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The Raven's Trade #1
The Gilded Crown
The Witch’s Heart meets The Foxglove King in this spellbinding dark fantasy debut about a young woman with the extraordinary power of necromancy and the ill-fated princess whose life she is determined to save, no matter the cost.
EVERY LIFE COMES AT A PRICE
The first time Hellevir visited Death, she was ten years old…
Since she was a little girl, Hellevir has been able to raise the dead. Every creature can be saved for a price, a price demanded by the shrouded figure who rules the afterlife, who takes a little more from Hellevir with each soul she resurrects.
Such a gift can rarely remain a secret. When Princess Sullivain, sole heir to the kingdom’s throne, is assassinated, the Queen summons Hellevir to demand she bring her granddaughter back to life. But once is not enough; the killers might strike again. The Princess’ death would cause a civil war, so the Queen commands that Hellevir remain by her side.
But Sullivain is no easy woman to be bound to, even as Hellevir begins to fall in love with her. With the threat of war looming, Hellevir must trade more and more of herself to keep the princess alive.
But Death will always take what he is owed.
EVERY LIFE COMES AT A PRICE
The first time Hellevir visited Death, she was ten years old…
Since she was a little girl, Hellevir has been able to raise the dead. Every creature can be saved for a price, a price demanded by the shrouded figure who rules the afterlife, who takes a little more from Hellevir with each soul she resurrects.
Such a gift can rarely remain a secret. When Princess Sullivain, sole heir to the kingdom’s throne, is assassinated, the Queen summons Hellevir to demand she bring her granddaughter back to life. But once is not enough; the killers might strike again. The Princess’ death would cause a civil war, so the Queen commands that Hellevir remain by her side.
But Sullivain is no easy woman to be bound to, even as Hellevir begins to fall in love with her. With the threat of war looming, Hellevir must trade more and more of herself to keep the princess alive.
But Death will always take what he is owed.
384 pages, Paperback
First published November 23, 2023
228 people are currently reading
33849 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 657 reviews
August 30, 2024
I pray do NOT pay attention to the people upset that this is not a YA romantasy dominating the reviews of this book.
I was originally going to rate The Gilded Crown a cool 4/5 for "good, but not doing anything new." But the more I read and the more I found myself unable to stop thinking about it, I'm not sure that description is true.
Hellevir is a necromancer kept on retainer by the queen. If the princess Sullivain dies, it's Hellevir's job to resurrect her. But necromancy comes with a price, and Death gives Hellevir a new task as payment for each soul she brings back.
The Gilded Crown reminded me strongly of The Wolf and the Woodsman and Priory of the Orange Tree. The world is dark and complex, and Gordon asks a lot of us when Hellevir's attraction to Sullivain grows. The quests we go on are ripped right out of an old fairy tale or Fromsoft game: strange and unknowable, haunted with the weight of a story you will never be told.
Lots of questions in the other reviews in this book about the relationship between Hellevir and Death. At first I was kind of annoyed by these. But there IS a certain kind of chemistry between them. She just also happens to be a lesbian, so that chemistry isn't romantic: Hellevir is drawn to people who she perceives as strange and powerful, and who show her kindness, cruelty, and acceptance when she is not used to receiving it. She has mommy issues!
I expect this book will resonate strongly with people who have experienced religious trauma or oppression, which is major theme in this book. There are also some passages exploring the value of life that I found so moving. It's a testament to the writing that ideas this old feel familiar felt fresh and emotional here.
I can't recommend The Gilded Crown enough, if for no other reason than it needs a rerelease with a better cover. Also shoutout to the incredible audiobook. You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't listen to it!
I was originally going to rate The Gilded Crown a cool 4/5 for "good, but not doing anything new." But the more I read and the more I found myself unable to stop thinking about it, I'm not sure that description is true.
Hellevir is a necromancer kept on retainer by the queen. If the princess Sullivain dies, it's Hellevir's job to resurrect her. But necromancy comes with a price, and Death gives Hellevir a new task as payment for each soul she brings back.
The Gilded Crown reminded me strongly of The Wolf and the Woodsman and Priory of the Orange Tree. The world is dark and complex, and Gordon asks a lot of us when Hellevir's attraction to Sullivain grows. The quests we go on are ripped right out of an old fairy tale or Fromsoft game: strange and unknowable, haunted with the weight of a story you will never be told.
Lots of questions in the other reviews in this book about the relationship between Hellevir and Death. At first I was kind of annoyed by these. But there IS a certain kind of chemistry between them. She just also happens to be a lesbian, so that chemistry isn't romantic: Hellevir is drawn to people who she perceives as strange and powerful, and who show her kindness, cruelty, and acceptance when she is not used to receiving it. She has mommy issues!
I expect this book will resonate strongly with people who have experienced religious trauma or oppression, which is major theme in this book. There are also some passages exploring the value of life that I found so moving. It's a testament to the writing that ideas this old feel familiar felt fresh and emotional here.
I can't recommend The Gilded Crown enough, if for no other reason than it needs a rerelease with a better cover. Also shoutout to the incredible audiobook. You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't listen to it!
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November 26, 2024Hello! Author of The Raven's Trade series here. It has been such a phenomenal journey writing this series and now that we're reaching the anniversary of book 1, I thought I'd pop into the comments and make a few content-warnings about The Gilded Crown.
This story is about a woman who can raise the dead for a price, and it's about everything the powerful of the world do to use and abuse that gift. It's a book about necromancy, court politics, herbalism, raven companions, and magic. If you enjoyed Katherine Arden's 'The Bear and the Nightingale' this book may be for you. Or, if you enjoyed The Gilded Crown, you'll love Arden's!
I wrote this series over a feverish eight months during the pandemic, when I felt like I would give almost anything - certainly a little finger and a slice of my soul - to fix the things happening around me, and it was through Hellevir that I explored this desire to cure, no matter the cost. The two-book series was originally written as one enormous tome, which I split down the middle.
One thing I should make clear, this is NOT a romantasy. It's a dark fantasy about toxic and broken people being toxic and doing what broken people do best, which is break a little more and drag others into the fissures with them. The one romantic-y relationship is not supposed to be good or something to aspire to by any stretch of the imagination, and there is nil spice.
A few things this book contains in case you want to avoid (and in the comments feel free to add any you think I might have missed):
- Death of a parent, stillbirth, suggestions of suicide.
- Religious discrimination
- Death. Oh, so much death. Lots of it. Heaps of it. Oodles. In fact, if you're not pals with death this book may not be for you.
Anyway, enough from me. I adored writing this series, and I hope you enjoy reading it!
This story is about a woman who can raise the dead for a price, and it's about everything the powerful of the world do to use and abuse that gift. It's a book about necromancy, court politics, herbalism, raven companions, and magic. If you enjoyed Katherine Arden's 'The Bear and the Nightingale' this book may be for you. Or, if you enjoyed The Gilded Crown, you'll love Arden's!
I wrote this series over a feverish eight months during the pandemic, when I felt like I would give almost anything - certainly a little finger and a slice of my soul - to fix the things happening around me, and it was through Hellevir that I explored this desire to cure, no matter the cost. The two-book series was originally written as one enormous tome, which I split down the middle.
One thing I should make clear, this is NOT a romantasy. It's a dark fantasy about toxic and broken people being toxic and doing what broken people do best, which is break a little more and drag others into the fissures with them. The one romantic-y relationship is not supposed to be good or something to aspire to by any stretch of the imagination, and there is nil spice.
A few things this book contains in case you want to avoid (and in the comments feel free to add any you think I might have missed):
- Death of a parent, stillbirth, suggestions of suicide.
- Religious discrimination
- Death. Oh, so much death. Lots of it. Heaps of it. Oodles. In fact, if you're not pals with death this book may not be for you.
Anyway, enough from me. I adored writing this series, and I hope you enjoy reading it!
June 21, 2024
Hellivir has the ability to resurrect people from the dead but it comes at a price. each time she does this she has to give up a piece of herself. Hellivar is sent to the palace under the orders of the queen so she can revive princess Sullivain who keeps getting killed.
i loved the necromancy magic in here and found it kind of unique. one thing i need to say is that this is more of a fantasy with a slight romance added into it instead of a romantasy. i wanted to love Hellivir and Sullivain together because im always here for the sapphics but i don’t think they were a good fit. Hellivir is sturdy in her beliefs and empathy, so the thought of her being so enamored with Sullivain who does horrible things almost for the sake of it made no sense to me. if anything, i was interested in her dynamic with death himself more. the plot also just started to get too repetitive with Hellivir constantly ordered to resurrect people over and over again. i’d still be open to reading the next book though.
→ many thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc, all opinions are my own.
i loved the necromancy magic in here and found it kind of unique. one thing i need to say is that this is more of a fantasy with a slight romance added into it instead of a romantasy. i wanted to love Hellivir and Sullivain together because im always here for the sapphics but i don’t think they were a good fit. Hellivir is sturdy in her beliefs and empathy, so the thought of her being so enamored with Sullivain who does horrible things almost for the sake of it made no sense to me. if anything, i was interested in her dynamic with death himself more. the plot also just started to get too repetitive with Hellivir constantly ordered to resurrect people over and over again. i’d still be open to reading the next book though.
→ many thanks to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc, all opinions are my own.
November 26, 2025
Thank you to all my friends (especially Bailey) who told me to ignore the packaging of this book and instead pick this up for a dark political fantasy featuring a resurrectionist lesbian with a crow companion and a martyr complex!
This was a rich book, one that really takes an investment to appreciate. It has some of the best characterization I've read in quite some time; each character has their own moral complexities and traumas and perspectives, and their choices aren't always linear or sensical in a way that feels not just grey but deeply realistic and dimensional. Hellevir, the main character, is hard to describe in the same way a person is hard to describe: torn between her purest sense of self and her lived self, entangled by circumstance and human connection in a way that constantly remoulds and destables her center of gravity.
I loved the fucked up, ungraspable slippery behaviors of court politics, the tension created by moral discrepancies between characters, the mysteries and historical threads, the critiques of Christianity (especially the merging of church and state) and the talking animals. Absolutely will be picking up the second book, and highly recommend for fans of political fantasy stories with difficult moral discussions!
CW: death, character death, death of mother, child death, death of loved one, death of sibling, violence, blood & gore, injury detail, drowning, death in childbirth, religious bigotry, war (past), execution, dead bodies, grief, stillbirth, animal death, abusive parent (emotional)
This was a rich book, one that really takes an investment to appreciate. It has some of the best characterization I've read in quite some time; each character has their own moral complexities and traumas and perspectives, and their choices aren't always linear or sensical in a way that feels not just grey but deeply realistic and dimensional. Hellevir, the main character, is hard to describe in the same way a person is hard to describe: torn between her purest sense of self and her lived self, entangled by circumstance and human connection in a way that constantly remoulds and destables her center of gravity.
I loved the fucked up, ungraspable slippery behaviors of court politics, the tension created by moral discrepancies between characters, the mysteries and historical threads, the critiques of Christianity (especially the merging of church and state) and the talking animals. Absolutely will be picking up the second book, and highly recommend for fans of political fantasy stories with difficult moral discussions!
CW: death, character death, death of mother, child death, death of loved one, death of sibling, violence, blood & gore, injury detail, drowning, death in childbirth, religious bigotry, war (past), execution, dead bodies, grief, stillbirth, animal death, abusive parent (emotional)
December 4, 2024
The publisher has done this book such a disservice in its romantasy/dark romance style cover. It's a mind-boggling marketing decision that, judging from the reviews on here, launched it straight over the heads of its target audience and into the hands of people who are looking for something else.
This is a gorgeously slow paced, rich, dark political fantasy that, while it doesn't bring anything particularly new to the table (deals with death personified, necromantic magic, crown vs. religion, kind country girl thrust into the dangers of court politics, spooky forests and swamps, raven companions), is so fresh and put together with such care and purpose that reading it felt like a bit of a miracle. The writing is lovely but not self-indulgent, the characters well-drawn and complex, the world considered and lived in. I loved the way this book spoke about and portrayed death, grief and self-sacrifice, and I appreciate that the author has treated Hellivir and Sullivain's attraction not as a romance, but a tragedy. Gordon has set a lot of plates spinning in this book (while actually giving it a satisfying conclusion and park point, rather than a cliffhanger?!), and I can't wait to see how it all plays out.
This will hit for fans of Emily Lloyd-Jones and Frances Hardinge who are looking for something a little more grown up (but not spicy), and might hit for fans of the dynamic between Tourraine and Luca in The Unbroken. Also one, broadly speaking, for all the mossy necromancy sapphics.
Oh, and the audiobook slaps.
Harper, for the love of god, give these books the covers they deserve.
