When I saw this book was being marketed for fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf, I just had to jump on board. Spoiler alert: marketing was correct.

Readers are thrown into the world Elspeth lives in with all of its providence cards, cursed mists, and magically infected people. The author really grabbed my attention and enabled me to grasp the world quickly without it feeling forced. I got sucked into the story and finished the book quickly due to my inability to put it down. The characters were well developed, and I especially loved how Elspeth stayed true to herself even while getting embroiled in treason and a fake courtship. The ending had me craving the sequel as it’s a bit of a cliffhanger.

If anything, I could’ve used a little more development of the romance. While the hostility between Elspeth and Ravyn isn’t long-lasting, the friendship seemed too short for me. Still, really enjoyed this book!

Pick it up if you like:
-magical forests
-unique magic system
-fake dating (*ahem* courtship)
-badass heroines

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

I absolutely adored this one.
"There once was a girl, clever and good who tarried in shadow in the depths of the wood. There was also a King- a Shepard by his crook who reigned over magic and wrote the old book. The two were together, so the two were the same.... The girl and the King and the monster they became."

In a land surrounded by a dangerous mist that is overtaking the country, a King long ago bartered pieces of himself for magical cards that would provide stable magic to protect their country. But with all magic, it comes with a price. And the Shepard King paid most of all. Providence Cards- 78 in total each with their own powers: Twelve Black Horses, Eleven Golden Eggs, Ten Prophets, Nine White Gates, Four Scythes, Three Mirrors, Two Nightmares and one Twin Alders.

We meet Elsbeth Spindle, who has spent most of her life harboring a great secret. She in infected by dark magic. And while each infection come with power it also come with a price. Living with the infection is illegal in Blunder. Should she be discovered, the sentence would be death. A chance encounter with Nightmare card, has left the monster within living in her head.

You'll find a mystery to be solved, dark secrets, the great balance of magic, romance, intrigue, and a young woman who will sacrifice so much to protect those she cares for. To do so she will lose herself willingly to the very monster to do it.

I'm going to be yelling about this for the rest of the year, I cannot wait until the next one and this isn't even out yet. I loved it!

5/5 stars. This book was amazing. I could not put it down! This book has the dark, sentient woods of For the Wolf. It had the deceit of Defy the Night. The gothic house remissent of Northanger Abbey. Mixed in with these Providence Cards that reminded me of Caraval’s fate cards. It is the perfect gothic autumn read.
Thank you to NetGalley & Orbit Book for providing the ARC for my honest review.
I absolutely loved this story. I adored the characters, all of them, even the ones I hate. I loved the premise and world building. The only thing that enraged me, was the ending. But it was a good enrage. It is because it rudely ended and now I need book two.
I could say so much more about this book, but seriously go check it out for yourself.

One Dark Window is such a great dark, atmospheric read. It’s one of my favorite reads of the year and has even made me realize that I have a new favorite trope: the monster and the maiden. In this case, the monster is living inside the maiden’s head! I can see why people have been comparing this book to Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson.

I love the relationship between Elspeth and the Nightmare, the magic system (the cards are such a cool concept!) and I’m always here for a slow-burn romance subplot. I was also pleasantly surprised by how intense the ending is!! That cliffhanger!! I am dying for the sequel!

4.5 stars only because I’m not sold on the poems presented at the beginning of each chapter. They brought me out of the story each time.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orbit books for the eARC! I’ll be posting my review on Goodreads and Instagram closer to pub date.

**Thank you for the ARC. All opinions are my own.**

4 stars. Bewitching, lush, and gothic.

THOUGHTS: Wow. What a rich and dark world. One Dark Window ensnares your interest - and slowly but surely draws you in for the kill. I devoured this book in one day.

I greatly enjoyed the fascinating, unique magic system (represented by a deck of cards) and the stunning, atmospheric world-building. Clearly, author Rachel Gillig has invested an incredible amount of time and effort into perfectly executing a one-of-a-kind fantasy premise. Additionally, the romance was nicely executed: a well-paced mix of slow-burn and enemies to lovers.

My only issue with this book was very minor and should not dissuade you from reading this book - since this book introduces a ground-breaking and new premise for fantasy books. As a minor issue, the characters were sliiiiiiightly its weak point. Specifically, the main character was a bit too passive for my liking - and she was always stumbling or falling during action scenes (one of my pet peeves). Moreover, I wish the other intriguing side characters were more fully developed.

In spite of the above slight issue, I still fully recommend this book - it's just that good.

TLDR; Highly recommend this unique fantasy for its dark and rich world-building.

