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A review by mxsallybend
The Gilded Crown by Marianne Gordon
3.0
I think my problems with this book start with the cover blurb. When you’re comparing yourself to The Priory of the Orange Tree, one of my favorite books of the last few years, you’re setting certain expectations. That was an epic fantasy in every sense of the word, beautifully told, and utterly compelling. It had a very mature exploration of romance between women, a relationship that felt natural and significant – a slow-burn that developed into fires-of-passion, and I loved it.
Sadly, The Gilded Crown lacks the depth, maturity, or significance of Priory. It’s a much thinner tale that, despite its categorization as Adult Fantasy, feels very much Young Adult. While it has emotion, it shies away from the visceral horror of death – a key aspect of the book – and that takes away from its impact. As for the central relationship, it’s a tentative thing that goes out of its way to suggest it may be more tied to the price of resurrection than any romance or passion, making it seem a forced sort of tease that’s structured so as to be easily dismissed. I won’t call it queer-baiting because there is another relationship that’s much more definitively accepted as queer, but the fact that it’s secondary lessens the impact.
Without the expectations of Priory, this is an okay read, but one that I likely would not have picked up otherwise. It has interesting roots, and plenty of opportunity to explore some very deep questions of faith and morality, of religion versus mythology, but it never does more than ask questions. There was a point halfway through where I thought it was beginning to turn, which is all that kept me going, but the exploration never goes any deeper. Ultimately, it’s a frustrating read that doesn’t quite seem to know where it’s headed or, more importantly, why.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2023/09/10/book-review-the-gilded-crown-by-marianne-gordon-fantasy/
Sadly, The Gilded Crown lacks the depth, maturity, or significance of Priory. It’s a much thinner tale that, despite its categorization as Adult Fantasy, feels very much Young Adult. While it has emotion, it shies away from the visceral horror of death – a key aspect of the book – and that takes away from its impact. As for the central relationship, it’s a tentative thing that goes out of its way to suggest it may be more tied to the price of resurrection than any romance or passion, making it seem a forced sort of tease that’s structured so as to be easily dismissed. I won’t call it queer-baiting because there is another relationship that’s much more definitively accepted as queer, but the fact that it’s secondary lessens the impact.
Without the expectations of Priory, this is an okay read, but one that I likely would not have picked up otherwise. It has interesting roots, and plenty of opportunity to explore some very deep questions of faith and morality, of religion versus mythology, but it never does more than ask questions. There was a point halfway through where I thought it was beginning to turn, which is all that kept me going, but the exploration never goes any deeper. Ultimately, it’s a frustrating read that doesn’t quite seem to know where it’s headed or, more importantly, why.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2023/09/10/book-review-the-gilded-crown-by-marianne-gordon-fantasy/