One Dark Window (The Shepherd King Book 1)

This was one of those situations where I kept putting off the book because it was sooo hyped. I'm notoriously fearful about trying overly popular or talked about books. I guess I've been burned one too many times that way 😅

But this book gripped me from page one and I couldn't put it down.

I loved the world building...the danger filled atmosphere and the fear of the physicians disturbing the sleep of wayward children, like monsters under the bed.

And a never ending Nightmare, "the voice in my head, the creature with strange yellow eyes and an eerie smooth voice"

The magic system was utterly amazing. I feel like it's a difficult thing to do ....to weave a complex tale involving the rules, the give and take, and just the overall existence of an, oftentimes, intangible force. But, in this particular book, the reader is given EVERYTHING. Even the taste and smell of magic. At times I felt myself drowning in it alongside the FMC.

And let's not forget the most important elements to any good story, at least for me, the character development.

This was told in first person POV and only by the FMC, Elspeth. She was such an intriguing young girl and completely likable, if not relatable. Her fears and insecurities basically kept her sealed off from any true social interactions and romantic relationships.

The MMC, Ravyn, was the perfect dynamic. He came in with unknown motives, giving their "relationship" instant enemies to lovers vibes. I loved how his actions weren't always innocent but his intentions...his reasoning and drive were pure and often unselfish.

The plotline was perfectly executed. Their endgame was set with laser focus and the steps to achieving their goals are obviously hard earned.

I know I'm extremely late to this party but I'm excited to dive into book 2. I'm just glad that I've managed to avoid any and all spoilers up until this point.

I've quite enjoyed the little twists in the storyline and secrets revealed.

• Engagement of convenience/ forced proximity *Enemies to lovers *Slow burn 🌶️🌶️ *Found family *Gothic setting (old castles, ruins and dark woods)
• Magic system *World building

Tropes/ Key Points: ✨Unique Magic System ✨Dark Secret ✨Political Subterfuge ✨Fake Dating ✨Slow Burn ✨(Slight) Enemies to Lovers ✨Gothic Fairytale Vibes (Grimm Brothers) ✨YA Fantasy/Romance

Spice:🌶️

Twelve Cards of Magic, gifted by the elusive Spirit of the Wood to the Shepherd King. The Black Horse for mastering combat. The Golden Egg for great wealth. The Prophet to see the future. The White Eagle for courage. The Maiden for great beauty. The Chalice for truth. The Well to see one’s enemies. The Iron Gate for peace, no matter the situation. The Scythe for power over others actions. The Mirror for invisibility. The Nightmare for speaking into others minds. The Twin Alders to speak to the Spirit.

But all magic comes with a cost, even these cards.

Elspeth caught the fever as a child. It gave her magic, but all magic comes with a price. Those who catch this disease are put to death, but Elspeth was hidden by her family and secretly allowed to live. She has a monster living in her head and he is growing stronger.

Blessed with the ability to see the cards of power, Elspeth is pulled into a treasonous plot against the king to gather all the cards to undo a blight on her kingdom.

What happens when she is a bigger monster than the threat they face?

This book turned about to be such a great read. I was a little hesitant going into it, kind of felt like it wasn’t going to be my thing. It seemed like I was going to be proven right as the first bit of this book is very slow to get into. This story is more mid-high fantasy so the author has to do a bit of info dump at the beginning to set up the world and fill us in on what’s going on. Once you read around chapter six though, prepare for it to take off.

Once I got into it I didn’t really want to put it down. It gives off strong political vibes but the romance comes into play later. I wouldn’t say this book is spicy by any means but it definitely gets steamy. It’s marketed as Adult but it feels more YA, and that’s not a reason to pass on this story.

The magic system is so unique, I honestly don’t know of another book that I can compare it to. I think it’s one of my favorite parts of the entire story. The author did such a great job at filling us in on how everything works, despite some of the gaps in logic. This applies more to the people within the world than a flaw in the magic system.

Part of the issue with the magic system again does not fall on the magic itself, but more on the people of this world. They talk about how you need to reunite one of each of the cards into a solid deck in order to cure the curse that this world is kind of facing. And yet all these people have these cards, and they know their king needs them, but none of them are turning over the cards willingly. They barter with the king, especially if the cards are more rare to get better statue for themselves, but instead of just giving him the cards to stop the curse, they hold onto them which is ultimately making things worse for them. That is a little bit of a plot hole that is introduced in the story, but I don’t feel personally that it takes away from it.

The Nightmare in Elspeth’s head is my favorite character in the book. He is so dark and blasé about things that it’s honestly hilarious. He comes in often to help Elspeth only to find out he could have earlier but didn’t cause she didn’t ask. I laughed so many times when he “came out to play.”