I thoroughly enjoyed this luscious dark fantasy, by an author I'll be sure to read again. The worldbuilding was interesting, the magic system cool (loved the cards!), the prose beautifully descriptive, and I LOVED the nightmare. Honestly my favorite character. I am looking forward to book 2!

this book. wow. it’s been a while since a book has engrossed me this wholly. One Dark Window has such good world building, that never feels tedious; wonderfully developed characters, that i truly adored; an intriguing, well-crafted magic system; a rich atmospheric setting, that i cannot get enough of; and a plot that will have you devouring page after page until the very final line. i definitely stayed up way too late reading this and couldn’t put it down at any point— the story was genuinely that good. the romance was slow-burn, and absolutely everything i am here for. i cannot recommend One Dark Window enough. this book was such a refreshing read; i truly cannot wait to read more of Rachel Gillig’s work.

i will be posting my rating and review on goodreads within two weeks of the book’s publication date, as per the request of the publisher.

thank you so much to Orbit Books and NetGalley for this ARC!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this new adult, dark fantasy with its fascinating magic system. The world-building was satisfying, the characters were well-developed, and the dialogue was realistic. I love and used to read loads of young adult fantasy, but have found myself quickly outgrowing them during the past few years. One Dark Window really hit the spot for me.

This is a very good story, It reminds me of some Maggie Stiefvater books. Lots of rhymes and pomes. A fun and crazy cast.

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig, I loved this book! This book hit all the right notes for me, and I had a hard time putting it down! I highly recommend this book to everyone!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to the publisher for giving me access to this ARC!

This book is really quite good! The world is super unique and interesting, and the same can be said for the magic system. In fact, I think this magic system is one of the most unique I’ve ever read about, which made it that much better! I really enjoyed the characters for the most part. I thought most of them were well fleshed out and had interesting parts in the story, and I appreciated the fact that there were some genuinely good characters and some just bad characters—it was nice to see and feel the balance.

I did get a bit confused on pacing, but I honestly believe that was more of a me thing than anything else. This book was a bit darker than I usually read, which did make it more interesting but it also made it a bit harder for me to follow along, if that makes sense. But don’t let me lead you astray—it was a great book! I think if I go back and reread it, I’ll find it to be easier to follow.

Even if for nothing else, I would give this book a shot for the magic system. It’s so fun and intriguing to read about, and I love how it’s weaves into the world. I cannot say enough nice things about it honestly.

Again, thank you so much for this ARC—I am very grateful for the opportunity!

My thoughts after speeding through this wonderfully fun dark fantasy:

The world building. The setting of this book is deeply atmospheric. While I wouldn’t exactly call it gothic, it does have something eerie to it that I really enjoyed as I’m looking forward to spooky season (September counts, right?). A mist that borders on alive, ancient castles, dark woods? I am here for it.

The characters. Waffling between feeling like I’m invested but also not invested. I feel like there’s some great opportunity for character growth here. It’s not that the characters are boring, just that I feel like they need a little more fleshing out. I enjoyed the relationship between Elspeth and the monster in her head but didn’t get much character development from Elspeth herself. Similarly, I loved Ravyn and Elm but felt that they remained fairly two-dimensional throughout the book without a lot of growth.

The magic system. Interesting, but a bit difficult to understand. I found the poem “excerpts” from The Book of the Alders at the beginning of each chapter a bit childish and confusing. Again, this was something I feel has great potential but needs some additional backstory. You get pieces of the history towards the end of the book, but they’re presented as a flashback with little context.

The cliffhanger! I thought this was going to be a standalone fantasy for pretty much the entire book. I enjoyed the book enough to be completely annoyed that I won’t able to immediately read the next installment in the series.

Overall, not my top book of 2022 but still worth the read. I’ll be looking forward to book #2!

I found this to be a really atmospheric read and the card magic system really interesting. Elspeth’s relationship with the Nightmare in her head was one of my favorite parts of the story. The romance sub plot was also good. I normally care more about the romance than plot in a book but it was the opposite for this one. I’m really curious to see what happens in the next one. Highly recommend!

Thank you so much Netgalley for this ARC!

One Dark Window is a beautiful, gothic story full of such a whimsical but dark magic system and world. And it is SO. UNIQUE! I am in awe of the creativity in this story. The writing is beautiful and magical as well and all of the characters are so interesting!

I highly recommend this!

Sometimes I will write reviews, and other times I will straight up beg you to read a book. I am straight up begging you to read One Dark Window.

Awash in darkness, and nightmare encased, even just the premise is something is something that razes across your brain. A girl with a monster in her head. A mist that takes. A highwayman. Cards made of magic. And when I tell you that this book takes this premise and exceeds any expectations you could have, I am SERIOUS.

It is so rich in its worldbuilding, and burning in its romance. There are broody, quiet men who have a soft spot for girls who harbor many secrets. Theresa grumpy prince. A girl who craves power. The family around them, and their enemies.

