Alongside this, the romance between Elm and Ione blooms, adding a new dynamic to the story.

With the Solstice around the corner, the characters face one last hurdle before they can free Blunder from the mist.

The book’s dramatic ending ties up the duology in a satisfying, emotional conclusion.

Two Twisted Crowns Characters

  • Elspeth: The heroine trapped in her own mind while the Nightmare controls her body
  • Ravyn: Captain of the Destriers and nephew to the King
  • The Nightmare: An ancient spirit in control of Elspeth’s body
  • Ione: Elspeth’s cousin
  • Jespyr: Ravyn’s sister
  • Emory: Ravyn’s brother
  • Elm: The King’s second son
  • Hauth: The King’s son and heir to the throne

Two Twisted Crowns Spoilers

  • The Maiden card doesn’t just grant beauty, it heals the user
  • You can destroy a Providence Card and once destroyed, it’s magic disappears
  • The Nightmare / The Shepherd King can manipulate trees
  • If you use the Twin Alders card for too long, you lose all sense of time
  • Ravyn is a direct descendant of the Shepherd King
  • Ravyn collects the Twin Alders card
  • They steal Hauth’s charm, thus infecting him
  • They unite the deck of cards and sacrifice Hauth
  • A new rainbow card is revealed, the Shepherd. It can heal anyone who wishes to be healed of the infection, permanently with no degeneration
  • Elspeth cannot be healed by The Shepherd card. If she touches it, she will absorb every payment the Shepherd King made, all 12 Providence Cards
  • For Elspeth to remove The Nightmare from her mind, they must tear up The Nightmare card. They do so and The Nightmare/the Shepherd King is able to move on
  • Ravyn and Elspeth end up together as does Elm and Ione

Two Twisted Crowns Providence Cards List

Note, by the end of the series, some of these cards have been destroyed.

Card # of cards Colour Magic Degeneration
Shepherd*1Rainbow*Heals the infection*None*
Twin Alders1Emerald*Commune with the Spirit of the WoodLose all sense of time*
Nightmare2BurgundySpeak into the minds of othersReveals one's deepest fears
Mirror3PurpleInvisibilityLifted the veil between worlds, exposing a world of ghosts
Scythe4RedPower to control othersGreat physical pain
Iron Gate5GreenBlissful serenity, no matter the struggleStole years from one’s life
Well6BlueClear sight to recognise one’s enemiesBetrayed by a friend
Chalice7TurquoiseTurns liquid into truth serumTruth serum turned into poison
Maiden8PinkBeauty Healing*Chilled the user's heart
White Eagle9WhiteCourageFear
Prophet10GrayGlimpses of the futureHelpless to change the future
Golden Egg11GoldWealthAll-consuming greed
Black Horse12BlackMaster of combatWeaker

*Revealed in Two Twisted Crowns

A hand holding a paperback copy of Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig with Christmas stockings in the background
Two Twisted Crowns - A thrilling conclusion to The Shepherd King series

Memorable Two Twisted Crowns Quotes

She smelled of magnolia trees and fields during the first summer rain. Heady, sweet, wistful.

Surely you didn’t think it was sheep I shepherded.

Her voice was everywhere. A thousand rose petals falling over him.

Two Twisted Crowns Review

Two Twisted Crowns is a gripping sequel that expands on the gothic world-building, character development, and magic system introduced in One Dark Window.

While the first half of the book felt slower-paced, the second half picks up with high-stakes action, emotional reveals, and a satisfying conclusion.

The book is told from 3 POVs (Elspeth, Ravyn, and Elm), though it took me a little time to adjust to the shift in style, as I read this back-to-back with One Dark Window.

Elm and Ione’s romance subplot also felt a bit sudden (bordering on instalove), given the lack of buildup in the first book. It would have been good to see a whisper of this romance in One Dark Window to tie it nicely into Two Twisted Crowns.

The magic system involving the Providence Cards remains a highlight. The revelation of the Shepherd card, which can heal without any degeneration, was a fitting conclusion to the series.

For fans wondering, is Two Twisted Crowns spicy? The romance is mild, with just a few moments that might not suit younger readers.

The book explores themes of sacrifice and redemption, particularly through Elspeth’s relationship with the Nightmare. I also enjoyed learning more about the Shepherd King and his backstory, seeing how he created the Providence Cards and his tumultuous relationship with Brutus Rowan.

One reveal that I thought could have been worked through more is the twist of Ravyn’s lineage as a descendant of the Shepherd King. This was not shocking and didn’t really seem to play any greater role to the plot.

Nevertheless, the ending is bittersweet, with the deck united and Elspeth making the choice to free herself from the Nightmare and to let him rest in the afterlife with his family.

Books Like Two Twisted Crowns

If you’re looking for more books similar to Two Twisted Crowns, I suggest checking out:

Or, if you’re more into TV series, I recommend Alice In Borderland on Netflix.

Two Twisted Crowns Book Club Questions

  • What were your favourite and least favourite moments in the book?
  • Two Twisted Crowns is marketed as a young adult book. Do you agree with this rating?
  • Did you enjoy the gothic fantasy setting? How do you think it compared to the first book?
  • Did you enjoy the additional POVs in the book?
  • The Nightmare thought of himself as a sort of father figure to Elspeth, do you agree with his thinking?
  • What did you think of the romance between Elm and Ione?
  • Who was your favourite character, and why?
  • It’s revealed that the Providence Cards can be destroyed by simply tearing them apart, where you surprised by the reveal?
  • If you could hold a Providence Card, which one would you choose?
  • Do you think the degeneration from using the cards is worth the power they grant?
  • Did the ending surprise you? Were you able to predict any of the twists or reveals?
  • Would you read a book based on the Shepherd King’s backstory with Brutus Rowan?
  • If Two Twisted Crowns was adapted into a movie or TV series, which actors would you cast for each character?

 

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