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helenafaustina's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Oh...oh my... *sobs in realization that this is the last Tales of Goldstone Wood novel*
This series has been an absolute journey, and although I'm glad there's two more novellas to finish, it's so bittersweet to finish this. This has really been the first series that is my favorite that I have found in my older years, so it means a lot to me and has truly taken me on an adventure.
I know I really ought to stop thinking that her next book can't possibly be as good as previous ones, but I did, and was proven wrong again. It was not my favorite in the series, but it still carried that adventurous flavor, charming world, dearest prose, with it's own unique style that separates it from the other books. As usual, the plot isn't predictable in the slightest, and it's an amazing end. The characters are awesome, and I love to see reoccurring ones. *Eanrin fangirling ensues*
This series has been an absolute journey, and although I'm glad there's two more novellas to finish, it's so bittersweet to finish this. This has really been the first series that is my favorite that I have found in my older years, so it means a lot to me and has truly taken me on an adventure.
I know I really ought to stop thinking that her next book can't possibly be as good as previous ones, but I did, and was proven wrong again. It was not my favorite in the series, but it still carried that adventurous flavor, charming world, dearest prose, with it's own unique style that separates it from the other books. As usual, the plot isn't predictable in the slightest, and it's an amazing end. The characters are awesome, and I love to see reoccurring ones. *Eanrin fangirling ensues*
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Medical content and Murder
Minor: Torture, Confinement, Slavery, and Self harm
Swearing that's made up for the series.fairytalearista's review against another edition
5.0
I'm finally caught up on the Goldstone Novels ...
Wow...
Every time you think they can't get any better, they do. Wow.
Wow...
Every time you think they can't get any better, they do. Wow.
katherinebriggs's review against another edition
4.0
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Golden Daughter, by Anne Elisabeth Stengl, is a captivating twist in the Goldstone Woods series. Filled with great characters, a dramatic plot, and an out of this world setting, Golden Daughter is a must read!
rgyger's review against another edition
5.0
This my favorite Goldstone Wood novel since Starflower. I might even like it a bit more than Starflower, which I wasn't sure was possible. Golden Daughter takes us to another country in the history of this world, one with customs far different than the other countries seen so far. The culture Anne Elisabeth constructed was so intricate and detailed, making it seem like someplace that might have once been real (and this comes from a Cultural Anthropologist).
The character I didn't like was Lady Hariawan. Everyone else, including the villains, were so much fun to read about. Sunan (who I only recently discovered was Captain Sunan from Goddess Tithe) was probably my favorite, besides Sir Eanrin. As with Heartless, Eanrin spent most of the novel in cat form, which I must admit I found hilarious.
I can not wait to read what comes next in the series. Surely it will be just as delightful as this.
I received an ARC of Golden Daughter in exchange for an honest review
The character I didn't like was Lady Hariawan. Everyone else, including the villains, were so much fun to read about. Sunan (who I only recently discovered was Captain Sunan from Goddess Tithe) was probably my favorite, besides Sir Eanrin. As with Heartless, Eanrin spent most of the novel in cat form, which I must admit I found hilarious.
I can not wait to read what comes next in the series. Surely it will be just as delightful as this.
I received an ARC of Golden Daughter in exchange for an honest review
what_ella_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Another great book by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. I really liked the Asian elements found in this book.
sjeckert's review against another edition
5.0
This book was so different from the previous ones in the series, but I can only say good things about it. The characters were good with strong development, the writing was beautiful and lyrical (as always), and the setting and storyline were unique, interesting, and continued tightening the overall themes and recurring characters of the series. It took me a while to read it, but I find that happens in all of these books for me. But they are so well done, so beautifully written, it is a joy to simply absorb the writing. I hope she is able to publish the next novel in the series soon!
ewil6681's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
quoththegirl's review against another edition
5.0
2022 review:
Ross and I finished our read-aloud of the Tales of Goldstone Wood series at last (we inched through it since we tend to only read aloud together when we're in the car, and we haven't had many road trips lately). I don't think our glacial pace really did the story justice (see my 2014 review for the exact opposite reading pace); one of the best things about this book is all the little references that tie it together and tie it to the rest of the books in the series, and those are a) easy to miss when listening to someone else read and b) easy to forget when it takes you almost a year to finish the story. Food for thought when choosing our next read-aloud series!
