One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, 1)

By Rachel Gillig

THE FANTASY BOOKTOK SENSATION!

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.

Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home--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 the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King's own nephew, Captain of the Destriers...and guilty of high treason.

He and Elspeth have until Solstice to 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, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.

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Published Sep 27, 2022

432 pages

Average rating: 8.13

2,127 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *One Dark Window* delivers mesmerizing gothic atmosphere and a compelling magic system involving Providence cards, praised for its dark fa...

Mellific
Mellific
10/10 stars
I will be thinking about this duet for a long while. The magic system is very unique. The characters were incredibly compelling. The mysteries were explained in a way that was easy to follow and understand. The world building was not overly complex. Loved it!
Ellen Roselet
Ellen Roselet
10/10 stars
One Dark Window is pure gothic obsession. It's moody, eerie, and dripping with tension. The magic of the cards feels fresh and dangerous, and the atmosphere is suffocating in the best way. Elspeth’s inner voice adds this delicious layer of unease that never lets you relax. It’s dark romantasy done right... slow-burn, high stakes, and just unsettling enough to keep you hooked.
KelBel
KelBel
8/10 stars
4 star read. I liked this book. The magic system was interesting. I liked the balance aspects of using magic and the Providence cards. The world building was good and I liked the main male and females characters. I'm eager to read the next installment to find out what happens to Elspeth and Rayvn. I wonder why she (or the shapard king) never tried to touch any of the other cards to absorb those powers... The shapard king created the cards.. But why. Magic was around when he was. Something about the "infected" isn't what it seems. To come into powers like that.. But then what of the degenerarion?? So many questions.
Kristin Rose
Kristin Rose
8/10 stars
Be wary ~ be clever ~ be good.

Biancamoodreads
Biancamoodreads
10/10 stars
Really flawless but don't expect a grand love story because this is not that!

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