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Celestials of Arcadia #1
A Touch of Gold and Madness
Fairytales are for the naive.
Princess assassin Gray Monroe is ordered by her father to kill the villainous prince responsible for throwing the modern world into a post-apocalyptic society. In a decrepit landscape where two magical species war with one another while a human militia hunts them all, Gray has only one thing on her mind: vengeance.
With the single focus to kill the man who murdered her first love, she believes nothing will stop her. That is, until she hesitates when she comes face-to-face with her nemesis at long last.
Gray must return to the King’s Palace empty-handed for her annual birthday celebration to a court of vipers who lie in wait for a slip in her icy façade. When a sinister plot is revealed to assassinate the princess, she must flee into a world where she’s now the hunted and must survive to get the revenge that she’s owed.
Prince Griffin Silas is on a mission of his own: to kill the King. Problem is, he’s suffering from an affliction that robs him of his sanity while making him crave violence and death. But first, he needs the princess in his hands no matter the cost. In a race against his spiraling affliction, who will achieve their goal first?
As the first installment in the Celestials of Arcadia, “A Touch of Gold and Madness” is a story about moving through a lifetime of trauma, while also packed with action, secrets, betrayal, and tension full of slow-burning steam. It will keep you turning the pages to discover the long-buried truths concealed by those who seek ultimate power.
Princess assassin Gray Monroe is ordered by her father to kill the villainous prince responsible for throwing the modern world into a post-apocalyptic society. In a decrepit landscape where two magical species war with one another while a human militia hunts them all, Gray has only one thing on her mind: vengeance.
With the single focus to kill the man who murdered her first love, she believes nothing will stop her. That is, until she hesitates when she comes face-to-face with her nemesis at long last.
Gray must return to the King’s Palace empty-handed for her annual birthday celebration to a court of vipers who lie in wait for a slip in her icy façade. When a sinister plot is revealed to assassinate the princess, she must flee into a world where she’s now the hunted and must survive to get the revenge that she’s owed.
Prince Griffin Silas is on a mission of his own: to kill the King. Problem is, he’s suffering from an affliction that robs him of his sanity while making him crave violence and death. But first, he needs the princess in his hands no matter the cost. In a race against his spiraling affliction, who will achieve their goal first?
As the first installment in the Celestials of Arcadia, “A Touch of Gold and Madness” is a story about moving through a lifetime of trauma, while also packed with action, secrets, betrayal, and tension full of slow-burning steam. It will keep you turning the pages to discover the long-buried truths concealed by those who seek ultimate power.
549 pages, Paperback
First published November 21, 2023
3289 people are currently reading
78430 people want to read
About the author
K.L. DeVore
4 books593 followersK.L. is a dark fantasy romance author who lives for complex plots, characters, and worlds. When she isn't writing or editing, she is either reading or drawing realistic charcoal portraits. As a mother of two rowdy boys, she values the quiet evenings when she can focus on her work best while drinking a mug of sugar-free hot cocoa.
While she loves writing a spicy slow burn and lots of fight scenes, her books depict dark themes of trauma and healing that she hopes will resonate with other readers.
While she loves writing a spicy slow burn and lots of fight scenes, her books depict dark themes of trauma and healing that she hopes will resonate with other readers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,664 reviews
July 17, 2024
6 ⭐️’s of complete and utter PERFECTION!! Why aren’t more people talking about this book???? I simply cannot get over how AMAZING it was I want to scream it from the rooftops!! But holy hell I am so beyond UNWELL. Gob fucking smacked is an understatement. THAT CLIFFHANGER HAS ME REELING I WILL NOT KNOW PEACE UNTIL I HAVE BOOK TWO IN MY HANDS! This book had me feeling every god damn emotion under the sun, I cried… a lot. Be prepared to have your heart ripped out and stomped on repeatedly and not put back together in the slightest…. Aka my favorite type of book 😭.
“For those who know that our trauma shapes us, but it doesn’t define us. It’s never too late. You’re worthy.”
Where does one even begin, bear with me because I simply don’t know how to put into words how much I loved this book so this will be all over the place….
This is a DARK fantasy romance set in a dystopian post apocalyptic world… uhm hello? Yes, immediately sucked me in! The magic system is unlike anything I have read before. Above ground the kinetics and elementals are at war, while the humans hide below ground. I NEED MORE KINETIC BASED MAGIC!!!
Absolutely NOTHING is at it seems. There are plot twists left and right that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The last 100 pages had me feeling like I do when I read an SJM book. I simply did not see a single thing coming and my heart was on the verge of beating out of my chest the entire time. So much pain but in the best way possible. But be prepared to hurt…. A lot.
Griffin. Silas. Don’t EVEN get me started on this man. Your honor im in love. Unhinged… might be an understatement. But what can I say, I have a thing for morally grey, traumatized, powerful book men. And this man takes touch her and die to the next level. He would absolutely burn down the world for her in a heartbeat. If you love a fictional man that has waited his whole life for her and protected her when she didn’t even know he existed…. Yup. Yup. Yup. Did I mention he’s also going a bit mad…?? Hehe
Our FMC Gray is one of my new favorites, I love her so much. A badass princess assassin thay will stop at nothing to get her revenge???? Yes please. She’s definitely not going to be for everyone but she is for me. She’s definitely a complex character that has so much work to do and her character arc already has me so emotionally invested in her. Like our MMC griffin, she has such a traumatized past and a lot of healing to do to in order to acknowledge and work through her unhealthy behaviors that are the result of her mental and physical abuse growing up. Her growth is absolutely not linear but her strength and force of will are bone deep.
The romance… don’t. Don’t even, get me started. Griffin and Gray might just be one of my new favorite couples. The definition of soulmates and I will find you in every lifetime. The chemistry is palpable off the pages. And my god is the tension THICKKKK!! They are kindred souls each with so many layers to who they are and the darkness that lies within them. Yes they are both morally grey, but they are also each others light. My heart HURTS for them. Can you tell this book traumatized me? The slow burn payoff was everything!! And I mean this is a true slow burn… I’m talking waiting until the 80% mark. There is spice but not too much, it is very plot forward which I love.
The found family in this book was absolutely incredible. Its impossible to not fall in love with each and every one of our side characters. There’s something about watching an FMC who has known nothing but hatred and abuse her entire life, discover what it feels like to be loved and develop friendships, ahhhhh I can’t handle it!! Because you get so invested in these characters it adds to the emotions you feel on a much deeper level.
There is so much more I could say about this book but I don’t want to give anything away, it truly was the best experience going into this blind! I’m still staring at a wall. Idk how I’m going to cure this book hangover. I will be spiraling until I get book 2.
Favorite quotes:
“As much as you bring me light, I bask in your darkness, too. Because I want all of you. Good, bad, light, and dark. Whole or broken. I want you to love the dark parts of yourself because dark and light exists within us all, Gray. We can’t escape it. Running from ourselves never ends well. It’s only when we come to embrace our whole selves that we find any sort of peace.”
“No matter what happens to me, I’ll always find you. In every lifetime. In every realm. Because it’s always been you for me.”
“I loved every shattered piece of her. If I had to sweep each jagged shard up with my bare fingers for her so she could piece herself back together, I’d do it without a second thought. I didn’t care if it shredded my skin in the process. Hell, I’d search the winds for the lost pieces.”
“She was every bit the fierce warrior I knew her to be. I resisted the intense desire to drop to my knees and worship her right there.”
This is absolutely for you if you like:
- enemies to lovers
- A twist on fated mates in the best way
- A scrumptiously painful slow burn
- Morally grey princess assassin FMC
- Trauma rep
- Found family
- Unique magic system
- Traumatized morally grey MMC
- Spice
- Villains that make you want to rip your hair out
“For those who know that our trauma shapes us, but it doesn’t define us. It’s never too late. You’re worthy.”
Where does one even begin, bear with me because I simply don’t know how to put into words how much I loved this book so this will be all over the place….
This is a DARK fantasy romance set in a dystopian post apocalyptic world… uhm hello? Yes, immediately sucked me in! The magic system is unlike anything I have read before. Above ground the kinetics and elementals are at war, while the humans hide below ground. I NEED MORE KINETIC BASED MAGIC!!!
Absolutely NOTHING is at it seems. There are plot twists left and right that will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The last 100 pages had me feeling like I do when I read an SJM book. I simply did not see a single thing coming and my heart was on the verge of beating out of my chest the entire time. So much pain but in the best way possible. But be prepared to hurt…. A lot.
