One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.5/5
Synopsis:
Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.
Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder—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 Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. And the highwayman? He just so happens to be the King’s nephew, Captain of the most dangerous men in Blunder…and guilty of high treason.
Together they must 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 taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.
Review no spoilers:
I loved the gothic, dark vibes of this book. It had an eerie but comforting ambience to it! I think that this world is my favorite out of the Gothic books I have read so far. I loved that it had a hunted forest and that the world went beyond the castle grounds. It had some traveling, so more areas of the map were unlocked and made it feel like a more complete story.
I loved how magic was explained in this story. It was only used by some and despised by most! I felt scared most of the book, not because it was scary but because Elspeth had such a scary aura to her and her life could vanish at any given point.
The whole story felt blue and gloomy, like Twilight!
The whole idea that everything has a price and that there is a balance made me realize that some aspects in real life are like that too. Regardless of magic or no magic, the world has a similar way of being, whether it's by paying actual money for basic health things or giving your life away to corporations so you can have a somewhat comfortable life since everything is too expensive.
SPOILERS STARTING HERE
What the heck, the first chapter was crazy!
A near-death experience to start off is insane, but the real crazy was knowing that Elspeth was saved by the unknown.
I loved how the Shepperd cards were a homage to tarot cards and what it would be like if they, in fact, had a strong physical power in real life.
Elspeth:
What a strong, dark character! She is a true damsel in distress, but no one knows it; she walks by hidden from everyone else due to the infection she carries. How amazing it is to see her conspire with the Yews. Fight for something, anything, a reason to live with the nightmare within her.
All the encounters she had in the first part of the book were very significant to her character development since she was always tucked away from society; it was never an option to indulge in society matters, but now it all changed. Her new Beau Ravyn
Yew is taking her on an adventure that will change the course of her life and also have a little romance in it!
Her being constantly taunted by the nightmare gave the whole story a new edge. It was a different character, one that no one else could see or fear, just her. making her internal war scarier!
Ravyn:
What a handsome man! I love his loyalty, his strength, and his determination.
He is a very complex character, and it is incredible to see him go through all the challenges they are put through. He is so clever and knowledgeable. the real deal!
It is amazing to see him use the cards and put himself through misery to help the ones he loves, and it just shows what an amazing man he is!
When talking about his family, everyone from the Yews is amazing, mainly Jespyr! They love and support each other, and it feels like they have a secret society in which they plan to save everyone. A true royal family, unlike the Rowans...
When Ravyn and Elspeth got to it, I was so happy!! like they both deserve feeling loved and cared for, and even though they had to push their feelings aside to focus on the mission, they ended up realizing they are one and are in fact meant to be together! It just feels so good when the characters that have had it so rough finally get a glimpse of happiness, even if it would be taken from them eventually.
The nightmare:
I thought the nightmare was going to be the love interest, but eventually seeing how veil and macabre he is made me scared for Elspeth. I could see he wanted to protect her, but he was terrifying. I was scared some possession like that could ever happen to someone I loved or me.
He is very clever though; he knows everything and is the key out of the mist, but I wonder what he is taking away from Elspeth.
It is good to see her be able to get some physical power from him, though—power much needed in a world like that. She was able to fight her dad, Hauth, and Destiers! even Ravyn!! The nightmare is a beast, and so is she.
Hauth:
Not much to say besides that he is an asshole and I hate him. I hope he burns up alive or something. What an AWFUL human. Thinking about him and what he does makes my blood boil.
the ending:
WHAAAAAAAT!!!
Fuck you, Hauth!!! But I’m glad the physician is dead and Hauth is hurt!
I cried. I cried so much with this ending. IT was so painful, so vulnerable. Not even the nightmare wanted it to happen this way. It was very rough.
I can't believe any of it though; it was all too soon, and Ravyn was too late. This was one of the worst cliffhangers ever!!
All I gotta say is that I’m glad the other book is out and I can read it the right way!
Favorite Quotes
“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.”
“I'm just the wind in the trees, the shadow, and the fright. The echo in the leaves...the nightmare in the night.”
“Nothing is free. Nothing is safe. Magic is love, but also, it’s hate. It comes at a cost. You’re found, and you’re lost. Magic is love, but also, it’s hate.”
“Are you still pretending?” I said, reveling in his gaze. Ravyn gave a surprised laugh and, in front of everyone, leaned in and kissed me. “I never was,” he whispered into my lips.”
“Had I known they’d be the last words I’d say to him aloud, I might have chosen them differently.”
