Gilded Crown

Midas #2

by Julie Mannino

“I’m asking you once again. Help me. Don’t ignore me like the last time when I desperately needed it, and you were the only person I could turn to.”

Jari should have known the snake would slither back and coil around him. Guilted by Aurelius and breaking his word, he returns to the Palace to find things are much worse than he thought.

The fourth item is still a mystery, King Eurig has hidden the crown, and Aurelius’s remaining brothers have grown bolder in their plots against him. Forced to flee with a trail of blood left behind them, their only option left is to beg Wockston for aid.

As the two grow closer despite their differences and past events, certain things could be too hard to bridge. Aurelius’s shadowy past and the weight of Mammon is heavy on him, and while Jari intends to keep his word, saving the Prince from himself might be far harder.

Even if he can, brothers, Kings, and a Duchess will gladly use the Prince with the Golden Touch and tear apart the Kingdom of Nova.

Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Fae, Royalty, Dark Romance, Dark Fantasy

263 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 3, 2024

About the author

Author of the Alternate Earth Novels

Ace 🖤🤍💜
Autistic
Proud wog
Paragirl

I primarily write MM and fantasy/paranormal romance. If you like a trope or certain type, I've either got it or I'm working on it😊

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Reviews

[Mug · Rating 3 out of 5]

jari’s stupidity is still aggravating af, I almost levitated when he followed the king INTO the king's rooms and hid behind an armchair of all things like an absolute dunce....of course the paranoid, crazed king practically immediately found ol boy, which then resulted in a kill or be killed sitch forcing jari to kill him in the most 'look at me I've been assassinated’ way......he's like a himbo except there's nothing charming or cute about the fact that there's literally no thinking going on in his head, i only feel pure, incessant rage. jari is absolutely incapable of taking note of anything happening, actions or words, and drawing any sort of conclusion from it if it’s not spelled out to him……mans has never heard of a subtle hint in his LIFE or met a thought he couldn’t dismiss or exercised critical thinking once !! it doesn’t work to make main characters idiots in fantasy bc i’m never buying that they’re surviving all these trials and tribulations and it’s just annoying as fuck anyway.

of course, the 'post in the ass' comments continued throughout this entire book, just the same as the first book. If I'd taken a shot every time one was uttered in this series, I'd be at the hospital getting my stomach pumped. What is funny about one love interest (jari) constantly commenting to the other love interest (aurelius) that he "has a post up his ass", making fun and jabbing at him being for rigid and “frigid” and not wanting anyone to touch him ever when it's been clear af there's been some kind of trauma in his past???? (honestly jari is SO FUCKING STUPID that maybe it’s not the clearest to him that it’s sexual trauma at first but he definitely understands there’s SOMETHING, some kind of trauma) The prince's brothers, who are all-around TERRIBLE people, make similar, albeit way more aggressive, comments and it's fucked up when they do it, but supposedly funny when jari does it???? Good the fuck bye !!!! If jari had a SINGLE brain cell maybe he could put 2 and 2 together. it was bad when the trauma was just alluded to, but it's horrific when you find out the prince was kidnapped & raped repeatedly, practically every day for TWO YEARS and sometimes he was gang raped and sometimes people would pay his captor to rape him......and now he has to listen to these dumbass quips???? jari said the joke at least once that i can remember AFTER, yes even after, aurelius told him about his trauma🥴🥴🥴 idk how he hasn't slit jari's throat yet, seriously. what bothers me even more is that this saying didn't even really originate from the prince just being stiff and uptight and strict about no one touching him, it originated in the first book with jari getting horny and lowkey fantasizing about the prince, then catching himself and shaking himself out of it by being like oh what am I thinking "Someone who acted like they had a post up their ass most of the time wouldn’t be any fun [in bed] for Jari." That's sooooo fucked up🤕🤕🤕🤕 it infuriates me that this “joke” is clearly meant to be some funny banter for the reader to eat up bc it’s quickly becoming their “thing”🫠🫠🫠 and it’s like a core part of the books, I swear it pops up in every other chapter and somehow manages to reach new, unfunnier lows every time. It's really tainted the books for me.

