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The Raven's Trade #2
The Antlered King
In this stunning conclusion to the Raven’s Trade duology that began with The Gilded Crown, Hellevir’s bargains with Death to save the ones she loves—including the princess she risked everything to bring back to life—may just lead to the ultimate sacrifice.
Hellevir’s gift to raise the dead once thrust her into the center of a court filled with backstabbing and treason, where she became duty bound to protect Princess Sullivain, the sole heir to the kingdom’s throne and target of many rivals eager for the crown. But the more Hellevir risked to keep Sullivain alive, and the more deeply she fell in love with the princess, the greater the cost became—for Hellevir’s power can only be granted by the strange figure who rules the afterlife, and there is always a price to pay.
Now Hellevir may have risked too much, and Sullivain has become obsessed with consolidating power to vanquish her foes once and for all—by whatever means necessary. Cast out to the fringes of a country on the verge of civil war, Hellevir is torn between protecting her heart or giving what little she has left to finish what she started. Yet, her connection with Sullivain runs deeper than the mortal world, and saving her friends and family might mean risking the woman she is still bound to by soul and blood.
To stop a war, Hellevir must unravel the last of Death’s riddles and decide, once and for all, who deserves to live, what a life is worth, and whether she can pay the price. This explosive finale to the Raven’s Trade duology is sure to satisfy fans of dark fantasy and queer romance.
Hellevir’s gift to raise the dead once thrust her into the center of a court filled with backstabbing and treason, where she became duty bound to protect Princess Sullivain, the sole heir to the kingdom’s throne and target of many rivals eager for the crown. But the more Hellevir risked to keep Sullivain alive, and the more deeply she fell in love with the princess, the greater the cost became—for Hellevir’s power can only be granted by the strange figure who rules the afterlife, and there is always a price to pay.
Now Hellevir may have risked too much, and Sullivain has become obsessed with consolidating power to vanquish her foes once and for all—by whatever means necessary. Cast out to the fringes of a country on the verge of civil war, Hellevir is torn between protecting her heart or giving what little she has left to finish what she started. Yet, her connection with Sullivain runs deeper than the mortal world, and saving her friends and family might mean risking the woman she is still bound to by soul and blood.
To stop a war, Hellevir must unravel the last of Death’s riddles and decide, once and for all, who deserves to live, what a life is worth, and whether she can pay the price. This explosive finale to the Raven’s Trade duology is sure to satisfy fans of dark fantasy and queer romance.
464 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
September 17, 2025
I am a shell of a person. I am the saddest I’ve ever been. I feel like The Antlered King hollowed me out with a melon baller.
I desperately want to write a proper review for this beautifully crafted book - it’s been bouncing around in my head every single day since I finished it, but I have no idea where to even begin a review that doesn’t immediately devolve into unhinged, spoiler-filled ranting. This is a tragedy. This is a love story. This is a very thematically dense book - it’s about the cyclical nature of both interpersonal and geopolitical conflict, about the power of storytelling and folklore in shaping historical narratives. It’s about the inevitability of death. It’s about the clash of faiths, the things people are willing to do to hold onto power, and perhaps most importantly, about forgiveness and redemption.
The Raven’s Trade is a very challenging duology - it demands so much patience in its pacing and so much compassion for characters who can be really, really hard to read about. Hellevir was, at times, a genuinely excruciating protagonist for me: she’s an open wound of a character, walking around with her heart bleeding all over the place, absolutely REFUSING to protect herself, to be smart, to toughen up. She is both doomed and saved by her own nature, as many of the characters are. Like most well crafted tragedies, this is a book that is devastating and yet leaves you with a tantalizing, aching, bittersweet sort of hope. It was always going to end this way; there was no other way it could go. But wasn’t it beautiful? Wasn’t it necessary? Wasn’t the tale worth telling?
“It’s too late, don’t you see? It’s been too late since the beginning.”
Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
I desperately want to write a proper review for this beautifully crafted book - it’s been bouncing around in my head every single day since I finished it, but I have no idea where to even begin a review that doesn’t immediately devolve into unhinged, spoiler-filled ranting. This is a tragedy. This is a love story. This is a very thematically dense book - it’s about the cyclical nature of both interpersonal and geopolitical conflict, about the power of storytelling and folklore in shaping historical narratives. It’s about the inevitability of death. It’s about the clash of faiths, the things people are willing to do to hold onto power, and perhaps most importantly, about forgiveness and redemption.
The Raven’s Trade is a very challenging duology - it demands so much patience in its pacing and so much compassion for characters who can be really, really hard to read about. Hellevir was, at times, a genuinely excruciating protagonist for me: she’s an open wound of a character, walking around with her heart bleeding all over the place, absolutely REFUSING to protect herself, to be smart, to toughen up. She is both doomed and saved by her own nature, as many of the characters are. Like most well crafted tragedies, this is a book that is devastating and yet leaves you with a tantalizing, aching, bittersweet sort of hope. It was always going to end this way; there was no other way it could go. But wasn’t it beautiful? Wasn’t it necessary? Wasn’t the tale worth telling?
“It’s too late, don’t you see? It’s been too late since the beginning.”
Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
May 8, 2025
An excellent follow-up to The Gilded Crown!! This is such a jewel of a series and I’ll always be happy to give it its flowers, hoping that it’ll get the recognition it deserves.
Book 2 honed in more closely on the dynamic between Hellevir and Sullivain, which is exactly where I wanted it to go. Hellevir remains a frequently frustrating character, but in a way where it’s clear that this is the intended reaction. I will always appreciate that Gordon chooses the more difficult route, a feeling compounded by an ending that reads as narratively satisfying but emotionally fraught. I think I’ll need to sit with that one.
I’m going to be so annoying and say that in a way this book really reminded me of Homestuck, and specifically Vriska’s arc. Sullivain is perhaps the closest analogue to Vriska I’ve ever seen, maybe rivaled by TLT’s Ianthe. Both characters begin from a place of ruthlessness and recklessness, intent on narrative that both indulges their violence and absolves them of responsibility for it (with mixed success). For Sullivain, the consequences of those actions are pushed to Hellevir’s self-sacrificial nature: a decision that quite literally breaks her down over time. Vriska has no such outlet; she burns herself up from the inside, channels that guilt and anger elsewhere, and dies from it. It was really interesting to see these two completely unrelated characters mirror one another, and the ways justice and responsibility bend around them. In other words, Marianne Gordon could write some really gnarly homestuck fanfiction if she chose to do so.
I think book 1 was slightly stronger in its pacing. The Antlered King meanders a bit towards the middle, as Hellevir travels back and forth between locations. But this is a minor point in a really incredible fantasy series. I can’t wait to see what Marianne Gordon does next!
Book 2 honed in more closely on the dynamic between Hellevir and Sullivain, which is exactly where I wanted it to go. Hellevir remains a frequently frustrating character, but in a way where it’s clear that this is the intended reaction. I will always appreciate that Gordon chooses the more difficult route, a feeling compounded by an ending that reads as narratively satisfying but emotionally fraught. I think I’ll need to sit with that one.
I’m going to be so annoying and say that in a way this book really reminded me of Homestuck, and specifically Vriska’s arc. Sullivain is perhaps the closest analogue to Vriska I’ve ever seen, maybe rivaled by TLT’s Ianthe. Both characters begin from a place of ruthlessness and recklessness, intent on narrative that both indulges their violence and absolves them of responsibility for it (with mixed success). For Sullivain, the consequences of those actions are pushed to Hellevir’s self-sacrificial nature: a decision that quite literally breaks her down over time. Vriska has no such outlet; she burns herself up from the inside, channels that guilt and anger elsewhere, and dies from it. It was really interesting to see these two completely unrelated characters mirror one another, and the ways justice and responsibility bend around them. In other words, Marianne Gordon could write some really gnarly homestuck fanfiction if she chose to do so.