This is a gorgeously slow paced, rich, dark political fantasy that, while it doesn't bring anything particularly new to the table (deals with death personified, necromantic magic, crown vs. religion, kind country girl thrust into the dangers of court politics, spooky forests and swamps, raven companions), is so fresh and put together with such care and purpose that reading it felt like a bit of a miracle. The writing is lovely but not self-indulgent, the characters well-drawn and complex, the world considered and lived in. I loved the way this book spoke about and portrayed death, grief and self-sacrifice, and I appreciate that the author has treated Hellivir and Sullivain's attraction not as a romance, but a tragedy. Gordon has set a lot of plates spinning in this book (while actually giving it a satisfying conclusion and park point, rather than a cliffhanger?!), and I can't wait to see how it all plays out.
This will hit for fans of Emily Lloyd-Jones and Frances Hardinge who are looking for something a little more grown up (but not spicy), and might hit for fans of the dynamic between Tourraine and Luca in The Unbroken. Also one, broadly speaking, for all the mossy necromancy sapphics.
Oh, and the audiobook slaps.
Harper, for the love of god, give these books the covers they deserve.
October 14, 2023
The title and the cover art made me think it would be a romantasy: but it isn’t. Neither is it YA. This is a story of a woman, blessed - or cursed - with a power that will cause her, in turn, to be blessed and cursed in equal measure; to be courted by the royals and reviled by the priests; to be the subject of fears and whispers and awe.
Hellevir can walk in Death - but whenever she does so, she pays a price. When the nobility wish to use her for their ends, Hellevir is caught between duty and desire, and bound to the woman whose life she is called upon to save. What choices will she make when she is driven to bargain with what seems to be Death himself?
For fans of The Weaver and the Witch-queen, this is a queer, political fantasy rich with death-magic, moral questions and strong women, which also feels weirdly like an Odin retelling. I won’t elaborate (spoilers) except to say it does feature a Raven companion!
Hellevir can walk in Death - but whenever she does so, she pays a price. When the nobility wish to use her for their ends, Hellevir is caught between duty and desire, and bound to the woman whose life she is called upon to save. What choices will she make when she is driven to bargain with what seems to be Death himself?
For fans of The Weaver and the Witch-queen, this is a queer, political fantasy rich with death-magic, moral questions and strong women, which also feels weirdly like an Odin retelling. I won’t elaborate (spoilers) except to say it does feature a Raven companion!
September 9, 2024
This is in great part because I can't deal with characters I cannot relate to at all when it comes to personality. The stars are for the good world building and great writing/
So spoilers?
If I can do something that's rare and extremely useful, YOU are the one listening to demands, not me. ''Oh you'll kill everyone if I don't do what you say? Sure, go ahead and do it, good luck finding another one of me. Oh you want to chain me in a dungeon and force me to do the thing? I can go into Death itself with just my mind, Queen Bitch, I'll kill myself and probably rule that place later. Bow down to ME, give me a castle, and no, you don't get to ask for shit. Die.''
I felt nothing when it came to the MC and the Princess. I ship them as much as I ship my girl friends with their useless boyfriends who don't even wash their asses
So spoilers?
If I can do something that's rare and extremely useful, YOU are the one listening to demands, not me. ''Oh you'll kill everyone if I don't do what you say? Sure, go ahead and do it, good luck finding another one of me. Oh you want to chain me in a dungeon and force me to do the thing? I can go into Death itself with just my mind, Queen Bitch, I'll kill myself and probably rule that place later. Bow down to ME, give me a castle, and no, you don't get to ask for shit. Die.''
I felt nothing when it came to the MC and the Princess. I ship them as much as I ship my girl friends with their useless boyfriends who don't even wash their asses
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June 15, 2024Officially labeling this one as a DNF (did not finish), so no rating.
The marketing, cover design, and concept all led me to believe that this was some sort of romantasy novel or at least a novel that followed some of those tropes—action, complex character dynamics, strong dialogue, etc. Unfortunately, it was not any of those things.
I think this novel should have been branded with a cover like the mythology retelling stories, because I think the audience who enjoys The Witch’s Heart, Kaikeyi, and others in that vein would enjoy this novel. As someone who likes none of those books, it was a marketing miss for me.
The marketing, cover design, and concept all led me to believe that this was some sort of romantasy novel or at least a novel that followed some of those tropes—action, complex character dynamics, strong dialogue, etc. Unfortunately, it was not any of those things.
I think this novel should have been branded with a cover like the mythology retelling stories, because I think the audience who enjoys The Witch’s Heart, Kaikeyi, and others in that vein would enjoy this novel. As someone who likes none of those books, it was a marketing miss for me.
May 13, 2025
Give me more lesbians with resurrectionist powers who can talk to animals and sprites and has a raven as a companion and looks like the scariest being on the planet but is actually a big softy at heart
Really cool magic and world building. Hellevir is a strong character with some really intriguing choices ahead of her. There are some interesting questions about mortality and what is beyond death. Kind of want to see more of Sullivain in the sequel, I feel like most of her complexities are merely told to us rather than shown.
Really cool magic and world building. Hellevir is a strong character with some really intriguing choices ahead of her. There are some interesting questions about mortality and what is beyond death. Kind of want to see more of Sullivain in the sequel, I feel like most of her complexities are merely told to us rather than shown.
June 30, 2025
How can a book about necromancy be so boring and slow?
Hellevir can bring people back from the dead, and is roped into being at the princess’s beck and call as the only heir to the throne.
Each trip to death causes Hellevir to lose something of herself.
I went into this expecting a sapphic romantasy similar to The Priory Tree as marketed. As a book one, this was toxic and not very romantic.
It is setting it up for falling for the abuser, which I am already iffy on and I can’t comment on how it is handled as I will not be continuing with book two.
Hellevir was pretty bland considering her badass power. The princess is selfish and unchanging. There was so much potential that I felt was squandered.
I love politics in fantasy books, I love heroines. I love unique magic systems.
This was not that and I found it boring.
Death was my favourite character.
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Hellevir can bring people back from the dead, and is roped into being at the princess’s beck and call as the only heir to the throne.
Each trip to death causes Hellevir to lose something of herself.
I went into this expecting a sapphic romantasy similar to The Priory Tree as marketed. As a book one, this was toxic and not very romantic.
It is setting it up for falling for the abuser, which I am already iffy on and I can’t comment on how it is handled as I will not be continuing with book two.
Hellevir was pretty bland considering her badass power. The princess is selfish and unchanging. There was so much potential that I felt was squandered.
I love politics in fantasy books, I love heroines. I love unique magic systems.
This was not that and I found it boring.
Death was my favourite character.
