Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for providing an eARC to review!

An interesting concept which unfortunately seemed to fall apart as the book progressed. The beginning was fine enough - a bit of Cinderella-esque family drama, a mysterious monster, highwaymen and treasonous plots - but the worldbuilding and character development I don't think was enough to sustain this all the way through, especially for the start of a series.

The explanation of the magic system was kind of infodumped in a couple of paragraphs near the beginning, so I hardly remembered what any of the cards did (or their inverses) until we saw them used later and I feel like every time we saw the cards we were getting another explanation of what they were as if the book recognised we wouldn't remember. The story behind how the magic came to be is neat, but I think more could have been done with the concept of these rare cards that give so much power. I feel they were being traded or given very easily which seemed super convenient for our card-thief protagonists, so I don't think the gravitas of their importance ever really sank in. I also didn't understand why in a world where we know there are cards that can control people etc that characters aren't more suspicious of things/people? There were a couple scenes that I felt could have been resolved very easily if our protagonist just stopped and thought for a second - she would even at times acknowledge something was weird but then go ahead with it anyway and then be surprised when something bad happened (but she had her monster to protect her I guess).

I feel as well that there were a lot of things that could have gone interesting ways but they just didn't. We were meant to have a fake courtship thing going on, but then our characters basically just wanted to bang the whole time anyway and nothing ever felt 'pretend' so I didn't understand the point of it. We had basically a game of truth or dare but then people were just asking pointless questions or things we already knew the answer to until like 10 pages later when someone asked the Big Question which they also already knew the answer to. We were constantly reminded this group of highwaymen were committing treason but they just seemed to be hanging around a lot and only really highwaymen'd twice and were otherwise just like normal nobles. Also love that we're meant to be acting normal etc but then we'll like openly challenge the high prince and break his hand and use magic against him and then be surprised when there are consequences :)

Idk it just felt quite YA in terms of how characters were acting, though the author was clearly going for a darker 'monster' (I'm so sick of this word) story. I just got the impression that this book didn't quite know where it wanted to go or what it wanted to be, so the plot felt quite erratic at times. The character development seemed to just come from Q&A sessions between the characters which felt forced, and the conflict didn't have the tension I think it wanted to. I found Iona interesting as a character but she was hardly around, and the romance was just pretty cliché.

I could see the comparison to For the Wolf, and I would also add that this has a similar concept to Vespertine, but I would recommend both of those books over this one as in my opinion their worlds/magic systems are just better established and fleshed out. I think this just came down to an interesting concept but the execution didn't quite get there unfortunately.

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group for my arc copy via Netgalley for an honest review.

If you loved the vibe of For The Wolf by Hannah Whitten and Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross then this book is definitely for you.

This book is spilling at the seams with mystery and magic. It has the same dream like feel to it that I loved in Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross.

I’ll admit that the opening chapter was a little confusing but it didn’t take me long to find my bearings and fall in to the chaos that follows Elspeth everywhere.

I found the Providence Cards absolutely fascinating. They add a sinister layer to the story as a whole – nothing comes for free and the Cards are the very definition of that.

The gothic atmosphere – shown through the lush prose, is the perfect backdrop for the tantalising slow burn romance between Elspeth and Ravyn.

This is an enchanting tale that lurks in the back of your mind (much like the Nightmare himself) long after you have finished the last page. I will warn you about the cliffhanger ending, it leaves you NEEDING so much more.

I’m looking forward to the sequel and can’t wait to discuss One Dark Window with anyone else who enjoyed it!

Also posted on my blog today http://hklovesbooks.co.uk/2022/09/17/book-review-one-dark-window-by-rachel-gillig/

4.5✰⠀

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in Blunder's eerie, mist-bound kingdom. She requires a monster. She refers to him as The Nightmare, an ancient, erratic spirit trapped in her mind. He protects her. He guards her secrets. But nothing is free, especially magic.⠀
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I liked the magic system, which I thought was very unique, and how the author describes the gothic atmosphere of the Blunder-mist locked kingdom, but what I liked best was the author's writing, which kept me reading until the end. To be honest, I didn't expect much from this book, but halfway through, I was sucked in.⠀
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Elspeth and The Nightmare's relationship, which I think is like father and daughter, lol. I despise The Nightmare at times, but I understand his concern for Elspeth. I was wondering if The Nightmare is a good or bad at the end of the book. The Nightmare's backstory is still a mystery to me. It was tense when Elspeth and the others attempted to collect Providence Cards in order to break Blunder's curse. I wasn't expecting any action in this book. So, it surprised me.⠀
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Despite the fact that it gives the impression of being gothic, mysterious, the romance between Elspeth and Ravyn can make my heart giddy. Aside from Ravyn and Elspeth, however, the prince, Elm, is a standout character who makes me love him despite the fact that he initially annoyed me. He is the most intriguing character, and I can't wait to see what happens to Prince and the others in the sequel because this book ends on a cliffhanger; arrgh! ⠀
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Also, thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for the e-arc!

