You know when you go into a book with no expectations and you end up really enjoying it? That's what happened to me with One Dark Window. It's a gothic and atmospheric adult fantasy with YA crossover appeal. The perfect read for autumn/winter read, paired with your favourite hot beverage. I found Elspeth to be a compelling and layered main character, and the romance between her and Raven was perfectly paced and developed. The plot had me glued to my kindle from start to finish, there was never a dull moment. The ending had me both worried and eager to read the sequel to see what happens next.

How was this book that good!?! Honestly, One Dark Window was exactly the kind of lighthearted girly romance fantasy I crave. It was full of magic, wonder, and utterly brilliant world-building.

While One Dark Window is marketed as adult fantasy, it reads very much like YA, but with some adult spicy romance and violence thrown in. It was the perfect blend of what I love about YA, and what I crave from my fantasy novels.

The cast of characters were all unique and quite well-developed, and the magic system was well-thought-out and logical. While Elspeth, the protagonist, is a bit beige, and she makes some questionable choices, it didn't detract from the overall story.

The plot is nothing new, and it's pretty clear where the story will go in the next book (I'm calling it now: Elspeth will need to absorb all the cards to complete the deck, and the only thing that can save her is the fact that Ravyn's powers counteract the magic of the cards - but not before there's the obligatory love triangle with Elm) (hide spoiler), but it doesn't detract, because it's just fun to go along for the ride.

If you want a well-written YA fantasy romance with deep lore, and a compelling plot, then you can't do much better than One Dark Window. I'm counting down the days until I can get my hands on the next book in the series!

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.

3.75 stars

This book took me a heck of a long time to get through. It's not that I found it boring but there wasn't much sense of urgency, even during the tense moments. I put that down to the writing style, which reminded me a lot of Maas tbh. Its that sort of typical YA-ish storytelling where even though shit is going down, it just lacks interesting form / change of pace or style/ there's some well written lines but a lot of 'then they went down that corridor to another one and there was a door and they went through the door blah blah.'

THAT BEING SAID, the main thing I liked about this book was the interesting magic system revolving around the Providence Cards and the high stakes. Its refreshing to read about characters who have magical shit going on, not because they are born magical themselves, but because they have been 'infected', and through the use of magical cards. I didn't mind the characters, they were all OK, nothing much to say about them. The Nightmare was probably the coolest because of the unreliability of his actions and because he is a bad and spooky entity. There was about as much smut as i was expecting, which wasn't a lot, and I wasn't very impressed about how immature everyone acted afterwards like a bunch of school kids.

So basically, i liked it and it had moments of being exciting, but I'm not going to read the next one. I do highly recommend to people who enjoy Maas books though- if you can deal with cringey names like Ravyn.

oh, this book. i fell in love with it. the dark atmosphere, the gothic vibes and the story, they captured me. the whole story and the role the cars play in it, the way the characters are using this card and the the particular magic that they can draw from them, and the protagonist. her relationship with the nightmare was probably my favorite part of the book, i need more!

This story built nicely to the ending that sets up an intriguing book two.

However, the opening was a struggle for me. I felt like chapter two should've been chapter one and that is was just a bit disjointed.

Things did pick up along typical YA paths in the first few chapters and I wasn't super into it. I also think this felt YA to me because the world building wasn't deep or intricate it was relatively surface level.

It took until 3/4s of the way through for it to really interest me. Elspeth was fine but not memorable as a main character for me and the rest of the characters weren't super well defined, although I did like Elm.

I would likely read book two if given the opportunity but probably wouldn't seek it out.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Actually updating to 4 stars because I'm thinking about book two now.

This was a decent debut. It's not my new favorite YA fantasy, but there are many qualities to it that make it commendable. I really enjoyed the author's worldbuilding. It was colorful and very detailed and it got me really immersed in the story. The writing and prose side could have been better though. There were some that felt awkward, and the pacing really wasn't the best. I did like the ending, and the way this book is set up for the next one in the series is a kind that will make you eager to get your hands onto the next book.

It was okay.. It took me a bit to connect with the book and characters, especially the plot. It took me sometime to understand it and really catch up with it, same as the characters. It was and overwhelming about of characters and trying to keep up with them and their names, I found myself confusing them sometimes. Pace wise It was a bit slow for me, I like and prefer fast paced books with tension and to me it took more than half book to deliver that. Hope that in the next we can have more action and a fast pace. Characters wise I really like Raven, it's the kinda character I like and root for to get the girl.. he's brother, the prince he irritated me but vital part for the story. Same as jasper I loved how she made El feel more comfortable and a bit confident. And let's not talk about the nightmare, my fave character of all them.. loved the mistery he presented, the riddles, the way he acted and how he cared for El. Simply amazing.

Amazon Summary

ELSPETH NEEDS A MONSTER. THE MONSTER MIGHT BE HER.

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.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, she is thrust into a world of shadow and deception. Together, they embark on a dangerous quest to cure the town of Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. 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.

My Review

I really liked this book, great world building including an interesting magic system. the plot was ok a bit slow in some areas but the characters were brilliant and i loved how their relationships develop. This is the first book in a series and i'm really looking forward to the next one.

It's a good fantasy with some gothic elements and a cast of intriguing characters. I liked the Nightmare and liked Elspeth.
The plot kept me reading and i wont to know more about this world and I'm curious about what will happen.
It's a debut and there's a lot of potential.
Enjoyable and entertaining.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review!

