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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
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:
Yes
3.5 stars! The overall romance felt a bit generic to me, and I could have used MORE ANGST, but I say that all the time. Feels like one story split into two books so book 1 ended on a big cliffhanger. I enjoyed the concept of the Cards, it felt fresh and different!
This book was incrediable! I love Rachel Gillig's writing; the plot, the setting, and the characters are everything to me. I felt like I was there in Elspeth's head with nightmare. This was a perfect and unique magic system.
One Dark Window swept me away from the very first page. Rachel Gillig weaves a gothic, atmospheric tale filled with magic, danger, and secrets—and I loved every minute of it. The world of Blunder, the moody mist, the characters - everything about this book made it feel eerie but also beautiful.
I loved the characters. I was so invested in Elspeth’s journey. And idk, I loved Ravyn even when I couldn’t quite figure him out.
I rarely read books where I am drawn to almost all of the characters like I was with One Dark Window. Each side character felt meaningful too, with real depth and purpose. Whether ally or threat, every person added to the richness of the story, and I genuinely cared about what happened to them.
If you enjoy atmospheric fantasy with flawed, unforgettable characters, and a slow-burn romance that hurts so good, this book is for you. I started the 2nd book in the duology the minute I finished the first - even if jt was 2 am and I really should have been sleeping.
I loved the characters. I was so invested in Elspeth’s journey. And idk, I loved Ravyn even when I couldn’t quite figure him out.
I rarely read books where I am drawn to almost all of the characters like I was with One Dark Window. Each side character felt meaningful too, with real depth and purpose. Whether ally or threat, every person added to the richness of the story, and I genuinely cared about what happened to them.
If you enjoy atmospheric fantasy with flawed, unforgettable characters, and a slow-burn romance that hurts so good, this book is for you. I started the 2nd book in the duology the minute I finished the first - even if jt was 2 am and I really should have been sleeping.
I waited to rate this because I thought I might like book two more and I was right. This was good, book two was great.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
While the story definitely gripped me and its characters are well developed and thought out, there were a couple plot holes in it that definitely made me confused.
Spoilers ahead:
For example when Elspeth is interrogated by the Yews and Elm they give her the choice between being questioned under the Chalice (who makes you tell the truth) and the Scythe (which controls your desires). She obviously chooses the Scythe since she’s hiding her true magic but it makes no sense to me to even present her with that choice. It was clear much later in the book the author didn’t use the Chalice to save it for another scene, but she could have easily just said that the Yews didn’t have the Chalice yet and so they were going to use the Scythe since it was the next best thing.
Then there’s Emory, Ravyn and the rest want to collect the cards before the king to save Emory whom the King has decided he will kill to unite the deck since he’s infected and very sick. Thing is the book just says that to unite the deck you need infected blood and there are plenty of infected people who are arrested every day. So why would the king kill his own nephew when he could just pick a random peasant? And to make it worse if the king unites the deck Emory wouldn’t be sick anymore he would be saved, so shouldn’t this give the king even more reason to want to unite the deck and not use Emory as the sacrifice???
If it weren’t for these two inconsistencies the rating would have been a 4.0. Aside from these, I quite enjoyed the second half of the book, I think when Ravyn and Elspeth’s relationship developed the writer started to have a lot more fun and you could tell as the prose improved a lot.
Spoilers ahead:
For example when Elspeth is interrogated by the Yews and Elm they give her the choice between being questioned under the Chalice (who makes you tell the truth) and the Scythe (which controls your desires). She obviously chooses the Scythe since she’s hiding her true magic but it makes no sense to me to even present her with that choice. It was clear much later in the book the author didn’t use the Chalice to save it for another scene, but she could have easily just said that the Yews didn’t have the Chalice yet and so they were going to use the Scythe since it was the next best thing.
Then there’s Emory, Ravyn and the rest want to collect the cards before the king to save Emory whom the King has decided he will kill to unite the deck since he’s infected and very sick. Thing is the book just says that to unite the deck you need infected blood and there are plenty of infected people who are arrested every day. So why would the king kill his own nephew when he could just pick a random peasant? And to make it worse if the king unites the deck Emory wouldn’t be sick anymore he would be saved, so shouldn’t this give the king even more reason to want to unite the deck and not use Emory as the sacrifice???
If it weren’t for these two inconsistencies the rating would have been a 4.0. Aside from these, I quite enjoyed the second half of the book, I think when Ravyn and Elspeth’s relationship developed the writer started to have a lot more fun and you could tell as the prose improved a lot.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
absolutely not what I was expecting
I love this book. It’s a twist on magic I’ve never read before. I can’t wait to start the next one.
I love this book. It’s a twist on magic I’ve never read before. I can’t wait to start the next one.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes