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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
I loved it. I was captivated from the start and read it very quickly. The writing is so descriptive and poetic, I could easily picture everything. I loved the change of font for the Nightmare, it was easily distinguishable. The love story, the magic, the battles. I loved it all. I will be jumping right into the next one.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2 ⭐️ | man. im so disappointed, i thought this would be EVERYTHING i want from a gothic fantasy. instead this was boring, bess had less agency than a curtain being swept by the wind, and the romance was blander than boiled chicken.
i had so many hopes for this, and maybe thats why it ultimately failed in my eyes. the CHEAP CLIFFHANGER made me lose all respect for the book.
i would’ve given this book a singular star if it weren’t for the fact that the premise was so peak i can’t bring myself to do so.
whatever.
i had so many hopes for this, and maybe thats why it ultimately failed in my eyes. the CHEAP CLIFFHANGER made me lose all respect for the book.
i would’ve given this book a singular star if it weren’t for the fact that the premise was so peak i can’t bring myself to do so.
whatever.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
✨ One Dark Window || Booktalk ✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮
Elspeth Spindle lives with a secret: the Nightmare, a monstrous voice in her head that protects her but also threatens to consume her. When she joins forces with Ravyn Yew, who is on a desperate quest to find the legendary Providence Cards, Elspeth is drawn into a world of dark magic, dangerous bargains, and haunting truths. The fate of the kingdom—and her own mind—hang in the balance.
𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨
Oh my god, WHAT was that?!
This book was everything I love in a gothic fantasy: haunting forests, whispers of magic, and a main character who feels both fragile and powerful at the same time. Elspeth’s inner struggle with the Nightmare was so well written—I loved how unsettling yet oddly comforting their relationship became.
The story kept me hooked with its eerie atmosphere, but what stood out most was the tension between trust and betrayal. Every character seemed to be hiding something, which made the twists hit even harder. I also appreciated that the romance built slowly; it felt natural and gave me all the yearning vibes without taking away from the dark plot.
This is one of those books that will linger in my mind for a long time, and I’m utterly curious to see how the story unfolds in the sequel—which I picked up immediately after finishing this one!
📖 Read this if you like:
• Gothic fantasy vibes
• Unique magic systems (like the Providence Cards)
• Dark, eerie forests and atmospheric settings
• Slow-burn, forbidden romance
• Morally gray characters with secrets
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮
Elspeth Spindle lives with a secret: the Nightmare, a monstrous voice in her head that protects her but also threatens to consume her. When she joins forces with Ravyn Yew, who is on a desperate quest to find the legendary Providence Cards, Elspeth is drawn into a world of dark magic, dangerous bargains, and haunting truths. The fate of the kingdom—and her own mind—hang in the balance.
𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨
Oh my god, WHAT was that?!
This book was everything I love in a gothic fantasy: haunting forests, whispers of magic, and a main character who feels both fragile and powerful at the same time. Elspeth’s inner struggle with the Nightmare was so well written—I loved how unsettling yet oddly comforting their relationship became.
The story kept me hooked with its eerie atmosphere, but what stood out most was the tension between trust and betrayal. Every character seemed to be hiding something, which made the twists hit even harder. I also appreciated that the romance built slowly; it felt natural and gave me all the yearning vibes without taking away from the dark plot.
This is one of those books that will linger in my mind for a long time, and I’m utterly curious to see how the story unfolds in the sequel—which I picked up immediately after finishing this one!
📖 Read this if you like:
• Gothic fantasy vibes
• Unique magic systems (like the Providence Cards)
• Dark, eerie forests and atmospheric settings
• Slow-burn, forbidden romance
• Morally gray characters with secrets
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
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:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3
It started off promising. The concept and the magic were interesting, but events occurred . that made zero sense except to manufacture conflict. It really started falling apart for me when the prince used the chalice card in a game of truth or dare, where the only choice is truth. A kindergartener could navigate most of the dumb questions, especially the critical question the prince asks of Elspeth -- what happened to your hand? Raven and The Nightmare, both in her head, tell her to answer the question without giving away the answer the prince is looking for. Just tell him, "I broke my wrist." He asked you what happened, not how it happened. But no, that's too difficult for yet another FMC written without two brain cells to rub together.
I liked Ravyn Yew, despite him having the dumbest name. The names of trees being surnames wasn't the worst thing, but pick anything other than Yew.
The romance happened very quickly without any actual connection. It goes from a pretend relationship to a real relationship without any actual event or conversation.
The cliffhanger was good and turned things around for me. I actually want to read the next book, but I hope it's mostly from The Shepherd King's POV.
It started off promising. The concept and the magic were interesting, but events occurred . that made zero sense except to manufacture conflict. It really started falling apart for me when the prince used the chalice card in a game of truth or dare, where the only choice is truth. A kindergartener could navigate most of the dumb questions, especially the critical question the prince asks of Elspeth -- what happened to your hand? Raven and The Nightmare, both in her head, tell her to answer the question without giving away the answer the prince is looking for. Just tell him, "I broke my wrist." He asked you what happened, not how it happened. But no, that's too difficult for yet another FMC written without two brain cells to rub together.
I liked Ravyn Yew, despite him having the dumbest name. The names of trees being surnames wasn't the worst thing, but pick anything other than Yew.
The romance happened very quickly without any actual connection. It goes from a pretend relationship to a real relationship without any actual event or conversation.
The cliffhanger was good and turned things around for me. I actually want to read the next book, but I hope it's mostly from The Shepherd King's POV.
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Entertaining story but felt junior. I think my issue mah have been more with the reader than the book itself. The reader as the MMC sounded like a teenage boy.