Description
In the frost-covered land of Valeria, the long-running fight between House Vaughn and House Roarke has put the monarchy on the verge of falling apart. All signs point to a traitor in Princess Arabella Vaughn’s court when she barely survives an assassination attempt during the annual Ice Moon Festival. She is the calm and calculating heir to the Silver Crown. She has to make an uneasy partnership with her arch-rival, Prince Evander Roarke, the battle-scarred heir to the Obsidian Crown, who has a deadly reputation on the borderlands but also a strong sense of honor. She does this because she is desperate to find the plot and protect her bloodline.
The Two Twisted Crowns ritual binds their magic and bloodlines together, making them promise to share power as equals or else both kingdoms will be thrown into civil war. Arabella brings her skill in subtle magic to the deal: runes carved in frost that may hide armies or break wills. But her power is weakened by agonizing self-doubt, which comes from knowing that her gift may just as easily cause uncontrollable destruction. Evander has a lot of raw combat skill and acute political instincts that he learned from years of putting down rebellions. But his blunt force nature and deep-seated distrust of magic make every planning session a fight of words.
As winter’s darkness grows, the two heirs must navigate a maze of deception. The Twisted Council, a group of aristocrats who perceive Arabella’s magical lineage as a threat, plans to replace both kings with easily controlled puppets.
The Frostborn Outliers are sorcerers who have been exiled and are going crazy because of the cold. They are stalking the hinterlands because they believe that two crowns joined could release prohibited power.
The Crimson Assassins, elite murderers who owe House Roarke blood debt, are now doubting Evander’s fidelity because he has sworn allegiance to Arabella’s banner.
Arabella and Evander need to learn how to work together to use their skills against these threats. Arabella teaches Evander to control his fury with careful restraint in secret battle rooms lit by torchlight. Evander teaches Arabella how to fight with a sword in the northern icefields at night, showing her that courage can be fashioned as easily as steel. Their heated arguments about strategy quickly turn into passionate touches under velvet capes and whispered moments in the palace’s frost-lined halls, where they learn that being vulnerable may be just as binding as any oath.
But trust is still weak. Arabella understands that the curse comes from her magic, which has been twisted by the council’s evil plans, when a strange plague starts to sweep through Valeria’s heartland and convert people into ice-covered husks. At the same time, Evander finds proof that his cherished mentor, Lord Marreck, has been surreptitiously giving weapons to secret revolutionaries. Each person must face the unsettling realization that the greatest threat may be inside the circle of allies they wanted to trust, even when they are torn between duty and loyalty.
The Two Twisted Crowns hold a dangerous Council of Unity on top of the freezing battlements in the thrilling climax. Arabella and Evander must use their combined strength in a stunning display of fire and ice as a flood of courtly betrayal and dark magic comes together. Lives will be put on the line, sacrifices will be made, and the actual nature of their bond born of hatred, tempered by need, and forged in desire will decide whether Valeria is reborn or dies in perpetual winter.
Two Twisted Crowns is a great mix of political intrigue, magic, and love that shouldn’t be. Rachel Gillig’s writing brings to life every frost-covered tower and candlelight throne room in amazing detail. Her complex characters bring to life a universe where love is both the greatest gift and the deadliest weapon. This is a coronation that readers who like big stakes and heart-pounding romance won’t soon forget.
About the Author
Rachel Gillig is a bestselling author known for her immersive dark romance and epic fantasy. With a gift for crafting morally complex heroines and dangerous heroes, she has enthralled readers with series like The Chosen and Blood of Roses. When not writing, she explores medieval history and cold‑weather landscapes for inspiration.
Product Details
- Title: Two Twisted Crowns
- Author: Rachel Gillig
- ISBN-13: 9780316312486
- Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
- Published: September 12, 2023
- Pages: 320
- Binding: Paperpack
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