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A review by phantasmaboo
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
dark
mysterious
medium-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
One Dark Window follows the story of Elspeth, who was stricken with fever as a child and, as a result, carries a monster in her head know as The Nightmare. The Nightmare gives her strength and protection in Blunder, but with any type of magic, there is always a price.
I very much wanted to like this book, but there were some elements that caused me to lower my rating.
First, the positives. When the book was good, it was good. I thought the author did an okay job laying out the world, the rules of magic, and the type of environment we were dealing with. Also, I was easily gripped by moments in the plot and found them incredibly compelling.
However, the pace was not steady throughout. Character development and plot movement are not weaves together well so in moments where we learn more about the characters, it’s as if the whole plot has stopped.
Furthermore, there are so many threads in this book, arguably too many. Some are character related, others are plot related, but it was really hard to keep track of them all. I feel that the author wanted to create a whole ensemble of characters with good depth and their own stories, but because there were so many, it fell flat. Too many times, plot points from far earlier in the book would be reintroduced, discussed, and then quickly forgotten so that another could take its place. Overall, this left the pacing feeling very start and stop and clunky.
Still, I thought it was a decent read and I’ll probably pick up the next book when I have a chance.
I very much wanted to like this book, but there were some elements that caused me to lower my rating.
First, the positives. When the book was good, it was good. I thought the author did an okay job laying out the world, the rules of magic, and the type of environment we were dealing with. Also, I was easily gripped by moments in the plot and found them incredibly compelling.
However, the pace was not steady throughout. Character development and plot movement are not weaves together well so in moments where we learn more about the characters, it’s as if the whole plot has stopped.
Furthermore, there are so many threads in this book, arguably too many. Some are character related, others are plot related, but it was really hard to keep track of them all. I feel that the author wanted to create a whole ensemble of characters with good depth and their own stories, but because there were so many, it fell flat. Too many times, plot points from far earlier in the book would be reintroduced, discussed, and then quickly forgotten so that another could take its place. Overall, this left the pacing feeling very start and stop and clunky.
Still, I thought it was a decent read and I’ll probably pick up the next book when I have a chance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Vomit