One Dark Window

Quite unique magic system with rather bland MCs but all the more interesting side kicks
4,5*

My feed was filled with fellow book nerds hyping this book as under-hyped (ignore the irony of that statement). First things first, I really liked it but. But. It was not the take-my-breath-away awesomeness that I went in expecting.
The magic system is not inherent to the persons and there is no way to learn or otherwise achieve magical proficiency. It's passed on via cards. Admitted, I haven't read any books with a similar system. But there is also another way to have magic: the people are infected - and then hunted and executed. There is always a downside to the magic that card or the infection grants so now we're back in familiar territory. And our FMC is infected but hides her abilities well - until she meets the MMC. And her abilities are so much more than it leads on. And the ruler is a tyrants, so obviously there is rebellion brewing.
These parts of the story are not as unique as I was led to believe. Unfortunately.
Both of the MCs were pretty bland and nothing special. Way more interesting were some of the side characters and I find myself wishing for their POV or more development of their story arc. Ione does what suppressed women do to gain a sliver of power and seems to have yet more planned but we don't know more! The nightmare seems to not be such a nightmare after all but rather a tortured soul.
The setting was indeed very gothic with fog everywhere and a nameless evil within this fog. But it did feel like a Theater play where you have limited setting options. Not quite sure what to think of that part.
Now the end has twists and turns that do keep me entertained and I will certainly read the next instalment hoping for a nightmare.