Read every series in the right order
The Shepherd King Books in Chronological Order – Complete Reading Guide
Table of Contents
Quick Answer (TL;DR)
- Reading order (also the publication order):
- One Dark Window → 2) Two Twisted Crowns.
- Best way to start: Begin with One Dark Window. It establishes the mist-locked kingdom, the Providence Card magic, and the central relationships so the sequel’s stakes truly land.
- Vibe check: Lush Gothic romantasy + fairy-tale menace + a deliciously unsettling “voice in the head.” Think candlelit forest roads, antlered masks, and dangerous bargains.
Introduction
There are fantasies that feel like castles: grand, sunlit, and safe. The Shepherd King duology by Rachel Gillig is not that. These books are lantern-lit corridors and fog-swept moors, where every footstep echoes back a question: What will you trade for freedom? At the heart of this dark, velvety tale is Elspeth Spindle, a young woman bound to an ancient, mercurial spirit known only as the Nightmare—a voice that keeps her alive, keeps her hidden, and keeps demanding a little more.
If you’re here to read The Shepherd King Books in Chronological Order, this is your spoiler-light roadmap. We’ll cover the core two novels, how the Providence Cards work in practice (no twists ruined), what order to read, how the character arcs unfurl, and which formats and editions make this mist-bound world feel most immersive.
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Series | The Shepherd King by Rachel Gillig (complete duology) |
| Core Titles | One Dark Window (Book 1), Two Twisted Crowns (Book 2) |
| Setting | A mist-locked kingdom (think Gothic forests, old roads, warded towns) |
| Magic System | Providence Cards—twelve relics tied to specific boons and terrible prices |
| Tone/Genres | Gothic fantasy, romantasy, dark fairy-tale, political intrigue, found-family alliances |
| Reading Difficulty | Moderate (rich prose, manageable cast, clear magic rules with escalating depth) |
| Approx. Lengths | ~400–480 pages each (varies by edition); audio ~12–14 hours each |
| Total Read Time | ~24–28 hours at an average print pace |
| Content Warnings | Possession/voice in head, psychological manipulation, peril/violence, body horror imagery (tasteful but eerie), tyrannical power, trauma recovery |
| Ideal Age Range | 16+ (upper-YA/Adult crossover; widely read by adults who enjoy dark romantasy) |
| Adaptations | No released screen adaptation at the time of writing; professionally produced audiobooks available |
| Best Entry | One Dark Window—introduces Elspeth, Ravyn, the Nightmare, the Crown’s grip, and the stakes around the Cards |
About the Book Series
The Shepherd King reads like a long, shadow-kissed ballad about power and consent—to rulers, to magic, to the parts of ourselves we fear. The kingdom lives under a mist that slinks between trees and doorways, a constant reminder that the past’s bargains never truly ended. Into this landscape steps Elspeth, who survives because she carries a secret: the Nightmare, an older-than-memory spirit bound to her mind. He’s clever. He’s protective. And he wants things.
The engine of the plot is the search for the twelve Providence Cards, artifacts that grant devastating gifts but exact prices just as steep. The Crown has used these cards for control. Rebels would use them for cure. Between them stands Ravyn, the King’s nephew turned wanted traitor—trained to serve power, determined to break it. The series pairs a near-folkloric magic with intimate character work, asking whether love means safety, honesty, or the choice to stand together in the dark.
The Shepherd King Books at a Glance
| Title | Year | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| One Dark Window | 2022 | Buy on Amazon |
| Two Twisted Crowns | 2023 | Buy on Amazon |
The Shepherd King Books in Chronological Order
1) One Dark Window
Start here. This opening movement builds the fairy-tale logic of the Providence Cards and the Gothic intimacy of Elspeth’s relationship with the Nightmare. In the mist-bound kingdom, keeping your head down is survival—but when Elspeth crosses paths with a masked highwayman, she’s pulled into a conspiracy to gather the Cards and cure the magic that is strangling the land. The road roves from village doors with painted wards to hidden rooms where names matter and masks matter more. Along the way, the book sketches a simmering partnership with Ravyn—equal parts tender and tactical—and lays out the unromantic arithmetic of power: every boon has a cost.
Why it works: A perfectly pitched blend of romance, atmosphere, and rules-driven magic. You’ll learn how the Cards tempt and how the Nightmare bargains, without losing the thrill of not knowing what either will do next.
2) Two Twisted Crowns
The sequel is a reckoning. Promises made in candlelight must stand up to dawn. The quest to complete the deck sharpens to a single, difficult card—the Twin Alders—while the king tightens his hold and the mist presses in. Elspeth’s inner battle isn’t metaphorical; the Nightmare has his own designs, and the book makes good on the tension baked into their shared mind. Tactically, we range farther—deeper forests, testing politics, and moments of messy, human solidarity that remind you why anyone bothers to fight for a future.
Why it works: It respects what the first book built—turning whispered fears into choices with real, personal prices—and delivers on the emotional and magical stakes without sacrificing the series’ signature mood.
Series Timeline & Character Development
The Spine of the Story (Spoiler-light)
- Inciting Alignment: One Dark Window throws Elspeth into the path of Ravyn and a circle of allies who believe the Cards’ boons can be rebalanced—not just exploited. Their deadline: Solstice, when old magic is thinnest and boldest both.
- Middle Grind: Preparation means theft, study, ritual, and risk. The team learns how each Card asks before it gives, and that the kingdom’s mist is not simply weather but history unresolved.
- The Turn Inward: The second book forces internal reckonings—what Elspeth wants vs what the Nightmare wants—and draws a hard line between surviving together and winning alone.
- Endgame: The final act binds personal choice to public consequence, asking not just whether the curse can be broken but what replaces it.
