One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1) By Rachel Gillig

Marquise

I confess I was quite wary of this book because of someone telling me it was what "For the Wolf" was supposed to be and other details that both lowered my expectations and put me on alert for a negative outcome. But it surprised me pleasantly, and despite expecting the worst, I ended up liking it.

As a début book, it isn't as polished as it should be. There's plenty of "rookie mistakes" writing-wise, but I believe its positives outweighed them and made this a good story; better than I'm accustomed to seeing from debutante authors, in fact, and more so from YA debutantes that are more hype than substance. The plotline might not be all that original, no, it has vibes from "Vespertine," and the characters aren't all that unique either. Here, you must look at the story as a whole. I won't go into the comparisons with other hyped books nor the (mis)categorisation of genres that's bothered others, as it's splitting hairs at this point and I don't want to burden the book with the missteps made by the publicity dept. They should've been more careful precisely because it's a new author.

Anyhow, back to the story, the main reason I enjoyed this is simple: in this story, magic has a cost. I adored "Vespertine," which shares the same topic of possession with "One Dark Window," and has a much richer world and better characterisation (and banter!). But where Rogerson was building on the Catholic Church's rich lore for her worldbuilding, Gillig is playing more with her own creation from bits and pieces of cloth, and one thing where she outpaced Rogerson is in the price to pay for magic. In "One Dark Window," all characters that have magic pay an awful price, which could actually be far grimmer if this wasn't mild by genre restrictions. Were this Grimdark or adult instead of YA, we'd probably be looking at "The Exorcist" instead of "Vespertine" lite.

Why is this important? This is personal preference, but in recent discussions I've had with other Fantasy lovers, one complaint was that in books where "dark" magic is used, there's no price to pay for it, or the price is hardly more than a slap on the wrist. And in this case, we're talking about possession, for goodness' sake! A powerful, not exactly morally sound being enters your mind and cohabitates with your soul, feeding on you like a parasite and giving you powers... and you're supposed to not pay a price for such a thing? Every single real-life lore where the topic of possession exists, be it by demons or other beings, is clear about the risks, but in YA it's not always the case. Hence I'm happy that, in this book, it does.

The magic in this book is based on a deck of cards, likely inspired by the Tarot. There's over seventy Providence Cards that an ancient king with powerful magic granted by a primeval forest spirit created, magic that ended up causing a rift with the spirit, who cursed the land with a noxious mist that's slowly eating away at the kingdom's lands and infecting people with a fever. To stop the advance of this toxic mist, twelve of these cards are needed, the chief ones, and use them to break the curse. Unfortunately, one of them is missing and has never been seen, the rest are in possession of the kingdom's nobles, who use them for their own ends, good and bad, always paying a price for their use. The protagonist, Elspeth, had the fever as a child and her family hid it to avoid her being executed by the king, who hunts fever survivors that possess magic, but she accidentally touches one of the chief Providence Cards that results in her being possessed by the Nightmare.

The Nightmare and her have a complicated relationship. Unlike Artemisa and the Revenant, where she was educated on what the being possessing her was and knew better about his powers and his nature, Elspeth was never taught how to use her powers, she doesn't even know who or what the Nightmare is. Which accounts for her erratic feelings and attitude towards him, screaming for help when she's afraid and lashing out when she's annoyed. The age difference and the education level definitely account for this, so I'm not sure I'd call this poor characterisation. I do, however, wish they talked more naturally and had better banter, because sometimes the Nightmare sounds like your street's resident gossip doing live commentary on your behaviour. I do wish Elspeth knew how to reply to him without sounding like a brat so often.

As for the romance, it's slow-burn, but not particularly noteworthy. Maybe because they don't have that great a chemistry as a couple as they do as partners in crime. In fact, I was hoping Elspeth would end up with Elm. He's more abrasive and distrustful, but also so loyal and doesn't go about her with kid gloves. I also liked Emory better. Well, I liked all the other male characters far more than I did Ravyn, even the Nightmare was more likable for me. I'm basically liking this story for Elspeth and the Nightmare, I want his backstory, what made him a "monster," what his quarrel with the Spirit was like exactly, what his real name is, how can he come back if he can, why he's been like that for so long, did he know Elspeth would be born and waited for her, et cetera. So many questions! And the cliffhanger this book ends in wasn't helping.

To sum it all up, this first book is pretty much a set-up for a series, shows enough but hides enough to keep interest, and I'm going to read the next because I want my questions answered.

Thank you to Orbit Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Richard is slow to respond

Update: 02/21/2023

Just completed my reread via audiobook this time and I have to say that this book was even better the second time around! The audiobook was really well done and I even picked up on things that I missed during my initial read.

Everybody needs to go read this book!

You’ll end up kicking yourself if you wait because it is just that good! Don’t be that person. READ IT NOW!! GO!!

—

This is a gothic YA fantasy novel that I really enjoyed. There are these magic providence cards that grant those in possession magical abilities. The drawback is that this magic can infect you. Elspeth Spindle is infected with magic and now has a monster living in her mind. She must now collect all twelve providence cards for the cure.

