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purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Fascinating characters, beautifully built world, exquisite slow-burn pining, a plot that could use a little more substance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Sexual content
takarakei's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
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
I received an e-ARC of this book from Netgalley/publisher.
I haven't read many M/M romances, but this will likely be one that's hard to beat!
This is a SLOW BURN romance. I've heard it described as enemies to lovers, but in my opinion it's not that. Evermer is assigned as the personal guard to Kadou the shy prince whom has just found himself amidst a bit of scandal. Because of this scandal, and rumors he's heard of the prince, Evermer has pre-formed opinions and does not like the prince. Thus has very little care for Kadou beyond duty (and he takes his duties seriously). This book is the story of how their relationship changes and grows by them getting to know each other, and dealing with Kadou's severe anxiety. This is first and foremost a romance - while it is set in another 'fantasy' world, and I loved that world, the main focus is really on the romance. The fantasy elements are relatively minimal. There is some political intrigue with a bit of mystery and action, but this is definitely a secondary plotline and honestly used more to move forward the romance plot.
Cons: the beginning of the book is a bit slow to get into (but once it picks up you don't want to stop reading!), long chapters (there are 16 total in 480 pages) although I found since the dual POV switches often within a chapter there are some places to naturally pause within a chapter which I did, low fantasy (really borders on no fantasy at all, to me it's more of a historical reimagining), the political plotline is interesting and then kind of gets resolved way too easily?, the ending feels a bit rushed and left a bit open (but if there is a sequel coming, I'm here for it!)
A few things I loved about this world: A woman/sultan in charge! The bodily autonomy women have over choosing whom the father of their children is and that not inherently giving the father any power *chefs kiss*. Queer relationships are fully accepted, they are completely normal. Nonbinary characters also readily a part of this world, it took me a while to understand but the author has developed specific alternative pronouns (besides he/him, she/her) for anyone who identifies otherwise. There is also a smidge of asexual rep in a secondary character.
Wonderful world building, character development, mental health representation, and the romance is beautiful.
Marriage of convenience made me squeal out loud!
3/5 🌶️
I haven't read many M/M romances, but this will likely be one that's hard to beat!
This is a SLOW BURN romance. I've heard it described as enemies to lovers, but in my opinion it's not that. Evermer is assigned as the personal guard to Kadou the shy prince whom has just found himself amidst a bit of scandal. Because of this scandal, and rumors he's heard of the prince, Evermer has pre-formed opinions and does not like the prince. Thus has very little care for Kadou beyond duty (and he takes his duties seriously). This book is the story of how their relationship changes and grows by them getting to know each other, and dealing with Kadou's severe anxiety. This is first and foremost a romance - while it is set in another 'fantasy' world, and I loved that world, the main focus is really on the romance. The fantasy elements are relatively minimal. There is some political intrigue with a bit of mystery and action, but this is definitely a secondary plotline and honestly used more to move forward the romance plot.
Cons: the beginning of the book is a bit slow to get into (but once it picks up you don't want to stop reading!), long chapters (there are 16 total in 480 pages) although I found since the dual POV switches often within a chapter there are some places to naturally pause within a chapter which I did, low fantasy (really borders on no fantasy at all, to me it's more of a historical reimagining), the political plotline is interesting and then kind of gets resolved way too easily?, the ending feels a bit rushed and left a bit open (but if there is a sequel coming, I'm here for it!)
A few things I loved about this world: A woman/sultan in charge! The bodily autonomy women have over choosing whom the father of their children is and that not inherently giving the father any power *chefs kiss*. Queer relationships are fully accepted, they are completely normal. Nonbinary characters also readily a part of this world, it took me a while to understand but the author has developed specific alternative pronouns (besides he/him, she/her) for anyone who identifies otherwise. There is also a smidge of asexual rep in a secondary character.
Wonderful world building, character development, mental health representation, and the romance is beautiful.
