I received an e-arc of One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was pleasantly surprised with this one, having not heard much about it before picking it up. There's a really interesting and unique tarot-based magic system. Some light fake dating, and I was getting Serpent & Dove vibes from the romance a bit. The main character also has a bit of a Venom thing going on.
4 stars, will definitely pick up the sequel

Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a digital ARC of this excellent book!

With its dark, atmospheric setting, intriguing characters and unique premise, One Dark Window was the perfect spooky, magical read for October, and easily one of my favorite reads of 2022.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect after reading the synopsis, but I’m so glad I gave this book a chance! After a bit of a slow start, due only to some important world building, the story quickly took off after a few chapters and I was completely immersed in this world of gothic castles, ominous woods, monsters and magical providence cards.

Gillig’s world-building is expertly crafted, as are her characters. I could smell the salt and feel the mist on my skin as I read. I loved the delicate details of this story, such as the families being named after trees and that magic smells like salt.

Elspeth and the monster have an intriguing relationship. For eleven years she has kept him secret while The Nightmare, as she calls him, both protects and diminishes her. And while she’s done well to keep this secret from the world around her, it all begins to unravel once she meets Rayven Yew.

I devoured this book in a matter of days, and cannot wait for more. And happily, there will be more, as this is the first book in a duology or series.

I really wanted to like this one but I ultimately think it was not for me. It took a very long time for it to get going as the beginning was very slow. I did like the main character and the fact that it was a gothic book but other than that I was fairly disappointed. I will however, check out the author's other books in the future.

One Dark Window is a story with layers and layers of secrets-- some that clearly won't be revealed in the first book. I enjoyed the intrigue, romance, and suspense. I am already looking forward to the sequel.

Thank you NetGalley and especially to Orbit for giving me a copy of this book.

Elspeth Spindle has been living with a secret for eleven years- a secret that in addition to the magic running through her very veins, means she is marked for death. Will she succeed after joining together with an unlikely group of allies to search for a cure and rid the kingdom of this "plague" or will the cost of magic finally take it's toll?

I also think that this book leaned a lot more young adult then I was anticipating (aside from there being one sex scene that isn't TOO terribly graphic). I think I also may have expected a lot more of those gothic and atmospheric vibes that the back cover promises, and instead it felt like a bit more of a dark fairy tale. Again, not really a problem, but it does seem like a bit of a miss since I may not have picked this up if it was described differently.

This synopsis makes this book sound like something I would absolutely love. And to be honest, I enjoyed the last twenty-five percent immensely. It was just the build up, the confusing transitions, and some plot holes that really kept this from being as amazing as I was anticipating. That's not to say however that this isn't a good book. For being the author's debut, I think that this is a very promising start to a series and I will likely be picking up book two.

I don't know if it is because the seasons have changed or if there is another reason, but I am really digging these creepy, atmospheric fantasy books with a dash of mystery and magic. One Dark Window was one of my favorite books this year. I fell hard for this world where there are the infected and those that hunt them. Elspeth is an interesting and captivating main character who was once infected by the mysterious illness that gives the infected illegal magic. Elspeth is able to evade the King and those that hunt down the infected and is left with mysterious magic and the Nightmare that lives inside of her.

The magic system in this book surrounds these tarot-like Providence cards that give their owner various powers. This is the only legal way to use magic in this world and legend has it that the only way to break whatever curse causes this infection is to collect all 12 of the cards in the deck. This is easier said than done as no one has ever been able to find the mysterious Twin Ader card.

Elspeth meets up with a gang of highwaymen that are not what they appear and she must join their cause in order to collect all the cards before the King can and they can break the curse and she can be free of the Nightmare that lives in her head.

The found family Elspeth ends up in is a lot of fun and of course the romance was one of my favorite parts. Ravyn the captain of the Destriers, the group who hunt down the infected, is my favorite type of stoic and tortured romantic interest and he and Elspeth have the best type of chemistry as well.

I have a lot of questions about the magic system and also about Elspeth's mysterious cousin but overall I just couldn't put this book down. I can't wait for the next book.

If you like For the Wolf, Belladonna or Uprooted I think you will love this.

