Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

27 reviews

etarh2o's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0


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missgarceau's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

What a horribly cruel cliffhanger ending!!!

I recommend waiting until the series is complete tbh.

The magic system is fascinating & the lore is intriguing. It’s like a dark and twisted fairytale full of riddles & rhymes. An epic quest full of shock & horror and a sprinkle of slow-burn romance.

It’s not FTB but the spice is mild. 

Idk if this is categorized as a romance, but unless there’s an HEA- I might trash it in my fury & rage! I am REELING after that ending!! Toddler tantrum level 3000!!!

Caveat emptor. Buyer beware. 

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miraclesnow's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Nightmare
is what made this book for me, along with a few thematic and atmospheric elements being done exceedingly well. It was indeed lush for what I would feel is a good YA story. 

It was small things but ‘trade me masks’ vs ‘trade masks with me’ little sentences like this really bothered me grammar wise and kept it from becoming a full 5 stars.

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clairew97's review

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dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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takarakei's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Really unique plot line and magic system. Can’t say I’ve read anything quite like it. Almost like a tarot card based magic. There’s definitely a mysterious element to the storyline as it unfolds which was done well.
The romance is “fake courtship” (aka fake dating) and despite that was a little bit charged with just physical attraction at first, but I did like the way it develops into a deeper connection.
Definitely looking forward to the next book

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booksthatburn's review against another edition

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Slow to start, and not interesting enough to keep me around longer.

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emilycmarshman's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

In a world where magic is infectious, dangerous, and also outlawed, Elspeth Spindle is fighting a losing battle on all fronts - against the Destriers, soldiers tasked with capturing the infected and impart 'justice' on behalf of the king; against her growing attraction for Ravyn Yew, their Captain, and the king's nephew; and against the Nightmare that lives in her head, who grows stronger every day. He is starting to eclipse her completely.

This book was captivating, horrifying, magnificent, and romantic, and it had me holding my breath through the very last page. Every aspect of it felt so real, as cliché as that sounds - I felt as if I could smell the dirt and the mist, feel the Nightmare's breath down the back of my neck. Rachel Gillig has a command of description that authors with twice the experience she has still struggle to master. It makes everything about her writing feel incredibly lifelike. Every chapter works to help you unravel the mystery at the very core of the plot - I loved this book because it wasn't simple, but it didn't set out to purposefully confuse, like so many fantasy books seem to do, in the name of world-building.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, especially historical and/or gothic fantasy with the most delectable splash of romance. The magic system is so unique and fascinating, and instead of just being there for the sake of being fanciful, it's a core aspect of the series' plot. It's a very quick read - which is a double-edged sword, because I can't even begin to tell you how badly I wish I were still reading it, rather than writing this review right now. Read if you're a fan of Hannah Whitten's For the Wolf, Allison Saft's Down Comes the Night, or Ava Reid's The Wolf and the Woodsman!

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