Reviews tagging 'Child death'

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

157 reviews

carlyjoann's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

---

The world of Blunder has interesting magic and lore that had me hooked. I really like Elspeth and her arc throughout this book a lot. I also really liked the romance in this one, it felt like it played into the story perfectly. I love the lore and magic of the Providence Cards, it was different to most other books I have read. I thought finding out more and more of the magic and cards as the book went on was intriguing. I need to get the second book immediately!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Sexual content

Minor: Infidelity, Death of parent

chronic_listener's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

---

Absolutely unputdownable, laced with magic and an eerie atmosphere, One Dark Window was a delightful surprise to me. 

I loved this so much more than I thought. The tension, the plot, the pacing, the characters, the setting, the romance, the writing - I was absolutely captivated.

More things I loved:

♥ the fmc not being a complete pushover 

♥ the magic system

♥ the tree family names

♥ the action scenes

♥ the tension between Elspeth and Ravyn

♥ the Nightmare

♥ the eerie rhymes 

This really felt like a movie in my head, the narrator did such an incredible job bringing this story to life. The writing was so horrifically great that I felt queasy at times because I could just imagine someone living inside my head and feel the pain of all the injuries like it was happening to me.

I can‘t wait to see where this story goes.

One thing I noticed: Considering our fmc seemed quite bright, it took her painfully long to realize what I feel like was quite obvious to the reader from early on.

The Nightmare being the Shepherd King and slowly becoming stronger the more she asks for his help.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Police brutality

ashwoodbooks's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

---

I DEVOURED THIS BOOK!

The story was riveting, the characters are engaging, and the world building is constant. Rachel Gillig has a wonderful way with words that just made me want to cling to every sentence as I turned through the pages.

Character development isn't really a thing that happens in this book it's more about character revelations as we get to see the people behind their masks - their real motivations rather than the MC's preconceptions. However, this approach makes it feel like it's the Nightmare's story and Elspeth is the POV character as she is the only constant character that does not change while we follow her around. It's interesting and different.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Death of parent, Toxic friendship

the_castle_library's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

---

This book was AMAZING and I can't believe it took me so long to read it, especially since I was really eager to do so when I stumbled upon its existence last year! This reel doesn't even do it justice because I don't want to spoil ANYTHING! Part of the reason I'd waited is because it was always checked out and on 10+ holds at the library. This is a series hype I can fully understand! I am kicking myself right now because I can't check out the second book until I read 2 series i promised would be next after my library books were caught up 😅🤦🏻‍♀️ My ratings for spooky/dark and spice are 👻👻👻👻/🌶️

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, Alcohol

Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent

yananhai's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

---

wow wow wow!
this was so good, kept me hooked, the only reason I put it down was to study 🫣
I think I would've enjoyed more if Ravyn and Elspeth were slow-burn.

can't wait to start the second book!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

sweetteaandfiction's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

---

One Dark Window was the perfect introduction to the dark and twisty world of the Shepherd King by Rachel Gillig. 

PROS: 
🩸The Infection 
🖤Raven 
🩸The Highwaymen 
🖤Court Intrigue 
🩸The Magic System 
🖤All magic has a cost 
🩸The Nightmare 
🖤The poems 

CONS:
🩸Royals only concerned with their own power 
🖤Genocidal tendencies 
🩸The cost of some magic is too much to bear and it isn’t always a choice 

🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸 out of five infected young girls with cat like yellow eyes 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence

Moderate: Genocide, Blood

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Murder

tspice24's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

julia_heff's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death

aehollins21's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Sexual content

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Abandonment

kenich97's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Abandonment

Minor: Genocide, Infidelity, Murder, Alcohol