Book gifted by the publisher.
When a book is pitched to you as a gothic fantasy romance, inspired by fairy tales, with a woman who needs to unleash her inner monster, well you bump it to the top of your TBR immediately.
If you’re looking for an atmospheric and spooky read, pick this this up immediately. One Dark Window will transport you straight into the eerie mist-ridden forests of Blunder, where dark magic is infecting it’s inhabitants. Set between the autumn equinox and winter solstice, it’s the perfect read for the coming weeks.
In the world of Blunder, all magic comes with a price, and when our protagonist Elspeth touches a magical providence card, she becomes possessed by the Nightmare. A magic system inspired by tarot cards? Yes please. It was really nice to see a magic system come with a price, and watching those characters pay that price throughout the book added some real grit and urgency to the plot.
Yes, it’s tropey, but I think it’s done well rather than riddled with cliche. I do think marketing this as an enemies to lovers romance does it a disservice. It’s more closely a fake dating trope (which I personally prefer) and although the romance isn’t the main plot line here, it is wholesome. Plus, we love a dark and brooding love interest.
I really enjoyed Gillig’s characterisation throughout this book. Elspeth is strong, stubborn and self assured despite her struggles. In book two I’d love to see more of her relationships with the women close to her, her sisters, step mother, cousin and aunt – they all had such unique relationships, I wanted more!
The ending of this book is really what sold me on a five star rating. No spoilers here (which makes it hard to review) but trust me, it’s a good un.
If you’re a fan of spooky stories, fairy tales, nightmares and monsters, you need to read this book.
Read this if you liked: For The Wolf, A Far Wilder Magic, Belladonna, Defy The Night
★★★★★