Rachel Gillig

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder—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 Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. And the highwayman? He just so happens to be the King’s nephew, Captain of the most dangerous men in Blunder…and guilty of high treason.

Together they must 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 taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.

One Dark Window

Karen

"You must have me confused with someone else, Captain. I know better than to walk the forest road after dark." Ravyn raised his dark brows. "Yours isn't a face I'd soon forget, Miss Spindle."

The way this part got me up from my position to admire it properly. I am gagged

My magic moves, he said. My magic bites. My magic soothes. My magic frights. You are young and not so bold. I am unflinching-five hundred years old.

lily

Strange, how quiet he felt when I was with Ravyn. Almost as if he was gone altogether.

I felt him there in the darkness. When I nudged him, he sired but did not speak, stretching his claws like a yawning cat before retiring deeper still into blackness.

I felt resistance in his pause, he, too, lost to the world of things unsaid. "Of all the things I pretend at," he said, his thumb drawing small, gentle circles along my waist, "courting you has proven the easiest."

"The poor boy was too excited, He's never met anyone else infected before. Anyone besides his brother, that is."

It felt as if a hundred bees had flooded my lungs, their wings fluttering in a torrid panic. I struggled to breathe, heat climbing out of my chest and wrapping around my throat.

I stared at the boy, transfixed. I had sensed it on the stairs. There was something strange about Emory Yew. Now I understood what it really was. The infection-it was eating at him, ripping away his sanity.

The red Card. There were only four of them in the entire kingdom. And the Rowans had always claimed them all. With it, they had the ultimate power of persuasion.

his gray eyes tracing the darkness in my veins, there was no fear, no resentment in his gaze. Only concern. Concern and wonder.

I'd expected shackles—to be dragged off through the field and thrown in the dungeon. But the stillness of his body, next to mine, was enough to quiet those thoughts, if only for a moment.

The Maiden will steal those things from you." I clenched my jaw, fighting the rising lump in my throat. "The Rowans offer it as a gift. But they do it to control you, lone. To distract you. To make you beholden to them. Please, do not let them."

Magic smells of salt. Like ocean tides, it carries great balance. It wraps itself around the Spirit of the Wood, good and evil, love and hate, life and death.

The Shepherd King's description of the Spirit of the Wood was the sort of thing that made my childish imagination run wild with terror. An ageless deity, smelling of magic—of salt-that lurked, invisible, in the mist.

“you never said how you got away from him” 

“perhaps it was him who got away from me”

I know no one’s going to ask me what I want, the Nightmare said, snide to his bones, but just in case you were wondering, the answer is no. No, I am decidedly NOT agreeable. 

Marz

“It rang pleasantly in my ears, and when the final notes trilled out my lips onto the path, I was sorry to hear them go.”

😭😭😭😭🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

Cheyenne Willis

“Of all the things I pretend at, courting you has proven the easiest.”

Syrina

But that did nothing to erase the anger I felt, unbidden and unexplained, toward the Captain of the Destriers and his heay- ily warded secrets. Neither could it erase the memory of his fin- gers laced with mine--the way the tepid garden air caught in my throat when he pulled me close. 

My head struck stone and I blinked, dizzy nausea casting dark shapes across my vision, my head haloed in red, sticky warmth.

Molly Sanderson 

Im just the wind in the trees, the shadow, and the fright. The echo in the leaves... the nightmare in the night.

But a Prince is a man, and a man may be bled. He came for the girl… And got the monster instead. 

THE MAIDEN: Be wary the pink, Be wary the rose, Be wary of beauty divine, unopposed. Her thorns will grow sharp, She'll eat her own heart. Be wary of beauty divine, unopposed.

I was really excited to start this book. I had heard such amazing things about it, but it was pretty hard for me to get into. The beginning was really difficult to wrap my mind around the magic system, but once I did, I enjoyed the story while I was reading it. I just never found myself really looking forward to picking it up. I did start to get invested near the end, but it felt pretty slowly paced throughout the whole thing. I'm interested to read the next book though, to see if I enjoy that one a bit more. 

Maggie Hotmer

Idk if maybe I’m just a hater but I felt this book felt so rushed, characters suddenly just changed with no real time to get to know them. Additionally it was hard to get attached to them because I feel when half were introduced the author would sprinkle how they looked into several paragraphs across a page or two which just made it hard for me to conceptualize who was who. I don’t think I’ll read the next one because I wasn’t truly moved by the story or the arc the characters went through. The world and magic system also seemed super underdeveloped. 

