Scan barcode
A review by oknazareth
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The author said this was "the book of her heart," and you can clearly see it when you read it. Crafted so carefully to make you love all the characters, and to make you doubt of them all as well.
A Taste of Gold and Iron was sweet when a lot of romantasy books are furious, and slow in a way that made sense to the book. No instalove here, but not quite enemies to lovers either.
Set in a world that sounds similar to the Middle East, Kadou's big sister is the Sultan making him the prince of the most prosperous nation. They made perfect gold coins and managed to maintain economic stability when all other countries where struggling.
The whole plot centers around the threat to the nation’s currency, where someone is messing with the coin composition, threatening the trust they have amongst all other countries. It can be a catastrophe and Kadou is trying to fix it.
I loved Kadou. He's the prince of my dreams. Battling with generalized anxiety disorder and not knowing how to handle it. His struggles are portrayed authentically, making him relatable. Showcasing how to be afraid doesn't mean to be a coward. Second guessing himself every step of the way, but so good and so brave that made me want to protect him at all costs. But it's ok because he has his protectors.
Evemer has been promoted to the highest rank of the guard, assigned to serve and protect the careless/negligent prince. Evemer, initially antagonistic, grows to reveal a deeper loyalty as he protects Kadou.
A Taste of Gold and Iron was sweet when a lot of romantasy books are furious, and slow in a way that made sense to the book. No instalove here, but not quite enemies to lovers either.
Set in a world that sounds similar to the Middle East, Kadou's big sister is the Sultan making him the prince of the most prosperous nation. They made perfect gold coins and managed to maintain economic stability when all other countries where struggling.
The whole plot centers around the threat to the nation’s currency, where someone is messing with the coin composition, threatening the trust they have amongst all other countries. It can be a catastrophe and Kadou is trying to fix it.
I loved Kadou. He's the prince of my dreams. Battling with generalized anxiety disorder and not knowing how to handle it. His struggles are portrayed authentically, making him relatable. Showcasing how to be afraid doesn't mean to be a coward. Second guessing himself every step of the way, but so good and so brave that made me want to protect him at all costs. But it's ok because he has his protectors.
Evemer has been promoted to the highest rank of the guard, assigned to serve and protect the careless/negligent prince. Evemer, initially antagonistic, grows to reveal a deeper loyalty as he protects Kadou.
"If this was something that was just Evemer’s, then so be it. He could let it change him, let it change how he thought about his liege without ever letting Kadou know the whys of it, or the way that it had thrown Evemer’s world out of balance, the way it had given him a new center of gravity, a sun to orbit, a star to follow."
I loved him to pieces, too.
Their story stole my heart, made me giggle and swoon. The story had me doubting everyone even though I had it figured out since the beginning. I'm glad I read this book.
I find it difficult to give this a full five stars because:
1. I don't think this book can be considered fantasy (unless having two moons and being able to touch-taste metals count?).
2. The antagonists were not well developed, simplistic and very easy to defeat.
3. I would have liked more worldbuilding, everything happens in the same city, but there is ample mentions of other places we could have explored.
4. While the stakes are high, the resolution feels somewhat predictable.
I still think it was a great story. Kadou's struggles with anxiety resonated with me personally. His journey reminded me of the importance of seeking support and building your self-worth. The loveable characters and positive representation make it a great read, one that I really enjoyed.