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A review by booksofbells
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? No
5.0
A hauntingly enchanted dark fantasy debut follows a girl with a monster buried inside her mind.
So what this is about?
It's about a girl, Elspeth Spindle who carries a dark secret within her—a terrifying monster with yellow eyes and long claws, trapped in her mind—called The Nightmare. He protects her, lend her strength when needed, but everything has a price. Especially magic. Then she met a mysterious highwayman, where her live takes a horrendous turn.. To join a dangerous quest to cure Blunder from the dark magic. What about the highwayman? Well, turns out he is the King's nephew, Captain of the most dangerous soldiers in Blunder and was found to be culpable of high treason. They must work together to collect twelve Providence Cards, which hold the secrets to the cure. But, as the stakes rise and their undeniable attraction grows stronger, Elspeth is compelled to confront her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is gradually gaining control of her mind. And she may be powerless to halt him.
My thoughts:
It's very fast-paced, action-packed, perfect for dark fantasy admirers. The writings were clear, enchanting yet the atmosphere was fully of dark, gloomy and chilling. The overall vibes, plot and atmosphere were successfully executed. The magical system was so different than other fantasy I've ever read. Instead of elemental magic or existing powers, they used cards to perform the magic and there is a huge price to pay if used too much. A high stake for a special kind of magic. To cure the dark magic infested Blunder, they need to collect all twelve Providence Cards (cards that hold magic, each carries different magic) and to do so would pegged them for performing treason. But where's the fun if there's no high stakes? So I ate this book up and I really, really love the enemies-to-lovers tropes here. The slowburn, the angst, the dark vibes, it was just so perfect!
Character-wise, I think Rachel did a marvellous job for her debut novel. The way I saw the characters and the workings of their minds, I have a feeling Rachel next books would also be successful like this one. How I adore each character, Elspeth, Ravyn, Jespyr, and Elm, they made quite a team. Elspeth, despite her carrying a monster in her head, she's a steel inside. I wonder how she survived throughout the book without cowering. Her whole life infested with The Nightmare was not going well, but now she has a purpose after Ravyn; to cure her illness and others like her.
Needless to say that the book ended up in cliffhanger. And I am most excited and anticipated for the sequel!
So what this is about?
It's about a girl, Elspeth Spindle who carries a dark secret within her—a terrifying monster with yellow eyes and long claws, trapped in her mind—called The Nightmare. He protects her, lend her strength when needed, but everything has a price. Especially magic. Then she met a mysterious highwayman, where her live takes a horrendous turn.. To join a dangerous quest to cure Blunder from the dark magic. What about the highwayman? Well, turns out he is the King's nephew, Captain of the most dangerous soldiers in Blunder and was found to be culpable of high treason. They must work together to collect twelve Providence Cards, which hold the secrets to the cure. But, as the stakes rise and their undeniable attraction grows stronger, Elspeth is compelled to confront her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is gradually gaining control of her mind. And she may be powerless to halt him.
My thoughts:
It's very fast-paced, action-packed, perfect for dark fantasy admirers. The writings were clear, enchanting yet the atmosphere was fully of dark, gloomy and chilling. The overall vibes, plot and atmosphere were successfully executed. The magical system was so different than other fantasy I've ever read. Instead of elemental magic or existing powers, they used cards to perform the magic and there is a huge price to pay if used too much. A high stake for a special kind of magic. To cure the dark magic infested Blunder, they need to collect all twelve Providence Cards (cards that hold magic, each carries different magic) and to do so would pegged them for performing treason. But where's the fun if there's no high stakes? So I ate this book up and I really, really love the enemies-to-lovers tropes here. The slowburn, the angst, the dark vibes, it was just so perfect!
Character-wise, I think Rachel did a marvellous job for her debut novel. The way I saw the characters and the workings of their minds, I have a feeling Rachel next books would also be successful like this one. How I adore each character, Elspeth, Ravyn, Jespyr, and Elm, they made quite a team. Elspeth, despite her carrying a monster in her head, she's a steel inside. I wonder how she survived throughout the book without cowering. Her whole life infested with The Nightmare was not going well, but now she has a purpose after Ravyn; to cure her illness and others like her.
Needless to say that the book ended up in cliffhanger. And I am most excited and anticipated for the sequel!