Render to Silver

Lustrous Divinity #1

by Catherine Labadie

The Founts of Silver are holy women blessed by the favor of their God...or they are cursed vessels meant to be shattered. Given no other choice, Fount Marzanna clawed her way up their ranks until she was able to begin planning her escape with one of her fellow Founts from Aebbenary, the prosperous island ruled by Silver's decadent church. Instead, the accidental working of a Miracle sets her apart and attracts the notice of the High Priest. He intends to use her to spark a revival in the city, and eventually the world, which has begun to turn away from a religion that rewards greed and ambition as piety. He's not forthcoming with how, and while tensions in the city rise, while two rival houses contemplate war, Marzanna realizes the role she resents with all her heart won't let her walk away without untold sacrifice.

Genres: Fantasy, Lesbian, Romance, Romantasy, Queer, Ebooks, LGBT

432 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2023

About the author

Catherine Labadie lives near mountains with her husband, her daughter, and her 4 pets. She’s written and published 7 romantic fantasy novels ranging from gothic & luxurious, to dreamy cottagecore, to angsty urban. MERE FLESH is her latest.

Reviews

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally made it through!! Ngl after lusting after the cover for ages, I bought the ebook the moment it was available and basically I have been trying on and off to read this story for a year now.

I just couldn't get into it. And I didn't "get" it. That's not to say that the story is overly complicated - it wasn't - but the way it was written made it difficult for me to actually follow the red string of logic through the novel.

Reading this in chunks and letting much time drift away in between segments wasn't great, however, and I doubt this story will have much staying power in my mind. Which is too bad, because there was much to love here! I think with different framing I would have really enjoyed the characters, story and plot twist more.

Will I check out the sequel now that it's soon to be released as an ebook? Probably because it's SO GORGEOUS and I am easy to attract with the right lure.

-------------------------------------------------------

One of the most gorgeous covers of all time. I usually only read ebooks but I'd make an exception for this one I think.

Update: after long months of waiting, the author released an ebook! Yey :) and I bought it so I am reading this beautiful beast!

[Victoria (Victoriabooklover) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for allowing me to read this early, I greatly appreciate it!!

Ok so I heavily enjoyed this book and was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed it.

The religious atmosphere was so vibrantly crafted that I felt like I was there while I was reading this and that was just one reason I liked this book a lot. I also enjoyed it because of the wonderful queer (some of them) characters and the dark undertones that were present throughout the story.

On top of that I was a huge fan of the love interest and their dynamic during the book, I was a tiny bit hesitant at first but honestly this book did not disappoint!

Also the plot was very intriguing and some of the plot twist really had me 👀👀 double taking lol.

I definitely say give this one a shot 🖤

[alisonxcloud · Rating 5 out of 5]

My highlights/ annotations do contain spoilers but my review will not.
I had so much fun reading this. There is a lot of world building and lore in the beginning but it’s worth it and was enjoyable to read.
The last few chapters sent me for a LOOP. Oh my god. I thought I knew what was going to happen in the last half but i did not expect it all to go down like that. I love the Bisexual representation. Happy pride!

Would recommend.

Also:
Däard was my favorite and I love him🥲

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey all. ♥️

Thanks for reading/taking a look at Render to Silver.
Here are the content warnings: murder, character death(s), body horror, borderline CNC, abuse (physical, mental, emotional), sexually explicit content, gore.

[Caroline Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I've missed a Labadie book yet, and this one is definitely not the one to miss! It ingredients include, religious undertones sprinkled with rebellion, love, and power. The story features a woman who is faced with her world being overturned, and finding out who she really is. Along with figuring out what she actually wants. I've read a lot of books, and could not predict the beautifully done conclusion. Definitely full of twists and turns, beautifully crafted world building, and some scenes that made me blush, its nothing like you've read before!

