What do you think?
Embergold
Fire dreamed of water, but the first sip would be its last.
Gilde has spent her life isolated in the wild marshlands, a place too wet for the dragon to go. She’s safe there, according to her father. So why is he asking her to leave with him now that she has come of age? There is more to Gilde’s family than she knows, and debts need to be paid.
Betrayed and shattered, she wakes in a crumbling mountain castle with the beast of her nightmares. Except this dragon speaks like a man and reads books. His kindness confuses her and opens a forgotten longing in her heart, all while Gilde plans her escape from a mountain full of secrets.
This place can unveil her past and why she was sacrificed to the beast—truths that may put both their lives in danger if they can’t learn to trust each other. But how can Gilde ever trust again? Especially after she discovers what dragons truly are.
Gilde has spent her life isolated in the wild marshlands, a place too wet for the dragon to go. She’s safe there, according to her father. So why is he asking her to leave with him now that she has come of age? There is more to Gilde’s family than she knows, and debts need to be paid.
Betrayed and shattered, she wakes in a crumbling mountain castle with the beast of her nightmares. Except this dragon speaks like a man and reads books. His kindness confuses her and opens a forgotten longing in her heart, all while Gilde plans her escape from a mountain full of secrets.
This place can unveil her past and why she was sacrificed to the beast—truths that may put both their lives in danger if they can’t learn to trust each other. But how can Gilde ever trust again? Especially after she discovers what dragons truly are.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 18, 2025
About the author
Rachelle Nelson
2 books237 followersRachelle Nelson grew up reading fantasy novels and getting her clothes muddy in the pine forests of Idaho. These days, she still loves hiking through forests and libraries, though she’s a bit less fond of mud. Her debut novel, Sky of Seven Colors, released in 2023 through Enclave Publishing, and was a recent Carol Award winner and Christy Award winner. Embergold, her newest standalone, releases in March 2025. Rachelle doesn’t write true stories, but she does write about truth. When she’s not doing that, she sings in a band with her husband who makes her happier than should be legal. If you like good food and honest conversations, you’re her favorite kind of person.
To receive a story set in the world of Sky of Seven Colors, you can sign up for Rachelle's newsletter at her website.
To receive a story set in the world of Sky of Seven Colors, you can sign up for Rachelle's newsletter at her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 256 reviews
December 18, 2025
This book reminded me a little of The Ritual, although they aren’t similar beyond being stories about a dragon and a maiden. It’s the part the maiden spends at the dragon’s castle that reminded me of the Dyachenkos’ book, but this story isn’t humorous like theirs, and although the romance is sweet, it doesn’t reach the same level of tenderness. And the ending is different, and somewhat conflicting.
Colourful dragon-filled full review at my website.
Colourful dragon-filled full review at my website.
July 11, 2025
This reimagining of Beauty & the Beast is a beautiful story about love, sacrifice, and abuse. I loved that the author wasn’t afraid to tackle hard topics in a god-honoring way.
Full of heart and hardship, this story follows the journey of Gilde, a girl given to a dragon by her own father. The dragon quickly became one of my favorite characters and I loved his relationship with Gilde as the story progressed. I normally don’t like romances, but this one was just so sweet, real, and innocent it was difficult not to love. 🥰
Full of heart and hardship, this story follows the journey of Gilde, a girl given to a dragon by her own father. The dragon quickly became one of my favorite characters and I loved his relationship with Gilde as the story progressed. I normally don’t like romances, but this one was just so sweet, real, and innocent it was difficult not to love. 🥰
March 6, 2025
"Embergold" by Rachelle Nelson is a new favorite! Ms. Nelson weaves an enchanting story for young adults that has fairy tale and “Beauty and the Beast” vibes, while remaining its own unique story. I loved that it felt like I was reading a classic fairy tale or folk tale. From the incredible writing to the amazing world building, "Embergold" kept me glued to the page from start to finish. The world has castles and dragons and is Germanic in nature. Readers will love our heroine, Gilde, and her strength, persistence, loyalty, grit, and determination (despite the odds being stacked against her). Gilde is very relatable as she deals with anxiety, panic attacks, and health issues. I also loved the dragon and the character Wil. The romantic relationship in the story was super sweet and almost had me in tears several times. When Gilde meets the dragon, she begins to question everything she thought she knew and learns to think for herself. Ms. Nelson explores some deep themes such as what is truth, what is the true story, what is good, and what is evil. “Embergold” celebrates stories and why they matter. I loved the allegory and beautiful faith message. At times, I really did not know how things would end with certain characters. This is an exceptional story for young adults (and the young at heart) and lovers of fairy tales full of heart!
Content: I give this book a PG-13 rating. Some examples of the content: mention of someone drinking alcohol; mention of and flashbacks of domestic violence and physical abuse; rumors of insanity; a character curses, but the words aren’t actually written; blood; a main character has panic attacks; there’s a ghost and mention of spirits; the word ar*e is used; there’s a type of dark magic and people get power by sacrificing and killing others; dark wizards and oracles; someone had a child out of wedlock; an animal is harmed in self-defense; someone thinks a girl may be possessed by demons; very vague reference to possible r*pe in the past.
TW: mention of domestic violence and physical abuse; rumors of insanity and madness; panic attacks; main character possibly has complex PTSD; toxic family dynamics; very vague reference to possible r*pe in the past.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Content: I give this book a PG-13 rating. Some examples of the content: mention of someone drinking alcohol; mention of and flashbacks of domestic violence and physical abuse; rumors of insanity; a character curses, but the words aren’t actually written; blood; a main character has panic attacks; there’s a ghost and mention of spirits; the word ar*e is used; there’s a type of dark magic and people get power by sacrificing and killing others; dark wizards and oracles; someone had a child out of wedlock; an animal is harmed in self-defense; someone thinks a girl may be possessed by demons; very vague reference to possible r*pe in the past.
TW: mention of domestic violence and physical abuse; rumors of insanity and madness; panic attacks; main character possibly has complex PTSD; toxic family dynamics; very vague reference to possible r*pe in the past.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
January 26, 2026
I liked the first half of this better than the ending, but the romance was really sweet. I enjoyed watching Gilde find herself, too, and start to believe in more than the lies she was raised on. Dragon and maiden stories are always a delight.
August 12, 2026
Please Note: I listened to this on audio and have absolutely no clue how to spell several people’s names.
“Embergold” is the second book from author Rachelle Nelson. I read her debut, “Sky of Seven Colors” back when that first came out, and while it was different that any portal fantasy I’d read before, I did end up liking it, and deeply appreciated the themes she put there. As such, I was interested in “Embergold” when I first heard about it, but I suspected it could be a little emotionally intense, so I waited to read it until I was in the right mood, which happened to be now.
Something I’m noticing about Rachelle’s heroines is that she doesn’t make life easy for them, and they also are not stereotypical “strong female heroines” who are going to save the day by swinging swords or fighting baddies. (Just to be clear, I love non-traditional, and definitely non-stereotypical heroines.) The heroine in “Sky of Seven Colors” was being slowly poisoned by the very atmosphere of the world she traveled to, which limited her physical strength so she had to use her wits, and ultimately, her love for someone back home, in order to get out of the situation she was in. In “Embergold” our heroine was born with a weak heart.
It becomes apparent pretty quickly that this story is, in essence, a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but with a pretty big twist. For one thing, the “beast” is a dragon. And for another thing, “Beauty” (a.k.a. Gilde) doesn’t join the beast to save her sweet, elderly father. No, the twist here is that her father is actually a jerk face, and the dragon takes Gilde away from him to help her. Seriously, in one of my reading updates, I said something along the lines of, “Baby girl, your dad sucks, and I’m pretty sure the dragon is an upgrade at this point.” And he was. Vil, though he has made mistakes in the past that led to him being a dragon, has been trying to be better ever since. I thought Rachelle did a great job of showing Gilde’s twisted mentality as a life-long abuse victim, and then showing how that mentality could be deconstructed through Vil’s kindness toward her to help her see that the way she was being treated before was not what love looks like. She fears Vil at first because she thinks she’s supposed to, but he never hurts her, he teaches her to read (a skill her father withheld from her), and he gives her something else her father never gave: Choice.
I was able to predict some of the early parts of the story that matched up the most closely with Beauty and the Beast, but after a certain point, I genuinely didn’t know what was coming next. Rachelle did such a good job making this world unique and then slowly slipping in the spiritual themes at a point that felt natural. I also really liked that Gilde was allowed to make mistakes, but Rachelle handled them in a way that you know WHY Gilde made that choice, even though it wasn’t the best one, and there are clear, natural consequences for it. I won’t spoil it, but there was one point where I was like “NOOOO THAT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY TERRIBLE IDEA.” And it was. And I was a little concerned for a minute because I didn’t know how things were going to work out. But after “Sky of Seven Colors” I trust Rachelle’s story choices, and things did work out in a way that was very satisfactory, addressed the problem with what Gilde did, and corrected it. All of this in a way that pointed to God as the ultimate power, and the ultimate good.
