Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King, 2)

In the New York Times bestselling sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must confront the weight of her actions as she and Ravyn embark on a perilous quest to save the kingdom—perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten's For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson's The Year of the Witching.

Gripped by a tyrant king and in the thrall of dark magic, the kingdom is in peril. Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last—and most important—one remains to be found: the Twin Alders. If they’re going to find the card before Solstice and set free the kingdom, they will need to journey through the dangerous mist-cloaked forest. The only one who can lead them through is the monster that shares Elspeth’s head: the Nightmare.

And he’s not eager to share any longer.

Praise for One Dark Window:

"Enthralling from beginning to shocking end." —Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

"Pulse pounding, darkly whimsical, and aglow with treacherous magic." —Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic

The Shepherd King
One Dark Window
Two Twisted Crowns

Rachel Gillig was born and raised on the California coast. She is a writer and a teacher, with a B.A. in Literary Theory and Criticism from UC Davis. If she is not ensconced in blankets dreaming up her next novel, Rachel is in her garden or walking with her husband, son, and their poodle, Wally.

"In this engaging duology, Gillig has created a distinctive form of magic, explored how humanity would abuse it, and offered a chance of redemption. Characters are painfully aware of their flaws as this page turner keeps readers guessing at the outcome."―Booklist

"Darker and even more atmospheric ... A satisfying end to the Shepherd King duology."―Paste Magazine

Praise for One Dark Window:

"Thick fog, shifting alliances, and clever magic make the perfect backdrop for a sweeping romance—One Dark Window is enthralling from beginning to shocking end." ―Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

"One Dark Window is an evocative tale of romance, mystery and alluring monsters, told in beautifully lush prose. Rachel Gillig has created a story which left me entranced." ―Lyndall Clipstone, author of Lakesedge

“[T]he steamy romance that emerges between Elspeth and Ravyn delights. Fans of Sarah J. Maas, Naomi Novik, and Hannah Whitten will want to check this out.” ―Publishers Weekly

"An enchanting tale with sharp claws and teeth—Gillig’s prose will pull you in and won’t let you sleep. Pulse-pounding, darkly whimsical, and aglow with treacherous magic, One Dark Window is everything I love in fantasy and more." ―Allison Saft, author of A Far Wilder Magic

"A beautifully dark fairy tale of blood, rage and bitter choice, that whisked me away to mist-wreathed woods ripe with romance and menace." ―Davinia Evans, author of Notorious Sorcerer

"A finely detailed magical system enriches Gillig’s debut; fantasy readers will enjoy." ―Library Journal

"Readers will be enthralled with Elspeth’s—and Nightmare’s—riveting adventure." ―Booklist

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig is the second book in the Shepherd King duology and continues the dark, dreamy, gothic fantasy that began in One Dark Window. The story picks up in the mist-shrouded kingdom of Blunder, where the stakes are higher, the magic is stranger, and the cost of freedom is growing heavier for everyone involved. Elspeth, who once shared her mind with the ancient, monstrous Nightmare, has sacrificed herself in a way: the Nightmare now fully controls her body, while her true self is trapped deep inside. The curse on Blunder still hangs over the land, tied to the old Providence Cards and the sins of the Langton bloodline, and time is running out. The only hope lies in breaking the curse, but doing so will demand blood, sacrifice, and the unraveling of old power.

The book shifts its focus more strongly to Ravyn Yew and Elm Langton, giving them central roles in both the action and the emotional heart of the story. Ravyn, the stern, duty-bound highwayman captain from the first book, finds himself forced to reckon with what it means to love someone who may no longer be fully herself. Elspeth is present and absent at the same time; her body walks and speaks, but the Nightmare is behind her eyes, unpredictable and dangerous. Ravyn’s loyalty to her, and his determination to honor the promise he made, become a key emotional thread. At the same time, Elm, Ravyn’s cousin and the king’s younger brother, steps into more of the spotlight. Elm has often been seen as charming, careless, and unserious, but in this book he must confront his own potential as a leader and a weapon. His relationship with the Nightmare, and with Elspeth’s tangled fate, becomes a strange mix of rivalry, alliance, and understanding.