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September 6, 2023
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
This review is a mess and just a bunch of random thoughts and feelings mashed together but it’s all I can manage right now 😅
Possible spoilers ‼️
I really enjoyed this! I liked the writing from the beginning and thought Helliver was an interesting MC. Even if I didn’t like some of the decisions she made and knew how they would turn out I still understood why she made them. I loved the relationship she had with her father and brother, Farvor, but what I don’t get is how they just up and left her behind for 10 years without even a visit? I also never came to like Sullivan. She just never grew on me and I was really glad that Helliver kind of stood up to her eventually. I absolutely loved Farvor and Calgir and was totally sobbing at the end 😭
Overall, well written and intriguing🤗
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc in exchange for an honest review
This review is a mess and just a bunch of random thoughts and feelings mashed together but it’s all I can manage right now 😅
Possible spoilers ‼️
I really enjoyed this! I liked the writing from the beginning and thought Helliver was an interesting MC. Even if I didn’t like some of the decisions she made and knew how they would turn out I still understood why she made them. I loved the relationship she had with her father and brother, Farvor, but what I don’t get is how they just up and left her behind for 10 years without even a visit? I also never came to like Sullivan. She just never grew on me and I was really glad that Helliver kind of stood up to her eventually. I absolutely loved Farvor and Calgir and was totally sobbing at the end 😭
Overall, well written and intriguing🤗
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc in exchange for an honest review
June 18, 2024
6/7/24
4.5 stars rounded UP! I am the target audience, I fear...steadfast protagonist? Slow-paced and contemplative? Political intrigue? Gay yearning for a complicated princess? Talking to death? Talking to RAVENS? Oh, we're speaking my language. Gonna be bold and say this could be a book for the Tamora Pierce fans, maybe also a book for the Bitterblue and Winter's Promise fans. Do not go into this expecting romance or romantasy vibes but DO expect yearning, moral quandaries, beautiful prose, ancient and strange spirits, et cetera.
Oh, and it's a series opener but it ends in a nice spot. I really liked the ending.
6/17/24
And now it's time for a full review! Let's get started.
This book is slow-paced, contemplative, atmospheric, and glittering. It leaves you with a promise of more to come (it is the first in a series, after all), but not exactly unfulfilled. It’s bittersweet and filled with a lot of yearning - not just romantic yearning, but yearning to understand the world and your place in it. I still hold to my original statement that I think Tamora Pierce fans might enjoy this one (Hellevir’s dynamic with the ever-mysterious Death reminded me somewhat of Alanna and the Great Mother Goddess, somehow). There’s also a raven companion, if that sways you even a little bit!
As for the actual premise and plot, we meet Hellevir as a young girl who has a couple of unique abilities. She can cross into death and make bargains to bring lives back (animals and people) and she can speak to animals and spirits. These abilities create a rift between Hellevir and her mother (who finds Hellevir’s gifts unnatural) when she brings back said mother from dying in childbirth. Following this, Hellevir is apprenticed to a local healer, and her family leaves for the capital city. But then the queen comes to their door, bearing the corpse of her granddaughter, the crown princess. When Hellevir raises the princess, she inevitably entangles herself in the politics of the crown, whether she intended it or not. Soon she’s compelled to go to the city to be on call in case the princess is assassinated again, and in the mean time, she’s made a bargain with Death to seek out “treasures” from ancient spirits in the land around the city, which sh can exchange with him for further resurrections.
Hellevir isn’t the main character I expected - but, having said that, I don’t know exactly what I did expect? I really like her, though. She’s earnest and steadfast. She’s unsure at times about whether what’s she’s doing is entirely right, but she’s determined nonetheless. She wants to do good, she dislikes injustice and coercion, and despite herself, she cannot let the princess die, even if it takes time for her to understand why.
Speaking of the princess (Sullivain), I liked her too - sort of. She’s a less likable person than Hellevir, but really interesting to read about, and great as a foil. I couldn’t help but want Hellevir to be able to fix her, even as I wondered if it were possible.
Something you should probably know going into this book is that it’s not a romance, and it doesn’t exactly have a romance subplot. The relationship between Hellevir and Sullivain is important and it’s definitely a significant focus of the book, but despite Hellevir’s growing feelings for and attachment towards Sullivain, it’s still not really a romance. It could be one, in later books, but I wouldn’t give it to someone looking for romance. I love angst and yearning and can lap it up by the gallon, so I really enjoyed this aspect of the book, but if you want to see two characters fall in love in like a remotely normal and non-repressed way, this may leave you wanting to some degree.
This book is also pretty slow-paced. That was not a problem for me at all - I’m the kind of reader who usually only knows if a book is slow-paced because I see other readers complain about the pacing. But since I have in fact seen reviews complaining that the book is slow and nothing happens, I feel the need to discuss the pacing. I think it’s fine for pacing to be slow if you’re interested in what’s happening, and I was interested in what was happening! And I never felt like the plot was stalling, which to me is the real issue with slower pacing. If anything, I felt like the pacing allowed for a creeping sense of dread as Hellevir comes closer and closer to being inextricably trapped within the web of intrigue she’s stumbled into, and as she veers closer to paying ever-higher prices to Death for her resurrections. But mileage may vary. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Two other things I want to discuss are the family relationships and the religions. I really liked how we established the family dynamics early on, when Hellevir is a child, and then see more complexity when Hellevir is reunited with her family as an adult. At first, Hellevir’s father seems like the “good” parent who supports Hellevir’s gifts when her mother views them with suspicion and distrust. But it begins to become clear that Hellevir’s mother’s feelings are more complicated than they seem, and that she still wants to protect Hellevir in her own way.
The religion aspect was also interesting, especially seeing Hellevir trying to attend her mother’s temple and yet knowing that she’ll never be the person everyone there wants her to be in order to accept her. And the religion itself (I can’t remember the name of it off the top of my head for some reason) was built up in an interesting way. The fact that it preaches light and goodness and these seemingly positive things and yet has this dark past of persecuting heretics was interesting. I’m really curious what problems it will cause down the road.
Overall, this may not be a book for absolutely everyone, and I definitely wouldn’t give it to someone looking for their next romantic fantasy fix (unless they’re as much of a yearning enthusiast as I personally am), but to me it was a really promising start to a series that I will definitely be looking out for. I’m already very fond of Hellevir and I would follow her to Death and back to find out where her story goes next.