This was a great story, and while I was right that it got a little intense in places, it was ultimately very satisfying and uplifting. Rachelle Nelson is a great storyteller, and I look forward to what she puts out in the future!
Content Advisory:
This is a YA Christian fantasy and appropriate for that audience. It might be too intense in places for Middle School children who are reading up, mainly due to some violence and scariness.
SPOILERS AHEAD.
I don’t know that this is really a spoiler, but in case it is, it is very clear early on in the story that this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. As such, it should be pretty obvious that the dragon I’m going to have to talk about that at various points in the content sections, so I thought I’d get it out of the way.
Language:
None.
Sexual/Romance:
This is a very slow burn Beauty and the Beast-like romance, that is enemies to friends to lovers. The relationship is only enemies to friends at first since Gilde thinks the dragon is only a dragon. But when she learns the dragon is actually a human man (named Vil) with a curse, that’s when the relationship grows into something deeper.
There’s one awkward moment where the dragon accidentally sees Gilde in her underclothes. (She doesn’t know at this point that he used to be human, and he didn’t know she was in the middle of dressing.) He immediately turns around and leaves, and they later agree that they’ll avoid future awkwardness because she’ll let him know when she needs privacy and he’ll respect her space.
Gilde and human Vil share two or three kisses over the course of the story. These are only a little bit described, and more in emotional terms than physical.
A couple of times, when Vil in human form is in great pain, Gilde holds him to comfort him.
Once Vil is permanently in human form, he’s careful to follow the rules of propriety to the point that when he’s visiting Gilde’s sick bed he even asks one of her family members to please leave the door open. He makes it clear he fully intends to marry Gilde if she wants that too (and she does.)
Gilde does develop some passing, fluttery attraction to one other man (this man is protective of her and genuinely seems concerned for her well-being even if he doesn’t really understand what’s been happening at the castle), but nothing ever happens between them.
We’re aware from the beginning of the story that Gilde’s mother isn’t around, and she believes her mother is dead. However, later on, we learn she might be alive somewhere and that Gilde’s father probably forcibly took her away from her mother when she was too young to remember. It’s very vaguely implied that his relationship with her mother may not have even been consensual, but we don’t know for sure, and there are no details about this whatsoever.
Violence/Scariness:
We become aware early on that Gilde’s father is not a goo person and that he hits her sometimes. (Not described, but she says that it happens.) The story deals sensitively with the realistic mentality a child would have if that kind of treatment was literally all she knew, but Gilde does learn over time that this is not normal, and it’s not what love looks like.
Implied physical abuse between a husband and wife (Gilde’s “uncle” beats his wife). This is not described, but young Gilde was aware that is was happening and obviously couldn’t do anything about it. Mentions that she’s seen bruises after the fact. Her father was also aware and intentionally did nothing about it. (Note: The wife is able to get away from the situation later.)
Possible TRIGGER WARNING FOR CUTTING: When Gilde’s father decides he needs something from the dragon (there are two dragons, with one being outright evil and the other being good, but he actually can’t tell the difference between them because they look so similar…) he takes Gilde and her uncle up on the mountain and makes them cut themselves with a knife to attract the dragon with the scent of their blood. This is described with pain and blood.
Note: Her father attracts Vil, the good dragon, instead of the evil one, and when Vil sees this man has cut open his own daughter, he convinces Gilde’s father to give her as the trade, knowing her father is so uncaring that he’ll do it. Gilde fears Vil at first but Vil treats Gilde better than her own father ever did, tries to help her see that her father never actually treated her with love, and still gives her the choice to leave of her own free will if she wants to when they find out her father has come back for her (we learn that he didn’t come back out of love he basically just wants to keep using her as his tool and teach her his evil ways.) She ends up deciding of her own free will that she doesn’t want to go back to him and be treated that way again.
After Gilde accidentally lets the evil ghost out (see Spiritual section) it claws her before Vil stops it from hurting her further. The wound is described, and she gets an infection later, which also described with the sight of the wound as well as the symptoms of infection. (Vil didn’t know she was getting sick or he would have done something sooner.) Once Vil does know she’s sick, he helps treat the wound even though water burns him. (Any time water touches him, he gets white scald marks on his body.)
There are several other instance where Vil is burned with water and the result is described. He says that if his dragon body were totally submerged in water, it would kill him, and this almost actually happens a couple of times, causing him great pain.
As stated, Vil has not always been a dragon and Gilde eventually learns he has the ability to take on human form for brief periods, but at the cost that the transformation back into a dragon (which he can’t stop) is very painful. His transformation back into a dragon at one point is described. While not yucky, it is painful for him and Gilde holds him through painful spasms. She fears at one point that the transformation (and some water that was too close when he collapsed) has killed him, but he’s still alive.
Toward the end, some people try to execute Vil in dragon form, not knowing that he’s not the evil dragon who has terrorized them. They attempt to kill him via submerging him in the lake. Gilde sees his suffering and the white scald marks are described. This whole climactic scene is very emotionally intense. Gilde ends up making a poor choice (see the Spiritual/Magic section) that results in her sacrificing herself to try to save him, and the action she takes results in her getting full-body burns. (This whole event is described with much pain.)
Spiritual/Magic:
This is Christian fantasy by a Christian author and from a Christian publisher, though the stronger Christian spiritual themes don’t come into play until later in the story.
Magic in this story exists, but is generally a bad thing that isn’t supposed to belong to humans. The lust for power corrupts people, not the least because it often involves killing other humans for more power and those who become obsessed with the gaining of magical power are called “wizards.” The manner in which people were killed for magical power is never described in detail, but we’re aware it was a terrible thing, and Gilde does find burned skeletons in the castle left from when someone other than Vil lived there and was performing this evil magic.
There is an antithesis to the bad magic, however, in that some people are born with what is called a “spark.” It’s implied that God made these people this way and that this “spark” is a special gifting that allows them to do something that is beyond what other people can do, and it’s always good things, not bad ones. It also tends to only kick in after someone reaches a certain age.
As stated previously, the dragon, Vil, was not always a dragon. He was a human, and he made a mistake that ended up with him being consumed by a magical “fire” that won’t let him go (the title of the book, “Embergold” refers to the magical element that turned him into a dragon, and he explains to Gilde how this works) and makes him stay stuck in the dragon form, except for rare occasions when he can turn back into a human. However, this is only temporary as he doesn’t have the power to free himself from the fire, and he will always eventually turn back into a dragon in a rather painful manner. While Vil did make a mistake in the past, he has tried not to be like another dragon who kept lusting for power and killing in order to get it. He tells Gilde that the fire inside him speaks to him and wants to consume everything, including her, but he resists it. He doesn’t kill people and just lives alone in his castle.
One of the first spiritual things to happen in the story is that Gilde finds an overtly creepy old man magically sealed in a room in the dragon’s castle. The man can’t get out of the room on his own, and Gilde hasn’t learned to discern good people from bad yet, so she lets him out. It turns out this “man” is actually a “ghost.” The description in this scene is creepy enough it would give younger readers nightmares as the man grows claws, injures Gilde, and unhinges his jaw, seemingly about to absorb her. Gilde sees visions of her past wrongs (like her and her father ignoring the marital abuse mentioned in the violence section) in the ghost’s mouth. The dragon stops it from harming her, though, and says that this “ghost” isn’t a real “ghost” in that it was never a human, but he doesn’t explain further than that. The ghost promises Gilde a wish for letting it out but the dragon warns her it will corrupt any wish she makes and he makes it leave the castle. It tells her she can call on it later, though, and it will come and give her the wish.
Later in the story, Gilde finds a book that tells of the creation of the world by a singular Creator God who is powerful, but also good and loving (unlike every power-hungry human Gilde has ever known). Gilde struggles a bit with this concept initially and doesn't understand why, if there's a good God who is so powerful, He doesn't just fix a terrible situation that's happening later on. This lack of understanding causes her to call on the ghost again, which feels like a bad thing and later is stated to have indeed been a bad thing. She makes a wish that she thinks will save Vil (he’s about to be executed), that is so self-sacrificial that the ghost can't corrupt it. The result causes her terrible pain. She is actually not able to save her love under her own power. Vil IS saved, but he tells her after she recovers that this good God appeared to him and said that while the wish she made was evil, He saw her heart and that she intended it as a gift to help Vil. Because of this, He says He will turn what happened to good, and He is the one who saves Vil, and frees him from the evil magic fire that has held him captive for so long.