Character Arcs
Elspeth Spindle — hidden → revealed (on her own terms)
- Starting point: A young woman who survives by silence, secrecy, and a bargain she never meant to strike.
- Throughline: Learning to name what she wants—love, freedom, a future—and to face the truth that the Nightmare’s protection is not neutral.
- Destination: Agency that costs and counts. Elspeth’s greatest victory is not in wielding power but in deciding how it is used.
Ravyn — soldier of the Crown → architect of resistance
- Starting point: A masked hunter of men who has seen the Crown’s rot from the inside.
- Throughline: Replacing reflex with principle; shifting from “I can do this alone” to “We can’t fix this without each other.”
- Destination: Leadership that accepts vulnerability as strategy, not weakness.
The Nightmare — guardian → claimant
- Starting point: The voice that saved Elspeth’s life and insists he’s owed.
- Throughline: The push-pull of control. He is not a simple monster; he is history, grief, power, and a personality that cannot help but press.
- Destination: Truth. And truths in this series don’t sit quietly once spoken.
The Circle (allies, kin, and collateral hearts)
- A found-family of rebels, scholars, and kin trying to keep each other alive while they remake an old world. Their small compromises and narrow miracles make the big gambits possible.
The Providence Cards (No Spoilers)
There are twelve, each with a boon and a price. Some are intuitive (a card of strength/ferocity), others are terrifying in a way that feels like folklore whispered under blankets. Understanding how and when to invoke them is the practical craft of the rebellion; understanding what they change in the people who use them is the moral craft of the series.
Novels Sorted by In-Universe Events
- Earliest → Latest: One Dark Window → Two Twisted Crowns.
The action is continuous across a compressed timeline (with Solstice as a key horizon), so reading straight through preserves tension and payoff.
Novels Sorted by Publication
- One Dark Window (Book 1)
- Two Twisted Crowns (Book 2)
Same sequence as the in-world chronology—no shuffle required.
Companion Works, Special Editions & Formats
Editions & Collectibles
- Hardcover vs Paperback: Hardcovers often feature foil accents and map endpapers that suit the Gothic vibe (great gifts). Paperbacks travel well and sometimes include bonus materials depending on region/print.
- Special/Collector Editions: Periodic retailer exclusives and sprayed-edge runs occur—check major booksellers and subscription box archives (when available) if you collect matched sets.
- Box Sets: As a two-book complete duology, watch for bundled duology sets in your market.
Audio
- Narration: Professional productions lean into the atmosphere—mist, masks, whispers. If you like to read at night, audio + ebook whispersync is an excellent way to ride the mood without losing your place.
Reading Formats by Goal
- Immersion: Hardcover (maps, weight, aesthetic) or audiobook (performance).
- Speed: Kindle/ebook (adjustable lighting and margins).
- Annotating: Paperback (margin notes and tabs).
Why Read The Shepherd King Books in Chronological Order?
Because the duology’s central magic—the Providence Cards—is a stack of loaded pistols, and the books teach you when and why each one fires. Reading One Dark Window first:
- Grounds you in the rules and the risks,
- Lets the relationships build at the right pressure,
- Turns the sequel’s choices into earned consequences instead of puzzle answers.
Put simply: the second book is all payoff; the first is the setup that makes those payoffs unforgettable.
Author Spotlight: Rachel Gillig
Rachel Gillig grew up on California’s coast and studied literary theory and criticism before turning to fiction that feels like a thesis on power wrapped in a fairy tale. She writes (and teaches) with a scholar’s attention to theme and a storyteller’s gift for sensory, moody prose—you’ll taste the fog and hear antlers scrape bark when the Nightmare smiles. When she’s not writing, she’s gardening or walking with her family and poodle, which explains the books’ pulse: danger, yes—but also a stubborn, ordinary love for living things.
Media Adaptations (films, TV, audio)
- Screen: No released film/TV adaptation has premiered at the time of writing. Given the contained scope (two books, one kingdom) and strong visual identity (masks, cards, mist), it’s easy to imagine a prestige limited series.
- Audio: Unabridged audiobooks are available—atmospheric narration suits late-night listening and makes the Nightmare’s voice deliciously unsettling.
- Fan Formats: Expect fan art and deck mockups inspired by the Providence Cards—an organic extension of the series’ magic system.
FAQs About The Shepherd King Books in Chronological Order
What is the correct order to read The Shepherd King?
Read One Dark Window first, then Two Twisted Crowns. This is both publication order and in-universe chronology.
Is The Shepherd King finished?
Yes. It’s a complete duology. Start with One Dark Window and finish with Two Twisted Crowns.
Do I need to understand the Providence Cards in detail before I start?
No. The first book teaches the rules organically. You’ll learn what each card offers and costs as the story unfolds.
How dark is the series? (Age guidance)
Upper YA/Adult crossover (16+). Expect possession/voice in head, peril, non-graphic violence, and eerie body-horror imagery presented in a Gothic, tasteful way.
Is this romantasy or straight fantasy?
Both. The romance is central and emotionally significant, but the plot and magic system carry equal weight. If you like dark romantasy with real stakes, this fits.
Print or audio—what’s better for this duology?
Hardcovers accent the Gothic aesthetic (maps, foils). Audiobooks heighten mood and character voice. Many readers enjoy ebook + audio for flexibility.
Final Thoughts
The Shepherd King Books in Chronological Order give you a clean, two-beat narrative that starts with a secret and ends with a choice. Read One Dark Window to fall for the world—the wards, the masks, the quiet courage. Read Two Twisted Crowns to decide what you’ll pay for a future worth living. The duology sticks the landing because it understands something simple and difficult: love is not the absence of fear; it’s the decision to move through it together.
When you close the final page, the mist will still be there at the edge of your window. You’ll just know its name.
