From the Bookshelf of Turning Pages At Midnight…

The Golden Dynasty (Fantasyland, #2)

Kristen Ashley

Start date: April 26, 2022

Finish date: April 30, 2022

Discussion: Buddy Reads

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* September 2025 Buddy Reads
By Diana · 13 posts · 19 views

last updated Sep 04, 2025 07:25AM

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last updated Jun 01, 2025 09:53AM

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What Members Thought

Jul 05, 2013 SamJ ★Needs a HEA★ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star-reads, 2nd-edition-shelved-for-bc-only, hero-warrior, re-read-2020, re-read-2018, read-2013, theme-reunited-lovers, book-challenge-2014, book-challenge-2015, reviewed

Re reading again! I love this book.

And I left this series till last and did not think I would like it, and even starting this book, it started horrifically, and I wondered how KA could redeem him, but for me she just did!

“I could not dream a better you.”
Oh my God.
Oh… my… God.
Did he just say that?
I stared into his warm eyes.
He just said that.
And that was so sweet, so unexpected but so welcome, my breath arrested and all I could do was continue staring at him.
He wasn’t done. “A better wi ...more

101 likes · Like · see review

Dec 04, 2011 seton rated it liked it

Shelves: over-rated

Genre: fantasy erotic romance

Seattle babe first-person narrator is transported to an alternative universe where she is mated to the king of a brutal barbarian race. There is a crackalicious romance somewhere in here with some decent world-building, so I can see where it might appeal to some, but I couldnt get over the crude, unpolished, and repetitious writing style. Everything was f-ing this and f-ing that or golden queen or golden tigress or golden honey or golden cunt. As in "That’s it, my go ...more

36 likes · Like · see review

Dec 09, 2012 Lindsay rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviews, a-s-a-p, best-revenge-seeking-alphas-i-love

I didn’t know what I was getting into with this book. I just knew that I enjoyed the previous book in the series and a friend asked me to buddy read it with you.

But once I started this, I was shocked to find I needed a dictionary to understand half of it. I’m so thankful a friend told me to take a screen shot of it before reading so I could refer back to it as I read. It was extremely helpful. Granted, it caused the book to be slow going as I was looking up stuff but I don’t think the book woul I didn’t know what I was getting into with this book. I just knew that I enjoyed the previous book in the series and a friend asked me to buddy read it with you.

But once I started this, I was shocked to find I needed a dictionary to understand half of it. I’m so thankful a friend told me to take a screen shot of it before reading so I could refer back to it as I read. It was extremely helpful. Granted, it caused the book to be slow going as I was looking up stuff but I don’t think the book would have been as enjoyable if I didn’t know what was being said. And because I was able to understand the book, I ended up loving it.

Like its predecessor, this book worked for me. It had a historical feel that just worked with KA’s particular brand of alpha hero. I didn’t mind Dax Lahn’s barbarian alpha ways. Yes, he was a jerk at times. And some of his actions were horrible. But also realized that it was his way of life. They didn’t sit well with Circe and she made that known and Lahn changed for her. He wanted to make her happy.

And I have to give Kristen Ashley a lot of credit for creating a whole language. Other authors would have just created words or used a foreign language and translated it from English, but KA went out of her way and actually conjugated her verbs. I’m just in awe of it. Lol, even though I felt like I was back in my Spanish class half the time.

My biggest complaint was actually the dictionary. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad I had it. But putting it in the back of the book (when it’s an ebook) was a horrible decision. It’s so difficult to flip back and forth that if I hadn’t created screen shots (and printed them out) I would have been lost and I would have missed some great things that had me saying “awwwwwwwwe!” and that would have really sucked.

Another complaint I had, while it applies to this book, it actually applies to all KA books overall…I really hate that when a guy does something stupid or says something stupid or just does something wrong, the heroine ends up apologizing to the hero for not forgiving him enough. And I tend to think they give in to soon. The guys never have to work for it hard enough. And I hate it when women are doormats to the guys when the guy was in the wrong.

Oh, and just as a final thought…I’m convinced that this is the year of tears for me. Golden Dynasty was my 3rd book this year and it’s the 3rd book to make me cry. There were a few scenes in the book, but the ending is what did me in. I really hate that Circe had to give up her dad. And the end, when the dad was talking to his wife, I just couldn’t help by tear up because of all that he wasn’t going to get to be a part of. I really wish that he could have been with his daughter in the parallel world.
...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Sep 18, 2016 Jennifer☠Pher☠ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: re-read-2016

I think the things that bothered me the first read that I accepted by the end, were a bit more of a struggle for me with this re-read.

And this is not just about the savagery.

Still very enjoyable and quite a tale in itself, I just don't think I loved it as much as I did the first go round.

The most unbelievable thing to me about this book though is the world that KA created. And she didn't just create a world, she created a language. Amazing. ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 03, 2015 Diane (Books and Tequila Blog) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: listened-to, audible, kindle, re-read, bnb-challenge-2016

In Golden Dynasty, Kristen Ashley paints a whole new land with bright colors and bold characters. It is a very emotional story that deals with difficult subjects as Circe finds herself in a very savage land. She has to find ways to adapt herself or mold her new world into one that she can find happiness in.

"I was in love with a savage, warrior king and I knew straight to my soul that he loved me." ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 07, 2014 Alyssa Mooney rated it it was amazing

Ok so with some of the subject matter I shouldn't have liked this book, but thus is the power of Kristen Ashley as I freaking loved it! This woman can do no wrong, I haven't read a book of hers that I don't like. Read The Golden Dynasty, you won't be disappointed. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 15, 2012 Jennifer☠Pher☠ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This is a tricky one to rate for me. Some of it was difficult but overall, as always, it was a fantastic story. The difficult needed to be part of the story so it still deserves 5 stars.

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 13, 2019 Yanique Rose rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourite, medieval, fantasy

5 well deserved stars <3

1 like · Like · see review

Jul 08, 2017 Shan ~A~ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: erotic, romance, books-i-own, romance-humor, in-series-or-trilogy, owned-kindle, fantasy

I read this book not knowing what I was going to say once I got done. There were things in this book I just couldn't get past, and no amount of It's their way would ever be enough, but that only took away one star.

Everything else was pretty fantastic. How do you reconcile the things that you don't like (and actually loathe), with the rest of the book that you absolutely love.

I will never be completely okay with Lahn as a hero, but I loved Circe. She was exactly the type of heroine that I love t ...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Nefertiti rated it it was amazing

My favorite in the series!

What I love:

1. I like how Circe deals with the savagery of her new world.

2. I love that heroes and heroines in Ashley's books recognize when they're wrong and apologize.

What I don't like (well, what seems dumb to me):

1. Women can only talk to "girly" animals (cats, deer, mice, bunnies). Men can talk to manly animals (horses, wolves, etc.)

It just doesn't make sense to me that magic would behave using societal gender "rules". ...more

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