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Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romantasy (2024)
"Find me in another life. Find me in them all."
Every end is also a beginning.
I thought I was going to die, and would have if it weren’t for Slade. The only way he could save me was to open a rip between worlds. The only way for me to save myself was to go through it.
Sometimes, fleeing one dangerous place just brings you to another.
Annwyn.
The realm of the fae.
There is magic and beauty here, though around every corner, threats lurk.
But I’m a threat too.
I’m not a girl in a gilded cage anymore, and no one is going to stop me from finding my way back to Slade.
But returning home means facing danger and secrets. So I have to burn bright enough to light my own way…
Or else I might be swallowed by the dark.
Please note: This adult fantasy book includes dark elements that may be triggering, including violence, cruelty, death, adult language, and explicit romance. It is intended for ages 18 years and older. Read at your own discretion.
Every end is also a beginning.
I thought I was going to die, and would have if it weren’t for Slade. The only way he could save me was to open a rip between worlds. The only way for me to save myself was to go through it.
Sometimes, fleeing one dangerous place just brings you to another.
Annwyn.
The realm of the fae.
There is magic and beauty here, though around every corner, threats lurk.
But I’m a threat too.
I’m not a girl in a gilded cage anymore, and no one is going to stop me from finding my way back to Slade.
But returning home means facing danger and secrets. So I have to burn bright enough to light my own way…
Or else I might be swallowed by the dark.
Please note: This adult fantasy book includes dark elements that may be triggering, including violence, cruelty, death, adult language, and explicit romance. It is intended for ages 18 years and older. Read at your own discretion.
646 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 7, 2023
16691 people are currently reading
145042 people want to read
About the author
Raven Kennedy
50 books18.4k followersRaven Kennedy is a tea and dark chocolate kind of girl and can often be found binge-watching The Office or The Great British Baking Show.
She enjoys writing all kinds of books, because each one brings a different experience. Whatever the genre, she hopes she creates characters you can root for.
When she’s not reading or writing, she’s with her family, probably messing up a recipe or going on a hike that she thinks she can do, but in reality she can't because she remembers that all she does is sit at a computer all day and write her heart out.
You can connect with her on Facebook in Raven Kennedy's Reader Group, as well as @ravenkennedybooks on Instagram.
She enjoys writing all kinds of books, because each one brings a different experience. Whatever the genre, she hopes she creates characters you can root for.
When she’s not reading or writing, she’s with her family, probably messing up a recipe or going on a hike that she thinks she can do, but in reality she can't because she remembers that all she does is sit at a computer all day and write her heart out.
You can connect with her on Facebook in Raven Kennedy's Reader Group, as well as @ravenkennedybooks on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,974 reviews
November 13, 2023
SPOILER REVIEW:
I am struggling to review this book because I absolutely love this series, this world, these characters, and Ravens writing BUT this book felt very filler-y and very slow paced for book 5 in a series. I feel as if there was very little development in regards to plot and character and this could have been cut in half with the same outcome
I will never complain about a series I love getting more books, but I do not think this book needed about 40% of the plot lines and should have been more fast paced considering we are nearing the end. Auren and Slade as always are my babies but the Osrik chapters were so unnecessary, I do NOT need his love story with Rissa and did not need chapters of him pining over her while she dies only for all of that to be resolved in a matter of minutes right at the end. Also, Malina - a character I love to hate - her redemption as Queen made so much sense, but I did not need her to also get a love story. It felt like we were given these snippets for these characters to distract us from the fact that we read a 600 page book without ANY reunion between the two leads.
There was NO need to keep Auren and Slade separated the entirety of the book. Auren standing on her own couldve been accomplished in the first 60% with a reunion towards the end, but you really will read over 600 pages and not get a single glimpse of them together.
Also the ending, I feel like all it did was create more problems for these characters to have to overcome in the final book. At this point in the series I do not think we need to be introducing more hurdles, we have evils in Orea to defeat, we have the Fae in Annwynn to defeat, and now we also have to overcome complete memory loss?
Slades revenge tour was AMAZING but again, it dragged on for too long. Auren learning to stand on her own was amazing, but I do not think she grew that much to warrant an entire book apart from the main love interest. Maybe I'm just being salty because I love Slade and Auren so much but a whole 600 pages of no reunion and now going into the next book she wont even remember who Slade is, is SO ANNOYING.
I trust Raven to write an amazing conclusion and I will definitely be reading it in August, but I am left with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth after this one.
I am struggling to review this book because I absolutely love this series, this world, these characters, and Ravens writing BUT this book felt very filler-y and very slow paced for book 5 in a series. I feel as if there was very little development in regards to plot and character and this could have been cut in half with the same outcome
I will never complain about a series I love getting more books, but I do not think this book needed about 40% of the plot lines and should have been more fast paced considering we are nearing the end. Auren and Slade as always are my babies but the Osrik chapters were so unnecessary, I do NOT need his love story with Rissa and did not need chapters of him pining over her while she dies only for all of that to be resolved in a matter of minutes right at the end. Also, Malina - a character I love to hate - her redemption as Queen made so much sense, but I did not need her to also get a love story. It felt like we were given these snippets for these characters to distract us from the fact that we read a 600 page book without ANY reunion between the two leads.
There was NO need to keep Auren and Slade separated the entirety of the book. Auren standing on her own couldve been accomplished in the first 60% with a reunion towards the end, but you really will read over 600 pages and not get a single glimpse of them together.
Also the ending, I feel like all it did was create more problems for these characters to have to overcome in the final book. At this point in the series I do not think we need to be introducing more hurdles, we have evils in Orea to defeat, we have the Fae in Annwynn to defeat, and now we also have to overcome complete memory loss?
Slades revenge tour was AMAZING but again, it dragged on for too long. Auren learning to stand on her own was amazing, but I do not think she grew that much to warrant an entire book apart from the main love interest. Maybe I'm just being salty because I love Slade and Auren so much but a whole 600 pages of no reunion and now going into the next book she wont even remember who Slade is, is SO ANNOYING.
I trust Raven to write an amazing conclusion and I will definitely be reading it in August, but I am left with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth after this one.
November 20, 2023
5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!
I just finished...
I need to form coherent thoughts...
Thank you Raven and Rachel/TheNerdFam for gifting me with an eARC! You made my whole month!
I mean you should expect by now every book in this series is guaranteed to be a 5/5⭐️ for me.
Fuck it I'll go with the flow as I type this review.
I'll preface by saying I'll keep this non-spoilery as I read an eARC, but below will be my impressions on the book so if you do not want to set any expectations, I'd urge you to avoid it.
Let me start by saying I'm an absolute wreck.
This book wrecked me in the best and worst way.
Bravo Raven 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 wrote yet another incredible installment and plenty of seeds she planted in the last 4 books finally come to fruition in GOLD. So if you have time to reread, I urge you to do so.
GOLD begins right where we left off in GLOW, which had one hell of a painful cliffhanger. This book will play and mess up your emotions so be ready.
I would also say GOLD serves as the perfect penultimate book before the final one titled GOLDFINCH. I am glad Raven decided to divide the final book into two and this book makes it clear why the finale should not be rushed.
There are many things I would applaud Raven for but what truly reinforces her impeccable writing and storytelling especially in this book is how she renders such multi-dimensional characters with fantastic arcs (even if you did not root for some of them in the beginning) and the world-building and lore just fills you with awe.
This series cemented itself to be a forever-favorite.
Auren my darling truly shone in this book and I could not love her more but I do somehow. I adore her. I resonate with her journey so much and I feel hurt when she is hurt, I feel happy when she is happy, and I feel her anguish and hopelessness. Her emotions might be written on page, but they are so potent and I feel such a deep connection to her.
Readers will see a side of Auren we haven't seen before and I'm sure they'll love it just as I did.
Now about Slade...
Slade in his true villain era is everything I wanted.
Like, it's not just an act or empty words and threats, this male became UNHINGED.
You get to see through his actions to what extent he would go for Auren and how deeply he loves her because if you questioned how much Slade loves Auren, this book will prove to you just how much.
We saw Auren and Slade's development as a couple before, but now we get to see their growth as individuals after being faced with multiple threats and tragedies.
I did not expect to type a lengthy review just after finishing it but let me end it with a few summarized points on what you can expect:
• I have a new favorite 3rd ship.
• New interesting characters show up.
• Clues from the 4 last books begin to make sense.
• More action and the world-building expands.
• The pacing was fitting (I didn't think it was slow) given the build up and development of the story. I was so engrossed with everything going on.
• I will say trust the story's development.
• I lost count to how many times my jaw dropped.
• That means more twists.
• I finished this book loving Malina. That's how you write appealing morally grey characters.
• Yes be prepared for tears.
• More of Auren's backstory is revealed.
• That also means we get more answers.
• You will see ANNWYN.
• You'll want to get your hands on Goldfinch right away
While GOLD does not resolve everything since it's the penultimate, but it's setting up for an epic finale.
So dear reader, I will leave you with a GOLD quote at the bottom, I'll add some spacing if you want to avoid it. I think it's a safe quote for readers who read GLOW!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Without her, I am darkness and death, and that is what I will be until I get her back.
I just finished...
I need to form coherent thoughts...
Thank you Raven and Rachel/TheNerdFam for gifting me with an eARC! You made my whole month!
I mean you should expect by now every book in this series is guaranteed to be a 5/5⭐️ for me.
Fuck it I'll go with the flow as I type this review.
I'll preface by saying I'll keep this non-spoilery as I read an eARC, but below will be my impressions on the book so if you do not want to set any expectations, I'd urge you to avoid it.
Let me start by saying I'm an absolute wreck.
This book wrecked me in the best and worst way.
Bravo Raven 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 wrote yet another incredible installment and plenty of seeds she planted in the last 4 books finally come to fruition in GOLD. So if you have time to reread, I urge you to do so.
GOLD begins right where we left off in GLOW, which had one hell of a painful cliffhanger. This book will play and mess up your emotions so be ready.
I would also say GOLD serves as the perfect penultimate book before the final one titled GOLDFINCH. I am glad Raven decided to divide the final book into two and this book makes it clear why the finale should not be rushed.
There are many things I would applaud Raven for but what truly reinforces her impeccable writing and storytelling especially in this book is how she renders such multi-dimensional characters with fantastic arcs (even if you did not root for some of them in the beginning) and the world-building and lore just fills you with awe.
This series cemented itself to be a forever-favorite.
Auren my darling truly shone in this book and I could not love her more but I do somehow. I adore her. I resonate with her journey so much and I feel hurt when she is hurt, I feel happy when she is happy, and I feel her anguish and hopelessness. Her emotions might be written on page, but they are so potent and I feel such a deep connection to her.