Griffin. Silas. Don’t EVEN get me started on this man. Your honor im in love. Unhinged… might be an understatement. But what can I say, I have a thing for morally grey, traumatized, powerful book men. And this man takes touch her and die to the next level. He would absolutely burn down the world for her in a heartbeat. If you love a fictional man that has waited his whole life for her and protected her when she didn’t even know he existed…. Yup. Yup. Yup. Did I mention he’s also going a bit mad…?? Hehe
Our FMC Gray is one of my new favorites, I love her so much. A badass princess assassin thay will stop at nothing to get her revenge???? Yes please. She’s definitely not going to be for everyone but she is for me. She’s definitely a complex character that has so much work to do and her character arc already has me so emotionally invested in her. Like our MMC griffin, she has such a traumatized past and a lot of healing to do to in order to acknowledge and work through her unhealthy behaviors that are the result of her mental and physical abuse growing up. Her growth is absolutely not linear but her strength and force of will are bone deep.
The romance… don’t. Don’t even, get me started. Griffin and Gray might just be one of my new favorite couples. The definition of soulmates and I will find you in every lifetime. The chemistry is palpable off the pages. And my god is the tension THICKKKK!! They are kindred souls each with so many layers to who they are and the darkness that lies within them. Yes they are both morally grey, but they are also each others light. My heart HURTS for them. Can you tell this book traumatized me? The slow burn payoff was everything!! And I mean this is a true slow burn… I’m talking waiting until the 80% mark. There is spice but not too much, it is very plot forward which I love.
The found family in this book was absolutely incredible. Its impossible to not fall in love with each and every one of our side characters. There’s something about watching an FMC who has known nothing but hatred and abuse her entire life, discover what it feels like to be loved and develop friendships, ahhhhh I can’t handle it!! Because you get so invested in these characters it adds to the emotions you feel on a much deeper level.
There is so much more I could say about this book but I don’t want to give anything away, it truly was the best experience going into this blind! I’m still staring at a wall. Idk how I’m going to cure this book hangover. I will be spiraling until I get book 2.
Favorite quotes:
“As much as you bring me light, I bask in your darkness, too. Because I want all of you. Good, bad, light, and dark. Whole or broken. I want you to love the dark parts of yourself because dark and light exists within us all, Gray. We can’t escape it. Running from ourselves never ends well. It’s only when we come to embrace our whole selves that we find any sort of peace.”
“No matter what happens to me, I’ll always find you. In every lifetime. In every realm. Because it’s always been you for me.”
“I loved every shattered piece of her. If I had to sweep each jagged shard up with my bare fingers for her so she could piece herself back together, I’d do it without a second thought. I didn’t care if it shredded my skin in the process. Hell, I’d search the winds for the lost pieces.”
“She was every bit the fierce warrior I knew her to be. I resisted the intense desire to drop to my knees and worship her right there.”
This is absolutely for you if you like:
- enemies to lovers
- A twist on fated mates in the best way
- A scrumptiously painful slow burn
- Morally grey princess assassin FMC
- Trauma rep
- Found family
- Unique magic system
- Traumatized morally grey MMC
- Spice
- Villains that make you want to rip your hair out
July 18, 2024
I am such a sucker for a unique magic system and this one blew me out of the water!! Immediately from the jump you are hooked with this story and thrown into action. What starts off as a cat and mouse chase between two enemies in a post apocalyptic world, turns out to be way more complex than initially seems.
Dual POV with our two very real, flawed main characters who have a lot of individual trauma to unpack. The way the author writes about heavy topics such as anxiety and abuse in a fantasy setting is shockingly, so beautiful (I couldn’t stop highlighting quotes). I connected so hard to these characters, they felt so real.
The storyline kept throwing out plot twist after plot twist but nothing ever felt predictable. The pacing was natural and everything from the tension and banter, to the drama, to the snippets of romance, was all done so perfectly.
No notes, flawless. The ending made me feel so sick (in the best way possible). I am not the same person I was before I read this and I can’t wait for what’s to come with the rest of this series!!!!!
Dual POV with our two very real, flawed main characters who have a lot of individual trauma to unpack. The way the author writes about heavy topics such as anxiety and abuse in a fantasy setting is shockingly, so beautiful (I couldn’t stop highlighting quotes). I connected so hard to these characters, they felt so real.
The storyline kept throwing out plot twist after plot twist but nothing ever felt predictable. The pacing was natural and everything from the tension and banter, to the drama, to the snippets of romance, was all done so perfectly.
No notes, flawless. The ending made me feel so sick (in the best way possible). I am not the same person I was before I read this and I can’t wait for what’s to come with the rest of this series!!!!!
August 22, 2024
This is written so bad.
The idea is there but the way it was executed wow
DNF @ p.g 207 because i just didn’t care and couldn’t do it anymore
The idea is there but the way it was executed wow
DNF @ p.g 207 because i just didn’t care and couldn’t do it anymore
August 12, 2024
4.5**
soooo good 💫
soooo good 💫
August 14, 2025
This book was ass. The first 20% was promising and then it just got worse and worse from there. The writing was horrible, the characters were idiots and I actually had secondhand embarrassment reading some of the things in this book. It was like a fanfic someone wrote in the 8th grade.
July 23, 2024
5 stars
Raise your hand if you have been personally victimized by this book……. 🖐️
Oh. My. God. Ohmygod. I am spiraling.
Post-apocalyptic dystopian fantasy. POST APOCALYPTIC DYSTOPIAN FANTASY, GUYS.
I fear I cannot even summarize this book because there is SO much.
Elemental magic, kinetic magic, rivals to lovers, feminine rage, knife-to-throat scenes. Everything. And it’s FREAKING AMAZING.
These characters are in my heart now and I fear I am destroyed. I need the next book.. like, yesterday.
Raise your hand if you have been personally victimized by this book……. 🖐️
Oh. My. God. Ohmygod. I am spiraling.
Post-apocalyptic dystopian fantasy. POST APOCALYPTIC DYSTOPIAN FANTASY, GUYS.
I fear I cannot even summarize this book because there is SO much.
Elemental magic, kinetic magic, rivals to lovers, feminine rage, knife-to-throat scenes. Everything. And it’s FREAKING AMAZING.
These characters are in my heart now and I fear I am destroyed. I need the next book.. like, yesterday.
March 13, 2025
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
Can someone please come slap me in the face for having this on my shelf for so long without reading it?
I’m such a sucker for a unique magic system and found family so I knew early on that this book was going to do something to me. The dark dystopian vibes were absolutely fantastic and I loveddd the MC’s. The slow burn and tension was soo good, I was actually melting.
Griffin our MMC is morally grey, unhinged, would do anything for her and completely owns my heart. I adored his lil nicknames for her 🥹 and Gray is so strong and badass, the trauma these two went through is so heartbreaking. And the ending? The. Ending. I need book 2 NOW
Can someone please come slap me in the face for having this on my shelf for so long without reading it?
I’m such a sucker for a unique magic system and found family so I knew early on that this book was going to do something to me. The dark dystopian vibes were absolutely fantastic and I loveddd the MC’s. The slow burn and tension was soo good, I was actually melting.
Griffin our MMC is morally grey, unhinged, would do anything for her and completely owns my heart. I adored his lil nicknames for her 🥹 and Gray is so strong and badass, the trauma these two went through is so heartbreaking. And the ending? The. Ending. I need book 2 NOW
July 11, 2025
“No matter what happens to me, I’ll always find you. In every lifetime. In every realm. Because it’s always been you for me - ever since I was ten years old.”
Oh. my. god. This whole book was packed with everything I could have hoped for in a dark romantasy and more!! There was some insane plot twist that left me shocked and at the edge of my seat. It was non-stop action, flirty banter, tension, incredible romance, the enemies to lovers and found family trope which are my faves, fun side characters, and the most unique and interesting magical system and world. I could not put the book down! I was a bit confused at first with the elementals and kinetics and how the magic worked but it all came together at the end and It was so refreshing to read a book with such a different magical system and universe!!
Griffin is so my type and everything I could have wanted in an mmc. I’m drooling over him. He is so mysterious, flirty, has tattoos, powerful, protective, would burn the world down for the fmc, Grey, and do anything in his power to keep her safe and defend her without any remorse!! Touch her and die kinda vibes, where is he “the villain”😮💨😏 Literally perfection!!! He has definitely entered my top 10 book boyfriend list!! I need more books with him and them as a couple ahhh😫🫠 somebody sedate me because I’m actually going feral!!! Obsessed!!! The ending left me speechless and the cliffhanger was not okay!! I need answers!!
pre-read:
The fmc being an assassin and the mmc being morally grey is all I need to know! I’m sat! Bestie @laurajane said I MUST read it so I know it’s going to be GOOD! 🤭🙂↕️
Oh. my. god. This whole book was packed with everything I could have hoped for in a dark romantasy and more!! There was some insane plot twist that left me shocked and at the edge of my seat. It was non-stop action, flirty banter, tension, incredible romance, the enemies to lovers and found family trope which are my faves, fun side characters, and the most unique and interesting magical system and world. I could not put the book down! I was a bit confused at first with the elementals and kinetics and how the magic worked but it all came together at the end and It was so refreshing to read a book with such a different magical system and universe!!
Griffin is so my type and everything I could have wanted in an mmc. I’m drooling over him. He is so mysterious, flirty, has tattoos, powerful, protective, would burn the world down for the fmc, Grey, and do anything in his power to keep her safe and defend her without any remorse!! Touch her and die kinda vibes, where is he “the villain”😮💨😏 Literally perfection!!! He has definitely entered my top 10 book boyfriend list!! I need more books with him and them as a couple ahhh😫🫠 somebody sedate me because I’m actually going feral!!! Obsessed!!! The ending left me speechless and the cliffhanger was not okay!! I need answers!!
pre-read:
The fmc being an assassin and the mmc being morally grey is all I need to know! I’m sat! Bestie @laurajane said I MUST read it so I know it’s going to be GOOD! 🤭🙂↕️
Want to read
July 4, 2025Ofc, this made it to my tbr courtesy of Laura Jane's video
December 16, 2024
EDITING MY EDIT ABOUT THE USE OF AI:
I have not seen proof with my own eyeballs that AI was used to write this book. If anyone has any, feel free to comment on this review. It is a strong rumor online and there have been multiple comments made about it, but I would NEVER want to condemn someone's career over a rumor. The legend states that this information came from the author's own mouth, but I cannot confirm or deny that as I have not seen it. I could be 100% incorrect and the author could have come up with this *ahem* very interesting story all on her own... But hey. I'm not here to yuck anyone's yum, but I really didn't like this book. With it's continues success, maybe the author can make some improvements and I might pick up another book of hers in the future. I have no ill will towards the author, and will always support anyone who can create "art" even if the book isn't my cup of tea. ***I repeat, I HAVE NOT SEEN PROOF OF THE AUTHORS USE OF AI, and it's irresponsible to condemn and author on a rumor, but there are whispers so do with that info what you would like.***
EDIT:
It has come to my attention that this book was written with AI. Not sure to what extent, but AI was involved. So, I am changing my 2 star review to 1 star. I wish I could give it 0 stars. The longer I have had to sit on this book, the more I dislike it. And that was before I found out about the AI. It wasn't great. See below for the details.
_____
Well that was… a ride..
At the time of writing this review, there is still a near perfect score of 4.75 with 150 reviews. Only three 3 stars, one 2 star, and zero 1 stars.
I HAD to see what the fuss was about. Annnnnd I am disappointed. The ARC team seems to have done a good job with the reviews, but I don’t understand it.
This book was soooo slow. The book could have really benefitted from cutting out about 30%. The plot in the middle basically fell apart and it draggggged. I started skimming at about 40% until the plot picked up again around 85% through. Tons of info dumping and endless internal monologues just had me tuned out.
-The power system is WILDLY confusing. There’s a glossary at the front but unless you have it printed out for easy reference, it makes no sense. I gave up trying to understand.
-The “name your kid after their hair color” trend was weird and very elementary to me. And *possible spoiler* the FMC coming into her power and having RAINBOW eyes? Cringe.
-At one point, MCs take a break from shooting heated glances at each other to play a riveting game of hide and seek. Lol. It felt like this book was written for a younger audience, and not for a spicy dark romance. It was odd.
-Also, the slow burn was highly irritating to me. Just when you think they’re going to “seal the deal”, someone knocks on the door or there’s some sort of emergency or the FMC sporadically bursts into tears again. No joke, this happened at least 3 chapters in a row. I was uninterested in the romance after the fourth time.
-There are a couple of flashbacks where they go back to when the MCs were 8 years old, and they speak to each other like they’re philosophers and it was very odd to me. It took me out of the story to see children talking like they had mortgages to worry about or something.
-There were some pretty glaring plot wholes as well, *possible spoiler* like why did it take a LITERAL millennia for an elemental and a kinetic to reproduce and create a hybrid with godlike abilities? In a millennia, no one reproduced with the other magical race? The whole history and backstory is completely glossed over. I don’t think we ever know why the races hate each other? There isn’t a real clear motive for this whole war.
-And of all the things that irked me about this book, WHY is the entire book, all of these wars, battles, conflicts only within the state of Georgia? The ENTIRE story line between these powerful, warring beings and the humans that are suffering under their rule… happens between Atlanta and Macon? It made no sense and I think it was a real missed opportunity for the author to develop the characters and shed some light on the overall conflict. Because the way it reads now, the state of Georgia is full of magical beings warring for territory in the burbs around Atlanta.
Was it a bad overall story idea? Absolutely not. This is debut novel with SO much potential! I just think the execution was... very poor. The twist at the end had me intrigued for sure. It was an excellent set up for some delicious angst in book 2! But this book just wasn’t for me. *Won't be continuing, see my edits above*
I have not seen proof with my own eyeballs that AI was used to write this book. If anyone has any, feel free to comment on this review. It is a strong rumor online and there have been multiple comments made about it, but I would NEVER want to condemn someone's career over a rumor. The legend states that this information came from the author's own mouth, but I cannot confirm or deny that as I have not seen it. I could be 100% incorrect and the author could have come up with this *ahem* very interesting story all on her own... But hey. I'm not here to yuck anyone's yum, but I really didn't like this book. With it's continues success, maybe the author can make some improvements and I might pick up another book of hers in the future. I have no ill will towards the author, and will always support anyone who can create "art" even if the book isn't my cup of tea. ***I repeat, I HAVE NOT SEEN PROOF OF THE AUTHORS USE OF AI, and it's irresponsible to condemn and author on a rumor, but there are whispers so do with that info what you would like.***
EDIT:
It has come to my attention that this book was written with AI. Not sure to what extent, but AI was involved. So, I am changing my 2 star review to 1 star. I wish I could give it 0 stars. The longer I have had to sit on this book, the more I dislike it. And that was before I found out about the AI. It wasn't great. See below for the details.
_____
Well that was… a ride..
At the time of writing this review, there is still a near perfect score of 4.75 with 150 reviews. Only three 3 stars, one 2 star, and zero 1 stars.
I HAD to see what the fuss was about. Annnnnd I am disappointed. The ARC team seems to have done a good job with the reviews, but I don’t understand it.
This book was soooo slow. The book could have really benefitted from cutting out about 30%. The plot in the middle basically fell apart and it draggggged. I started skimming at about 40% until the plot picked up again around 85% through. Tons of info dumping and endless internal monologues just had me tuned out.
-The power system is WILDLY confusing. There’s a glossary at the front but unless you have it printed out for easy reference, it makes no sense. I gave up trying to understand.
-The “name your kid after their hair color” trend was weird and very elementary to me. And *possible spoiler* the FMC coming into her power and having RAINBOW eyes? Cringe.
-At one point, MCs take a break from shooting heated glances at each other to play a riveting game of hide and seek. Lol. It felt like this book was written for a younger audience, and not for a spicy dark romance. It was odd.
-Also, the slow burn was highly irritating to me. Just when you think they’re going to “seal the deal”, someone knocks on the door or there’s some sort of emergency or the FMC sporadically bursts into tears again. No joke, this happened at least 3 chapters in a row. I was uninterested in the romance after the fourth time.
-There are a couple of flashbacks where they go back to when the MCs were 8 years old, and they speak to each other like they’re philosophers and it was very odd to me. It took me out of the story to see children talking like they had mortgages to worry about or something.
-There were some pretty glaring plot wholes as well, *possible spoiler* like why did it take a LITERAL millennia for an elemental and a kinetic to reproduce and create a hybrid with godlike abilities? In a millennia, no one reproduced with the other magical race? The whole history and backstory is completely glossed over. I don’t think we ever know why the races hate each other? There isn’t a real clear motive for this whole war.
-And of all the things that irked me about this book, WHY is the entire book, all of these wars, battles, conflicts only within the state of Georgia? The ENTIRE story line between these powerful, warring beings and the humans that are suffering under their rule… happens between Atlanta and Macon? It made no sense and I think it was a real missed opportunity for the author to develop the characters and shed some light on the overall conflict. Because the way it reads now, the state of Georgia is full of magical beings warring for territory in the burbs around Atlanta.
Was it a bad overall story idea? Absolutely not. This is debut novel with SO much potential! I just think the execution was... very poor. The twist at the end had me intrigued for sure. It was an excellent set up for some delicious angst in book 2! But this book just wasn’t for me. *Won't be continuing, see my edits above*
November 20, 2023
I really truly am at an honest loss of words for this amazing book.