“Embergold” is the second book from author Rachelle Nelson. I read her debut, “Sky of Seven Colors” back when that first came out, and while it was different that any portal fantasy I’d read before, I did end up liking it, and deeply appreciated the themes she put there. As such, I was interested in “Embergold” when I first heard about it, but I suspected it could be a little emotionally intense, so I waited to read it until I was in the right mood, which happened to be now.
Something I’m noticing about Rachelle’s heroines is that she doesn’t make life easy for them, and they also are not stereotypical “strong female heroines” who are going to save the day by swinging swords or fighting baddies. (Just to be clear, I love non-traditional, and definitely non-stereotypical heroines.) The heroine in “Sky of Seven Colors” was being slowly poisoned by the very atmosphere of the world she traveled to, which limited her physical strength so she had to use her wits, and ultimately, her love for someone back home, in order to get out of the situation she was in. In “Embergold” our heroine was born with a weak heart.
It becomes apparent pretty quickly that this story is, in essence, a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but with a pretty big twist. For one thing, the “beast” is a dragon. And for another thing, “Beauty” (a.k.a. Gilde) doesn’t join the beast to save her sweet, elderly father. No, the twist here is that her father is actually a jerk face, and the dragon takes Gilde away from him to help her. Seriously, in one of my reading updates, I said something along the lines of, “Baby girl, your dad sucks, and I’m pretty sure the dragon is an upgrade at this point.” And he was. Vil, though he has made mistakes in the past that led to him being a dragon, has been trying to be better ever since. I thought Rachelle did a great job of showing Gilde’s twisted mentality as a life-long abuse victim, and then showing how that mentality could be deconstructed through Vil’s kindness toward her to help her see that the way she was being treated before was not what love looks like. She fears Vil at first because she thinks she’s supposed to, but he never hurts her, he teaches her to read (a skill her father withheld from her), and he gives her something else her father never gave: Choice.
I was able to predict some of the early parts of the story that matched up the most closely with Beauty and the Beast, but after a certain point, I genuinely didn’t know what was coming next. Rachelle did such a good job making this world unique and then slowly slipping in the spiritual themes at a point that felt natural. I also really liked that Gilde was allowed to make mistakes, but Rachelle handled them in a way that you know WHY Gilde made that choice, even though it wasn’t the best one, and there are clear, natural consequences for it. I won’t spoil it, but there was one point where I was like “NOOOO THAT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY TERRIBLE IDEA.” And it was. And I was a little concerned for a minute because I didn’t know how things were going to work out. But after “Sky of Seven Colors” I trust Rachelle’s story choices, and things did work out in a way that was very satisfactory, addressed the problem with what Gilde did, and corrected it. All of this in a way that pointed to God as the ultimate power, and the ultimate good.
This was a great story, and while I was right that it got a little intense in places, it was ultimately very satisfying and uplifting. Rachelle Nelson is a great storyteller, and I look forward to what she puts out in the future!
Content Advisory:
This is a YA Christian fantasy and appropriate for that audience. It might be too intense in places for Middle School children who are reading up, mainly due to some violence and scariness.
SPOILERS AHEAD.
I don’t know that this is really a spoiler, but in case it is, it is very clear early on in the story that this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. As such, it should be pretty obvious that the dragon I’m going to have to talk about that at various points in the content sections, so I thought I’d get it out of the way.
Language:
None.
Sexual/Romance:
This is a very slow burn Beauty and the Beast-like romance, that is enemies to friends to lovers. The relationship is only enemies to friends at first since Gilde thinks the dragon is only a dragon. But when she learns the dragon is actually a human man (named Vil) with a curse, that’s when the relationship grows into something deeper.
There’s one awkward moment where the dragon accidentally sees Gilde in her underclothes. (She doesn’t know at this point that he used to be human, and he didn’t know she was in the middle of dressing.) He immediately turns around and leaves, and they later agree that they’ll avoid future awkwardness because she’ll let him know when she needs privacy and he’ll respect her space.
Gilde and human Vil share two or three kisses over the course of the story. These are only a little bit described, and more in emotional terms than physical.
A couple of times, when Vil in human form is in great pain, Gilde holds him to comfort him.
Once Vil is permanently in human form, he’s careful to follow the rules of propriety to the point that when he’s visiting Gilde’s sick bed he even asks one of her family members to please leave the door open. He makes it clear he fully intends to marry Gilde if she wants that too (and she does.)
Gilde does develop some passing, fluttery attraction to one other man (this man is protective of her and genuinely seems concerned for her well-being even if he doesn’t really understand what’s been happening at the castle), but nothing ever happens between them.
We’re aware from the beginning of the story that Gilde’s mother isn’t around, and she believes her mother is dead. However, later on, we learn she might be alive somewhere and that Gilde’s father probably forcibly took her away from her mother when she was too young to remember. It’s very vaguely implied that his relationship with her mother may not have even been consensual, but we don’t know for sure, and there are no details about this whatsoever.
Violence/Scariness:
We become aware early on that Gilde’s father is not a goo person and that he hits her sometimes. (Not described, but she says that it happens.) The story deals sensitively with the realistic mentality a child would have if that kind of treatment was literally all she knew, but Gilde does learn over time that this is not normal, and it’s not what love looks like.
Implied physical abuse between a husband and wife (Gilde’s “uncle” beats his wife). This is not described, but young Gilde was aware that is was happening and obviously couldn’t do anything about it. Mentions that she’s seen bruises after the fact. Her father was also aware and intentionally did nothing about it. (Note: The wife is able to get away from the situation later.)
Possible TRIGGER WARNING FOR CUTTING: When Gilde’s father decides he needs something from the dragon (there are two dragons, with one being outright evil and the other being good, but he actually can’t tell the difference between them because they look so similar…) he takes Gilde and her uncle up on the mountain and makes them cut themselves with a knife to attract the dragon with the scent of their blood. This is described with pain and blood.
Note: Her father attracts Vil, the good dragon, instead of the evil one, and when Vil sees this man has cut open his own daughter, he convinces Gilde’s father to give her as the trade, knowing her father is so uncaring that he’ll do it. Gilde fears Vil at first but Vil treats Gilde better than her own father ever did, tries to help her see that her father never actually treated her with love, and still gives her the choice to leave of her own free will if she wants to when they find out her father has come back for her (we learn that he didn’t come back out of love he basically just wants to keep using her as his tool and teach her his evil ways.) She ends up deciding of her own free will that she doesn’t want to go back to him and be treated that way again.
After Gilde accidentally lets the evil ghost out (see Spiritual section) it claws her before Vil stops it from hurting her further. The wound is described, and she gets an infection later, which also described with the sight of the wound as well as the symptoms of infection. (Vil didn’t know she was getting sick or he would have done something sooner.) Once Vil does know she’s sick, he helps treat the wound even though water burns him. (Any time water touches him, he gets white scald marks on his body.)
There are several other instance where Vil is burned with water and the result is described. He says that if his dragon body were totally submerged in water, it would kill him, and this almost actually happens a couple of times, causing him great pain.
As stated, Vil has not always been a dragon and Gilde eventually learns he has the ability to take on human form for brief periods, but at the cost that the transformation back into a dragon (which he can’t stop) is very painful. His transformation back into a dragon at one point is described. While not yucky, it is painful for him and Gilde holds him through painful spasms. She fears at one point that the transformation (and some water that was too close when he collapsed) has killed him, but he’s still alive.
Toward the end, some people try to execute Vil in dragon form, not knowing that he’s not the evil dragon who has terrorized them. They attempt to kill him via submerging him in the lake. Gilde sees his suffering and the white scald marks are described. This whole climactic scene is very emotionally intense. Gilde ends up making a poor choice (see the Spiritual/Magic section) that results in her sacrificing herself to try to save him, and the action she takes results in her getting full-body burns. (This whole event is described with much pain.)
Spiritual/Magic:
This is Christian fantasy by a Christian author and from a Christian publisher, though the stronger Christian spiritual themes don’t come into play until later in the story.
Magic in this story exists, but is generally a bad thing that isn’t supposed to belong to humans. The lust for power corrupts people, not the least because it often involves killing other humans for more power and those who become obsessed with the gaining of magical power are called “wizards.” The manner in which people were killed for magical power is never described in detail, but we’re aware it was a terrible thing, and Gilde does find burned skeletons in the castle left from when someone other than Vil lived there and was performing this evil magic.
There is an antithesis to the bad magic, however, in that some people are born with what is called a “spark.” It’s implied that God made these people this way and that this “spark” is a special gifting that allows them to do something that is beyond what other people can do, and it’s always good things, not bad ones. It also tends to only kick in after someone reaches a certain age.
