Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

82 reviews

straybutterfly's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, Blood, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, and Body horror

Minor: Grief, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, and Classism

erinreadsbooks's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This book just didn’t grip me. I felt like the first 75% of the book moved really slowly and I felt myself getting bored. The reveal of

the Nightmare being the old king

also felt prolonged—it was fairly obvious that this was the case so when it was “revealed” to Elspeth and the reader, it just felt underwhelming. I don’t enjoy when it feels like the author is underestimating the reader, and this was one of those times.

I also wasn’t a big fan of the romance, but that may be personal preference as I don’t enjoy the “love at first sight” trope. 

The concept of the story—a bargain with a greater entity that takes more each time one asks for favors—is really compelling, and the ending was interesting. I just wanted the whole book to be as eventful and impactful as the last 25%. 

Read if you like dark fantasy involving bargains for power with a tiny bit of romance. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Blood, Death, Gore, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, Murder, Sexual content, and Child death

thissmoi's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Child death, Gore, and Death of parent

laurenelisewrites's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

OBSESSED. WOW! I consumed this book in one sitting. This was such a fun story. The characters came alive in such a vivid way. It was all too easy to fall in love with them. The magic system was really unique and yet it called back to the hallmarks of classic fantasy. I needed this story more than I realized. Also, the romance was DELICIOUS. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Cursing, Bullying, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Child death

randirush's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.5

hiiiii i need to read the second book RN 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Murder, and Blood

Minor: Confinement, Death of parent, and Vomit

leasasaa's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.75

The atmosphere, the storyline, the magic system and the writing (mostly) were all great; where the book failed for me was the romance plot unfortunately. It felt really flat and rushed and was just not really believable. And i had a tiny problem with the writing and that is just the overuse of some phrases that stuck out like a thorn in your eye. 
But overall still a good story and I will definitely be reading the second book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Child death and Death of parent

scarlett_f's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Toxic relationship, Death, Body horror, Confinement, Violence, and Bullying

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Vomit, Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Grief, Child death, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Drug use and Domestic abuse

reallyrosalie's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Moderate: Death of parent, Mental illness, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Torture

janieboucher's review against another edition

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

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Terminal illness, and Mental illness

Moderate: Murder, Violence, and Child death

Minor: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

amy14's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual content, Blood, and Child death