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Book Review of One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig 4.5/5

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!

I’m excited to share today’s book with you.
This year has been packed with incredible new authors and One Dark Window is no exception.
Is it perfect? No. Few things are. But this story isn’t just special for everything it is.. it’s also unique for everything it’s not.

With a pinch of magic, a dash of mayhem, and a touch of romance—this book has a little bit of everything we love about fantasy.

Have some free time in between holiday plans and last minute reads?
Give this book a chance to sweep you off your feet.

Enjoy!

  (Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Any purchases made through my links may earn me a small commission at no cost to you.) 

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

Publication date: September 27, 2022
Pages: 419
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Gothic Fiction, Romance Novel
Book 1 of 1: The Shepherd King

Dedication: To the quiet girls with stories in their heads. To their dreams—and their nightmares.

Four and a Half Stars!

Characters: Charming. Fascinating.
Storyline: Compelling. Unique. Absorbing.
Pace: Satisfying.
Writing: Intelligent. Enchanting.
Cover: 5/5

POVs
Elspeth

Elspeth’s kingdom has been trapped by a curse, cut off from all others by a mist that lures and sickens whomever it touches, transforming its victims into unstable magic wielders who’s bodies and minds deteriorate over time.
A curse brought on by the people who once came to the Spirit of the Wood for help, for magic, only to abandon her when the Providence Cards were created and they became capable of doing magic themselves.
Now they are trapped and only when all twelve cards are brought together by one with magic in their veins will the infection be gone and the mist lifted.

I loved this book.
Unique magic, murder, fairy tale romance, and deadly curses.. What’s not to love?

In a world where black veins signify infection, where those who survive show signs of magic, and magic means death.. Elspeth is unique.
Infected as a young girl, she’s lived with the fear of being discovered her entire life, and it’s made her suspicious and uncomfortable around others. She’s smart and brave but used to keeping her head down, which gave the author a lot of room for her character to grow.. and she does.

I will not mention the Nightmare in her head—even though he’s the best part of the whole book—he’s an experience you must read about yourself.

“Creature, Nightmare, man—whatever he was, he was surely made for hauntings, frightening enough to scare the skin off any man.“

All of the characters are interesting, each having their own, distinct personalities and that makes reading this such fun. Their differences create some pretty interesting, and entertaining, dynamics. I really enjoyed watching the relationships between each of them change and grow. Even the romance, which I’m not typically fond of, was done beautifully here. Slow, sweet, and easily believable—theirs is the kind of love you root for.

Now—the magic system here is absolutely fascinating. Twelve Providence cards, each with a different power, grant the wielder unimaginable power.. but never without cost. Upon use, every card poisons you further putting your thoughts, your heart, your very soul, at risk. Like I said—it’s fascinating.

This book reads like a love letter to fairy-tales. If you look, you can find touches of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, some Red Riding Hood, a bit if what might be Hansel and Gretal—if I’m not wrong, Robin Hood—and what could be a touch of Alice in Wonderland. More than anything though.. this story reminded me of Rumpelstiltskin.
It was glorious.

One thing that really stood out for me, something I adored, was the writing. It’s beautiful. Captivating and lyrical, you can easily get lost in it the words alone, but the rhymes and riddles found throughout the book? They take this book to the next level.

The Spirit did warn me
that nothing comes free,
That bargains and barters
all come with a fee.

Though payment was dear,
I paid what it cost.
With blood and with bones
and parts of me lost.

Overall, this is an amazing read.. until the end. I didn’t handle that well at all.
Here, I’ll include some of my notes about that fun experience:

What the actual f*ck?
Guys.. This ends with one of the most evil f*cking cliffhangers ever!
There I was, racing towards this incredible conclusion, so invested in the characters, this story, and BAM—words that suck all the beauty and hope out of every readers world—’to be continued.’ But it’s okay.. because I can keep reading in book.freaking.two. This one was just released so book two should be out in no time, right? No! Not good! Not alright!
How could you do this to me Rachel Gillig? How could you captivate me so completely—just to drop my ass back into reality with no warning whatsoever? Don’t let that ‘percentage of book read’ bullsh*t trick you, guys, the book ends at around 95%.. with no mercy. None.
I’m gutted.

And that’s my dramatic reaction to this happily never happened.

Do I recommend this book? Definitely.
Will I be reading more from this author? Hell yes.
Could I have done without that maddening cliffhanger? The world will never know.

Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to check out my review!

What do you love about fantasy?

Stay safe, be well, and happy reading!

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