I think book 1 was slightly stronger in its pacing. The Antlered King meanders a bit towards the middle, as Hellevir travels back and forth between locations. But this is a minor point in a really incredible fantasy series. I can’t wait to see what Marianne Gordon does next!
July 13, 2025
MARIANNE GORDON YOU WILL BE HEARING FROM MY LAWYERS
Read
April 10, 2025Wow this book has everything!
Toxic lesbians✅
plot twists you see coming a full chapter before the main character✅
Family drama✅
Death personafied and only a lil evil✅
talking animal friend✅
So YA and so heavy handed and yet I almost cried. Was way too invested and was a great use of 24hours.
Toxic lesbians✅
plot twists you see coming a full chapter before the main character✅
Family drama✅
Death personafied and only a lil evil✅
talking animal friend✅
So YA and so heavy handed and yet I almost cried. Was way too invested and was a great use of 24hours.
April 3, 2025
This… is not the review I thought I would be giving this book. I read The Gilded Crown earlier this year and I loved it. I gave it five stars.
I will not be giving The Antlered King five stars.
So what went wrong? Might as well get straight to the issue. This book is some serious Giving Tree* shit. And that metaphor is only slightly metaphorical. Our protagonist, Hellevir, spends most of this book shedding body parts to keep everybody alive and wallowing in guilt when she can’t keep literally everybody alive. Other characters she’d do well to trust keep telling her this is idiocy and madness and self-harm, but nothing can sway her. Toward the very, very end, she learns that death is a necessary part of life - without it, life would be hellish. She notably does not learn that senselessly giving of herself is, again, self-harm rather than a moral aspiration.
And then, there’s her relationship with Sullivain. The way Hellevir never gives up on Sullivain is supposed to read as tragically romantic. Even the voices of reason in Hellevir’s life give up and encourage it by the end. Problem is, Sullivain is irredeemable. She is selfish, sadistic, entitled, and constantly expects a medal for—I hesitate to say ‘basic decency,’ because she doesn’t even reach that very low bar—a medal for feeling bad for being a turd? She repeatedly threatens—and goes through with—destroying things and people Hellevir loves, whenever Hellevir manages to break away from her. She claims she wants to be better, but she places the onus of her salvation on Hellevir and puts in no effort herself. And here’s the thing about redemption arcs: I won’t say they’re not possible. But all the work needs to come from the person who did wrong. The people they harmed do not owe them forgiveness. They don’t even owe them the time of day. They certainly don’t owe them redemption itself.
Unfortunately, the ending of this book gives a ringing authorial endorsement to just such a wrongheaded ‘redemption.’ Hellevir gives her life to resurrect Sullivain. For, uh, the fifth time, I think, at this point? And this time, because Hellevir died for her and shit, it apparently sticks and when we see Sullivain in the epilogue, she’s supposed to be a good person now. Yeah. No. Epilogue!Sullivain does seem like a pretty decent person, in fact. I just don’t believe in her.
One might be tempted to say ‘this is a tragedy, not an endorsement.’ After all, our heroine dies and many intelligent, likable characters caution her about her self-destructive ways beforehand. But tragedy is rooted in failure. Antigone is dead by the end of the titular play, and so is Creon. Both stick to their ideals, no compromise is reached, and nobody wins. Hamlet might finally avenge his father, killing his uncle, but they manage to take almost the entire rest of the cast with them. Fortinbras wins, I guess?** Whereas Hellevir’s resurrection of Sullivain is successful. Not just metaphysically, in that she raises her at all and Death lets her, but in that it actually redeems her. Just give enough of yourself, that’s the ticket! If you haven’t succeeded yet, you must not have martyred yourself enough.
And sure, I like my messy/toxic lesbians as much as the next person. But there’s a difference between the fun kind of messy and what we have on the page in The Antlered King. You could have enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-???, where both sides have a point (The Jasmine Throne, by Tasha Suri.) You could have two disasters who absolutely deserve each other (Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir.) Hell, you could even have ‘this is going to end so, so badly, but the person on the losing end of the power imbalance is kinking on it, and who am I to kinkshame?’ (But Not Too Bold, by Hache Pueyo.) What The Antlered King has instead is a realistically portrayed abusive relationship that is then spruced up and presented as salvageable. I do not like this. Not one bit.
Add to that the fact that Hellevir spends SO MUCH of this book waffling and changing her mind, it managed to damage how much I liked her. I loved her in The Gilded Crown and here, her actions found me uttering ‘oh, for fuck’s sake,’ more often than not.
There were a few—pardon the word that’s fast losing all meaning—redeeming features to this book, however. The prose was still lovely. I enjoyed learning more about the world’s mythos and I still enjoyed Hellevir’s dynamic with Death. I still liked many of the secondary characters, like Milandre and Farvor, and really wish Hellevir managed to listen to them more. While I disliked the Sullivain-related parts of the ending, I actually really liked Hellevir becoming the next embodiment of Death. That felt bittersweet but incredibly fitting. And to give credit where credit is due, even the two leads, as much as I wanted to shake or strangle them respectively, were three dimensional. Which means that the chain of events which lead from beginning to end was emotionally plausible. It just left me feeling gross.
With that in mind, the craft Gordon’s got in her tool bag earns this book three stars instead of two. But I’m still unhappy with it.
*Many people far more erudite than I have ranted and essayed on why The Giving Tree is toxic as hell. The video linked, which I actually found with a cursory google today, is just one example.
**But what about Romeo and Juliet, you ask? Their deaths reconciled their families, right? My argument would be they weren’t trying to reconcile their families. Just be in love, not die, and not be separated. Also, the prince makes the families kiss and make up, because he’s sick of all the senseless violence. R&J themselves are no less doomed for it. Hellevir is actively trying to redeem Sullivain. And she succeeds.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.
I will not be giving The Antlered King five stars.
So what went wrong? Might as well get straight to the issue. This book is some serious Giving Tree* shit. And that metaphor is only slightly metaphorical. Our protagonist, Hellevir, spends most of this book shedding body parts to keep everybody alive and wallowing in guilt when she can’t keep literally everybody alive. Other characters she’d do well to trust keep telling her this is idiocy and madness and self-harm, but nothing can sway her. Toward the very, very end, she learns that death is a necessary part of life - without it, life would be hellish. She notably does not learn that senselessly giving of herself is, again, self-harm rather than a moral aspiration.
And then, there’s her relationship with Sullivain. The way Hellevir never gives up on Sullivain is supposed to read as tragically romantic. Even the voices of reason in Hellevir’s life give up and encourage it by the end. Problem is, Sullivain is irredeemable. She is selfish, sadistic, entitled, and constantly expects a medal for—I hesitate to say ‘basic decency,’ because she doesn’t even reach that very low bar—a medal for feeling bad for being a turd? She repeatedly threatens—and goes through with—destroying things and people Hellevir loves, whenever Hellevir manages to break away from her. She claims she wants to be better, but she places the onus of her salvation on Hellevir and puts in no effort herself. And here’s the thing about redemption arcs: I won’t say they’re not possible. But all the work needs to come from the person who did wrong. The people they harmed do not owe them forgiveness. They don’t even owe them the time of day. They certainly don’t owe them redemption itself.