4.5 stars rounded UP! I am the target audience, I fear...steadfast protagonist? Slow-paced and contemplative? Political intrigue? Gay yearning for a complicated princess? Talking to death? Talking to RAVENS? Oh, we're speaking my language. Gonna be bold and say this could be a book for the Tamora Pierce fans, maybe also a book for the Bitterblue and Winter's Promise fans. Do not go into this expecting romance or romantasy vibes but DO expect yearning, moral quandaries, beautiful prose, ancient and strange spirits, et cetera.
Oh, and it's a series opener but it ends in a nice spot. I really liked the ending.
6/17/24
And now it's time for a full review! Let's get started.
This book is slow-paced, contemplative, atmospheric, and glittering. It leaves you with a promise of more to come (it is the first in a series, after all), but not exactly unfulfilled. It’s bittersweet and filled with a lot of yearning - not just romantic yearning, but yearning to understand the world and your place in it. I still hold to my original statement that I think Tamora Pierce fans might enjoy this one (Hellevir’s dynamic with the ever-mysterious Death reminded me somewhat of Alanna and the Great Mother Goddess, somehow). There’s also a raven companion, if that sways you even a little bit!
As for the actual premise and plot, we meet Hellevir as a young girl who has a couple of unique abilities. She can cross into death and make bargains to bring lives back (animals and people) and she can speak to animals and spirits. These abilities create a rift between Hellevir and her mother (who finds Hellevir’s gifts unnatural) when she brings back said mother from dying in childbirth. Following this, Hellevir is apprenticed to a local healer, and her family leaves for the capital city. But then the queen comes to their door, bearing the corpse of her granddaughter, the crown princess. When Hellevir raises the princess, she inevitably entangles herself in the politics of the crown, whether she intended it or not. Soon she’s compelled to go to the city to be on call in case the princess is assassinated again, and in the mean time, she’s made a bargain with Death to seek out “treasures” from ancient spirits in the land around the city, which sh can exchange with him for further resurrections.
Hellevir isn’t the main character I expected - but, having said that, I don’t know exactly what I did expect? I really like her, though. She’s earnest and steadfast. She’s unsure at times about whether what’s she’s doing is entirely right, but she’s determined nonetheless. She wants to do good, she dislikes injustice and coercion, and despite herself, she cannot let the princess die, even if it takes time for her to understand why.
Speaking of the princess (Sullivain), I liked her too - sort of. She’s a less likable person than Hellevir, but really interesting to read about, and great as a foil. I couldn’t help but want Hellevir to be able to fix her, even as I wondered if it were possible.
Something you should probably know going into this book is that it’s not a romance, and it doesn’t exactly have a romance subplot. The relationship between Hellevir and Sullivain is important and it’s definitely a significant focus of the book, but despite Hellevir’s growing feelings for and attachment towards Sullivain, it’s still not really a romance. It could be one, in later books, but I wouldn’t give it to someone looking for romance. I love angst and yearning and can lap it up by the gallon, so I really enjoyed this aspect of the book, but if you want to see two characters fall in love in like a remotely normal and non-repressed way, this may leave you wanting to some degree.
This book is also pretty slow-paced. That was not a problem for me at all - I’m the kind of reader who usually only knows if a book is slow-paced because I see other readers complain about the pacing. But since I have in fact seen reviews complaining that the book is slow and nothing happens, I feel the need to discuss the pacing. I think it’s fine for pacing to be slow if you’re interested in what’s happening, and I was interested in what was happening! And I never felt like the plot was stalling, which to me is the real issue with slower pacing. If anything, I felt like the pacing allowed for a creeping sense of dread as Hellevir comes closer and closer to being inextricably trapped within the web of intrigue she’s stumbled into, and as she veers closer to paying ever-higher prices to Death for her resurrections. But mileage may vary. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Two other things I want to discuss are the family relationships and the religions. I really liked how we established the family dynamics early on, when Hellevir is a child, and then see more complexity when Hellevir is reunited with her family as an adult. At first, Hellevir’s father seems like the “good” parent who supports Hellevir’s gifts when her mother views them with suspicion and distrust. But it begins to become clear that Hellevir’s mother’s feelings are more complicated than they seem, and that she still wants to protect Hellevir in her own way.
The religion aspect was also interesting, especially seeing Hellevir trying to attend her mother’s temple and yet knowing that she’ll never be the person everyone there wants her to be in order to accept her. And the religion itself (I can’t remember the name of it off the top of my head for some reason) was built up in an interesting way. The fact that it preaches light and goodness and these seemingly positive things and yet has this dark past of persecuting heretics was interesting. I’m really curious what problems it will cause down the road.
Overall, this may not be a book for absolutely everyone, and I definitely wouldn’t give it to someone looking for their next romantic fantasy fix (unless they’re as much of a yearning enthusiast as I personally am), but to me it was a really promising start to a series that I will definitely be looking out for. I’m already very fond of Hellevir and I would follow her to Death and back to find out where her story goes next.
May 31, 2024
Oh man - what can I say? I loved the start of this book and about halfway through the dialogue, characters, and plot was underwhelming. I was given a free book of this from the Goodreads Giveaways to give my opinion.
This fell flat when it had SO much potential. I really do love the main character and her connection with Death. Unfortunately, it felt wasted after a while with the direction the book went in.
I was more hopeful for her moments with Death than the strange, non-chemistry filled romance between her and Sullivan. Sullivan felt like the wrong choice and as much as her journey ends with clearly more to come I’m not drawn to what happens next.
Bummer 😕
This fell flat when it had SO much potential. I really do love the main character and her connection with Death. Unfortunately, it felt wasted after a while with the direction the book went in.
I was more hopeful for her moments with Death than the strange, non-chemistry filled romance between her and Sullivan. Sullivan felt like the wrong choice and as much as her journey ends with clearly more to come I’m not drawn to what happens next.
Bummer 😕
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2024
I was stuck between 2 stars and 3 stars for this book…but what did it for me in the end I suppose is how often I had to “make myself” read this book. It’s not that it was bad, just not my thing! Let me explain…
Going into this book, you think it will be a romantasy/dark romance. It’s not. It’s a politically heavy book about a girl who can bring back the dead and the different repercussions this has on her life. Whether it’s the crown using her, the church wanting to punish her, or her own mother wanting to kick her out of the house.
I loved the parts with death and he was my favorite character. The fact that you think he’s going to play a huge part in this book and then he’s only there occasionally was a tough pill to swallow.
I also didn’t understand or believe the relationship between H and the princess. Nothing in the entirety of the book makes Sullivan a likable character imo and seeing the moments that Hellevir is falling for her just felt unrealistic. There’s falling for the morally grey character and then there is this.
Lastly it just felt very slow and repetitive.