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Court intrigue, treason, mystery and a slow burning fake-dating-like romance, set in an eerie atmosphere.

Elspeth Spindle lives a secluded life with her aunt, uncle and niece after her father sent her away when she caught the fever as a kid. She now carries a Nightmare in her head, a manifestation of the cursed magic she got after her fever, for which people are hunted and executed by the kingdom. During the Equinox festivities, she gets acquainted with Ravyn and strikes a deal with him to find the twelve different providence cards to break the curse that the spirit has put on the kingdom and save everyone who is suffering from its ill effects.

It might take a while to get into the story, but once you get to know the characters and get an idea of the scope of the story, it will keep you hooked until the end. Two -or actually three- strong main characters are leading you through their treasonous endeavours to save themselves, their families and the whole of the kingdom. The strong family relationships and the slowly blossoming romance are a treat to read about. It is also funny to see the Nightmare give his personal commentary in Elspeth’s head on the people she’s interacting with and Elspeth often getting lost in her head because of it.

The eerie atmosphere really shines throughout the book and it makes this a perfect read for the autumn season. Dark and misty woods, medieval feeling castles, mysterious ruins and characters who reach for their dark side to get what they desire. The unique two-faceted magic system is steeped in the world’s history. On the one hand, there are the providence cards that give the wielder certain abilities and on the other hand the magic that the fever leaves, which is a lot less predictable in its manifestation. The one thing they both have in common is that magic always comes at a cost.

Great writing and the little poem-like entries at the beginning of each chapter pulled everything together. It completely envelops you and will make you devour this book and leave you wanting more. The ending, especially, will make you want to grab the sequel immediately. Hopefully, the sequel will be written with multiple pov’s as it would be great to get an even broader scope of all the characters through their own eyes.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley.

One Dark Window has all the ingredients for the perfect gothic romance. With the mist shrouded world, danger lurking around every twist in the path, and a nightmare literally in the heroine’s head…it’s deliciously dark.

I loved this book, it was immersive, unique and the ending gave that perfect hook to read the sequel.

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.

Thank you very much for the review copy of this book.

Mystery, court politics, treason, heists, a fake-dating scenario, all in an eerie gothic-like setting. I was really intrigued by the premise of this book and was absolutely over the moon to receive a copy. Elspeth Spindle is cursed and relies on the spirit in her head to keep her safe, and keep her secrets.

The magic system was totally unique and I found myself wanting to find parallels between a tarot deck, a chess set, and a normal deck of cards, elements of all these fit but none in totality. The cost of using magic in this world is clear and balanced to the magic used. The setting of the dark and mist surrounding them makes it a perfect autumn/spooky season read. I particularly enjoyed how each characters unique magic tied into them collecting the Providence Cards. I finished the book really quickly and cannot wait to see what goes on next.

Elspeth Spindle is cursed. Cursed by the mist that surrounds the kingdom of Blunder, and cursed by the voice that now lives in her head. She spends her life hidden away, knowing that if anyone finds out what she is, what she can do, that death would follow swiftly. But one chance meeting changes that. Thrust into a world of deception and shadow, Elspeth must make a choice. Trust those she has hidden from her whole life and maybe, just maybe find a way to end her curse, or go back to a life in the shadows. She doesn't trust easily, least of all the Captain of the Destriers, the people tasked with catching and killing people like her, no matter how much they claim they are on her side. But trust she will have to if she wants the chance of freedom. Now she must use her power to help traitors to the crown find the last of the twelve providence cards, cards that once created cursed the kingdom and only when they are all back together will the curse end. But nothing and nobody in this kingdom is what it seems, least of all Elspeth. She is keeping a secret from her conspirators, a secret that is slowly but surely taking over her. Elspeth needs to find the cards to end her curse, but her curse might just take over her before she can end it.

Holy fuck this book was exquisite. It'e been a long time since a book has got it's hooks in me that quickly, but I found myself picking this up in every spare second I had, desperate to carry on with the story. Gillig's writing style is dark and lush and with One Dark Window she has brought to life the dark fairy tale of my dreams, filled with monsters and magic and characters that are never truly what they seem. Elspeth is a girl used to hiding in the shadows. Cursed as a child, her family hid her away in the country knowing that if she was ever discovered she would be put to death. She is incredibly strong willed, she fights constantly for those she loves, but also would love nothing more than a normal life, a life without a voice in her head telling her stories and rhymes from the past. I thoroughly enjoyed following her through this story, seeing her slowly open herself up to those around her, slowly start to come out of her shell and trust, even if she did keep the biggest part of herself a secret.

