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A review by secre
Flames of Gold by Liz Delton
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.0
Flames of Gold is an epic fantasy novel that shines. It's got the characters, the world and the narrative. It's got a tightly woven plot that stays together throughout. It's got a set of characters who come to life on the page in front of you. And the world is well built, with magic woven into every atom. And there's a romance, even if it isn't fully realised... we all know where this is heading. Much to my liking, it's a sub-plot rather than taking over the narrative.
We meet Fig pulled from a business meeting to the King. Prince Devryn, running from the coup that killed his father. And a dragonet, unknowingly bonded. Or at least, those are our central characters. One of the things I didn't like was how new characters were introduced; they got a point of view chapter and then were just amalgamated. Sometimes it was jarring, other times you wanted more from the character...
However, this excels in different ways. I fell in love with the characters, particularly Fig; she's both fragile and strong. She's also a headstrong idiot and I can empathise. The narrative is strong, although it's mostly our characters fleeing from the mayhem they have created. But there's more than a hint of a far larger narrative here and colour me intrigued. And the world building? That is excellent. You are missing a lot of details, but you can't help but imagine the world in your mind.
All in all, this is a strong novel. It didn't wow me, but it more than intrigued me. And I'm interested to see what happens next.
We meet Fig pulled from a business meeting to the King. Prince Devryn, running from the coup that killed his father. And a dragonet, unknowingly bonded. Or at least, those are our central characters. One of the things I didn't like was how new characters were introduced; they got a point of view chapter and then were just amalgamated. Sometimes it was jarring, other times you wanted more from the character...
However, this excels in different ways. I fell in love with the characters, particularly Fig; she's both fragile and strong. She's also a headstrong idiot and I can empathise. The narrative is strong, although it's mostly our characters fleeing from the mayhem they have created. But there's more than a hint of a far larger narrative here and colour me intrigued. And the world building? That is excellent. You are missing a lot of details, but you can't help but imagine the world in your mind.
All in all, this is a strong novel. It didn't wow me, but it more than intrigued me. And I'm interested to see what happens next.