I really liked Elspeth and the gothic feel of this book. It is a perfect autumn read and I am looking forward to getting the audiobook when it comes out in September so I can experience it then. I first started reading this during a thunderstorm and it was the perfect atmosphere. It looks as it’s about to storm now as I write this review, which is the perfect bookend to my reading experience.

There also is an enemy-to-lovers romance. I wasn’t aware of that when I requested the book, but it wasn’t too heavy and I know many of my friends would appreciate that aspect.

The ending was really great and it ended with a bit of a cliffhanger. I already can’t wait for the next book!

Thank you Orbit Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Deema ♡

“I’m just the wind in the trees, the shadow, and the fright. The echo in the leaves...the nightmare in the night.”

This is the easiest 5 stars I’ve given a book in a while. One Dark Window is a gothic fantasy that gripped me from the start and didn’t let me out of its claws until the very end. ~~Actually, I’m still in its clutches.~~ This is a story about a girl with a dangerous secret, a mist that threatens to destroy the Kingdom, cards that grant magic for a high price, and a quest that could change the lives of many.

This was a totally immersive book for me. The dark, eerie atmosphere and the action scenes made me gasp and gave me chills. The description of magic and its origins were easy to follow. The plot and reveals were tied in smoothly throughout the book.

The characters were flawed, a bit mysterious, and I absolutely adored them! Elspeth hasn’t had an easy life, trusts few people, and stays away from crowds because of her dark secret. That is, until she meets a handsome and mysterious highwayman who convinces her to help him on his quest. I love Elspeth, Ravyn, Elm, and Jespyr. This group of characters are witty, loyal, and so courageous. Last, but not least, The Nightmare. His character was intriguing, frightening, and surprisingly funny at times. Even when I wanted to dislike him, something inside me was just so attached to him and his story.

There’s a little bit of romance in this book that had me swooning, screaming, smiling (listen, there was even a too-hot-for-YA scene that I was very here for). I know the romance isn’t the main point of this story, but I love them so much together that I need more of them in the sequel!

The ending hurt—this cliffhanger almost made me cry. I’ll forgive it, because it’s meant to lead us into the next book, but I won't be able to forget it.

I loved every moment of buddy reading One Dark Window with my gorgeous queen
Rebecca! 💖 Also, thank you so much to Richard for convincing me to read this with his
awesome review! Now the three of us can wait impatiently for the sequel to publish.

Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction)

Rated 4.5/5 stars!

Kaven Hirning

This book is entirely an obsession and I am clawing at the floor for the next installment

Paige ♠

So I finished this book in one sitting - I definitely thought it was pretty good 😆

🆗 BY THE END, I really enjoyed the magic system, with the Mist and the Providence Cards. I will admit that it was a bit difficult to follow at the beginning because it was different from most magic systems. But the fact that it was unique made me like it even more as I became more familiar with it!

✅ THIS WAS FAST-PACED with the characters always going to new locations and trying to make progress in the mystery. I also appreciated that there was a steady release of information throughout because I find it so annoying when you’re left clueless the entire time until the very end.

✅ GOOD AUTUMN VIBES with the somewhat gloomy atmosphere and all the mist. Not to say that fall is gloomy… I just felt like this it was a good time of year for this book 😅

🆗 THE ROMANCE WAS GOOD but did have a hint of instalove… but even with that, I still really enjoyed it. It was also “sort of” steamy for a YA book because there was definitely more than just kissing, which I always appreciate!

✅ I REALLY ENJOYED the nightmare. I thought he brought some fun comedic relief at times and it was an interesting way to depict a decent into madness. Apparently, I’m a big fan of books where some dark being is inside the MC’s head because I’ve liked all the ones I’ve read

✅ THE ENDING WAS exciting and I’m super intrigued to see how this resolves! It’s definitely a cliffhanger but not one that I was super surprised by

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise and I’m really glad I decided to pick it up. I feel like YA fantasy is definitely becoming a bit steamier with romances in general, which I’m super excited about 🥰 I would recommend this if you’re looking for a YA fantasy romance that has an interesting and unique magic system and a bit of a spooky vibe

Rebecca

TREES! This was a great book!

One Dark Window is set in the wonderfully dark and gothic town of Blunder that is cut off from the rest of the world bc of a mist that keeps the townspeople trapped and threatened with dark magic. Anyone infected with the magic is believed to be evil or dangerous and is sentenced to death. Elspeth has hidden her infection since childhood not letting anyone know that she lives with another inside her own mind but when she meets a mysterious highwayman who holds his own secrets, she must risk her own safety to work together to possibly find a cure to the dark magic and save herself and everyone else.

This world and these characters were so lush and immersive. The writing is beautiful and engaging, there are no slow parts in this book, I was captivated on every page! Elspeth was an amazing main character, she was strong, witty and her banter with other characters was really funny. Ravyn was elusive and interesting from the beginning; I loved him so much and his relationship with Elspeth was developed perfectly! This did not feel YA to me at all btw! 😂 (in the best way)

The star of the show was Nightmare. I loved this scary psycho like monster so much and I am not even sure if I am supposed to but he was my favorite part. I like crazy and weird and he really checks those boxes.

Thank you to my darling bestie Deema for reading this book with me, we had so much fun going back and forth with all of our theories and thoughts and of course a HUGE thanks to the man himself Richard for the awesome rec!

Rachel Rowell

This story threw me into a book hangover that I’m still not quite over…I loved this spooky, atmospheric tale and didn’t want it to end!

🖤 According to the author, this story was inspired by the beloved poem “The Highwayman” (which I was completely obsessed with in middle school). I think this book has more in common with the overall vibe and cadence of the poem, more so than the actual plot (besides a few key points). I LOVED the lines of poetry from The Old Book of Alders at the beginning of each chapter, and how the Nightmare that lives in Elspeth’s head is always speaking in rhyme.
🖤 Magic being outlawed is nothing new in fantasy, but the Providence Cards were a GREAT opportunity for unique worldbuilding to shine - and to showcase the political corruption, scheming and secrets afoot in the kingdom. (And on the flip side re: the Nightmare, I’m always a sucker for the Venom-but-make-it-fantasy trope 🙂)
🖤 The story featured a great cast of morally grey characters - including a tight-knit found family, and quite a few characters that you love to hate (looking at you, Hauth 😒)
🖤 The romance was sweet (and even a little bit steamy!), with slightly older protagonists which I always appreciate. Elspeth did read a little young to me because she was sheltered/in hiding for so long, but she had no problem taking the reins of her own life once the opportunity arose.
🖤 The adventure, life and death secrets, and tension you can cut with a knife (that truth or dare scene, anyone??) kept me on the edge of my seat! The ending was wild and left me with so many questions…how are we going to fix this??? I can’t WAIT for book 2 to release!

Major thanks to Netgalley, Orbit Books and the author for the opportunity to read an eARC in exchange for my thoughts!

Ellie

'a gothic fantasy set in a mist-locked kingdom where a maiden joins forces with the king's treasonous nephew and his band of highwaymen, all whilst hiding not only her magic but the monster trapped in her head'
[x]

GOTHIC MONSTER FANTASY BOOK WITH SPOOKY WOODS!!

✩ Yaz ✩

“I see you, Elspeth Spindle. I see a pretty maiden with long black hair and charcoal eyes. I see a yellow gaze narrowed by hate. I see darkness and shadow. And I see your fingers, long and pale, covered in blood.”

To say I was impressed by One Dark Window would be an understatement, I was astounded.

This dark gothic fantasy romance novel is an entrancing odyssey in the fantastical Kingdom of Blunder with a unique and intricate magic system based on providence cards, each has its own magical properties. Those cards are Blunder's greatest gift.

— Dark Fantasy Romance
— Heroine x Captain of the Guard
— Fake Courtship
— Found Family
— Fascinating Magic Systen and Lore
— Atmospheric World-building
— Highwaymen and Rebels
— Political Scheming and Court Intrigue
— Quests and Action
— Gothic Ambience

At 9 years old, Elspeth Spindle was struck by a strange infection born of magic, those with the infection always met a tragic end, either by the fever or the noose. The folk of Blunder had hated those who caught the infection as much as the infection itself. Elspeth's fever manifested itself into an eerie presence in her consciousness—she called it the Nightmare.

For 11 years, Elspeth Spindle kept her own dark, dangerous secrets and the ancient spirit—the Nightmare—who kept her secrets and protected her. But with magic, there is always a cost.

Elspeth meets a Highwayman and his companions on her way with her family to join the King's Equinox ball at the castle. Secrets and dangerous schemes begin to unravel, and Elspeth is at risk of being exposed as the child who had survived the fever and was kept hidden until her adulthood, and that equals to treason to the King.

Fever carriers are born with unique magical gifts, and to the king there is no true magic beyond card magic, everything else is an abomination.
Elspeth meets a Highwayman and his companions on her way with her family to join the King's Equinox ball at the castle. Secrets and dangerous schemes begin to unravel, and Elspeth is at risk of being exposed as the child who had survived the fever and was kept hidden until her adulthood, and that equals to treason to the King.

Fever carriers are born with unique magical gifts, and to the king there is no true magic beyond card magic, everything else is abomination.

To rid Blunder of the fever and the dark magic, Elspeth and her new companions must move against their King and dive into a dark past to find the missing puzzle pieces of the story of the Spirit of the Wood and the Shepherd King and the Old Book of Alders.

Time is running out for Elspeth, and the maiden may very well turn into the monster.

Nothing is free. Nothing is safe. Magic always comes at a cost.

As much as I found the lore and the magic system fascinating, the info-dumping strained the book for me and it prompted me to not give it one-star. It's not that it's hard to follow, I just felt it was a struggle to digest all that information especially when it's a new concept and a system the author is building from scratch, which again I loved but it needed to be balanced.

The romance blossomed slowly but beautifully. It always tugs at my heart strings when tension turns into tenderness.

Fantasy readers will definitely devour this book!

Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘

I can sum up my experience with
One Dark Window with these 2 contradictory - yet both true - statements :
1) I thought I'd love it and I just didn't, but
2) Ultimately, I enjoyed it more than I expected after the first 30%.

Is it, again, a question of expectations, then? In parts only. Sure, if you had told me about the YA vibes (minus one sex-scene) before I started, I might have enjoyed the beginning more.