As stated previously, the dragon, Vil, was not always a dragon. He was a human, and he made a mistake that ended up with him being consumed by a magical “fire” that won’t let him go (the title of the book, “Embergold” refers to the magical element that turned him into a dragon, and he explains to Gilde how this works) and makes him stay stuck in the dragon form, except for rare occasions when he can turn back into a human. However, this is only temporary as he doesn’t have the power to free himself from the fire, and he will always eventually turn back into a dragon in a rather painful manner. While Vil did make a mistake in the past, he has tried not to be like another dragon who kept lusting for power and killing in order to get it. He tells Gilde that the fire inside him speaks to him and wants to consume everything, including her, but he resists it. He doesn’t kill people and just lives alone in his castle.
One of the first spiritual things to happen in the story is that Gilde finds an overtly creepy old man magically sealed in a room in the dragon’s castle. The man can’t get out of the room on his own, and Gilde hasn’t learned to discern good people from bad yet, so she lets him out. It turns out this “man” is actually a “ghost.” The description in this scene is creepy enough it would give younger readers nightmares as the man grows claws, injures Gilde, and unhinges his jaw, seemingly about to absorb her. Gilde sees visions of her past wrongs (like her and her father ignoring the marital abuse mentioned in the violence section) in the ghost’s mouth. The dragon stops it from harming her, though, and says that this “ghost” isn’t a real “ghost” in that it was never a human, but he doesn’t explain further than that. The ghost promises Gilde a wish for letting it out but the dragon warns her it will corrupt any wish she makes and he makes it leave the castle. It tells her she can call on it later, though, and it will come and give her the wish.
Later in the story, Gilde finds a book that tells of the creation of the world by a singular Creator God who is powerful, but also good and loving (unlike every power-hungry human Gilde has ever known). Gilde struggles a bit with this concept initially and doesn't understand why, if there's a good God who is so powerful, He doesn't just fix a terrible situation that's happening later on. This lack of understanding causes her to call on the ghost again, which feels like a bad thing and later is stated to have indeed been a bad thing. She makes a wish that she thinks will save Vil (he’s about to be executed), that is so self-sacrificial that the ghost can't corrupt it. The result causes her terrible pain. She is actually not able to save her love under her own power. Vil IS saved, but he tells her after she recovers that this good God appeared to him and said that while the wish she made was evil, He saw her heart and that she intended it as a gift to help Vil. Because of this, He says He will turn what happened to good, and He is the one who saves Vil, and frees him from the evil magic fire that has held him captive for so long.
January 6, 2026
3.75⭐️
First person
I had an up & down experience with this one. It’s meant to be a bit of a beauty and the beast retelling but the romance while he is a dragon was awkward. I just couldn’t connect to the characters until the climax when I felt really into the story. There was so much ebbing and flowing where I was enjoying it and then where it felt meh. But then in this super fantastical world, it felt like our Christian God was shoved into the story instead of fantasy world god, and that always feels strange to me.
Also, I listened to it through audiobook and I don’t prefer when female narrators try to sound manly for the male characters…it just sounds awkward.
I’m conflicted 🤷🏼♀️
It also reminded me of To Ride the Wind by Melanie Cellier (but dragon instead of bear)
First person
I had an up & down experience with this one. It’s meant to be a bit of a beauty and the beast retelling but the romance while he is a dragon was awkward. I just couldn’t connect to the characters until the climax when I felt really into the story. There was so much ebbing and flowing where I was enjoying it and then where it felt meh. But then in this super fantastical world, it felt like our Christian God was shoved into the story instead of fantasy world god, and that always feels strange to me.
Also, I listened to it through audiobook and I don’t prefer when female narrators try to sound manly for the male characters…it just sounds awkward.
I’m conflicted 🤷🏼♀️
It also reminded me of To Ride the Wind by Melanie Cellier (but dragon instead of bear)
November 3, 2025
“Thank you for showing me stories.”
“You reminded me why they matter.”
With its dragons, soft strength, and atmospheric fantasy settings, Embergold is gilded with candor and loveliness. Reminiscent of “Beauty and the Beast,” the story of Gilde and Wil shines and uplifts with the gleam of truthful magic.
It’s a story rich in carefully chosen descriptions, giving you just enough evocative detail to envision the setting without being too much. It’s a story with a gentle romance that heals and dreams and soars. It’s a story that sets a spin on classic tropes and legends surrounding dragons and the craving of gold.
It’s a story of overcoming fear and abuse without calcifying into a bitter shell. It’s a story of sorting through your own mind’s twisting of truth. It’s a story of navigating a suddenly big world, of learning to be kind yet careful, hopeful yet discerning.
It’s a story with stirring symbolism about water, hunger, and thirst, how you can be full. Free.
It’s a story that’s beautiful and honest.
⚜️ heads-up for abuse (physical and psychological), drunkenness on the part of an abuser, references to promiscuity and prostitution, some violence and blood, slight creepiness, a couple of sweet kisses, and dark magic (always portrayed as evil) ⚜️
September 30, 2025
Sobbing over how beautiful this book is, my word. Embergold tackles abuse and all the challenging processing around it so masterfully, with world building and a magic system and characters that pull you right in. The first few chapters were difficult for me to read personally, and some of the technicalities of the magic system confused me somewhat, but this is a book that I know I'll be coming back to and I'll be surprised if it doesn't make my Top Ten of 2025 list. I loved it. <3
August 10, 2025
Rachelle Nelson has a knack for writing stories that are wholesome and sweet while also being deeply wise and poignant at the same time. Embergold is no exception! I loved this story from start to finish, with its heart-touching characters and themes, and sense of wild adventure, and subtle nods to beloved fairytales. Definitely recommended!
March 7, 2026
This book is excellent.
A clean, sweet tale that shows evil and good, sacrificial love and manipulation, and brings you through the tale loving (nearly) every character.
I loved Gilde (even if I found some of her choices questionable), Wil, and Isa the best. Though Marcus isn't a bad sort, either. And Adrian is such a dear heart.
And POTATO THE HORSE!!! Omigoodness I laughed too hard.
What I find especially interesting is that the theme of sovereignty fits so well in this story, though it's not flaunted. An excellent book that you DEFINITELY SHOULD READ. Go. Read now. *waves hands at reader to get them started*
A clean, sweet tale that shows evil and good, sacrificial love and manipulation, and brings you through the tale loving (nearly) every character.
I loved Gilde (even if I found some of her choices questionable), Wil, and Isa the best. Though Marcus isn't a bad sort, either. And Adrian is such a dear heart.
And POTATO THE HORSE!!! Omigoodness I laughed too hard.
What I find especially interesting is that the theme of sovereignty fits so well in this story, though it's not flaunted. An excellent book that you DEFINITELY SHOULD READ. Go. Read now. *waves hands at reader to get them started*
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July 17, 2025
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
🔥 First off, the cover is really pretty! I love the purple! Second, this is my first I’ve read by Rachelle Nelson. I was drawn to it because of the dragons. I really wanted How to Train Your Dragon vibes, but unfortunately, it was a miss in that area. It was interesting to say the least. I have a lot of feelings about it so I’m going to try my best to explain. 😆 I really wanted to love this book, but I just didn’t. It reminded me a lot in some ways of Mary Mecham’s Rapunzel’s Gambit, but Rapunzel’s Gambit is way better.
🔥 I’ll start off with what I did like starting with Gilde. First, I don’t think I’m pronouncing her name right…haha. Anyway, she is a strong character that I really did enjoy. I liked her transformation and growth. She had a big heart and strong determination. Gilde had been through a lot in her life and she didn’t let that stop her.
🔥Wil is a great character! I did really like him. He was strong, protective and honorable. I liked Gilde and Wil together although it felt a bit rushed. I wish it would have been more drawn out and more time with him as a human. I did love the ending especially the last few paragraphs.
🔥 I was hooked from the start and wanted to know what happened next. I did have a hard time stepping into the world and picturing things. I’m not sure why.
🔥 Here are two quotes that I liked: “Love couldn't be demanded or coerced, only given.” And His eyes were glassy now, and his voice came out husky. "I don't have anything for you. No family. No heritage." “Don't you see it?" I lay my hand on his cheek. "If I have a family, then so do you." A single, human tear spilled from his eye as he pulled me close. Our lips met.
🔥 Now for the things I didn’t like. The writing is a bit choppy for my taste. I don’t love reading choppy and short sentences. I would have liked a little more elegant writing.
🔥 I didn’t like Isa and Gunther and that whole situation…I didn’t care for that at all. But I did like how Isa change and overcame what she went through. I’m shipping her with Marcus…haha!