Thank you so much to Orbit Books and NetGalley for letting me read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️

<b> To be wary is to be keen—
Keen of those who may use magic for wrong.
To be clever is to be wise—
Wise not to use the Cards too often.
To be good is to be reverent—
Reverent of balance—of the salt in the air—of the Spirit of the Wood.
Be wary. Be clever. Be good.</b>

Providence Cards allow people to use magic, but all magic comes at a cost. Elspeth was infected with the fever as a girl, and has hidden the magic the fever brought for eleven years. She was sent to live with her aunt and uncle, and her cousin, Ione. But her uncle has kept a Nightmare card for years, and Elspeth’s magic allows her to absorb what is in the cards. When she touched her uncle’s card, the Nightmare himself became trapped inside her mind and allows her to see the light emanating off all Providence Cards. Elspeth’s uncle intends to give the King of Blunder his Nightmare card so the King can complete the Providence Card deck and lift the mist plaguing Blunder, and in exchange, Ione will be betrothed to a brutish Prince.

Highwaymen attempt to overtake Elspeth and steal Providence Cards while she’s out for a walk in the woods, and she implores the Nightmare to help her escape. Later, during the Equinox celebration, Elspeth meets the King’s nephew, Emory Yew, who sees the truth and the monster within her, and his brother, Ravyn, who Elspeth recognizes as one of the highwaymen. Ravyn later discovers that Elspeth can see Providence Cards, and reveals that he and his family are trying to complete the deck to save Emory from the degeneration his magic has caused. Elspeth agrees to help them to cure her own degeneration and in secret hope of removing the Nightmare from her mind. Elspeth and Ravyn agree to pretend to court so that Elspeth can stay with the Yews, but their pretending soon devolves into true feelings.

I admit that I had a difficult time getting into this book. There’s a lot of poetry and lore that at first felt a little too YA, but as more started to happen I was totally sucked in and understand why the author chose to use the technique. I also loved these characters so much, especially the relationship between Ione and Elspeth even after Ione is betrothed to Hauth. And of course, I love Ravyn and Elspeth so much. This is a really great, spooky fantasy and I cannot wait for the next one!

<b> “It is not they who bring the reckoning, Ravyn. It is you. It is us.”</b>

I think I was in just the right mood for One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. The fall air is crisp in the mornings and warmer in the afternoons. My Halloween decorations are out and ready to be admired. I have my cozy, bookish fall pillows out. Needless to say, tarot-inspired magic was calling to me.

This is a dark fantasy with romance and gothic elements. Something about it just clicked with me. I think the audiobook was such a major selling point, as well. Lisa Cordileone bounces from sinister to joyful with ease, and I thought the voice she did for the Nightmare living in our main character, Elspeth’s, head was perfectly eerie.

The magic system in this novel is built around cards, seemingly inspired by tarot. People are able to invoke magic to use against others when they have certain cards, but the usage of these cards is not without payment. You give a little bit of yourself with each use and you can quickly diminish completely with repeated use. I liked this, because the idea that magic needs to be balanced with some sort of other energy when used makes sense to me. Too often we read books where people are able to use whatever magic they want without paying any cost. This makes the stakes higher, makes the usage of magic more dangerous.

Elspeth was a fun character to follow, with Nightmare slowly overtaking her mind and actions. We are left with a cliffhanger in this regard and I won’t lie, I am one of those people who LOVES a cliffhanger. With so many book series out there, you gotta pull me in for the next book and One Dark Window won me over there.

The romance hit a sweet spot for me. It was a tad slow-burn but had a bit of steam once it got there.

Needless to say, I need more and I can’t wait until the next installment. Thanks to Orbit Books and Hachette Audio for the gifted copies.

This was a really solid read! I loved the setting. Gothic is a really good descriptor for it and I think Rachel Gillig really nailed the atmosphere in this book. It felt like you were in this dreary and dark castle with the characters and the magic fog definitely added to the gothic vibe of the setting.

I absolutely adored the magic in this book. The idea of the deck of cards was so cool and unique. I loved that it was so that anyone who had a card could use its magic as opposed to magic being an innate ability certain people are just born with. And I thought the idea behind each card's magic was interesting and she did a good job making sure the cards covered a variety of things and she balanced it really well in regards to the desired effects of magic vs the negative effects of using the card.

The plot did have a little bit of a slower start than I usually prefer and it took me a bit to get hooked but once I did I was hooked all the way until the end! And I think the way she wrapped up one of the story threads was really well done and she surprised me (in a good way) with where she took it versus where I expected her to take it.

The main detractor for me from this book was the romantic storyline. In theory I could have liked it. It's a trope I generally enjoy and the characters were ones I knew I could see together given a good build up. However she missed the mark with the build up by not including it and instead the two characters felt like they went from enemies to "we're so into each other" at the flip of a switch. And so overall this caused the relationship to be too insta-lovey for my taste and read a little too juvenile.

Overall though I enjoyed the rest of the book enough to outweight my gripe and I am definitely looking forward to the sequel!