One of my complaints is with the main female character, Elspeth. She has had this magic for 11 years and had to hide and not really engage with people outside of her family because she felt they might discover that she is infected. It doesn’t make her interactions with other people are somewhat stilted and awkward, but personally, that part doesn’t bother me. The part that bothers me is how Naïve she really was and how she went back on what she said she was going to do repeatedly. As I mentioned above all magic comes with a price even the natural magic that she has and once she realizes her cost, she makes this vowel that she’s not going to engage with the magic so the cost. At least until the slightest bit of danger shows up and then she starts using it. Every single time.

One of my biggest applauds for this book, is the big twist and the ending. Don’t get me wrong. some of the twists throughout the book are so in your face that you can’t not see them coming. But there was one that I was 100% not expecting, and it was such a great moment in the story. I think that the ending of the book absolutely overwrites the few flaws that are present within the novel. I absolutely love the cliffhanger, and I am so eager for book 2. I read this with my book club and we are so frustrated that we have to wait a few months for the second one to come out. I would recommend this book to anybody.

I'm obsessed with this book - incredible world-building, character development, prose, pacing, and even the little details like the cover are on point. I read over 200 books a year, mostly fantasy, and this is a cut above the rest. This book is for you if you like dark, gritty fantasy with nightmare-ish undertones. It's not horror in the traditional sense, but the writing will raise the hair on your neck. Fair warning - there's a romantic subplot, but I'm a big fan of "romantasy" so this doesn't bother me. Read this book ASAP.

Good things to say about this book and the story, and very few bad. For the good, The magic system in this book is very unique and really exciting to learn about. There are some things, for example about the main character, that we have to learn slowly, and maybe there are questions about it, but this system is very interesting. Additionally, Ravyn 😍 there are many characters that are interesting, and I will be excited to learn more about in the second book, but I really loved the slow burn between him and Elspeth. Also!! I felt like not only was the magic system very interesting, but the telling and writing about the magic was very fun. Rhymes and riddles not just to start a chapter but throughout dialogue and exchanges made it feel very fresh and enjoyable. The dialogue between Elspeth and the voice, for example, feels very fresh because of the riddles. While I could guess at the identity of this voice before it’s revealed, I think there is still a lot to learn. There are a few things I don’t like. Obviously, the evil characters do come off as truly hateful. But the character that upsets me most in this story is Iona. we barely got to know her before she changed and the reason for it and crypticness around why she did, it is not explained. I hope it’s explained in the second book, and I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt, but if it’s not explained, I will a wee bit miffed.

"Nothing is free. Nothing is safe. Magic is love, but also, it’s hate."

i'm so lucky to have dodged any and all spoilers since this book has blown up and went into it almost completely blind. i was completely enthralled from the beginning and enchanted by rachel gillig's phenomenal story.

"That’s how the best lies are told—with just enough truth to be convincing."

firstly, the poems and magic system. very unique, the use of the stanzas to reveal information throughout the story as well as the lore within the book and to explain the magic system. i've always loved when magic comes with a cost in fantasy, and this system does so in poetically creative ways counterpointing the gifts the magic gives. there is little more satisfying than when an author gives me a few stanzas of rhyme and the tempo is obvious and consistent. it just itches a scratch in my brain. it was very intriguing to have the nightmare basically only speak in his riddle-esque rhyme. he also surprisingly provided some excellent comedic relief.

"Now we must play at tea with Blunder’s bottom-feeders? You said joining these fools would be dangerous. You said nothing of torture."

"I could have died! Don’t be dramatic, the Nightmare said. People fall off horses every day."

the cast of characters is distinct and layered. ione was very intriguing to me with her journey, i never quite knew where to stand 100% with elm or ravyn. the precariousness of trust heightens the tension throughout the story and keeps the stakes raised. i've probably read too many betrayal tropes LOL so i won't go on too much about it BUT the chemistry between elspeth and ravyn was organic, well-developed, and simmering.

“What about you, Captain? Are you too nice for your own good?” He watched me, something I could not read flashing in his gray eyes. “No, Miss Spindle,” he said. “I’m not nice at all.”

it's quite a unique premise and the gothic setting with its fairy tale lore creates a creepy vibe that wonderfully helps drive the story and paint a vivid picture. the motifs of the mist, the trees, the salt, ravens, and crowns incorporate your senses as a reader to help immerse you into the book. the providence cards are easy to liken to a deck of tarot cards, which further encourage both mystical and medieval tones and imagery.

"The Hawthorn tree carries few seeds. Its branches are weary, it’s lost all its leaves. Be wary the man who bargains and thieves. He’ll offer your soul to get what he needs."

"The stone chamber—enveloped by moss and vines—stood tall at the edge of the mist. How strange it looked, alone in the ruins, unmarked but for one dark window situated on its southernmost wall."

overall, i was very impressed (and enraptured) with elspeth and the nightmare's story. i can't wait to see where book two takes me.

“The girl, the King… and the monster they became.”