Book Review: One Dark Window
- Author: Rachel Gillig
- Series: The Shepherd King
- Publisher: Orbit
- Page Count: 399 pages, Paperback
- First published: September 27, 2022
- ASIN: 0316312487
- ISBN: 9780316312486 (ISBN10: 0316312487)
- Available in eBook Format (ePub): Yes
- Available in Audible
Plot
In the first book of Rachel Gillig’s The Shepherd King series, we meet Elspeth, a young woman harboring a dark secret. Inside her lives a magical parasite known as the Nightmare. He grants her special powers — but magic always comes at a price. The more Elspeth turns to her mysterious companion for help, the more she loses pieces of herself.
The story unfolds in a kingdom where magic is bound to special Providence Cards — each with its own unique power and a cost the bearer must pay. A sinister mist lurks, threatening anyone who dares enter without a protective talisman, and a 500-year-old legend promises salvation from the magical blight.
As Elspeth struggles to survive and guard her secret, she becomes entangled in a dangerous plot to overthrow a tyrannical king and save all those infected by magic.
Review
If you enjoy stories with a gothic atmosphere and a touch of mysticism, I’m confident you’ll be drawn to One Dark Window just like I was. The setting is dark and utterly immersive. I’ll admit it took me a little time to get used to the magical system, but once the concept of the Providence Cards clicks, everything flows naturally.
The premise is fresh and original, and what stood out to me most was how magic has a price. That very cost is what makes Gillig’s world so intriguing, haunting, and memorable. My favorite character is the Nightmare — channeling serious Venom energy with his sharp wit and snarky interjections that bring levity and unexpected laughs to the story.
Despite a slower start, the plot is far from dull. Gillig skillfully weaves the mystery of the Providence Cards with prophecies, betrayals, and the intense internal struggles of her characters.
We witness the tyranny of the royal family, the fanaticism of those who blindly obey the law, and the steep price paid by anyone daring to conceal the blight. Brother turns against brother, because nothing is stronger than fear and the thirst for power.
Amid this grim and unforgiving world, two souls who’ve spent their lives hiding their true selves find each other. Elspeth and Ravyn (Garvin) gradually open their hearts and learn to trust. Their romance is not fiery or passionate, but it grows slowly and meaningfully — enough to keep you emotionally invested.
⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5 stars — an original concept and gripping atmosphere. Though the beginning is a bit slow, the ending more than makes up for it.
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.