2014 review:
Clear your schedule before you pick this one up.
I’m serious. I made the mistake of starting it when I had a plethora of imminent deadlines looming over my head, and setting this book aside to attend to them was torturous. Once you become immersed in this particular Tale of Goldstone Wood, you will not want to leave.
Don’t let the girly cover fool you. As is often the case with the Tales of Goldstone Wood, the book is truly terrifying in parts—and I chose a bad time to eat dinner, as I read the scenes with the imps. This story is intense, in a good way.
Sairu, the heroine of the book, is possibly my favorite female character of Stengl’s, which is really saying something—I was in love with Starflower, hitherto my favorite installment in the series. Golden Daughter has wrested the status of favorite away from the earlier book, however, and this is due in large part to Sairu. She is intriguing, realistic, terrifying, and lovable. The whole premise of the Golden Daughters is fascinating, and I would love to see more of them in future stories.
All of the characters, even the minor ones, are drawn in such a lifelike way that you’ll swear you’ve met some of these people before. Jovann in particular impressed me very much and is one of Stengl’s most likeable heroes, in my opinion. Eanrin maintains his charm and mystery, and by this time, I feel like no story is quite complete without him. In each book, we learn more about him, and I adore him even more.
Stengl creates a multi-faceted, intriguing culture for Golden Daughter, one that is quite different from those in her other books. Her command of multiple storylines is impressive, and all of the plots weave together beautifully at the end. The story casts new significance on the events of earlier books in the series, particularly Heartless—which made me like Heartless much more. While I admit I preferred the day-to-day character interactions and plots to the more cosmological, allegorical ones, all of the threads were skillfully manipulated to create a cohesive, dark, funny, fascinating, eerily realistic whole.
Ross and I finished our read-aloud of the Tales of Goldstone Wood series at last (we inched through it since we tend to only read aloud together when we're in the car, and we haven't had many road trips lately). I don't think our glacial pace really did the story justice (see my 2014 review for the exact opposite reading pace); one of the best things about this book is all the little references that tie it together and tie it to the rest of the books in the series, and those are a) easy to miss when listening to someone else read and b) easy to forget when it takes you almost a year to finish the story. Food for thought when choosing our next read-aloud series!
2014 review:
Clear your schedule before you pick this one up.
I’m serious. I made the mistake of starting it when I had a plethora of imminent deadlines looming over my head, and setting this book aside to attend to them was torturous. Once you become immersed in this particular Tale of Goldstone Wood, you will not want to leave.
Don’t let the girly cover fool you. As is often the case with the Tales of Goldstone Wood, the book is truly terrifying in parts—and I chose a bad time to eat dinner, as I read the scenes with the imps. This story is intense, in a good way.
Sairu, the heroine of the book, is possibly my favorite female character of Stengl’s, which is really saying something—I was in love with Starflower, hitherto my favorite installment in the series. Golden Daughter has wrested the status of favorite away from the earlier book, however, and this is due in large part to Sairu. She is intriguing, realistic, terrifying, and lovable. The whole premise of the Golden Daughters is fascinating, and I would love to see more of them in future stories.
All of the characters, even the minor ones, are drawn in such a lifelike way that you’ll swear you’ve met some of these people before. Jovann in particular impressed me very much and is one of Stengl’s most likeable heroes, in my opinion. Eanrin maintains his charm and mystery, and by this time, I feel like no story is quite complete without him. In each book, we learn more about him, and I adore him even more.
Stengl creates a multi-faceted, intriguing culture for Golden Daughter, one that is quite different from those in her other books. Her command of multiple storylines is impressive, and all of the plots weave together beautifully at the end. The story casts new significance on the events of earlier books in the series, particularly Heartless—which made me like Heartless much more. While I admit I preferred the day-to-day character interactions and plots to the more cosmological, allegorical ones, all of the threads were skillfully manipulated to create a cohesive, dark, funny, fascinating, eerily realistic whole.
allison_r's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
My copy of Golden Daughter, by Anne Elisabeth Stengl, came last Wednesday. If you live in North Carolina, you'll remember that it was the first cold rain of the year, made more miserable by the fact that I had forgotten my literature teacher's porch didn't have an overhang, so my lovely, furry boots were soaked. I crept miserably home, determined to curl up somewhere warm with a nice book. But, luckily, I thought to check my e-mail first. And there, glowingly, I beheld my ARC. Eagerly, I began to read. And so we come to what you have been waiting for: the review.
Masayi Sairu has been a Golden Daughter her whole life, confined in an emperor's palace, where she learned the skills of intrigue, cunning, and, above all, protection. For as soon as the Golden Mother deems her training complete, Sairu will be married off to a political ally, whom she must protect for the rest of her life. But arranged marriage holds no appeal for Sairu, and when she sees a chance to escape the traditional role of the Golden Daughters, she takes it. Her new charge, the beautiful temple girl, Lady Hariawan, is a gifted Dream Walker, capable of exploring worlds far beyond her own. But an encounter in the Dream left her scarred, both physically and spiritually. And how can Sairu protect her mistress from enemies in a different world?
Golden Daughter is unlike any of Stengl's previous novels. For one thing, it takes place largely in the Near World, and there only in one region-- something Stengl hasn't done since Heartless. Although the adventures do bleed over into the Wood and the Dream, the characters have less knowledge of it, so it reads quite differently.
That being said, Stengl handled it excellently. It is, to the best of my knowledge, the first time her characters have interacted with a crowded city or travelled across the Near World. (I am discounting summarized journeys.) In addition to forging new territory, Stengl shows great restraint as a writer when she refrains from overtly referencing the rest of the series. A certain, familiar character goes almost the entire novel without being named.
So yes; Golden Daughter is quite different, almost disconnected, from its peers. And although I am sad not to see more of the familiar Wood, this forces the novel to stand on its own-- and, dear readers, Golden Daughter does just that.
Despite having more unfamiliar characters than I anticipated, I quickly connected with our three heroes: Sairu, Jovann, and Sunan (although I did not pick up on the allegory until deplorably late in the novel). In fact, I enjoyed all the characters... except Lady Hariawan. She set me on edge, and I could not fathom her role in the story aside from a focus of the characters' interest; she literally spends most of it comatose, emerging only long enough to make cryptic comments. Towards the beginning of the novel, I worried that I was meant to sympathize with Lady Hariawan as a heroine of the novel. I didn't sympathize with her, not at all. She irritated me by never doing anything, but her non-actions still retained consequence.
As events transpired, I felt more comfortable disliking Lady Hariawan, but even now I can't figure her out. After five hundred pages, I know precisely nothing about her besides her name. And because I never understood the motivations behind her actions, I lost interest in them. Why was she beautiful? Why was she silent? Why did she change? I still don't know.
Yes, it is frustrating. But remember the ending of Veiled Rose, when it seemed no one could possibly sink any lower? Or-- dare I mention-- the ending of Shadow Hand, that left me a complete wreck after finishing it? Although Stengl does not pull her punches, she always, always, delivers a great ending. Maybe not a happy one. But certainly never a pointless one. Although I didn't understand the character of Lady Hariawan, I trust that Stengl has more to say on the topic. Until then, I can only keep reading.
I am reasonably confident that I will love anything in this series, and Golden Daughter is no exception. I loved reading it; you should do so, too, at your earliest convenience. I would recommend that you read at least Veiled Rose, Starflower, and Moonblood first, preferably in that order. Because the series spans such a vast frame of time, it runs the risk of losing the reader along the way, and I fear that might happen if you read Golden Daughter unprepared.
To recap: Golden Daughter, by Anne Elisabeth Stengl, is an excellent addition to the series. Although quite different from the previous books, it retains her trademark wit, charm, and vision that leaves me speculating what comes next. I, personally, would love to see Imraldera again. Because we only get one character's perspective of her in Golden Daughter, I'd like to reconnect with one of my favorite characters, because I suspect that she still has some growing to do.
