BOOK REVIEW: One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

Be wary. Be clever. Be good.

I’m not really sure what I was expecting when I went into this one, but I can say that I liked it way more than I thought I would. I had been seeing it around for a while, and just didn’t think it would be something that was ‘for me.’ But, since it was part of my 12 in 12 challenges for this year, I had the perfect excuse to read it.

Some of the tropes you'll find:

• Enemies to Lovers

• Fake Dating

• Found Family

• Forbidden Love

• Royalty

• Unique Magic System

• Gothic Fantasy Romance

  

Summary of book:

Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.

But nothing comes for free, especially magic.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King’s own nephew, Captain of the Destriers…and guilty of high treason.

He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards—the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.

My Thoughts:

I thought the characters were great. They were flawed and complex and trying to figure out how to survive in a world that has a clear divide.

I felt that the characterization was spot on. Elspeth is well developed - you can understand the complexity of her situation, her frustrations, her fears, her need for more for the hesitation that comes with the knowledge that if she’s caught, she’s dead. It’s why, even though Ravyn is dark and mysterious, the opportunities he offers are entice. They are both flawed and struggling. Each trying to compensate for their weaknesses. However, she is battling an internal battle within her mind, and it’s getting harder and harder for her to control the inner monster.

A line draw deep between those who survived ‘the infection’ and now have magical abilities and those that can only use ‘card magic’, which is considered the only real magic. But all magic comes with a price.

There once was a girl,” he murmured, “clever and good, who tarried in shadow in the depths of the wood. There also was a King—a shepherd by his crook, who reigned over magic and wrote the old book. The two were together, so the two were the same: “The girl, the King… and the monster they became.

This magical card system (Providence Cards) was really creative, unique and well structured. It was clear that there was a lot of thought put into the world in general, but the uniqueness behind every card and the cards collectively allowed for the entirety of the world and characters to start on a solid foundation.

There was that overarching atmosphere that felt part historical fiction and part gothic fantasy, but I wasn’t overly surprised, and because of what I stated earlier, the writing style and structure were perfectly aligned and suited for that feeling. Within the first few pages, you knew exactly what the tone was going to be and it maintained throughout. The mist, the fever, the forest, it all supports the eeriness.

The writing has an elegance, but it doesn’t impact the ease of the the reading. I loved the rhyming, especially with the chapter headings. It all just supports that gothic fairytale feel.

There was quite a but of symbolism throughout, and the themes of self discovery, overcoming your inner demons, and never giving up are woven throughout the narration and supported by character interactions and dialogue.

Things I loved:

• The dark and brooding Ravyn

• The dance scene

• The magic system & forbidden magic

• Monsters in your head

• The quest to collect the cards

Where does this land on my bookshelf?

I’d happily place this on the top shelf simply because of the uniqueness of the magic system. There were some elements that were a little predictable, but it wasn’t anything that bothered me. At the end, I was pleasantly surprised because it really wasn’t anything like I was expecting. This is the first book in a duology, and I am excited to read book 2 soon. I definitely recommend this one!

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