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Gilded Blood
He watched her family burn. She saved his life anyway.
Isolde has spent seven years hiding in a medieval cathedral, pretending to be a nun, burying the memory of the village the Yorkists destroyed. When a wounded soldier crawls through the doors begging for sanctuary, she should let him bleed out on the flagstones.
But something ancient stirs in the cathedral's foundations. Something that remembers.
Aurelian is a deserter, a coward, and a man who can't stop dreaming of a priest in white robes and a woman he loved but couldn't touch. When he meets Isolde, he recognizes her—not her face, but her soul. They've done this before. Loved before. Failed before.
For two thousand years, the Root has been waiting—binding their souls, pulling them back, watching them repeat the same tragic pattern. This time, with war at the gates and Inquisitors on the way, they have one chance to break free.
But breaking the pattern means choosing love over survival. And in a world that calls their connection heresy, the cost of that choice might be everything.
Cathedral of the Crows, Book 2 Gothic romance. Reincarnation. The love story that finally earns its happy ending.
Isolde has spent seven years hiding in a medieval cathedral, pretending to be a nun, burying the memory of the village the Yorkists destroyed. When a wounded soldier crawls through the doors begging for sanctuary, she should let him bleed out on the flagstones.
But something ancient stirs in the cathedral's foundations. Something that remembers.
Aurelian is a deserter, a coward, and a man who can't stop dreaming of a priest in white robes and a woman he loved but couldn't touch. When he meets Isolde, he recognizes her—not her face, but her soul. They've done this before. Loved before. Failed before.
For two thousand years, the Root has been waiting—binding their souls, pulling them back, watching them repeat the same tragic pattern. This time, with war at the gates and Inquisitors on the way, they have one chance to break free.
But breaking the pattern means choosing love over survival. And in a world that calls their connection heresy, the cost of that choice might be everything.
Cathedral of the Crows, Book 2 Gothic romance. Reincarnation. The love story that finally earns its happy ending.
- GenresFantasy
238 pages, Paperback
Published February 15, 2026
1 person is currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
Kate Seger
124 books139 followersKate is a book worm, dog mom, and world-builder, living on the banks of the Hudson River in NY. Her #lifegoal is to be kidnapped by the Fae or stumble into a portal and be transported to a magical land.
A lover of mythology and fairy tales, Kate writes YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Her first novel, "The Wood Witch's Daughter," just launched on April 20th!
She has since thrown herself into the chaotic mayhem that passes for her writing process in an attempt to write the sequel.
A lover of mythology and fairy tales, Kate writes YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Her first novel, "The Wood Witch's Daughter," just launched on April 20th!
She has since thrown herself into the chaotic mayhem that passes for her writing process in an attempt to write the sequel.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 10, 2026
This just didn't hit like the first one. I missed how in love the characters were and it really felt like they were only together because "the fates" said they had too be. "I'll never forgive you but I choose you anyway" girlie you could just not choose him, that would be totally valid. I also felt like the flashbacks in this book added to the emotional distance between the characters instead of bringing them together. The plot also felt less refined. I am obsessed with the idea for this duology and I think that it's so beautiful but I really want them to be more in love if this is finally their happy ending.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 20, 2026
This book had a lot of promise. I like the author’s writing style, I absolutely loved the magic of the world she created and the premise, I loved the impossible conflict of interests for the main characters, but the story did not deliver for me.
It lacked the tension and pacing of the first book. I didn’t quite follow the significance of the original inciting moment with the Keeper and the Seeker until the idea came back again at the end of the book. But because of that, the grandiose language didn’t resonate the same way for me that it did in the first book. The characters even begin speaking together in these melodramatic, cryptically metaphorical ways that first of all, is not how people talk, and secondly, I didn’t even follow how they had gotten to those conclusions or profound observations. I wasn’t bought into what was happening.
The most disappointing and uncomfortable part was the lack of chemistry between Isolde and Aurelius. Their pull to each other felt like it was a duty to fate, an arranged marriage by the Root, and not something Isolde especially was interested in. She describes repeatedly how much she hates Aurelius, and repeatedly his touch makes her recoil or flinch, so when they hop into to getting it on, it feels abrupt and ritualistic. I understood their connection as souls across time - and I loved that - but didn’t feel how they were attracted to each other as physical beings in the present moment. There was a lot description of emotions and connection that didn’t ring true for me. The coda was probably my favorite part. That was such a neat idea.
Lastly, there were typos throughout the book, repeated text, both of which were odd enough to be distracting. It needed another sturdy round of proofreading.
I received a free advance reader copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It lacked the tension and pacing of the first book. I didn’t quite follow the significance of the original inciting moment with the Keeper and the Seeker until the idea came back again at the end of the book. But because of that, the grandiose language didn’t resonate the same way for me that it did in the first book. The characters even begin speaking together in these melodramatic, cryptically metaphorical ways that first of all, is not how people talk, and secondly, I didn’t even follow how they had gotten to those conclusions or profound observations. I wasn’t bought into what was happening.