(4.5/5) What I liked a lot about this book is that within the first few chapters I immediately had questions. There was a certain air of mystery, and I wanted to keep reading until I had all the answers. Unfortunately for my heart, this was also a book where you can tell absolutely everything is going to go wrong. So when I finished it within 48 hours I was quite sad...

The world isn't particularly big. The kingdom of Blunder is locked in perpetual mist, and the only people we see on page are its noble families. The magic, however, I thought was well fleshed out. I thought I'd seen it all when it comes to magic systems, but I had never read about one that's based on cards. The mist combined with the magic makes for an incredibly moody read. It's honestly perfect for Fall.

I greatly enjoyed Elspeth's character. Reading about her relationship with the Nightmare was especially interesting. The infection that granted her her magic made her wary and isolated, as possessing unsanctioned magic is often punishable by death. Enter Ravyn: who is captain of the Destries; the unit of men and women tasked with hunting down infected magic users. However, he is also guilty of the aforementioned treason, and can definitely use someone like Elspeth. I loved reading about their relationship as well: how it went from zero trust, to gradually more.

The high prince Hauth is an asshole. Like a legit, hairs-stand-up-in-your-neck asshole. I'm not yet quite sure what his game is, besides being the villain, but I'm sure I'll find out in the next book. I did wish we got to see more of the king. Right now I know there's a king, and that he and Hauth are probably very similar, but he didn't show up quite a lot. It made me forget sometimes that Hauth is not the highest authority. There were so many more characters that have a stake in what happens to the Providence Cards, and I cannot wait to find out more about their motivations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read this story.

I loved the Gothic setting, sprawling estate, infected mist, haunting forest, and slow burn romance. This time of year is my favorite for reading fantasy, especially ones with gothic vibes which this had. Haunted forests seem to be a trend of late and I'm not mad. My favorite part of this book was the Nightmare. I loved the constant tug between whether he was good or bad. Rachel did an amazing job of portraying him as the dark creature he is. I believe her term was oily and I indeed could picture him as such. I could see him slinking around in Elspeth's head clicking his talons and teeth. Oh I just loved it. Very few characters/creatures have felt so real to me. There were a few times I was unsettled after reading before bed.

I really enjoyed the lore/mythology created around the magic cards. I did have a hard time understanding all the additional cards outside of the 12 that completed the main deck. I was confused about how many were actually created. The destrier cards and maiden cards seemed to be subsequent to the main deck, but were not included in the main deck? I could have missed that info while reading.

The slow burn romance felt secondary to the story which worked for me. I was fully invested in the magic of the cards and the NIGHTMARE! How many times can I say he was a favorite. Elspeth and Ravyn were sweet both individually and separately. I loved the tension. I found myself enjoying Jesper, Elm, and the comradery amongst them.

I will say it's difficult to synopsize the story to people because so much is involved, but that's a reflection on me not the author. And the timeline of events seemed rushed/not consistent at times. With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The feelings it gave me and where the story might be going will definitely bring me back for more. That ending has me shooketh!!

Plot: The plot in this was good but took a bit too long at times
Characters: They felt very YA, not in a terrible way. Just a melodramatic way at times.
Setting: Very good, very good - that's what really kept me in.
Magic: Also very good! I loved the idea behind the magic mainly.

This book was a lot like walking out a misty morning into a train wreck of a day and not wanting to look away - the best way possible. One Dark Window is a dark and moody fantasy that I would put squarely between YA and Adult. The characters and the melodrama of it felt very YA while the tone and worldbuilding felt more adult for me, so be aware of that going in. That melodrama and setting was eventually what kept me going. The town of Blunder is surrounded and beset by a fog or mist that never leaves, and is slowly taking over and cutting it off from the world. It all comes from a deal made by an ancient king to the Spirit of the Woods and she's wants her payment. Elspeth, our main character, gets sucked into a conspiracy to locate and fulfill the prophecy that will end the deal and save the town and the the townsfolk.

The book builds slowly, Elspeth is possessed? Is in possession of? A spirit that lurks in the back of her mind. He speaks with her in riddles and rhymes and knows far more than he tells her. Over the course of the novel we find out more about him, slowly, and Elspeth learns more how to work with him and struggles to find the answers to her questions. The rest of the cast, though interesting is hardly important. There is our obligatory love interest, who felt very standard, and his assorted found family. Some of which I did really enjoy! There was also an interesting character in Elspeth's cousin who at first a thought was going to become Elspeth's female rival, but the further into the story we went I think perhaps the author is going to explore a different kind of relationship and that's one I'm very excited for.

