A review by pgmoon
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5


After finally finishing Two Twisted Crowns and wrapping up this series, I’ve got a lot of thoughts!

First, the positives: the magic system remains a standout feature. It’s imaginative, intriguing, and continues to be one of the strongest elements of the story.
The Nightmare, too, deserves praise—his character arc feels like the most developed part of the series. I really liked the concept of the ending, with Elspeth and the Nightmare forming a connection and her helping the Shepherd King regain his humanity. Unfortunately, Elspeth just isn’t an interesting enough character to fully carry this storyline, which left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
Unfortunately, that's the short list for me.

The plot tries to do too much. It juggles continuing the story from the first book, Elm’s
rise as king, and his love story with Ione
. As a result, it feels unbalanced. Rayvn and Elspeth’s story, already rushed, is sidelined to make room for
Elm and Ione’s plot, which weakens the impact of their relationship. Elm and Ione’s romantic development relies heavily on physical attraction and sexual encounters, which doesn’t create the deep bond the story seems to aim for, especially for a married couple at the end of the story
. There’s also a fair share of borderline “deus ex machina” moments—like
Hauth being the sacrifice or the spirit deciding to support Elm as king
. Many events seem to exist purely to push the plot forward without much explanation, such as
Hauth’s repeated death and resurrection, which I found confusing and unnecessary (Maybe I missed something reading?)


The characters, sadly, are the most disappointing aspect of the book. Elm was my favorite character in the first book, and I was excited to see where his story went, but he fell short here. Ione, who intrigued me initially, also didn’t live up to her potential. The narrative leans too heavily on telling readers about characters’ struggles rather than showing them. For example,
Elm and Ione’s shared abuse at Hauth’s hands could have been a compelling connection, but it’s mostly explained through exposition rather than demonstrated through their actions and interactions. While the book insists Elm and Ione share a deep understanding of each other, this connection doesn’t come across to the reader. They barely interacted in the first book, so this sudden bond feels unconvincing
. Most side characters,
like Petyr and Wik, add little to the story, while others introduced in the first book (Elspeth’s family, Ione’s family)
are left unresolved. The villains, including the king and Hauth, are one-dimensional and lack any compelling traits that might make them memorable.

The writing itself has issues with pacing, and certain stylistic choices, like the use of modern swearing, pulled me out of the fantasy setting. The world also feels very contained—a criticism I noticed more in this book than the first. On top of that, the story’s twists are overly telegraphed. For example,
Rayvn being related to the Nightmare is so heavily foreshadowed that it’s not surprising at all, as much as the book might want you to think so
.

Overall, I think this book is a step down from the first in terms of pacing and character development. While the first book was fairly basic, it was consistent. This series in general feels a bit overhyped to me. I don't want to be too harsh, but I feel I've read many YA/NA books that tell a more cohesive and engaging story. It’s especially frustrating because there were aspects I genuinely enjoyed. I respect the decision to keep the series short and not drag it out unnecessarily, but I think it could have used another book to properly flesh out its storylines. 

There’s a great fantasy saga somewhere in this series, but what I read didn’t fully deliver. Despite my criticisms, I do appreciate the effort and creativity that went into this story, even if it wasn’t entirely satisfying for me.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings