Reviews with content warning for Slavery - Gild

I really liked this book!
Interesting premise so I'm excited for part 2. The story is very dark and brutal so you should definitely be aware of that! Auren was a great protagonist and a real delight despite her situation.
The world building is amazing and easy to understand!

Spoiler

I didn't like how all the girls/ women hated each other when it was really the men who were the problem so I hope that the feminism comes through in the next books.

One thing I would criticize is that I didn't get what the plot of the series is supposed to be, it felt a little random but I guess (and hope) it's gonna get more obvious in the next book.

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amidpages's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

It’s an interesting take on the story of King Midas. It just took so damn long to pick up. I kept reading strictly because I’ve seen so much hype about this series but I just didn’t get hooked on the story until about 75% of the way through. This is certainly a slow burn with a some world-building sprinkled in. I feel like this book was definitely written with the intention of being a series and does nothing for me other than to set the stage for the heart of the story… which I’m hoping is in book two.

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plsnotanotherdamselindistress's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

This book is amazingly written...it really is. But I have counted 4 men so far who voiced wanting to [email protected] the female MC and I have reached my limit. This could have been a 5 star book and yes actually it did sth for the plot as the absolute female rage the MC gets is just understandable but I have to advise everyone to LOOK AT THE CONTENT WARNINGS before reading because this book is triggering. Especially as it feels real I mean the story plays in a fantasy world but the men...the male characters feel threateningly real.

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reneec1's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This book felt like a big prequel. Luckily, I’ve read that the series gets better. (Edit after reading the next three books… each one gets better and better! I loved Gleam and Glow and can’t wait for Gold!) I didn’t necessarily dislike it, but there was almost no plot and it felt more like establishing Auren’s world and her place in it plus showing when she snapped and decided to make a change.

Another edit after finishing the series (so far) is that I looked up how spicy this book is before reading it and decided to read it based on reviews, but I wish I would have known that later in the series, it gets significantly spicier.

Rape is mentioned a lot in this book.

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beckyyreadss's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Thank you, Michael Joseph Penguin Publishing, for sending this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is based on Auren. She is locked away in a castle on the snowy mountains in the Sixth Kingdom of Orea, she has never known freedom. No one can get in or out expect for him. King Midas, who rescued her from the streets. Who gave her food, shelter, and his heart. Who she promised to love forever. But after a political upheaval sends her across the kingdoms to a future she doesn’t understand, everything she knew about King Midas is shattered. Everyone has heard his story, this is Auren’s story.

Before I say what I like, please check trigger warnings for this book – as this is brutal.

This book gives ACOTAR vibes, but what ACOTAR did that this book didn’t do was world building. You are learning about this new world and you can’t really understand it because there hasn’t been much world building expect for short chapters and flashbacks. This book is an easy read and if you are not interested in the world building then it’s probably perfect for you. I just struggled to understand the world and different kingdoms. Some of the language wasn’t really necessary but I think that’s just because I was raised never to say the C word and yet it was almost in every chapters. I liked the character development of Auren and how she went from this weak girl who wanted a king to a kickass women wanting to protect the other woman and getting back home. I look forward for the next book in this series and hopefully there will be more world building.

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ksherbz's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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scarlett_f's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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