The Shepherd King (2 book series) by Rachel Gillig

The ‘Shepherd King‘ series by Rachel Gillig is a dark, gothic fantasy steeped in mystery and magic. Follow Elspeth Spindle as she navigates the misty kingdom of Blunder, where magic is both a blessing and a curse. Elspeth isn’t alone in her quest; she has a monster called the Nightmare living inside her head, guiding and sometimes battling her. The series kicks off with ‘One Dark Window’ and continues with ‘Two Twisted Crowns,’ where Elspeth and her allies must gather twelve Providence Cards to save their kingdom. Expect a blend of eerie atmosphere, complex characters, and a unique magic system that keeps you intrigued from start to finish.

Book 1: One Dark Window
For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a dark, lushly gothic fantasy about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom–but the monster in her head isn’t the only threat lurking. Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her. Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home–she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets. But nothing comes for free, especially magic. When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King’s own nephew, Captain of the Destriers…and guilty of high treason. He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards–the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him

Book 2:Two Twisted Crowns
“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 are going to find it before the Solstice and cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it, they will need to journey beyond the dangerous mist-cloaked forest that surrounds their kingdom. And the only one who can lead them there is the monster that shares Elspeth’s head: The Nightmare. And he’s not eager to share any longer”