Ashley Denktas

Ravyn and Elspeth 🥺🥺 Just listening to Ravyn break because Elspeth got taken over by her Nightmare absolutely kilLED ME INSIDE.

Also, Elm... Accepting his degeneration... AAAAAAAA 😭😭

Susan

Ravyn and Elspeth 🥺🥺 Just listening to Ravyn break because Elspeth got taken over by her Nightmare absolutely kilLED ME INSIDE.

Also, Elm... Accepting his degeneration... AAAAAAAA 😭😭

foggy mystical - that’s what I felt reading this fantasy

at first, starting this book was slow but that’s most fantasy books but the concept of a monster being in elspeth’s head - made me want to know more especially when the world building was still a mystery. as I kept reading, i was hooked!!! i was so captivated by this that i started annotating the book and taking notes of important quotes/scenes

I love the author’s writing. her depiction of the fantasy world is so mystical and poetic. i do have to admit it took me a minute to also figure which characters are whom because there’s just so many people especially when the fantasy names are so unique

on to the romance aspect - oh I ATE IT UP the romance plot like lowkey enemies to lovers and a SURPRISE TROPE!!! I wasn’t expecting but I LOVEE!! ugh yes the way i was giggling and kicking my feet like they got me !! they are my elite employees now next to kazi and jase from dance of thieves

ivy by taylor swift !!!!!! - "i can't stop you putting roots in my dreamland your ivy grows and now I'm covered in you"

north by clairo - THIS SONG IS SO THEM - "i never let anybody in. somehow you got under my skin"

marjorie - bc the chapter cards starting with the quotes reminded me of the song lyrics "never be so kind you forget to be clever, never be so clever you forget to be kind"

foggy mystical - that’s what I felt reading this fantasy

at first, starting this book was slow but that’s most fantasy books but the concept of a monster being in elspeth’s head - made me want to know more especially when the world building was still a mystery. as I kept reading, i was hooked!!! i was so captivated by this that i started annotating the book and taking notes of important quotes/scenes

I love the author’s writing. her depiction of the fantasy world is so mystical and poetic. i do have to admit it took me a minute to also figure which characters are whom because there’s just so many people especially when the fantasy names are so unique

on to the romance aspect - oh I ATE IT UP the romance plot like lowkey enemies to lovers and a SURPRISE TROPE!!! I wasn’t expecting but I LOVEE!! ugh yes the way i was giggling and kicking my feet like they got me !! they are my elite employees now next to kazi and jase from dance of thieves

delicate by taylor swift !!!!!
invisible strings by taylor swift
ivy by taylor swift !!!!!! - "i can't stop you putting roots in my dreamland your ivy grows and now I'm covered in you"
north by clairo - THIS SONG IS SO THEM - "i never let anybody in. somehow you got under my skin"
skin by dijon
tyrant by beyonce, dolly parton
crooked smile by j cole, tlc
twin flames - thuy, denise julia
marjorie - bc the chapter cards starting with the quotes reminded me of the song lyrics "never be so kind you forget to be clever, never be so clever you forget to be kind"

one of the only good books to come out of booktok recommendations

ellie

Ella Williams

Such a different take on romantasy!

Good plot and I loved the ending 

Lucy Williams

enjoyable!

i’m excited to read the next one

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did but it just felt too predictable at times. The love interest held little depth.  However the magic system and conflict at play drew me in. The ending nearly had me giving a 4 star, and I’m excited to read the sequel, but the rest of the book struggled to hold my interest. 

Nicole Neuman

It's a romantasy. It's fine, but nothing was super compelling for me. A lot of the problems the characters faced were easily handled.

Max Riley

This was a really unique concept for a fantasy novel and I'm looking forward to reading the next one!

Keira

one of the best books i've ever read!!! i could not put it down. the writing is so beautiful and descriptive—without being clunky and overbearing. the magic is unique, the plot is addictive, and the characters are so good. the ending, even though it's a cliffhanger, is so satisfying and makes me want more. easily my new favorite book.

will

I was genuinely obsessed with this. I immediately put a hold to the sequel on Libby. The spooky and unique atmosphere; not trusting what is going on in your head and your body (haunting!). The ending also had me hooked, and I can't wait for what happens.

Sarah Campbell

Best fantasy book I've read in a long time. 

Interesting world building and characters. another very positive point of this book for me, was that the romance was not the main focus of the story and there were just a few romantic scenes. 

Yega

Best fantasy book I've read in a long time. 

Interesting world building and characters. another very positive point of this book for me, was that the romance was not the main focus of the story and there were just a few romantic scenes. 

౨ৎ | “are you still pretending?” “i never was,”

i picked this up after it was sitting on my shelf for months and let me tell you it was the best thing i ever did. this will now be my personality trait for the next year. 

the world building was perfect, not fast, nor slow. the way everything was explained and it wasn’t half assed. when you found something out, you found out the whole piece not parts. 

the magical element is so intriguing to me. the whole concept of the providence cards and how they work. and the infections and how they are described and feared because they can not be controlled. 

the characters i loved in every single way. even the side characters. elm got on my nerves but i could tell he was just trying to protect his family. i wish we got more of ione though and her whole ordeal with the maiden card etc. i hope we get more of her in TTC. 

RAVYN AND ELSPETH. the romance, although it was only drizzled through i ate that shit up everytime. the fake dating? the “i was never pretending”. sedate me NOW. 

i loved them as a duo and when they were seperate. the way they were portrayed was so beautiful. i just love them so much i could scream. 

also nightmare, i know he’s like this big scary monster of the cards but i NEED him. anyway. 

highly recommend this book and i will be talking about it till i die. about to go look for special editions so read this, thank you! this is a threat xxx 

౨ৎ | “i know no one’s going to ask me what i want, but just in case you were wondering, the answer is no. NO, i am decidedly NOT agreeable.” - nightmare

౨ৎ | “are you still pretending?” “i never was,”

— ★ 5/5

i picked this up after it was sitting on my shelf for months and let me tell you it was the best thing i ever did. this will now be my personality trait for the next year. 

the world building was perfect, not fast, nor slow. the way everything was explained and it wasn’t half assed. when you found something out, you found out the whole piece not parts. 

the magical element is so intriguing to me. the whole concept of the providence cards and how they work. and the infections and how they are described and feared because they can not be controlled. 

the characters i loved in every single way. even the side characters. elm got on my nerves but i could tell he was just trying to protect his family. i wish we got more of ione though and her whole ordeal with the maiden card etc. i hope we get more of her in TTC. 

RAVYN AND ELSPETH. the romance, although it was only drizzled through i ate that shit up everytime. the fake dating? the “i was never pretending”. sedate me NOW. 

i loved them as a duo and when they were seperate. the way they were portrayed was so beautiful. i just love them so much i could scream. 

also nightmare, i know he’s like this big scary monster of the cards but i NEED him. anyway. 

highly recommend this book and i will be talking about it till i die. about to go look for special editions so read this, thank you! this is a threat xxx 

౨ৎ | “i know no one’s going to ask me what i want, but just in case you were wondering, the answer is no. NO, i am decidedly NOT agreeable.” - nightmare

Nicole Mills

This is actually my first book in romantasy and I am unwell. I love the book, it was written meticulously I would say. Every page has a poem and just everything connects. I'm giving it a 4.5 for now until i get to reread it again and then I'll be giving it a 5 stars there!

it’s illegal for a book to end like this

開花

Hill

A lovely Gothic fairytale like story. I really enjoyed the magic and that all magic has a cost. What would you be willing to pay for it? :3

Emma Daniels

a little predictable in some parts of the plot but overall very enjoyable | wish the romance was a slower burn | unique magic system i enjoyed

callie

Hard to get sucked into for some reason at the beginning, but loved the ending and development of the characters! Perfect fall, spooky read

Caroline Piephoff

3.5 rounded up to a 4. The world / setting took a while for me to adjust and get into, and I feel like this was marketed to me as enemies to lovers. However, there were no enemies — Maybe in spirit, but definitely not in actuality. I liked the fmc and understood her actions and motivations. I think the pacing for everything was good except the romance, which felt rushed and almost insta-lovey. But because I like both of them, I didn’t care as much as I would in a lesser book. The magic is unique. The plot is interesting. And I’m intrigued enough to eventually read the second book.

Nik ✨

Besides the constant reminder that Ravyn has Grey eyes, I absolutely loved this book. It's been a while since I've found a book I couldn't put down. 

One Dark Window

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