One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

The first book in The Shepherd King duology, One Dark Window was Rachel Gillig's debut novel. Since it came out in September of 2022, it has become very popular on Booktok and was chosen as the February Book Club choice for the book club that I'm in - which does not have a very illustrious name (we just call it Book Club) but has chosen some real winners in the past. Since One Dark Window's release, Rachel Gillig finished The Shepherd King duology and also released The Knight and the Moth, the first in her new Stonewater Kingdom duology. The Knight and the Moth has been on my list since it came out, mostly because the cover is cool as hell. The second and final book in the Stonewater Kingdom series is set to release in September of 2026. One Dark Window deals with bullying, chronic terminal illness and death, physical abuse, child abuse and child death, forced institutionalization, torture, blood, vomit, kidnapping, grief, murder, abandonment, general violence and injury. Most of this is without much detail or any graphic depiction. This is a review of One Dark Window. Please check out our The Shepherd King series page for a summary of the book.

Elspeth was nine years old when she caught the fever, was packed up and shipped to her aunt's house in the middle of the night by her father, and was kept cloistered in her room until her fever broke. She has lived in her aunt's house ever since, where her family believes that the infection passed her by. But she has a secret that not even her aunt knows. She does have the infection and worse, it means that she's no longer alone inside her own head. She calls the spirit that she unwillingly cohabitates with the Nightmare and he helps to protect her when she needs it. But nothing comes for free, especially not magic. One night Elspeth is caught on the road by a group of highwaymen and needs the Nightmare's help to get free. She soon realizes that one of the highwaymen is none other than the King's nephew and Captain of the King's elite guards. He's also committing treason and he wants Elspeth to be a part of it. A chance for her to break the curse that plagues her land and free herself from both her unwanted magic and the Nightmare, Elspeth jumps at the chance.

I really enjoyed this book. It has a gothic feel to it that would be perfect for fall. I enjoyed the base plot of the book - there is a centuries old curse that is cutting them off from the rest of the world and it must be broken before they are cut off completely, the same curse causes Elspeth's infection. I thought the world was very descriptive and well built, and I lowkey enjoyed looking up the trees that each family claimed as their family name. The magic system was quite unique and although it was a little difficult to understand at the beginning, it cleared up pretty quickly. The main character was a little naive but I didn't find her difficult to like at all, and she was barely annoying. And I loved the Nightmare. I feel like someone who speaks only in riddles would drive me nuts in real life, but put it in a book and I will eat it up. As for the rest of the characters, I do feel like they could use some more depth. Ravyn, his cousin Elm, and sister Jespyr lack much complexity. I do have hope going into the sequel, at least for Elm, who I do rather like. That's part of the reason I wish he had more nuance or we get to delve a little deeper into his character. And I'm very intrigued by Emory. There's some romance, which doesn't bother me at all except it felt a little rushed and I wish the relationship had developed a little more naturally. The pace was nice, not rushed nor was it plodding, and it kept me entertained the whole time.

I'm giving One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig 4.25 stars out of 5 with a spice rating of .5. I liked it, and I'm excited for the sequel Two Twisted Crowns (which I did hear from someone was even better than the first). I am often nervous about wading into a TikTok sensation - I have really been burned in the past - but I rather liked this one. If you're looking for a summary of One Dark Window before reading Two Twisted Crowns, check out our The Shepherd King series page for a summary of the book.

Pairs well with a slice of lemon bread and learning how to weave a flower crown.

For more from the author, check out https://rachelgillig.com/

My favorite quotes:

"Life had sheltered them, like pearls kept in a velvet pouch. I was not made of pearls. I was made of salt."

"Twins give me the creeps."