One Dark Window. The Shepherd King #1 - Rachel Gillig

One Dark Window is the 1st book in The Shepherd King Series. 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. 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 An evocative tale of romance, mystery and alluring monsters, told in beautifully lush prose. - Lyndall Clipstone , author of Lakesedge The steamy romance that emerges between Elspeth and Ravyn delights. - 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