Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - One Dark Window

One of those moments where I am so grateful to Bookstagram for recommending this else I would never pick it up - literally, don't judge a book by it's cover!

A well thought of, clever premise that's beautifully written. I was consumed by this fantasy world, by the story of Elspeth who struggles with a dark magic that resides in her mind, but which also protects her from danger - and Ravyn, who is Captain of the guard which arrests and punishes people just like Elspeth..only Rayvn keeps Elspeth safe because he needs her magic to save his brother. With this fear around magic there are lots of secrets in the book and you have your heart in your throat most of the time but it is power packed. There is so much going in the background with the history of the King, how the magic came to exist and the usurper who now abuses it, but the writing makes this really easy to follow.

This is a book which has heart and soul, lovable characters (and not so lovable) and actually makes you feel smarter once you've finished reading. I devoured it within the space of a few days (just so that I could join a buddy read for the 2nd book which starts today, but I made it!). 75% in there was a little too much repetition for my liking but I'd highly recommend this - a favourite read this year definitely.

Content Warnings

janieboucher's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious 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? No

4.5

Content Warnings

abbyweber's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was a great start to the duology. The world building was clear and the characters so well developed. I’m just glad I don’t have to wait for the second book to come out because that was quite the cliffhanger! I can tell the author took the time to develop this story. The care and attention she gave to the characters and their roles to the story is evident and I really appreciate that. This, my friends, is how you write a gothic fantasy romance.

Content Warnings

kaylamullarkey's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.5

Content Warnings

meganpbell's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

This popular gothic fantasy has some killer cards to play, with a unique card-based magic system, a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance, and a fantastically sinister monster living inside our heroine’s head. While the YA/New Adult prose didn’t always work for me and the first half is very slow to start, the world-building and plot made up for it. That said, I think I’ll wait till October to read the sequel for all the spooky gothic vibes.

Content Warnings