This said however, it wouldn't have prevented me from complaining about :
◼️ the weak world-building : there's a Village and a Forest and two Castles and all of it is so vague that I couldn't describe it for the life of me ; the magic system ("system" sounds like a stretch tbh) is very simple despite its undeniable potential ;
◼️ the "gothic" atmosphere if gothic means a Mist (I'll be randomly capitalizing it because I feel like it, alright) that we're told is Very Dangerous but has no impact on our MCs so who cares, really ;

I still would have felt meh about :
◼️ the okay writing, the siblings' banter being a definite upside and the little rhymes a boring downside ;
◼️ how predictable the plot was (it's nice to feel clever but I'd rather be surprised, okay)

A 3 stars rating is a positive one however so of course there were aspects I enjoyed :
◼️ the nightmare possessing the MC had its moments, even though I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't compared him to Vespertine's Revenant who is entirely superior and funnier (sorry) ;
◼️ the romance was superficial but I still rooted for them a lot so either I'm a basic bitch who lives for fake courting (I am) or I just love grumpy dudes with hearts of gold too much (also this) ;
◼️ as I mentioned earlier : siblings/cousins' banter always get my love 🖤
◼️ the ending was awesome!!!!! It thoroughly convinced me to read the sequel when it comes out!

Namera [The Literary Invertebrate]

As someone who ADORES 'The Highwayman', who memorised the entire poem when she was eight years old and can still reel it off, this is very disappointing.

Honestly this book is just so... boring. The descriptions are SO bland. The cover and blurb give the impression that it's an an atmospheric, perhaps even slightly creepy novel, steeped in violence and magic and romance, but everything is described in such flat terms that it totally failed to hold my interest.

I DNFed about 10% in.

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Dannii Elle

This is the first instalment in The Shepherd King series.

"ELSPETH NEEDS A MONSTER. THE MONSTER MIGHT BE HER."

This sentence was all I read to become invested in this story and, upon beginning the actual book, I knew I had made the correct call. This statement, combined with the gloomy cover design, gave a good indication of the mysterious and atmospheric contents this book contained.

Elspeth Spindle's body houses two voices inside of it. One is her own. The other came as a result of an infection that swept across her kingdom, leaving magical beings and, for her, mysterious voices in its wake. She keeps her abilities hidden, for fear of death, but soon finds she must learn to trust in order to heal and to share in order to find answers.

I loved how the magic system worked. It was intricate and detailed but never overwhelmingly confusing. Different cards provided the user with different abilities and many of them were used throughout the course of the novel so that, by the close of it, the reader got to see these differences in action. Elspeth's own abilities were another kind entirely and these were just as interesting to explore. Both were unique and added to the foreboding atmosphere and uneasiness that permeated the story.

The major reveal in this novel was one that I had long anticipated but the narrative was peppered with such an abundance of mysteries that this did not impact my enjoyment in any way. There was so much to unpack and so many puzzles featured that my mind was consistently whirring and trying to work through the information imparted. If anything, I felt joy at having been proved correct concerning the reveal and it had me even more excited for the next series instalment, which is sure to be just as emotional and exciting a read.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Rachel Gillig, and the publisher, Orbit, for this opportunity.

Krystal

I really enjoyed this story but I'm a bit disappointed that the romance took the YA road with the whole,

Honestly, that seems more obvious than a spoiler to me but I tagged just in case you're a sensitive soul like me when it comes to spoilers.

Anyhoo, the PLOT is about a cursed town and Elspeth, a cursed woman. She has a Nightmare living in her head and he's the true hero of this story. But that's me getting ahead of myself.

The town of Blunder is surrounded by a dangerous mist, as penance for their ancestors' magical greed. Magic exists in the form of Providence cards, which grant specific gifts to the user, depending on the card. Then there's the infection - the infected are hunted down but if they somehow survive they end up with their own unique power. Actually, there's quite a lot going on, isn't there?

I really enjoyed how the elements of this tangled together yet it never felt overwhelming or messy. It did seem a little PG for me - I wanted more Nightmare action, more horror, more darkness, but it took a very YA approach. I hated that there was so much focus on the budding romance, and really just wanted more action. Why does there always have to be this monumental romance? Sigh.

The story itself though was quite fun and the Providence cards were a unique approach. I really enjoyed reading the card rhymes at the start of each chapter, and I'm definitely curious to know more about the Shepard King and the history of Blunder.

A fantastic story that was a little tainted by the Young Adult approach, but made up for it with the unique factors. I'll look for the second book and hope for more darkness.

KayTheBookLover

Oh this book was absolutely brilliant! The characters, the plot and the twists! All of it was so good!

Even though this book is considered a Gothic fantasy, it's not scary! It's dark as in the theme is dark but not scary dark.

I can't wait for the next book! I need it now!

Overall ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/ 5
Spice 🌶 🌶/ 5

Esmay Rosalyne

2.5 stars

I am going to have to start this review off by saying that I think I went into it with the wrong expectations. This was marketed to me as an adult gothic horror fantasy, but what I got instead felt more like a YA gothic romance fantasy… which was not what I signed up for. If the premise sounds interesting to you, I recommend you just check it out yourself, you may end up having a way better time than I did!

