One Dark Window

by Rachel Gillig

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

This lush, dark fantasy debut delivers atmospheric world-building, witchy tarot-like magic, and a steamy romantic subthread. It's a loose reimagination of the English folk ballad "The Highwayman" and reads like a timeless fable. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Naomi Novik, Hannah Whitten, and those that want a little spice in their gothic monster fantasy.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316312486
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	09/27/2022
Series:	The Shepherd King , #1
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	354
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Rachel Gillig was born and raised on the California coast. She is a writer, with a BA in literary theory and criticism from UC Davis. If she is not ensconced in blankets dreaming up her next novel, Rachel is in her garden or walking with her husband, son, and their poodle, Wally.

Editorial Reviews

07/04/2022

Gillig’s spooky, unpolished gothic fantasy debut and series launch introduces Elspeth Spindle, who has spent her life hiding how a magical fever known as the “infection” gave her the ability to absorb the power from Providence Cards, 12 playing cards used to perform specific kinds of legal magic. Touching just one card led to a monster, Nightmare, taking residence in Elspeth’s head and frequently commandeering her body. Nightmare helps Elspeth fight off a highwayman searching for her uncle’s Providence Cards—only for the highwayman to be revealed as the king’s nephew, Ravyn Yew. Now Elspeth is drawn into a desperate conspiracy to collect all 12 card types by the solstice to cure the infection before the King kills Ravyn’s infected younger brother and Nightmare completely takes over Elspeth body. There are some hiccups here: Nightmare’s penchant for speaking in oddly metered rhyming couplets feels inappropriately twee in such a blood-drenched book, and the twist reveal of Nightmare’s true identity is entirely obvious. Still, the steamy romance that emerges between Elspeth and Ravyn delights. Fans of Sarah J. Maas, Naomi Novak, and Hannah Whitten will want to check this out. Agent: Whitney Ross, Irene Goodman Literary. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"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

“[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

"Elspeth’s slow-burn romance with a mysterious highwayman adds depth to the story ... A finely detailed magical system enriches Gillig’s debut; fantasy readers will enjoy."—Library Journal

"Readers will be enthralled with Elspeth’s—and Nightmare’s—riveting adventure."—Booklist

"Spooky, lush...Gillig executes familiar fantasy romance tropes with flair."—Paste Magazine

"One Dark Window is a page-turner. Gillig’s lush language is somewhat reminiscent of Alix E. Harrow’s excellent portal fantasy, The Ten Thousand Doors of January, as well as Robin McKinley’s redolent fairytale retellings such as Spindle’s End, Beauty, and Deerskin ... a richly detailed and decadent world that at once feels familiar, distinctive, and wistful to the reader."—Chicago Review of Books

From the Publisher

08/01/2022

DEBUT The kingdom of Blunder lies shrouded in mist, governed by the magic of the Providence Cards. There are twelve face cards, each with their own power, allowing their owners to wield the power of the specific card. Few people in Blunder actually have intrinsic magic. In fact, when a child is "infected" with full-blown magic, the Destriers come with the Physician to kill the infected patient. A former Captain of the Destriers hides his daughter Elspeth from this fate, sending her away to an aunt. Years later, Elspeth is the embodiment of the Nightmare Providence Card, with a monster in her brain. When she celebrates Equinox at the King's castle, she can no longer hide her abilities and joins a quest to reunite the far-flung deck of Providence Cards, hoping to finally lift the killing mist from her country. Elspeth's slow-burn romance with a mysterious highwayman adds depth to the story. VERDICT A finely detailed magical system enriches Gillig's debut; fantasy readers will enjoy.—Jennie Mills

Library Journal