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The Nightmare (Shepherd King) will help her. He’s always protected her, & despite his Nightmare persona, he’s always tried to protect the “infected”& seems to want her to finish this. Why else help her see the Providence Cards? Why coax her into being honest with Ravyn? One Dark Window is For 11 years, Elspeth Spindle kept her own dangerous secrets including the ancient spirit—the Nightmare—who kept too was her secret keeper and protector. The ending hurt—this cliffhanger almost made me cry. I’ll forgive it, because it’s meant to lead us into the next book, but I won't be able to forget it. Is it, again, a question of expectations, then? In parts only. Sure, if you had told me about the YA vibes (minus one sex-scene) before I started, I might have enjoyed the beginning more.
An evocative tale of romance, mystery and alluring monsters, told in beautifully lush prose’Lyndall Clipstone, author of LakesedgeI was a huge fan of the gothic vibe-dark, shadowy forests, the sweeping mist, the mystery surrounding Blunder, the lore and creepy riddles. The world building was spot on with a fascinating magic system using The Providence cards that most the townspeople were afraid of. Magic comes at a cost, after all. Jespyr: We think this lord might have a super special trading card we need. Elspeth, see if he has it. The Dedication - 𝕿𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖖𝖚𝖎𝖊𝖙 𝖌𝖎𝖗𝖑𝖘 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖎𝖗 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖘. 𝕿𝖔 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖎𝖗 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘—𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖎𝖗 𝖓𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖊𝖘. In our world and Gillig’s, folk magic has always been a threat to the establishment and to organized religion. The infected children in Gillig’s novel are put to death as they represent the unlawful use of magic, as well as the chaotic natural world that man seeks to tame. Providence cards, on the other hand, can be wielded by the King and other influential families, representing the need to restrict magical and political power to favored members of the nobility, which of course has real-world parallels to witchcraft trials, the Spanish Inquisition, and the erasure of indigenous magic traditions and oral cultures. To no one’s surprise, Elspeth gradually uncovers the bloody ancestral history that has tied the town of Blunder for generations. Gillig chooses not to resolve these narrative threads and takes the typical YA fantasy route of baiting the reader with the promise of a sequel.
the nightmare possessing the MC had its moments, even though I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't compared him to Vespertine's Revenant who is entirely superior and funnier (sorry) ; The romance was sweet (and even a little bit steamy!), with slightly older protagonists which I always appreciate. Elspeth did read a little young to me because she was sheltered/in hiding for so long, but she had no problem taking the reins of her own life once the opportunity arose.
Read One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
This is not a pure romantasy but the romance in this was Chef's kiss the slow burn, the tension between Ravyn and Elspeth, them pretending to court each other, riding on the same horse and all the swoon-worthy moments. I also want to see more of Elm and Ione because there is definitely something going on in Elm's mind. And the way he was stealing glances at her and stoodup against his brother for her!?!? I need them to be together in book 2. There was darkness in Ravyn's quiet. I could see it in his expression--the cool control of his features. He, like me, had learned to still his face--to obscure his thoughts under a mask of control and austerity. Which meant he, like me, had things to hide. OH MY GOD I THINK THIS IS THE BEST BOOK IVE READ ALL YEAR I can't wait to make this my whole personality 🤭
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