As well as Elspeth, Gillig treats us to a tight knit cast of side characters who I loved and hated with equal measure. Ravyn, the Captain of the Destriers and the person who has asked Elspeth for help. He is loyal and determined, but carries a heavy weight on his shoulders. Elm, the youngest son of the King and another of Ravyn's highwaymen turned conspirator. He doesn't trust Elspeth, thinking she is carrying secrets, but he wants to end the curse and save his family and will do whatever it takes for that to happen. As well as these we have; Jespyr, Ravyn's sister and member of the Destriers; Ione, Elspeth's cousin and Prince Hauth, heir to the throne and despicable human being. We do meet plenty more members, of both Elspeth and Ravyn's families, as well as members of the court, but Gillig keeps our main cast tight which means we get plenty of exploration of their characters, as well as plenty of interactions between them all which added humour, romance and heartbreak to the story.

Gillig's world building is truly sublime, and her magic system was incredibly well built and easy to follow. The Kingdom of blunder was cursed generations ago, after a King entered in an agreement with the Spirit of the Wood creating twelve providence cards filled with magic that could create beauty, ensnare people's minds, give men the greater speed and strength. But as we know well, all magic comes at a cost. Blunder is now encased by a magical fog that infects any who enter it without a charm and, once cursed, they are seen as a threat to the kingdom and put to death. At least, that is the line that King want's people to believe. The only way to end the curse is to bring all 12 providence cards together, a task that no past King has ever been able to complete. Anyone is able to use the providence cards, just three taps is all it takes to awaken the magic, but, as always, they remain with the elite, the royalty of the Kingdom. My favourite explorations of the magic was the voice that speaks to Elspeth. We know the voice only as the monster, nightmare, a voice that appeared in her head after she was cursed and has been both a blight and a blessing since. There's a mystery that surround the voice, are they friend or foe, where exactly did they come from, and the scenes where Elspeth converses with it added both humour and a little horror to the story, as well as giving us a better understanding of the history of the world.

One Dark Window is a Gothic, dark fairy tale and it's incredibly easy to fall into the story thanks to Gillig's lush writing style. Thanks to multiple plot twists, as well as some top notch foreshadowing it moves at a steady pace and is extremely hard story to put down. It's equally exciting and steady, there's plenty of fight scenes to keep the pace up, but some of my favourite scenes were the ones where our characters were planning, interacting, the slower scenes. There was an enemies to lovers romance arc which I adored. It was slow burn and steamy and the characters were just meant for each other. Both broken in their own ways, both keeping secrets, both desperate to save the one's they loved.

I think it's safe to say I loved this book. I've read a few 'dark' gothic tales recently that never truly hit the mark for me, but this one did and then some. It ends on one hell of a cliffhanger that had me glued to the pages and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel.

*SCREAMING*

Could this possibly be fantasy of the year??? I certainly think it very well could be a massive contender. This book was gripping. Like I bashed this out in a day I just had to know how it was going to end!

The magic system I've personally not read anything like it before, loved the cards, loved that they weren't absolute and they could be used like chess pieces against each other. Very unique.

There is romance here too (which I'm finding I personally need these days), it is relatively slow burn and teased out in the right places. It fits in place and balances with the darkness of the world the characters find themselves in.

I will be eagerly following the author on socials for news on the next installment.... 👀

First of all, I would like to say thank you for the review copy, which was provided to me by the publisher. This fact does not in any way affect my personal opinion of this book. This post contains advertising and the rights for the book belong to the publisher.

Of course, is this only my personal opinion of the book and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion.

The synopsis of this book sounded awesome! The main idea was amazing and reminded me a little bit of Caraval. Apparently, it was marketed as an Adult dark gothic book, if I remember correctly. I wouldn’t say it’s a dark gothic book but more a soft introduction to the genre. Also, I think it would fit more into the higher section of YA, but I can understand why it also fits into the adult fantasy genre.
I haven’t read the poem some reviewers said it was based on, so I went in blindly. I struggled a lot with the worldbuilding and the magic system at first. Mainly because the cards were fully explained later in the book, and I spent the first 25% confused. Maybe a little glossary at the beginning would have been helpful for the reader.
I really liked the plot idea and that there were poems inside the book relating to the cards and the main plot. I knew a big plot twist from the start because of these poems, but I still found them enjoyable.
Sadly I didn’t connect to the love story of the FMC and the Highwayman. Maybe it would have been better to take it a little bit slower and get into it more in the second book because now I felt it was too rushed. The characters I liked individually, and I am curious about what will happen in book 2. Yeah, you read it right! This book is the first in a duology!

Conclusion
A nice debut novel!

