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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Review "Thick fog, shifting alliances, and clever magic make the perfect backdrop for a sweeping romance—One Dark Window is enthralling from beginning to shocking end."―Hannah Whitten, NYT bestselling author of For the Wolf
"An enchanting tale with sharp claws and teeth—Gillig’s prose will pull you in and won’t let you sleep. Pulse-pounding, darkly whimsical, and aglow with treacherous magic, One Dark Window is everything I love in fantasy and more"―Allison Saft, author of A Far Wilder Magic
"One Dark Window is an evocative tale of romance, mystery and alluring monsters, told in beautifully lush prose. Rachel Gillig has created a story which left me entranced."―Lyndall Clipstone, author of Lakesedge
"A tightly written duology that manages to build a dark, twisty world, unique magic system and well-written characters ... rich and fast-paced."
―Seattle Times
“[T]he steamy romance that emerges between Elspeth and Ravyn delights. Fans of Sarah J. Maas, Naomi Novik, and Hannah Whitten will want to check this out.”―Publishers Weekly
"A beautifully dark fairy tale of blood, rage and bitter choice, that whisked me away to mist-wreathed woods ripe with romance and menace"―Davinia Evans, author of Notorious Sorcerer
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A concise view of the book’s strongest literary signals and the reading interests shared by people connected to it on bks.social.
G-NRIS™ identifies One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, 1) primarily as Fantasy, Gothic Fiction, and Literature & Fiction. Its strongest themes include Inner Monster / Duality, Dark Magic, Quest / Adventure, Forbidden Romance, and Mental Struggle / Madness. Prominent narrative patterns include Monster Within, Reluctant Heroine, Dark and Stormy Setting, and Forbidden Love.
Readers connected to this book most often reflect Psychological Moral Explorer reader archetypes. Their strongest shared genre interests include Thriller, Science, Literary Fiction, and Historical Fiction. They are commonly drawn to themes such as Exploring The Fractured Self, Survival, technology, and gaming.
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