6 STARS I cannot believe how fantastic this book was. I am clawing at the walls of my enclosure for book two. I loved the gothic atmosphere and the magic system and the gore and the characters and everything. I am utterly obsessed with this book.

Adding this from my review of the sequel, Two Twisted Crowns (don't worry, no spoilers ahead for either book!):

I cannot even begin to understand why some people do not like these books, the first book is flawless in my opinion and the second book, while ever so slightly not as good as the first book, is still fantastic. I do hear a lot of people on TikTok comparing these books to series like ACOTAR and Fourth Wing (I have read both of those series- ACOTAR through ACOSF and Fourth Wing through Iron Flame). I have no idea why the hell people are comparing the Shepard King books to ones like ACOTAR and Fourth Wing because they could not be more different. The only similarity is that they’re all fantasy books involving magic. But even still, the magic in all of these series are soooo different from each other. So perhaps that's why people aren't liking these books, they're going into One Dark Window expecting intense fae politics and fae smut every other page or horny teenagers that ride dragons, when these books just aren't about that. I’ve heard a lot of people say they expected more smut and romance in the Shepard King series because of the comparisons to Fourth Wing and ACOTAR. The Shepard King duology, while it has romance, is not just about romance and doesn’t rely just on romance. It’s much deeper. So to people that picked up these books because they were looking for something to fill the void from missing ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, or other beloved romantasy series, pLEASE try these books again with a clean slate and palette. You won’t be getting ACOTAR 2.0 from these, it’s much, much different and honestly better. And to the people who said these books were “too wordy”, kindly be quiet and go read a dictionary because apparently you never studied your SAT words well enough. To me, the language of these books was like a breath of fresh air especially having grown up reading books like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre and especially after the overly blunt and simplistic language of most popular novels and series out there (which I admit and appreciate, do still have a time and a place!). ( )

Loved the book. Had me in suspense while listening to the audiobook. On yo book 2. ( )

So so good! TREES!!! Love the story! So in love with Elspeth and Ravyn! Such a page turner! Amazing gothic fantasy! Was so so invested in the story. Book two is already out and I can’t wait to read it! ( )

I liked this book. One thing that I wish the book did differently is gave more character development. I didn't have many feelings for the main character Rayvn; we barely got to know him in the book. Another aspect that I didn't enjoy was the rhymes throughout the book. It took me out of the world that was being built and felt too childish. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in The Shepherd King series. I borrowed this on audiobook from the library.

Thoughts: This was an interesting read. It is a fairly typical fantasy romance complete with a forbidden love. However, there are a couple of story elements that set it apart from other fantasy romances. The first is the idea of the providence cards. Thse are magic cards with special powers that people covet for their magical powers. The second is the idea of a kingdom isolated and cursed by a surrounding mist. If the Providence cards can be brought together and a complete deck made, then the curse could be lifted...however, people's own greed prevents this.

Although the above premise intrigues me, I also found it contrived feeling. It's hard to believe that over all these years no one has tried to break the curse. Also ,we never really understand how Elspeth absorbed the Nightmare and what would happen if she were to touch and absorb other cards. The whole "magic system" feels a bit weak.

I also struggled with Elspeth as a character. She makes a lot of poor decisions throughout and never seems to learn from her mistakes. I liked the Captain of the Destriers, Ravyn, better but even he comes across as very selfish at times. I did enjoy the relationship the two developed. The Nightmare in Elspeth's head is an intriguing addition to the story and I enjoyed watching Elspeth trying to balance her own actions with the Nightmare in her head.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was a good listen. My only complaint is that sometimes the Nightmare's parts were whispered really softly, this made the narration hard to hear while driving...I kept having to turn the sound way up to hear the Nightmare. Aside from that I enjoyed the narration.

The story was engaging and easy to read. I did have to set aside my disbelieve around the concept behind this kingdom and the Providence cards, and Elspeth wasn't my favorite character. However, aside from those issues this story had a lot of intriguing elements.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. I like the idea of a cursed kingdom shrouded in mist and I enjoyed watching Elpeth balance her own life with the Nightmare in her head. The relationship between Elspeth and Ravyn is sweet and a bit dark all at once. I plan on reading the second book in this series, "Two Twisted Crowns", as soon as I can get it from the library. ( )