i might have been able to give this like 3.5 stars **ON VIBES ALONE** bc i did speed thru this like an addict in less than 24 hours and i can tell u: no, the quality has not improved, but the plot moved right along and somehow had me glued so the entertainment factor has increased….and maybe that’s just bc i accepted it was gonna be shit so that somehow brainwashed me into being pleasantly surprised that it’s only just a fraction less shit🤣🤣🤣🤣 but that inconsiderate asinine joke has flamed my rage and i’m giving it 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3, which i still think is generous bc i don’t think that i really care about the main couple. or more like i care about aurelius ONLY…..certified sucker for lonely, grumpy, traumatized blondes with sharp tongues🙋‍♀️ aurelius babe i’m so sorry ur gonna end up with a chronic dumbass who pokes fun at the way u handle ur trauma smh😞 despite all my gripes, anger, and lukewarm interest in the main couple, i’d start on book 3 immediately if it was out today😭 so i am planning to continue the series, but i might break out of whatever trance i’m in that’s compelling me to read this series by then……ig we’ll have to see😅

[Julie Mannino]

More verbal coercion and guilt-tripping to get Jari back
Attempted SA (not between MCs, quickly prevented)
Drugged (not between MCs). The fairy kind of drugs.
Solo drug use (only Dust, a fairy drug)
Attempted murder using third parties
Verbal abuse done by Father
Abuse between the Princes
Murder/attempted
Loss of parent
War and all the violence that comes with that
Verbal description of past abuse and CA done by unknown 3rd party (not in great detail)
Verbal description of past consensual non-consent done in an attempt to deal with trauma from past abuse.
Trauma
Mental abuse to minor 3rd parties
Brief mention of CA involving someone else
Mentions of slavery
Minor mentions of scarring

Fun stuff

Slow slow burn
Enemies to lovers/protector romance
A twink Prince with an eyepatch and grey morals. He’s sort of trying to be better.
The muscular guard who is still irritated by the Prince and but also wants to get in those well-fitted trousers at the same time.
Trust builds
Aurelius likes sharp objects and possibly tying muscular men to his bed.
Jari’s still trying to figure out if he’d allow that and just how much he likes those sharp objects
Aurelius’s glorious body
Aurelius shows Jari just how much he likes his guard’s muscles. ;)
What happens in that little house.
Snark
More post jokes
Sexual tension
Jari’s cool new horse

[Sweet B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Gilded Lies" is a story about Jari and Aurelius, who have a complicated past. Jari promises to protect Aurelius, despite their history. The setting is in a kingdom where danger lurks and secrets abound.
The book is full of suspense and romance. Jari and Aurelius have a tense relationship, but there's an underlying attraction between them. As they navigate the dangers of the court, they uncover hidden truths and face difficult choices. What I like in the novel is that it has richly developed characters, each with their own motives and secrets. The characters are well-developed, and the story keeps you hooked until the end.
Overall, "Gilded Lies" is a compelling blend of romance, fantasy, and suspense, with enough twists and turns to keep even the most seasoned reader guessing until the very end. Fans of MM romance and fairy tale retellings will find much to love in this enchanting debut novel from Julie Mannino.

[Pike Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read from this author and I must say it was quite a engaging M M romance story and a great fairytale inspired book. The story is about how Jari promises to protect Aurelius despite their past together and the betrayal that happened between them before.

What makes this book shine is the romantic connection Jari and Aurelius form through the story while having an uneasy, tense relationship at first. I enjoyed reading the story and I must say there was a couple of twists in the novel that left me wanting to read more. The characters are quite well developed especially the main characters, Jari and Aurelius. Each character in the novel has depth in who they are and I enjoyed getting to know all of them. This was a great, enjoyable, entertaining read and I would like to read more from this author

[D.David Croot · Rating 5 out of 5]

this author is a credit to us all

this author is a credit to us all
She has written so much with many twists on conventionality and is so darn prolific I Have no idea how she keeps up the quality !
Kudos Julie

[Ken Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Midas saga

Second in a series. I haven't read book 1, so was at a disadvantage lacking knowledge of the earlier plot. Still the story is well written and paced, the unrequited passion between the MCs intriguing and the alt-world well-built.

[Trefoil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. Off to book 3 ~~