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jrice17's review against another edition
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book.
I expected to enjoy this book more than I actually did. The story progressed a little too slowly for my liking. I thought the world was interesting and Hellevir's (FMC) ability to bring people back from the dead is super interesting. I could not get past how rude and ungrateful the princess is. I also struggled to envision a map of the world as well as the city. A map would have helped. I also couldn't quite understand nor care to understand the Onaistus religion.
The one aspect of the book I loved and continued to wait until I got more of, was Death. Every time Hellevir went to Death's limbo world and spoke with him to negotiate with him for souls I was enraptured. I wanted more, but understand that the plot in the normal world had to carry on.
This book was not meant for me, but if you like political intrigue, dark fantasy, queer romance, and necromancy, then this book is for you!
I expected to enjoy this book more than I actually did. The story progressed a little too slowly for my liking. I thought the world was interesting and Hellevir's (FMC) ability to bring people back from the dead is super interesting. I could not get past how rude and ungrateful the princess is. I also struggled to envision a map of the world as well as the city. A map would have helped. I also couldn't quite understand nor care to understand the Onaistus religion.
The one aspect of the book I loved and continued to wait until I got more of, was Death. Every time Hellevir went to Death's limbo world and spoke with him to negotiate with him for souls I was enraptured. I wanted more, but understand that the plot in the normal world had to carry on.
This book was not meant for me, but if you like political intrigue, dark fantasy, queer romance, and necromancy, then this book is for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
spierra's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I enjoyed this book, it kept me hooked throughout. I really liked the world building. I feel like maybe the character building (not including Hellevir, though some of her motivations confused me at times) could have been a bit better. I'm not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, but although I'm glad that the main couple is gay, I just did nottt like Sullivan sorry. But I am interested in seeing if what Death said about her potential to do worse things will end up being true and if so, how exactly that will happen. I also feel like certain parts of the story were a tiny bit repetitive, but I don't think it really takes away from the book much. I do have to say I LOVED how Death was characterized and I loved the personification of worldly things, like the trees and the fire, it was really well done. I'm super excited to see where the second book goes!
shamelesslyintroverted's review against another edition
4.0
After reading the blurb, I was immediately hooked and was able to score a copy from my local library. I do have to say that even though it's tagged as an LGBTQ romance, the romance is very slow burn and I expect it to fully bloom in the next book. Don't go into this if you're looking for a fantasy romance.
That being said, it is LGBTQ forward, which I love. Anyone else's heart ripped out over the death of Calgir? Farvor's grief turned into my grief and the pure brutality of this queen to burn the body so Hellevir couldn't bring him back was just... heart wrenching, but I loved it?
I also loved that we have Death personified, which is one of my favorite things in fantasy books. This personification of death is not to be trifled with. He's not a shadow daddy; this guy is demented and angry, but you can also feel his loneliness. Like there's this scene fairly early on in the book where Hellevir takes a soul without his explicit permission and he meets her in a dream that is just... unsettling.
If you're an audiobook person, I highly recommend it. The narration is incredible and this book is thick. It doesn't look it, but the audio is 18 hours long. Kristen Atherton did a great job giving all of the characters voices that fit their personalities, including Death.
While I absolutely loved parts of this book, I did have some issues with the pacing. There were points where I grew bored or was uninterested enough to consider putting it down, but I'm glad I didn't. The relationship Hellevir has with literally everyone is interesting enough to keep reading about.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I think it's a great debut novel. The political intrigue is brutal, the passing into Death was atmospheric (as is the rest of the book), and the ending has me wanting to reach for book two even though it's not here yet!
I'll be purchasing a copy for my shelves for sure.
That being said, it is LGBTQ forward, which I love.
I also loved that we have Death personified, which is one of my favorite things in fantasy books. This personification of death is not to be trifled with. He's not a shadow daddy; this guy is demented and angry,
If you're an audiobook person, I highly recommend it. The narration is incredible and this book is thick. It doesn't look it, but the audio is 18 hours long. Kristen Atherton did a great job giving all of the characters voices that fit their personalities, including Death.
While I absolutely loved parts of this book, I did have some issues with the pacing. There were points where I grew bored or was uninterested enough to consider putting it down, but I'm glad I didn't. The relationship Hellevir has with literally everyone is interesting enough to keep reading about.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I think it's a great debut novel. The political intrigue is brutal, the passing into Death was atmospheric (as is the rest of the book), and the ending has me wanting to reach for book two even though it's not here yet!