HOWEVER…if you like books of this nature, it might be for you! Lots of “witchy” type magic and I did genuinely love every interaction with death.
Big thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 🖤
Going into this book, you think it will be a romantasy/dark romance. It’s not. It’s a politically heavy book about a girl who can bring back the dead and the different repercussions this has on her life. Whether it’s the crown using her, the church wanting to punish her, or her own mother wanting to kick her out of the house.
I loved the parts with death and he was my favorite character. The fact that you think he’s going to play a huge part in this book and then he’s only there occasionally was a tough pill to swallow.
I also didn’t understand or believe the relationship between H and the princess. Nothing in the entirety of the book makes Sullivan a likable character imo and seeing the moments that Hellevir is falling for her just felt unrealistic. There’s falling for the morally grey character and then there is this.
Lastly it just felt very slow and repetitive.
HOWEVER…if you like books of this nature, it might be for you! Lots of “witchy” type magic and I did genuinely love every interaction with death.
Big thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 🖤
December 9, 2023
TL;DR: A rather dull main character and an incredibly toxic and red flag covered romance killed this for me.
I keep trying these Romantasy books and honestly I keep getting disappointed. It could be me, it could be the books I’m picking but that’s the unfortunate state of things. The Gilded Crown had a lot of promise, and in fact at the 30-50% mark I was very intrigued. But a few things really killed this one for me.
The Gilded Crown follows Hellevir who can visit Death and return souls to the living for a price. She becomes entangled in the politics and webs of the ruling class when she returns the princess to life after a successful assassination attempt. She is forced to move to the capital city where the new ‘one god’ religion is taking root and things unravel from there.
Perhaps my biggest issue with this was the narrative style. Told with a detached almost fairy tale tone, it made Hellevir feel cold, wet, and very dull to me. She reacted to what happened to her more than she took any steps for herself. Any time she stood up for herself, she immediately backed back down. Which leads me to the incredibly off-putting ‘romance’ in this. The book is casually queer, which I loved, but the Princess (our romantic interest) is the definition of a red flag. The book attempts to excuse this, but those are simply put - just excuses.
There was convenient perspective jumping later in the book that was weird and out of place as well. Not to mention the author very clearly uses Christianity as her ‘villainous’ religion. Which, I truly don’t mind authors pulling and using religions in such a way, but this felt sadly very lazy as she did little but change names and titles.
Add into the mix a very tired and frustrating ‘My Mother hates me! Or does she…’ trope/twist and this was just not for me. If any of those things do work for you though this could be a win. I think I’m just going to have to step off the Romantasy boat though. It sails me into nothing but disappointment.
2.5 Talking Ravens out of 5
I keep trying these Romantasy books and honestly I keep getting disappointed. It could be me, it could be the books I’m picking but that’s the unfortunate state of things. The Gilded Crown had a lot of promise, and in fact at the 30-50% mark I was very intrigued. But a few things really killed this one for me.
The Gilded Crown follows Hellevir who can visit Death and return souls to the living for a price. She becomes entangled in the politics and webs of the ruling class when she returns the princess to life after a successful assassination attempt. She is forced to move to the capital city where the new ‘one god’ religion is taking root and things unravel from there.
Perhaps my biggest issue with this was the narrative style. Told with a detached almost fairy tale tone, it made Hellevir feel cold, wet, and very dull to me. She reacted to what happened to her more than she took any steps for herself. Any time she stood up for herself, she immediately backed back down. Which leads me to the incredibly off-putting ‘romance’ in this. The book is casually queer, which I loved, but the Princess (our romantic interest) is the definition of a red flag. The book attempts to excuse this, but those are simply put - just excuses.
There was convenient perspective jumping later in the book that was weird and out of place as well. Not to mention the author very clearly uses Christianity as her ‘villainous’ religion. Which, I truly don’t mind authors pulling and using religions in such a way, but this felt sadly very lazy as she did little but change names and titles.
Add into the mix a very tired and frustrating ‘My Mother hates me! Or does she…’ trope/twist and this was just not for me. If any of those things do work for you though this could be a win. I think I’m just going to have to step off the Romantasy boat though. It sails me into nothing but disappointment.
2.5 Talking Ravens out of 5
July 4, 2024
Hellivir was born with the ability to resurrect people from the dead and world walk between life and death but it comes with a price. Each time she raises someone from the dead, she gives a part of her soul away. This ability doesn’t go unnoticed and she is called upon by the crown to revive the heir, Princess Sullivan who can’t seem to stop dying. Hellivir finds herself in a difficult position as she tries to navigate her own morals, politics and the complex relationships she forms.
𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:
I really, really enjoyed the necromancy magic aspect of this book. It felt so unique and the way the author painted the world of Death pulled me immediately from the start. The world building was really a strong point.
There was great LGBTQ+ representation with MM AND FF relationships being present throughout the book. However, the relationship with the FMC in the book just felt off and made no sense to me. I didn’t really feel the connection and had such a hard time accepting there would be feelings from the FMCs side after everything that had happened?
“𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘦���𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘈 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯.”
LIKE ?? GIRL YOU DESERVE BETTER. LOVE YOURSELF. 🥲
——————————————
Thank you to the author Marianne Gordon and the publisher Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🫶🏻
𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:
I really, really enjoyed the necromancy magic aspect of this book. It felt so unique and the way the author painted the world of Death pulled me immediately from the start. The world building was really a strong point.
There was great LGBTQ+ representation with MM AND FF relationships being present throughout the book. However, the relationship with the FMC in the book just felt off and made no sense to me. I didn’t really feel the connection and had such a hard time accepting there would be feelings from the FMCs side after everything that had happened?
“𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘦���𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘈 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯.”
LIKE ?? GIRL YOU DESERVE BETTER. LOVE YOURSELF. 🥲
——————————————
Thank you to the author Marianne Gordon and the publisher Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 🫶🏻
November 1, 2023
3⭐️
Sadly this one just never turned into what I was really hoping for. I think the premise is great and I really enjoyed the scenes with death. The writing itself is also very beautiful. Just the story and plot just never really amounted to its potential falling flat.
I'm interested to see what else this author writes because I think her writing is really strong,
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
Sadly this one just never turned into what I was really hoping for. I think the premise is great and I really enjoyed the scenes with death. The writing itself is also very beautiful. Just the story and plot just never really amounted to its potential falling flat.
I'm interested to see what else this author writes because I think her writing is really strong,
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
July 30, 2024
✨ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ✨
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Gilded Crown
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Marianne Gordon
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4/5
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧; 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.”
