↠ 5 stars ⭐️

"The two were together, so the two were the same: The girl, the King… and the monster they became.”

I went into this blind. I knew it involved a monster. I knew it was creepy. And I knew it would be perfect for fall. And it TOTALLY LIVES UP TO THE HYPE.

First of all, the writing was absolutely incredibly. The lush prose and atmospheric setting sucked me in immediately. The plot was captivating and the way author ended each chapter—calm, but leaving just enough mystery—keeps you needing "just one more chapter." And the magic system?! It was truly one of the most unique I've read to date, and I loved that there was a cost to using magic—always maintaining a balance.

I loved Elspeth and Ravyn and how their relationship developed. It was a little instalove, but I ate it up nonetheless. But I also loved that it didn't take over the story. It heightened it, made the stakes higher, but still left you invested in the overarching fantasy plot.

Surprisingly, my favorite character was The Nightmare. I loved how mysterious he was, and you could tell he cared about Elspeth in his own weird way.

And that ending had me immediately reaching for Two Twisted Crowns.

I'm still floored that this is a DEBUT?! Bravo, Rachel Gillig, bravo.

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