The setting is the win here though. You want something moody, misty, and you want to feel the cold and chill of the place? One Dark Window has it in spades. The creepy forest, the feel of something always behind you, it's all captured wonderfully. It ties will with the magic of the story. It's all due to the Spirit of the Woods and a bargain made years ago by The Shepard King. Now magic is sealed in Cards that can be used by the people of the town. All other magic is shunned since it comes from the mist and it leads to madness. The idea of give and take is very real and involved here.

Ultimately I ended up loving where this book went. The melodrama and slow pace of the first portion were saved by the atmosphere and the setting. And the ending that pops off had me actually yelling out loud (my husband was highly amused). I immediately ordered my own physical copy because as soon as I can get my hands on the second book I'm rereading the first and diving in. Go in with the right expectations and I think you'll be delighted.

4 Glowing Cards out of 5

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig was such a great read. The world-building was top-notch, and I was very invested in Elspeth's story as well as her relationships with Nightmares and King's nephew, Ravyn. The atmosphere this novel created was just what I wanted. Not especially gorry, but with a bit of bite that kept me invested. I often felt that One Dark Window had similar vibes as For The Wolf and For the Crown, and I gave this book 4/5 stars. A very fun fall read.


I voluntarily read an advanced copy of One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for providing an ARC to review.

WOW. That ending. I need book 2 ASAP.

One Dark Window was amazing. Rachel Gillig's writing is amazing, and I was surprised when I came to the end of the book. I would have happy if it was 600+ pages.

I bought the book because of the cover, and the only thing I knew was that there are Gothic themes and it is a fantasy book.

The book follows Elspeth who was infected with magic at a young age and has a result has a monster in her head known as the Nightmare.

She meets others like her and overtime has to face the truth of her magic in order to save the ones she loves.

I can't say more without giving away everything in the story but I highly recommend picking this up.

ONE DARK WINDOW by Rachel Gillis has probably been one of my favorite reads of the year!

I went in expecting action and dark magic and what I got was so much more: a unique and intricate magic system, darkness held within the secrets every character is hiding, and a perfectly-paced slow-burn romance. (Rivals to lovers in a way?)

Elspeth Spindle is a survivor and while I enjoy her character, I cannot wait to see where her magic-gathering takes her and The Nightmare within her. Even the side characters and families of importance within the story are SO interesting and well-written! With a dark magic system, foreboding atmosphere, and moody gothic elements, ONE DARK WINDOW is the perfect read for this time of year.

The concept of voices in your head is not new by any means, yet I love how Gillis chose to introduce the Nightmare to Elspeth. I guess in the end, they’re both survivors.

The romance was completely and totally unexpected and I found it incredibly well done: a tinge of spice and lustful romance, brought about by something stronger—fate. If I didn’t already have 3 boys there’s a 100% chance I’d be naming my first born son Ravyn 😂. How Gillis writes him to be bird-like yet handsome and strong is peak writing skill IMO.

If a dark fantasy is your vibe, you will LOVE this book! I honestly may go read it again 😍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Okay, I know I talked a bit already about the card magic, but I can't get over it. I loved the ways Gillig examines and creates this magic. The cards and the magical world. Because in One Dark Window not only are there these magic cards any one can use, there's also magical powers you get from a magical sickness. And these powers are our own. That would be all well and good, except because of the current King, anyone who has been afflicted is basically given a death sentence. So enter Elspeth who has been 'gifted' magic but is in hiding her whole life.

And she's escaped notice so far, even if it's terrifying, but when she visits court she will be thrown into an atmosphere of barbed gifts and poisoned words. Of people listening to each of our words searching for missteps to exploit. Elspeth suddenly finds herself in even more danger as she becomes embroiled in a risky scheme and new family power dynamics. One Dark Window has a great balance of action, romance, and intrigue.

"Nearly every character in the book is hiding at least one secret and most are hiding multiple. As these secrets are revealed the plot becomes more intricate and the characters and I were drawn in deeper and deeper. I really enjoyed uncovering all these different secrets and coming to know the characters better through the story. " - Luna Gauthier

A full review of this title is available on my website thecosmiccircus.com

A cute YA fantasy.
The story follows a girl named Elseth who is hiding not only her magic but also the monster living inside her head.
It had a very unique magical system made up of 12 providence cards. Each card you used comes with its own cost.

Only thing I didn't like Is they advised the book as being adult gothic romance. It reads more YA than adult in my opinion.