Readers will see a side of Auren we haven't seen before and I'm sure they'll love it just as I did.
Now about Slade...
Slade in his true villain era is everything I wanted.
Like, it's not just an act or empty words and threats, this male became UNHINGED.
You get to see through his actions to what extent he would go for Auren and how deeply he loves her because if you questioned how much Slade loves Auren, this book will prove to you just how much.
We saw Auren and Slade's development as a couple before, but now we get to see their growth as individuals after being faced with multiple threats and tragedies.
I did not expect to type a lengthy review just after finishing it but let me end it with a few summarized points on what you can expect:
• I have a new favorite 3rd ship.
• New interesting characters show up.
• Clues from the 4 last books begin to make sense.
• More action and the world-building expands.
• The pacing was fitting (I didn't think it was slow) given the build up and development of the story. I was so engrossed with everything going on.
• I will say trust the story's development.
• I lost count to how many times my jaw dropped.
• That means more twists.
• I finished this book loving Malina. That's how you write appealing morally grey characters.
• Yes be prepared for tears.
• More of Auren's backstory is revealed.
• That also means we get more answers.
• You will see ANNWYN.
• You'll want to get your hands on Goldfinch right away
While GOLD does not resolve everything since it's the penultimate, but it's setting up for an epic finale.
So dear reader, I will leave you with a GOLD quote at the bottom, I'll add some spacing if you want to avoid it. I think it's a safe quote for readers who read GLOW!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Without her, I am darkness and death, and that is what I will be until I get her back.
May 1, 2025
I quite literally hated every last thing about this book. Guys I’m sorry I can’t read the last one, reading this was like pulling teeth.
I absolutely LOVED the first three books in this series, the fourth fell a little flat but wasn’t terrible, but this one just really proved this series did not need to be this long. All filler. You could literally read the last 50 pages and get everything you need.
What I hated the most:
- the trope when the main couple is separated is one of my least favorite things. And get this. AUREN AND SLADE WERE SEPARATED THE ENTIRE BOOK!!!!! They didn’t even reunite in this one. What the actual fuck?
- oh and then my second least favorite trope of all time… the memory loss trope…. Yeah we go through all of that just for Auren to lose her memories in the end???? Literally for what? So dumb.
- Slade baby I love you but you gave me nothing in this. Him being on his villain rampage arc was fun at first but then it just got drawn out and repetitive.
- Auren was….. there? Galavanting around. Doing… nothing?
- The amount of queen malina was a crime. I didn’t care about her and Dommick at all, they happened so fast and abruptly that I had zero emotional investment.
- Ozrik and Rissa…. Again a missed opportunity, their relationship just seems so pointless and thrown in without any thought.
I just can’t get over how literally nothing happened. This could have been an email. I’m so done. I tried.
Would I recommend this series? No. No I wouldn’t.
I absolutely LOVED the first three books in this series, the fourth fell a little flat but wasn’t terrible, but this one just really proved this series did not need to be this long. All filler. You could literally read the last 50 pages and get everything you need.
What I hated the most:
- the trope when the main couple is separated is one of my least favorite things. And get this. AUREN AND SLADE WERE SEPARATED THE ENTIRE BOOK!!!!! They didn’t even reunite in this one. What the actual fuck?
- oh and then my second least favorite trope of all time… the memory loss trope…. Yeah we go through all of that just for Auren to lose her memories in the end???? Literally for what? So dumb.
- Slade baby I love you but you gave me nothing in this. Him being on his villain rampage arc was fun at first but then it just got drawn out and repetitive.
- Auren was….. there? Galavanting around. Doing… nothing?
- The amount of queen malina was a crime. I didn’t care about her and Dommick at all, they happened so fast and abruptly that I had zero emotional investment.
- Ozrik and Rissa…. Again a missed opportunity, their relationship just seems so pointless and thrown in without any thought.
I just can’t get over how literally nothing happened. This could have been an email. I’m so done. I tried.
Would I recommend this series? No. No I wouldn’t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2023
Can't believe I'm leaving a 1 star rating for a book in this series.
I tore through the other books but this one is awfully boring. This was supposed to be the final book. But we get a story full of nothing, just a load of filler. Absolutely not a single interesting thing happened. I was constantly putting the book down and forcing myself to come back to it.
SPOILER ‼️
Conclusion: This book is a waste of time. There is no reason this series is being dragged out this much.
Will I read the next one? Have to consult with the pillow 🤔 (sleep on it). I lean fare more for a 'no' than for a 'yes'.
Dec 11---------------------------------------------
If you are considering starting this series:
You have to go through the first book of this series, it's not easy or pleasant to be inside the mind of a woman with Stockholm Syndrome but you have to overcome it to continue with the next ones. It has a slower pace, although it's necessary to understand the entire psycho-emotional background and the depth of the trauma that Auren has. It's worth the agony of reading all the insecurities, fears, doubts and confusions she has.
Throughout this series there are very dark moments, there are situations that cause a lot of discomfort, there are devastating circumstances. There is torture, there is physical, emotional and psychological abuse. There is mutilation, there is rape in every sense. But there is also freedom, there is a love that heals, there are friendships that give hope, there is a woman who learns to fly even though her wings have been cut off... She invents new ones.
This is what this series is about. To learn to fly. Of becoming a Goldfinch.
With these books I cried and even screamed at a screen. Because the helplessness generated by imagining a woman in Auren's place is terrible. Have you ever wanted to shake a friend to open her eyes and escape a situation that was extinguishing all the light in her, that was destroying her? Well... you'll understand me.
And I'm a little scared to read this one, thinking it was the last one and now noticing there's one more to go. But here I embark on one of the most memorable adventures I have had the satisfaction of reading.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Si estás analizando empezar esta serie:
El primer libro de esta serie hay que pasarlo, no es fácil ni agradable estar dentro de la mente de una mujer con Síndrome de Estocolmo pero hay que superarlo para seguir con los siguientes. Tiene un ritmo más lento aunque necesario para comprender todo el trasfondo psico-emocional y la profundidad del trauma que tiene Auren. Vale la pena la agonía de leer todas las inseguridades, miedos, dudas y confusiones que ella tiene.
A lo largo de esta serie hay momentos muy oscuros, hay situaciones que generan mucha incomodidad, hay circunstancias devastadoras. Hay tortura, hay abuso físico, emocional y psicológico. Hay mutilación, hay violación en todo sentido. Pero también hay libertad, hay un amor que sana, hay amistades que dan esperanza, hay una mujer que aprende a volar aunque le hayan cortado sus alas… Ella se inventa unas nuevas.
De esto se trata esta serie. De aprender a volar. De convertirse en un jilguero.
Con estos libros lloré y hasta le grité a una pantalla. Porque es terrible la impotencia que genera el imaginar a una mujer en el lugar de Auren. ¿Alguna vez quisieron sacudir a una amiga para que abra los ojos y escape de una situación que estaba apagando toda su luz, que la estaba destruyendo? Bueno… me vas a comprender.
Y estoy un poco asustada de leer este, pensando que era el último y ahora notando que falta uno más. Pero acá emprendo una de las aventuras más memorables que he tenido la satisfacción de leer.
I tore through the other books but this one is awfully boring. This was supposed to be the final book. But we get a story full of nothing, just a load of filler. Absolutely not a single interesting thing happened. I was constantly putting the book down and forcing myself to come back to it.
SPOILER ‼️
Conclusion: This book is a waste of time. There is no reason this series is being dragged out this much.
Will I read the next one? Have to consult with the pillow 🤔 (sleep on it). I lean fare more for a 'no' than for a 'yes'.
Dec 11---------------------------------------------
If you are considering starting this series:
You have to go through the first book of this series, it's not easy or pleasant to be inside the mind of a woman with Stockholm Syndrome but you have to overcome it to continue with the next ones. It has a slower pace, although it's necessary to understand the entire psycho-emotional background and the depth of the trauma that Auren has. It's worth the agony of reading all the insecurities, fears, doubts and confusions she has.
Throughout this series there are very dark moments, there are situations that cause a lot of discomfort, there are devastating circumstances. There is torture, there is physical, emotional and psychological abuse. There is mutilation, there is rape in every sense. But there is also freedom, there is a love that heals, there are friendships that give hope, there is a woman who learns to fly even though her wings have been cut off... She invents new ones.
This is what this series is about. To learn to fly. Of becoming a Goldfinch.
With these books I cried and even screamed at a screen. Because the helplessness generated by imagining a woman in Auren's place is terrible. Have you ever wanted to shake a friend to open her eyes and escape a situation that was extinguishing all the light in her, that was destroying her? Well... you'll understand me.
And I'm a little scared to read this one, thinking it was the last one and now noticing there's one more to go. But here I embark on one of the most memorable adventures I have had the satisfaction of reading.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Si estás analizando empezar esta serie:
El primer libro de esta serie hay que pasarlo, no es fácil ni agradable estar dentro de la mente de una mujer con Síndrome de Estocolmo pero hay que superarlo para seguir con los siguientes. Tiene un ritmo más lento aunque necesario para comprender todo el trasfondo psico-emocional y la profundidad del trauma que tiene Auren. Vale la pena la agonía de leer todas las inseguridades, miedos, dudas y confusiones que ella tiene.
A lo largo de esta serie hay momentos muy oscuros, hay situaciones que generan mucha incomodidad, hay circunstancias devastadoras. Hay tortura, hay abuso físico, emocional y psicológico. Hay mutilación, hay violación en todo sentido. Pero también hay libertad, hay un amor que sana, hay amistades que dan esperanza, hay una mujer que aprende a volar aunque le hayan cortado sus alas… Ella se inventa unas nuevas.
De esto se trata esta serie. De aprender a volar. De convertirse en un jilguero.
Con estos libros lloré y hasta le grité a una pantalla. Porque es terrible la impotencia que genera el imaginar a una mujer en el lugar de Auren. ¿Alguna vez quisieron sacudir a una amiga para que abra los ojos y escape de una situación que estaba apagando toda su luz, que la estaba destruyendo? Bueno… me vas a comprender.
Y estoy un poco asustada de leer este, pensando que era el último y ahora notando que falta uno más. Pero acá emprendo una de las aventuras más memorables que he tenido la satisfacción de leer.