I’m going to try and do this without giving any spoilers (because that’s no fun especially for a book of this caliber 😉)
I genuinely don’t know that I have read a book to date that I’ve loved and felt a genuine connection to the characters as heavily as I did in this book. This one quickly made you forget you were reading and you really got sucked in emotionally. There’s such a wide range of characters that it’s refreshing because not one specific character will be everyone’s favorite.
The magic is unique, and I loved the way is was split into factions but still unique to each individual. As well as the fact that you could essentially burn out. (No one likes one person hoarding ungodly amounts of power)
I definitely still feel like this would be perfect for a buddy read because you truly do want to just talk to someone who knows exactly what’s going on in the book, it’s just too complex to do a quick run down on what’s happening. BUT, the times you sit in complete shock? Trust me, find a shoulder to lean on.
The twists and turns of this book DID NOT DISAPPOINT, and what I really loved about it is that it was twisty all the way through and not just at the end.
Totally worth a read, and possibly a reread right after. You won’t regret it.
I’m going to try and do this without giving any spoilers (because that’s no fun especially for a book of this caliber 😉)
I genuinely don’t know that I have read a book to date that I’ve loved and felt a genuine connection to the characters as heavily as I did in this book. This one quickly made you forget you were reading and you really got sucked in emotionally. There’s such a wide range of characters that it’s refreshing because not one specific character will be everyone’s favorite.
The magic is unique, and I loved the way is was split into factions but still unique to each individual. As well as the fact that you could essentially burn out. (No one likes one person hoarding ungodly amounts of power)
I definitely still feel like this would be perfect for a buddy read because you truly do want to just talk to someone who knows exactly what’s going on in the book, it’s just too complex to do a quick run down on what’s happening. BUT, the times you sit in complete shock? Trust me, find a shoulder to lean on.
The twists and turns of this book DID NOT DISAPPOINT, and what I really loved about it is that it was twisty all the way through and not just at the end.
Totally worth a read, and possibly a reread right after. You won’t regret it.
December 23, 2023
4 Little Savage Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level 🌶️🌶️/5
First things first, this did not feel like a debut novel and I found myself checking about 3 times that there wasn't anything previously written by K.L DeVore because of the sophistication of this story and the characters.
This book is a Dual POV story following Gray and Griffin. This is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have been forced underground thanks to a nasty showdown between Kinetics and Elementals fighting for power. Gray, the Kinetic princess, has a hefty task on her hands: off the Elemental prince, Griffin. The reason being, he's the dude who kicked off the war which led to the apocalypse, and oh, murdered her boyfriend. But, as these things often go, her plan hits a snag, and suddenly, she's running for her life right into the arms of none other than Griffin, who's got some plans of his own...
This gave me such nostalgic vibes of both Avatar - The Legend of Korra (not the Aang version) mixed with Divergent as there were elements I felt were borrowed from their worlds, however, they were given such a unique spin that I was in awe of the complex and multilayered worldbuilding that this book managed to achieve. Overall the writing in this is stunning but gritty, dark and raw but completely manages to captivate that post-apocalyptic feel where the world has gone to utter shit.
The characters in this make this story stand out. Gray has been through the wringer- abused, bullied, tortured, neglected and ostracised by her community and fellow Kinetics, yet manages to keep her head held high. She longs for love and acceptance for who she is and is driven by her thirst to prove herself and get revenge on Griffin for murdering the one person who actually cared about her.
Griffin has some real problems, the worst being the nasty little affliction he suffers from where an evil dark demented little voice in his head wants him to kill everyone and burn the world down. Almost akin to the dichotomous battle for sanity much like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. He is a smart mouth, sexy, morally grey walking red flag but I adored every moment of him.
The relationship between him and Gray is extremely slow burn and takes a while to develop but is explosive and sexy when they finally come together. This is one of the aspects that I loved about this book because these two are mortal enemies and Gray not only needs to overcome her feelings of betrayal but also her stigma against the elementals and what she has been indoctrinated to believe.
There are also other aspects that made this good, such as the book tosses in a found family element, unexpected twists, turns, and reveals that'll keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page.
The reason this didn't make the full 5 stars is it felt a little slow in the middle and then with no buildup, it switches to 7000 miles a minute and then almost rushes too fast that it felt a tad messy. While the action was well-written I wanted more balance to the pace.
Your trope Summary:
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Dual POV
▶ Post Apocalyptic World
▶ Found Family
▶ Plot Twists, Secrets and Betrayals
▶ Morally Grey MMC
▶ Touch Her and Die
▶
And let me tell you, that cliffhanger's got me counting the days for the next book! This debut was a delightful treat – a solid win in my book!
So many thanks to K.L. DeVore for the gifted ARC!
All thoughts and feelings in this review are my own
Spicy Level 🌶️🌶️/5
First things first, this did not feel like a debut novel and I found myself checking about 3 times that there wasn't anything previously written by K.L DeVore because of the sophistication of this story and the characters.
This book is a Dual POV story following Gray and Griffin. This is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have been forced underground thanks to a nasty showdown between Kinetics and Elementals fighting for power. Gray, the Kinetic princess, has a hefty task on her hands: off the Elemental prince, Griffin. The reason being, he's the dude who kicked off the war which led to the apocalypse, and oh, murdered her boyfriend. But, as these things often go, her plan hits a snag, and suddenly, she's running for her life right into the arms of none other than Griffin, who's got some plans of his own...
This gave me such nostalgic vibes of both Avatar - The Legend of Korra (not the Aang version) mixed with Divergent as there were elements I felt were borrowed from their worlds, however, they were given such a unique spin that I was in awe of the complex and multilayered worldbuilding that this book managed to achieve. Overall the writing in this is stunning but gritty, dark and raw but completely manages to captivate that post-apocalyptic feel where the world has gone to utter shit.
The characters in this make this story stand out. Gray has been through the wringer- abused, bullied, tortured, neglected and ostracised by her community and fellow Kinetics, yet manages to keep her head held high. She longs for love and acceptance for who she is and is driven by her thirst to prove herself and get revenge on Griffin for murdering the one person who actually cared about her.
Griffin has some real problems, the worst being the nasty little affliction he suffers from where an evil dark demented little voice in his head wants him to kill everyone and burn the world down. Almost akin to the dichotomous battle for sanity much like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. He is a smart mouth, sexy, morally grey walking red flag but I adored every moment of him.
The relationship between him and Gray is extremely slow burn and takes a while to develop but is explosive and sexy when they finally come together. This is one of the aspects that I loved about this book because these two are mortal enemies and Gray not only needs to overcome her feelings of betrayal but also her stigma against the elementals and what she has been indoctrinated to believe.
There are also other aspects that made this good, such as the book tosses in a found family element, unexpected twists, turns, and reveals that'll keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page.
The reason this didn't make the full 5 stars is it felt a little slow in the middle and then with no buildup, it switches to 7000 miles a minute and then almost rushes too fast that it felt a tad messy. While the action was well-written I wanted more balance to the pace.
Your trope Summary:
▶ Enemies to Lovers
▶ Dual POV
▶ Post Apocalyptic World
▶ Found Family
▶ Plot Twists, Secrets and Betrayals
▶ Morally Grey MMC
▶ Touch Her and Die
▶
And let me tell you, that cliffhanger's got me counting the days for the next book! This debut was a delightful treat – a solid win in my book!
So many thanks to K.L. DeVore for the gifted ARC!
All thoughts and feelings in this review are my own
November 21, 2023
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read this book as an arc.
I can’t even begin to describe how excited I was for this book. Especially after finishing iron flame I felt like this would be the perfect book to follow it up. Unfortunately it was not.
Now I want to start this off by saying I believe the actual plot of this book could be really good and it is really interesting however I don’t think the events of the plot and the characters were flushed out enough.
Gray, the FMC is suppose to be this badass warrior princess and she’s suppose to be unstoppable. And you spend a good chunk of the book just finding out how inferior she is. She is written very weak and insecure which is fine but it totally contradicts with the vibe the author says she wants to portray for her.
That brings me to my next point. This book does a lot of telling you the plot. I never felt like I was truly in the book. I was just being told what the book should be about.
And Griffin… I wanted to love him but he was written so childish. He was very whiney and petulant. And not to mention the flashback scenes from when he and gray were children were so weird cause they talked exactly how they talked as adults. If they didn’t tell me over and over that they were children I would have never known.
Now where the book truly lost me was when the evil king stated he wanted to “spill the tea” and the inter-dimensional super villain said she wanted to give someone a big “fuck-you” I’m sorry but I didn’t know these supposed to be old and in one case potentially eternal beings were actually 20 y/o kids in 2023 😅
Anyway I love the idea for the book…. Don’t love the execution.
I can’t even begin to describe how excited I was for this book. Especially after finishing iron flame I felt like this would be the perfect book to follow it up. Unfortunately it was not.
Now I want to start this off by saying I believe the actual plot of this book could be really good and it is really interesting however I don’t think the events of the plot and the characters were flushed out enough.
Gray, the FMC is suppose to be this badass warrior princess and she’s suppose to be unstoppable. And you spend a good chunk of the book just finding out how inferior she is. She is written very weak and insecure which is fine but it totally contradicts with the vibe the author says she wants to portray for her.
That brings me to my next point. This book does a lot of telling you the plot. I never felt like I was truly in the book. I was just being told what the book should be about.
And Griffin… I wanted to love him but he was written so childish. He was very whiney and petulant. And not to mention the flashback scenes from when he and gray were children were so weird cause they talked exactly how they talked as adults. If they didn’t tell me over and over that they were children I would have never known.
Now where the book truly lost me was when the evil king stated he wanted to “spill the tea” and the inter-dimensional super villain said she wanted to give someone a big “fuck-you” I’m sorry but I didn’t know these supposed to be old and in one case potentially eternal beings were actually 20 y/o kids in 2023 😅
Anyway I love the idea for the book…. Don’t love the execution.
January 16, 2024
Gray is absolutely pathetic. In just a few pages, it's clear that she's ignorant. She's drinking the kool-aid and has no critical thinking skills anymore. She's got daddy issues and no backbone. But it's also completely predictable that throughout the book, she's going to discover the truth and fight for what she thinks is right. So normally, that would be an interesting read. But what the blurb leaves out is that the reason for her "hesitation" to kill her enemy is that he's pretty. I wish I was kidding. Apparently she had been trailing him for weeks, but one look up close and she's struck dumb by his beauty. She literally already had the knife to his neck and could have killed him before he even turned around, but she didn't. What a pathetic excuse of an assassin. And we know it wasn't lack of skill or some other moral quandary that stopped her, because she had just killed a woman a few minutes before without any hesitation. And apparently she's still grieving because the prince killed her lover, but his pretty little face makes her completely forget about avenging the love of her life. Ugh. So cliche and boring.
April 25, 2025
The magic system is great and the world is fun. One thing I have trouble getting behind is a whole warring magical race thing with kings and princesses just happening in Atlanta and Macon?? I get that it’s post-apocalyptic, but every time a fantasy book does this it really throws me off. Anyway, this was a great story, but such a slowww burn. Almost a little too slow and started to lose that tension. Griffin is such a great character. Apparently, I don’t mind my fantasy men with a deranged voice inside of them driving them to off everyone. Grey started out as this badass princess assassin, but I started to get annoyed with her after a while. She definitely acknowledges her shortcomings, but there were certain scenes, especially in the Hollow, that felt like she was blowing up and overreacting over small comments. For example, she punches Griffin in the face over him trying to ask her to sit out of a situation because he was trying to protect her, and I had to go back and reread to make sure I didn’t miss something. The ending of this book was really what elevated my rating. It was so fast-paced, and I was not expecting that twist at the end.
November 21, 2023
The book is a true masterpiece! 🤌🏻🤌🏻
Let me tell you why, from the moment I began reading, it completely captivated me and left me devastated and screaming after the intense cliffhanger at the end.
The story is unlike anything I have read this year. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic world with intricate world-building, unique powers, and fascinating characters.
Gray is an assassin princess consumed by her thirst for revenge against Griffin, who killed her lover and destroyed their world. Gray's sole objective is to kill Griffin and earn honor and respect from her people and her father, King Forest. However, she never expected to fail her mission and nearly lose her life in the process. To make matters worse, she is betrayed by her own father when he attempts to kill her during her birthday celebration. Gray leaves behind the place she once called home and embarks on a journey to find Griffin and complete her task, even if it means sacrificing her own life.
Griffin is struggling with his condition, gradually losing his sanity with each passing moment. However, when he crossed paths with his nemesis, Gray, he oddly found solace—a brief moment of tranquility in his mind. He has a mission to eliminate Forest, and in order to accomplish that, he desperately requires Gray's assistance before their world is completely condemned.
I knew I would become captivated by Griffin. Oh my gods, he is so unhinged, charming, flirtatious, and incredibly attractive. Gray is a badass and sassy character who don't give a shit except her mission. I lovedboth of them, as they formed a close-knit group of fierce warriors. Some shocking events unfolded, with hints scattered here and there, some heart-wrenching scenes that utterly shattered me, and breathtaking action sequences.
The slow burn romance took its time, but when it ignited, it blazed like an inferno—intense and passionate. The plot twists smacked me in the face repeatedly, each one more worse than the last. The range of emotions I experienced was insane—I laughed, raged, cursed, swooned, melted, and cried! I even found myself screaming and crying out loud at the author, knowing she would probably laugh at my reactions.
Please take care of my babies in book 2, even if it was fruitless because after that end, I've no hope but pain and despair.
Check TWs before reading!
Let me tell you why, from the moment I began reading, it completely captivated me and left me devastated and screaming after the intense cliffhanger at the end.
The story is unlike anything I have read this year. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic world with intricate world-building, unique powers, and fascinating characters.
Gray is an assassin princess consumed by her thirst for revenge against Griffin, who killed her lover and destroyed their world. Gray's sole objective is to kill Griffin and earn honor and respect from her people and her father, King Forest. However, she never expected to fail her mission and nearly lose her life in the process. To make matters worse, she is betrayed by her own father when he attempts to kill her during her birthday celebration. Gray leaves behind the place she once called home and embarks on a journey to find Griffin and complete her task, even if it means sacrificing her own life.
Griffin is struggling with his condition, gradually losing his sanity with each passing moment. However, when he crossed paths with his nemesis, Gray, he oddly found solace—a brief moment of tranquility in his mind. He has a mission to eliminate Forest, and in order to accomplish that, he desperately requires Gray's assistance before their world is completely condemned.
I knew I would become captivated by Griffin. Oh my gods, he is so unhinged, charming, flirtatious, and incredibly attractive. Gray is a badass and sassy character who don't give a shit except her mission. I lovedboth of them, as they formed a close-knit group of fierce warriors. Some shocking events unfolded, with hints scattered here and there, some heart-wrenching scenes that utterly shattered me, and breathtaking action sequences.
The slow burn romance took its time, but when it ignited, it blazed like an inferno—intense and passionate. The plot twists smacked me in the face repeatedly, each one more worse than the last. The range of emotions I experienced was insane—I laughed, raged, cursed, swooned, melted, and cried! I even found myself screaming and crying out loud at the author, knowing she would probably laugh at my reactions.
Please take care of my babies in book 2, even if it was fruitless because after that end, I've no hope but pain and despair.
Check TWs before reading!
September 6, 2024
3.5 ⭐️Several people I follow were raving about this book. I have no real complaints; the magic system was cool and unique, but I just didn’t feel that connection with the characters. Also, the names were distractingly bad I.e: cotton, chrome, beastie-bear . I also wish there was more dialogue and relationship development between the two main characters . But objectively the story was unique, I liked the twist at the end and I did like it overall. Probably won’t continue though.
October 3, 2023
I had the privilege of Alpha reading this beauty, and let me tell you, hold on to your seats, because it's a wild ride.
A Touch of Gold and Madness has everything I look for in a book and more. It's hard to describe what kind of books to compare it to because it truly stands on its own. K.L. DeVore has created the most unique magic system I have ever seen. She introduces species called Kinetics and Elementals. Kinetics use magical, and yet electrical, currents that are shown racing up and down their arms and neck. The energy can be anything from ultraviolet, gamma rays...you name it, K.L. has it. Even the Elementals have a unique spin from their abilities to their appearance. I was blown away by how much thought went into creating these species.
The world is so rich, that even though it's set in a dystopian setting, it's still very much alive. I loved the dystopian setting because it made the species stand out. Their appearance, both Kinetics and Elementals, brought so much color into this dark and depilated world.
The characters in this book are so strong, and each one I ran into left me feeling something. They all were well rounded that I found myself getting attached to so many of them, the good guys at least. The evil ones? Oh she did a fantastic job of having me want to hate them. With Gray and Griffin, I could almost feel everything they were feeling. From the madness Griffin was experiencing, to the heart break Gray had been going through. The spicy scenes, I felt not only in my toes, but deep down to my core. Even the fight scenes, she made come alive.
Something I do try to do is predict what will happen in a book, and this one, I could not predict a thing. Each twist and turn had me going WHAT?! And just when I thought I recovered from the last surprise, K.L. would pull the rug out from under me again, right down to the very end.
I can't wait for the next book, and the first one isn't even out. I've wanted her to finish the second book since yesterday.