The most disappointing and uncomfortable part was the lack of chemistry between Isolde and Aurelius. Their pull to each other felt like it was a duty to fate, an arranged marriage by the Root, and not something Isolde especially was interested in. She describes repeatedly how much she hates Aurelius, and repeatedly his touch makes her recoil or flinch, so when they hop into to getting it on, it feels abrupt and ritualistic. I understood their connection as souls across time - and I loved that - but didn’t feel how they were attracted to each other as physical beings in the present moment. There was a lot description of emotions and connection that didn’t ring true for me. The coda was probably my favorite part. That was such a neat idea.
Lastly, there were typos throughout the book, repeated text, both of which were odd enough to be distracting. It needed another sturdy round of proofreading.
I received a free advance reader copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 14, 2026
I liked the first book in this duology, and have enjoyed other stories by Kate Seger immensely. Gilded Blood has interesting premise: a betrayal between fated mates that follows them through millenia until the wrong has been made right. Unfortunately, the book left me feeling confused and disappointed.
My main issue is that there were so many inconsistencies, dropped threads in the plot, and unexplained occurrences. The backstories for the two main characters, Isolde and Aurelian, had gaps or conflicting information. We don't learn how Isolde survived the fire in Ashworth until 80% of the way through the story, and then the recounting is riddled with conflicting information. I never fully grasped the relationship between Aurelian and Mowbray, or why Mowbray was so fixated on this one soldier among so many under his command.
Many times I found it difficult to understand the actions, motivations, and decisions made by the main and secondary characters. Some suddenly switched allegiances, some doggedly pursued a course of action, and some gave up way too easily, all without a clear explanation or valid reason. As a result, a large part of the plot felt either messy, unrealistic, or vague.
Their relationship between Aurelian and Isolde also seemed forced on them by fate rather than something they choose. In their previous incarnations as Marius and Elowen, as well as Ambrose and Adeline, they were fighting a forbidden love and deep attraction, but there wasn't any similar chemistry between the characters in the present. Neither one muses to themselves about the other's attractiveness, and there's no gradual build up of affection, physical contact, or trust. It doesn't feel like they "fall in love," but more as if they act out their parts in a story written thousands of years ago without any free will in the present.
While I normally find this author's prose to be lyrical and evocative, in this story it didn't resonate or touch my heart the way it has before because the characters felt inauthentic and the plot was so unbelievable. There were some repetitive parts in the writing and several instances where incorrect words was used such as "with" instead of "who."
Overall, this book felt like several versions of the same story patched together in a way that didn't add up to a cohesive narrative. The idea behind it really is interesting and and full of potential. With a lot more editing, it could really have been a poignant and engaging story.
I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
My main issue is that there were so many inconsistencies, dropped threads in the plot, and unexplained occurrences. The backstories for the two main characters, Isolde and Aurelian, had gaps or conflicting information. We don't learn how Isolde survived the fire in Ashworth until 80% of the way through the story, and then the recounting is riddled with conflicting information. I never fully grasped the relationship between Aurelian and Mowbray, or why Mowbray was so fixated on this one soldier among so many under his command.
Many times I found it difficult to understand the actions, motivations, and decisions made by the main and secondary characters. Some suddenly switched allegiances, some doggedly pursued a course of action, and some gave up way too easily, all without a clear explanation or valid reason. As a result, a large part of the plot felt either messy, unrealistic, or vague.
Their relationship between Aurelian and Isolde also seemed forced on them by fate rather than something they choose. In their previous incarnations as Marius and Elowen, as well as Ambrose and Adeline, they were fighting a forbidden love and deep attraction, but there wasn't any similar chemistry between the characters in the present. Neither one muses to themselves about the other's attractiveness, and there's no gradual build up of affection, physical contact, or trust. It doesn't feel like they "fall in love," but more as if they act out their parts in a story written thousands of years ago without any free will in the present.
While I normally find this author's prose to be lyrical and evocative, in this story it didn't resonate or touch my heart the way it has before because the characters felt inauthentic and the plot was so unbelievable. There were some repetitive parts in the writing and several instances where incorrect words was used such as "with" instead of "who."
Overall, this book felt like several versions of the same story patched together in a way that didn't add up to a cohesive narrative. The idea behind it really is interesting and and full of potential. With a lot more editing, it could really have been a poignant and engaging story.
I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 28, 2026
This was SUCH a fantastic sequel to Mirror Heart - still not entirely sure about some of the reasons behind some things (but I think that is intentional and this book and the first are all building towards us finding out more/getting more answers in book 3, so I don't mind and am happy to wait and see.)
Was sooooo happy to get to see a bit more first life lore dropped, getting to see more progress towards fixing what was broken 2000 years prior. Absolutely loved the main characters, Isolde and Aurelian, but Sister Margarethe and even Mother Superior and Crispen had their moments, Mowbray was exactly as awful as expected, though.
The Epilogue and Coda had some awesome details and revelations, I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil anything, but I CANNOT wait for what I presume Mirror Heart and Gilded Blood are building towards for book three - SUPER excited to see what all they build through future lives, or if we will get to see some of the details in the Epilogue and Coda fleshed out more, or if there's more First Life lore to discover.