June 14, 2024
This got so far derailed from the original plot it didn’t even feel like the same series. This was just a filler book that focused more on side characters than anything else. If it weren’t for my love of the previous books, I would have probably rated it lower. It’s trying to add too much all while nothing happens. All of the side plots were unnecessary. Maybe one or two pages just to keep us updated with what’s happening on their end but they didn’t need a full story within this story. How are we supposed to care for them when the main story is quite literally put on pause to introduce it. Everything in this book could have easily been cut down in half. It’s so disappointing because I loved the first three books and the last book in this series was already half filler so for this book to also drag to the point, it left me wanting.
December 8, 2023
After the last instalment in the series I didn’t have high hopes for this book to begin with, but I did not expect it to be THIS bad.
I was going to list out all the reasons why I almost DNFed multiple times, to possibly save other brave souls who still want to see how the relationship between the two MCs evolves, but realised that I would be putting more effort into this review than Kennedy did into writing this “story”, so I’m over it.
Quite honestly, I am offended. If I could get a refund for the ebook after having read it, I would.
For anyone still hoping, but who doesn’t want to subject themselves to 600 pages of nothing, here’s literally EVERYTHING that happens:
Auren wakes up in Fae land. She gets recognised and reluctantly joins the rebellion against the king.
Slade can’t open a rip to find her so he goes on a killing spree against anyone who ever wronged her in human land.
The fae march on human land through the restored bridge.
Queen Malina decides to save her people. She fails, but she does fuck her assassin.
Orsik spends chapter upon chapter crying over Rissa being wounded and dying. But don’t worry, a magical 10yo that talks like a 4yo appears out of nowhere to heal her at the last moment.
Auren goes on a mission as part of the rebellion. Surprise! It’s to Slade’s father’s estate. She finds the missing villagers and Slade’s mother. Fighting ensues.
Auren realises that the rebellion leader is related to her and she and Slade are soulmates.
Auren gets her memories wiped.
And yes, Slade and Auren are still in different worlds at the end of this book.
I was going to list out all the reasons why I almost DNFed multiple times, to possibly save other brave souls who still want to see how the relationship between the two MCs evolves, but realised that I would be putting more effort into this review than Kennedy did into writing this “story”, so I’m over it.
Quite honestly, I am offended. If I could get a refund for the ebook after having read it, I would.
For anyone still hoping, but who doesn’t want to subject themselves to 600 pages of nothing, here’s literally EVERYTHING that happens:
Auren wakes up in Fae land. She gets recognised and reluctantly joins the rebellion against the king.
Slade can’t open a rip to find her so he goes on a killing spree against anyone who ever wronged her in human land.
The fae march on human land through the restored bridge.
Queen Malina decides to save her people. She fails, but she does fuck her assassin.
Orsik spends chapter upon chapter crying over Rissa being wounded and dying. But don’t worry, a magical 10yo that talks like a 4yo appears out of nowhere to heal her at the last moment.
Auren goes on a mission as part of the rebellion. Surprise! It’s to Slade’s father’s estate. She finds the missing villagers and Slade’s mother. Fighting ensues.
Auren realises that the rebellion leader is related to her and she and Slade are soulmates.
Auren gets her memories wiped.
And yes, Slade and Auren are still in different worlds at the end of this book.
Want to read
June 13, 202313 June 2023
The release date got pushed to DECEMBER tf?!
30 Sep 2022
There’s gonna be one last book!! This will be my thirteenth reason. Are you kidding me?! How am I going to make it to 8th June now?!
Edit: I JUST REALISED ITS COMING OUT NEXT YEAR!! CRYINGGGG
The release date got pushed to DECEMBER tf?!
30 Sep 2022
There’s gonna be one last book!! This will be my thirteenth reason. Are you kidding me?! How am I going to make it to 8th June now?!
Edit: I JUST REALISED ITS COMING OUT NEXT YEAR!! CRYINGGGG
December 8, 2023
4.25 ⭐️ I loved this book for a very surprising reason
Without her, I am darkness and death, and that is what I will be until I get her back.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ dark romantasy
✨ revenge
✨ angst
✨ redemption
✨ continued world building
✨ action-packed
✨ multiple POVs (Auren, Slade, Malina, Osrik)
✨ established and new romances
✨ "you're mine"
✨ 1.5/5 spice (one sex scene)
✨ found family
✨ plot twists and reveals
✨ cliffhanger ending
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
(I don't spoil any plot twist or reveals but if you don't want to know anything about this book, DO NOT READ FURTHER.)
My Thoughts:
Gold is a fantastic addition to The Plated Prisoner series that will make you laugh, cry, melt, and scream! Everything finally comes together in this book and by the end, you just know we are on the precipice of an epic finale!
What I liked:
Queen Malina. Yep! You're reading this right. I acutally like Queen-fucking-Malina. I know we're all here for Auren and Slade, but this book was really all about Queen Malina's redemption arc. There are a lot of chapters in her POV (13/53), so we really dive deep into her character and see her deal with the consequences of her actions. I love how Raven Kennedy can take a morally gray MC I absolutely hated and turn her into someone I admire.
A little note about Malina's storyline compared to the others. Because there's a big focus on Malina and her character development, so her storyline moves quickly. However, Slade, Auren's and Rissa/Osrik's storylines move at a much slower pace and the big conflicts from the end of Glow are not resolved or are resolved but only at the very end. Just FYI, Slade and Auren are not reunited in this book.
The continued world-building! We finally are in Annwyn and it is beautiful. While the realm is similar to Orea, it’s fundamentally different due to magic. I loved how Auren describes how it feels to be there.
Auren's return to Annwyn is bittersweet but we finally get her backstory. Annwyn was her home, filled with so many wonderful memories, until it was taken away from her. It's easy to understand how Auren's first priority is to get back to Slade, but after learning more about the civil unrest in Annwyn and what role Auren plays in all of it, she realizes there's a lot more at stake. I love Auren's bleeding heart and how it always leads her to helping others.
Slade's revenge rampage. Slade feels split in two without Auren, and when he realizes he can't immediately open up a rip to get back to Auren, he decides to destroy everyone who ever hurt her. Watching him go from kingdom to kingdom to doll our punishments was so fucking satisfying.
Osrik's undying devotion to Rissa. 😭 Neither played a big role in this book, but I just love these two with my whole heart and want them to be happy.
There's a blossoming new romance. I won't say who it's between, but I was LIVING for it! It's a true enemies-to-lovers where you can't tell if they wanna kill or fuck each other. The tension was delicious and the spice was rough and steamy.
The story is action-packed and the pacing was also so good! No matter whose POV, I was always eager to keep reading.
It ends on another cliffhanger, but it isn’t as bad as the last one! The last 20% really picks up, with so many juicy plot twists and reveals. It'll have you on the edge of your seat. That last line . . . totally hurts my heart. I know my babies will all be okay but I hate putting them through even more pain.
What I didn't like:
There's one sex scene and it takes place at the wrong place and at the wrong time. The couple is in the middle of an invasion and the FMC is completely drained (emotionally, physically, and magically). Yet somehow, even though she is on the verge of passing out and people are dying around them, they end up fucking. Don't get me wrong, the actual scene was pretty hot, but it was just so out of place. There's even a moment where after, when she thinks "I swallow hard, wishing I could block out the distant screams." lol Yeah, I get that because it's not sexy fucking when people are being slaughtered ten feet away.
There was a lot of overly descriptive writing for locations, which I know is done to create a setting, but sometimes it was just too much and I ended up skimming those parts. If it was about a location the characters would be at for the entirety of the book, I'd probably pay more attention, but this book's setting is constantly moving so I didn't really care to invest in the details of each place the characters visit.
I also found some of the internal dialogue to be repetitive, especially Slade's and Auren's. They're both angry/sad/afraid that they're not together and the reminder is constant. There was even a time or two they repeated almost the exact same sentence in regards to their situation apart.
While the plot twists were fun, they were not surprising at all. It might be because the series is so long and a few of these twists have been foreshadowed for a long time. So yeah, I wasn't surprised by anything.
Some of the words and phrases used by the characters feel a bit out of place in a fantasy world. But this has been a thing for the entire series, so at this point I expect it, but still, it's something that has bothered me. Here's a quote for example, "There's a reason assassin starts with the word ass." - and this is said by Queen Malina.
But overall, I liked Gold and think it is a wonderful addition to the series. This book perfectly sets up everything for the conclusion, Goldfinch, and I have a feeling it's going to be epic! Cannot wait for its release!
Thank you so much to The Nerd Fam and Raven Kennedy for sending me a signed, early copy. As always, all opinions are my own.
-
The Plated Prisoner Series:
#1 Gild — 4 Stars
#2 Glint — 4 Stars
#3 Gleam — 4.5 Stars
#4 Glow — 3.5 Stars
#5 Gold — 4.25 Stars
#6 Goldfinch - (no release date)
-
Favorite Quotes:
Yes, I was scared to fall. But without falling, I never would have landed. And what a beatuiful thing it was to land.
_______
I want to erupt through the world and leave it to ruin. But I won't. Because she wouldn't want me to.
_______
The dead spur us on. To live. To avenge. To honor. To grieve. It's because of the dead that we live.
_______
"If you turn a blind eye in the name of loyalty, then you don't deserve to see."
_______
"Some people are in your life for only a moment, like a shooting star. Quick and short, but they light up a part of you for a second, and their brightness lingers even after they're gone."
_______
"I love his rotten side, but he has a heart of gold just for me."
_______
What must it say about me, that the most dependable hand I've ever held is in the grasp of my assassin?
_______
In a world full of wrong, I wanted one thing right.
_______
"I'm your fucking death. I will consume you so thoroughly there won't be a wish for any end, because no end will release you from me."
_______
"If there is ever a choice between her or the world, it's going to be her."
_______
Without her, I am darkness and death, and that is what I will be until I get her back.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ dark romantasy
✨ revenge
✨ angst
✨ redemption
✨ continued world building
✨ action-packed
✨ multiple POVs (Auren, Slade, Malina, Osrik)
✨ established and new romances
✨ "you're mine"
✨ 1.5/5 spice (one sex scene)
✨ found family
✨ plot twists and reveals
✨ cliffhanger ending
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
(I don't spoil any plot twist or reveals but if you don't want to know anything about this book, DO NOT READ FURTHER.)
My Thoughts:
Gold is a fantastic addition to The Plated Prisoner series that will make you laugh, cry, melt, and scream! Everything finally comes together in this book and by the end, you just know we are on the precipice of an epic finale!
What I liked:
Queen Malina. Yep! You're reading this right. I acutally like Queen-fucking-Malina. I know we're all here for Auren and Slade, but this book was really all about Queen Malina's redemption arc. There are a lot of chapters in her POV (13/53), so we really dive deep into her character and see her deal with the consequences of her actions. I love how Raven Kennedy can take a morally gray MC I absolutely hated and turn her into someone I admire.
