One Dark Window - Rachel Gillig

 

 "There once was a girl, 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." 

 

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Well, we are starting off the year strong with the first 5-star read! My first book of 2024 is Rachel Gillig's One Dark Window, the first book in the Shepherd King duology.  

Started: December 14th, 2023

Finished: January 2nd, 2024

Synopsis:   This story follows Elspeth Spindle and the Nightmare that lives inside her mind. As a child, Elspeth was stricken with a fever, one of which that granted her a power over magic. In the world of Blunder, magic is prohibited, except in the use of Providence Cards. These cards correspond to a different ability, but there is a price to using their magic. Use them too much and the effects can be deadly to the user. 

                After living through the fever, Elspeth touches one of her uncle's Providence Cards (The Nightmare Card) and she absorbs the creature into her mind. For 11 years, Elspeth has had the Nightmare living in her mind, giving his two cents and occasionally (with her permission) taking over her body. When Elspeth comes across some highwaymen searching for Cards, her world is turned upside down. Can she keep her illness a secret? Why can she hear the Nightmare? And can she get rid of it before it fully takes over her?

Review:    As stated above, this book is a 5-star read. Gillig does a phenomenal job creating her magic system and exploring the world of Blunder. When it comes to dark fantasy novels, when the world isn't fleshed out it loses my interest. I need something to obsess over and read over in lore. I surely had my fill with this. From the Providence Cards to the origin of everyone's names coming from the names of trees, there was a lot to unpack. Even the creepy rhymes from The Book of the Alders captivated me because it felt like an established history within the story. 

                Now let's talk about the characters. There are many character incorporated into this story and they all hold a prominent purpose. Unlike some books where characters are introduced and become arbitrary, this story finds a perfect way to incorporate them all and make them useful to the narrative. 

Elspeth Spindle- Our main heroine. Elspeth is primarily a soft-spoken woman who has been hiding a talking demon in her head for 11 years. How she didn't go mad, I don't know, but I loved the attitude she gave the Nightmare when he was poking in business that he didn't belong in. Normally meek, Elspeth turns into a fighting machine when the Nightmare takes over her body, which adds some depth behind her character. She may look sweet and innocent on the outside, but mess with her and you may have your throat cut.

The Nightmare- The villain? The Nightmare is introduced pretty early on in the story. He is described as neither a man or beast, but a combination of the two.  He lives within Elspeth's mind constantly reciting lines from The Book of the Alders as warnings. When asked to lend his strength, he takes over Elspeth's body and does what needs to be done. Whether or not this is meant to protect her or to unleash him is not specified as of yet. I lived for the Nightmare's interjections in Elspeth's life and I also loved their banter.

Ravyn Yew- The oldest nephew of the Rowan King, Ravyn is the Captain of the Destriers, a league of warriors in charge of keeping law and order in Blunder. When Elspeth meets Ravyn as a highwayman-- and not a King's nephew-- it starts the ball rolling on the topic of degeneration when it comes to untamed magic. That is, magic that is not confined to the Providence Cards. Ravyn has his own secret--that he was infected with the same fever Elspeth was. However, his power causes him to not be able to use the Cards or for the Cards to be used against him. All except two. The Nightmare Card and the Mirror Card, which are the abilities to speak into other's minds and to make oneself invisible for a short time, respectively. I think the character of Ravyn was a bit "eh" in the beginning but I really started to like him as the story progressed. He is your average, broody male warrior who eventually opens up and lets others in. What really got me though about him was his ability to make mistakes. As Elspeth's and Ravyn's feelings for each other grew, so did Ravyn's sense of protection. However, on more than one occasion, Ravyn makes a mistake and Elspeth's pays the price. A lot of times in fantasy books, the male character is faultless because he is the pinnacle of strength and dexterity and sometimes...saving others isn't easy. 

Elm Rowan - The Rowan King's youngest son. Elm, I thought would be the joker of the group, however, he holds his own worries and his own goals. I'm glad that Gillig didn't turn Elm into just the joker character, but someone who is well-rounded in their own way. He hates his father and older brother and wants retribution for the way they treated him when he was younger. I also loved his interactions with Ione Hawthorne, which I will get into next.

Ione Hawthorne- Elspeth's cousin from her mother's side. A warm, bubbly character in the beginning who turns into a cold-hearted femme fatale towards the end. In exchange for her father's Nightmare Card, Ione is given to High Prince Hauth to be wed and she is also given a Maiden Card, a card that can alter anyone's looks to be their most beautiful. We spend the majority of the time hating Ione for the way she is changed, not only physically, but mentally. I was totally on board for the "We hate Ione now" ride, but as the story progressed, I saw how smart Ione was with how she used her Card. Not only did she use it to get out of a bad situation with Hauth, but she is now in a better position to possibly help Elspeth in the sequel, Two Twisted Crowns. 

Now, there are many more characters, but I am going to stop here, otherwise this post will never end. >.<

Final Thoughts: This book was amazing. It had the right level of magic for me and the right amount of character relationships that made me root for (and boo for). I constantly wanted to know what would happen next and I was not disappointed. Do me a favor and read this one if you haven't already.