Join a book club that is reading One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, 1)!

Bookish Babes

This is a book club for girlies in their 20’s and 30’s looking to read, make some friends, and sip a drink.

GenZ Book Club DC

This is a new Book club for those Gen Z people who share a love of reading and are looking to make new friends who share the same passion for it!

Learn More

One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, 1)

By Rachel Gillig

ADD TO MY SHELVES

Recommend book

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.

ADD TO MY SHELVES

Recommend book

BUY THE BOOK

432 pages

Average rating: 8.12

1,106 RATINGS

53 REVIEWS

These clubs recently read this book...

Mimosas & Lit 2.0

Somewhere in a Book ♥

Science vs. Magic @ the Cedar Falls Public Library

DISCOVER MORE CLUBS

Community Reviews

Write a review...

Zya The Book Dragon

Mar 05, 2025

8/10 stars

Very slow to get going, but the whole book was full of hints and clues that dragged me in. Forced proximity may be a new favorite trope of mine.

SVCB.IA1229

Mar 02, 2025

8/10 stars

It was a very slow starter for me but totally worth it. I loved the dark world that the characters live in. Great slow burn romance. Good balance between spice and story plot. I thought the characters were well thought out. There are several families involved and lots of characters but it was still very easy to follow. The ending is a cliff hanger so I immediately had to pick up the 2nd book. My best read so far this year!!

LeiaR

Feb 27, 2025

10/10 stars

An Arthurian style Gothic tale of a girl struggling with magic in a world where it is strictly forbidden. A story of love and self sacrifice.

Helen Blackwood

Feb 20, 2025

9/10 stars

Wow. Fantasy but not the usual repeated trope of human girl turned/saved by a creature she begins to love. I couldn't put it down. Having just finished Onyx Storm and been disappointed, this story was a breath of fresh air. And love that it's a duo with the second book already complete. Onto the sequel immediately.

AGirlAmongstBooks

Feb 18, 2025

7/10 stars

I enjoyed this. I'm not usually a fantasy girlie but I loved the magic system in this!