A little note about Malina's storyline compared to the others. Because there's a big focus on Malina and her character development, so her storyline moves quickly. However, Slade, Auren's and Rissa/Osrik's storylines move at a much slower pace and the big conflicts from the end of Glow are not resolved or are resolved but only at the very end. Just FYI, Slade and Auren are not reunited in this book.
The continued world-building! We finally are in Annwyn and it is beautiful. While the realm is similar to Orea, it’s fundamentally different due to magic. I loved how Auren describes how it feels to be there.
Auren's return to Annwyn is bittersweet but we finally get her backstory. Annwyn was her home, filled with so many wonderful memories, until it was taken away from her. It's easy to understand how Auren's first priority is to get back to Slade, but after learning more about the civil unrest in Annwyn and what role Auren plays in all of it, she realizes there's a lot more at stake. I love Auren's bleeding heart and how it always leads her to helping others.
Slade's revenge rampage. Slade feels split in two without Auren, and when he realizes he can't immediately open up a rip to get back to Auren, he decides to destroy everyone who ever hurt her. Watching him go from kingdom to kingdom to doll our punishments was so fucking satisfying.
Osrik's undying devotion to Rissa. 😭 Neither played a big role in this book, but I just love these two with my whole heart and want them to be happy.
There's a blossoming new romance. I won't say who it's between, but I was LIVING for it! It's a true enemies-to-lovers where you can't tell if they wanna kill or fuck each other. The tension was delicious and the spice was rough and steamy.
The story is action-packed and the pacing was also so good! No matter whose POV, I was always eager to keep reading.
It ends on another cliffhanger, but it isn’t as bad as the last one! The last 20% really picks up, with so many juicy plot twists and reveals. It'll have you on the edge of your seat. That last line . . . totally hurts my heart. I know my babies will all be okay but I hate putting them through even more pain.
What I didn't like:
There's one sex scene and it takes place at the wrong place and at the wrong time. The couple is in the middle of an invasion and the FMC is completely drained (emotionally, physically, and magically). Yet somehow, even though she is on the verge of passing out and people are dying around them, they end up fucking. Don't get me wrong, the actual scene was pretty hot, but it was just so out of place. There's even a moment where after, when she thinks "I swallow hard, wishing I could block out the distant screams." lol Yeah, I get that because it's not sexy fucking when people are being slaughtered ten feet away.
There was a lot of overly descriptive writing for locations, which I know is done to create a setting, but sometimes it was just too much and I ended up skimming those parts. If it was about a location the characters would be at for the entirety of the book, I'd probably pay more attention, but this book's setting is constantly moving so I didn't really care to invest in the details of each place the characters visit.
I also found some of the internal dialogue to be repetitive, especially Slade's and Auren's. They're both angry/sad/afraid that they're not together and the reminder is constant. There was even a time or two they repeated almost the exact same sentence in regards to their situation apart.
While the plot twists were fun, they were not surprising at all. It might be because the series is so long and a few of these twists have been foreshadowed for a long time. So yeah, I wasn't surprised by anything.
Some of the words and phrases used by the characters feel a bit out of place in a fantasy world. But this has been a thing for the entire series, so at this point I expect it, but still, it's something that has bothered me. Here's a quote for example, "There's a reason assassin starts with the word ass." - and this is said by Queen Malina.
But overall, I liked Gold and think it is a wonderful addition to the series. This book perfectly sets up everything for the conclusion, Goldfinch, and I have a feeling it's going to be epic! Cannot wait for its release!
Thank you so much to The Nerd Fam and Raven Kennedy for sending me a signed, early copy. As always, all opinions are my own.
-
The Plated Prisoner Series:
#1 Gild — 4 Stars
#2 Glint — 4 Stars
#3 Gleam — 4.5 Stars
#4 Glow — 3.5 Stars
#5 Gold — 4.25 Stars
#6 Goldfinch - (no release date)
-
Favorite Quotes:
Yes, I was scared to fall. But without falling, I never would have landed. And what a beatuiful thing it was to land.
_______
I want to erupt through the world and leave it to ruin. But I won't. Because she wouldn't want me to.
_______
The dead spur us on. To live. To avenge. To honor. To grieve. It's because of the dead that we live.
_______
"If you turn a blind eye in the name of loyalty, then you don't deserve to see."
_______
"Some people are in your life for only a moment, like a shooting star. Quick and short, but they light up a part of you for a second, and their brightness lingers even after they're gone."
_______
"I love his rotten side, but he has a heart of gold just for me."
_______
What must it say about me, that the most dependable hand I've ever held is in the grasp of my assassin?
_______
In a world full of wrong, I wanted one thing right.
_______
"I'm your fucking death. I will consume you so thoroughly there won't be a wish for any end, because no end will release you from me."
_______
"If there is ever a choice between her or the world, it's going to be her."
_______
December 29, 2023
I love him with a fierceness that goes beyond the heart, and so I will ache and leak and grieve until he finds me. And he will find me.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
I could read this book, this entire series, over and over again and still be mindblown by its character arc. Sure, the plot is amazing, but it couldn't come close to what Raven Kennedy does to the characters. Any character who has a point of view in this series should be expected to have an epic development. I say this even though I wholeheartedly believe that Auren has had enough character development to last her a lifetime and the suffering needs to stop now.
Besides, while I am satisfied with the book, I have a little issue with the ending. Apparently, the latest in literary fashion is a specific trope that I have noticed authors use recently. I can't name it because it is a major spoiler, but like many others, Kennedy uses it in her shocking cliffhanger of an ending. I have never been a fan of *that* trope and I am sadly a little tired of finding it in my favorite books. Regardless, while it does not affect my rating of this book, it will definitely affect the next one, Goldfinch, depending on how it is utilized. Hopefully, the matter will be resolved within the first half of the book, and won't drag on for longer. Just for the record, though, enough with *that* trope, please. It reads like a soap opera.
Moreover, as I've already mentioned here and in all my other reviews, Auren needs a fucking break! My girl has worse luck than any other female protagonist I've read so far. Just when things start looking up for her, some awful shit happens and it's back to square one. For fuck's sake, she did nothing to anyone and they hate her fucking guts. She's not even morally gray or anything, she is the loveliest, kindest person in this entire series. All she has to do is breathe and people want to kill her or use her.
Furthermore, there's also Slade. That poor fuck is essentially the collateral damage in Auren's unfortunate life. He just suffers because she suffers. He is literally the only person who truly deserves to be in Auren's presence but garbage people keep getting in his way. However, the way he expresses his suffering is admittedly incredibly arousing. He is just an unhinged wrecking ball swinging around Orean leaving destruction in his way. I just love it when they go feral.
Additionally, while Auren and Slade are ripped apart, their love and longing are as wonderful as they are painful. They are constantly in each other's minds, aching from the absence of the other, and every action they take is for the sole purpose of meeting again. Also, there is some interesting, if not a bit predictable, turn of events that delighted me and I can't wait to get more of that particular piece of information in the next book.
What's more, one thing about this book that I did not see coming, although I probably should, is Queen Malina's development. I'm going to go ahead and say it, I don't hate her anymore. Not only that, but I am actually rooting for her now. I did not think this was possible, yet here I am. Her character arc is almost as amazing as Auren's, and she even has her own love story in development that I am fully invested in. Also, I have started to wonder what kind of relationship development might exist between her and Auren in the next book, nothing romantic I assure you. It would've been a ton of fun but I like their love interests too much. The possibility of a friendship between them is tantalizing, though, provided that Auren's latest predicament is resolved swiftly.
Lastly, out of all the other characters, old and new, my favorite side-story is Osryk and Rissa's. Rissa is gravely injured in Glow and the aftermath of this incident is intense. As Rissa fights for her life, Os is going out of his mind waiting for her to wake up. This situation is literally one of my favorites in literature. Just like Slade, Os is always on edge. He can't seem to relax, he is prone to violence, and an absolutely devastating wreck. In short, he is boyfriend goals. I can't wait for their story to finally develop properly in the next book.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
I could read this book, this entire series, over and over again and still be mindblown by its character arc. Sure, the plot is amazing, but it couldn't come close to what Raven Kennedy does to the characters. Any character who has a point of view in this series should be expected to have an epic development. I say this even though I wholeheartedly believe that Auren has had enough character development to last her a lifetime and the suffering needs to stop now.
Besides, while I am satisfied with the book, I have a little issue with the ending. Apparently, the latest in literary fashion is a specific trope that I have noticed authors use recently. I can't name it because it is a major spoiler, but like many others, Kennedy uses it in her shocking cliffhanger of an ending. I have never been a fan of *that* trope and I am sadly a little tired of finding it in my favorite books. Regardless, while it does not affect my rating of this book, it will definitely affect the next one, Goldfinch, depending on how it is utilized. Hopefully, the matter will be resolved within the first half of the book, and won't drag on for longer. Just for the record, though, enough with *that* trope, please. It reads like a soap opera.
Moreover, as I've already mentioned here and in all my other reviews, Auren needs a fucking break! My girl has worse luck than any other female protagonist I've read so far. Just when things start looking up for her, some awful shit happens and it's back to square one. For fuck's sake, she did nothing to anyone and they hate her fucking guts. She's not even morally gray or anything, she is the loveliest, kindest person in this entire series. All she has to do is breathe and people want to kill her or use her.
Furthermore, there's also Slade. That poor fuck is essentially the collateral damage in Auren's unfortunate life. He just suffers because she suffers. He is literally the only person who truly deserves to be in Auren's presence but garbage people keep getting in his way. However, the way he expresses his suffering is admittedly incredibly arousing. He is just an unhinged wrecking ball swinging around Orean leaving destruction in his way. I just love it when they go feral.
Additionally, while Auren and Slade are ripped apart, their love and longing are as wonderful as they are painful. They are constantly in each other's minds, aching from the absence of the other, and every action they take is for the sole purpose of meeting again. Also, there is some interesting, if not a bit predictable, turn of events that delighted me and I can't wait to get more of that particular piece of information in the next book.
What's more, one thing about this book that I did not see coming, although I probably should, is Queen Malina's development. I'm going to go ahead and say it, I don't hate her anymore. Not only that, but I am actually rooting for her now. I did not think this was possible, yet here I am. Her character arc is almost as amazing as Auren's, and she even has her own love story in development that I am fully invested in. Also, I have started to wonder what kind of relationship development might exist between her and Auren in the next book, nothing romantic I assure you. It would've been a ton of fun but I like their love interests too much. The possibility of a friendship between them is tantalizing, though, provided that Auren's latest predicament is resolved swiftly.