And the VOICE of this book oh my gosh I could gush forever about how strong, how brilliantly written it is. Plus, there are RHYMING PROPHECIES (of a sort). I am a complete sucker for rhymes and this book DELIVERED.

I am such a big fan of dark fantasy and this book delivered on every aspect. I freaking adored it.

One Dark Window was one of my favorite reads of the year. I loved the dark atmosphere, the world building, the relationship between Elspeth and Ravyn, the magic, the Providence Cards, and the way this book was written. I cannot recommend this book enough, I plan on ordering a physical copy and reading this again in the fall for some ~spooky~ vibes. Thank you NetGalley for an early eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is amazing and honestly one of the best fantasy books I’ve read in 2022. What makes this book so good, you might ask, well let me tell you:

The Magic: The plot is unique. I often feel like I’m reading the same fantasy book over and over and this book just pulled me out of that rut and introduced me to a whole new world filled with cards, prophecies, and powers with consequences.

The Characters: The MC is complex and a lot of the book is about how she manages to come to terms with a secret she’s been keeping for 11 years and who she is after sharing herself with the Nightmare for so long. I personally enjoyed the dialogue between the MC and the Nightmare, I thought it was endearing. Evil monsters have opinions about parties too you know?

The Romance: central to the plot but doesn’t overwhelm. It was like a nice cherry on top of a mystery sundae. I get frustrated with books where the world is ending and everything is chaos but 75% of the book is the MCs' having sexy time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about it, but sometimes I have to wonder, what type of time management skills does this lifestyle require, how are you not getting eaten by monsters?

I agree with some reviewers that One Dark Window is not a gothic fantasy, it’s more of a fantasy and maybe should be re-marketed that way to avoid frustration. Overall, I highly recommend this book and hope you love it as much as I did.

I had to drag finishing this book out, the suspense and dread had me pausing too often just to breath. This was spectacular and captivating with such a dark gothic feel. The lore for this story was so well written and the magic so unique and dark. The story follows Elspeth Spindle, who is infected with a spirit called the Nightmare. The only cure is to collect all the providence cards. This impossibility becomes possible once she meets the captain of the Destriers and secret highwayman Ravyn Yew. But treason and magic always come with a cost, and the truth will always out itself.
The slow burn romance and enemies to lovers was done so well. And no one is without damage in the tortured dark world they are all trapped in by the mist. The atmosphere of this book will be staying with me for quite some time, this book is both frightening and fascinating. The ending of the book has me trapped in a book hangover that I suspect won’t be cured till I get my hands on The Shepherd King.

4.5 stars

I really really liked this one. With a haunted forest and a royal traitor, I would recommend this book to fans of Defy the Night and For the Wolf. It has a lot of tropes common to the genre which could turn off some readers, but I was a huge fan. I think calling it an enemies to lovers romance is a bit misleading. Though technically they should be enemies they never really are. What this book DOES have is fantasy fake dating, or should I say fake courting. The romance is instant chemistry but slow to build with a heart-wrenching payoff.

I loved all of the characters in this. Elispeth was strong and determined. Her strength bordered on stubbornness, but other than one scene it didn't bother me. Her relationship with the various members of her family was an incredibly interesting subplot. Ravyn is the typical dark, brooding love interest and I fell head over heels for him. Ravyn's "highwaymen" were a refreshing group of characters and I hope we learn more about them in the next books. The story definitely prioritized Elispeth and Ravyn's interactions but I hope the next book fleshes out the other characters a bit more. In particular, Elm and Ione have a lot more to give to the story.

One of the strengths of this book was its world-building. I would not call this book a gothic fantasy. The kingdom has this dark fairy tale quality to it. Knowing that at all times the kingdom is surrounded by a haunting mist creates a constant eerie atmosphere. However, there is more to "gothic" than kind of creepy. The quotes from the Book of Adlers were woven throughout the story to hint at plot reveals and strengthen the sense of mystery. I won't say too much about the Nightmare because I think everyone should be able to discover his character for themselves, but he was honestly one of my favorite parts of the book. I am always down for a vengeful god/spirit and this book certainly delivered. The dynamic between him and Elispeth was so engaging. The magic system in this book was incredible. The limits and consequences of the cards lead to interesting situations for the characters.

My only critique was that it felt a bit slow at times. I wasn't really interested until the Highwaymen were introduced. And towards the middle it dragged a little bit. However, the ending definitely made up for it. An incredible final line that left me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait for book two!

One Dark Window felt like a truly unique read - the magic system was interesting and new and the tension built between Elspeth and Ravyn was very organic. Once the pace started to pickup, I couldn’t put the book down. I do wish there was a little bit more character background/growth built in but I’m sure I’ll get to know the characters even better in the next book.