That delightfully creepy cover caught my interest but it was when I read the blurb that I decided I absolutely had to read this book. It’s an utterly engrossing debut, with dangerous mist-filled woods, treachery and lots of gothic vibes – plus an enemies-to-lovers romance. As a note, when I first started reading this, I thought it was a standalone. It most definitely is not and to say that I’m very much interested in reading the next book right now, well that should give you a hint about how it ends.

It used to be that the people of Blunder would go to the Spirit of the Wood and ask for magical help. The Shepherd King, though, used that magic to craft the Providence Cards, and eventually all magic was banned except for them. In retribution for the losing the worship of the people, the Spirit has made the mist encroach more every year on Blunder. Anyone caught in the mist without a talisman becomes infected with wild magic and eventually degenerates. When Elspeth first comes down with the infection, her father, rather than turning her in to the Destriers, sends her to live with her aunt and uncle.

She pretends that she escaped unscathed and without magic, but in reality, after touching her uncle’s Nightmare card, now a Nightmare lives in her mind. The possession is minimal and for most of the eleven years, it’s been content to spew enigmatic rhymes in her head. But when she asks it for help, it can lend her strength and speed – but at what cost? When she encounters – and escapes from – a group of highwaymen intent on stealing her uncle’s Cards, something seems off. And soon it’s clear that those highwaymen were actually high-ranking nobles, including Ravyn, the Captain of the Destriers, intent on securing enough of the Cards to rid Blunder of the mist forever – and they think Elspeth can help them. Surrounded by possible enemies, Elspeth’s Nightmare may be the only one she can depend on.

“In the end, the Nightmare continued, it does not matter how and why the Cards are used. Nothing is free, nothing is safe. Magic always comes at a cost.”


The world building was absolutely fascinating. There are twelve types of Providence Cards, and according to legend, all of them were bargained for by the Shepherd King. Each has different magic and a different price. The Scythe, for instance, allowed its user the power to control others, but at great pain to themselves. Much like Pokemon, there are more common cards and rarer cards, with the rarest never having been found. The others are either in the care of nobles or the king. Legend says that reuniting one of every type of Card will allow the bearer to defeat the mist once and for all, but no one, not even the king, has ever been able to do that.

“What creature is he, with mask made of stone? the Nightmare said once more. A Captain? A highwayman? Or beast yet unknown?”


Elspeth is twenty but she’s been very sheltered, cautious of being around too many people for fear her infection would be revealed and she would be hunted like an animal. She’s cynical and resigned, knowing that no matter what, the infection will eventually cause her to degrade and lose her mind. When Ravyn and the rest of the conspirators approach her with their plan to rid Blunder of the Mist and heal the infected, it’s the first taste of hope she’s had in eleven years. But even then, she’s not willing to share the full extent of her magic with the Captain of the Destriers, a man meant to hunt the infected. But as their missions to recover the last cards they need continue, she gradually starts to trust Ravyn and the others. After all, it’s clear he has secrets of his own. And as you can probably guess, there’s a slow-burn romance that ignites between Elspeth and Ravyn, part forced proximity and part them recognizing their similarities. It’s enjoyable enough but not what really sold me on the book.

The relationship I really loved was that between Elspeth and the Nightmare. There are only two Nightmare cards and they allow the user to read others’ thoughts and talk to them mind-to-mind. For Elspeth, though, it’s a literal presence in her mind, full of gnashing teeth and yellow eyes. It treats her almost like a younger sibling, taunting her with knowledge but only answering in rhymes. But when it truly matters, despite being a literal bloodthirsty monster, the Nightmare is still protective of Elspeth. After all, the more she depends on it, the more control it gains over her…

“Be wary. Be clever. Be good.”


Overall, this was a delightfully atmospheric read, perfect for spooky season. I will definitely be picking up the sequel!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig is the first book in The Shepherd King Series. It’s a darker fantasy story with romance.
 
The story is about Elspeth and who is such a stunning protagonist. She grows up in a world where she isn’t appreciated by her family and must do a lot of things on her own. That isn’t easy because a demon-like creature lives inside her mind whom she calls Nightmare. While he helps her, he keeps a lot of things to himself and is a monster after all. This concept alone was stunning and the whole plot around Nightmare was so intriguing and mysterious.
 
Her world is also infected with dark magic and especially Providence Cards are in high demand as they let you wield magic. But these are very rare and possess some serious consequences. One day she meets a highwayman in the forest and that leads to a great adventure, and they investigate how to cure the world. I loved every second of the plot and especially the second half was so enthralling that I couldn’t put this book down. Ravyn was an amazing hero, and I absolutely loved the romance in this book. I already can’t wait for the next book.
 
Overall, One Dark Window is a fantastic debut and I highly recommend reading this book. 5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)