Lastly, out of all the other characters, old and new, my favorite side-story is Osryk and Rissa's. Rissa is gravely injured in Glow and the aftermath of this incident is intense. As Rissa fights for her life, Os is going out of his mind waiting for her to wake up. This situation is literally one of my favorites in literature. Just like Slade, Os is always on edge. He can't seem to relax, he is prone to violence, and an absolutely devastating wreck. In short, he is boyfriend goals. I can't wait for their story to finally develop properly in the next book.
November 12, 2023
Well…. Let me gather myself here. I finished Gold a few hours ago and had to do some pacing… some staring at the walls…. Some real contemplation of WHAT IS LIFE, before I came to leave a review.
It is no secret that Plated Prisoner is one of my all time favorite series. Watching Auren grow and break free of her cages (both real and metaphorical) has been such a joy to read. And trust in this book, she goes feral and we love her; but SLADE stole the show (Are we surprised)
If you haven’t thought of him as the villain yet, you CERTAINLY will after reading this. 🥵
He is not playing
I love him more than the timberwings do!
Hellbent on a relentless crusade to make sure those who touched his goldfinch pay for it, Slade does NOT hold back. WHHEEWW
Gold opens up the Plated Prisoner series to a much bigger, beautiful world. With a heavy sprinkle of new and fun characters, to an ever expanded world of fae—this book truly has it all. I see why Raven had to make another
Book! There’s simply so much going on!!
(And we love it)
physically I cannot talk about the ending bc I will get up and start pacing my house again and my animals are already worried about me.
Raven has done it again; one could say … she struck Gold ;)
It is no secret that Plated Prisoner is one of my all time favorite series. Watching Auren grow and break free of her cages (both real and metaphorical) has been such a joy to read. And trust in this book, she goes feral and we love her; but SLADE stole the show (Are we surprised)
If you haven’t thought of him as the villain yet, you CERTAINLY will after reading this. 🥵
He is not playing
I love him more than the timberwings do!
Hellbent on a relentless crusade to make sure those who touched his goldfinch pay for it, Slade does NOT hold back. WHHEEWW
Gold opens up the Plated Prisoner series to a much bigger, beautiful world. With a heavy sprinkle of new and fun characters, to an ever expanded world of fae—this book truly has it all. I see why Raven had to make another
Book! There’s simply so much going on!!
(And we love it)
physically I cannot talk about the ending bc I will get up and start pacing my house again and my animals are already worried about me.
Raven has done it again; one could say … she struck Gold ;)
January 30, 2024
Die Plated Prisoner-Reihe hat längst mein Herz💗! Was den Schreibstil der Autorin so besonders macht, ist, dass sie jeder ihrer Figuren einen eigenen Erzählton verleiht. Allesamt unterscheiden sie sich, in ihrer Art auf die Welt zu blicken, durchlaufen eine individuelle Entwicklung, und doch haben sie eins gemeinsam: Die emotionale Nähe und Tiefgründigkeit, die sie der Leserin vermitteln. "Gold" (Band 5) ist zwar nicht zu meinem Lieblingsband geworden, dennoch habe ich das Kennenlernen neuer Charaktere und neuer Teile der Welt sowie eben jene Entwicklungen genossen. Wie auch bereits Band 1 & 2 unter anderem dazu dienten, den Grundstein für Band 3 zu legen (bislang mein Favorit⭐️), habe ich im Gefühl, dass Band 4 & 5 einiges für das große Finale in Band 6 vorbereiten. Dementsprechend finde ich es sehr zu verzeihen, dass es sich hier beim Lesen manchmal gezogen hat und es für meinen Geschmack etwas mehr Tempo/ weniger Szenen gebraucht hätte. Ich habe alle Hoffnungen, dass Band 6 mich dann wieder komplett von den Socken reißt🌝💗!
December 8, 2023
SPOILERS + RAGE
Read/skimmed this book, and I can’t tell you how angry it made me. WHO SEPARATES THE MAIN CHARACTERS FOR *LITERALLY* THE ENTIRE BOOK. Auren and Slade are not reunited in this book—probably good for people to know that going in. Don’t have a single scene together. Separated the entire full length book.
This kills me. As a plot device, I get separating the main characters. Drama, high stakes, I get it. For the first third of the book, okay. Half the book? Fine. The whole fucking book? No. Unacceptable.
This is supposed to be a spicy romance, but instead we get an entire book of them being tortured away from each other, and one single sex scene between minor characters who we don’t even like! I mean, I could go on.
I just can’t get over how much this pisses me off. What a waste of a whole book. A money grab?? Did the author have a contract to write 6 books, and this fifth book was just a space filler? She had to write SOMETHING, so this was it? I’m at a loss.
Oh and btw, the ending is seemingly Auren losing her memories, so if the next book is them being reunited only to have her not fucking remember anything for the WHOLE ASS BOOK, I will throw something.
Ranting over.
Read/skimmed this book, and I can’t tell you how angry it made me. WHO SEPARATES THE MAIN CHARACTERS FOR *LITERALLY* THE ENTIRE BOOK. Auren and Slade are not reunited in this book—probably good for people to know that going in. Don’t have a single scene together. Separated the entire full length book.
This kills me. As a plot device, I get separating the main characters. Drama, high stakes, I get it. For the first third of the book, okay. Half the book? Fine. The whole fucking book? No. Unacceptable.
This is supposed to be a spicy romance, but instead we get an entire book of them being tortured away from each other, and one single sex scene between minor characters who we don’t even like! I mean, I could go on.
I just can’t get over how much this pisses me off. What a waste of a whole book. A money grab?? Did the author have a contract to write 6 books, and this fifth book was just a space filler? She had to write SOMETHING, so this was it? I’m at a loss.
Oh and btw, the ending is seemingly Auren losing her memories, so if the next book is them being reunited only to have her not fucking remember anything for the WHOLE ASS BOOK, I will throw something.
Ranting over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2025
’It’s like my heart—my fucking soul—has been torn from my chest, leaving me to gape. I’m hollow with nothing but the echo of her and the reverberation of fury’.
Rating: 4.5 stars
I COMPLETELY REJECT THAT ENDING!!! I fear I’m having a full mental breakdown right now.
Anywayyyy, just when I thought I couldn't be anymore obsessed with Slade, he enters his revenge era!!!!!!! My pathetically down bad man literally rotting the world for Auren. I CANNOT. He is the standard. This man is literally in my everyday thoughts, I have no shame about it either.
'I promised her I’d be the villain on her behalf. So that’s what I’ll fucking be.'
Ending aside, I feel like Auren really needed this journey. She needed to find her way back home to take that final step into being her true self and to discover more about who she truly is. And as much as it pained me to have these two torn apart, their yearning for each other was everything, ughhh!!!
“And what about this…dangerous lover of yours? Did he tame you?”
“The opposite. He set me free.”
'I love him with a fierceness that goes beyond the heart, and so I will ache and leak and grieve until he finds me. And he will find me. For now, I shut my eyes and think of him, letting my subconscious reach out with gentle fingers. Maybe somewhere in Orea, his eyes will close too. Maybe he’ll feel my pull, and we can meet in our dreams while we sleep. And maybe there, we can be home, for just a little while. Because my new home, I’ve realized…is him.'
'For a second, a wary look crosses his face, and I think maybe he’ll make a smart choice. Silly me. Very few men do when faced with a pissed-off woman.' The feminine power and rage arc in this series is everything!
Then colour me confused shipping Malina, what a plot twist that is!! Never thought I would be so down bad for her and Dommik but here we are and I am living for it. They are so hot.
Also, I need more OsRissa right now!!! Not this big gruff soldier trying to buy poisonous flowers & getting mad about it 😭
I hear a lot of people not enjoying this book and feel like it starts to drag, but I couldn't disagree more!! I loved this SO much! Perhaps it is a little slower at times but this book moved me so much and put tears in my eyes throughout. Sometimes fictional words on paper, about fictional worlds and characters, can carry so much real depth. This is that!!
Then those freakin’ plot twists and developments towards the end!!
I am so invested in these characters and their development, I am completely encaptured, just as I have been throughout!
I don't want the next one to be the last one, please. I love them all so much.
However, I actually feel like having a nap on a train track would be better than that ending.
“If there is ever a choice between her or the world, it’s going to be her.”
Rating: 4.5 stars
I COMPLETELY REJECT THAT ENDING!!! I fear I’m having a full mental breakdown right now.
Anywayyyy, just when I thought I couldn't be anymore obsessed with Slade, he enters his revenge era!!!!!!! My pathetically down bad man literally rotting the world for Auren. I CANNOT. He is the standard. This man is literally in my everyday thoughts, I have no shame about it either.
'I promised her I’d be the villain on her behalf. So that’s what I’ll fucking be.'
Ending aside, I feel like Auren really needed this journey. She needed to find her way back home to take that final step into being her true self and to discover more about who she truly is. And as much as it pained me to have these two torn apart, their yearning for each other was everything, ughhh!!!
“And what about this…dangerous lover of yours? Did he tame you?”
“The opposite. He set me free.”
'I love him with a fierceness that goes beyond the heart, and so I will ache and leak and grieve until he finds me. And he will find me. For now, I shut my eyes and think of him, letting my subconscious reach out with gentle fingers. Maybe somewhere in Orea, his eyes will close too. Maybe he’ll feel my pull, and we can meet in our dreams while we sleep. And maybe there, we can be home, for just a little while. Because my new home, I’ve realized…is him.'
'For a second, a wary look crosses his face, and I think maybe he’ll make a smart choice. Silly me. Very few men do when faced with a pissed-off woman.' The feminine power and rage arc in this series is everything!
Then colour me confused shipping Malina, what a plot twist that is!! Never thought I would be so down bad for her and Dommik but here we are and I am living for it. They are so hot.
Also, I need more OsRissa right now!!! Not this big gruff soldier trying to buy poisonous flowers & getting mad about it 😭
I hear a lot of people not enjoying this book and feel like it starts to drag, but I couldn't disagree more!! I loved this SO much! Perhaps it is a little slower at times but this book moved me so much and put tears in my eyes throughout. Sometimes fictional words on paper, about fictional worlds and characters, can carry so much real depth. This is that!!
Then those freakin’ plot twists and developments towards the end!!
I am so invested in these characters and their development, I am completely encaptured, just as I have been throughout!
I don't want the next one to be the last one, please. I love them all so much.
However, I actually feel like having a nap on a train track would be better than that ending.
“If there is ever a choice between her or the world, it’s going to be her.”