Unfortunately, the ending of this book gives a ringing authorial endorsement to just such a wrongheaded ‘redemption.’ Hellevir gives her life to resurrect Sullivain. For, uh, the fifth time, I think, at this point? And this time, because Hellevir died for her and shit, it apparently sticks and when we see Sullivain in the epilogue, she’s supposed to be a good person now. Yeah. No. Epilogue!Sullivain does seem like a pretty decent person, in fact. I just don’t believe in her.
One might be tempted to say ‘this is a tragedy, not an endorsement.’ After all, our heroine dies and many intelligent, likable characters caution her about her self-destructive ways beforehand. But tragedy is rooted in failure. Antigone is dead by the end of the titular play, and so is Creon. Both stick to their ideals, no compromise is reached, and nobody wins. Hamlet might finally avenge his father, killing his uncle, but they manage to take almost the entire rest of the cast with them. Fortinbras wins, I guess?** Whereas Hellevir’s resurrection of Sullivain is successful. Not just metaphysically, in that she raises her at all and Death lets her, but in that it actually redeems her. Just give enough of yourself, that’s the ticket! If you haven’t succeeded yet, you must not have martyred yourself enough.
And sure, I like my messy/toxic lesbians as much as the next person. But there’s a difference between the fun kind of messy and what we have on the page in The Antlered King. You could have enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-???, where both sides have a point (The Jasmine Throne, by Tasha Suri.) You could have two disasters who absolutely deserve each other (Gideon the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir.) Hell, you could even have ‘this is going to end so, so badly, but the person on the losing end of the power imbalance is kinking on it, and who am I to kinkshame?’ (But Not Too Bold, by Hache Pueyo.) What The Antlered King has instead is a realistically portrayed abusive relationship that is then spruced up and presented as salvageable. I do not like this. Not one bit.
Add to that the fact that Hellevir spends SO MUCH of this book waffling and changing her mind, it managed to damage how much I liked her. I loved her in The Gilded Crown and here, her actions found me uttering ‘oh, for fuck’s sake,’ more often than not.
There were a few—pardon the word that’s fast losing all meaning—redeeming features to this book, however. The prose was still lovely. I enjoyed learning more about the world’s mythos and I still enjoyed Hellevir’s dynamic with Death. I still liked many of the secondary characters, like Milandre and Farvor, and really wish Hellevir managed to listen to them more. While I disliked the Sullivain-related parts of the ending, I actually really liked Hellevir becoming the next embodiment of Death. That felt bittersweet but incredibly fitting. And to give credit where credit is due, even the two leads, as much as I wanted to shake or strangle them respectively, were three dimensional. Which means that the chain of events which lead from beginning to end was emotionally plausible. It just left me feeling gross.
With that in mind, the craft Gordon’s got in her tool bag earns this book three stars instead of two. But I’m still unhappy with it.
*Many people far more erudite than I have ranted and essayed on why The Giving Tree is toxic as hell. The video linked, which I actually found with a cursory google today, is just one example.
**But what about Romeo and Juliet, you ask? Their deaths reconciled their families, right? My argument would be they weren’t trying to reconcile their families. Just be in love, not die, and not be separated. Also, the prince makes the families kiss and make up, because he’s sick of all the senseless violence. R&J themselves are no less doomed for it. Hellevir is actively trying to redeem Sullivain. And she succeeds.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2024
Not so long ago as I write this, I had the privilege to read the first book of this duology. It had been sitting on my TBR for some time as I kept passing it up based on my assumption that it would be a fairly standard romantasy tale; the cover, frankly, made it blend in to the point where I would have ignored it entirely if I had not heard it was sapphic. “Standard romantasy but make it sapphic” is enough of a hook to make me curious to try something.
When I finally got around to reading that first book, it was nothing like I’d imagined. The story was rich with complicated characters and a claustrophobic world that left me anxious to read the next part. Somehow, I lucked out and was approved for an eARC (thank you, NetGalley!) and wow, that wasn’t the conclusion I had expected but perhaps I should have known better than to ever assume I knew where this was all going.
The Raven’s Trade as a whole is not for the faint of heart. It’s not the darkness of the world, but the circumstances and choices presented to the characters that make it such a “difficult” read. Hellevir makes mistakes but never does she feel stupid for making them: she tried her best given what she knew and the restraints around her. Sullivan is cruel but no matter what she does, it comes after a lifetime of being molded into that role. How much control do either of these two really have over their lives and choices? I wouldn’t call this series a tragedy exactly, but it certainly follows the rules of one, much more than any other template.
Now, I’ve said my piece on the whole duology. If any of that intrigues you, if you’re a fan of hurt no comfort (lol), if you enjoy reading sapphic stories that aren’t straightforward romances… do check out the first book. And if you enjoy the ride, pick up the second when it comes out.
For those who already have read the first book and want to know about the second: the Antlered King is a book about death. Death, immortality, the afterlife, and what people do and don’t deserve. The “surface” plot picks up a few years into Hellevir’s self-imposed exile and follows her continual efforts to protect the people she loves and prevent a civil war. But that’s only the surface. Mind you, it’s surface is one that masterfully wracks up the tension and nearly had me pacing the room and yanking on my hair as I knew I couldn’t trust a single moment of peace. But the real heart of the story is its questions and themes. Is wanting to be a good person enough to absolve us? Or do only our actions matter? What purpose does shame serve in helping or hindering our growth? Is eternal suffering a fitting punishment for mistakes we made in life? At what point do we stop giving people second chances? Is forgiveness a weakness or a strength? It’s these ideas that take center stage as the story reaches its conclusion, and they’re what will make or break the ending for you.
Perhaps you’ll disagree with Hellevir’s choices. I know I never could have made them. But I’m not Hellevir and can only wish someone might make the same choices for me as Hellevir made for other characters. That someone might see the good in me even when I can’t see it in myself. Because the alternative is the void, which is really just shame, and that never solves anything.
⭐️ Thank you again to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC! ⭐️
When I finally got around to reading that first book, it was nothing like I’d imagined. The story was rich with complicated characters and a claustrophobic world that left me anxious to read the next part. Somehow, I lucked out and was approved for an eARC (thank you, NetGalley!) and wow, that wasn’t the conclusion I had expected but perhaps I should have known better than to ever assume I knew where this was all going.
The Raven’s Trade as a whole is not for the faint of heart. It’s not the darkness of the world, but the circumstances and choices presented to the characters that make it such a “difficult” read. Hellevir makes mistakes but never does she feel stupid for making them: she tried her best given what she knew and the restraints around her. Sullivan is cruel but no matter what she does, it comes after a lifetime of being molded into that role. How much control do either of these two really have over their lives and choices? I wouldn’t call this series a tragedy exactly, but it certainly follows the rules of one, much more than any other template.
Now, I’ve said my piece on the whole duology. If any of that intrigues you, if you’re a fan of hurt no comfort (lol), if you enjoy reading sapphic stories that aren’t straightforward romances… do check out the first book. And if you enjoy the ride, pick up the second when it comes out.
For those who already have read the first book and want to know about the second: the Antlered King is a book about death. Death, immortality, the afterlife, and what people do and don’t deserve. The “surface” plot picks up a few years into Hellevir’s self-imposed exile and follows her continual efforts to protect the people she loves and prevent a civil war. But that’s only the surface. Mind you, it’s surface is one that masterfully wracks up the tension and nearly had me pacing the room and yanking on my hair as I knew I couldn’t trust a single moment of peace. But the real heart of the story is its questions and themes. Is wanting to be a good person enough to absolve us? Or do only our actions matter? What purpose does shame serve in helping or hindering our growth? Is eternal suffering a fitting punishment for mistakes we made in life? At what point do we stop giving people second chances? Is forgiveness a weakness or a strength? It’s these ideas that take center stage as the story reaches its conclusion, and they’re what will make or break the ending for you.
