Bride of the Gilded Prince

by Silya Barakat

When the elves come looking for a bride, you do whatever it takes to protect the ones you love. Even if that means marrying the coldest and most dangerous of them all.

Thimsal’s life was perfect until she became a bargaining chip for her people. When they come to find a bride for their ruthless prince, she volunteers to save the only person who she’s ever thought of as a sister.

Now, she’s embroiled in a snake pit of court politics, which might be more treacherous than any battlefield. Thimsal may start out as a naïve outsider, but if she doesn’t become the princess she needs to be, she’ll find that there are worse endings than death in the elvish courts.

As if that weren’t enough, Prince Maedras, her betrothed, is a man with secrets of his own. She’s always known him as a monster, a creature set to end her people’s very existence, but as their courtship continues, she’ll find that there may be more to him than meets the eye.

When your people’s lives are at stake, do you trust your head or your heart? And in a world where everyone commits atrocities, how do you choose a side?

There is only one thing that matters in her world now: power. Maybe she belongs here more than she ever knew...

This slow burn romantic fantasy with a touch of spice is perfect for readers looking for an immersive, unique world.

Genres: Fantasy, Slow Burn

419 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2022

About the author

Silya Barakat is a chocolate-loving, travel-obsessed author of fae romance standalones. She draws inspiration from her Northern African roots and weaves them into her magical stories that will transport you to other worlds.

When she’s not creating enchanting tales, Silya can be found indulging in her love for cooking and trying out new recipes. Her passion for literature also extends beyond writing, as she is an avid reader of all genres.

Despite living in a small town, Silya’s imagination knows no bounds and she dreams of faraway places filled with adventure and romance. Whether it be through her writing or travels, Silya is always seeking new inspiration to fuel her stories.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this book had a slow, boring start. The party at the beginning took forever and was filled with a ton of mundane extraneous details that had nothing to do with the romance, plot, or action of the novel. I felt like this book should have started a page or two before the romantic protagonists meet or during an action scene to hold the interest of the reader. The rest of this novel had similar writing craft issues that made it much flabbier and slower than it should have been. Disappointing, because the premise sounded like something I would love. There is the germ of an excellent fantasy romance here, but the execution and writing craft just wasn’t able to fulfill the novel’s promise.

I received a free copy of this book, and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's a slow pace but I like that in fantasy books, as there's too much to know about the world on which they live in. Even with the slow pace I found myself wondering if I heard about a specific race before. This book makes you want to start reading the next one immediately and I really liked the writing.

I think that it'd be important to have more input on why the MC felt a certain way. Sometimes she believed in things that I didn't understand where they came from, maybe they were cut from the final version. I wish there was a bit more backstory to make me feel also distrustful of some of these characters. It'd make the book more compelling.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in the Eternal Court series, this is a new Author to me and it looks like this is her debut story. Prince Maedras and Thimsal's story started out slow but then I got into it more and I enjoyed the story, but it ends on a cliff-hanger. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cristina Machado · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is first in a new series that features a slow burn and spiced romance between a noble lady and an elf prince linked in a marriage of convenience. The worldbuilding is very well crafted, with clear inspiration from eastern civilizations and all the intrigues and royal politics I love to read about. It ends on a cliffhanger and I can't wait to read on.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Krissystinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading from this author along with the style. It’s definitely a great book despite its slow start and there was a lot of detail into it. Its worth a read especially if you like this style of writing