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jayjayre's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I was pleasantly surprised by the book as a random pick from the library, I'd recommend this for a character-focused dive into an interesting, queer, mild fantasy world.
I found the small magic system to be well-integrated into the world of the story, and as a bonus, it was suitably plot-relevant. I appreciated the inclusion of queer characters and the diversity of gender, especially because it was simply a facet of the characters rather than a focus of the plot. I love fantasy worlds that don't transplant bigotry/systems of oppression from our world, this setting has a woman ruling, people can marry any gender, and there is a common pronoun used for some (nonbinary) characters, and that is all in the background.
I loved the characters in this book. I worried I wouldn't like several of them to start, but they grew on me, and a character I found very annoying upon first introduction ended up being my favorite by the end. I think this book would be even better on a second read, with the knowledge of where the characters' development leads coloring my perspective.
This book is not a good book to skim for action/adventure/mystery. The plot is a bit plodding with a predictable mystery and antagonists that are not well-developed. Thankfully, that is a relatively small part of the book, mostly sidelined for the very enjoyable character-heavy focus. It was rewarding to get to know the main characters, reveal their flaws, and see them grow to understand each other while they better themselves and their relationships.
(My rating is increased compared to my personal enjoyment of the book, as it's not my ideal subgenre. I don't detract stars for things aimed at a different target audience.)
I found the small magic system to be well-integrated into the world of the story, and as a bonus, it was suitably plot-relevant. I appreciated the inclusion of queer characters and the diversity of gender, especially because it was simply a facet of the characters rather than a focus of the plot. I love fantasy worlds that don't transplant bigotry/systems of oppression from our world, this setting has a woman ruling, people can marry any gender, and there is a common pronoun used for some (nonbinary) characters, and that is all in the background.
I loved the characters in this book. I worried I wouldn't like several of them to start, but they grew on me, and a character I found very annoying upon first introduction ended up being my favorite by the end. I think this book would be even better on a second read, with the knowledge of where the characters' development leads coloring my perspective.
This book is not a good book to skim for action/adventure/mystery. The plot is a bit plodding with a predictable mystery and antagonists that are not well-developed. Thankfully, that is a relatively small part of the book, mostly sidelined for the very enjoyable character-heavy focus. It was rewarding to get to know the main characters, reveal their flaws, and see them grow to understand each other while they better themselves and their relationships.
(My rating is increased compared to my personal enjoyment of the book, as it's not my ideal subgenre. I don't detract stars for things aimed at a different target audience.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Grief, Alcohol, Kidnapping, and Eating disorder
kimschouwenaar's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Is the story plausible? Not exactly.
Is it historically accurate? Probably not.
Is it enjoyable? Yes, but I will not be re-reading, and this has not become one of my favourite reads.
Besides the fact that I just could not connect to the two main characters, the pacing is off. Some scattered moments were exciting, but overall I was a little bored. Then there is the wording and dialogue, which was a peculiar mix of historical and modern speech. For some it might work, but for me it was confusing.
Additionally, I simply do not understand why in such a seemingly modern and advanced society, there is such an ignorance towards mental health issues. There are multiple characters using neo-pronouns (a fact I absolutely ADORE), they seem to have equal rights for men and women, and the sultan is a woman with a new-born (!!!!) (Zeliha and Eyne were an absolutely delightful addition to the story). Also, there was an aro-ace character that uses çe/çem/çir!
It could have been great, but to me it wasn’t.
Is it historically accurate? Probably not.
Is it enjoyable? Yes, but I will not be re-reading, and this has not become one of my favourite reads.
Besides the fact that I just could not connect to the two main characters, the pacing is off. Some scattered moments were exciting, but overall I was a little bored. Then there is the wording and dialogue, which was a peculiar mix of historical and modern speech. For some it might work, but for me it was confusing.
Additionally, I simply do not understand why in such a seemingly modern and advanced society, there is such an ignorance towards mental health issues. There are multiple characters using neo-pronouns (a fact I absolutely ADORE), they seem to have equal rights for men and women, and the sultan is a woman with a new-born (!!!!) (Zeliha and Eyne were an absolutely delightful addition to the story). Also, there was an aro-ace character that uses çe/çem/çir!