Perhaps you’ll disagree with Hellevir’s choices. I know I never could have made them. But I’m not Hellevir and can only wish someone might make the same choices for me as Hellevir made for other characters. That someone might see the good in me even when I can’t see it in myself. Because the alternative is the void, which is really just shame, and that never solves anything.
⭐️ Thank you again to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC! ⭐️
February 18, 2025
*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
‘Explosive finale’? ‘Explosive finale’?! I made it to 43%, and I was bored out of my MIND.
WHAT EXPLOSIVENESS???
The whole first 40% is a gods-damn side-quest, wherein Hellevir gets involved in the lives of a couple of people in the little village she’s visiting. It has nothing to do with anything. Also: it’s been three years since the previous book, and she hasn’t a) found the next treasure for Death and b) resurrected anyone. I’m sorry??? This is the woman who literally resurrected a bird and a cat because she could…and you’re telling me in THREE YEARS she hasn’t brought anyone, or anything, else back to life?
Frankly, I don’t believe you. Hellevir is addicted, or something like addicted – maybe compelled is a kinder word – to reversing death. Are you seriously saying that in three years she didn’t come across a single dead bunny?
Also – and this really pissed me off – very quickly, we learn that the Onaistism church has now banned abortion. And, look. You never actually established that this church is bad. You know why? Because you never told us what they fucking believe! You didn’t tell us their moral code, you didn’t tell us their beliefs; all we know is that they encourage self-control and compassion (neither of which are bad things, even if you had Hellevir be all ‘why does anyone need to be told to be good?’ which seems very sneering) and once upon a time, members of this church burned people who could talk to spirits and things. We know that a couple of the modern priests don’t like Hellevir and tried to have her whipped in the previous book, but that does not actually mean the religion is fundamentally harmful, just that these few priests are terrible.
So suddenly announcing that the church has banned abortion feels like a quick, lazy way to make us hate them. And that’s why it annoyed me. Especially since the whole side-quest just establishes that Hellevir is prejudiced against the church unreasonably; she assumes the worst of a priest, but turns out to be wrong about that. So I wish Gordon could decide what she wants us to feel towards this church – are you saying they’re terrible, or not? And if you’re saying ‘it’s complicated’, then I would appreciate it if you would TELL ME WHAT THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVE. Jerking my emotions around about it – wasting 40% of a book on ‘surprise, the priest isn’t evil actually!’ – just makes me want to throw the book away. Quit telling me what to feel: show me what they believe and I’ll make up my own mind!
GAH.
And of course Hellevir is then called back to the capital because the princess needs her and I just didn’t care. Gordon wasted so much of my time with almost the full first half of the book, that it had used up all the goodwill Gilded Crown earned. I wasn’t willing to extend any more credit.
Bonus: Gordon continues to not let other animals be characters. Hellevir’s raven companion? He gets to be a character in his own right. All the other animals she can talk to – even the horse who has been with her for years at this point – don’t even get dialogue; we’re just told what they said. To the point that in Gilded Crown I genuinely thought Hellevir could only talk to birds at first, but no, she can talk to anything. It just seems so lazy – if Hellevir had a human companion for three years we’d all think it was deeply weird if they never got to talk, and functionally the horse is the same thing, for her.
Sigh. I really loved Gilded Crown, but I’m sorry, this just didn’t work for me at all.
‘Explosive finale’? ‘Explosive finale’?! I made it to 43%, and I was bored out of my MIND.
WHAT EXPLOSIVENESS???
The whole first 40% is a gods-damn side-quest, wherein Hellevir gets involved in the lives of a couple of people in the little village she’s visiting. It has nothing to do with anything. Also: it’s been three years since the previous book, and she hasn’t a) found the next treasure for Death and b) resurrected anyone. I’m sorry??? This is the woman who literally resurrected a bird and a cat because she could…and you’re telling me in THREE YEARS she hasn’t brought anyone, or anything, else back to life?
Frankly, I don’t believe you. Hellevir is addicted, or something like addicted – maybe compelled is a kinder word – to reversing death. Are you seriously saying that in three years she didn’t come across a single dead bunny?
Also – and this really pissed me off – very quickly, we learn that the Onaistism church has now banned abortion. And, look. You never actually established that this church is bad. You know why? Because you never told us what they fucking believe! You didn’t tell us their moral code, you didn’t tell us their beliefs; all we know is that they encourage self-control and compassion (neither of which are bad things, even if you had Hellevir be all ‘why does anyone need to be told to be good?’ which seems very sneering) and once upon a time, members of this church burned people who could talk to spirits and things. We know that a couple of the modern priests don’t like Hellevir and tried to have her whipped in the previous book, but that does not actually mean the religion is fundamentally harmful, just that these few priests are terrible.
So suddenly announcing that the church has banned abortion feels like a quick, lazy way to make us hate them. And that’s why it annoyed me. Especially since the whole side-quest just establishes that Hellevir is prejudiced against the church unreasonably; she assumes the worst of a priest, but turns out to be wrong about that. So I wish Gordon could decide what she wants us to feel towards this church – are you saying they’re terrible, or not? And if you’re saying ‘it’s complicated’, then I would appreciate it if you would TELL ME WHAT THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVE. Jerking my emotions around about it – wasting 40% of a book on ‘surprise, the priest isn’t evil actually!’ – just makes me want to throw the book away. Quit telling me what to feel: show me what they believe and I’ll make up my own mind!
GAH.
And of course Hellevir is then called back to the capital because the princess needs her and I just didn’t care. Gordon wasted so much of my time with almost the full first half of the book, that it had used up all the goodwill Gilded Crown earned. I wasn’t willing to extend any more credit.
Bonus: Gordon continues to not let other animals be characters. Hellevir’s raven companion? He gets to be a character in his own right. All the other animals she can talk to – even the horse who has been with her for years at this point – don’t even get dialogue; we’re just told what they said. To the point that in Gilded Crown I genuinely thought Hellevir could only talk to birds at first, but no, she can talk to anything. It just seems so lazy – if Hellevir had a human companion for three years we’d all think it was deeply weird if they never got to talk, and functionally the horse is the same thing, for her.
Sigh. I really loved Gilded Crown, but I’m sorry, this just didn’t work for me at all.
July 29, 2025
this would’ve been so deliciously tragic if there had been the slightest bit of chemistry between sullivain and hellevir 😭 a dark fantasy that doesn’t shy away from tragedy without graphic sex or violence! it’s not YA but i would actually recommend for mature teenagers transitioning to more adult reads. sadly, a lot of the plot in this sequel revolved around the implications and consequences of the two MCs relationship and i just didn’t buy it. enjoyable mostly because the narrator is EXCELLENT and i would listen to her reading a grocery list.
July 9, 2025
I liked the first of this duology but I LOVED the second. I absolutely ate up how everything came together in this installment 😭🥹 the emotional wreckage this left me with is unreal, I still think about the ending of this weeks later. I will continue to seek out books that have similar vibes as this duology and if you’re looking for a dark fantasy, some necromancy (but cooler 😎) with a touch of sapphic yearning… this is it!
March 17, 2025
I am once again immersed in the lore and history of Chron; This second and final book of the Raven's Trade is written with Marianne's now familiar, evocative prose. The continuing adventures of Helevir and the Princess, of the raven Elsevir and the elderly herbalist Milandre. Not to mention bit-parts from Helevir's family, and of course, Death himself. New characters, situations, and more riddles round out the story.
I won't delve into the plot here save to say there are some satisfyingly unexpected curves at the end and a well executed epilogue.
The fox recommends.
