You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Consumed as an audiobook. The narrator made it sound great, but there wasn't much happening, so I got a bit bored.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
This book is the perfect reminder not to judge a book by its cover because I would not have assumed that this book was what it was based on it.
The Gilded Crown is a masterful, intricate political fantasy that stuns with visual prose and complex characters. When I say complex, I mean Complex. Gordon examines the very nature of humanity, of morality, here in this novel. Using themes of corrupting power, sibling bonds, generational trauma, religious power/corruption, and more, Gordon thrusts the reader into a heartfelt and poignant world that beats with life.
I don't want to disclose too much on characters for fear of spoiling anything, but the dynamics in this story are deeply moving and weaved with intrigue. Take Death (?) for example, a self-serving and morally ambiguous character that adds so much depth and understanding to the story on a larger scale. Sullivain who feels trapped under the weight of wars past and familial trauma, and whose morals lean dark. Hellevir herself and the twisted complexity of martyrdom and how much love can hurt us. The Gilded Crown is rich with interesting characters.
Beautiful, lovely, and tragic. I loved every word.
(Side note: fans of the Agathario dynamic will enjoy Hellevir + Sullivain.)
The Gilded Crown is a masterful, intricate political fantasy that stuns with visual prose and complex characters. When I say complex, I mean Complex. Gordon examines the very nature of humanity, of morality, here in this novel. Using themes of corrupting power, sibling bonds, generational trauma, religious power/corruption, and more, Gordon thrusts the reader into a heartfelt and poignant world that beats with life.
I don't want to disclose too much on characters for fear of spoiling anything, but the dynamics in this story are deeply moving and weaved with intrigue. Take Death (?) for example, a self-serving and morally ambiguous character that adds so much depth and understanding to the story on a larger scale. Sullivain who feels trapped under the weight of wars past and familial trauma, and whose morals lean dark. Hellevir herself and the twisted complexity of martyrdom and how much love can hurt us. The Gilded Crown is rich with interesting characters.
Beautiful, lovely, and tragic. I loved every word.
(Side note: fans of the Agathario dynamic will enjoy Hellevir + Sullivain.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Do not judge this book for its romantasy looking cover. It is not a romantasy by any means, thank goodness.
My favorite books of 2024 feature necromancy and/or traumatized (and kinda toxic) princesses. This definitely met that criteria and, while not as good as those other books, I really enjoyed it nevertheless.
I really liked the "magic" in this universe, where people can talk to spirits of various kinds and a small number of people can flit across the veil of death. I like how to bring people back from the dead requires bits and pieces of yourself, except in Hellevir's case,Death himself is looking for specific gifts (which is totally setting him up for some shenanigans in the future (especially if he is the Antlered King of lore)).
The major characters are decent. Surprisingly deep. Her family is complex, the Peers are your standard evil religious group seeking bigger and "better" things. The Queen is the mustache-twirlingly evil monarch character we've all become accustomed to.
Sullivain is...tedious. Their relationship/romance(ish) is very toxic and feels a little forced. Every single time she shows even a little bit of improvement she immediately backtracks and somehow gets worse than before. There are snippets of a decent person under her iron demeanor, but they are squashed time and time again. She has potential but she has a lot to atone for. Time will tell...
Death is really cool. I liked his whole thing. I'm immensely grateful that this isn't a romantasy because he would've been the inevitable love interest and I would've hated that so much.
I did laugh a little at theOdin impersonation Hellevir's got going on at the end of the book (eyepatch and raven). And she's ending the book with plans to wander. I swear to goodness if she gets a second raven I'm rioting.
It definitely feels like this whole book is a setup for a series. But I'm definitely gonna check out the sequel though. I want to see where it goes.
My favorite books of 2024 feature necromancy and/or traumatized (and kinda toxic) princesses. This definitely met that criteria and, while not as good as those other books, I really enjoyed it nevertheless.
I really liked the "magic" in this universe, where people can talk to spirits of various kinds and a small number of people can flit across the veil of death. I like how to bring people back from the dead requires bits and pieces of yourself, except in Hellevir's case,
The major characters are decent. Surprisingly deep. Her family is complex, the Peers are your standard evil religious group seeking bigger and "better" things. The Queen is the mustache-twirlingly evil monarch character we've all become accustomed to.
Sullivain is...tedious. Their relationship/romance(ish) is very toxic and feels a little forced. Every single time she shows even a little bit of improvement she immediately backtracks and somehow gets worse than before. There are snippets of a decent person under her iron demeanor, but they are squashed time and time again. She has potential but she has a lot to atone for. Time will tell...
Death is really cool. I liked his whole thing. I'm immensely grateful that this isn't a romantasy because he would've been the inevitable love interest and I would've hated that so much.
I did laugh a little at the
It definitely feels like this whole book is a setup for a series. But I'm definitely gonna check out the sequel though. I want to see where it goes.
Very slow. Super deep characters, very interesting magic system, though it really is only the one girl who exhibits this power of necromancy and talking with nature. I am just bored. Bored of the lack of plot, no intrigue. I like characters but that's all it is. One characters internal struggles, thoughts and expierences and they are pretty much always drab.
This book had promise, but it was wasted on unlikable characters and a romance that was forced, toxic, and boring. I am not sure how it managed to be all three, but it succeeded in that respect.
Helliver can enter death and bring living creatures back from the dead. I wish this had been explored more, especially since Death was the most interesting character. It felt like The Gilded Crown was written just to set up the next book in the series.
Helliver can enter death and bring living creatures back from the dead. I wish this had been explored more, especially since Death was the most interesting character. It felt like The Gilded Crown was written just to set up the next book in the series.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes