carolina's Reviews > Two Twisted Crowns

And though it had taken slow, painful time, I knew who I was without him. I was more than the girl, the King, and the monster of Blunder's dark, twisted tale. I was its author.

rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (it deserves infinite stars)

༉‧₊˚🕯️🖤👑🗡️༉‧₊˚

This book sunk its claws into me so deeply, in such an unexpected way, that I'm struggling to pull myself together enough to write a coherent review. I adored One Dark Window, but Two Twisted Crowns touched me deeply and cemented this story as one of the most extraordinary I've ever read.

This is how you write a sequel and conclusion to a duology. I loved what the author did with this book, the added pov's as well as the new storyline only enriched the story and made it more entertaining. It's full of adventure and high stakes, I was so tense during some scenes that I felt like my heart was galloping out of my chest. I love a good quest and we had two in this book that eventually came together and provided a satisfying ending. Everything comes full circle in the end. The author has done a phenomenal job with this book and it's so nice to see how everything is planned from the beginning and there are little clues along the way as to how it will all come together in the end.

I will always carry the characters in my heart. I've grown very attached to them and it pains me to know that I won't be reading about them again 😭❤️‍🩹

Elspeth and Ravyn remain two of my favourite characters. Despite not being the main focus of this book, they played such an important part in the story and I loved the focus on their individual journeys. Of course, I would have liked more scenes with them together, but that's only because I love them.

I loved learning more about Elm, he's such a complex character. I loved his arc and it brought me so much joy to follow his journey to become who he was always meant to be. And the things he said had me swooning 🥵😮‍💨 I thought my heart belonged solely to Ravyn, but Elm came in and stole it (I still love you Ravyn, don’t be mad at me)

Ione was another standout, what an incredible woman. I can't say much about her without spoiling her story, but I admire her strength and resilience and how she never stopped fighting to get her life back.

The Nightmare is one of the most fascinating characters I've ever met. For me, he is the main character of the book, and getting his story was crucial to not only understand him, but also the world and overall plot of the duology. I feel like I understood his connection to Elspeth even more in this book and it turned me into an emotional mess.

The romance took my breath away. I have no words to describe the rush of emotions I felt every time there was a romantic scene. It was swoon-worthy, so incredibly beautiful, tender, delicate and hopeful that it brought tears to my eyes. And it’s worth mentioning it was also hot, the tension was so thick 😮‍💨 chapter 20 will live in my mind rent free 🥵

This duology took me to a world of misty forests where humans become monsters and monsters become human. Gillig's prose is breathtaking, and the eeriness of the riddles as well as the overall dark atmosphere of the story came together to create something so unique, a story that is both enchanting and sinister.

જ⁀➴ quotes:

-There can be no stony facade-no pretending-after this. Death demands to be felt.

-“I'm bitterly angry.”
“Then be angry, lone.” Elm pressed his mouth to her forehead. “It looks well on you.”

-For even dead, I will not die. I am the shepherd of shadow. The phantom of the fright. The demon in the daydream. The nightmare in the night.

-He has looked pain in the eye-and refused to let it make a monster of him.

-For nothing is safe, and nothing is free. Debt follows all men, no matter their plea. When the Shepherd returns, a new day shall ring. Death to the Rowans. Long live the King.

-“None of this might have happened without you, Elspeth,” Ione whispered. “And isn't that such a beautiful thing.”

જ⁀➴ quotes that had me screaming, crying, giggling and kicking my feet in the air

-“All that talk of pleasure and warmth and that terrible, unquiet ache between your legs,” he murmured. “You painted such a pretty picture for me. And wouldn't it be fun, denying me a kiss, had I lost our bet?”

-“Then do it,” he whispered, gliding a hand up her spine. “Use me. Toy with me. Feel something, lone.”

-I'd be your King, but always your servant. Never your keeper.

-And every memory of pleasure Elm had ever carried fractured in his mind, replaced by this. By her.

-“You won't hurt me. There won't be any pain between us.” She dragged her thumb over his bottom lip. Elm nipped it, and she smiled. “Unless we're in the mood for it.”

-There were not enough pages in all the books Elm had read, in all the libraries he'd wandered, in all the notebooks he'd scrawled, that could measure-denote or describe-just how beautiful she was.

I’ll stop now, thank you for reading this if you made it ’till the end!

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

I can’t believe this is the end, I will miss these characters so much 😭😭
I’m happy and sad at the same time ❤️‍🩹

༉‧₊˚🖤‧₊˚.pre-review

I’m so excited to be back in this world! I loved the first book and I hope I feel the same way about the second. I love that there’s more than one pov now, I loved the secondary characters in One Dark Window, especially Elm 🤭