I won't delve into the plot here save to say there are some satisfyingly unexpected curves at the end and a well executed epilogue.
The fox recommends.
January 15, 2025
I'm gutted but I'm also healed.
I adored The Gilded Crown and it remains one of my top reads last year. It was a dark fairytale with a lush world, complex characters, and political intrigue, and I couldn't wait to see where the sequel led.
The Antlered King didn't go in the direction I expected at first, but then I did see the ending coming. I don't mean that in any sort of negative way; it means the foreshadowing and bread crumbs were there, and I was filled with a growing sense of dread that made me devour page after page. When I finally reached the ending, there was catharsis as I blew my nose and wiped away my tears. I wouldn't say it's a classically happy ending, but it's a fulfilling one and I can't see this tale ending in any other way.
Hellevir remained a wonderful character with seemingly steadfast morals, but they twisted her up inside with her love for Sullivain. To know someone so intimately, their history, their struggle, their abuse, to drink their SOUL! Are we what others have made us? Or can we remake ourselves?
Sullivain embodies the line "as long as you're still alive, you always have the chance to start again." And again. And again. Did she get too many chances? Yes. Did that make me cry any less? No.
This duology is about grief and death but ultimately about foregiveness. I feel scraped up and raw inside but also comforted. This is a beautifully crafted tale in a beautifully crafted world.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperVoyager for the ARC!
I adored The Gilded Crown and it remains one of my top reads last year. It was a dark fairytale with a lush world, complex characters, and political intrigue, and I couldn't wait to see where the sequel led.
The Antlered King didn't go in the direction I expected at first, but then I did see the ending coming. I don't mean that in any sort of negative way; it means the foreshadowing and bread crumbs were there, and I was filled with a growing sense of dread that made me devour page after page. When I finally reached the ending, there was catharsis as I blew my nose and wiped away my tears. I wouldn't say it's a classically happy ending, but it's a fulfilling one and I can't see this tale ending in any other way.
Hellevir remained a wonderful character with seemingly steadfast morals, but they twisted her up inside with her love for Sullivain. To know someone so intimately, their history, their struggle, their abuse, to drink their SOUL! Are we what others have made us? Or can we remake ourselves?
Sullivain embodies the line "as long as you're still alive, you always have the chance to start again." And again. And again. Did she get too many chances? Yes. Did that make me cry any less? No.
This duology is about grief and death but ultimately about foregiveness. I feel scraped up and raw inside but also comforted. This is a beautifully crafted tale in a beautifully crafted world.
"But I don't want you to die. What will I do without you to come home to?"
"My dear, you'll make your own home. And I'll have a place in it too."
Thank you NetGalley and HarperVoyager for the ARC!
November 19, 2024
⭐ 5 !
When I finished the first book of this duology, The Gilded Crown, I started my review by saying "this book was s0mehow completely different from what I expected and also exactly what I would've wanted", and that statement is just as accurate about this installment as it was the first. The covers for these books do them an incredible injustice as they really make you think these are classic romantasy novels, or at least lighthearted in nature, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Hellevir's story is relentless and when the punches start, they don't stop. I wanted to look away but I just couldn't, it was brutal, but it was offset by just how rich, atmospheric, and alluring this world is. On another positive note, there is more Sullivain this book! She is awful, but in the best way, and getting inside of her head was such a delight, especially with how disconnected I felt to her last book.
I loved it, I might've cried a little, but it was worth it. I would recommend this series if you enjoy:
-Truly morally grey characters
-Tragic sapphic pining
- Explorations of religion, family, and forgiveness
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When I finished the first book of this duology, The Gilded Crown, I started my review by saying "this book was s0mehow completely different from what I expected and also exactly what I would've wanted", and that statement is just as accurate about this installment as it was the first. The covers for these books do them an incredible injustice as they really make you think these are classic romantasy novels, or at least lighthearted in nature, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Hellevir's story is relentless and when the punches start, they don't stop. I wanted to look away but I just couldn't, it was brutal, but it was offset by just how rich, atmospheric, and alluring this world is. On another positive note, there is more Sullivain this book! She is awful, but in the best way, and getting inside of her head was such a delight, especially with how disconnected I felt to her last book.
I loved it, I might've cried a little, but it was worth it. I would recommend this series if you enjoy:
-Truly morally grey characters
-Tragic sapphic pining
- Explorations of religion, family, and forgiveness
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 22, 2025
Read if you like:
- dark fantasy
- morally gray characters
- death
In this conclusion to the Raven’s Trade duology, we find ourselves right back where we left off with Hellevir still following her self exile from Sullivain’s kingdom, determined to protect those that she loves and avoid using her gift at all costs. However, her deal with Death and her inextricable pull to Sullivain cannot be ignored.
After finishing the first book, I was left unsure with how I felt about the series. This book redeemed the storyline. The beginning is slow, but I found myself unable to stop reading as the plot unfolded and Hellevir is tasked with finding more of Death’s hidden treasures. The story of The Antlered King is fascinating.
This book is devastating and emotional. Hellevir must make a lot of tough choices, but never wavers in her beliefs. Sullivain continues to be a complex character and I found myself pleasantly surprised by her ending and character arc.
This would be a good series to read in the fall if you’re looking for something darker and dealing with death in both a literal and imaginative sense.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for a free digital copy of this book. This is my honest review. Publication date: February 18, 2025.
- dark fantasy
- morally gray characters
- death
In this conclusion to the Raven’s Trade duology, we find ourselves right back where we left off with Hellevir still following her self exile from Sullivain’s kingdom, determined to protect those that she loves and avoid using her gift at all costs. However, her deal with Death and her inextricable pull to Sullivain cannot be ignored.
After finishing the first book, I was left unsure with how I felt about the series. This book redeemed the storyline. The beginning is slow, but I found myself unable to stop reading as the plot unfolded and Hellevir is tasked with finding more of Death’s hidden treasures. The story of The Antlered King is fascinating.
This book is devastating and emotional. Hellevir must make a lot of tough choices, but never wavers in her beliefs. Sullivain continues to be a complex character and I found myself pleasantly surprised by her ending and character arc.
This would be a good series to read in the fall if you’re looking for something darker and dealing with death in both a literal and imaginative sense.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for a free digital copy of this book. This is my honest review. Publication date: February 18, 2025.
March 9, 2025
I have been throughly wrecked by this book. At its core this is a series about second chances and the futility of conflict. The exploration of trauma was gut wrenching in the best way. I loved this series’ representation of death and was overjoyed that he wasn’t some trite shadow daddy love interest. The core romantic relationship of this series is toxic and painful, but I loved it. If you read the last book and struggled with that push and pull I don’t think that this will be a five star read for you. Even still I think picking this book up is worth it for the exploration of war and suffering.
CW: murder, war, on page death of a loved one, body horror, and gore
CW: murder, war, on page death of a loved one, body horror, and gore
February 24, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ rounded up
For a book titled The Antlered King there really wasn’t much about the Antlered King. This was incredibly disappointing as this was by far the most intriguing and interesting plot line, yet for most of the book this plot simmered quietly in the back corner — not biding its time and building up to a ferocious boil, but more a slow boil that went unnoticed. It was disappointing. I really liked when Gordon remembered this plot existed but alas I felt the pacing was off. I appreciated what the author was trying to do to bring all the plots together, but it wasn’t done well.
This book just has a weird pacing all about it. We start off with Hellevir doing a side quest, which was fine, but again it took a lot of time without really contributing to the main plot. It just came around at the end but that could’ve happened anyway with a shorter page time.
The romance in this is completely unbelievable and I really wanted to shake Hellevir and get her to wake up. Lord almighty. I think the stakes would have been higher and the book would have been way better if I was actually invested in the romance between Hellevir and Sullivan, but I wasn’t. Sullivan was awful and the attempts Gordon tried to give to show that she was multifaceted and complex just missed the mark. I feel the first book did way better. And I’m so confused. One second Sullivan feels like an adept fighter and she’s this Great War general, next she can barely fend off an attacker and has died AGAIN?
I didn’t like the ending. I could see where it was going and I didn’t like it. Certain characters didn’t deserve a second chance and the narrative did not suggest in any form that they would use it to be better (it in fact showed several times that they wouldn’t) but alas this final time was the one that changed it all…
This book was just an overall disappointment. It should have focused more on The Antlered King and Hellevir, as opposed to all this political storyline.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager for this e-arc
For a book titled The Antlered King there really wasn’t much about the Antlered King. This was incredibly disappointing as this was by far the most intriguing and interesting plot line, yet for most of the book this plot simmered quietly in the back corner — not biding its time and building up to a ferocious boil, but more a slow boil that went unnoticed. It was disappointing. I really liked when Gordon remembered this plot existed but alas I felt the pacing was off. I appreciated what the author was trying to do to bring all the plots together, but it wasn’t done well.
This book just has a weird pacing all about it. We start off with Hellevir doing a side quest, which was fine, but again it took a lot of time without really contributing to the main plot. It just came around at the end but that could’ve happened anyway with a shorter page time.
The romance in this is completely unbelievable and I really wanted to shake Hellevir and get her to wake up. Lord almighty. I think the stakes would have been higher and the book would have been way better if I was actually invested in the romance between Hellevir and Sullivan, but I wasn’t. Sullivan was awful and the attempts Gordon tried to give to show that she was multifaceted and complex just missed the mark. I feel the first book did way better. And I’m so confused. One second Sullivan feels like an adept fighter and she’s this Great War general, next she can barely fend off an attacker and has died AGAIN?
I didn’t like the ending. I could see where it was going and I didn’t like it. Certain characters didn’t deserve a second chance and the narrative did not suggest in any form that they would use it to be better (it in fact showed several times that they wouldn’t) but alas this final time was the one that changed it all…
This book was just an overall disappointment. It should have focused more on The Antlered King and Hellevir, as opposed to all this political storyline.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager for this e-arc
January 8, 2025
WOW did I love this duology. This book was DARK and I loved every second of it.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of this book!
Hellevir made her decision to leave Sullivan, and now she must pay the price. She chooses to retain the parts of her that are left and move on, convinced Sullivan isn't the girl she thought, despite their time together in dreams. But after running into a Peer, Hellevir learns the situation is more dire than she anticipated, and she finds herself searching for precious things again.
While she uncovers the truth about The Antlered King, Sullivan, and her own family, Hellevir has to make a choice--does she choose peace or war? Sullivan or her brother? Which one is right? And what will her decision cost her?
This book feels SO raw. Hellevir really goes through it (not that she wasn't already), both emotionally, physically, and mentally. Every step forward is two steps back, and even my heartless soul feels for her and her lose-lose situations. The character development for Hellevir and Sullivan is incredible, both as individual characters and their relationship. Are they friends? Lovers? Enemies? All three? None of the above? It's such a complicated story without feeling that way--it's just emotional. And dark. This is VERY dark.
If you're looking for rainbows and butterflies, or a light sapphic romance--this is not for you. If you want a happily ever after--this is also not for you. But if you want a raw fantasy rooted in politics, relationships, and what it means to hunger, this is for you.
This is definitely going to stick with me for awhile--I wish this had been a four or 5 book series somehow, because I would read a million more books about Hellevir and The Antlered King.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of this book!
Hellevir made her decision to leave Sullivan, and now she must pay the price. She chooses to retain the parts of her that are left and move on, convinced Sullivan isn't the girl she thought, despite their time together in dreams. But after running into a Peer, Hellevir learns the situation is more dire than she anticipated, and she finds herself searching for precious things again.
While she uncovers the truth about The Antlered King, Sullivan, and her own family, Hellevir has to make a choice--does she choose peace or war? Sullivan or her brother? Which one is right? And what will her decision cost her?
This book feels SO raw. Hellevir really goes through it (not that she wasn't already), both emotionally, physically, and mentally. Every step forward is two steps back, and even my heartless soul feels for her and her lose-lose situations. The character development for Hellevir and Sullivan is incredible, both as individual characters and their relationship. Are they friends? Lovers? Enemies? All three? None of the above? It's such a complicated story without feeling that way--it's just emotional. And dark. This is VERY dark.
If you're looking for rainbows and butterflies, or a light sapphic romance--this is not for you. If you want a happily ever after--this is also not for you. But if you want a raw fantasy rooted in politics, relationships, and what it means to hunger, this is for you.
This is definitely going to stick with me for awhile--I wish this had been a four or 5 book series somehow, because I would read a million more books about Hellevir and The Antlered King.
February 2, 2025
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
The Antlered King by Marianne Gordon is the third person-POV fantasy sequel to The Gilded Crown. Picking up six years after the first book, Hellevir has remained separated from Sullivain and from Death, trying to live her life as an herbalist as far away from the brewing unrest she left behind. But Sullivain pulls her back in and the allure of helping others is far too great for Hellevir to ignore.
This review does contain spoilers
Like last time, I personally wouldn’t call this a fantasy romance or a romantic fantasy as the romance tones aren’t as prominent as I would expect out of either subgenre. The romance subplot between Sullivain and Hellevir is, however, ramped up a bit and we get more moments of the two of them trying to find a way to actually have a relationship when they are, for all intents and purposes, on opposite sides of a conflict that Sullivain herself has caused. It’s Sullivain’s character traits that truly keep them apart and there’s nothing Hellevir can do to change her. It’s a tragic romantic arc with a beautiful bittersweet ending.
The relationship between Hellevir and Death is made more complex by Hellevir, at times, wondering if Death will kiss her though their relationship never truly veers into romance. It’s far more of a mentor-mentee relationship that perhaps, in another world, could have been something else or maybe not. There is an intimacy there that comes from their shared relationship with Death’s realm and Death’s admiration from Hellevir, but not all intimate relationships have to become romantic in nature. Between Death and Sullivain, it’s hard to pinpoint which is the most defining for Hellevir, but I would argue death just nudges ahead because so much of the overarching story is Hellevir learning who Death used to be.
Overall, this is definitely a duology for the tragedy enjoyers. Hellevir is full of love and sacrifices more and more of her physical body for the sake of others, to bring them back from death and to their loved ones. But she cannot save everyone, with Sullivain being her biggest struggle. Combine this with Hellevir’s complex relationship with her mother and her mother’s faith, the easily avoidable civil war started by Sullivain, and the choices Hellevir has to continue to make, the story always was one of love and devotion and how we can’t save people who refuse to accept our help, but maybe, eventually, they will listen.
I would recommend this to fans of tragic fantasies, readers who enjoyed the first book, and those looking for more fantasies with a personified death
The Antlered King by Marianne Gordon is the third person-POV fantasy sequel to The Gilded Crown. Picking up six years after the first book, Hellevir has remained separated from Sullivain and from Death, trying to live her life as an herbalist as far away from the brewing unrest she left behind. But Sullivain pulls her back in and the allure of helping others is far too great for Hellevir to ignore.