August 1, 2024
✅✅ Last 15%
✅✅ Slade avenging Auren
✅ Characters
✅ Expansion of the world-building
✅ Multiple POVs
✅(🆗) Plot (felt like a filler at times)
✅(🆗) Pace
✅(🆗) MCs apart from each other
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: torture and deaths
3.5 stars
It saddens me to only give this book 3.5 stars, but here we are…
This book picks up right where Glow ended. Slade created a rip to save Auren, and she is now stranded in Annwyn, while Slade and the Wrath remain in Orea, with no way to reach her. Slade is slowly losing his mind as he tries, and fails, to get back to Auren, and Auren is holding on the best she can in Annwyn, where she is thrown in the middle of fae politics and power games.On the other side of the continent, Malina realized just how badly she fucked up, and is now desperate to find a way to atone and save Orea from the incoming fae army.
Sadly, I struggled to get into this book. While a lot of things happened, it felt like a filler at the same time. I kept putting it down in favor of reading other books, and I had to force myself to pick it up after a while and finish it.
Seeing Slade on the warpath and avenging Auren was everything. He was unhinged in this book. All those times he told Auren that he would be the villain for her, well he definitely delivered on those promises, and it was a sight to behold. It was so satisfying to see the monarchs from the other kingdoms get destroyed by him for the sham of a trial they put Auren through… It might make me a villain too, but I was happy to see them suffer. 😈
We also get to see more of Slade’s morally grey side, because he would do anything for Auren, even if it puts Orea in danger. She is more important to him than all of Orea, and he makes no secret of it. He is willing to kill, maim, and sacrifice his kingdom for Auren, without any regrets.
I was happy to see Annwyn, and to meet new characters in this fifth book, but while I liked the new characters, they didn’t grow on me like the Wrath did. They are not bad characters, but I wanted to see more of the Wrath instead of spending so much time with these new additions. Also, the few chapters with the Wrath felt pointless, so it was even more frustrating. Osrik’s chapters felt useless in the plot,
Annwyn felt magical an beautiful though, and Auren’s description of it, and of her feelings at realizing that she was “back home” was heartwarming.
Auren’s journey towards healing and learning to trust her abilities and rely on no one but herself continues in this book, especially since she is away from everyone she knows, and needs to survive on her own until she finds a way to get back to Slade. That being said, while I loved seeing Auren stand on her own, gain confidence, and grow even more into her power, the fact that she is separated from Slade for the whole book killed me. While I don’t mind love interest being separated, especially if it adds tension and angst to the plot, I struggle to enjoy a book where they are apart for the entirety of it. It felt unsatisfying that they didn’t even reunite in the end. I loved the book and I don’t regret reading it, but a part of me feels like I wasted my time reading this whole book because they are still not reunited after 600 pages!
For the first time in this series, I enjoyed Malina’s chapters… I even dare say that I liked her. She went through a lot in the last few books, but in this one, we finally see her stop, reflect upon herself and her choices, and change for the better. Her character growth/redeeming arc was very well done and it feels weird to say this, but I think I enjoyed her chapters even more than Auren’s.
I am not sure how I feel about the ending of this book. On one hand, it promises a lot of drama and angst in the final book, but on the other hand, I feel that there is already so much to overcome, with the faes invading Orea, Slade, and Auren still needing to find each other. Adding this extra obstacle has me a little worried that there will be too much going on in the last book and things might get rushed in the end.
Overall, I liked this book, but I struggled with it too. The internal monologues from Auren and Slade felt repetitive after a while, and the fact that they are apart for the whole book did not help with my motivation to push through and continue reading it. There is a lot of action, and the pace is good, but at the same time, it felt like a filler book, and I didn’t really connect with Auren’s new friends, meaning that her chapters felt tedious to read at times, because I didn’t care. I’m sad that I was not able to enjoy this book more, but I will still definitely read the final one, because I need to see Auren and Slade reunited and happy together.
1. Gild ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
2. Glint ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Gleam ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Glow ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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✅✅ Slade avenging Auren
✅ Characters
✅ Expansion of the world-building
✅ Multiple POVs
✅(🆗) Plot (felt like a filler at times)
✅(🆗) Pace
✅(🆗) MCs apart from each other
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: torture and deaths
3.5 stars
It saddens me to only give this book 3.5 stars, but here we are…
This book picks up right where Glow ended. Slade created a rip to save Auren, and she is now stranded in Annwyn, while Slade and the Wrath remain in Orea, with no way to reach her. Slade is slowly losing his mind as he tries, and fails, to get back to Auren, and Auren is holding on the best she can in Annwyn, where she is thrown in the middle of fae politics and power games.On the other side of the continent, Malina realized just how badly she fucked up, and is now desperate to find a way to atone and save Orea from the incoming fae army.
Sadly, I struggled to get into this book. While a lot of things happened, it felt like a filler at the same time. I kept putting it down in favor of reading other books, and I had to force myself to pick it up after a while and finish it.
Seeing Slade on the warpath and avenging Auren was everything. He was unhinged in this book. All those times he told Auren that he would be the villain for her, well he definitely delivered on those promises, and it was a sight to behold. It was so satisfying to see the monarchs from the other kingdoms get destroyed by him for the sham of a trial they put Auren through… It might make me a villain too, but I was happy to see them suffer. 😈
We also get to see more of Slade’s morally grey side, because he would do anything for Auren, even if it puts Orea in danger. She is more important to him than all of Orea, and he makes no secret of it. He is willing to kill, maim, and sacrifice his kingdom for Auren, without any regrets.
I was happy to see Annwyn, and to meet new characters in this fifth book, but while I liked the new characters, they didn’t grow on me like the Wrath did. They are not bad characters, but I wanted to see more of the Wrath instead of spending so much time with these new additions. Also, the few chapters with the Wrath felt pointless, so it was even more frustrating. Osrik’s chapters felt useless in the plot,
Annwyn felt magical an beautiful though, and Auren’s description of it, and of her feelings at realizing that she was “back home” was heartwarming.
Auren’s journey towards healing and learning to trust her abilities and rely on no one but herself continues in this book, especially since she is away from everyone she knows, and needs to survive on her own until she finds a way to get back to Slade. That being said, while I loved seeing Auren stand on her own, gain confidence, and grow even more into her power, the fact that she is separated from Slade for the whole book killed me. While I don’t mind love interest being separated, especially if it adds tension and angst to the plot, I struggle to enjoy a book where they are apart for the entirety of it. It felt unsatisfying that they didn’t even reunite in the end. I loved the book and I don’t regret reading it, but a part of me feels like I wasted my time reading this whole book because they are still not reunited after 600 pages!
For the first time in this series, I enjoyed Malina’s chapters… I even dare say that I liked her. She went through a lot in the last few books, but in this one, we finally see her stop, reflect upon herself and her choices, and change for the better. Her character growth/redeeming arc was very well done and it feels weird to say this, but I think I enjoyed her chapters even more than Auren’s.
I am not sure how I feel about the ending of this book. On one hand, it promises a lot of drama and angst in the final book, but on the other hand, I feel that there is already so much to overcome, with the faes invading Orea, Slade, and Auren still needing to find each other. Adding this extra obstacle has me a little worried that there will be too much going on in the last book and things might get rushed in the end.
Overall, I liked this book, but I struggled with it too. The internal monologues from Auren and Slade felt repetitive after a while, and the fact that they are apart for the whole book did not help with my motivation to push through and continue reading it. There is a lot of action, and the pace is good, but at the same time, it felt like a filler book, and I didn’t really connect with Auren’s new friends, meaning that her chapters felt tedious to read at times, because I didn’t care. I’m sad that I was not able to enjoy this book more, but I will still definitely read the final one, because I need to see Auren and Slade reunited and happy together.
1. Gild ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
2. Glint ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Gleam ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4. Glow ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Want to read
December 31, 20232023 update: Ermm, so given the reviews for this book, I think I will be deciding if I want to continue this series once the final book is out.
2022: I need Raven Kennedy to pull a Taylor Swift and drop this unexpectedly way before June 2023 please. This wait is going to be brutal 😭
2022: I need Raven Kennedy to pull a Taylor Swift and drop this unexpectedly way before June 2023 please. This wait is going to be brutal 😭
December 6, 2023
Oh man, am I disappointed.
My two stars go to Slade in acting his revenge and Malina's story.
Other than that, I hated it.
And I really wish I didn't.
Auren and Slade don't reunite for this entire 644 paged book. Such a joke, plus new plotlines have been created for Auren. Why?
And the ending, having her memories all wiped. That's like the worst trope. Ugh.
It's annoying because I've read this far and absolutely loved the first 3 books but that's where it should've ended. I've come this far, I can make it to the end, right?
My two stars go to Slade in acting his revenge and Malina's story.
Other than that, I hated it.
And I really wish I didn't.
Auren and Slade don't reunite for this entire 644 paged book. Such a joke, plus new plotlines have been created for Auren. Why?
And the ending, having her memories all wiped. That's like the worst trope. Ugh.
It's annoying because I've read this far and absolutely loved the first 3 books but that's where it should've ended. I've come this far, I can make it to the end, right?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2023
I can’t believe I am leaving a 2 star rating for a book in this series, because I adore these characters and this series.
But this book… I just have to ask, why?
WHY didn’t we get a Slade/Auren reunion? 600+ pages and they still are not united!? This is a romance series after all. How did this get past editing?
WHY didn’t we get a Rissa waking up scene?
WHY did we get such a long (and sorry - boring) Malina redemption arc?
WHY was Lu basically missing from this book entirely?
WHY did this book end setting up the beginning of the next book with one of the most exhausting, most overused tropes ever?
Slade unhinged is the best part of this book.
The rest- is just filler for what should have been an epic series finale.
Also, there were literally no surprises in this entire book. If Auren running into Slades father was supposed to be shocking, it wasn’t.
If Malina and the Assassin getting together (which is the one and only spicy scene you get in the book, and I have to say it’s really not top tier) is supposed to be surprising, it’s not.
If the ending and Auren getting her memory wiped is supposed to be shocking, it was too little too late. By this point I was just annoyed that we’ve been dragged along for 640 pages and now are either going to have to watch Auren get used, yet again and for (I’m sure) her not remembering Slade, for some length of time, (which will just extend the reunion, even further.)
Unfortunately this just didn’t hit for me. Where the story should have been tying up loose ends, there were new storylines starting. I think RV was maybe just trying to do too much here and there is so much ground still to cover to wrap this series up.
But this book… I just have to ask, why?
WHY didn’t we get a Slade/Auren reunion? 600+ pages and they still are not united!? This is a romance series after all. How did this get past editing?
