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sunnyblue'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
4.75
lbarsk's review
5.0
WOW okay this was a GREAT read. So fun, extremely compelling both on the "building relatonships" side and the "political intrigue" side, and IMPRESSIVE worldbuilding. I'd happily read more books set in this universe!
I was just saying to a friend yesterday that I feel there are a lot of similarities between A TASTE OF GOLD AND IRON and WINTER'S ORBIT (by Everina Maxwell) -- lots of conversations about duty, big feelings around honor, caring for people, bearing up under the weight of responsibility, developing feelings over slowly over time, exchanging heated glances, sharing beds (or tents, in Jainan and Kiem's case) out of necessity, etc. This book is spicier than WINTER'S ORBIT, which is fun, but both are delicious and complex. If you like intrigue but intrigue set against a budding romance, or Romance With Stakes, I'd really recommend this book. Kadou and Evemer's relationship plays out SO deftly, and I seriously want a sequel about Tadek.
Just great all around!
I was just saying to a friend yesterday that I feel there are a lot of similarities between A TASTE OF GOLD AND IRON and WINTER'S ORBIT (by Everina Maxwell) -- lots of conversations about duty, big feelings around honor, caring for people, bearing up under the weight of responsibility, developing feelings over slowly over time, exchanging heated glances, sharing beds (or tents, in Jainan and Kiem's case) out of necessity, etc. This book is spicier than WINTER'S ORBIT, which is fun, but both are delicious and complex. If you like intrigue but intrigue set against a budding romance, or Romance With Stakes, I'd really recommend this book. Kadou and Evemer's relationship plays out SO deftly, and I seriously want a sequel about Tadek.
Just great all around!
themortalacademy's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
3.5
infamouskiwi's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
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
5.0
fantakureader's review
4.0
*Prose is great but novel feels a bit bloated
*Anxiety/panic attacks are well executed
*I love Kadou. He's adorable.
*Anxiety/panic attacks are well executed
*I love Kadou. He's adorable.
saltpeanut's review against another edition
DNF at 30% really just couldn’t get into this. The writing is nice but it may have just been the narration on the audiobook but I could just not find myself loving this. I think someone who loves a well crafted world with more patience than me would really enjoy this so it’s still one I’d recommend to others that can get through a slower paced book
lunamorte33's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
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
I loved it. It was so good the main characters had me in love with them. Adorable af I want to read more I wish it wasn’t a standalone.
nonesensed's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Prince Kadou is prone to anxiety and is far too aware of the power he possesses over others. He is beyond grateful that his older sister, the sultan, finally has an heir to the throne, taking at least that pressure off him. But the newborn princess' body-father, a foreigner who has trouble understanding the ways of Prince Kadou's land, seems to think Kadou a threat. Or maybe it's all just a huge, terrible misunderstanding? Or maybe he wants Kadou dead? Such fretful thoughts set in motion an awful chain-reaction that ends with Kadou pseudo-banished from court and attached to a new head bodyguard: Evemer.
This books promises you one thing and really delivers on it: bodyguard/liege romance!
There is plenty of other great things in here too: the worldbuilding, the rest of Prince Kadou's staff, the sultan and how human she is as well as crazy competent, the mystery of the counterfeits threatening to flood other countries' markets and ruining their reputation for reliable coinage, and much more! But the slowburn romance between Kadou and Evemer is the heart of the book and it beats firmly and steadily.
If you, like I do, enjoy stories about power dynamics, loyalty and misunderstandings that actually have a realistic root to them, this is the book for you! Highly recommended reading!
This books promises you one thing and really delivers on it: bodyguard/liege romance!
There is plenty of other great things in here too: the worldbuilding, the rest of Prince Kadou's staff, the sultan and how human she is as well as crazy competent, the mystery of the counterfeits threatening to flood other countries' markets and ruining their reputation for reliable coinage, and much more! But the slowburn romance between Kadou and Evemer is the heart of the book and it beats firmly and steadily.
If you, like I do, enjoy stories about power dynamics, loyalty and misunderstandings that actually have a realistic root to them, this is the book for you! Highly recommended reading!
amy_in_the_city's review
adventurous
emotional
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
5.0
I'll admit I struggled a bit to get into this book for the first 100 pages or so, but once I was in, I was IN. The main couple had me kicking my feet rooting for them. I loved all the characters in this book and thought they were wonderfully developed. They could have made Tadek a villain or dreadfully boring, as the romance genre tends to do with exes, but they made him so fun while still giving him depth and complexity. I like his friendship with Kadou, and I can't wait to read his book! I want to be Commander Eozena when I grow up, and Zeliha was an awesome badass ruler.
The romance in this was such a delicious, angsty, slow burn. Evemer was so stoic and reserved, which made it all the more fun to see him fall so hard for Kadou. I appreciated the anxiety representation with Kadou and that it didn't make him any less of a badass. He still defended Evemer whenever needed, and I loved seeing a prince also defend his bodyguard. A big theme in their relationship is reciprocity, and I love when couples feel like a real partnership.
There was enough action to keep the plot fun and exciting, but I do wish the villain wasn't so obvious from the start. Also, while this was a fantasy, the fantasy elements are used very sparingly. The ending felt a little bit rushed, and I do wish we got to see a bit more of Kadou and Evemer together as a happy couple. My overwhelming love for the romance and the characters overrides any of these quibbles though, and I know this is a book I'll come back to for rereads.
The romance in this was such a delicious, angsty, slow burn. Evemer was so stoic and reserved, which made it all the more fun to see him fall so hard for Kadou. I appreciated the anxiety representation with Kadou and that it didn't make him any less of a badass. He still defended Evemer whenever needed, and I loved seeing a prince also defend his bodyguard. A big theme in their relationship is reciprocity, and I love when couples feel like a real partnership.
There was enough action to keep the plot fun and exciting, but I do wish the villain wasn't so obvious from the start. Also, while this was a fantasy, the fantasy elements are used very sparingly. The ending felt a little bit rushed, and I do wish we got to see a bit more of Kadou and Evemer together as a happy couple. My overwhelming love for the romance and the characters overrides any of these quibbles though, and I know this is a book I'll come back to for rereads.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Blood, Alcohol, Mental illness, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Gore
Minor: Pregnancy, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Classism, and Death of parent