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Gild (The Plated Prisoner, #1)

Raven Kennedy

Start date: September 28, 2022

Finish date: October 28, 2022

Discussion: Buddy Reads 2022

Why we're reading this: September Buddy Read
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Nov 25, 2021 Vanessa Gayle ⚔️ Fangirl Faction rated it liked it

Shelves: not-my-cup-of-tea, retellings-reimagined-adaptations, dark-themes, steamy, fae-and-fair-folk, morally-questionable, 2020-release, hyped, zz-2021-reads, cliffhanger

2.5/5 Stars

This is one of those hyped books that are all over BookTok and Bookstagram. It's also been all over the romance book community as well. Not only that but many authors that I value the input of have raved about this book. So yeah, I knew that I had to read it.

I am not entirely sure what to make of this book. I may have perhaps had expectations that were set too high prior to starting this book. One thing that I can say with certainty about this book is that it definitely has an intere 2.5/5 Stars

This is one of those hyped books that are all over BookTok and Bookstagram. It's also been all over the romance book community as well. Not only that but many authors that I value the input of have raved about this book. So yeah, I knew that I had to read it.

I am not entirely sure what to make of this book. I may have perhaps had expectations that were set too high prior to starting this book. One thing that I can say with certainty about this book is that it definitely has an interesting premise. This is a retelling of King Midas from Greek mythology but the way that Kennedy reimagines it is interesting and witty. The storytelling on the other hand left a lot to be desired. First of all, the plot needed some serious work in terms of story pacing. This is a very slow-building story so my interest was waning hardcore in the beginning. I honestly contemplated giving up and placing this on my DNF shelf, which is something that I NEVER do. I did stick with the story though and it took a while for things to really take off where the plot is concerned. The things that happen at the end of the book saved it for me because they did make me want to read the next book to find out what happens next. The world-building in this book was generous where other areas were lacking. The details and descriptions were very well written. I generally didn't care for Kennedy's writing style. It isn't because it is unpolished or anything like that though. It mostly stems from the terrible pacing in the story and the fact that I couldn't connect with any of the characters.

I don't know that I will have much to say about the characters because there was only one character that I liked in this entire book. And it was a side character that was killed in the story. So yeah, not much praise where the characters are concerned. That isn't to say that some of the characters didn't have moments or qualities that were admirable. It's just that their other characteristics overpowered any of that. For instance, the main character, Auren, is a desperate girl that deep down just wants to be loved and has moments where she shows kindness but she is also whiny, entitled, and totally besotted with a man that keeps her prisoner. Her display of Stockholm syndrome just grated on all of my nerves. It made her so unlikeable to me. And don't get me started on King Midas. Everything he did and said rubbed me the wrong way. His treatment of Auren enraged me. He kept her in a cage, made her watch while he slept with other people, treated her like she was nothing but a possession, and preached about how much he cared about her. Oh, and all the while he is married to the Queen. Yeah, totally not book boyfriend material. There is literally not one speck of his personality that I cared for. I kept thinking that he would grow on me and he just didn't. There are several secondary characters as well but none of them are noteworthy. Despite the fact that I didn't connect with a single character in this book, each of the characters felt very distinct in my mind while I read the book. These characters had their own personalities that really set them apart from other characters and I can appreciate that.

The romance in this book is a bit of a mess. I can honestly say that I have no idea who the main character's love interest was supposed to be. I assumed at the start that it was King Midas but I am not sure that is the case. He and Auren are intimate in the story but I wouldn't call it romance per se. Midas does declare that his heart belongs to Auren even if he is married to the Queen and has sex with tons of other people. His declaration of love isn't very convincing though. The way that he treats Auren speaks to the contrary. I am curious about what will happen in terms of romance in the second book. I am hoping that a new love interest presents itself in that book because King Midas is just awful. I honestly don't think that I could continue reading this series if he is the love interest simply because it would not be convincing at all.

Overall, this is a book that has a lot of interesting ideas and concepts but ultimately fell short for me. There is definitely interest for me to read what happens next, so make of that what you will. This is a story that I didn't hate but I didn't love it either. I can definitely see the potential that this series has so I am going to continue reading. I can see why so many people rave about this book and I am sure that if you enjoy smutty retellings then you will enjoy this book as well.

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Jan 11, 2023 Michelle rated it really liked it

A spicy slow-burn, fantasy romp with an intriguing twist on the Midas mythos and some solid world building. Nice political intrigue, that gave it some depth. I started the second right as I finished.

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Aug 03, 2022 Stacey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: library

I enjoyed the hell out of this. There are some ugly parts, but the world and everyone in it is really fascinating, and I feel like there is so much to be learned in future books. I have heard that the series just gets better so sign me up!

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