🔥 This isn’t Christian fantasy as there’s no real mention of God or anything like that. I mean, there’s a brief mention, but it didn’t feel like it gave God the honor and attention that He deserves. I wish she would have expanded more on that and gone more in depth. She had an opportunity to really have Gilde grow in that area, but she didn’t which was disappointing.
🔥 I didn’t care for the ghost at all or all that talk about ghosts especially when she made a wish on one. It was completely unnecessary, just plain creepy and does not belong in Christian fantasy.
🔥 I hated her father and everything that he was involved in. The sacrificing, bleeding and killing people was evil, dark and completely unnecessary especially in a Christian book. It felt way too dark and gave me chills. I didn’t like all the talk about wizards and spells. There was way too much talk and detail about things like that.
🔥 I didn’t care that when Wil transforms into a human he has no clothes like I do not need to know that…thank you very much. That was completely unnecessary. If he’s wearing clothes when he transforms into a dragon, why can’t he wear clothes when he transforms back into a human?
🔥 The magic and fire thing was a bit confusing and I still don’t understand everything to be honest. I felt like the book ended on kind of a cliffhanger with not everything being wrapped up.
🔥 Overall, this book had a lot of potential, but it fell flat for me. I don’t think I’ll be reading anymore by Rachelle Nelson which is disappointing.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
🔥 First off, the cover is really pretty! I love the purple! Second, this is my first I’ve read by Rachelle Nelson. I was drawn to it because of the dragons. I really wanted How to Train Your Dragon vibes, but unfortunately, it was a miss in that area. It was interesting to say the least. I have a lot of feelings about it so I’m going to try my best to explain. 😆 I really wanted to love this book, but I just didn’t. It reminded me a lot in some ways of Mary Mecham’s Rapunzel’s Gambit, but Rapunzel’s Gambit is way better.
🔥 I’ll start off with what I did like starting with Gilde. First, I don’t think I’m pronouncing her name right…haha. Anyway, she is a strong character that I really did enjoy. I liked her transformation and growth. She had a big heart and strong determination. Gilde had been through a lot in her life and she didn’t let that stop her.
🔥Wil is a great character! I did really like him. He was strong, protective and honorable. I liked Gilde and Wil together although it felt a bit rushed. I wish it would have been more drawn out and more time with him as a human. I did love the ending especially the last few paragraphs.
🔥 I was hooked from the start and wanted to know what happened next. I did have a hard time stepping into the world and picturing things. I’m not sure why.
🔥 Here are two quotes that I liked: “Love couldn't be demanded or coerced, only given.” And His eyes were glassy now, and his voice came out husky. "I don't have anything for you. No family. No heritage." “Don't you see it?" I lay my hand on his cheek. "If I have a family, then so do you." A single, human tear spilled from his eye as he pulled me close. Our lips met.
🔥 Now for the things I didn’t like. The writing is a bit choppy for my taste. I don’t love reading choppy and short sentences. I would have liked a little more elegant writing.
🔥 I didn’t like Isa and Gunther and that whole situation…I didn’t care for that at all. But I did like how Isa change and overcame what she went through. I’m shipping her with Marcus…haha!
🔥 This isn’t Christian fantasy as there’s no real mention of God or anything like that. I mean, there’s a brief mention, but it didn’t feel like it gave God the honor and attention that He deserves. I wish she would have expanded more on that and gone more in depth. She had an opportunity to really have Gilde grow in that area, but she didn’t which was disappointing.
🔥 I didn’t care for the ghost at all or all that talk about ghosts especially when she made a wish on one. It was completely unnecessary, just plain creepy and does not belong in Christian fantasy.
🔥 I hated her father and everything that he was involved in. The sacrificing, bleeding and killing people was evil, dark and completely unnecessary especially in a Christian book. It felt way too dark and gave me chills. I didn’t like all the talk about wizards and spells. There was way too much talk and detail about things like that.
🔥 I didn’t care that when Wil transforms into a human he has no clothes like I do not need to know that…thank you very much. That was completely unnecessary. If he’s wearing clothes when he transforms into a dragon, why can’t he wear clothes when he transforms back into a human?
🔥 The magic and fire thing was a bit confusing and I still don’t understand everything to be honest. I felt like the book ended on kind of a cliffhanger with not everything being wrapped up.
🔥 Overall, this book had a lot of potential, but it fell flat for me. I don’t think I’ll be reading anymore by Rachelle Nelson which is disappointing.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
April 8, 2025
I’ve been eagerly anticipating Embergold since I first read the synopsis, which I found utterly captivating:
See what I mean? Captivating. Embergold sounded like a fairytale with depth, like a story I am always on the hunt for but very rarely find. Now, if it could just deliver on that promising premise.
It did. And then some.
Embergold was everything I was hoping it would be and more. This is a dream of a novel. It tells a wonderful, fully fleshed out story. There are high stakes and quiet moments, tension and romance, brutality and beauty. It’s the kind of story I was hoping to find in Uprooted, especially when it comes to the relationship dynamics. I would recommend this for those who loved Uprooted as well as those who were disappointed by it, as well as fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses, Howl’s Moving Castle, and of course, Beauty and the Beast. The Beauty and the Beast vibes are incredibly strong. There’s even a library scene that brought the classic Disney film to mind.
I was completely taken by the characters. Gilde and Wil are both wonderfully fleshed out. Both start with some wonderful qualities while also being given room to grow over the course of the narrative. Wil in particular was wonderful, and is exactly the type of male character I always hope to find in this type of fantasy story, but rarely do. Gilde is such a strong main character without either sacrificing her femininity or leaning too strongly into it. I found them both incredibly well balanced.
The other elements of the book were just as strong as the character development. Nelson’s writing is lovely, compelling without dipping into purple prose. Important themes, like breaking cycles of abuse and recognizing when you’re acting on fear, were included without becoming tedious or impeding the story being told. The pacing was perfect for this type of story, propulsive without being so fast as to sacrifice the atmosphere. The world building and setting were rendered beautifully, giving readers just enough without getting bogged down in too much heavy detail. And there’s a wonderfully presented thread of faith that begins light but strengthens as the story progresses to its climax.
I loved everything about Embergold. No notes. It was just a wonderfully compelling novel from start to finish. I was impressed with the depth of the story, as well as the beautiful moments that shone through its darker segments. I love that this is a standalone, as well, making it a book I am much more likely to revisit. As a side note, I tandem read the physical book with the audio, and the narrator did a phenomenal job. So, no matter what format you prefer, I definitely recommend picking this one up!
Fire dreamed of water, but the first sip would be its last.
Gilde has spent her life isolated in the wild marshlands, a place too wet for the dragon to go. She’s safe there, according to her father. So why is he asking her to leave with him now that she has come of age? There is more to Gilde’s family than she knows, and debts need to be paid.
Betrayed and shattered, she wakes in a crumbling mountain castle with the beast of her nightmares. Except this dragon speaks like a man and reads books. His kindness confuses her and opens a forgotten longing in her heart, all while Gilde plans her escape from a mountain full of secrets.
This place can unveil her past and why she was sacrificed to the beast—truths that may put both their lives in danger if they can’t learn to trust each other. But how can Gilde ever trust again? Especially after she discovers what dragons truly are.
See what I mean? Captivating. Embergold sounded like a fairytale with depth, like a story I am always on the hunt for but very rarely find. Now, if it could just deliver on that promising premise.
It did. And then some.
Embergold was everything I was hoping it would be and more. This is a dream of a novel. It tells a wonderful, fully fleshed out story. There are high stakes and quiet moments, tension and romance, brutality and beauty. It’s the kind of story I was hoping to find in Uprooted, especially when it comes to the relationship dynamics. I would recommend this for those who loved Uprooted as well as those who were disappointed by it, as well as fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses, Howl’s Moving Castle, and of course, Beauty and the Beast. The Beauty and the Beast vibes are incredibly strong. There’s even a library scene that brought the classic Disney film to mind.
I was completely taken by the characters. Gilde and Wil are both wonderfully fleshed out. Both start with some wonderful qualities while also being given room to grow over the course of the narrative. Wil in particular was wonderful, and is exactly the type of male character I always hope to find in this type of fantasy story, but rarely do. Gilde is such a strong main character without either sacrificing her femininity or leaning too strongly into it. I found them both incredibly well balanced.
The other elements of the book were just as strong as the character development. Nelson’s writing is lovely, compelling without dipping into purple prose. Important themes, like breaking cycles of abuse and recognizing when you’re acting on fear, were included without becoming tedious or impeding the story being told. The pacing was perfect for this type of story, propulsive without being so fast as to sacrifice the atmosphere. The world building and setting were rendered beautifully, giving readers just enough without getting bogged down in too much heavy detail. And there’s a wonderfully presented thread of faith that begins light but strengthens as the story progresses to its climax.
