Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Life has a price and Death is the tollman waiting to take it. I loved this magic has a price especially as it’s necromancy. To drag something from death back to life Hellevir has to pay the price and it’s a high one.
This book was beautifully written from a craft perspective and clearly well thought out in terms of world building and plot. Even the characters had depth and complexity that was wonderfully done. I wish the second half of this duology was out already so I could already be reading it.
This book was beautifully written from a craft perspective and clearly well thought out in terms of world building and plot. Even the characters had depth and complexity that was wonderfully done. I wish the second half of this duology was out already so I could already be reading it.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An easy and enjoyable read. A protagonist torn between who she wants to be and who she’s forced to be. Solving riddles and confronting death, while coming to terms with the reality of life.
Very coming of age, for the protagonist and the princess. Both trying to figure out how to operate within their own confines and often making the wrong choices - but they learn and grow, or at least start to given this is only book one of two.
Fun read, sapphic and immersive.
Very coming of age, for the protagonist and the princess. Both trying to figure out how to operate within their own confines and often making the wrong choices - but they learn and grow, or at least start to given this is only book one of two.
Fun read, sapphic and immersive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
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:
Yes
This book has everything. Sapphic enemies to kind of enemies but also mutually yearning! Deals with death and necromantic magic! Undead animal companions! Authoritative, power hungry new religions! Grappling with grief, mortality, autonomy, and power! Eyepatches!
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is not at all what I was expecting. The plot was what drew me to this book but after the first few chapters it fell flat. The characters were terrible and shallow, with barely any backstory to them. The romance was nonexistent with no chemistry between the supposed couple. Not to mention the world building, which had no history to the land or any other magic users besides the main character who could bring back the dead. This book was a complete disappointment and I am not even considering reading the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
I was just expecting this book to be much faster than it actually was. I did enjoy the book, the writing was nice but I wanted something a bit faster from this story. I would be interested in reading a sequel though, especially with that loose ending.
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
it was compelling enough that I finished in two sittings. that is incredibly rare.
CHECK TRIGGERS
CHECK TRIGGERS
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Abandonment
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Vomit, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Loved this. Loved the depiction of death, and loved Hellevir with her raven. Eagerly looking forward to the next book.
A big thanks to NetGalley and Harper for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
With The Foxglove King as a comp title, how can I not say no?
The Gilded Crown by Marianne Gordon is a fantasy novel about a woman who is able to raise the dead, and is tasked with protecting the princess at all costs. The first time Hellevir visited Death, she was ten years old… Since she was a little girl, Hellevir has been able to raise the dead. Every creature can be saved for a price, a price demanded by the shrouded figure who rules the afterlife, who takes a little more from Hellevir with each soul she resurrects. Such a gift can rarely remain a secret. When Princess Sullivain, sole heir to the kingdom’s throne, is assassinated, the Queen summons Hellevir to demand she bring her granddaughter back to life. But once is not enough; the killers might strike again. The Princess’s death would cause a civil war, so the Queen commands that Hellevir remain by her side. But Sullivain is no easy woman to be bound to, even as Hellevir begins to fall in love with her. With the threat of war looming, Hellevir must trade more and more of herself to keep the Princess alive. But Death will always take what he is owed.
I feel like this book had a really cool concept, just poor execution. And I blame the marketing/feel of it being a romantasy, but solely focusing on the fantasy aspect.
With The Foxglove King as a comp title, how can I not say no?
The Gilded Crown by Marianne Gordon is a fantasy novel about a woman who is able to raise the dead, and is tasked with protecting the princess at all costs. The first time Hellevir visited Death, she was ten years old… Since she was a little girl, Hellevir has been able to raise the dead. Every creature can be saved for a price, a price demanded by the shrouded figure who rules the afterlife, who takes a little more from Hellevir with each soul she resurrects. Such a gift can rarely remain a secret. When Princess Sullivain, sole heir to the kingdom’s throne, is assassinated, the Queen summons Hellevir to demand she bring her granddaughter back to life. But once is not enough; the killers might strike again. The Princess’s death would cause a civil war, so the Queen commands that Hellevir remain by her side. But Sullivain is no easy woman to be bound to, even as Hellevir begins to fall in love with her. With the threat of war looming, Hellevir must trade more and more of herself to keep the Princess alive. But Death will always take what he is owed.
I feel like this book had a really cool concept, just poor execution. And I blame the marketing/feel of it being a romantasy, but solely focusing on the fantasy aspect.