3/5 🌶️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Pregnancy
If you suffer from anxiety, panic attacks etc you will want to enter this book knowing that is a major part of Kadou's character and his growth. I personally think it's handled well and is good representation, but I also do not personally struggle with this mental illness.natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Alexandra Rowland’s A Taste of Gold and Iron follows Kadou, a shy prince who finds himself embroiled in political intrigue after a hunting accident ends in disaster. Now he’s trying to win over his sister, the Sultan and prove his loyalty by taking on an investigation involving counterfeiting.
Evermer is a newly trained and recently promoted guard who’s first new assignment is as guard and protector of Kadou. Having heard about the hunting incident, the stern Evermer finds himself disliking the prince. But after a violent altercation brings the pair closer together, they manage to uncover a conspiracy which could destroy to their kingdom’s financial standing and bring ruin to their country.
This was a really well developed and well written LGBTQ+ romance and I loved how normalised LGBTQ+ relationships snd gender fluid pronouns were. It is set in a world surrounded by politics and royals but the way in which royal adjacent events such as arranged marriages were handled was really intriguing (and it’s not all cis-het marriages either.)
The world building is incredibly detailed and utterly vivid which I loved, though it is pretty light on the fantasy aspect—some characters can sense “taste” different metals as well as rare individuals who know when people are lying; but aside from this there’s no other fantasy elements which I was a little disappointed by. As such this reads more like a political/ mystery romance than fantasy so do bare in mind if you do pick this one up.
That being said I did really enjoy it, the extraordinarily detailed world building and the deliciously slow-burn, bodyguard romance were treated too.
Kadou was such an endearing character and despite trying to deal with severe anxiety and near violent panic attacks almost single-handedly;his unwavering loyalty to his friends and loved ones (even in the face of danger) made it virtually impossible not to love him. He definitely goes on journey throughout the novel but it’s a good one.
Kadou’s attempts at befriending the stoic Evermer were absolutely adorable and I enjoyed watching Evermer’s perspective (and negative opinion of Kadou) slowly thaw into an utterly swoon-worthy romance—trust me the chemistry between them is literally off the charts!
I was also swept away by how much I loved the supporting characters—specifically Eozena, Tadek and Evermer’s mum who I’d absolutely loved to see more of.
The mystery behind the conspiracy and the person responsible was rather easy to guess but, there were still a few twists amid the action filled scenes I definitely didn’t see coming which I very much enjoyed.
Overall, a really fun, heartwarming LGBTQ+ bodyguard romance that political intrigue and mystery lovers are bound to enjoy.
Also, a huge thank you to Blackcrow PR and Tor books for the arc.
Evermer is a newly trained and recently promoted guard who’s first new assignment is as guard and protector of Kadou. Having heard about the hunting incident, the stern Evermer finds himself disliking the prince. But after a violent altercation brings the pair closer together, they manage to uncover a conspiracy which could destroy to their kingdom’s financial standing and bring ruin to their country.
This was a really well developed and well written LGBTQ+ romance and I loved how normalised LGBTQ+ relationships snd gender fluid pronouns were. It is set in a world surrounded by politics and royals but the way in which royal adjacent events such as arranged marriages were handled was really intriguing (and it’s not all cis-het marriages either.)
The world building is incredibly detailed and utterly vivid which I loved, though it is pretty light on the fantasy aspect—some characters can sense “taste” different metals as well as rare individuals who know when people are lying; but aside from this there’s no other fantasy elements which I was a little disappointed by. As such this reads more like a political/ mystery romance than fantasy so do bare in mind if you do pick this one up.
That being said I did really enjoy it, the extraordinarily detailed world building and the deliciously slow-burn, bodyguard romance were treated too.
Kadou was such an endearing character and despite trying to deal with severe anxiety and near violent panic attacks almost single-handedly;his unwavering loyalty to his friends and loved ones (even in the face of danger) made it virtually impossible not to love him. He definitely goes on journey throughout the novel but it’s a good one.
Kadou’s attempts at befriending the stoic Evermer were absolutely adorable and I enjoyed watching Evermer’s perspective (and negative opinion of Kadou) slowly thaw into an utterly swoon-worthy romance—trust me the chemistry between them is literally off the charts!
