One Dark Window (Deluxe Limited Hardcover Edition) (The Shepherd King, 1) Hardcover – Special Edition, September 23, 2025

One Dark Window is a dark fantasy debut that delivers a richly atmospheric tale brimming with gothic undertones, forbidden magic, and a slow-burn romance that smolders beneath layers of secrecy. Set in the eerie, mist-shrouded kingdom of Blunder, Rachel Gillig crafts a world where magic is both a blessing and a curse — and those who wield it are marked as dangerous. The novel follows Elspeth, a young woman harboring a sinister secret: a monster resides inside her mind, known only as the Nightmare. This inner voice gives her power and protection, but also threatens her sanity, creating a constant internal struggle that sets the tone for the novel’s dark and intoxicating atmosphere.At the beginning of the novel, Elspeth appears to be a quiet and cautious woman, living a life of concealment in a world where magic is feared and outlawed. But as the story progresses, she transforms into a more confident and courageous figure — not because she conquers her fear, but because she learns to act despite it. Her internal growth is deeply tied to her relationship with the Nightmare, the ancient, powerful entity that shares her mind. This voice, which could have easily served as a simple plot device, is instead an integral part of her character arc — a manifestation of both trauma and hidden strength. Elspeth's development is also shaped by her growing bond with Ravyn Yew. Initially distant and mistrustful of others, Elspeth gradually opens up as she finds people who treat her with respect and care. The romance between her and Ravyn doesn’t rush or overshadow the plot; rather, it becomes a quiet but powerful part of her journey toward trust, intimacy, and self-acceptance. She begins to see herself as more than just the vessel for a monster — she becomes a protector, a rebel, and someone willing to fight for the people she loves.Ravyn, on the other hand, develops from a cold, dutiful soldier into a man grappling with his own past mistakes and family obligations. His initial rigidity softens as he works with Elspeth, and his vulnerability slowly emerges, particularly in scenes with his younger brother. His growth is subtle but emotionally significant, showing how he learns to allow others into his carefully guarded world.The Nightmare, though not a traditional character, is also given unexpected emotional depth. What starts as a terrifying presence reveals itself to be full of loneliness, sarcasm, and even a touch of protectiveness. This layered portrayal challenges the reader's initial judgment and adds complexity to the relationship between monster and host.One of Gillig’s strengths is her ability to evoke mood and setting with just a few vivid lines. The mist-covered forests, the Gothic architecture, and the ever-present sense of secrecy and dread are painted in a way that feels immersive but never overwhelming. Her style leans into sensory details — the feel of damp stone, the flicker of candlelight, the hush of unspoken thoughts — all of which add to the book’s haunting ambiance. The narrative voice is intimate and introspective, reflecting Elspeth’s inner turmoil and growth. Gillig doesn’t rely heavily on exposition; instead, she trusts readers to infer emotion through dialogue, small gestures, and tone. This subtlety makes the emotional shifts feel organic, and it allows space for the characters' internal conflicts to breathe. Dialogue is another area where Gillig excels. It’s natural yet polished, often laced with tension or quiet wit, especially in the exchanges between Elspeth and the Nightmare. The way she integrates the Nightmare’s voice — often italicized, always intrusive — adds a psychological layer to the narrative that’s both unsettling and compelling, a clever stylistic choice that mirrors Elspeth’s fractured sense of self. Moreover, Gillig's use of folklore and prophecy through poetic interludes, old songs, and whispered legends adds depth to the world-building and enriches the novel's themes of fate, identity, and sacrifice. These mythic fragments are woven seamlessly into the story, giving the impression of a world long haunted by forgotten magic.At its heart, One Dark Window explores the tension between identity and power, particularly the price one pays for both. Elspeth’s struggle with the Nightmare inside her is not just a fantasy device—it’s a powerful metaphor for internal battles, mental health, and the fear of becoming something unrecognizable. The novel delves deeply into duality: light and dark, sanity and madness, control and surrender. Gillig also weaves in themes of secrecy and truth, especially how entire societies can be built upon silence, fear, and the distortion of history. The use of Providence Cards raises compelling questions about fate versus free will—can people choose their path, or are they forever trapped by the powers they've inherited? There’s also a strong undercurrent of sacrifice and trust, shown in the growing bonds between characters who must risk everything, not only for freedom but for each other. Ultimately, One Dark Window is a story about finding strength in vulnerability and uncovering the truth—both in the world and within oneself—even when it’s terrifying.One Dark Window is a hauntingly beautiful debut that stands out in the fantasy genre with its gothic atmosphere, imaginative magic system, and emotionally resonant storytelling. It’s a slow-burn journey into a world where every choice has a cost, and no one is free of shadows. Perfect for fans of For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten or The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon, this book promises an unforgettable blend of mystery, magic, and madness. With an ending that leaves you yearning for more, Rachel Gillig has cast a spell that lingers long after the final page.

Reading this book felt like wading through honey in the dark—gorgeous writing, but slow to sink into. The writing is beautiful, poetic, and clearly intentional, it just wasn’t always fun for me to read. After the halfway mark I was finally hooked. Dark, twisted, and eerie, with a constant feeling that something awful is just waiting to happen. The twists? Wild. Creepy. Emotionally damaging. The ending? Brutal. Sad. Terrifying. It clawed its way under my skin. I may not love the writing style, but I felt this story to my core in the end—and I respect the hell out of that.

'To the quiet girls with stories in their heads. To their dreams—and their nightmares.'I'm mad at myself for letting this book sit on my shelf for an entire year before reading it. I went into this completely blind but wow, did it exceed my expectations. The fact that this was Rachel Gillig's debut is mindboggling because this was just SO good. Her writing is both elegant and haunting and left me with chills. I have never read something so poetic but slightly terrifying at the same time. She writes from the POV of several characters and it was always such a smooth transition.Trees, I have such a crush on Elm cause my oh my that man is perfection. I loved seeing his soft side with Ione and I swooned over Elspeth and Ravyn together. However, I do wish that we got to see more of Elspeth's past and Ravyn's captain side. But, the author really made me resonate and like *almost* every single character. If you have read it, you know who sucks.Overall, This book was so well done and had a consuming plot, amazing characters and a refreshing magic system. I highly recommend stopping whatever you are doing and reading this.“Be wary. Be clever. Be good.”

Tropes/ Key Points:✨Unique Magic System✨Dark Secret✨Political Subterfuge✨Fake Dating✨Slow Burn✨(Slight) Enemies to Lovers✨Gothic Fairytale Vibes (Grimm Brothers)✨YA Fantasy/RomanceSpice:🌶️Twelve Cards of Magic, gifted by the elusive Spirit of the Wood to the Shepherd King.The Black Horse for mastering combat.The Golden Egg for great wealth.The Prophet to see the future.The White Eagle for courage.The Maiden for great beauty.The Chalice for truth.The Well to see one’s enemies.The Iron Gate for peace, no matter the situation.The Scythe for power over others actions.The Mirror for invisibility.The Nightmare for speaking into others minds.The Twin Alders to speak to the Spirit.But all magic comes with a cost, even these cards.Elspeth caught the fever as a child. It gave her magic, but all magic comes with a price. Those who catch this disease are put to death, but Elspeth was hidden by her family and secretly allowed to live. She has a monster living in her head and he is growing stronger.Blessed with the ability to see the cards of power, Elspeth is pulled into a treasonous plot against the king to gather all the cards to undo a blight on her kingdom.What happens when she is a bigger monster than the threat they face?This book turned about to be such a great read. I was a little hesitant going into it, kind of felt like it wasn’t going to be my thing. It seemed like I was going to be proven right as the first bit of this book is very slow to get into. This story is more mid-high fantasy so the author has to do a bit of info dump at the beginning to set up the world and fill us in on what’s going on. Once you read around chapter six though, prepare for it to take off.Once I got into it I didn’t really want to put it down. It gives off strong political vibes but the romance comes into play later. I wouldn’t say this book is spicy by any means but it definitely gets steamy. It’s marketed as Adult but it feels more YA, and that’s not a reason to pass on this story.The magic system is so unique, I honestly don’t know of another book that I can compare it to. I think it’s one of my favorite parts of the entire story. The author did such a great job at filling us in on how everything works, despite some of the gaps in logic. This applies more to the people within the world than a flaw in the magic system.Part of the issue with the magic system again does not fall on the magic itself, but more on the people of this world. They talk about how you need to reunite one of each of the cards into a solid deck in order to cure the curse that this world is kind of facing. And yet all these people have these cards, and they know their king needs them, but none of them are turning over the cards willingly. They barter with the king, especially if the cards are more rare to get better statue for themselves, but instead of just giving him the cards to stop the curse, they hold onto them which is ultimately making things worse for them. That is a little bit of a plot hole that is introduced in the story, but I don’t feel personally that it takes away from it.The Nightmare in Elspeth’s head is my favorite character in the book. He is so dark and blasé about things that it’s honestly hilarious. He comes in often to help Elspeth only to find out he could have earlier but didn’t cause she didn’t ask. I laughed so many times when he “came out to play.”One of my complaints is with the main female character, Elspeth. She has had this magic for 11 years and had to hide and not really engage with people outside of her family because she felt they might discover that she is infected. It doesn’t make her interactions with other people are somewhat stilted and awkward, but personally, that part doesn’t bother me. The part that bothers me is how Naïve she really was and how she went back on what she said she was going to do repeatedly. As I mentioned above all magic comes with a price even the natural magic that she has and once she realizes her cost, she makes this vowel that she’s not going to engage with the magic so the cost. At least until the slightest bit of danger shows up and then she starts using it. Every single time.One of my biggest applauds for this book, is the big twist and the ending. Don’t get me wrong. some of the twists throughout the book are so in your face that you can’t not see them coming. But there was one that I was 100% not expecting, and it was such a great moment in the story. I think that the ending of the book absolutely overwrites the few flaws that are present within the novel. I absolutely love the cliffhanger, and I am so eager for book 2. I read this with my book club and we are so frustrated that we have to wait a few months for the second one to come out. I would recommend this book to anybody.