[káliná · Rating 5 out of 5]

bloodborne but what if they fucked

edit:
now for the longer review, after i’ve had a good night’s sleep after finishing the book. funny enough, a “good night’s sleep” is something noone in the book is having lol. there were a lot of neat nightmare and vision sequences which are aesthetically pleasing and i loved how the mc didn’t have an explanation for them on the spot but they were left for interpretation.

right off the bat, this is a spicy novel. the mosterfckr booktok gurlies will love this or hate it, there is no inbetween. if you’ve played a soulsborne game you will go “i get this reference” a number of times, and also a few yikes yikes yikes when you start part two of the story. i was looking at the written word, gripping the pages with a “we’re really going there, huh” face the last few chapters. things got unhinged and vile in a way that breaks the cliché resolutions we expect to see in a conflict of this sort. then again, all the characters are morally grey or don’t pretend to be the good guys.

i was struggling with the general lore and worldbuilding in the beginning, idk why i expected to have a 20 page explanation like a 101 seminar on the church of silver or something, when that would have been equally exhausting and confusing. any questions that i had about the mc, the religion/silver got answered in a natural and throughout explanation. even the killings and who (&why) was behind them - i was worried this got scrapped because of the events around the advent. the explanation of how marzanna got her powers was such a satisfying moment in terms of how the magic system here works + how deities are made. it tied in the ending.

the whole concept of the hands and eyes of god was just brilliant. i wish i had thought of that. phenomenal.

with that said, i did have a moment while reading where i completely lost it and had to put the book aside. SPOILERS. the scene of the day of the advent with marzanna and däard, where he goes “lior likes to watch”. THE EYES OF SILVER. LIKES TO WATCH. 👁️👄👁️ i don’t know if this was intentional or not but i can’t stop laughing. this moment alone was worth getting this in hardback. ENDSPOILER.

the final battle was *mortal kombat voice* FINISH HIM! in all the meanings these words can have. marzanna did finish him 👀

[Lily | The Bi Library]

Morally grey bisexual MCs? With monster horror and slow burn enemies to lovers?? This absolutely sounds amazing!! Really looking forward to reading this!!

[Kirsten Krueger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has:

-rich world building featuring a corrupt religion and an unstable political structure
-a polyamorous relationship including the main character and her three love interests…well, four if you count the evil priest >:)
-a few spicy scenes (there’s also a bonus scene in the hardback version)
-darkness and blood and lots of twists at the end
-a beautiful writing style that connects you with the characters and the setting

I loved all the characters in this book. They’re all morally gray (or completely immoral haha), and they’ve all been ensnared in Silver’s church, some trying to flee the religion while others use it to their advantage. The way things ended for everyone was bittersweet but satisfying.

[Kayla McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Render to Silver is a glorious piece of literature with fluid and vivid prose that evokes all manner of fury, delight, and dread. It stands on its own and there is nothing else like it. It is truly exceptional and extraordinary in themes and ideals. Labadie’s ability to pour so much religious idolatry and resentment into this book is both fascinating and remarkable.

I was lucky enough to read an arc of this and the entire time I was in awe of the unparalleled skill that went into this book. The world building, the writing, the characters, the dynamics. All of it is incredible.

If you want to read something you’ve never read before, this is what you need.

[Ross Dorianycc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amato l'inizio, ma il finale mi ha parecchio deluso. O almeno, PARTI del finale sarebbero potute andare diversamente.
Per il resto mi ha tenuto compagnia in questi giorni e non mi sono annoiata.

[Katriona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit odd. I really appreciated the different tone from many of the bigger publisher books. However, I felt like I was missing some larger symbolism and points in a similar way to how I felt reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. That could definitely be a me thing and no fault of the author, though. Overall I did enjoy it, though, and will probably ponder on it for a while.

Spoiler: I was not expecting there to be so many love interests, and I was a bit annoyed that every major character was a love interest.

[Sarah SG · Rating 4 out of 5]

My lover's got humor
She's the giggle at a funeral
Knows everybody's disapproval
I should've worshiped her sooner
If the Heavens ever did speak
She's the last true mouthpiece
Every Sunday's getting more bleak
A fresh poison each week
"We were born sick", you heard them say it
My church offers no absolutes
She tells me, "Worship in the bedroom"
The only Heaven I'll be sent to
Is when I'm alone with you
I was born sick, but I love it
Command me to be well
A-, Amen, Amen, Amen

Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life

If I'm a pagan of the good times
My lover's the sunlight
To keep the Goddess on my side
She demands a sacrifice
Drain the whole sea
Get something shiny
Something meaty for the main course
That's a fine looking high horse
What you got in the stable?
We've a lot of starving faithful
That looks tasty
That looks plenty
This is hungry work

Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife
Offer me my deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins so you can sharpen your knife
Offer me my deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life

No masters or kings when the ritual begins
There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin
In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene
Only then I am human
Only then I am clean
Oh, oh, Amen, Amen, Amen

Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life
Take me to church
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife
Offer me that deathless death
Good God, let me give you my life

[Clarice]

Dnf 30%

Ugh. This may be a dnf for now, but most likely a dnf for a long time. Marzana is crazy unlikeable and is super full of herself. The prose is so purple it’s almost unreadable. This is a darker version of Shadow and Bone, but without the angst or light humor in parts to break up the darkness. This reminded me a lot of Scholomance by R Lee Smith, in terms of the FMC being a total sociopath besides having feelings for her friend, but she treats her friend more like a therapy pet than an actual human being. Pretty cover, but poor execution.

[Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very juvenile, clumsy writing.

[mdk · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book slapped. the world building was pretty intense at the start, and understanding the religion and the characters was a bit challenging. but once the groundwork was set, the story really started to build upon itself and the last like 6-7 chapters really take you on a rollercoaster. love love loved it, also have a feeling it will be one of my top reads for the year.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Labadie does some tremendous worldbuilding, crafting a world a religion that feel both familiar yet fantastical. Marzanna is not a good person - few of the characters are - and that only makes them all the more human and easy for me to adore. It took some time for the story to meander to where it was going, but the beginning and middle were rife with worldbuilding - some that I wish we dived more in to - but the pace at times made it hard for me to tell how much time had passed. The third act, however, kept me at the edge of my seat, devouring it in one sitting with certain twists leaving me gasping. Fia my love, you have never done anything wrong in your life and I love you for that. The epilogue wrapped things up completely, leaving this easy to treat as a stand-alone but I’m excited to see a second has come out.

If you are looking for a story of messy, selfish, truly mortal HUMANS dealing with the divine and all the horrors that come with it, this is the story for you.

[countess_matcha · Rating 3 out of 5]

rating: 3.5⭐

This book had a good premise and could've been really good, but it honestly fell short although at the beginning it started off fine towards the middle and end it just became fuddled, I feel like we lost the plot.😭some of the characters were not developed especially fia. like we keep being told she loves fia, but she barely sees her and we don't have many interactions between the two. when she gets boyfriends She basically forgets about her. We're just being told that she feels this way, but we're not being shown it. also, the world building is lacking. It's hard to imagine the world and how people are dressing how they look how the buildings look. this is more a personal opinion, but the book is really freaky which I was not expecting💀 but eyyy to each their own

[Taryn Moreau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Render to Silver was refreshingly different---the world, the sheer (dark) gray morality of the main characters, even the plot. At points, the slower pace made me lean toward a four-star review, but the payoff near the end was so worth it. There was a twist involving one of Marzanna's lovers that I did not expect but absolutely loved. And while the ending wasn't precisely what I'd want in a lizard brain kind of way, I thought it was very fitting and rather brilliant.

If you're looking for a well-written, unique fantasy novel with bisexual, polyamorous, and extremely morally gray characters (and a hot evil priest), definitely pick up this hidden gem.

[Blue Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

You mean to tell me that she gets the ability to bring someone back from the dead, and she chooses a tyrant who was going to sacrifice her to a god she didn't believe in, who she herself murdered, INSTEAD OF THE MAN SHE LOVED?! Are we being serious? I was already pissed that he had to die instead of the psychopathic serial murderer Fia, but to then add the extra slap in the face of the ending?! I couldn't believe my eyes.

I was so enjoying my time up until this point, but after the ending it was so hard not to feel like the colored character was used as a plot device and then easily sacrificed.

[Jojo Jonas · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @58%

this book is massive wasted of time. I don’t know what any of the characters look like due to the little to no explanation of the characters and this book is in two parts but you wouldn’t know that until you got to part two

even if the second half is good it’s not worth being literally bored to tears in the first half because the second half is never going to be good enough to make up for how boring the first half is

[Kelsey Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

We ate. They ate. The author ate.