🤍 𝗙𝗠𝗖 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀
🌸 𝗔 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻
🤍 𝗙𝗠𝗖 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁
🌸 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲
🤍 𝗙/𝗙 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠/𝗠 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁
🌸 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆
I love the premise of this book. Our main character, Hellevir, is able to travel to Death, talk to him, and can bring people and animals back… for a price, of course. The book then evolves by dragging Hellevir into the city where the royals reside, forcing her to suffer through political court intrigue and a meek attempt to find an assassin that has already killed Princess Sullivain. The royal family consistently take advantage of Hellevir’s compassionate nature and ressurectionist abilities. This new beginning to a fantasy series is marketed as adult fantasy, but it definitely felt more young adult to me.
Whilst I enjoyed the LGBT rep, the only romantic relationship I found myself really enjoying was the one between Hellevir’s brother, Farvor, and Calgir. I didn’t particularly like the romance between Hellevir and Sullivain because I thought that there was absolutely nothing redeemable about Sullivain. Regardless, I still liked the character progression afforded to Hellevir due to the way she was treated by her romantic interest.
This book provides an interesting exploration of religion and mortality and whilst it suffers from being slightly repetitive, I still found it wholly gripping.
♡ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦
♡ 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Gilded Crown
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Marianne Gordon
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4/5
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧; 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.”
🤍 𝗙𝗠𝗖 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀
🌸 𝗔 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻
🤍 𝗙𝗠𝗖 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁
🌸 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲
🤍 𝗙/𝗙 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠/𝗠 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁
🌸 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆
I love the premise of this book. Our main character, Hellevir, is able to travel to Death, talk to him, and can bring people and animals back… for a price, of course. The book then evolves by dragging Hellevir into the city where the royals reside, forcing her to suffer through political court intrigue and a meek attempt to find an assassin that has already killed Princess Sullivain. The royal family consistently take advantage of Hellevir’s compassionate nature and ressurectionist abilities. This new beginning to a fantasy series is marketed as adult fantasy, but it definitely felt more young adult to me.
Whilst I enjoyed the LGBT rep, the only romantic relationship I found myself really enjoying was the one between Hellevir’s brother, Farvor, and Calgir. I didn’t particularly like the romance between Hellevir and Sullivain because I thought that there was absolutely nothing redeemable about Sullivain. Regardless, I still liked the character progression afforded to Hellevir due to the way she was treated by her romantic interest.
This book provides an interesting exploration of religion and mortality and whilst it suffers from being slightly repetitive, I still found it wholly gripping.
♡ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦
♡ 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫
February 28, 2024
I kept reading to see if the book would redeem itself but that never happened. The romance was terrible and forced, the world building was nonexistent and the plot was all over the place.
What did I just read?
Thank you to netgalley for the arc, all opinions are my own.
What did I just read?
Thank you to netgalley for the arc, all opinions are my own.
September 29, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up
I’m so glad I followed some advice to ignore this cover!
Ever wondered what the vibes of a book might be if it were a cross between Sabriel and The Bear and the Nightingale? I’ve got great news for you: you get to find out.
I’m so glad I followed some advice to ignore this cover!
Ever wondered what the vibes of a book might be if it were a cross between Sabriel and The Bear and the Nightingale? I’ve got great news for you: you get to find out.
February 25, 2024
The Gilded Crown has absolutely everything I could ask for in a book. Queer characters, and really intriguing version of the bringing-people-back-from-the-dead myth and immersive world-building. The only (tiny) thing wrong with it is that the publishers split it into two, meaning we have to wait to find out what happens next!
There are plenty of story summaries already, so I’m going to focus on what about this book made me give it a rightfully deserved five-star rating.
First of all, the narrative voice is perfectly pitched. It is comfortable enough to facilitate the speed I read at the absolutely devour the pages, yet mature enough to add appropriate weight and gravitas in the more sombre sections.
I am not traditionally a fan of enemies-to-lover romance, however, this book does it very differently. The transition is very slow, with the main character feeling appropriately conflicted. Actual romantic moments are tender and hesitant, making them feel incredibly realistic.
The world-building is incredible. Aside from beautiful description, the various riddles the protagonist solves give a sense of a world rife with mysteries, legends and folklore. The slow reveal of ominous history not only adds to the atmosphere of uncertainty but is also a driving force behind the actions of some characters, making the plot feel incredibly natural.
And, of course, who can fault a loyal animal companion?
I loved everything about this book and was completely enthralled by every twist and turn. I only regret that I can’t read it for the first time again!
There are plenty of story summaries already, so I’m going to focus on what about this book made me give it a rightfully deserved five-star rating.
First of all, the narrative voice is perfectly pitched. It is comfortable enough to facilitate the speed I read at the absolutely devour the pages, yet mature enough to add appropriate weight and gravitas in the more sombre sections.
I am not traditionally a fan of enemies-to-lover romance, however, this book does it very differently. The transition is very slow, with the main character feeling appropriately conflicted. Actual romantic moments are tender and hesitant, making them feel incredibly realistic.
The world-building is incredible. Aside from beautiful description, the various riddles the protagonist solves give a sense of a world rife with mysteries, legends and folklore. The slow reveal of ominous history not only adds to the atmosphere of uncertainty but is also a driving force behind the actions of some characters, making the plot feel incredibly natural.
And, of course, who can fault a loyal animal companion?
I loved everything about this book and was completely enthralled by every twist and turn. I only regret that I can’t read it for the first time again!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2024
No lie, I would've given this a higher rating if the FMC wasn't crushing hard on her abuser, but that might be me being too harsh on fictional victims of Stockholm Syndrome. (See my review for To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. Or don't.)
Anyway, I was very surprised to find myself engrossed with this novel! It reminded of Addie LaRue, but make it more political fantasy and with higher stakes.
This is one of those books with an MC that isn't all that likeable. Hellevir's problems stem from her being selfish, even at a very young age. Usually, I hate this, but this is one of the rare times where I stan a female character making the type of decisions that a male MC would get a pass for.
But she does find out that her increasingly bad decisions puts her life (and others) in danger. And by then, it's too late.
Ultimately, this is the kind of depressing book where you get to see the MC's life spiral downwards to the point where it feels almost sadistic to read about. And as someone who likes these types of books, I appreciate how the antagonists (Death and Princess Sullivain, and to an extent, the Queen) all have their own end goals when it comes to using and abusing Hellivir's resurrection powers.
Don't get me wrong, I'm rooting for our girl, Hellevir, but I don't mind if this series ends up taking an extremely dark turn with her story. It's a pretty dark fantasy and would definitely fit in line with this first installment.
