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A review by luluwoohoo
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
🌈 Happy Pride Month 🌈 all of the books I'm reading in June are proudly Pride-centric in celebration 🎉
▪️A rich, heartfelt portrait of two people falling in love when they shouldn't, against the backdrop of a political chess match, all combines to create a truly enamoring fantasy book I couldn't put down!
▪️The dual perspectives of Kadou and Evermer was totally necessary to understand their own struggles within the relationship, and each of them and their growth felt authentic to the situation. I was specifically impressed by the portrayal of Kadou's anxiety attacks, which were handled well and didn't feel gratuitous. The yearning and sexual tension between them was perfectly balanced across the arc of their relationship, though I will say I wished the ending had included telling Zeliha, which would have brought Kadou's relationship with her full circle
▪️The world building was detailed without overwhelming the plot, and using foreign characters as a means to deliver the unique constructs surrounding parental claim on children, and the servitude of the royal staff, was brilliant. I loved the causal use of gender fluidity and various pronouns too. Though the mystery sub-plot was a little bare in terms of complexity, I admire Rowland for committing to the romance as the heart of this book and it paid off for me
▪️The supporting characters were all interesting and enjoyable to read about, and often subverted expectations enough to feel three dimensional. I became invested in their journeys as much as the main characters
▪️This is far from a perfect book, but I adored it and devoured it and would love to read more in this world, and particularly about these men, so it's a winner for me.
☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
🌈 Happy Pride Month 🌈 all of the books I'm reading in June are proudly Pride-centric in celebration 🎉
▪️A rich, heartfelt portrait of two people falling in love when they shouldn't, against the backdrop of a political chess match, all combines to create a truly enamoring fantasy book I couldn't put down!
▪️The dual perspectives of Kadou and Evermer was totally necessary to understand their own struggles within the relationship, and each of them and their growth felt authentic to the situation. I was specifically impressed by the portrayal of Kadou's anxiety attacks, which were handled well and didn't feel gratuitous. The yearning and sexual tension between them was perfectly balanced across the arc of their relationship, though I will say I wished the ending had included telling Zeliha, which would have brought Kadou's relationship with her full circle
▪️The world building was detailed without overwhelming the plot, and using foreign characters as a means to deliver the unique constructs surrounding parental claim on children, and the servitude of the royal staff, was brilliant. I loved the causal use of gender fluidity and various pronouns too. Though the mystery sub-plot was a little bare in terms of complexity, I admire Rowland for committing to the romance as the heart of this book and it paid off for me
▪️The supporting characters were all interesting and enjoyable to read about, and often subverted expectations enough to feel three dimensional. I became invested in their journeys as much as the main characters
▪️This is far from a perfect book, but I adored it and devoured it and would love to read more in this world, and particularly about these men, so it's a winner for me.
"It might be nice to choose power than to be stuck with it, he sometimes thought. Being prince often felt like he was seated on the back of a ferocious wild horse that could bite or trample anyone around him who didn't have a horse of their own[...] And who was to say that he was the best rider to tame it, simply because he had been born to it?"