WHY didn’t we get a Rissa waking up scene?
WHY did we get such a long (and sorry - boring) Malina redemption arc?
WHY was Lu basically missing from this book entirely?
WHY did this book end setting up the beginning of the next book with one of the most exhausting, most overused tropes ever?
Slade unhinged is the best part of this book.
The rest- is just filler for what should have been an epic series finale.
Also, there were literally no surprises in this entire book. If Auren running into Slades father was supposed to be shocking, it wasn’t.
If Malina and the Assassin getting together (which is the one and only spicy scene you get in the book, and I have to say it’s really not top tier) is supposed to be surprising, it’s not.
If the ending and Auren getting her memory wiped is supposed to be shocking, it was too little too late. By this point I was just annoyed that we’ve been dragged along for 640 pages and now are either going to have to watch Auren get used, yet again and for (I’m sure) her not remembering Slade, for some length of time, (which will just extend the reunion, even further.)
Unfortunately this just didn’t hit for me. Where the story should have been tying up loose ends, there were new storylines starting. I think RV was maybe just trying to do too much here and there is so much ground still to cover to wrap this series up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2025
It was really good but honestly out of all the books I've read I think this is my least favourite
May 11, 2025
4.5 ✨ I started unsure because I’d seen a lot of people not liking this one and I am confused????? I loved it. I love revenge arcs and men who are pathetically in love and it was giving!! I mean, “It’s time I remind her and everyone else exactly why you don’t fuck with me and mine.” Come on.
I feel like this book acted as the perfect set up for an amazing conclusion. And I actually really enjoyed the other POV’s… me looking forward to Malina chapters? Never saw that one coming but here we are.
My only major complaints are the ending was diabolical and I NEED MORE OS AND RISSA
I feel like this book acted as the perfect set up for an amazing conclusion. And I actually really enjoyed the other POV’s… me looking forward to Malina chapters? Never saw that one coming but here we are.
My only major complaints are the ending was diabolical and I NEED MORE OS AND RISSA
November 25, 2023
4/5 ⭐️
Oh my god. This book BROKE ME. The last 100 pages or so were absolutely incredible. I am scared for whats to come. I do wish the whole book was that good. The last 100 pages are what made this rating go up to 4 when it was sitting at a 3-3.5 for a large majority of this book. I have high hopes for the next and last book.
This was good but not what I expected! I absolutely love this series and had very high hopes for this one. I did enjoy it but I guess I was expecting more? Especially considering this was supposed to be the last book. I feel like it wasn’t exactly necessary to continue the series but I am excited for the last one. I believe the last one will be very interesting after this one laid everything out. It definitely felt sort of like a filler book? I did really enjoy learning about the characters and diving deeper into the story and their individual journeys more, even if it’s not exactly what I expected.
A lot more Queen Malina than I expected. I was hoping for more Slade and Auren as well. I wanted more scenes of them together and more of their pov as well as Osrik. I understand Queen Malina being important too and I did enjoy some of her chapters but I felt like there was so much when I wanted more focus on the others. I also felt like it did drag on a bit. I wanted more action but more than half of this book felt slow. Overall the last 100 pages or so are what made me rate this higher. The last pages were so incredible and had me STRESSED. I’m so excited for the next book, Goldfinch will be absolutely incredible, I just know it.
Oh my god. This book BROKE ME. The last 100 pages or so were absolutely incredible. I am scared for whats to come. I do wish the whole book was that good. The last 100 pages are what made this rating go up to 4 when it was sitting at a 3-3.5 for a large majority of this book. I have high hopes for the next and last book.
This was good but not what I expected! I absolutely love this series and had very high hopes for this one. I did enjoy it but I guess I was expecting more? Especially considering this was supposed to be the last book. I feel like it wasn’t exactly necessary to continue the series but I am excited for the last one. I believe the last one will be very interesting after this one laid everything out. It definitely felt sort of like a filler book? I did really enjoy learning about the characters and diving deeper into the story and their individual journeys more, even if it’s not exactly what I expected.
A lot more Queen Malina than I expected. I was hoping for more Slade and Auren as well. I wanted more scenes of them together and more of their pov as well as Osrik. I understand Queen Malina being important too and I did enjoy some of her chapters but I felt like there was so much when I wanted more focus on the others. I also felt like it did drag on a bit. I wanted more action but more than half of this book felt slow. Overall the last 100 pages or so are what made me rate this higher. The last pages were so incredible and had me STRESSED. I’m so excited for the next book, Goldfinch will be absolutely incredible, I just know it.
December 17, 2023
This novel can be summed up in exactly one word: filler. It’s unnecessary and honestly not worth the time it took me to read it. I feel confident you could read the first 100 pages, skip to the end and read the last 75 pages, and then be fully prepared to read book 6, if you feel so inclined.
Nothing of note really happens. Truly. It’s 600 pages of a bunch of random, ad-hoc stories that fill the space in the time between the two characters being separated. Do they even end up back together by the end of the novel? Nope. They sure don’t. Yes, 600 pages of our 2 main characters separated, going on random ad-hoc side quests, and never reuniting until, wait for it, the next book.
We also get a bunch of random chapters with other characters who I personally do not care about, did not want to read about, and now dislike more than I did before. Don’t worry, Malina does have sex with the assassin during a major battle though, because that was necessary. She could’ve gotten her own little novella and that would’ve worked out a lot better.
What happens at the end (I won’t spoil it for you), is, in my opinion, the laziest trope an author can employ. It ruined the reunion I was so looking forward to and now am never going to get. I’m so mad that this is where we have ended up that I’m 90% certain I won’t even read book 6.
I’m mad the series was extended another book when it very much did not have to be, I’m mad that I read 600 page of nothing, I’m mad that all the “reveals” was shit we already knew or was so incredibly obvious I can’t classify it as a reveal, and I’m mad that we now have a dumb ending with a dumb trope to start the next book that I won’t be reading.
Nothing of note really happens. Truly. It’s 600 pages of a bunch of random, ad-hoc stories that fill the space in the time between the two characters being separated. Do they even end up back together by the end of the novel? Nope. They sure don’t. Yes, 600 pages of our 2 main characters separated, going on random ad-hoc side quests, and never reuniting until, wait for it, the next book.
We also get a bunch of random chapters with other characters who I personally do not care about, did not want to read about, and now dislike more than I did before. Don’t worry, Malina does have sex with the assassin during a major battle though, because that was necessary. She could’ve gotten her own little novella and that would’ve worked out a lot better.
What happens at the end (I won’t spoil it for you), is, in my opinion, the laziest trope an author can employ. It ruined the reunion I was so looking forward to and now am never going to get. I’m so mad that this is where we have ended up that I’m 90% certain I won’t even read book 6.
I’m mad the series was extended another book when it very much did not have to be, I’m mad that I read 600 page of nothing, I’m mad that all the “reveals” was shit we already knew or was so incredibly obvious I can’t classify it as a reveal, and I’m mad that we now have a dumb ending with a dumb trope to start the next book that I won’t be reading.
to-read-i-own
December 6, 2023todays the day. bag secured 🫡
✧ update two weeks from release - 22nd November 2023: ✧
We have all heard the news by now... that this book was split into two, resulting in the final book being Goldfinch, releasing 29th August 2024 (allegedly).
What emotions am I feeling, so close to the release to Gold, and so far from the end of this series. I feel shocked, I feel confused and lastly I feel tired (but that's just my constant state of being so discount the last one). Due to this new development, I find my predictions feel off. I cannot say I can stand ten toes down on all of them anymore. It has been so long. Raven Kennedy has a new publishing deal, a new editor, and now a new book. Nothing is certain.
ARC reviews are starting to slowly flow in now, and from what I gather, a couple of my predictions are true (hooray) but the reviews are so vague it is impossible to tell if any are true. Nothing to do but wait until I read Gold, and see if any of my predictions change for the final book Goldfinch.
Why does this feel like the hunger games. Good luck Tributes. May the odds be ever in your favour.
The Plated Prisoner series reviews:
#1 Gild: ★★★★
#2 Glint: ★★★★★
#3 Gleam: ★★★★★
#4 Glow: ★★★★★
#5 Gold: 7th December 2023 release date
#6 Goldfinch: 29th August 2024 release date
✧ 19th June 2022: ✧
I am sending Raven Kennedy my therapy bills because enough is enough! If I cannot stand for something, than what will I stand for? I have rights!! I deserve peace!!
✧ Predictions: ✧
*spoilers ahead*
✧ update two weeks from release - 22nd November 2023: ✧
We have all heard the news by now... that this book was split into two, resulting in the final book being Goldfinch, releasing 29th August 2024 (allegedly).
What emotions am I feeling, so close to the release to Gold, and so far from the end of this series. I feel shocked, I feel confused and lastly I feel tired (but that's just my constant state of being so discount the last one). Due to this new development, I find my predictions feel off. I cannot say I can stand ten toes down on all of them anymore. It has been so long. Raven Kennedy has a new publishing deal, a new editor, and now a new book. Nothing is certain.
ARC reviews are starting to slowly flow in now, and from what I gather, a couple of my predictions are true (hooray) but the reviews are so vague it is impossible to tell if any are true. Nothing to do but wait until I read Gold, and see if any of my predictions change for the final book Goldfinch.
Why does this feel like the hunger games. Good luck Tributes. May the odds be ever in your favour.
The Plated Prisoner series reviews:
#1 Gild: ★★★★
#2 Glint: ★★★★★
#3 Gleam: ★★★★★
#4 Glow: ★★★★★
#5 Gold: 7th December 2023 release date
#6 Goldfinch: 29th August 2024 release date
✧ 19th June 2022: ✧
I am sending Raven Kennedy my therapy bills because enough is enough! If I cannot stand for something, than what will I stand for? I have rights!! I deserve peace!!
✧ Predictions: ✧
*spoilers ahead*
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August 14, 2024
oh em gee
I NEED the rest of this story!! The last book cannot come soon enough 😭😭😭 I’ve been ripping through these books like wildfire because the writing/story telling is so good and I will not survive not having the next book for a while 😭😭😭😭
I NEED the rest of this story!! The last book cannot come soon enough 😭😭😭 I’ve been ripping through these books like wildfire because the writing/story telling is so good and I will not survive not having the next book for a while 😭😭😭😭
January 19, 2024
Oh my gosh. I am hyperventilating. I need to digest this and then I'll be ready to write a ginormous review bc I have so many thoughts. That ending!!!!
January 7, 2024
“I found myself with Slade, and only with him will I ever truly be home.”