This review does contain spoilers
Like last time, I personally wouldn’t call this a fantasy romance or a romantic fantasy as the romance tones aren’t as prominent as I would expect out of either subgenre. The romance subplot between Sullivain and Hellevir is, however, ramped up a bit and we get more moments of the two of them trying to find a way to actually have a relationship when they are, for all intents and purposes, on opposite sides of a conflict that Sullivain herself has caused. It’s Sullivain’s character traits that truly keep them apart and there’s nothing Hellevir can do to change her. It’s a tragic romantic arc with a beautiful bittersweet ending.
The relationship between Hellevir and Death is made more complex by Hellevir, at times, wondering if Death will kiss her though their relationship never truly veers into romance. It’s far more of a mentor-mentee relationship that perhaps, in another world, could have been something else or maybe not. There is an intimacy there that comes from their shared relationship with Death’s realm and Death’s admiration from Hellevir, but not all intimate relationships have to become romantic in nature. Between Death and Sullivain, it’s hard to pinpoint which is the most defining for Hellevir, but I would argue death just nudges ahead because so much of the overarching story is Hellevir learning who Death used to be.
Overall, this is definitely a duology for the tragedy enjoyers. Hellevir is full of love and sacrifices more and more of her physical body for the sake of others, to bring them back from death and to their loved ones. But she cannot save everyone, with Sullivain being her biggest struggle. Combine this with Hellevir’s complex relationship with her mother and her mother’s faith, the easily avoidable civil war started by Sullivain, and the choices Hellevir has to continue to make, the story always was one of love and devotion and how we can’t save people who refuse to accept our help, but maybe, eventually, they will listen.
I would recommend this to fans of tragic fantasies, readers who enjoyed the first book, and those looking for more fantasies with a personified death
August 4, 2025
After reading the guilded crown, I was excited to get stuck into the final half. I enjoy Gordon's writing style and the fact that ultimately, it's a story about love, but it doesn't succumb to a devolution into smut at any point. I think the story comes full circle in a satisfying way.
That being said, I did find this a continuation of the same formula from part 1. Hellevir finds an item, within the next 2 chapters, someone dies, and she uses the item in a deal and gets the next riddle. There was a weak moment in the conclusion, I thought, where Sullivan divulged the location of a certain item, and for me the whole encountered ter was a bit flat.
H: tell me where it is
S: No
H: yeah, but, like, people will live forever, and actually the won't like it
S: ah fair, it's under the bridge
This was sort of explained a little later, but it still didn't sit right with me.
There is also the drawn out identification of the antlered king as the guy in death. I thought it was fairly obvious in the first book, but it isn't until about half way through this one where Hellevir actually confirms it, but she makes a few remarks about needing evidence, like the plan was to debate with him, about his identity.
I find these niggles relatively easy to look past though. like I said, I find the writing style engaging, and even if the story was formulaic at times, I still found myself looking forward to picking the book back up.
Would, and have already, recommend to a friend
That being said, I did find this a continuation of the same formula from part 1. Hellevir finds an item, within the next 2 chapters, someone dies, and she uses the item in a deal and gets the next riddle. There was a weak moment in the conclusion, I thought, where Sullivan divulged the location of a certain item, and for me the whole encountered ter was a bit flat.
H: tell me where it is
S: No
H: yeah, but, like, people will live forever, and actually the won't like it
S: ah fair, it's under the bridge
This was sort of explained a little later, but it still didn't sit right with me.
There is also the drawn out identification of the antlered king as the guy in death. I thought it was fairly obvious in the first book, but it isn't until about half way through this one where Hellevir actually confirms it, but she makes a few remarks about needing evidence, like the plan was to debate with him, about his identity.
I find these niggles relatively easy to look past though. like I said, I find the writing style engaging, and even if the story was formulaic at times, I still found myself looking forward to picking the book back up.
Would, and have already, recommend to a friend
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2025
I was so consumed by this story that I couldn't wait to turn the next page to find out what happened.
Hellevir’s character becomes increasingly interesting, in her effort to wanting to save everyone, she’s giving up so much of herself - literally. And it’s fascinating to watch. This character’s capacity to look for the best in people is refreshing - she is not strong in the classical fantasy boss-babe sense. No, her strength comes from her gentleness, her mercy and capacity for wanting people to be good.
The story itself is so layered, and it’s a pleasure to see it interweave and unfold with little tidbits of information revealed slowly. I am particularly fond of the riddles, as these actually make no sense until the very moment they’re supposed to - so there’s no point trying to guess them - except for maybe one.
I loved the theme of death and Death - how one shapes the other, and what rules govern the in-between. It’s an interesting take and refreshing.
The romantic elements are poignant, heartbreaking and I love that it’s not heavy in your face, but rather subtle and yet hard hitting.
This is a seriously underhyped book, in fact I either missed it or there were none, but either way I want to see it have more hype, more presence.
Hellevir’s character becomes increasingly interesting, in her effort to wanting to save everyone, she’s giving up so much of herself - literally. And it’s fascinating to watch. This character’s capacity to look for the best in people is refreshing - she is not strong in the classical fantasy boss-babe sense. No, her strength comes from her gentleness, her mercy and capacity for wanting people to be good.
The story itself is so layered, and it’s a pleasure to see it interweave and unfold with little tidbits of information revealed slowly. I am particularly fond of the riddles, as these actually make no sense until the very moment they’re supposed to - so there’s no point trying to guess them - except for maybe one.
I loved the theme of death and Death - how one shapes the other, and what rules govern the in-between. It’s an interesting take and refreshing.
The romantic elements are poignant, heartbreaking and I love that it’s not heavy in your face, but rather subtle and yet hard hitting.
This is a seriously underhyped book, in fact I either missed it or there were none, but either way I want to see it have more hype, more presence.
January 21, 2025
I received this as an arc from Netgalley.
I had a great time with the whole duology. I found the second book and the conclusion to be really satisfying. There are parts of this book that really pull at your heart strings and things that made me chuckle. There were some great and important themes in this series that really made me think and self examine.
The relationships between the characters were on the whole great. There were one or two characters that seemed to have a change of heart too rapidly that I felt a little whiplashed but the main relationship between Hellevir and Sullivain was so complicatedly fascinating. I loved the scenes with them together and how things between them progressed in this book.
I will definitely recommend this series and be on the lookout for more from the author.
I had a great time with the whole duology. I found the second book and the conclusion to be really satisfying. There are parts of this book that really pull at your heart strings and things that made me chuckle. There were some great and important themes in this series that really made me think and self examine.
The relationships between the characters were on the whole great. There were one or two characters that seemed to have a change of heart too rapidly that I felt a little whiplashed but the main relationship between Hellevir and Sullivain was so complicatedly fascinating. I loved the scenes with them together and how things between them progressed in this book.
I will definitely recommend this series and be on the lookout for more from the author.
June 12, 2025
The end of this was so tragically beautiful.
Once again, this book chose to center the plot around the events unfolding around the characters rather than the love story itself.
It’s striking how so few shared moments can speak volumes about a love that never fully came to be. All they had were borrowed fragments of time, half of them wasted on unspoken truths and a war that, while inevitable, never should have been theirs to fight.
The ending shattered me, even as it stitched itself back together, because that had always been Hellevir’s fate, from the moment she first began giving pieces of herself away.
I adored this story. It was honest in all its magical deceit, a second chance told in the rawest, most unapologetic way.
Once again, this book chose to center the plot around the events unfolding around the characters rather than the love story itself.
It’s striking how so few shared moments can speak volumes about a love that never fully came to be. All they had were borrowed fragments of time, half of them wasted on unspoken truths and a war that, while inevitable, never should have been theirs to fight.
The ending shattered me, even as it stitched itself back together, because that had always been Hellevir’s fate, from the moment she first began giving pieces of herself away.