So, I really enjoyed the unique premise of this story and I think it had SO much potential… but it just didn’t deliver for me.
Magic is dangerous in this world, or so we are told. Firstly, there are the Providence Cards, which can grant magical abilities, but their powers come with a cost if wielded too long. And secondly, there is a magical plague that infects children and leaves them infected with dark magic, which will cause them to degenerate until they are dead.

Supposedly, the main focus of the story here is to gather all twelve Providence Cards, because together they can be the cure to the dark magic infecting the land. However, the plot was all over the place and the pacing was completely off for me. These characters seem to be doing everything BUT focusing on their quest and there is absolutely zero sense of urgency. That is, until the author decides that there is and then we are dumped into a whirlwind of unsatisfactory revelations and messy action.
Oh, and because of all the meandering, we leave off with a major cliffhanger, which made the whole reading experience even more disappointing.

Now, I could forgive all the things I said above if the character work had been good, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case for me either. Our main character Elspeth was honestly quite bland and just a little dumb (sorry not sorry). She was infected with the plague 11 years ago and has been living with a malicious entity, the Nightmare, in her head ever since. She keeps reiterating how dangerous magic is and that she will never let the Nightmare take over her mind. But, despite knowing that this entity becomes stronger when she asks for his help, she starts begging for him to aid her with his powers the moment she feels she is in even the slightest bit of danger.
And what’s more, I hated their interactions. The Nightmare either talks in rhymes and riddles or he spews cringy and supposedly snarky comments at her. Their interactions honestly felt like two pre-teens arguing and I couldn’t stand it.
The side characters were also very underdeveloped and felt more like caricatures than real, fleshed out characters to me.

And to top all that, we have a tropey, enemies-to-lovers, insta-love romance that completely takes over the plot. I mean, I can really get on-board with a good romance subplot in my fantasy stories, but this wasn’t doing it for me. The love interest is, of course, the mysterious and handsome guy that Elspeth can’t stand at the start of our story. But, you know, it really takes only one kiss for them to realize that they are actually madly in love, because that’s SO realistic and such interesting storytelling!
Also, everything about this book felt YA to me, but then we are suddenly slapped in the face with a pretty spicy scene that feels completely out of place in this story.

Now, to end on a bit of a positive note, I do want to say that I was really impressed with the author’s ability to create atmosphere. I like the whole vibe of this book and was quite immersed the entire way through.
Also, the worldbuilding here was quite unique and I enjoyed the whole set-up with the magical providence cards.

So, while this book didn’t entirely work for me, I would still recommend you give it a go if the premise hooks you! I think it will actually be a really enjoyable read if you are looking for a more YA/NA gothic fantasy with a strong romance element.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group, UK for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Aleksandra (drawingandreading)

Did I obsessively binged this book? Did I completely fall in love with the world, magic, characters, and story? Did it finally - oh so finally - get me out of my reading slump (that lasted three months!)? Yes. Yes. YES!

One Dark Window was one of those books that hadn‘t been on my radar at all. If it weren‘t for FairyLoot, I might have not even picked it up. But the faeries knew better, and I stumbled upon a new favorite. That‘s right. One Dark Window easily became a new favorite of mine, and one of my highlights of this year. And I want everyone to read it.

In all honesty, I don‘t think I‘m capable of putting together a coherent review where I state everything I loved about this book. Because with this story, these characters, this setting it‘s all vibes, feelings, and a hell lotta fun! I already had high expecations for this story, because I knew that it would have one of my absolute favorite tropes. No, not enemies-to-lovers, not arranged marriage, though some sort of fake dating happens here, but that‘s not what I‘m referring to either. One of my favorite tropes is what I lovingly call the Venom trope, which basically is: monster takes up some space in a human‘s mind, and no one knows. They communicate in their mind, the monster is more sassy than it should be, and comes out to play frequently (and very often to protect its host). So basically, it’s a trope that includes posession. There are many different versions of this trope, and I‘m weak for them all. Really. All of them. However, this also means I‘m always, always very scared of a book including this trope not being able to deliver. But oh did One Dark Window deliver, and Elspeth and the Nightmare are my new favorite duo.

Add to the amazingly done trope that I adore, and the amazing relationship between Elspeth, our protagonist, and the Nightmare, the literal monster housing in her mind, a great dark and twisted setting, an intriguing magic system including cards (oh how I love this), and amazing characters (including a swoon-worthy love interest), and I‘m already falling in love. Rachel Gillig really crafted an incredible world with its own rules considering magic, a great protagonist who wanders through the eerie woods with fog that results in madness and a drive to survive despite knowing the kingdom‘s law wants her dead. I loved how the story progressed, how things got revealed, how Elspeth and the Nightmare fit into the grand scheme, the romance with an unlikely ally, and especially how the magic system worked. The fact that the Nightmare as well as the little cards at the beginning of each chapter spoke of some kind of rhymed riddles regarding the history was just an added bonus that fit the vibes of this story.

I definitely can‘t wait to read the sequel, and I‘m already countin the days until its release. The ending was just perfect, and I‘m eager to see what secrets will be revealed, because the Nightmare surely had plenty, and I already loved the glimpses we got in this book. This book is perfect for fans of Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson which I loved just as much, and should as well be on your TBR!

Samantha

Update 10/14: Raising my rating to 5 stars because I honestly can't remember why I didn't give it five stars originally. This book has really stuck with me and has one of my favorite endings ever. I need book 2 ASAP.

______________________________

Original rating: 4.5 stars

I really really liked this one. With a haunted forest and a royal traitor, I would recommend this book to fans of Defy the Night and For the Wolf. It has a lot of tropes common to the genre which could turn off some readers, but I was a huge fan. I think calling it an enemies to lovers romance is a bit misleading. Though technically they should be enemies they never really are. What this book DOES have is fantasy fake dating, or should I say fake courting. The romance is instant chemistry but slow to build with a heart-wrenching payoff.

I loved all of the characters in this. Elispeth was strong and determined. Her strength bordered on stubbornness, but other than one scene it didn't bother me. Her relationship with the various members of her family was an incredibly interesting subplot. Ravyn is the typical dark, brooding love interest and I fell head over heels for him. Ravyn's "highwaymen" were a refreshing group of characters and I hope we learn more about them in the next books. The story definitely prioritized Elispeth and Ravyn's interactions but I hope the next book fleshes out the other characters a bit more. In particular, Elm and Ione have a lot more to give to the story.

One of the strengths of this book was its world-building. I would not call this book a gothic fantasy. The kingdom has this dark fairy tale quality to it. Knowing that at all times the kingdom is surrounded by a haunting mist creates a constant eerie atmosphere. However, there is more to "gothic" than kind of creepy. The quotes from the Book of Adlers were woven throughout the story to hint at plot reveals and strengthen the sense of mystery. I won't say too much about the Nightmare because I think everyone should be able to discover his character for themselves, but he was honestly one of my favorite parts of the book. I am always down for a vengeful god/spirit and this book certainly delivered. The dynamic between him and Elispeth was so engaging. The magic system in this book was incredible. The limits and consequences of the cards lead to interesting situations for the characters.

My only critique was that it felt a bit slow at times. I wasn't really interested until the Highwaymen were introduced. And towards the middle it dragged a little bit. However, the ending definitely made up for it. An incredible final line that left me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait for book two!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the e-ARC

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Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

ALL I NEED TO SAY IS I NEED THE NEXT ONE ASAP. AAAA IT WAS GOOD

Like what do I even say about this book??? I don't think I have any words for it. The beginning is a little slow at first and you're kind of scratching your head going... Is there a point to this/where is this going? BUT THEN you get to the amazingness that is the rest of the book. I just fell in love with the characters in this book, especially Elspeth and Ravyn. They're so... Ugh. Anyways this is somewhat of an enemies to lovers kind of book but not exactly. It's got a very gothic kind of feel to it, but it's a darker and more atmospheric fantasy. I found it very enjoyable. It has all the vibes that I could ever love in a book. I feel like this book was made for me.

I liked how the characters interacted, and I liked their character arcs. In tone I might relate this to Allison Saft books! It also gave me For the Wolf vibes. I can't quite put my finger on what else it felt like... But it kept me engrossed the whole way through.

The concept with the cards? SO GOOD. I loved it — obsessed with it in fact. I love the idea of Tarot, but it isn't something I know a whole lot about, but how it was weaved in through this book? Top notch.

I don't know why I thought this was a standalone — it isn't — but I am extremely excited for the next book in the series.

I felt the writing in this book was amazing and I couldn't get enough of it - the pace worked well for me. There were some funny moments thrown in amongst the more tense moments which gave a nice balance.

I loved the romance in this book. It was dreamy and done well. I wanted to smoosh them together. Ravyn’s family was also amazing, and I appreciated how this felt like a darker fairytale, perhaps a bit of a reimagined Cinderella? I quite enjoyed that. I want Ravyn's family in fact. I need more of his family. ALL OF THEM.

The world that Gillig has created fascinated me, and I want to know more about it!

If you like dark fantasy, atmospheric fantasy, a bit of gothic horror, tarot or anything similar then this book is absolutely going to be for you!

P.S. This is probably one of my favorite books of the year and I am begging you to read it.

Books_and_Crafts

It's not too often I finish a book in one sitting let alone a few hours these days BUT.. I opened this book and didn't close it until I was done! I was on a plane flight reading this thing and nothing else existed. Let me tell you it was perfect!

Dark, gothic horror esq fantasy with a huge mystery that kept me turning page after page. The magic system and overall plot was unlike anything I have ever read before! There is a bit of romance but it's sub plot and perfectly written in. Loved everything about this and cannot wait for book 2!

Brend

Rachel Gillig shutting down her computer after writing an ending so evil
description

Karin Nott (page after page)

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
An ancient, mercurial spirit is trapped inside Elspeth Spindle's head - she calls him the Nightmare. He protects her. He keeps her secrets. But nothing comes for free, especially magic. In a world where falling ill with the fever, is a death sentence, Elspeth must keep her secret hidden at all costs, but when a chance encounter on a lonely road at night, Elspeth is thrust into a game of high stakes, where she could lose everything.