Look this wasn't terrible, it's just very generic. I was hoping the gothic atmosphere and magic system would be more compelling but eh. The only "gothic" element is just loads of evil mist. I'm sure there will be plenty of people out there who enjoy this as a fun and fairly easy read, but there wasn't really anything about it that grabbed my interest.
Also the poems at the start of each chapter are... bad. Very bad.

4.5 ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the ARC.

“Be wary. Be clever. Be good.”

One Dark Window was a quick read with a fascinating premise and a delicious slow-burn romance. I really really liked this book. I’d recommend it for fans of Defy the Night. Although it’s categorised as an adult book this could easily cross over as an upper YA novel.

Elspeth has been living with a secret for eleven years. After being infected with magic she’s been sharing her mind with a monster. She ends up involved in a treasonous plot to reunite the Providence Cards with some unlikely allies while battling losing her mind to the monster because magic always has a cost.

It’s a perfect autumnal read, with gothic vibes and haunting woods providing the perfect backdrop for a unique magic system unlike anything I’ve ever read.

Eagerly awaiting book two because I need to know how this duology ends! I’ll be looking out for the sequel.

Kind of blown away by how much I enjoyed this book! Elspeth Spindle survived the fever 11 years ago, a secret that her family have kept ever since those who are infected are killed. Since she recovered though, there has been a strange voice in her head... a Nightmare who shares her consciousness.

The magic system in this book is fascinating, and I loved te various characters. There is definitely a bit of a gothic vibe, although not as much as I was expecting. I was expecting to enjoy this book but no for it to grip me so thoroughly! I need the sequel now!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

4.5⭐️
This was SO GOOD! Perfectly walked the line between old school horror-fantasy and its own originality – I did feel the pacing was off in a few places but overall this was a read that completely grabbed me the further in I got!

I loved the romance and the found family element, plus I felt like the spice (while low heat) was still toe-curling and filled with angst and tension that made it great!

The vibes were immaculate and I would probably describe this as savage and eery. Can’t wait for book two!

Thank you Netgalley and Litlle, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book has ensnared me deep within its pages and will not let go until I read the next book. This book was so fantastic that I cannot even fathom it. It builds up quickly and excitingly, with action happening within the first fifty pages. It continues to build and twist, making me read the rest of the book in one afternoon. Rachel describes this unique bond between Elspeth and the Nightmare in a marvellous way that intrigued me. Additionally, Rachel has a terrific way of building tension between characters and letting the tension explode right when you are about to beg for it.
This book had me smiling from ear to ear, frowning, laughing and crying; everything I am looking for in a book. Above else, it was a real page-turner, and I am already incredibly looking forward to part two of this story, however that may go. This book is an instant favourite and an absolute recommendation!

Elspeth Spindle has an ancient creature trapped in her head - she calls him the Nightmare. He helps her when she asks for it, but nothing is for free. When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, she goes on a dangerous quest to save the town of Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. Through all her adventure, the Nightmare is slowly taking over her mind, and she might not be able to stop him.

One Dark Window
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Rachel Gillig
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this one. The idea that Elspeth has this spirit or being trapped inside her head with her made me so curious.

The world building was great and nicely done and while I liked the characters I feel like they could be developed more.

The pacing was slow for me and did seem to drag in some places but I did like the magic system and the slow burn romance.

The ending was a cliffhanger that was both surprising and also made me want to read the sequel. This book gave me dark fairytale vibes and I'm sure it's going to be popular.

*Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers Littlebrownbookgroup for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review*

A beautifully written book, with some really great worldbuilding and enough atmosphere to keep you always wanting more! I do feel like it should be categorized as upper YA though, and that marketing it as adult fantasy is a little misleading, but it still was an enjoyable read.

What a unique and novel idea, the nightmare in your head, awake and slepping. An enchanting and intreging tale that has everything, the spirited heroine, the monsters, mistymenace and deeply mystical worlds. Woods, romance and a fight for love and survival through it all.

I absolutley loved it, it takes you to a world of wonder and mystery, love and pain, something for everyone!

Thank you very much to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book to review.

The setting of book kind of gave me slightly gothic Victorian London vibes.
Based on the book’s description, I wasn’t sure what to expect but went into this with an open mind. The author clearly had a great imagination and I loved the magic system and the mysterious Nightmare.

I found it difficult to warm to the characters as there was not much backstory or character building. I found Elspeth to be a little boring and soulless at times.

The romantic side of the storyline was very similar to many YA fantasy romances and was quite predictable.

However the story as a whole was entertaining. I like the idea of the cards and the different abilities they grant the user and I did find myself wanting to stick with the story to unravel the mystery of the creature inside Elspeth’s mind.

3.5 stars.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this eArc.

I adore gothic novels, and this was an absolutely perfect example of what I love to see! 10/10 I cannot recommend this more!!