I adored this story. It was honest in all its magical deceit, a second chance told in the rawest, most unapologetic way.
May 1, 2025
I'm going to sit with this one for a bit before crafting a review so my rating might change. while I did really enjoy it, I have quite a bit of criticism for it as well.
I really loved the writing and storytelling style of the author! considering that this is her debut duology, I will definitely be interested in reading more of her work in the future.
do I recommend? soft no. if the premise sounds interesting to you and you're in the mood for a tragedy, go for it. if you're looking for a romantasy - steer clear.
I really loved the writing and storytelling style of the author! considering that this is her debut duology, I will definitely be interested in reading more of her work in the future.
do I recommend? soft no. if the premise sounds interesting to you and you're in the mood for a tragedy, go for it. if you're looking for a romantasy - steer clear.
January 15, 2025
4,25/4,5⭐️
POSSIBLES SPOILERS BELOW
The Antlered King by Marianne Gordon is the second and final installment of the Raven’s Trade duology.
It’s been a while since I’ve been so invested in a series and, while I admit that the ending felt a bit bittersweet right after finishing the book, the more I think about it the more I believe that the author really wrote the perfect conclusion for this duology.
Every character is very complex, especially Hellevir and Sullivain, and the entire cast of characters is particularly well-drawn.
I have also grown genuinely fond of the new characters that were introduced in this second book.
In conclusion, I recommend this duology to any fantasy lover and to anyone who is particularly fond of well-written characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.
POSSIBLES SPOILERS BELOW
The Antlered King by Marianne Gordon is the second and final installment of the Raven’s Trade duology.
It’s been a while since I’ve been so invested in a series and, while I admit that the ending felt a bit bittersweet right after finishing the book, the more I think about it the more I believe that the author really wrote the perfect conclusion for this duology.
Every character is very complex, especially Hellevir and Sullivain, and the entire cast of characters is particularly well-drawn.
I have also grown genuinely fond of the new characters that were introduced in this second book.
In conclusion, I recommend this duology to any fantasy lover and to anyone who is particularly fond of well-written characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.
February 18, 2025
This was such an unexpected gem. And by gem I mean it is dark and twisted and haunted. I’d recommend it to those who like dark fantasies that don’t always have happy endings, or happy beginnings, or happy middles.
March 9, 2025
That was heart wrenching in the best way
April 28, 2025
oh, perfect! i love enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies etc
February 9, 2025
Cried for the entire last hour of reading this, finally turned the last page, let out a breath, and went, “oh WOW.”
I felt everything with Helliver because I really BELIEVED her. I believed her as a real, full dimensional character and I believed her as a narrator. I was also enamored with Sullivain and getting to know the full depth of her character was an emotional ride that broke me and put me back together again.
Also kind of? My Chemical Romance concept album vibes??? Maybe just me but I have a vision… either way death would’ve loved the black parade lbr
Thank you to the publisher & netgalley for an ARC!!!
I felt everything with Helliver because I really BELIEVED her. I believed her as a real, full dimensional character and I believed her as a narrator. I was also enamored with Sullivain and getting to know the full depth of her character was an emotional ride that broke me and put me back together again.
Also kind of? My Chemical Romance concept album vibes??? Maybe just me but I have a vision… either way death would’ve loved the black parade lbr
Thank you to the publisher & netgalley for an ARC!!!
April 13, 2025
I really enjoyed The Gilded Crown, much more than I expected. An intriguing premise with so many possible storylines, a complex sapphic relationship, and an imperfect protagonist all led to an entertaining and insightful, if flawed, book. My main complaint about the first book were that the themes felt a little half baked.
That complaint intensified in this book, and made reading it an intensely frustrating experience. The themes of faith, death, redemption/forgiveness and love were all present, but it does not feel like any single one of them was followed through to a logical end.
Faith: The tension between the old faith and the Onastian faith was really present in the first book, but got lost amongst the chaos of the plot in this one. I am not sure exactly what message about faith, fanatacism, or the entwining of faith with political power that I am supposed to come away with from this book, because it never takes an actual stance.
Death: Hellevir realizing she can't save everyone for the 18349th time AFTER she's already lost half of her entire being was SO frustrating. You mean to tell me that in 4 years she never encountered 1 person who died? I work in healthcare and brush against death in a far less intense way than Hellevir does and I have thought more deeply about whether it is possible or even right to "save everyone." It seems as though we are supposed to see Hellevir as this thoughtful person without demonstrating that she is so.
Redemption/Forgiveness: Who deserves redemption? Is anyone beyond redemption? Who deserves forgiveness? Who can give forgiveness? Is love enough to overcome all obstacles? These are all interesting questions that we don't deal with AT ALL because the character of Hellevir is so blinded by her obsession (not love) with Sullivain and with raising the dead. Maybe Sullivain has a tiny tiny part of her that can be good, but does that mean she should be forgiven for the endless amount of pain that she caused? And what about all the thousands of people that she killed? Were they not deserving of their life? It is SO frustrating to me that Sullivain got to live just because she had a special connection with Hellevir (which by the way she got by intimidation).
Love: This book seems to conflate love with obsession, because why was that the only relationship that Hellevir valued? She supposedly loved her family, Milandre, the priestesses, and yet she continuously placed them in danger and refused to listen to them when they tried to save her. Hellevir is a completely selfish protagonist, but that is never dealt with in the text. Everyone around her sees her either as a saint or unfairly as a witch, but nobody ever says to her, "your actions are directly causing the people you say you love to be hurt."
These are all incredibly ambitious themes, but the initial premise had such promise to dive deep into any of them. Instead we only half waded into all of them, and it is a muddy mess.
That complaint intensified in this book, and made reading it an intensely frustrating experience. The themes of faith, death, redemption/forgiveness and love were all present, but it does not feel like any single one of them was followed through to a logical end.
Faith: The tension between the old faith and the Onastian faith was really present in the first book, but got lost amongst the chaos of the plot in this one. I am not sure exactly what message about faith, fanatacism, or the entwining of faith with political power that I am supposed to come away with from this book, because it never takes an actual stance.
Death: Hellevir realizing she can't save everyone for the 18349th time AFTER she's already lost half of her entire being was SO frustrating. You mean to tell me that in 4 years she never encountered 1 person who died? I work in healthcare and brush against death in a far less intense way than Hellevir does and I have thought more deeply about whether it is possible or even right to "save everyone." It seems as though we are supposed to see Hellevir as this thoughtful person without demonstrating that she is so.
Redemption/Forgiveness: Who deserves redemption? Is anyone beyond redemption? Who deserves forgiveness? Who can give forgiveness? Is love enough to overcome all obstacles? These are all interesting questions that we don't deal with AT ALL because the character of Hellevir is so blinded by her obsession (not love) with Sullivain and with raising the dead. Maybe Sullivain has a tiny tiny part of her that can be good, but does that mean she should be forgiven for the endless amount of pain that she caused? And what about all the thousands of people that she killed? Were they not deserving of their life? It is SO frustrating to me that Sullivain got to live just because she had a special connection with Hellevir (which by the way she got by intimidation).
Love: This book seems to conflate love with obsession, because why was that the only relationship that Hellevir valued? She supposedly loved her family, Milandre, the priestesses, and yet she continuously placed them in danger and refused to listen to them when they tried to save her. Hellevir is a completely selfish protagonist, but that is never dealt with in the text. Everyone around her sees her either as a saint or unfairly as a witch, but nobody ever says to her, "your actions are directly causing the people you say you love to be hurt."
These are all incredibly ambitious themes, but the initial premise had such promise to dive deep into any of them. Instead we only half waded into all of them, and it is a muddy mess.
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