I really enjoyed this book! Elspeth, Ravyn and their allies are a great cast of characters, with some great humor and heart. The Nightmare is suitably creepy and I liked the reveal of his true identity. The romance is really nice, sort of a medium burn and has a lot of pining moments and some spicier ones as well. Another highlight of the book for me was Elspeth's aunt.

The lore and magic system I found a bit difficult to understand, and it took me a while to wrap my head around the cards, the stories, the Shepherd King and the Rowans, and to be honest, I think I'm still a little lost. There's a lot to take in and it's fed to the reader quite quickly.

I definitely want to know what happens next, and there are a lot of loose ends to tie up, for me, the big one is Ione's character. I'm very interested in what all of that has been about.

Overall, this was a fun, interesting read, but I did find myself having to reread to understand what Gillig was getting at for the world-bulding. 4 stars from me!

If you like YA fantasy romance, you might enjoy this one too. It has all the important fantasy romance elements as well as an interesting magic system. I just think that this genre is not for me anymore.

A deliciously gothic and exciting tale, I couldn't put it down! I am intrigued by the Nightmare and was is to come in this story. The slow burn was also well done with a great build up of tension. I will admit I was a little confused as to who all the characters were for the first half of the book, but once I figured it all out everything made a lot more sense! The character that captured my interest the most was Ione - I think there's a lot more about her coming our way in the sequel and i can't wait!

This book blew me away and surpassed my expectations!! It was so creepy, atmospheric and exciting. I couldn’t stop reading because I was so absorbed.

I loved the concept of the providence cards and the mystery Blunder was cloaked in. The author did an amazing job of building the world and it felt like I was stepping into the book and walking alongside the characters. It had the perfect gothic vibes, weaving some of my favourite elements into a unique and fascinating story.

I am definitely going to hate waiting for the next book!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author, for a chance to read and review this book.

I really enjoy gothic novels and this one definitely holds a high position in my rankings. I started reading it as a part of a gothic marathon challenge and I'd recommend it to all mysterious-vibes adorers.
I really liked the magic system and the "quest" of collecting providence cards by main character who is trying to get rid of the monster living in her mind. Can't wait for the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was an engaging read but didn't feel particularly original, and the Nightmare character felt uncomfortably close to an analogy about mental health at times. But the world was well built and I am intrigued enough to read the next one when it comes out.

I don’t know where to begin with reviewing this book
To keep it to the point, I loved it with every fibre of my being! I felt that the writing was beautiful, the story was compelling, the characters were loveable. I just wanted to know what happened next and I cannot wait for the next instalment of this series because I gasped at that ending
I loved the card elements and the addition of the lore, the possession, the sarcastic comebacks. For me, this was perfection!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback. I’ve found a new favourite and am utterly delighted

I struggled with the first 20% or so of this while I got to terms with the world building and the wide cast of characters, but once I understood the magic system and who everyone was I could not stop!

What a unique and beautifully written fantasy. I love the Providence cards, I love the mist and the general spooky vibes of the magic system. It’s unpredictability and it’s erratic-ness.

This story kept me on the edge of my toes. I had no suspicions or guesses as to what was going to happen and I was thoroughly shook by that ending.

The slow burn romance was epic. I kept expecting it to feel rushed or predictable but it wasn’t. It was pining and surprising and I loved every second of it!

Everything has a price...
Nothing comes free

Dark and brooding, One Dark Window is a gothic fantasy/romance set in the kingdom of Blunder. Surrounded by deadly mist, children may randomly become Infected which leads to their magic developing. As the only legal means of performing magic is by using the rare Providnce cards, being infected is a death sentence.

Elspeth Spindle has been Infected since she was nine and that alone could see her killed. However, she is also carrying another secret. A much deadlier secret in the shape of the Nightmare. A demon trapped inside her head, the Nightmare can lend Elspeth supernatural speed and strength. But nothing comes free.

An enjoyable book lurking somewhere between adult and YA, One Dark Window has a lovely gothic atmosphere. It is also quite heavy on the romance, with the enemies to lovers trope featuring. It is quite trope heavy, with the psychopathic heir, the brooding captain with his secrets and the power hungry cousin, but it didn't seem to ruin the story. Instead, it lent more to the gloomy atmosphere, adding to the enjoyment. A neat little twist at the end and a mother of cliffhangers means I will be looking out for the sequel when it comes.

Thank you to the publisher Orbit and to NetGalley for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

I adored One Dark Window from the very first page and I couldn't get enough of it. This dark fantasy set around mist filled woods follows Elspeth Spindle, the "infected" daughter of a prominent noble, as she tries to live with a spirit she calls the Nightmare in her head. This is a world that operates with using magic through Cards, which keep the Spirit away from dragging people into the woods. After being confronted by highwaymen on her way home, Elspeth falls in with the nephew of the King Rayvn, the head of the guards that hunt down people like Elspeth. Working alongside Rayvn and his allies to cure the dark magic over her country, Elspeth soon realises that the Nightmare in her head and her reality are getting far too close to being connected.

Elspeth Spindle is a wonderful main character and I loved following her through the misty, cursed woods and through the parlours of nobles in this story. She's brave but terrified, loyal but private and that made her all the more interesting. Her relationship with the Nightmare in her head, and with Rayvn, were beautifully written and I loved how things developed into a huge cliffhanger by the end. I also enjoyed the side characters, especially Elm (the king's son) and Emory (Ravyn's brother) and there was some excellently dark and twisted moments throughout this book. I picked this up knowing that it was a rough retelling of the Highwayman poem by Alfred Noyes (which I love) but I kept reading because Rachel Gillig's quality of writing never fell flat. The connections between this book and the poem are brilliant, and I can't wait to read the sequel.