The book is definitely a bit different from my usual kind, but they are fantastic and I can not recommend this one enough - it's not pushy or cringy or anything with the religious elements behind the characters, those against The Root, etc, and has enough fun elements from the gothic and historical romance sides, definitely hope there's plans to show us what exactly they and The Root build in the coming centuries or millennia.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Was sooooo happy to get to see a bit more first life lore dropped, getting to see more progress towards fixing what was broken 2000 years prior. Absolutely loved the main characters, Isolde and Aurelian, but Sister Margarethe and even Mother Superior and Crispen had their moments, Mowbray was exactly as awful as expected, though.
The Epilogue and Coda had some awesome details and revelations, I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil anything, but I CANNOT wait for what I presume Mirror Heart and Gilded Blood are building towards for book three - SUPER excited to see what all they build through future lives, or if we will get to see some of the details in the Epilogue and Coda fleshed out more, or if there's more First Life lore to discover.
The book is definitely a bit different from my usual kind, but they are fantastic and I can not recommend this one enough - it's not pushy or cringy or anything with the religious elements behind the characters, those against The Root, etc, and has enough fun elements from the gothic and historical romance sides, definitely hope there's plans to show us what exactly they and The Root build in the coming centuries or millennia.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 22, 2026
Gilded Blood is not a standalone - it is best understood if you read Mirror Heart first, and I see that there is a prequel, too.
The primary theme of choice vs duty continues with the 2nd book of the duet. Sister Silence, aka Isolde in a past life, is confronted with harsh memories when a Yorkist is bleeding at the convent's steps. It would be so much easier if this traitor was left to die, but duty digs hard at Isolde, despite her history. The soldier knows that he does not deserve the compassion provided, and soon enough the two are called into question by the higher-ups within the church. It is almost like Father Ambrose and Aveline all over again.
However, the cycle ends.
With Ms Seger's sparse language, you still feel the tension between Isolde and the injured Aurelian. There is no sense of enablement between the two main characters, even when their respective institutions give them over to the inquisitors to maintain the status quo. I lamented the choice that started the destructive cycle and cheered with Isolde and Aurelian broke it together. Isolde did not love Aurelian, but he knew that he had no reason to have anything but hatred from her.
Duty vs choice is a trope that exists too much in reality but reading how it can yield a HEA/HFN is one of the most rewarding to see in a book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The primary theme of choice vs duty continues with the 2nd book of the duet. Sister Silence, aka Isolde in a past life, is confronted with harsh memories when a Yorkist is bleeding at the convent's steps. It would be so much easier if this traitor was left to die, but duty digs hard at Isolde, despite her history. The soldier knows that he does not deserve the compassion provided, and soon enough the two are called into question by the higher-ups within the church. It is almost like Father Ambrose and Aveline all over again.
However, the cycle ends.
With Ms Seger's sparse language, you still feel the tension between Isolde and the injured Aurelian. There is no sense of enablement between the two main characters, even when their respective institutions give them over to the inquisitors to maintain the status quo. I lamented the choice that started the destructive cycle and cheered with Isolde and Aurelian broke it together. Isolde did not love Aurelian, but he knew that he had no reason to have anything but hatred from her.
Duty vs choice is a trope that exists too much in reality but reading how it can yield a HEA/HFN is one of the most rewarding to see in a book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 2, 2026
This was such a fascinating duology to read.
every moment made me think and question.
This is not the story of romance and conventional HEA, although there is one. This is the story of making a choice. A story about growth, about challenging the norm, and standing for love over easy paths.
I loved that it was set during the war of the roses. I grew up in Yorkshire and studied it in school so this felt close to home for me.
every moment made me think and question.
This is not the story of romance and conventional HEA, although there is one. This is the story of making a choice. A story about growth, about challenging the norm, and standing for love over easy paths.
I loved that it was set during the war of the roses. I grew up in Yorkshire and studied it in school so this felt close to home for me.
March 3, 2026
This book had my attention from the moment I started it. It picked up from the end of book On but in this life, Isolde is a nun in the church who saves Aurelian who is a wounded soldier that comes to the church to seek refuge. She keeps him away from other nuns and the soldiers looking for him. Both begin to have dreams about past lives and their souls begin to recognize each other. A beautiful ending to their journey in this duet.
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March 12, 2026I really enjoyed this book and reading about how these two souls finally got it right. I loved the twist in how everything started and loved the little bits at the end that shows how the cycle continued. The writing was just as beautiful as the first book. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thank you to the author and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 19, 2026
This was a great ending to the story. I loved how it spanned several lifetimes and then they finally got it right. The fact that they choose each other even when they hated. The fact that this makes you feel all the feelings and then you get a completion like we do. I have loved Kate Seger's writing since the first book I read. Will continue to read everything that she writes.
March 27, 2026
As I had devoured book 1 in this duology, I could not wait for book 2. Luckily I did not have to wait long as thanks to booksirens for providing the arc. I have to say, book 2, you did not disappoint. We continue the tale of the Root, this time set in the Wars of the Roses. A soldier and a girl from opposite sides of the war but drawn together by the irresistible bond of the Root, only this time, will the outcome be different? This is the 3rd book I have read by this author who is rapidly becoming a favourite of mine.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews