One Dark Window: the gothic and spellbinding fantasy romance sensation (The Shepherd King)

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All the side characters were delightful, but Ravyn's cousin, Prince Elm, definitely won my heart a lot more than the others. 💜 The familiar ease in which he interacted with Elspeth was so refreshingly entertaining - he never hesitated to challenge her - she never wavered in speaking her mind against him - it's such a comfortable kinship that is forging between them, and the way the cliffhanger left us dangling the way it did - I am very much looking forward to how much more of a part he's going to play in the future. 💮

I’m just the wind in the trees, the shadow, and the fright. The echo in the leaves… the nightmare in the night.” And of course, I have to mention The Nightmare. He's just the best. So funny, sarcastic, grumpy, and caring (in his very weird way). He will be very welcome in my head lmao The enchantment of the book lies not only in its magical elements but also in the subtle romantic twist that adds an extra layer to the narrative. While romance isn’t the central focus, its presence is tastefully integrated without overwhelming the creative writing. A dash more spice could have heightened the experience, but it doesn’t detract from the overall charm of the story.

Customer reviews

La prosa dell'autrice sicuramente è d'aiuto nel tenere incollati alle pagine! Lussureggiante e suggestiva avvolge infatti il lettore in un mondo intriso di mistero e segreti da svelare. His laughter dripped like water down the walls of a cavern, echoing, then fading into hollow silence. Because that, my dear, is MY nature.”

Of all the things I pretend at,” he said, his thumb drawing small, gentle circles along my waist, “courting you has proven the easiest.” Rachel's writing was beautiful and elusive. The little riddles and poetry in between the chapters made everything more interesting. This was a fast paced story and Rachel perfectly balanced everything—the mystery, the characters' journey to find the remaining cards and Elspeth's relationships with Nightmare and Ravyn. This was written from Elspeth's pov and I loved it because how many times does a girl have a 500 year old hilarious monster in her head? I would also love to see some found family trope with Ravyn's family, Elspeth, Elm and Ione. An enchanting tale with sharp claws and teeth – Gillig’s prose will pull you in and won’t let you sleep. Pulse-pounding, darkly whimsical and aglow with treacherous magic, One Dark Window is everything I love in fantasy and more’ Allison Saft, author of A Far Wilder Magic

Read One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

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. La lettura all'inizio può risultare un po' lenta, anche perché sono un po' le informazioni con cui bisogna familiarizzare, ma è facile restare incantati da questo mondo e dalla protagonista Elspeth. For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a dark, lushly gothic fantasy about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom—but the monster in her head isn't the only threat lurking. With that being said, the romance left little to be desired. I don't think I was ever really convinced of Elspeth and Ravyn's chemistry. I understood why they would be attracted to each other but I don't think it was conveyed in a way that was believable. I've been very wary of debut romance authors lately. Many have fallen into the trap of writing over-tropified garbage, so this book felt like a breath of fresh air... which isn't to say that it was faultless.

Each and every moment of them had me giggling and swooning. I ate up all the crumbs I could get. The blind fold scene!? That was so hot even though it wasn't for anything like that. Also this was not YA and I'm definitely not complaining because that scene was just so good! The romance was the icing on the cake. But I’d still be rating this book 5⭐️ even without the romantic subplot, that’s how GOOD it was.Although the main characters are in their early twenties, this book felt very YA (except one kind of steamy-ish scene?), which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But for me, it made for a confusing reading experience because my expectations for YA vs Adult books are vastly different. Because I went in thinking this was an Adult book, I was expecting darker and spookier themes (this doesn't affect my rating - I have since adjusted my expectations). The characters were flawed, a bit mysterious, and I absolutely adored them! Elspeth hasn’t had an easy life, trusts few people, and stays away from crowds because of her dark secret. That is, until she meets a handsome and mysterious highwayman who convinces her to help him on his quest. I love Elspeth, Ravyn, Elm, and Jespyr. This group of characters are witty, loyal, and so courageous. Last, but not least, The Nightmare. His character was intriguing, frightening, and surprisingly funny at times. Even when I wanted to dislike him, something inside me was just so attached to him and his story.