Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

34 reviews

chanlo1994's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Again, the prose in this book is stunning. So much lovely poetry and creative writing. Rachel Gillig is a beautiful writer.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Child death, Infidelity, and Vomit

eedle_cacleberry's review against another edition

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Minor: Confinement and Emotional abuse

isabelleroyall's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Gore, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, and Vomit

Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Grief, and Death of parent

sxndaze's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.5

My darling, you’ve always had a choice.

an incredible sequel and an incredible duology. the mutilple povs give us so much more to digest and understand and while it took me a bit to get into elm’s story (not him though as i do adore his character), it comes together beautifully in the end.

everything is wrapped up beautifully and maybe too neatly, but im a sucker for happy endings and don’t crave angst too much.

the nightmare is my favourite and his banter with everyone is fantastic.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Child death and Alcohol

oxfordcommas91's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

I love a duology because it moves the story along but gives you enough time to delve into the important aspects of the plot. This book was a satisfying conclusion to the story of Elspeth, Ravyn, the Nightmare and the whole cast of characters working to try to unite the deck of Providence cards and save Blunder from the encroaching fog. I really liked that we got to dive more into Ione and Elm's stories and their unique motivations alongside the stories of Elspeth and Ravyn. Tying all these storylines together gave us a better insight into the history of the Providence Cards and makes for a very rewarding outcome. The last 100 pages were tense - I blew through the back half of this book because I needed to know what would happen as time was running short. A truly enjoyable series and would recommend it to folks looking for a dark/gothic fantasy that you can tackle in a short amount of time with a romance sub-plot. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

atheina_vismark's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I wasn't ready. My emotions, I don't know what to do with them anymore.

If I were One-Dark-Window book coded (Which I freaking am now) I would have asked for a Maiden Card to recover from this heartbreak, but there is no Maiden Card in the real world, just painful memories, the painful realization that I have finished this duology, that I will never have to chance to read these books for the first time.

Elspeth, Ravyn, Nightmare, Jespry, Elm, Ione, even sweet and dear Emory and Tilly. You have all crept into my heart, wishing that I too was a woman hailing from the secluded kingdom of Blunder, that when reading about your gestures all I imagined was me being there, aiding you to your great gestures.

There were no devastating twists in this book, but that mattered not. Maybe its because of Gillig's writing, maybe because of what was happening while she waged war inside her own mind - all I know was that this book tore my heart out of my chest, caged it inside ashen trees and then set it free, free like a songbird that Blunder had long lost its melody about.

I spent the last 40 pages crying, crying, trying to cling to the last pages as the ending came to an end.

Goodbye Blunder, goodbye Elspeth and Ravyn, goodbye Elm and Ione.

Goodbye,

Taxus

Be wary, be clever, be good.

5⭐️ 1🌶️

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Infidelity, Blood, and Murder

karinreadsalot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Torture, and Violence

boba_nbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Spice Rating: 🌶️ / 5

Sometimes the completion of a duology is a letdown. But that can absolutely not be said about Two Twisted Crowns.

The sequel to One Dark Window picks up right where we left off. Elspeth, Ravyn, and Elm collected almost all of the twelve Providence Cards, and they're relying heavily on the voice in Elspeth's head to find one card that has never been seen: the Twin Alders. They must complete the task before Solstice when it would be too late to save those who have been infected. 

This novel gives us 4 POVs--Elspeth, Ravyn, Elm, and the Nightmare--which allows readers a greater view of the world as Ravyn, Elspeth, and the Nightmare have to split up from Elm early on. I loved seeing Elm's relationship with himself and with Elspeth's cousin, Ione, blossom as he finds out who he is apart from Ravyn. 

I was concerned that the author wasn't going to give us even a semblance of a happy ending but was pleasantly surprised to see Ravyn and Elspeth get their fresh start together. It was also so bittersweet to read about the Nightmare finally going to rest because I'd come to love him and his overprotective sarcasm.

I was so sad to leave this creepy and wonderful world, but the ending left me fully satisfied and craving more of Gillig's writing. I highly recommend this duology to fans of dark fantasy, unique magic systems, and horror ~lite.~

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, and Torture

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, and Cursing

barbarianmissy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Well wasn’t that just great?! 

What a great ending. The twists and turns and stress were all SO FUN. I loved how the author kept the running theme of balance and the cyclical nature of history while only revealing the true story of it bit by bit. TWAS COOL AS SHIT. 

I very much enjoyed this duology and the world and magic of Blunder! 

Elm and Ione were most def my favourite characters, as well as the Nightmare, of course. I was pissy with him for a bit there but loved him again by the end. 

OVERALL I LIKED IT A LOT! 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

covenofcrumpets's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Torture

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, and Death of parent