My copy of Golden Daughter, by Anne Elisabeth Stengl, came last Wednesday. If you live in North Carolina, you'll remember that it was the first cold rain of the year, made more miserable by the fact that I had forgotten my literature teacher's porch didn't have an overhang, so my lovely, furry boots were soaked. I crept miserably home, determined to curl up somewhere warm with a nice book. But, luckily, I thought to check my e-mail first. And there, glowingly, I beheld my ARC. Eagerly, I began to read. And so we come to what you have been waiting for: the review.
Masayi Sairu has been a Golden Daughter her whole life, confined in an emperor's palace, where she learned the skills of intrigue, cunning, and, above all, protection. For as soon as the Golden Mother deems her training complete, Sairu will be married off to a political ally, whom she must protect for the rest of her life. But arranged marriage holds no appeal for Sairu, and when she sees a chance to escape the traditional role of the Golden Daughters, she takes it. Her new charge, the beautiful temple girl, Lady Hariawan, is a gifted Dream Walker, capable of exploring worlds far beyond her own. But an encounter in the Dream left her scarred, both physically and spiritually. And how can Sairu protect her mistress from enemies in a different world?
Golden Daughter is unlike any of Stengl's previous novels. For one thing, it takes place largely in the Near World, and there only in one region-- something Stengl hasn't done since Heartless. Although the adventures do bleed over into the Wood and the Dream, the characters have less knowledge of it, so it reads quite differently.
That being said, Stengl handled it excellently. It is, to the best of my knowledge, the first time her characters have interacted with a crowded city or travelled across the Near World. (I am discounting summarized journeys.) In addition to forging new territory, Stengl shows great restraint as a writer when she refrains from overtly referencing the rest of the series. A certain, familiar character goes almost the entire novel without being named.
So yes; Golden Daughter is quite different, almost disconnected, from its peers. And although I am sad not to see more of the familiar Wood, this forces the novel to stand on its own-- and, dear readers, Golden Daughter does just that.
Despite having more unfamiliar characters than I anticipated, I quickly connected with our three heroes: Sairu, Jovann, and Sunan (although I did not pick up on the allegory until deplorably late in the novel). In fact, I enjoyed all the characters... except Lady Hariawan. She set me on edge, and I could not fathom her role in the story aside from a focus of the characters' interest; she literally spends most of it comatose, emerging only long enough to make cryptic comments. Towards the beginning of the novel, I worried that I was meant to sympathize with Lady Hariawan as a heroine of the novel. I didn't sympathize with her, not at all. She irritated me by never doing anything, but her non-actions still retained consequence.
As events transpired, I felt more comfortable disliking Lady Hariawan, but even now I can't figure her out. After five hundred pages, I know precisely nothing about her besides her name. And because I never understood the motivations behind her actions, I lost interest in them. Why was she beautiful? Why was she silent? Why did she change? I still don't know.
Yes, it is frustrating. But remember the ending of Veiled Rose, when it seemed no one could possibly sink any lower? Or-- dare I mention-- the ending of Shadow Hand, that left me a complete wreck after finishing it? Although Stengl does not pull her punches, she always, always, delivers a great ending. Maybe not a happy one. But certainly never a pointless one. Although I didn't understand the character of Lady Hariawan, I trust that Stengl has more to say on the topic. Until then, I can only keep reading.
I am reasonably confident that I will love anything in this series, and Golden Daughter is no exception. I loved reading it; you should do so, too, at your earliest convenience. I would recommend that you read at least Veiled Rose, Starflower, and Moonblood first, preferably in that order. Because the series spans such a vast frame of time, it runs the risk of losing the reader along the way, and I fear that might happen if you read Golden Daughter unprepared.
To recap: Golden Daughter, by Anne Elisabeth Stengl, is an excellent addition to the series. Although quite different from the previous books, it retains her trademark wit, charm, and vision that leaves me speculating what comes next. I, personally, would love to see Imraldera again. Because we only get one character's perspective of her in Golden Daughter, I'd like to reconnect with one of my favorite characters, because I suspect that she still has some growing to do.