This book had so many troupes, but I thought it worked extremely well, and I loved the concept of the providence cards. While the storyline is supposed to be portrayed as Gothic, I think it is better described as a dark fairy tale, with its eery atmosphere and rhymes from the book of Alders.
One of the concepts to intrigue me was the relationship between Elspeth and the nightmare, they are together for 11 years before the start of the book, which would have made her twenty, and while she only used his power a handful of times in the 11 years, she still had a constant stream of consciousness with him, and I think this could have been explored more.

I’m giving this book a rating of four stars!

Beth, BooksNest

I'm so sad I didn't love this one. I can totally see why people would love this book, but it wasn't for me. Whilst it's a New Adult book, it still feels very YA-esk in terms of repetitive tropes and plot moments. I'm definitely over the trope of having a leading woman who has a special ability no one else has and it takes a man being introduced to really see what her potential is. Personally, I'm finding this overdone and whilst sometimes it can still be done well and be unique, generally, I'm getting bored of it in YA now.

I was hoping to see more details about the magic system and how the cards were used, I thought that would have a lot more detail around it. Instead, it felt a little more loosely strung together and like some parts of the plot didn't really make sense. For a lot of this book I felt the author danced over the chance to give more details, for characters too. A character like Ione for example could have been fleshed out a lot more - I found her one of the more interesting characters to follow.

I liked some parts of the slow-burn romance... some... but I'm not a big romance fan so I was more here for the high-action fantasy elements.

As I said, I can understand why people like this one and it wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't for me.

Lynette Noni

Loved this so much! Couldn't put it down!

Casey Bee థ

4.5 stars! In the hidden away kingdom of Blunder, surrounded by a dangerous and magical mist, children fall ill with a fever. If their veins turn black, you know they’ve been infected. If they remain, they will retain magic in some form, but that magic will slowly eat away at them some how. Magic always come with a price. Infected children are force separated from their parents, never to be seen again. Magic is only allowed to be wielded by the King and those he chooses to bestow providence cards upon. There are other providence cards out there, but they are few and far between and one must be careful because people will steal them or hunt for them. (Think tarot cards but magical.). Elspeth has a secret. She was one of those infected children but she was not reported, she was hidden and cared for by her Aunt. Now, at 20 years of age, she has magic but it’s in a monstrous form. Elspeth may be the key to saving Blunder, but remember, magic always comes at a price and some prices are too steep to pay.

One Dark Window is a debut YA fantasy. Incredibly well done debut Rachel Gillig! Impressive. It is dark and creepy feeling, to some degree; atmospheric in a misty medieval vibe kingdom. I love the magic system with the providence cards and as Elspeth learns the history and story behind the creation of the cards and the magic, so do we as the reader. It’s a great history, how Blunder got to be in the current state it is in. I won’t give it away because it’s fun to learn as our main character does, but it involves the Shepherd King, who was the first king of Blunder. Hence The Shepherd King Book One—it’s my understanding that this is going to be a duology. THE ENDING IS INCREDIBLE AND ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOK ENDINGS EVER! The ending made this book go from 4 stars to 5, so I settled on 4.5. But seriously….the ending is everything and I cannot wait for the next book now! This is an excellent YA dark fantasy, highly recommend!

Lexi

Overview:

😍 Big cast of characters
👌 Single pov
👌 Rivals to Lovers
😍 Intimate friendships with monsters
😍 Fantasy heists
😍 Magical items magic system

The opposite of "I just wanted it to be over because it was bad" is "I just wanted it to be over so I could revel in this damn book". That's me with One Dark Window. Orbit's weird book that they just decided to not market as a fantasy to fantasy people, instead focusing on a general audience- but folks, this is as fantasy as it gets. I am obsessed.

The short version is this: The magic in this world accessible to most humans is cards: think Tarot cards that give you powers. Owners of these cards have superpowers specific to their card..only they also suffer as a result of using that magic. Collecting all magical cards is the goal of the greedy king occupying the throne.

Elspeth has a monster who lives in her head. She joins a group of thieves who all have spaces in the royal court to ensure this does not happen.

There is so much to this story. To start, the magic system is so cool. One Dark Window can be described as Cardcaptor Sakura meets Mistborn. Each card has specified powers that can be used and abused by the general population. There are 'common' and 'uncommon' cards that people spent their whole life hunting down. Royals literally marry each other to get their family's stash of cards. Learning about the cards and what they do is one of the most fun parts about this book- because they are all tied to something interesting with the character who holds that card.

The world also has a magic sickness; those who survive the initial fever are given both a magical power AND a curse- but because these people don't need any cards to do have magic, the ruling king sees them as a threat. These people are an underclass, and Elspeth is a part of that in a secret way.

The characters are amazing. Elspeth is a charming heroine that has a great mixture of sweet/soft, but also resilient and fearless. Her relationship with The Nightmare (the monster who lives in her head) is one of the best fantasy relationships I've ever seen. He is her protector and clearly cares for her, while also harboring some very dark secrets from her.

The secondary cast is incredible. I have joked when reading it that its basically a harem of hot guys and this is sort of true. The thieves that Elspeth associates with are so much fun. Each of them is given a proper and interesting relationship with her and an interesting and engaging backstory of their own. Before you get worries- no...they aren't all in love with her. But they are all plays on popular "book boyfriend" tropes, from the mouthy sardonic prince to the sweetheart with a secret to the brooding warrior. If you are looking for your next book crash oh man..you will find it here. I am SO excited to see these characters evolve in the next book.

The third tier cast (primarly Elspeth's family and additional royals) are equally fascinating..it does nit matter how much "screen time" a character gets- you want to know more about them.

I loved the pacing and adventure in this book. There was rarely a dull moment, and most of the chapters end with a cliffhanger that grips you tight and makes you want to keep reading. One Dark Window does have a dark world, but it's more of a fantasy heist. It does not rely on shock to get you excited about the characters' fates. The writing is also very modern and welcoming to all reading levels.

My only criticism is that the romance wasn't my thing (I hope she ends up having a romantic arc with another character...) BUT it will appeal to a lot of folks, and it only takes up a small portion of the book. The friendships are more than engaging enough to make up for this.

One Dark Window is the perfect book for meeting the needs of every type of reader. Action, mystery, a great magic system, some romance, and charming-as-hell characters. If you mostly read YA you will love this, but if you are an adult reader and want a mature story, you will also enjoy it. I truly believe there is something for everyone here. I have no idea why Orbit was so quiet about this, and why the fantasy community isn't obsessed with it.

Sowmya (bookishelflife)

Wow! This is just woahh…I loved this one end to end, it’s really an unputdownable book. The author couldn’t have debuted with a better book, with a clever plot, brilliant magic system involving cards and perfect amount of ominous elements, One Dark Window definitely satisfied my gothic fantasy loving heart. The author has a pretty impressive writing style that is poetic without being too flowery and cryptic without being overly complex.The plot gives you a sense that she knows EXACTLY where the story is headed for the entire series like she has the entire road map planned out way ahead of the time.

The characters are quite enjoyable too, a group of outcasts United on a secretive mission that very much likely is treasonous. I loved Elspeth and The Nightmare’s private chats, the quips and humor is really fun and it reminded me of Vespertine, another book I really enjoyed. The slowest burn romance between Ravyn and Elspeth is well handled, there are several secondary characters that aided in keeping the story interesting (looking at ya Elm my boy!😆) the way the story unfolded made the read extra enjoyable.There were some scenes that might make your imagination run wild and can thoroughly creep you out but I had no problem at all, I actually ended up enjoying them even more than the others

I switched between Audio and physical reading, while the audio is totally fine,I think this book is more enjoyable as a physical read. The sequel is now undoubtedly one of my most anticipated releases this year, I am also very excited for the author’s future works!

Ah the feeling when you read a great book and think the way it ended was just phenomenal…even though it’s a cliffy!! I am obsessed, Bravo Rachel Gillig👏🏼

Sloan MacDonald

“be wary. be clever. be good.”

holy fucking hell - absolute 5 star banger of book. this dark fairytale was so deeply original and captivating, I seriously loved every second of. not okay with having to wait till October for the second book after that ending tho …

also Ravyn is my new book boyfriend.

Emma Cathryne

This book was well-studied, but not in the way you are thinking. It’s well studied in that it feels like the author peered critically at all of the popular tropes in recent fantasy romance that garnered attention and went and threw her own hat in the ring using this carefully constructed recipe. To me, the result is disappointing, boring, and hollow. The writing is mediocre, the romance bland, and the dialogue iffy. If you liked the Cruel Prince or For the Wolf there is every chance you will adore this novel. As those were two of my lowest rated books of last year, getting through this was like pushing a boulder uphill. Now, if you are thinking this is a personal issue, you are right. All books are not written to appease everyone, and this book was certainly not written to appease me. I think plenty of people will adore this, and I really enjoyed certain concepts: tarot card like magic! monstrous voice in protagonist’s head! but the cool concepts were filtered through unoriginal characters and couched in a writing style that fundamentally gave me the ick.

I am not sure exactly what to call this recent trend in romantic fantasy which includes plucky heroines with mean female relatives whose descriptions I could not pick out of a lineup, an incredibly vanilla “enemies” to lovers romance, and an actually deeply intriguing plot line that gets lots amid weak dialogue and immature characters, but it is just not up my alley in the slightest. DNF @ 30%.

Olive

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

This is a debut novel, and while certain things make that apparent, I was VERY pleasantly surprised.

The magic system is original and dynamic—one I've never seen before. It hinges on the Spirit of the Woods that spreads magic through an infection brought on by the mist and a set of cards called Providence Cards. The entire premise is interesting and in-depth.

I enjoyed the FMC, Elspeth, and I was pleasantly surprised to find her diverge from recent books I've read where plots move forward by the ridiculous, reactive actions of the FMC. Elspeth is intelligent, honest (except about the Nightmare), and resilient. I also enjoyed the side characters, but I harbor a secret softness for Elm (I have a few theories about him). And, of course, Ravyn was great.

Were there things that could have brought my review to four stars? Maybe. But, my enjoyment of the book and excitement for the second one overrides those.

Title	:	One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1)
Author	:	Rachel Gillig
Rating	:
ISBN	:	0316312487
ISBN-10	:	9780316312486
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	Paperback
Number of Pages	:	432
Publication	:	First published September 27, 2022

One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1) by Rachel Gillig

One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1) Reviews

One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, #1) Reviews

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