One Dark Window Audiobook – Shepherd King, Book 1

There’s something about listening to a gothic fantasy on a rain-soaked afternoon, the wind tracing patterns on my windows, that makes every shadow in the room feel just a bit more alive. That’s exactly how I first experienced *One Dark Window* by Rachel Gillig—wrapped in a blanket as thunder rolled outside, and let me tell you, it was the perfect mood for this brooding, atmospheric story.

Elspeth Spindle’s world of Blunder is cloaked in mist and mystery, and right from the first chapter I felt myself pulled into its haunted woods and twisting paths. Elspeth is no ordinary heroine; she carries a monster called the Nightmare inside her—a secret so heavy it threatens to consume everything she loves. As someone who has lived with anxiety for years, Elspeth’s struggle resonated deeply with me—the feeling of something dark pressing at your mind’s edges but also protecting you in strange ways. Her internal battles gave an extra layer of realism to this lushly imagined fantasy.

The plot itself is delightfully tense: after meeting Ravyn (the highwayman who’s more than he seems), Elspeth becomes embroiled in a desperate quest to collect twelve Providence Cards before Solstice arrives. The stakes are life or death—not only for her own sanity but for all of Blunder—and every encounter thrums with urgency and danger.

What really made this audiobook unforgettable was Lisa Cordileone’s narration. She gives Elspeth vulnerability without weakness—a quiet strength that drew me close to her inner turmoil—and deftly shifts tone when voicing the enigmatic Nightmare lurking within her head. Cordileone handles the full cast skillfully, balancing suspenseful dialogue and whispered secrets so well I found myself holding my breath during pivotal scenes (especially any exchange between Elspeth and Ravyn). Her pacing matched Gillig’s prose perfectly: sometimes slow-burning and sensual, other times sharp as shattered glass.

I absolutely loved how romance simmered beneath the gothic tension rather than dominating it outright; there’s electric chemistry between Elspeth and Ravyn that never feels forced or rushed but instead grows out of mutual trust—and shared peril. Fans of Sarah J. Maas or Naomi Novik will find themselves right at home here with forbidden magic, hidden identities, and high-stakes betrayals woven together like tangled ivy.

If I had one complaint (and it’s small!), it would be that some lore around the Providence Cards felt slightly opaque early on—I occasionally wished for clearer rules or explanations amid all those beautiful metaphors—but by mid-book I’d surrendered entirely to Gillig’s atmosphere-over-exposition approach.

By story’s end I was both exhilarated and haunted—exactly what you want from dark fantasy done right! *One Dark Window* lingers long after you stop listening; its whispers followed me back into my everyday routine (and maybe made me eye Portland fog just a little differently).

This audiobook swept me away into forests thick with magic—and shadows—that felt thrillingly real. If you love haunting atmospheres, intricate characters wrestling their own darknesses, romance forged under impossible circumstances… don’t miss this one!