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A review by amybraunauthor
Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart
4.0
I was super excited to read this book and can definitely say it was not what I expected! It's been a while since I've encountered a denser, more complex system of magic. The story is filled with memorable characters, detailed world building, and told with a very strong author voice.
The two main characters could not be more different. Jazmyne is focused and driven by duty, whereas Ira is more passionate and uncontrolled. I love the contrast between the girls, both of whom have strengths and flaws, but Ira's sassy humour and bold nature made her my favourite. The side characters are a ton of fun, especially the love interest/friend Kirdan, who has more than a few secrets and tricks up his sleeve.
The magic and world building is incredibly detailed and forces the reader to pay attention and remember terms. The author does a very good job with the age-old technique of show don't tell: what the character knows must feel natural. And I have to say, the fantasy elements are wholly unique to the genre, and create fresh and thrilling action scenes.
However, this is also where I hit a bit of a snag. Given how many terms are used, introduced, and spread out, it was a bit of a challenge for me to understand what was happening, why things worked, and how they looked. I got a bit lost in some sections and struggled to find some of the setting.
This also led to a little confusion in the plot. I had a general idea of what was happening, but some choices, especially those around Ira and who she interacted with, didn't quite make sense to me at the time. In hindsight, I think it worked wonderfully, and I truly loved the ending. I just think there needed to be a few more anchors in certain scenes.
Again, these are only my opinions, and despite my struggles, I found plenty to enjoy here. This is a powerful debut and I truly believe that Smart's career will grow and excel. She has a powerful writing voice, a vivid imagination, and put tons of thought and passion into this project. It is a great book for anyone who respects and wants to uplift Black culture, and is a must read if you love rich, detail-oriented fantasy.
The two main characters could not be more different. Jazmyne is focused and driven by duty, whereas Ira is more passionate and uncontrolled. I love the contrast between the girls, both of whom have strengths and flaws, but Ira's sassy humour and bold nature made her my favourite. The side characters are a ton of fun, especially the love interest/friend Kirdan, who has more than a few secrets and tricks up his sleeve.
The magic and world building is incredibly detailed and forces the reader to pay attention and remember terms. The author does a very good job with the age-old technique of show don't tell: what the character knows must feel natural. And I have to say, the fantasy elements are wholly unique to the genre, and create fresh and thrilling action scenes.
However, this is also where I hit a bit of a snag. Given how many terms are used, introduced, and spread out, it was a bit of a challenge for me to understand what was happening, why things worked, and how they looked. I got a bit lost in some sections and struggled to find some of the setting.
This also led to a little confusion in the plot. I had a general idea of what was happening, but some choices, especially those around Ira and who she interacted with, didn't quite make sense to me at the time. In hindsight, I think it worked wonderfully, and I truly loved the ending. I just think there needed to be a few more anchors in certain scenes.
Again, these are only my opinions, and despite my struggles, I found plenty to enjoy here. This is a powerful debut and I truly believe that Smart's career will grow and excel. She has a powerful writing voice, a vivid imagination, and put tons of thought and passion into this project. It is a great book for anyone who respects and wants to uplift Black culture, and is a must read if you love rich, detail-oriented fantasy.