Gild
By Raven Kennedy (2020)
Fantasy Romance
★★★★☆ 3.75 Star Review
Description
The fae abandoned this world to us. And the ones with power rule.
Gold. Gold floors, gold walls, gold furniture, gold clothes. In Highbell, in the castle built into the frozen mountains, everything is made of gold. Even me.
King Midas rescued me. Dug me out of the slums and placed me on a pedestal. I’m called his precious. His favored. I’m the woman he Gold-Touched to show everyone that I belong to him. To show how powerful he is. He gave me protection, and I gave him my heart. And even though I don’t leave the confines of the palace, I’m safe. Until war comes to the kingdom and a deal is struck.
Suddenly, my trust is broken. My love is challenged. And I realize that everything I thought I knew about Midas might be wrong. Because these bars I’m kept in, no matter how gilded, are still just a cage. But the monsters on the other side might make me wish I’d never left.
The myth of King Midas reimagined. This compelling adult fantasy series is as addictive as it is unexpected. With romance, intrigue, and danger, the gilded world of Orea will grip you from the very first page.
“Does it really matter if your cage is solid gold when you aren’t allowed to leave it? A cage is a cage, no matter how gilded.”
all photos are from pinterest: @Elliebeebooks
I am so excited about this series!!
Dare I say the male MC rivals Rhysand and Casteel Da’neer. Oh yes I do. I love it.
Thoughts & Review: Characters and Romance
Auren is shy and bold and sweet and scared all at the same time! But even though it was hard to read about her “love” for Midas, I’m very excited to see how she grows and develops later. She starts off as vulnerable and a pushover even, but we can see how she’s slowly starting to get braver and bolder. Auren and Midas also have a past together before Midas became king, which is slowly revealed as the story progresses, explaining Aurens complex feelings for the king.
“So I hid in a cage, and I was content to do so. After the things I endured, I wanted it. I accepted bars, embraced them, even— not to keep me in, but to keep others out.”
King Midas: the smallest man who ever lived.
“Men making deals on the behalf of women never seems to go very well for the women.”
The romance is pretty limited in this first installment, mainly giving us glimpses into the tumultuous relationship Auren has with King Midas.
Thoughts & Review: Plot and Writing Style
its very much a starter book in the series
This is meant to introduce you to characters and develop a connection with them, as well as familiarize the reader with the world, the different kingdoms, and give a hint of fae magic. However, there isn't really a plot, nor is there any sort of resolution. If anything, it ends when things actually start getting interesting. and I'm sure this is intentional to get the reader to pick up the next book. Similar in the case of worldbuilding, there really wasn’t much beyond King Midas’ castle, but I am hopeful this develops further in future books. So far, we know that the realm of Oria is divided into 6 kingdoms, each one ruled by a different king. The rulers of a kingdom must have magic, and that magic comes from faes that mingled with humans long ago before the ruler of the fae decided to cut ties with the humans and destroy the magical bridge that linked both realms. While the world-building is basic, the pace is fast, and this book is a real page-turner. Even though nothing extraordinary happened for the first half of the book, I just couldn’t stop reading.
“It’s only fair. If we get sold to the devil, the demons shouldn’t get to torment us.”
LOVE the story and twist on the tale of King Midas
The story was exciting and given how wide and variation this universe is, I see a lot of potential for this series and it could ascend so high if done properly. I ate it up. It's unique, but exactly what I love in a fantasy romance!
Ends on a cliffhanger
I started reading the second book not even an hour after finishing the first book, I was that into it. Also the wait for the true MMC, torture but so worth it.
Check trigger warnings
There are some hard-to-read scenes in this book, but I do believe they are purposeful, treated with care, and not thrown in willy-nilly. But always good to check beforehand to make sure you are comfortable!
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