Blunder itself continues to feel like a character in its own right, with its ever-present mist, ominous forests, and haunted, claustrophobic villages. The curse has shaped everything: the way people live, the power structures they cling to, and the myth of the Shepherd King who is said to return. The Providence Cards, once mysterious and half-understood, gain more clarity here. Their origins, their true purpose, and the way they bind bloodlines and souls are gradually revealed. Each card is tied to a form of magic and a cost, and the characters must decide how far they are willing to go in using them. The atmosphere remains gothic and eerie—full of whispering trees, visions, and a sense that old stories are pressing in on the present.

Much of the tension comes from the uneasy alliances among the main characters. Ravyn, Elm, Ione, and the others are united by a shared goal—breaking the curse and overthrowing the rotten power at Blunder’s core—but they do not fully trust each other or themselves. Elm, in particular, is a wild card. He carries his own Providence magic, and his relationship with the Nightmare is unnervingly intimate; he understands it in ways others do not, which makes him both essential and suspect. As the group moves across Blunder, they encounter resistance, twisted creatures born of the curse, and brutal realities about the kingdom’s history. They begin to piece together how the Langton kings used the cards and what was sacrificed to keep their power. This growing knowledge is both a weapon and a burden.

Elspeth’s internal struggle adds a deeper psychological layer. Though the Nightmare appears to be in control, Elspeth is not gone. Inside their shared mind, she fights to maintain her sense of self, to hold onto her memories and feelings, and to resist being erased. The Nightmare, ancient and ruthless, is not simply a villain; it is tired, bound by old promises, and shaped by centuries of violence and fear. The tension between Elspeth and the Nightmare—between humanity and monstrosity, mercy and brutality—is one of the key themes in the story. The idea that one body can hold both a girl who loves and a monster who kills becomes a powerful metaphor for trauma, self-sacrifice, and the cost of power. Their dynamic also complicates the romances in the story, because loving Elspeth now means accepting the Nightmare’s presence as well.

Romance continues to be woven through the plot but never fully overtakes it. The bond between Elspeth and Ravyn, formed in the first book, is tested harshly by her possession and by the terrible choices ahead. Ravyn must accept that the woman he loves might not return as she was, or might not survive at all. Meanwhile, Elm’s growing connection to Elspeth/the Nightmare introduces a different kind of chemistry: one built on sharp banter, shared danger, and a strange understanding of what it means to live under a curse. The relationships in Two Twisted Crowns feel more mature, more painful, and more honest than before, because they are shaped by loss, fear, and looming tragedy rather than just tension and attraction.

As the story moves toward its climax, the characters must confront not only external enemies but the full truth of Blunder’s curse. The legend of the Shepherd King, once half-myth, becomes more concrete. The origins of the Nightmare, the reason the mist never lifts, and the real cost of the Providence magic are revealed in pieces. The plot builds toward a final confrontation that demands sacrifices from more than one character. The idea of crowns—twisted, shared, and broken—reflects how power in Blunder has never been simple or clean. To free the kingdom, someone must take on a role that may feel more like a burden than a reward.

The ending of Two Twisted Crowns is emotional and bittersweet, fitting the tone of a gothic fairytale where victory is never without loss. The curse is faced head-on, and the characters are forced to choose between their own desires and the safety of their people. Elspeth’s journey comes to a powerful conclusion, one that speaks to identity, selflessness, and the possibility of healing even after being consumed by darkness. Ravyn and Elm each find their own answers about what it means to be leaders, protectors, and men shaped by a haunted kingdom. Blunder itself steps into a new future—still scarred, but no longer trapped in the same cycle.

Overall, Two Twisted Crowns deepens and completes the story that began in One Dark Window, offering more answers about Blunder’s lore, more development for its characters, and a satisfying balance of romance, horror, and high stakes. The book feels like a dark, foggy fairytale coming to its end: not purely happy, not purely tragic, but full of beauty, sorrow, and the sense that stories, like curses, can be broken if someone is brave enough to bear the cost.