A review by mimimac
The Gilded Crown by Marianne Gordon

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

I went into the Gilded Crown expecting a lighthearted romantasy book with some sort of death magic, I can’t exactly remember where that impression came from, I think probably based on the cover & some comps I saw on instagram, but it has done this book a massive disservice imo. 

I would liken this book more to if The Bear & The Nightingale & The Six Deaths of the Saint had a baby with a side sprinkle of lusting. It definitely wasn’t what I had seen pitched & honestly I think it was better than the pitch. 

If you’re like me & excepting a romance, I am here to manage your expectations. There is some intense (& mildly inappropriate) sapphic yearning which is very well written & will leave you wanting more, plus there is a lovely achillian side relationship, but that’s it. You will like it, but you will be disappointed if you expect more. 

I really liked the whole idea of this book, the exchanges with death & how the deals worked, the bargains & corruption, just the general scope of the book, I think it’s a really solid foundation for any following books. There’s a lot left unexplored but also plenty of info to get you started without being overwhelming. 

I thought the worldbuilding was very good, clear & much more realistic than some fantasy, rooted in real world myths & historical references. The pacing was perhaps a bit slow in places, but I was intrigued throughout so didn’t notice it too much. 

Overall a really solid book & can’t wait for the next one! 

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.