I was also swept away by how much I loved the supporting characters—specifically Eozena, Tadek and Evermer’s mum who I’d absolutely loved to see more of.
The mystery behind the conspiracy and the person responsible was rather easy to guess but, there were still a few twists amid the action filled scenes I definitely didn’t see coming which I very much enjoyed.
Overall, a really fun, heartwarming LGBTQ+ bodyguard romance that political intrigue and mystery lovers are bound to enjoy.
Also, a huge thank you to Blackcrow PR and Tor books for the arc.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism and Emotional abuse
duckyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
A Taste of Gold and Iron is a political fantasy set in Arasht. The story starts quickly with Kadou finding himself in an unstable situation after an unfortunate tragedy. As Kadou is dealing with his new way of life, he volunteers to investigate a robbery at one of kingdom's guilds and discovers a counterfeit conspiracy that could destroy their entire kingdom.
I really enjoyed the political drama and worldbuilding in the story, but I wished more time was spent with the magic system. It briefly appears with Kadou being able to detect the counterfeit money and a character later in the story being able to detect when an individual is lying, but with a kingdom that large and influential, there are probably more individuals that have special abilities that could've been explored. I also appreciated the accurate portrayal of anxiety and panic attacks with Kadou throughout the story. The romance is also more of a slow-burn between Kadou and his newly assigned bodyguard, Evemer. A majority of the story is pining and yearning between the two as the romance takes a back seat to Kadou solving the mystery behind the break-in.
Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the political drama and worldbuilding in the story, but I wished more time was spent with the magic system. It briefly appears with Kadou being able to detect the counterfeit money and a character later in the story being able to detect when an individual is lying, but with a kingdom that large and influential, there are probably more individuals that have special abilities that could've been explored. I also appreciated the accurate portrayal of anxiety and panic attacks with Kadou throughout the story. The romance is also more of a slow-burn between Kadou and his newly assigned bodyguard, Evemer. A majority of the story is pining and yearning between the two as the romance takes a back seat to Kadou solving the mystery behind the break-in.
Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Kidnapping
beforeviolets's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
4.5
Thank you so much to TOR for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Firstly, let me apologize. I know y'all usually get really detailed and critical and articulate reviews from me. This is not going to be one of them.
Let me begin by giving you the AO3-style tags that this book was announced with:
- exquisitely beautiful prince/hot stoic bodyguard
- chronic anxiety
- oaths of fealty
-washing each other’s hair and talking about ethics
- found family
- what we owe each other
- enemies-to-lovers
- kissing to avert suspicion
- hurt/comfort
- slow burn
- there’s only one bed
yeah. YEAH. And I can not emphasize ENOUGH how well this book delivered on these tags.
Okay so essentially I'm obsessed, I'm in love, I'm unhinged, feral, off-the-walls with passion for this book and I can't create intelligible thoughts about it. So... here's my attempt at reviewing it:
The romance? 10/10. Tension??? 100/10. The angst!!!! 1000/10. THE UNDYING LOYALTY TO A POINT OF NEAR SELF-DESTRUCTION BECAUSE THEY CHERISH EACH OTHER SO MUCH? Breaks. The. Scales.
The characters are SO lovable. We have our anxiety-ridden prince who’s secretly a badass and our late-bloomer stoic bodyguard who’s internally a little high-strung. (Also the prince is the only one that can read the bodyguard’s emotions???) Yes PLEASE. Their romance is beyond-words-amazing. Genuinely one of the best romances I have EVER read. The way that other people love Delilah Green is the way I love this book.
The banter is just exquisite!! I found myself having to put the book down so often just because I couldn’t stop laughing. And I don't just mean a giggle here and there. I was full-belly laughing repeatedly throughout the book. The side characters are such a staple part of the story’s tone and often add so much lovely and well-earned humor. (Especially Tadek, who though he started the book off on a bad foot, became my favorite character by the end of it. He reminded me of Taako from TAZ or Tal from The Unspoken Name in his character type, and y'all know I always love those characters.)
When I first saw the tags listed above, I was most excited about the "kissing to avert suspicion” - and don’t get me wrong, it was everything I could’ve hoped for and more - but I was surprisingly taken in by the "oaths of fealty" and the “what we owe each other” conversations. These were fairly new tropes to me, but they really cut straight to my heart. Some of these moments had me in literal tears.
Quick little break from the rambling to air my grievances (aka the 3 reasons that this isn’t QUITE a five star read): :
1. Despite the fantasy world and the constant made-up words, the ruler of the land was called the “sultan” which gave me an ick, considering its a word specifically used for Arab countries. It made it feel bordering on appropriative and it just easily could’ve been a different word.
2. The political plot was mostly shit. I would say it was predictable, but that genuinely feels like an understatement. But the romance plot line was so good it kind of didn’t matter.
3. The ending felt cut just a little short. There was soooo much buildup and it left me hanging just a bit. Like things are resolved? But i would’ve killed for one more chapter or an epilogue. After the impeccably long slow-burn, it just felt a little too rushed.
Despite its flaws, this is certainly a book to love. The characters and their romance really just take center-stage and the rest of the plot just becomes a blur in comparison. And does a plot REALLY matter when you have a god-tier romance? I literally fell asleep last night just replaying my favorite scenes over and over again in my head.
If I haven’t convinced you yet, let me leave you with some quotes:
"If you have power over me here and now, it’s because I want you to have it. I’ll give that to you, and anything you ask for. I’ll give it gladly. Command it of me and it’s yours.”
"It was an exceptionally clear night, and the starlight was silvery on his dark hair, and the candlelight made his skin glow warm, and his eyes were bright and unafraid for the first time in days, and then he smiled like the sudden rise of the king-tide, and he was the most beautiful thing Evemer had seen in all his life, and probably the most beautiful thing he’d ever see.”
"How could he deserve this? How could he ever possibly hope to repay this kind of loyalty? He hadn’t earned this. He would never be good or strong or devoted enough to have earned this. This was beyond anything that Evemer would have expected from his liege—from any liege, even a perfect one from legend. It was too much.
“I’m not worth this,” he whispered.
“You’re worth it,” Kadou whispered back, simply.”
CW: violence, murder, mental health, panic attacks, death, injury detail, drugging, blood, sexual content, childbirth (mention)
Firstly, let me apologize. I know y'all usually get really detailed and critical and articulate reviews from me. This is not going to be one of them.
Let me begin by giving you the AO3-style tags that this book was announced with:
- exquisitely beautiful prince/hot stoic bodyguard
- chronic anxiety
- oaths of fealty
-washing each other’s hair and talking about ethics
- found family
- what we owe each other
- enemies-to-lovers
- kissing to avert suspicion
- hurt/comfort
- slow burn
- there’s only one bed
yeah. YEAH. And I can not emphasize ENOUGH how well this book delivered on these tags.
Okay so essentially I'm obsessed, I'm in love, I'm unhinged, feral, off-the-walls with passion for this book and I can't create intelligible thoughts about it. So... here's my attempt at reviewing it:
The romance? 10/10. Tension??? 100/10. The angst!!!! 1000/10. THE UNDYING LOYALTY TO A POINT OF NEAR SELF-DESTRUCTION BECAUSE THEY CHERISH EACH OTHER SO MUCH? Breaks. The. Scales.
The characters are SO lovable. We have our anxiety-ridden prince who’s secretly a badass and our late-bloomer stoic bodyguard who’s internally a little high-strung. (Also the prince is the only one that can read the bodyguard’s emotions???) Yes PLEASE. Their romance is beyond-words-amazing. Genuinely one of the best romances I have EVER read. The way that other people love Delilah Green is the way I love this book.
