Two Twisted Crowns
The dark, lush conclusion to Rachel Gillig's Shepherd King duology picks up with Elspeth and Ravyn having gathered nearly all twelve of the Providence Cards. Only one remains — the elusive Twin Alders — and finding it before the Solstice is the kingdom's last hope of breaking the curse that has poisoned Blunder for generations.
But the Twin Alders lies beyond the treacherous, mist-cloaked forest at the edge of the realm, and the only guide who knows the way is the ancient monster that shares Elspeth's mind: the Nightmare. He has his own designs on the Cards and the kingdom, and he is no longer content to share. As alliances fracture and old bargains come due, Elspeth, Ravyn, and Ravyn's sharp-tongued cousin Elm must risk everything against the mist, the crown, and the monster who knows all their secrets.
Told through shifting perspectives that finally give the Nightmare his own voice, Two Twisted Crowns brings the duology's gothic magic, romance, and menace to a shattering close.
Carries the ancient spirit called the Nightmare in her mind; after being overtaken by him at the end of One Dark Window, she spends much of this book fighting to reclaim control while the group races to find the last Providence Card.
Captain of the King's Destriers and Elspeth's love interest; one of the book's three POV characters.
Second son of King Rowan and Ravyn's cousin; the third POV character, developing a relationship with Ione while working to steal the last Providence Card.
King Rowan's first son and Elm's brother; corrupted by the mist, his pursuit of power drives much of the book's conflict.
The ancient spirit bound to Elspeth's mind, given his own point-of-view chapters in this installment as he pursues his own designs on the Providence Cards.
No — Two Twisted Crowns is the second and concluding book in Rachel Gillig's The Shepherd King duology. It picks up directly after the events of One Dark Window, so readers should start there first.