It could have been great, but to me it wasn’t.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Blood, Violence, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Gore
Moderate: Alcohol, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual content, and Grief
onemamareads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Read my full review here: https://onemamassummer.weebly.com/book-reviews/a-taste-of-gold-and-iron
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, Torture, Murder, Alcohol, Death, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, and Mental illness
mateyy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
5.0
I already knew I loved Alexandra Rowland's work (A Conspiracy of Truth is amazing). Rowland knows how to do political intrigue/court (government) politics and upping the stakes. I also love how they do magic systems-very specific (If you've read the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, the touch-taste and truth sayers are written into the book-world a lot like skill and wit are). You can tell that these characters are so cared for, that's especially clear with Tadek. He could have been so easily pushed to the side and been made a plot device to get in the way of Evemer and Kadou's love story, and he's not a flat character at all. The chemistry between Kadou and Evemer is palpable and built up well while not getting into the way of the overarching plot (and vice-versa).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Medical content, Violence, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Blood
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
five_rats_in_a_trenchcoat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Eating disorder
pitsikakku's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Sexual content, Eating disorder, and Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent
sarahna's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
5.0
4.75 stars!
CW/Tropes provided by author.
I absolutely loved this book so this will probably end up being a spoiler filled rave review. It came into my life at the exact right time because I've been having some rough months and it really is as the author said in a podcast: the perfect chocolate cake of tropes that they like and it happens to be perfect for me as well.
The world building is superb and I didn't mind how the story threw me in making me fend for myself. I loved how queer and trans people just existed and there isn't one instance where their accepted existance gets explained or pointed out. They're just there and no on page homophobia occurrs either which is such a relief and refreshing!! I hope this becomes the new standard. The neo pronouns used for enby people were easy to understand, there's asexual rep as well and I personally head canon Evemer as Demisexual but that might just be me, a fellow queer demi person.
The plot was gripping and the pacing was engaging as well. I really liked the magic system of touch tasting in this story which reminded me a lot of synesthesia. The reason why it isn't a full 5 star book for me is because it was a bit underused in my opinion. I would've loved to see Kadou use his magic more but the instances he did make use of it were great. Of course the iron door hinges were the most memorable and it was fascinating to see how he imprinted a new memory and thus taste to iron.
My favorite part has to be how it subverted lots of tropes such as the way Tadek as a character was handled. At first I feared that the romance would feature him as Kadou's second love interest and make the already messy power imbalance between Kadou and Evemer even messier. That didn't happen though and Tadek wasn't just dropped once he wasn't with Kadou anymore either. The exes actually became friends and I grew to love Tadek's sassy banter and his amazing eye for fashion.
Evemer's character arc/growth was a stand out feature for me as well. In the beginning he's described as a stonewall, stoic and barely verbal aside from him acknowledging his lord/his higness when ordered to do things. He disliked Kadou for being flighty, negligent and didn't protest much when Kadou referred to his chronic anxiety as cowardice. Of course Kadou's not even close to a coward and his anxiety is useful in certain situation as well which is rare to see in books (his hypervigilance saved him from being attacked in his sleep and he's used to high stress so stressful situations don't throw him off unlike others). Evemer learns to appreciate Kadou's vulnerability and even strives to become more like him. It was beautiful to see how he started to talk more (thanks to Kadou coaxing it out of him) and the fantasy therapy at the temple gave a great insight to Evemer's inner conflict and showed how he's changed since the start as well. Also love the fact that this stoic stonewall isn't nearly as dominant and assertive as he would've been in other stories. No toxic masculinity to be seen here. He goes on and on about wanting to go on his knees in front of Kadou to press his forehead to his hands in act of fealty. He's so easily undone by Kadou's kisses and is just utterly smitten by him.
The romance was very slow paced but I love a good slow burn. Someone has said that this is a less dark version of the captive prince trilogy and I fully agree. I saw lots of parallels actually and as a huge fan of the trilogy it was greatly appreciated. I'll use bullet points to state some of my highlights because this review is already way too long:
-The YEARNING. It has to be written in caps because there's so much of it. The way Evemer yearns for Kadou and how Kadou keeps questioning their tension because Evermer's too stoney to read... delicious.
-Kissing to prevent being caught spying. This scene was so well written, their tension is hot and Evemer's clumzy inexperience and Kadou's assertiveness and wanting for more was just top notch.
-Hand holding/touching at Evemer's mother's house. The tenderness and yearning...
-The scene right after the sultan put Evemer on his knees and made him swear an oath for her. The confusing attraction and the way he had the urge to swear yet another oath to Kadou to clarify that he's the one for him and the tender face touching...
-The whole inn scene. Neck kisses and a make out session to hide their identity from the main villain. Genious.
-Kadou suggesting an impromptu wedding to save Evemer's life and mentioning an annulment once they're out of the predicament but secretly wishing that it was the real deal instead.
-The spicy palace garden scene once they finally talked about their feelings for each other???? It was everything and more that I wanted.