A Touch of Gold and Madness is everything a dark fantasy romance reader is looking for. Enemies to lovers. Touch her and die. Spice. Slow Burn. Morally Gray Characters. Diverse Cast. Very rich plot, and unique magic system, and more. You won't be disappointed picking up this book, and supporting this indie author.
A Touch of Gold and Madness by K.L. DeVore makes its debut November 21, 2023. Make sure to pick up your copy because you don't want to miss out on this intense beautiful book.
A Touch of Gold and Madness has everything I look for in a book and more. It's hard to describe what kind of books to compare it to because it truly stands on its own. K.L. DeVore has created the most unique magic system I have ever seen. She introduces species called Kinetics and Elementals. Kinetics use magical, and yet electrical, currents that are shown racing up and down their arms and neck. The energy can be anything from ultraviolet, gamma rays...you name it, K.L. has it. Even the Elementals have a unique spin from their abilities to their appearance. I was blown away by how much thought went into creating these species.
The world is so rich, that even though it's set in a dystopian setting, it's still very much alive. I loved the dystopian setting because it made the species stand out. Their appearance, both Kinetics and Elementals, brought so much color into this dark and depilated world.
The characters in this book are so strong, and each one I ran into left me feeling something. They all were well rounded that I found myself getting attached to so many of them, the good guys at least. The evil ones? Oh she did a fantastic job of having me want to hate them. With Gray and Griffin, I could almost feel everything they were feeling. From the madness Griffin was experiencing, to the heart break Gray had been going through. The spicy scenes, I felt not only in my toes, but deep down to my core. Even the fight scenes, she made come alive.
Something I do try to do is predict what will happen in a book, and this one, I could not predict a thing. Each twist and turn had me going WHAT?! And just when I thought I recovered from the last surprise, K.L. would pull the rug out from under me again, right down to the very end.
I can't wait for the next book, and the first one isn't even out. I've wanted her to finish the second book since yesterday.
A Touch of Gold and Madness is everything a dark fantasy romance reader is looking for. Enemies to lovers. Touch her and die. Spice. Slow Burn. Morally Gray Characters. Diverse Cast. Very rich plot, and unique magic system, and more. You won't be disappointed picking up this book, and supporting this indie author.
A Touch of Gold and Madness by K.L. DeVore makes its debut November 21, 2023. Make sure to pick up your copy because you don't want to miss out on this intense beautiful book.
October 22, 2024
have to dnf… the writing is so jarring, the world was extremely confusing and i just found myself not interested in this story whatsoever. no one is more sad than me that this was not it for me, pls don’t judge me ok
February 6, 2025
5/5 🌟
*this book freaking consumed me 😭
*this book freaking consumed me 😭
November 5, 2023
First can we start off by stating the obvious.. HOW IS THIS A DEBUT NOVEL?!? I was absolutely blown away by the writing. I arc read a lot of books and this is one of the absolute best I’ve ever had the pleasure of reviewing. The hype that has been built up for this book is 100% accurate.
I related to Gray so much. She doesn’t do well in social situations and gets overwhelmed with a lot of attention. I’m very similar so I felt really seen during those moments. Her progression healing from her trauma and to not immediately react to situations felt so real. It wasn’t an immediate fix and you could really see her struggling to change what has been drilled into her head her whole life.
I love Griffin. He truly is a unique character that completely stands on his own as a new book boyfriend. His battle with the madness slowly taking over his mind is heart wrenching. I will say it’s definitely one of my favorite aspects about his character that draws you in. It just makes you want to learn more about him and where this affliction came from.
Obviously we love Griffin and Gray. From the very first chapter I was obsessed with them. I’m a huge sucker for the fated mates trope and this did not disappoint.
There’s an amazing found family that feels authentic and believable! I sometimes struggle with this trope because it can feel very forced but this was SJM level found family. The banter between the members was top notch👌🏻
YA’LL THE PLOT TWISTS😳🫠
I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book that has this many twists and I didn’t see most of them coming!! PLEASE go read this book!!! If you love dark fantasy, it’s a must read!
Thank you to the author for being an absolute angel and sending me a copy to review!
I related to Gray so much. She doesn’t do well in social situations and gets overwhelmed with a lot of attention. I’m very similar so I felt really seen during those moments. Her progression healing from her trauma and to not immediately react to situations felt so real. It wasn’t an immediate fix and you could really see her struggling to change what has been drilled into her head her whole life.
I love Griffin. He truly is a unique character that completely stands on his own as a new book boyfriend. His battle with the madness slowly taking over his mind is heart wrenching. I will say it’s definitely one of my favorite aspects about his character that draws you in. It just makes you want to learn more about him and where this affliction came from.
Obviously we love Griffin and Gray. From the very first chapter I was obsessed with them. I’m a huge sucker for the fated mates trope and this did not disappoint.
There’s an amazing found family that feels authentic and believable! I sometimes struggle with this trope because it can feel very forced but this was SJM level found family. The banter between the members was top notch👌🏻
YA’LL THE PLOT TWISTS😳🫠
I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book that has this many twists and I didn’t see most of them coming!! PLEASE go read this book!!! If you love dark fantasy, it’s a must read!
Thank you to the author for being an absolute angel and sending me a copy to review!
June 30, 2024
THIS BOOK!!!!!! A dystopian, post-apocalyptic type world with 2 warring races of magic wielders hidden amongst humans, enemies to lovers, banter, slow burn tension, SPICE 🌶️, training & battle scenes, plot twists left and right….. literally checks every box.
Read the disclaimer at the beginning of the book though, this is a DARK fantasy - lots of heavy topics.
Read the disclaimer at the beginning of the book though, this is a DARK fantasy - lots of heavy topics.
September 9, 2024
3.5⭐️
I had a lot of fun - but - it wasn’t perfect. At. All. Not saying that is has to be perfect but there where some things that really annoyed me though
The MC’s are you TO DIE FOR its giving like Ella and Warner meeting but Ella not remembering kindaaaa… love that for me actually🤭 well I ate that trope up, but they just randomly ran into each other (mind you the king and princess of two different kingdoms) in some weird ass town in the middle of nowhere? While having the task to kill each other? Idk just sounds a bit too good to be true to me. I LOVED them together though.
So many worldbuilding, info dumping, trauma dumping, in so little amount of time. Sometimes there was a background story that lasted like 5 pages and I was like STOP IT ALREADY AM I SUPPOSED TO SNIFF IN THE INFO OR SMTH? Like how do you expect me too remember that?😫 good for the girlies with a good memory I suppose well not me.
MANY plot holes where in this book. I felt like I was missing info, when in fact, I was not. The plot itself was really cool though!! But there is the fact that I guessed a major plot point which made it also less thrilling.
the last hundred pages and ending though ???😭 I’m not gonna be able to sleep tonight if I don’t get that next book in my hands in like the next seconds. Big bonus points for the ending of the book. Really gave it extra points.
____________________
saw emmy rave abt this so yk I have to pick it up🤷♀️
I had a lot of fun - but - it wasn’t perfect. At. All. Not saying that is has to be perfect but there where some things that really annoyed me though
The MC’s are you TO DIE FOR its giving like Ella and Warner meeting but Ella not remembering kindaaaa… love that for me actually🤭 well I ate that trope up, but they just randomly ran into each other (mind you the king and princess of two different kingdoms) in some weird ass town in the middle of nowhere? While having the task to kill each other? Idk just sounds a bit too good to be true to me. I LOVED them together though.
So many worldbuilding, info dumping, trauma dumping, in so little amount of time. Sometimes there was a background story that lasted like 5 pages and I was like STOP IT ALREADY AM I SUPPOSED TO SNIFF IN THE INFO OR SMTH? Like how do you expect me too remember that?😫 good for the girlies with a good memory I suppose well not me.
MANY plot holes where in this book. I felt like I was missing info, when in fact, I was not. The plot itself was really cool though!! But there is the fact that I guessed a major plot point which made it also less thrilling.
the last hundred pages and ending though ???😭 I’m not gonna be able to sleep tonight if I don’t get that next book in my hands in like the next seconds. Big bonus points for the ending of the book. Really gave it extra points.
____________________
saw emmy rave abt this so yk I have to pick it up🤷♀️
November 6, 2023
This book was so much fun!! I got to read as part of the ARC team and this book has been on my list for a while. In the very beginning I was slightly worried because I’m not great at books with super intense world building and there was a lot of terms at the start I was trying to organize in my head. By chapter 6 it was off and running, and I was so invested in the story.
There were so many little twists within the story that flowed really well. I felt like I could picture the characters and their powers so easily in my mind and it made me fully immersed in the story. It had a good balance of the story/plot moving forward at good pacing while also slowing building the relationships between the different characters. There was a good slow burn romance and double grumpy main characters. It has multiple POV within the story and I’m always a fan of that writing style.