I might be in the minority here, but I can't wait for the sequel!
Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this arc.
Anyway, I was very surprised to find myself engrossed with this novel! It reminded of Addie LaRue, but make it more political fantasy and with higher stakes.
This is one of those books with an MC that isn't all that likeable. Hellevir's problems stem from her being selfish, even at a very young age. Usually, I hate this, but this is one of the rare times where I stan a female character making the type of decisions that a male MC would get a pass for.
But she does find out that her increasingly bad decisions puts her life (and others) in danger. And by then, it's too late.
Ultimately, this is the kind of depressing book where you get to see the MC's life spiral downwards to the point where it feels almost sadistic to read about. And as someone who likes these types of books, I appreciate how the antagonists (Death and Princess Sullivain, and to an extent, the Queen) all have their own end goals when it comes to using and abusing Hellivir's resurrection powers.
Don't get me wrong, I'm rooting for our girl, Hellevir, but I don't mind if this series ends up taking an extremely dark turn with her story. It's a pretty dark fantasy and would definitely fit in line with this first installment.
I might be in the minority here, but I can't wait for the sequel!
Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this arc.
July 29, 2023
Book Review 📚
The Gilded Crown by Marianne Gordon - 4.5/5 ⭐
Such a interesting take on Death. Being able to bring people back from the dead seems like a pretty amazing gift, right? But if only it was that easy.
The story has such an interesting story line and I was completely enthralled by the entire thing. There was so much suspense, drama, heartbreak. An overwhelming amount of emotions throughout the book. It was fast paced and a really awesome story line.
There was a fantastic amount of description both on characters and world building. It didn't let up through the book, it made it really easy to use my imagination to set the scene for me. The characters were brilliantly written and I perceived them as Gordon clearly intended. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Hellevir and her story.
I was absolutely blown away with the entire story and I managed to finish it in a day, and I don't regret my choices. This is definitely going on my trophy shelf. Gordon has a magical style of writing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.
The Gilded Crown by Marianne Gordon - 4.5/5 ⭐
Such a interesting take on Death. Being able to bring people back from the dead seems like a pretty amazing gift, right? But if only it was that easy.
The story has such an interesting story line and I was completely enthralled by the entire thing. There was so much suspense, drama, heartbreak. An overwhelming amount of emotions throughout the book. It was fast paced and a really awesome story line.
There was a fantastic amount of description both on characters and world building. It didn't let up through the book, it made it really easy to use my imagination to set the scene for me. The characters were brilliantly written and I perceived them as Gordon clearly intended. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Hellevir and her story.
I was absolutely blown away with the entire story and I managed to finish it in a day, and I don't regret my choices. This is definitely going on my trophy shelf. Gordon has a magical style of writing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.
December 13, 2024
“Because they don’t know what they are hoping for, when they preach eternal life in the arms of their god. Their god who will save them from the horror of becoming nothing.” “What do you mean?” “There is no real horror in nothing. They do not understand the gift of being nothing. That eternal life is awfully long, no matter how blessed or blissful.”
What a book. Some of the best character work i’ve read in a really long time set in the backdrop of exquisite world building. And you know what… low key healed my fear of death a bit.
What a book. Some of the best character work i’ve read in a really long time set in the backdrop of exquisite world building. And you know what… low key healed my fear of death a bit.
July 12, 2024
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for a review.
I’ve finally decided to DNF the book at 84%. I wanted so, so much to love this one.
The premise of a girl making deals with death - hell yeah sign me up. But as the story continued I felt that it became a bit repetitive. We list over the princess, the princess does or says something heinous, she dies, we bring her back to avoid being outcasted, and then the princess shows a vulnerability and we forget how awful she was.
To me this story started out very strong. We were quick to the action and the magic is easy to follow. But as the story progresses it became less and less about these cool powers and more about our MC getting treated like shit by EVERYONE and just… putting up with it? There’s of course more nuance to it than that, but! I personally struggle with characters who put up with consistent and prolonged mistreatment of any time.
Girl!! Get outta there!!!!
I’ve finally decided to DNF the book at 84%. I wanted so, so much to love this one.
The premise of a girl making deals with death - hell yeah sign me up. But as the story continued I felt that it became a bit repetitive. We list over the princess, the princess does or says something heinous, she dies, we bring her back to avoid being outcasted, and then the princess shows a vulnerability and we forget how awful she was.
To me this story started out very strong. We were quick to the action and the magic is easy to follow. But as the story progresses it became less and less about these cool powers and more about our MC getting treated like shit by EVERYONE and just… putting up with it? There’s of course more nuance to it than that, but! I personally struggle with characters who put up with consistent and prolonged mistreatment of any time.
Girl!! Get outta there!!!!
December 18, 2023
I was immediately immersed, gripped by this fantasy world, reminiscent of Northern Europe in the thirteenth century. Not least because the first soul to be returned from Death's realm is a fox.
The addition of the eponymous raven to the plot only makes this tale more comfortable for me.
The author's description of Death's realm is evocative and haunting (as one would expect) and her description of the city, a cross between ancient Amsterdam and Venice, is marvelous.
The characterisation of the protagonist and the Princess, their frictional, fractional, fractious tumble into love, a delight. The looming threat of the New God's religion a sinister, well executed trope. The riddles, three lines each, are woven into the narrative with a deft hand.
The ending is heartrending, and book two is already on my WTR list.
The addition of the eponymous raven to the plot only makes this tale more comfortable for me.
The author's description of Death's realm is evocative and haunting (as one would expect) and her description of the city, a cross between ancient Amsterdam and Venice, is marvelous.
The characterisation of the protagonist and the Princess, their frictional, fractional, fractious tumble into love, a delight. The looming threat of the New God's religion a sinister, well executed trope. The riddles, three lines each, are woven into the narrative with a deft hand.
The ending is heartrending, and book two is already on my WTR list.
December 22, 2023
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)
I really liked the premise of this story but feel like it fell a little flat. Not a ton of depth to the world or much character building.
I really liked the premise of this story but feel like it fell a little flat. Not a ton of depth to the world or much character building.
March 26, 2025
2.5 ��️
It's... fine? If you're going to have this meandering a plot, you need to deliver strong characters and writing, and this book doesn't.
It's... fine? If you're going to have this meandering a plot, you need to deliver strong characters and writing, and this book doesn't.
May 10, 2025
This has one of my very disliked things.. an incomplete story arc. No climax, it just ends. I see there is a book two.. but I won’t be reading it just to get an ending.
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