I could go on and on about how much I love their love and how all the side characters are fleshed out and not just afterthoughts as well. This is a warm hug in book form that I'll definitively return to. Highly recommend checking out the author's fanfic that feels like an epilogue and provides some more fun Tadek/Evemer banter and heartfelt, sexy letters. I have to check out more by this author!
CW/Tropes provided by author.
I absolutely loved this book so this will probably end up being a spoiler filled rave review. It came into my life at the exact right time because I've been having some rough months and it really is as the author said in a podcast: the perfect chocolate cake of tropes that they like and it happens to be perfect for me as well.
The world building is superb and I didn't mind how the story threw me in making me fend for myself. I loved how queer and trans people just existed and there isn't one instance where their accepted existance gets explained or pointed out. They're just there and no on page homophobia occurrs either which is such a relief and refreshing!! I hope this becomes the new standard. The neo pronouns used for enby people were easy to understand, there's asexual rep as well and I personally head canon Evemer as Demisexual but that might just be me, a fellow queer demi person.
The plot was gripping and the pacing was engaging as well. I really liked the magic system of touch tasting in this story which reminded me a lot of synesthesia. The reason why it isn't a full 5 star book for me is because it was a bit underused in my opinion. I would've loved to see Kadou use his magic more but the instances he did make use of it were great. Of course the iron door hinges were the most memorable and it was fascinating to see how he imprinted a new memory and thus taste to iron.
My favorite part has to be how it subverted lots of tropes such as the way Tadek as a character was handled. At first I feared that the romance would feature him as Kadou's second love interest and make the already messy power imbalance between Kadou and Evemer even messier. That didn't happen though and Tadek wasn't just dropped once he wasn't with Kadou anymore either. The exes actually became friends and I grew to love Tadek's sassy banter and his amazing eye for fashion.
Evemer's character arc/growth was a stand out feature for me as well. In the beginning he's described as a stonewall, stoic and barely verbal aside from him acknowledging his lord/his higness when ordered to do things. He disliked Kadou for being flighty, negligent and didn't protest much when Kadou referred to his chronic anxiety as cowardice. Of course Kadou's not even close to a coward and his anxiety is useful in certain situation as well which is rare to see in books (his hypervigilance saved him from being attacked in his sleep and he's used to high stress so stressful situations don't throw him off unlike others). Evemer learns to appreciate Kadou's vulnerability and even strives to become more like him. It was beautiful to see how he started to talk more (thanks to Kadou coaxing it out of him) and the fantasy therapy at the temple gave a great insight to Evemer's inner conflict and showed how he's changed since the start as well. Also love the fact that this stoic stonewall isn't nearly as dominant and assertive as he would've been in other stories. No toxic masculinity to be seen here. He goes on and on about wanting to go on his knees in front of Kadou to press his forehead to his hands in act of fealty. He's so easily undone by Kadou's kisses and is just utterly smitten by him.
The romance was very slow paced but I love a good slow burn. Someone has said that this is a less dark version of the captive prince trilogy and I fully agree. I saw lots of parallels actually and as a huge fan of the trilogy it was greatly appreciated. I'll use bullet points to state some of my highlights because this review is already way too long:
-The YEARNING. It has to be written in caps because there's so much of it. The way Evemer yearns for Kadou and how Kadou keeps questioning their tension because Evermer's too stoney to read... delicious.
-Kissing to prevent being caught spying. This scene was so well written, their tension is hot and Evemer's clumzy inexperience and Kadou's assertiveness and wanting for more was just top notch.
-Hand holding/touching at Evemer's mother's house. The tenderness and yearning...
-The scene right after the sultan put Evemer on his knees and made him swear an oath for her. The confusing attraction and the way he had the urge to swear yet another oath to Kadou to clarify that he's the one for him and the tender face touching...
-The whole inn scene. Neck kisses and a make out session to hide their identity from the main villain. Genious.
-Kadou suggesting an impromptu wedding to save Evemer's life and mentioning an annulment once they're out of the predicament but secretly wishing that it was the real deal instead.
-The spicy palace garden scene once they finally talked about their feelings for each other???? It was everything and more that I wanted.
I could go on and on about how much I love their love and how all the side characters are fleshed out and not just afterthoughts as well. This is a warm hug in book form that I'll definitively return to. Highly recommend checking out the author's fanfic that feels like an epilogue and provides some more fun Tadek/Evemer banter and heartfelt, sexy letters. I have to check out more by this author!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, Eating disorder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, Murder, Alcoholism, Classism, and Death
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