Reviews with content warning for Animal death - Gilded

I loved this book! I have always been majorly into fairytale retellings and this one really did it for me. There are some dark parts, so check the CWs before you read. Looking forward to the second book!!

Content Warnings

takarakei's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I’m not super familiar with the Rumplestiltskin fairy tale but this seemed like a fairly dark twist on the tale. I think it was a bit long and could’ve been edited down to keep it more condensed and punchy plot wise. I really enjoyed Serilda’s gift for storytelling throughout the book, but this did the whole - not a whole lot of action must be saving it all for book 2 thing

🌶️ 2.5/5 (closed door)

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millyfox's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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jessyhayward's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Marissa Meyer’s Gilded is a dark and intriguing retelling of Rumplestiltskin which involves gods, curses, faeries, a pinch of romance, and a young woman with a penchant for lies.

Unfortunately, I have mixed views on this book. It was pretty good, but it wasn’t great, and the story really lagged in some areas. The book didn’t actually have to be that size, especially since a lot of the story is basically an internal monologue. So yeah, the pacing was strange. Another thing that disappointed me is the lack of world-building. For such an epic fantasy, it really didn’t tell you all that much about how and where the characters lived. This made it rather vague and somewhat forgettable. It almost felt like a dream, which could’ve been the intention for all I know, but still. I also did not really buy the romance between Serilda, our main character, and her love interest. It felt flat and didn’t really connect with me much.

That being said, I read it all in one day (and sitting) so it definitely wasn’t boring. The plot, while having strange pacing, is a cool and unique (as much as it can be) retelling of Rumplestiltskin. Serilda is an extremely interesting character with a personality I rarely see in fantasy books. Her backstory is even more interesting but I won’t mention that due to potential spoilers. Her dialogue and thoughts felt real and were enjoyable to read, which is the main reason I continued the story with the above dislikes. I loved that part. Gild is also uniquely characterised and has an adorable but mischievous personality that leaves a lot to be discovered (does this make sense?). I definitely liked his relationship and dialogue with Serilda, though certain parts of it were rather flat.

Also, this ends on a cliffhanger so be aware of that, especially if you haven’t bought the second book yet. Overall, I did like this book, despite a few of my complaints, and would probably read it again. I do hope that some things are improved in the sequel though.

Content Warnings

nova_lilias's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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livvya's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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