I loved everything about Embergold. No notes. It was just a wonderfully compelling novel from start to finish. I was impressed with the depth of the story, as well as the beautiful moments that shone through its darker segments. I love that this is a standalone, as well, making it a book I am much more likely to revisit. As a side note, I tandem read the physical book with the audio, and the narrator did a phenomenal job. So, no matter what format you prefer, I definitely recommend picking this one up!
April 14, 2026
3.75 ⭐️ what a sweet cozy standalone fantasy read!! i loved the Christian messaging in this book. the prose was very simple first person pov, and the romance was innocent and tender. i would recommend this for young adults (12-18) that want a cozy fantasy with beauty and the beast/rapunzel vibes!
these characters were so wholesome and though it wasn’t my personal favorite fantasy novel (total personal preference) i would still recommend this and so happy i finally read it!
these characters were so wholesome and though it wasn’t my personal favorite fantasy novel (total personal preference) i would still recommend this and so happy i finally read it!
January 10, 2025
This was such an excellent Beauty and the Beast inspired story. I loved every minute of it! Full of adventure, magic, mystery, and hidden identities. I stayed captivated by this story to the end.
Gilde is a sweet naive girl that faces health issues, betrayal, danger, and has her world turned upside down. I felt for her and cheered her on as she grew, endured, and overcame her circumstances. She made mistakes some of which were almost deadly. I loved watching her become braver and bolder standing up for her beliefs, loyalty, and love. And can we talk about the dragon aka Wil? He’s so protective and caring towards Gilde. He takes the time to help and teach her when others didn’t.
The plot starts a little slow and picks up pace as the action heats up. Several twists and revelations take Gilde on an unexpected journey and surprised her and me!
This book does lightly touch on some darker themes: vague references to prostitution, domestic abuse, fighting, wizards and human sacrifice as a dark magic source.
Read if you enjoy
✨fairytales
✨dragons
✨magic
✨good vs evil
✨betrayal
✨naive FMC
✨adventure
✨hidden identities
✨hidden castles
Spice: none
Strong language: none
Violence: mild nothing gory but see my above note on darker themes
Gilde is a sweet naive girl that faces health issues, betrayal, danger, and has her world turned upside down. I felt for her and cheered her on as she grew, endured, and overcame her circumstances. She made mistakes some of which were almost deadly. I loved watching her become braver and bolder standing up for her beliefs, loyalty, and love. And can we talk about the dragon aka Wil? He’s so protective and caring towards Gilde. He takes the time to help and teach her when others didn’t.
The plot starts a little slow and picks up pace as the action heats up. Several twists and revelations take Gilde on an unexpected journey and surprised her and me!
This book does lightly touch on some darker themes: vague references to prostitution, domestic abuse, fighting, wizards and human sacrifice as a dark magic source.
Read if you enjoy
✨fairytales
✨dragons
✨magic
✨good vs evil
✨betrayal
✨naive FMC
✨adventure
✨hidden identities
✨hidden castles
Spice: none
Strong language: none
Violence: mild nothing gory but see my above note on darker themes
August 30, 2025
In all honesty, I didn’t like this book very much. The dad was awful, the cousin was awful, the friend wasn’t too bad, but still awful. There was abuse, physical and emotional. Some of the characters had some less than reputable jobs. I did like Wil and the girl, I can only remember Wils name though out of all of them. But in general the book felt a bit flat and the content made it even less of a good book for me. Plus, I was expecting more faith content, there was basically none and that made me really sad. It could have been so much better. Not for me.
July 7, 2025
A dragon story that is slightly reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast but is a unique story all on its own.
I loved reading about the dragon and discovering the lore behind them in this story. There's also a mysterious castle with hidden secrets that was fun to read as well. I was really hoping this was a romance and I was pleasantly surprised that it was!
There were a few bits that I would have liked to get more from (particularly with the ending).
I think this book is best read without knowing much about it beforehand, so Im trying to be a helpful but vague as possible with this review.
Content: domestic abuse, parental apathy
Christian faith rating: 1/3 Christian fantasy-- a God representation included as a main plot point
I loved reading about the dragon and discovering the lore behind them in this story. There's also a mysterious castle with hidden secrets that was fun to read as well. I was really hoping this was a romance and I was pleasantly surprised that it was!
There were a few bits that I would have liked to get more from (particularly with the ending).
I think this book is best read without knowing much about it beforehand, so Im trying to be a helpful but vague as possible with this review.
Content: domestic abuse, parental apathy
Christian faith rating: 1/3 Christian fantasy-- a God representation included as a main plot point
October 24, 2025
One of my favorite fantasy books to date! Inspired by the tales of Rumpelstiltskin and Beauty and the Beast. I loved the romance, the different settings and the action. It felt like I was watching a movie and literary finished over 300 pages in six hours! 6⭐
*thank you to Enclave publishing for a complimentary copy of this book to read, All thoughts are my own.
*thank you to Enclave publishing for a complimentary copy of this book to read, All thoughts are my own.
August 31, 2026
“Thank you for showing me stories… you reminded me why they matter.”
4.25 stars! This book definitely surprised me! The plot was not what I expected, and I ended up loving it anyway.
Content Warnings
-Violence (not descriptive)
-Magic (more below)
-Religion (more below)
-One or two kissing scenes (not descriptive)
-Suggestions of intercourse/prostitution (very vague)
-Teen marriage
-Abuse/References to abuse
-14+
Plot
A little slow at first, but then it became pretty fast pace so I can’t complain. I was actually surprised by some of the plot twists (mainly because I had no idea what the book was about, I just grabbed it off the shelf). I think I actually preferred this writing style to Victoria Mccombs’ (shocking). I was also glad that it was a Christian speculative fiction! For some reason I confused this book with another more secular one (Flame Theory, maybe?), and I was prepared for more bad content. But it was entirely clean, which I appreciate!
Characters
-Gilde: The author actually put together her personality really well! I love how she was always cautious, but super brave and loyal when needed.
-The Dad (who will remain nameless bc i lowk forgot his name): He was not what I expected, but it was interesting to have a villain with a morally grey personality, and he ended up being a pretty great villain.
-Isa: Also interesting. I didn’t like her at first, mostly because of her mood swings, but now I realize that she can’t be blamed for them. Like what do you mean you were forced to marry someone at fourteen who happens to be abusive? She ended up being a really sweet side character.
-Wil: Now he was intriguing. He had a great balance of mysterious yet sweet, and he and Gilde mesh together perfectly.
-Marcus: He really was sweet, though I kind of doubt all of the good deeds he did because of his intentions.
-Adrian: I definitely wish he had more development… too bad there’s no book 2.
-Petra: I lowk just like her because she reminds me of my own grandma.
Romance
SOOOO cute! It was more of a slow-burn (a.k.a one of my favorites), and all of the scenes and build up were great. Also totally clean!
Worldbuilding
I think you all know what I’m about to say… I WANT A MAP. The lore was great and all but it’s just so much easier for me to imagine things with a map. Otherwise, it was built great and I loved everything about it.
Magic
Just a few warnings for y’all. Most of the magic has to do with wizardry. Wizardry is considered evil, but basically, they create magical artifacts using either blood or killing a spark (which I will explain later). Some are alchemists, and the gold they create basically can enchant people to serve you, until they become sick and die. Sparks are basically people who were gifted with a special ability. This ability starts to show when the person comes of age, but wizards can sense it beforehand. The abilities range from a lot of things, such as being really good at a certain skill or just being athletic. After the prime of their life, the gift fades away from the spark. There was also mentions of one character being an oracle, though it’s not really confirmed or denied that he is or not.
Religion
Like I said before, this is a Christian speculative fiction, which basically means that it doesn’t specifically focus on Christianity, but there are a lot of good themes. There are a few mentions of speculating whether or not God was real. That’s about it.
That’s about it! I definitely enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to yall who like dragons and clean fantasy. I may also look into more books by this author, because I did enjoy her writing style. Tell me what you guys think!
Thanks for reading if you got this far! Jesus loves yall and so do I 🫶🏻
4.25 stars! This book definitely surprised me! The plot was not what I expected, and I ended up loving it anyway.
Content Warnings
-Violence (not descriptive)
-Magic (more below)
-Religion (more below)
-One or two kissing scenes (not descriptive)
-Suggestions of intercourse/prostitution (very vague)
-Teen marriage
-Abuse/References to abuse
-14+
Plot
A little slow at first, but then it became pretty fast pace so I can’t complain. I was actually surprised by some of the plot twists (mainly because I had no idea what the book was about, I just grabbed it off the shelf). I think I actually preferred this writing style to Victoria Mccombs’ (shocking). I was also glad that it was a Christian speculative fiction! For some reason I confused this book with another more secular one (Flame Theory, maybe?), and I was prepared for more bad content. But it was entirely clean, which I appreciate!
