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A review by simoneandherbooks
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
4.0
I immediately started this one after finishing the first book because that ending was such a cliffhanger and I needed to know what happens. I'm so glad I did.
The second book takes place right after the events of the first one. Elspeth is trapped somewhere in her mind. The Nightmare has come to take over her body and promises to help Ravyn find the final card, the one that's been missing for over 500 years. The great thing about having Nightmare with you is that he knows exactly where it is. But this story isn't just about Ravyn and Nightmare's search for the final card. This story is also about Elm and his newly appointed position as heir to the throne.
I was actually surprised of the turn of events in this one. I was expecting it to be way more focused on Elspeth and Ravyn, but this had me wanting to read more about Elm and Ione. Ravyn's story honestly felt secondary as they revealed the history of the cards, journeyed to find the final one, met with the Spirit of the Woods, and carried out the last will of the Nightmare. You would think that this would be the crux of the story since that's a lot of what you were getting from book 1.
But this book's focus felt mainly on the first book's secondary characters. Elm is coming to terms with the reality of his new position. Ione is searching for some answers and the Maiden card that trapped her emotions behind a veil of beauty. The entire time I was reading, I had this feeling like yeah, we're looking for the final card, but we're really into Elm and Ione now. Rachel Gillig did a great job balancing the two different stories (in multiple-POV), but I found myself wanting to read more about Elm and Ione than Ravyn and Elspeth.
However, what really kept me going was the deep levels of betrayal, intrigue, and villainous characters who had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I love a baddie who's always and forever will be a baddie. The plot moved and when things slowed down in one POV, it expertly switched to the other so that there wasn't a break in movement. I honestly couldn't find a good place to put this down and do other stuff, so I just kept on reading.
This was definitely a fun, fast-paced romantasy with tons of intrigue, magic, and a world that I definitely couldn't get enough of. I loved that Rachel Gillig kept the story to two books, which makes it perfectly digestible without being draggy. I cannot wait to read more from her!
The second book takes place right after the events of the first one. Elspeth is trapped somewhere in her mind. The Nightmare has come to take over her body and promises to help Ravyn find the final card, the one that's been missing for over 500 years. The great thing about having Nightmare with you is that he knows exactly where it is. But this story isn't just about Ravyn and Nightmare's search for the final card. This story is also about Elm and his newly appointed position as heir to the throne.
I was actually surprised of the turn of events in this one. I was expecting it to be way more focused on Elspeth and Ravyn, but this had me wanting to read more about Elm and Ione. Ravyn's story honestly felt secondary as they revealed the history of the cards, journeyed to find the final one, met with the Spirit of the Woods, and carried out the last will of the Nightmare. You would think that this would be the crux of the story since that's a lot of what you were getting from book 1.
But this book's focus felt mainly on the first book's secondary characters. Elm is coming to terms with the reality of his new position. Ione is searching for some answers and the Maiden card that trapped her emotions behind a veil of beauty. The entire time I was reading, I had this feeling like yeah, we're looking for the final card, but we're really into Elm and Ione now. Rachel Gillig did a great job balancing the two different stories (in multiple-POV), but I found myself wanting to read more about Elm and Ione than Ravyn and Elspeth.
However, what really kept me going was the deep levels of betrayal, intrigue, and villainous characters who had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I love a baddie who's always and forever will be a baddie. The plot moved and when things slowed down in one POV, it expertly switched to the other so that there wasn't a break in movement. I honestly couldn't find a good place to put this down and do other stuff, so I just kept on reading.
This was definitely a fun, fast-paced romantasy with tons of intrigue, magic, and a world that I definitely couldn't get enough of. I loved that Rachel Gillig kept the story to two books, which makes it perfectly digestible without being draggy. I cannot wait to read more from her!