I'll be purchasing a copy for my shelves for sure.
napkins's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I always enjoy a good queernormative setting for a new fantasy, so that is a definitely point in The Gilded Crown's favor. The romance plotline is also an interesting take on the "I should hate her but I don't", with Hellevir giving up a piece of her soul each time she brings Sullivain back to life - there's also some emotion sharing each time they touch because of this, which lends to the draw between them. It's less of a romance and more of the two of them being pulled toward each other in a doomed situation, with no way forward in sight. Sullivain is meant to be her grandmother's heir, cruel when she needs to be to hold power, but also under her grandmother's thumb and afraid to follow fully in her footsteps at the same time. We see a lot of Hellevir thinking "she'd be a better queen" or "she wouldn't do this if her grandmother weren't around", but we also constantly see Sullivain choosing to stick to what she knows and rule with an iron fist, and very little of the softer side Hellevir swears is there.
Unfortunately, a lot of the rest of the politics feels out of place - with a war for the throne only a few decades past, there's potential for some court intrigue as the other noble houses connive their way into schemes to kill Sullivain, the heir to the throne. You would think that this would be the main plotline, as the reason Hellevir gets thrust into the city and the politics is to keep Sullivain from falling prey to these plans, and potentially figure out who is behind them to nip them in the bud. Unfortunately, this leads then to the other plotline, the religious clash and Death's quests. You can see threads of where the quests for the treasures set by Death would be or were intended to be woven into the political storyline, but aside from the very first one, they end up feeling like side quests and a breather from the main plot. You can also see where the religious backstory is intended to inform the creation of the country as well as death himself and potentially a way to free Sullivain, but it also ends up falling flat, a strange mix of too little too late and out of nowhere in terms of the amount of power the fanatics are able to wield.
I'm a little curious to see what the next book holds, but I think it'll definitely depend on what sort of framing it takes for the rest of the story it wants to tell.
Unfortunately, a lot of the rest of the politics feels out of place - with a war for the throne only a few decades past, there's potential for some court intrigue as the other noble houses connive their way into schemes to kill Sullivain, the heir to the throne. You would think that this would be the main plotline, as the reason Hellevir gets thrust into the city and the politics is to keep Sullivain from falling prey to these plans, and potentially figure out who is behind them to nip them in the bud. Unfortunately, this leads then to the other plotline, the religious clash and Death's quests. You can see threads of where the quests for the treasures set by Death would be or were intended to be woven into the political storyline, but aside from the very first one, they end up feeling like side quests and a breather from the main plot. You can also see where the religious backstory is intended to inform the creation of the country as well as death himself and potentially a way to free Sullivain, but it also ends up falling flat, a strange mix of too little too late and out of nowhere in terms of the amount of power the fanatics are able to wield.
I'm a little curious to see what the next book holds, but I think it'll definitely depend on what sort of framing it takes for the rest of the story it wants to tell.
smut_slut's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bookishworm2016's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
willowshield8's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
disabledbookdragon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kryle's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
3.5
Hellevir is able to raise the dead, but her gift comes with a price. Each time she visits with Death, she loses a small part of her self. When rumors of her gift reach the royal court, the Queen seeks her out and demands that she become the on-call resurrectionist for Princess Sullivain, sole heir to the crown. Hellevir finds herself in difficult position as she navigates the world of political intrigue, threats, and conspiracy all while attempting to balance her personal morals with the complex relationships she forms.
Read if you like:
- political intrigue
- necromancy
- dark fantasy
I am conflicted on how I feel about this book. Overall, I enjoyed the premise of the story but I feel like it didn’t meet it’s full potential. A majority of the plot line was repetitive. I would have liked more of a backstory, especially regarding the history of the War of the Waves and the Onaistus religion. A map would also be helpful.
I also didn’t care for Hellevir and Sullivain’s relationship. It was toxic and I found it difficult to believe in their subplot of a romance. Sullivain is incredibly manipulative and doesn’t seem to care about the emotional or physical toll of Hellevir using her gift. She also never takes accountability for her actions. But who knows, maybe she’ll get a redemption arc.
I did really enjoy the scenes with Death and the mystery surrounding his character. Hellevir has far more interesting interactions with him than anyone else. I also loved the raven. 10/10 for the animals.
That being said, I feel like there is the potential for Hellevir’s character to have a lot more growth and development in the next book. Like girl, you can still be empathetic and compassionate, but grow a backbone. I am also curious to see how the rest of her bargain with Death pans out, as well as what happens within the court. I liked this enough to give the next book a shot.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for a free digital copy of this book. This is my honest review. Publication date: July 2, 2024.