The banter is just exquisite!! I found myself having to put the book down so often just because I couldn’t stop laughing. And I don't just mean a giggle here and there. I was full-belly laughing repeatedly throughout the book. The side characters are such a staple part of the story’s tone and often add so much lovely and well-earned humor. (Especially Tadek, who though he started the book off on a bad foot, became my favorite character by the end of it. He reminded me of Taako from TAZ or Tal from The Unspoken Name in his character type, and y'all know I always love those characters.)
When I first saw the tags listed above, I was most excited about the "kissing to avert suspicion” - and don’t get me wrong, it was everything I could’ve hoped for and more - but I was surprisingly taken in by the "oaths of fealty" and the “what we owe each other” conversations. These were fairly new tropes to me, but they really cut straight to my heart. Some of these moments had me in literal tears.
Quick little break from the rambling to air my grievances (aka the 3 reasons that this isn’t QUITE a five star read): :
1. Despite the fantasy world and the constant made-up words, the ruler of the land was called the “sultan” which gave me an ick, considering its a word specifically used for Arab countries. It made it feel bordering on appropriative and it just easily could’ve been a different word.
2. The political plot was mostly shit. I would say it was predictable, but that genuinely feels like an understatement. But the romance plot line was so good it kind of didn’t matter.
3. The ending felt cut just a little short. There was soooo much buildup and it left me hanging just a bit. Like things are resolved? But i would’ve killed for one more chapter or an epilogue. After the impeccably long slow-burn, it just felt a little too rushed.
Despite its flaws, this is certainly a book to love. The characters and their romance really just take center-stage and the rest of the plot just becomes a blur in comparison. And does a plot REALLY matter when you have a god-tier romance? I literally fell asleep last night just replaying my favorite scenes over and over again in my head.
If I haven’t convinced you yet, let me leave you with some quotes:
"If you have power over me here and now, it’s because I want you to have it. I’ll give that to you, and anything you ask for. I’ll give it gladly. Command it of me and it’s yours.”
"It was an exceptionally clear night, and the starlight was silvery on his dark hair, and the candlelight made his skin glow warm, and his eyes were bright and unafraid for the first time in days, and then he smiled like the sudden rise of the king-tide, and he was the most beautiful thing Evemer had seen in all his life, and probably the most beautiful thing he’d ever see.”
"How could he deserve this? How could he ever possibly hope to repay this kind of loyalty? He hadn’t earned this. He would never be good or strong or devoted enough to have earned this. This was beyond anything that Evemer would have expected from his liege—from any liege, even a perfect one from legend. It was too much.
“I’m not worth this,” he whispered.
“You’re worth it,” Kadou whispered back, simply.”
CW: violence, murder, mental health, panic attacks, death, injury detail, drugging, blood, sexual content, childbirth (mention)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
slow-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
5.0
Thanks to Tordotcom Publishing for the free advance copy of this book.
- A TASTE Of GOLD AND IRON is wonderfully lush, quickly building both an intriguing world and compelling slow burn romance.
- It's really an incredible feat the way Rowland has made the romance the tensest, most electric part of the story when the political plot is full of secrets, backstabbing and the fate of the dynasty hanging by a thread. But when Kadou and Evemer have even the barest of touches, all that fades to the background.
- This book is also wonderfully queer. Not only is the central pair achillean, but queerness is fully accepted, there are three genders with an in-language set of pronouns for them, nonstandard family structures, and an ace secondary character.
- A TASTE Of GOLD AND IRON is wonderfully lush, quickly building both an intriguing world and compelling slow burn romance.
- It's really an incredible feat the way Rowland has made the romance the tensest, most electric part of the story when the political plot is full of secrets, backstabbing and the fate of the dynasty hanging by a thread. But when Kadou and Evemer have even the barest of touches, all that fades to the background.
- This book is also wonderfully queer. Not only is the central pair achillean, but queerness is fully accepted, there are three genders with an in-language set of pronouns for them, nonstandard family structures, and an ace secondary character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
mysana's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Had been a 5-star review, moved it down to a 4-star. Still very strongly recommend and had a great time reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Violence
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Death, Infidelity, and Torture