Characters
-Gilde: The author actually put together her personality really well! I love how she was always cautious, but super brave and loyal when needed.
-The Dad (who will remain nameless bc i lowk forgot his name): He was not what I expected, but it was interesting to have a villain with a morally grey personality, and he ended up being a pretty great villain.
-Isa: Also interesting. I didn’t like her at first, mostly because of her mood swings, but now I realize that she can’t be blamed for them. Like what do you mean you were forced to marry someone at fourteen who happens to be abusive? She ended up being a really sweet side character.
-Wil: Now he was intriguing. He had a great balance of mysterious yet sweet, and he and Gilde mesh together perfectly.
-Marcus: He really was sweet, though I kind of doubt all of the good deeds he did because of his intentions.
-Adrian: I definitely wish he had more development… too bad there’s no book 2.
-Petra: I lowk just like her because she reminds me of my own grandma.
Romance
SOOOO cute! It was more of a slow-burn (a.k.a one of my favorites), and all of the scenes and build up were great. Also totally clean!
Worldbuilding
I think you all know what I’m about to say… I WANT A MAP. The lore was great and all but it’s just so much easier for me to imagine things with a map. Otherwise, it was built great and I loved everything about it.
Magic
Just a few warnings for y’all. Most of the magic has to do with wizardry. Wizardry is considered evil, but basically, they create magical artifacts using either blood or killing a spark (which I will explain later). Some are alchemists, and the gold they create basically can enchant people to serve you, until they become sick and die. Sparks are basically people who were gifted with a special ability. This ability starts to show when the person comes of age, but wizards can sense it beforehand. The abilities range from a lot of things, such as being really good at a certain skill or just being athletic. After the prime of their life, the gift fades away from the spark. There was also mentions of one character being an oracle, though it’s not really confirmed or denied that he is or not.
Religion
Like I said before, this is a Christian speculative fiction, which basically means that it doesn’t specifically focus on Christianity, but there are a lot of good themes. There are a few mentions of speculating whether or not God was real. That’s about it.
That’s about it! I definitely enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to yall who like dragons and clean fantasy. I may also look into more books by this author, because I did enjoy her writing style. Tell me what you guys think!
Thanks for reading if you got this far! Jesus loves yall and so do I 🫶🏻
April 19, 2026
Book-Embergold
Author-Rachelle Nelson
Pages-325
Genre-Fantasy
First thoughts:
Hopefully this book is as good as “The Sky of Seven Colors”!
Ship/Romance:
2/5: Truthfully, I struggle reading books with romance between a human and another creature (not a humanoid creature)
Age Rating:
13+
🚫Content Warnings🚫:
Language-0/5: None
Spice-0.5/5: Brief, non-descriptive kissing and talk about their feelings for each other. Isa tells Gilde to stay away from men (older readers can fill in the blanks)
Violence/Scariness-1/5: Magic is used to attempt to kill Wil…pretty much it.
Drinking-0/5: None that I remember.
LGTBQ-0/5: None!
Other concerns-*minor spoiler* Gilde’s father is proven to be a wizard (clearly shown as evil). The magic takes a bad toll on everyone around him.
Author-Rachelle Nelson
Pages-325
Genre-Fantasy
First thoughts:
Hopefully this book is as good as “The Sky of Seven Colors”!
Ship/Romance:
2/5: Truthfully, I struggle reading books with romance between a human and another creature (not a humanoid creature)
Age Rating:
13+
🚫Content Warnings🚫:
Language-0/5: None
Spice-0.5/5: Brief, non-descriptive kissing and talk about their feelings for each other. Isa tells Gilde to stay away from men (older readers can fill in the blanks)
Violence/Scariness-1/5: Magic is used to attempt to kill Wil…pretty much it.
Drinking-0/5: None that I remember.
LGTBQ-0/5: None!
Other concerns-*minor spoiler* Gilde’s father is proven to be a wizard (clearly shown as evil). The magic takes a bad toll on everyone around him.
April 17, 2025
Embergold is a unique tale with elements of Beauty and the Beast, sacrificial love, a talking dragon, and a plot that will hook readers from the first chapter.
I am not YA's biggest fan, but when I read the blurb for Embergold, I knew I needed to read this book, and I'm happy I did. What a ride. There were some touching moments, some breath-holding moments, and some tenderly sweet moments. Glide was a great protagonist, but Wil was my favorite character. The reading scenes in particular made him quite endearing.
As I mentioned in the first paragraph, this book contains sacrificial love, and plenty of it. That was one of my favorite things about Embergold. It is displayed in so many ways, from Wil caring for Glide during an injury, to a secondary character attempting to protect Glide, to Glide willing to give everything for Wil's life.
Sensitive readers should note that there are some heavier and darker themes in this book, but not in a positive light. Alchemy is discussed quite often, divination is mentioned as is the attempt to bring back the dead, magic is shown as evil, and there a ghost-like creatures that will likely send a shiver down your spine. Again, these things are not promoted in a positive light and it is clearly illustrated how dangerous it is to attempt to alter life's natural course.
In conclusion, Embergold is a story readers of clean fantasy will enjoy. I hope we see more of Glide and Wil.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in conjunction with CelebrateLit. All opinions expressed are my own.
I am not YA's biggest fan, but when I read the blurb for Embergold, I knew I needed to read this book, and I'm happy I did. What a ride. There were some touching moments, some breath-holding moments, and some tenderly sweet moments. Glide was a great protagonist, but Wil was my favorite character. The reading scenes in particular made him quite endearing.
As I mentioned in the first paragraph, this book contains sacrificial love, and plenty of it. That was one of my favorite things about Embergold. It is displayed in so many ways, from Wil caring for Glide during an injury, to a secondary character attempting to protect Glide, to Glide willing to give everything for Wil's life.
Sensitive readers should note that there are some heavier and darker themes in this book, but not in a positive light. Alchemy is discussed quite often, divination is mentioned as is the attempt to bring back the dead, magic is shown as evil, and there a ghost-like creatures that will likely send a shiver down your spine. Again, these things are not promoted in a positive light and it is clearly illustrated how dangerous it is to attempt to alter life's natural course.
In conclusion, Embergold is a story readers of clean fantasy will enjoy. I hope we see more of Glide and Wil.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in conjunction with CelebrateLit. All opinions expressed are my own.
December 23, 2024
I read this in (for all intents and purposes) one day. And I loved it. The wonderful illustrations of dying to self were especially potent in this story. Looking forward to writing a much longer review for this in Clean Fiction Magazine's Spring edition, early next year.
March 30, 2025
I thought Nelson’s next book couldn’t get any better than Sky of Seven Colors.
I was wrong.
Embergold is a touching, heart-aching tale of a young woman who longs to be known and a dragon who needs to be freed. It’s filled with rich allegorical depth worthy of C. S. Lewis, painting a beautiful picture of the grace of God.
The worldbuilding is unique and well done. I loved the Beauty and the Beast vibes—definitely an interesting spin on the classic concept!
I can only describe Nelson’s writing as bittersweet. There’s an air of sadness attached to it, mourning the brokenness of the world, but it’s sadness tinged with hope, itself a testament to better things to come. It’s refreshing.
I highly recommend this book for readers aged 13+!
I was wrong.
Embergold is a touching, heart-aching tale of a young woman who longs to be known and a dragon who needs to be freed. It’s filled with rich allegorical depth worthy of C. S. Lewis, painting a beautiful picture of the grace of God.
The worldbuilding is unique and well done. I loved the Beauty and the Beast vibes—definitely an interesting spin on the classic concept!
I can only describe Nelson’s writing as bittersweet. There’s an air of sadness attached to it, mourning the brokenness of the world, but it’s sadness tinged with hope, itself a testament to better things to come. It’s refreshing.
I highly recommend this book for readers aged 13+!
May 5, 2026
4.5 ♥️
Who would’ve thought I’d be in the mood for some fairytale/cozy fantasy this past month?
This was so so nostalgically good!
Some slow parts ranged from 2-3 stars for me (especially the beginning),
But other parts were 4-5 stars (*ehem* the romantic parts)
And the ending was wonderfully done!
Their romance is at the top of my 2026 reading list so far.
And I also love how the main character was determined to know more about Jesus in the end ♥️ That was the best part.
I’m thinking of reading another of the author’s works… should I? I think we’ll see soon enough.
All glory belongs to God alone! God bless you all 🙏
Who would’ve thought I’d be in the mood for some fairytale/cozy fantasy this past month?
This was so so nostalgically good!