The ending left sooo many questions and me wanting more more more. I will definitely be reading the other books when they come out.
There were so many little twists within the story that flowed really well. I felt like I could picture the characters and their powers so easily in my mind and it made me fully immersed in the story. It had a good balance of the story/plot moving forward at good pacing while also slowing building the relationships between the different characters. There was a good slow burn romance and double grumpy main characters. It has multiple POV within the story and I’m always a fan of that writing style.
The ending left sooo many questions and me wanting more more more. I will definitely be reading the other books when they come out.
February 28, 2025
Oh. My. My mind is reeling!!!! So I wanted a fantasy romance that would throw me around and destroy me a bit, and yeah that’s exactly what I got!!
This was so freakin’ good!! The magic system, I haven’t read anything like this before, so unique and captivating. The post-apocalyptic world was so interesting & done so, so well! Then these characters!! Gray and Griffin; what they have been through! The trauma, it’s dark and yep, it’s heartbreaking.
What to expect:
Morally Grey Characters
Enemies to Lovers
Slow Burn
Post Apocalyptic World
Griffin. This. Man. He is tortured and flawed and morally grey. He is literally on his knees. And he calls her little savage, I die.
He is a man that will destroy the whole world for his love.
“And the broken pieces of my soul seemed to find their way back together again.”
Gray. QUEEN. A princess assassin whose soul is just a traumatised as Griffin’s. I love nothing more than a strong willed fmc who’s challenging pure feminine rage. I can already sense her path for book two and I cannot wait!!
I was so captivated by this plot, I never wanted it to end. The slow burn was just, ugh!! The connection I feel to these characters just made that ending hit even harder. And their pasts just absolutely killed me. Then the romance between these two is unmatched. I was giggling and screaming and could feeeeel the yearning. I absolutely loved this was dual pov to, it just made it that much better.
Then the found family, perfection.
And let me tell you, the plot twists!! It will throw you about but in the best possible way. My jaw was on the floor numerous times.
I simply cannot rest until the next book.
Okay, obsessed. I need everyone I know to read this RIGHT NOW, cause I need to discuss in detail!!! I honestly was going for 4.5 stars but I just had to stare at the wall to even consider trying to write this waffle so, instant 5 stars… and because I feel like this is going to play on my mind for days to come.
I don’t think I can face the pain of the prequel just yet.
No spoilers here but fyi a whole heaps of quotes below. So stop here if you’d rather not see ✨
“No matter what happens to me, I’ll always find you. In every lifetime. In every realm.”
“As much as you bring me light, I bask in your darkness, too. Because I want all of you. Good, bad, light, and dark. Whole or broken. I want you to love the dark parts of yourself because dark and light exists within us all, Gray.”
“You’re not just my Rainbow. You’re theirs, too.”
“You fucking own my decaying heart.”
“I’m going to need you to clarify what you mean by ‘touch you.’ Because I’m going to be honest, Gray. There’s a million ways I want to touch you. And none of them are innocent.”
“You’re my rainbow. My beam of hope.”
This was so freakin’ good!! The magic system, I haven’t read anything like this before, so unique and captivating. The post-apocalyptic world was so interesting & done so, so well! Then these characters!! Gray and Griffin; what they have been through! The trauma, it’s dark and yep, it’s heartbreaking.
What to expect:
Morally Grey Characters
Enemies to Lovers
Slow Burn
Post Apocalyptic World
Griffin. This. Man. He is tortured and flawed and morally grey. He is literally on his knees. And he calls her little savage, I die.
He is a man that will destroy the whole world for his love.
“And the broken pieces of my soul seemed to find their way back together again.”
Gray. QUEEN. A princess assassin whose soul is just a traumatised as Griffin’s. I love nothing more than a strong willed fmc who’s challenging pure feminine rage. I can already sense her path for book two and I cannot wait!!
I was so captivated by this plot, I never wanted it to end. The slow burn was just, ugh!! The connection I feel to these characters just made that ending hit even harder. And their pasts just absolutely killed me. Then the romance between these two is unmatched. I was giggling and screaming and could feeeeel the yearning. I absolutely loved this was dual pov to, it just made it that much better.
Then the found family, perfection.
And let me tell you, the plot twists!! It will throw you about but in the best possible way. My jaw was on the floor numerous times.
I simply cannot rest until the next book.
Okay, obsessed. I need everyone I know to read this RIGHT NOW, cause I need to discuss in detail!!! I honestly was going for 4.5 stars but I just had to stare at the wall to even consider trying to write this waffle so, instant 5 stars… and because I feel like this is going to play on my mind for days to come.
I don’t think I can face the pain of the prequel just yet.
No spoilers here but fyi a whole heaps of quotes below. So stop here if you’d rather not see ✨
“No matter what happens to me, I’ll always find you. In every lifetime. In every realm.”
“As much as you bring me light, I bask in your darkness, too. Because I want all of you. Good, bad, light, and dark. Whole or broken. I want you to love the dark parts of yourself because dark and light exists within us all, Gray.”
“You’re not just my Rainbow. You’re theirs, too.”
“You fucking own my decaying heart.”
“I’m going to need you to clarify what you mean by ‘touch you.’ Because I’m going to be honest, Gray. There’s a million ways I want to touch you. And none of them are innocent.”
“You’re my rainbow. My beam of hope.”
November 6, 2023
This book might be my top read of the year! Most definitely a 5 star read, if I could give it 6 I WOULD. On 11/21, don’t walk, SPRINT to get this book, because I have a feeling it is going to be HUGE.
“I always knew there was a little savage in there, waiting to be unleashed.” He pulled back and smirked, huffing out a quiet laugh. “Can she come out to play?” he breathed into my ear.”
I have been so excited for this book since I first applied for the ARC team months ago. It’s hard to find words to properly explain how I feel about finishing this amazing work, but I am trying my best.
Let’s start with the characters..somehow K.L. DeVore managed to make every single character in this book so memorable and enticing (except for the ones who are the WORST lol). From the main characters to the side characters I feel so invested and can not WAIT to learn more about them. These characters have depth and trauma, and relationships with witty banter that is so fun. They feel REAL and relatable in so many ways.
The magic system in this book is SO unique & fun to dive into. The world building is intense but not so much so that you get lost and can’t keep track. It also occurs throughout the book so it is not a huge info dump all at one time. Plus there is an included guide to kinetic abilities and key words. There is so much room to expand in this universe and I truly cant put words to how excited I am to continue this series.
THE PLOT TWISTS IN THIS BOOK. Listen y’all. K.L. apparently didn’t think some of the twists were as huge as they are but I will tell you firsthand, that couldn’t be further from the truth. This book had me screaming in shock at times. Besides the twists it will also just give you ALL of the feels, I was laughing, crying, giggling and screaming.
I think it is so cool the way K.L. has been so involved, and with the discord channels being set up not only for our ARC team but for all readers when the book releases 11/21. She has been incredible, and I am honored to have been able to receive an ARC of this book. Being part of this wonderful team has been so fun, and I will be waiting patiently (kinda) to see what is in store for us all in the future.
I cant wait for us little savages to take the book world by storm!
“I always knew there was a little savage in there, waiting to be unleashed.” He pulled back and smirked, huffing out a quiet laugh. “Can she come out to play?” he breathed into my ear.”
I have been so excited for this book since I first applied for the ARC team months ago. It’s hard to find words to properly explain how I feel about finishing this amazing work, but I am trying my best.
Let’s start with the characters..somehow K.L. DeVore managed to make every single character in this book so memorable and enticing (except for the ones who are the WORST lol). From the main characters to the side characters I feel so invested and can not WAIT to learn more about them. These characters have depth and trauma, and relationships with witty banter that is so fun. They feel REAL and relatable in so many ways.
The magic system in this book is SO unique & fun to dive into. The world building is intense but not so much so that you get lost and can’t keep track. It also occurs throughout the book so it is not a huge info dump all at one time. Plus there is an included guide to kinetic abilities and key words. There is so much room to expand in this universe and I truly cant put words to how excited I am to continue this series.
THE PLOT TWISTS IN THIS BOOK. Listen y’all. K.L. apparently didn’t think some of the twists were as huge as they are but I will tell you firsthand, that couldn’t be further from the truth. This book had me screaming in shock at times. Besides the twists it will also just give you ALL of the feels, I was laughing, crying, giggling and screaming.
I think it is so cool the way K.L. has been so involved, and with the discord channels being set up not only for our ARC team but for all readers when the book releases 11/21. She has been incredible, and I am honored to have been able to receive an ARC of this book. Being part of this wonderful team has been so fun, and I will be waiting patiently (kinda) to see what is in store for us all in the future.
