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One Dark Window
Rachel Gillig
In the realm of One Dark Window, magic is normal and allowed amongst nobles — but only with possession of a Providence Card, which is the source of ‘accepted’ magic. Other magic is a direct result of an illness that spreads through the body with a fever, and always comes with a cost. The King executes infected, believing them to be dangerous.
Meet Elspeth Spindle. Infected, possessed by a monster, wielder of strange magic. In true Cinderella fashion, she has a horrible stepmother and two stepsisters.
So begins a tale of highwaymen, forbidden magic, corrupted kings, love, and found family.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the book. I found Elspeth to be a touch hypocritical and overly secretive, but altogether a solid heroine.
The character of The Nightmare (the creature possessing Elspeth) is a fascinating one. He speaks frequently in rhyme and adds hilarious commentary to many different scenes. He also acts to help Elspeth on more than one occasion but does so in questionable ways, making one wonder where his loyalties lie. Unfortunately for me, I continuously picture him as Marvel’s Venom, unless he’s quoting ‘all magic comes with a cost!’ and then in my mind, he immediately becomes Rumple from Once Upon A Time 🤣
The worldbuiling is lush and beautiful and dark, the characters complex and interesting.
In many ways, it gives off the vibes of Ella Enchanted but for an adult audience.
I think to comment on the storyline I need to read book 2.
Ultimately a solid Gothic fantasy read that I recommend if you enjoy hidden magic, double lives, and morally grey characters.
The Midnight Review 