Some slow parts ranged from 2-3 stars for me (especially the beginning),
But other parts were 4-5 stars (*ehem* the romantic parts)
And the ending was wonderfully done!
Their romance is at the top of my 2026 reading list so far.
And I also love how the main character was determined to know more about Jesus in the end ♥️ That was the best part.
I’m thinking of reading another of the author’s works… should I? I think we’ll see soon enough.
All glory belongs to God alone! God bless you all 🙏
April 3, 2025
This ended up being quite disappointing, from a potential four star read to a solid three and then all the way down to two, bored out of my mind stars 🙃
The beginning was great; the atmosphere and the characters felt fairytale like, the dragon with a secret and a castle full of trapped magic and curses kept me wanting more... The bond between the dragon and Gilde showed signs of a good kind of slow burn but then they left the castle and it all went to shit. Any tension or interest the story held was gone.
The worldbuilding ended up being extremely shallow and predictable, the entire embergold/dragon explaination was even worse. But yeah, eveything was just blabbed out in big chunks of wobbly exposition and nothing felt truly genuine. Not even the love story (that felt so so rushed and forced omg it was painful to read at the moments).
I was honestly debating whether to dnf it halfway through but I pushed through in hope it would get better... or just manage to surprise me. Neither ended up being the case henceme skimming the last 50ish pages and yeah, the resolution to the curse was shit. Random characters started popping up pretending they are important and so and so forth. I also wish we could've explored Gilde's relationship with her father more, wish we delved deeper into it...
So yeah, sadly this was a huge waste of my time 🤷🏻♀️
The beginning was great; the atmosphere and the characters felt fairytale like, the dragon with a secret and a castle full of trapped magic and curses kept me wanting more... The bond between the dragon and Gilde showed signs of a good kind of slow burn but then they left the castle and it all went to shit. Any tension or interest the story held was gone.
The worldbuilding ended up being extremely shallow and predictable, the entire embergold/dragon explaination was even worse. But yeah, eveything was just blabbed out in big chunks of wobbly exposition and nothing felt truly genuine. Not even the love story (that felt so so rushed and forced omg it was painful to read at the moments).
I was honestly debating whether to dnf it halfway through but I pushed through in hope it would get better... or just manage to surprise me. Neither ended up being the case henceme skimming the last 50ish pages and yeah, the resolution to the curse was shit. Random characters started popping up pretending they are important and so and so forth. I also wish we could've explored Gilde's relationship with her father more, wish we delved deeper into it...
So yeah, sadly this was a huge waste of my time 🤷🏻♀️
Read
February 4, 2025DNF at 30% 🫣.
It’s always difficult to step away from a book, especially when I’ve agreed to endorse it, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to continue.
While I can see that this book may resonate with many readers, I personally struggled to connect with the story. One aspect that was particularly challenging for me was the main character’s heart health issue, which is a sensitive topic for me. By the 30% mark, I realized I wasn’t able to fully engage with the narrative.
That said, I do think the book has a lot of potential, especially for readers who are drawn to character-driven stories. The writing is solid, and the premise could be very appealing to those who are interested in this kind of plot.
I believe this book will find its audience, even though it wasn’t the right fit for me. A complimentary copy was provided by the author, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s always difficult to step away from a book, especially when I’ve agreed to endorse it, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to continue.
While I can see that this book may resonate with many readers, I personally struggled to connect with the story. One aspect that was particularly challenging for me was the main character’s heart health issue, which is a sensitive topic for me. By the 30% mark, I realized I wasn’t able to fully engage with the narrative.
That said, I do think the book has a lot of potential, especially for readers who are drawn to character-driven stories. The writing is solid, and the premise could be very appealing to those who are interested in this kind of plot.
I believe this book will find its audience, even though it wasn’t the right fit for me. A complimentary copy was provided by the author, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 4, 2025
This book weaves a beautiful story of self-sacrifice and true love. The biblical parallels in the novel are incredibly well done. Main character Gilde goes through many trials over the course of the novel, developing into a resilient and selfless young woman. I enjoyed every minute of this action-packed, romantic, imaginative tale.
Be sure to add this to your TBR and check out the pre-order price when you order directly from the Enclave website.
Thank you to the author for a complimentary review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Be sure to add this to your TBR and check out the pre-order price when you order directly from the Enclave website.
Thank you to the author for a complimentary review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
May 26, 2025
I already want to read this book again. So good!
Perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast reimaginings, fairytales, found family, self discovery, beautiful prose, and sweet love stories.
I ADORE this book and will now always recommend it!
Perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast reimaginings, fairytales, found family, self discovery, beautiful prose, and sweet love stories.
I ADORE this book and will now always recommend it!
February 4, 2026
Pros: This book is very well-written, and the initial premise is really unique and interesting. Gilde was a sympathetic character and the marsh setting really drew me in. I thought the encampment had potential to be a dynamic setting as well, but we didn’t spend much time there.
Cons: Once Gilde is taken by the dragon, things began to go downhill for me. Basically, this story just became a really odd, rushed romance. Wil is a dragon for most of the time Gilde is falling in love/actually in love with him, and that just gave the relationship a super weird and awkward feel.
When Wil was human, the emphasis seemed to always be on his drop-dead gorgeous looks, which made me wonder if Gilde loved him or if she just loved the way he looked.
This book is marketed as a Christian fantasy, but it didn’t really feel Christian to me. The Christian themes don’t start until about halfway into the book, when Wil and Gilde read a story that’s reminiscent of the Creation. I didn’t like that at that moment, God’s power was compared to/called a form of “magic”. The idea of a Creator comes up a few more times in the book, but those scenes seemed thrown into the plot. Faith wasn’t woven in as part of the story. Wil has a moment where he “surrenders” to something, but the way it’s told it seemed like he was surrendering to some sort of river god that magically spoke to him? And his “conversion” didn’t really change anything, he doesn’t even try to convert Gilde, the love of his life…
At one point, Gilde chooses to call on an evil/super creepy ghost for help - I don’t understand why the author didn’t use that scene to have Gilde put her faith in this Creator she keeps hemming and hawing about? The ghost’s magic was so awful and evil, I didn’t like that Gilde turned to it for help.
Speaking of magic, this book is full of evil, dark magic that involves blood sacrifice and death. It’s in almost every chapter and I thought it was too much for a Christian book. The beginning of the book also talks a lot about a woman, Isa, being forced into marriage as a child (age 14). Her husband, Guntor, ends up being an abusive alcoholic, and this plot point added to the heavy/dark tone of the story.
Another thing that bothered me is that there were multiple scenes where Wil walked in on Gilde bathing/partially undressed. Why were these scenes included in a YA Christian book? Just to build tension? There are better ways to do that. There was also a lot of emphasis on Wil being half naked when he transformed - again, totally unnecessary in a book for young people.
Cons: Once Gilde is taken by the dragon, things began to go downhill for me. Basically, this story just became a really odd, rushed romance. Wil is a dragon for most of the time Gilde is falling in love/actually in love with him, and that just gave the relationship a super weird and awkward feel.
When Wil was human, the emphasis seemed to always be on his drop-dead gorgeous looks, which made me wonder if Gilde loved him or if she just loved the way he looked.
This book is marketed as a Christian fantasy, but it didn’t really feel Christian to me. The Christian themes don’t start until about halfway into the book, when Wil and Gilde read a story that’s reminiscent of the Creation. I didn’t like that at that moment, God’s power was compared to/called a form of “magic”. The idea of a Creator comes up a few more times in the book, but those scenes seemed thrown into the plot. Faith wasn’t woven in as part of the story. Wil has a moment where he “surrenders” to something, but the way it’s told it seemed like he was surrendering to some sort of river god that magically spoke to him? And his “conversion” didn’t really change anything, he doesn’t even try to convert Gilde, the love of his life…
At one point, Gilde chooses to call on an evil/super creepy ghost for help - I don’t understand why the author didn’t use that scene to have Gilde put her faith in this Creator she keeps hemming and hawing about? The ghost’s magic was so awful and evil, I didn’t like that Gilde turned to it for help.
Speaking of magic, this book is full of evil, dark magic that involves blood sacrifice and death. It’s in almost every chapter and I thought it was too much for a Christian book. The beginning of the book also talks a lot about a woman, Isa, being forced into marriage as a child (age 14). Her husband, Guntor, ends up being an abusive alcoholic, and this plot point added to the heavy/dark tone of the story.
Another thing that bothered me is that there were multiple scenes where Wil walked in on Gilde bathing/partially undressed. Why were these scenes included in a YA Christian book? Just to build tension? There are better ways to do that. There was also a lot of emphasis on Wil being half naked when he transformed - again, totally unnecessary in a book for young people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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