I cant wait for us little savages to take the book world by storm!
November 17, 2023
DEBUT NOVEL?! Excuse me ma’am? K.L , this is a masterpiece. This was amazing, gripping, beautifully written, and soul wrenching all at once. It’s dystopian fantasy romance with enemies to lovers, dual POV and plot twists and turns that literally had me screaming at my kindle.
I had the pleasure of getting an ARC of A Touch of Gold and Madness, and am I the most thankful reader around!! Whatever K.L. put in this book is pure magic. I was hooked from the start. The fact that this is her debut…I’m still shell shocked.
The magic system created for this book is one the coolest and complex systems I’ve read. Super original and complicated but you can still understand. Also, the author is a queen and put some info dumping in the beginning to help us understand the world even better.
Grey (our female lead) is the feisty, strong lead all of us want. Griffin (our MMC) is complicated and lovable and hateable all in one single man. Both have had trauma. Both are freakin fighters to the max. The slow burn, enemies to lovers, the banter and chemistry between them, touch her and ☠️ vibes. All of it!
“There she is…I always knew there was a little savage in there, waiting to be unleashed” I mean…SIR.
This a dark fantasy, please please check the trigger warnings as some tough subjects are brought up in this book. The plot…INSANITY. Please please please go into this book blind. Don’t look up any spoilers. Please I beg! You need the whole experience.
Thank you, again K.L for creating this amazing book and allowing us to be savage for you!! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had the pleasure of getting an ARC of A Touch of Gold and Madness, and am I the most thankful reader around!! Whatever K.L. put in this book is pure magic. I was hooked from the start. The fact that this is her debut…I’m still shell shocked.
The magic system created for this book is one the coolest and complex systems I’ve read. Super original and complicated but you can still understand. Also, the author is a queen and put some info dumping in the beginning to help us understand the world even better.
Grey (our female lead) is the feisty, strong lead all of us want. Griffin (our MMC) is complicated and lovable and hateable all in one single man. Both have had trauma. Both are freakin fighters to the max. The slow burn, enemies to lovers, the banter and chemistry between them, touch her and ☠️ vibes. All of it!
“There she is…I always knew there was a little savage in there, waiting to be unleashed” I mean…SIR.
This a dark fantasy, please please check the trigger warnings as some tough subjects are brought up in this book. The plot…INSANITY. Please please please go into this book blind. Don’t look up any spoilers. Please I beg! You need the whole experience.
Thank you, again K.L for creating this amazing book and allowing us to be savage for you!! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2023
I’m going to be real honest here, I don’t even know how to begin this review.
I knew from the beginning this was going to be a book I’d want to DEVOUR. Normally a book this size would take me a day. Possibly two. But from the moment I started I quickly realized that reading this one fast would not do it justice.
I realized this would be a book I wish I could read for the first time.
I am so blown away by this book. For being a debut book for K.L. DeVore is absolutely insane to me. This story and these characters are beyond beautiful. The world building and magic system is so unique and so different than anything I’ve personally read. I feel this sets it apart from other books in this genre.
I tend to get heavily and emotionally invested in characters. But I have never felt such a connection to characters as I did in this story. These characters are broken and beaten time and time again. Their paths to happiness is not an easy one, that’s for sure.
I don’t even want to tell you all what happens in this book because truly it’s best to go in blind. But be mindful of any TW.
This book has left me utterly speechless and heartbroken. The banter in this book is so good. And I love the parts where the characters make fun of the traditional romance lines in other books. There’s unexpected humor in the places that needed them the most. This is not a high spice book. But believe me when I say it definitely has the right amount. And truly it’s not even needed to enhance this story.
As I sit here writing this, I feel an emptiness in my heart. Truly wishing I could read this again for the first time. I’m so honored to have been chosen for the ARC team. This was an ABSOLUTE pleasure to read.
I knew from the beginning this was going to be a book I’d want to DEVOUR. Normally a book this size would take me a day. Possibly two. But from the moment I started I quickly realized that reading this one fast would not do it justice.
I realized this would be a book I wish I could read for the first time.
I am so blown away by this book. For being a debut book for K.L. DeVore is absolutely insane to me. This story and these characters are beyond beautiful. The world building and magic system is so unique and so different than anything I’ve personally read. I feel this sets it apart from other books in this genre.
I tend to get heavily and emotionally invested in characters. But I have never felt such a connection to characters as I did in this story. These characters are broken and beaten time and time again. Their paths to happiness is not an easy one, that’s for sure.
I don’t even want to tell you all what happens in this book because truly it’s best to go in blind. But be mindful of any TW.
This book has left me utterly speechless and heartbroken. The banter in this book is so good. And I love the parts where the characters make fun of the traditional romance lines in other books. There’s unexpected humor in the places that needed them the most. This is not a high spice book. But believe me when I say it definitely has the right amount. And truly it’s not even needed to enhance this story.
As I sit here writing this, I feel an emptiness in my heart. Truly wishing I could read this again for the first time. I’m so honored to have been chosen for the ARC team. This was an ABSOLUTE pleasure to read.
October 31, 2024
DNF 16%. Maybe i'm just in a mood, but this book's not grabbing me. There's too much that's tripping me up, and I'm just not having a good time.
Though the premise is interesting, the execution isn't there. I'm not at all immersed in the story, I just feel like someone's reciting a book to me.
The editing is lacking, and it's stalling the story-telling. In this world, everyone has vibrant hair, and you are never, ever allowed to forget it. In one paragraph, I'm told that a "ruby-haired" character has "deep red ringlets" and "long red tresses". In the following paragraphs, we also have "fiery orange", "neon green", "lavendar-haired", "pink-haired" and "hair the colour of snow". Even once you had been introduced to a character and told their hair color, it continues being a characteristic that's singled out as they move through the scenes. Why beat the reader over the head with it? It just made the reading experience clunky, rather than character descriptions being woven organically into the narrative.
Character's names also represent the colours of their hair. Names you would expect, like Scarlett, and names that I was struggling to get on board with like Vermillion, Smokey, Cotton and Golden.
I don't know. There's a lot of love for this book. Maybe I'm missing out not pushing through. Maybe it's just a case of bad timing, and maybe I'll pick it up again later on, but right now, it's scratching my brain in all the wrong ways.
Though the premise is interesting, the execution isn't there. I'm not at all immersed in the story, I just feel like someone's reciting a book to me.
The editing is lacking, and it's stalling the story-telling. In this world, everyone has vibrant hair, and you are never, ever allowed to forget it. In one paragraph, I'm told that a "ruby-haired" character has "deep red ringlets" and "long red tresses". In the following paragraphs, we also have "fiery orange", "neon green", "lavendar-haired", "pink-haired" and "hair the colour of snow". Even once you had been introduced to a character and told their hair color, it continues being a characteristic that's singled out as they move through the scenes. Why beat the reader over the head with it? It just made the reading experience clunky, rather than character descriptions being woven organically into the narrative.
Character's names also represent the colours of their hair. Names you would expect, like Scarlett, and names that I was struggling to get on board with like Vermillion, Smokey, Cotton and Golden.
I don't know. There's a lot of love for this book. Maybe I'm missing out not pushing through. Maybe it's just a case of bad timing, and maybe I'll pick it up again later on, but right now, it's scratching my brain in all the wrong ways.
February 18, 2025
God tier romantasy. This is a dark urban fantasy post apocalyptic romance. This is set in a post apocalyptic time where two magical beings are at war. Kinetic and Elemental human-like being who have magical powers. Elemental and Kinetics were living in hiding with humans. But something called Devolution Day changed everything. The humans live underground while kinetics and elementals are at war with escorted.
This story follows Gray (daughter of King Forest, King of the Kinetics) she’s assigned by her father to kill the enemy Prince Griffin. He’s on a mission to kill her father by kidnapping her. And oh he’s going mad because he has a voice in his head that is constantly telling him to kill.
This book was soo good!! This was easy to following, the magic system is so cool and unique. The romance is epic, the characters and the found family are perfection. This book has SO many plot twists. The author did a phenomenal job with the pacing of the story and where she placed the reveals. This is a dark book so please be aware of the triggering content.
This is a 6 star read for me!! ✨
This story follows Gray (daughter of King Forest, King of the Kinetics) she’s assigned by her father to kill the enemy Prince Griffin. He’s on a mission to kill her father by kidnapping her. And oh he’s going mad because he has a voice in his head that is constantly telling him to kill.
This book was soo good!! This was easy to following, the magic system is so cool and unique. The romance is epic, the characters and the found family are perfection. This book has SO many plot twists. The author did a phenomenal job with the pacing of the story and where she placed the reveals. This is a dark book so please be aware of the triggering content.
This is a 6 star read for me!! ✨
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