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A review by maxgardner
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
This is a strong debut from Rachel Gillig that has so much that's working. I really like that it's a darker, gothic fantasy with a unique magic system. The world of Blunder is fairly simple, but the ever-present mist, the infection it causes, and the looming presence of the Spirit of the Woods adds a layer of mystery and creepiness that works well for creating tension and elements of horror. The language and characters felt a bit strange to get used to at first - not only is the book in third person, but Gillig's writing style feels very observational rather than personal, especially at the beginning, so it takes a little while to form attachments with the characters. But as the story progresses, she does a great job of developing them and making them interesting and likeable. She also does a good job of foreshadowing what's to come. Though several of the plot points were predictable, I found the clues leading up to their reveals fun - the poems especially are a nice touch - and the payoff at the end feels satisfying. Also, I found the romance elements of this to be pretty natural, and the main romance is developed without sacrificing the individual characters' development, which I appreciated as that's a pet peeve of mine with romantasy.
My only criticisms are really to do with the predictability of several of the plot elements as well as Gillig's specific word and stylistic choices at times. An example I can remember off the top of my head is something along the lines of, "She looked down and saw she had blood on her hands. It wasn't her blood." This happened a couple of times of stating obvious things; it shows a lack of trust of the reader and cheapens the impact of the statement. But as a whole, I really enjoyed this book and had to immediately jump into the sequel once I finished.
My only criticisms are really to do with the predictability of several of the plot elements as well as Gillig's specific word and stylistic choices at times. An example I can remember off the top of my head is something along the lines of, "She looked down and saw she had blood on her hands. It wasn't her blood." This happened a couple of times of stating obvious things; it shows a lack of trust of the reader and cheapens the impact of the statement. But as a whole, I really enjoyed this book and had to immediately jump into the sequel once I finished.