The Plated Prisoner series is one of my favorite romantic fantasy series and it has maintained its ever since I binge read the first 3 books in 2021. And I’ve been abuzz with excitement for Gold. I’ve been captivated by this story that I thought was going to just be a King Midas reimagining and ended up being so much more.
It’s a series with a powerful romance and found family. It explores how a victim of abuse can go from romanticizing her abuser to cope because she’s paralyzed with fear of the unknown, to finding a safe found family that begins to unravel the gaslighting, to wanting to break free, to doing so and all the personal development that comes with it.
The latest (and penultimate) installment brings a new challenge - now that Auren has broken free and grown with the support of Slade and their found family, is that growth going to stick when she’s on her own? I loved getting to finally see Annwyn! It felt like the story has been building up to it for a while, and while it broke my heart to have them separated (and I sorely missed their banter) I think it was important for Auren to see her own capabilities and be independent, even if the situation wasn’t ideal.
This book has more politicking than the others, and while it feels like not a ton moved forward in regards to the external plot, I’m confident the last book will have a lot of payoff. This felt like the first half of the final arc of the story, so it was a lot of build up. While some people may think a 6th book was just the author stretching the series out, she’s been saying for YEARS in her reader group that she hoped to do the series in 5 books but that it was a strong possibility that it would end up being 6. She was correct but those who didn’t know that may feel cheated thinking it’s a case of the author stretching it out for money - it’s not. When the publisher announced this as the last book, I knew that they were pushing it and it probably wouldn’t pan out that way.
It was also satisfying to see Slade firmly in his villain era. And I squealed when something I long suspected was revealed! Even though this book felt different, I still enjoyed it a lot. BUT I’m most amped up for the resolution in the finale that’s coming out in August!
** I received an arc of the ebook from The Nerd Fam. Decision to review and content is my own.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I will be doing everything in my power to not die before this comes out, it is my sole reason to keep living at this point
The Plated Prisoner series is one of my favorite romantic fantasy series and it has maintained its ever since I binge read the first 3 books in 2021. And I’ve been abuzz with excitement for Gold. I’ve been captivated by this story that I thought was going to just be a King Midas reimagining and ended up being so much more.
It’s a series with a powerful romance and found family. It explores how a victim of abuse can go from romanticizing her abuser to cope because she’s paralyzed with fear of the unknown, to finding a safe found family that begins to unravel the gaslighting, to wanting to break free, to doing so and all the personal development that comes with it.
The latest (and penultimate) installment brings a new challenge - now that Auren has broken free and grown with the support of Slade and their found family, is that growth going to stick when she’s on her own? I loved getting to finally see Annwyn! It felt like the story has been building up to it for a while, and while it broke my heart to have them separated (and I sorely missed their banter) I think it was important for Auren to see her own capabilities and be independent, even if the situation wasn’t ideal.
This book has more politicking than the others, and while it feels like not a ton moved forward in regards to the external plot, I’m confident the last book will have a lot of payoff. This felt like the first half of the final arc of the story, so it was a lot of build up. While some people may think a 6th book was just the author stretching the series out, she’s been saying for YEARS in her reader group that she hoped to do the series in 5 books but that it was a strong possibility that it would end up being 6. She was correct but those who didn’t know that may feel cheated thinking it’s a case of the author stretching it out for money - it’s not. When the publisher announced this as the last book, I knew that they were pushing it and it probably wouldn’t pan out that way.
It was also satisfying to see Slade firmly in his villain era. And I squealed when something I long suspected was revealed! Even though this book felt different, I still enjoyed it a lot. BUT I’m most amped up for the resolution in the finale that’s coming out in August!
** I received an arc of the ebook from The Nerd Fam. Decision to review and content is my own.
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I will be doing everything in my power to not die before this comes out, it is my sole reason to keep living at this point
December 6, 2023
I was lucky enough to receive an arc of this book early. While I am incredibly grateful for that, I am sad to say that I DNFed at 70%.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the first four books of this series, this book was just not it for me. The first 200 pages were boring. I was constantly putting the book down and forcing myself to come back to it. Nothing was happening that hooked me and made me want to continue reading.
Osriks POV were entirely unnecessary. They added nothing to the plot and did not further the story in anyway.
In my opinion 50 straight pages of Queen Malina POV might very well be the reason DNFed this book. I find her character incredibly boring and annoying. The love interest with the assassin seemed forced and not organic.
This is Slade and Aurens story and I truly don’t feel like I got enough of them. Anytime the story seemed to pick up with something interesting, the author changed POVs to someone boring.
The pacing seemed slow overall and I don’t think it needed to be split into two books.
I do want to attempt this again at a later time and will update my review if I feel inclined to do so.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the first four books of this series, this book was just not it for me. The first 200 pages were boring. I was constantly putting the book down and forcing myself to come back to it. Nothing was happening that hooked me and made me want to continue reading.
Osriks POV were entirely unnecessary. They added nothing to the plot and did not further the story in anyway.
In my opinion 50 straight pages of Queen Malina POV might very well be the reason DNFed this book. I find her character incredibly boring and annoying. The love interest with the assassin seemed forced and not organic.
This is Slade and Aurens story and I truly don’t feel like I got enough of them. Anytime the story seemed to pick up with something interesting, the author changed POVs to someone boring.
The pacing seemed slow overall and I don’t think it needed to be split into two books.
I do want to attempt this again at a later time and will update my review if I feel inclined to do so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2023
ㅤㅤ
"That’s what a queen must do in this world. We plan. We play. We plot. That’s the only way we get to keep our crowns."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ━3.1 - 3.2 ☆ ━
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⊱ ──── might contain spoilers ────⊰
ㅤㅤI am finally writing the review for Gold, one of the most expected reads of this year for me. After some long and busy Christmas days, I finally managed to finish reading the 5th book in The Plated Prisoner series; a series that has quickly managed to become very dear to me and one of my favourites.
ㅤㅤWhile a huge fan of the series, as mentioned, I have to admit I am finding myself in a rather difficult position when it comes to reviewing this book. The more than a year long wait for this release was more than treacherous especially after the heart-breaking cliff hanger that ended the previous book and I found myself badly missing the beautiful writing and the characters of this series. But unfortunately, finishing this book left me feeling a bit disappointed and even slightly..frustrated (maybe) after such a long wait filled with expectations.
ㅤㅤWithout further ado, allow me jump straight into analysing the elements I am constantly focusing my attention on while reading a book and start an in-depth review of the 5th instalment in this series.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ✧ world building, action and writing ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ
ㅤㅤDespite falling so deeply in love with the world carefully constructed by Raven Kennedy throughout these books and with the help of her magnificently beautiful writing style, I was slightly disappointed to discover that both these elements fell rather short in this book. While finally being introduced to the magnificent world of Annwyn, the magic realm of the fae, the book didn’t do so much for the description and presentation of this realm, unfortunately filled with battles and sufferings and highly affected by the political games of a cruel king. The paragraphs of description that we got for both Annwyn and the new kingdoms of Orea that finally get introduced are rather short and do not add enough information to form a clear and vivid introduction for these places.
ㅤㅤI do not feel like I have anything to really add regarding the writing style. Raven Kennedy proved she is a really good master of the words and constantly manages to wave them in order to create beautiful, exquisite imagery and express feelings that are bound to move even a heart made of stone (pun intended, King Carrick). And in this regard this book did not disappoint; the longing, the pinning and the insane feeling of loneliness of our päyur brought the element of beauty in the rather cruel and unfair events and action of this book. What was indeed rather boring were the multiple POVs and the huge focus on characters that, at least for me, were neither interesting enough, nor captivating, this in the detriment of the main characters who appear in probably less than half of this book. This lowkey felt like an even less eventful Tower of Dawn, which I also did not enjoy 😔
ㅤㅤAnd now that I also mentioned the element of ‘action’ let me say how the action of the book was entirely disappointing. Despite being the 5th book in the series, Gold felt entirely like a filler book which I found rather strange and unnecessary at this point in the series. The disappointment was especially strengthened by the release period during the previous book and this one that was so long. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE long series and I would always appreciate getting more books with the characters I love, but about half of this book felt entirely unnecessary and too long in terms of action which was both slow-paced and rather uneventful. The multiple POVs and the side story of the other characters brought nothing to the action, but they rather made the book itself even slower and added to the feeling of a filler book. At this point in the series, I usually expect to see all the elements of the conflict coming together in order to be addressed and solved in the final book, but this book added so little to the element of conflict that became rather boring at times due to the way-too-lengthy paragraphs of almost no new information. Therefore the action itself probably represented the biggest flaw of this book for me.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ✧ characters ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ
ㅤㅤI am a HUGE lover of the found family trope, redemption arcs and unconditional love between characters which also receive their own POV, capable of adding interesting and heartfelt moments to the story. However, this book unfortunately failed in gripping my attention and keeping me interested enough in both the big redemption arc that it introduces and the side character that received its own POV meant to accentuate the element of love which was supposedly impossible to present between the main characters. But let me talk briefly about my dear characters and express some of my honest opinion regarding the way they were portrayed in this book.
ㅤㅤ✴ Auren - I absolutely DEVOURED the development and progress this character achieves in this book. The way Auren shows her primal, fae side and she acts so unhinged in her quest to protect the people she meets and quickly become dear to her is absolutely beautiful. The “beast” reigning inside of her is both protective and caring and it definitely comes to play in this book in the most fascinating and beautifully-violent way. Unfortunately, I feel like this progress was not developed and presented enough which, in the end, caused the change in Auren to seem quite rushed and sudden. I do hope we get to see more of her protective and possessive side in the last book of the series, even though, considering the state of this character in the end of the book, makes me fear we will, once again, have to endure a long and tedious process of finding oneself and re-learning to cherish that warrior, revengeful side.
ㅤㅤ✴ Slade/Rip/Daddy King Ravinger - This man owned this book and will forever also own my heart. I love desperate, pinning men dealing out revenge on the behalf of their one true love and Slade definitely takes a prize for his revenge rampage in this book. I adored every single minute of his unhinged actions and did not feel a single ounce of remorse for the victims of his wrath because it was all justified. my little sweet perfect man could never do any bad 🥰. Apart from that, I felt like even his character fell a bit flat. While I love seeing a true villain who acts on the logic of “burning the world for her” I did hope we would at least get to see more of him and his story apart from Auren, but that unfortunately did not happen. What I did love however, was finally seeing his relationship with Ryatt slowly becoming so much nicer and sweeter. I love that we finally get to see the brotherly love and the evolvement of the relationship between these two characters as well as the character development of Ryatt as an individual.
ㅤㅤ✴ The Wrath - my biggest disappointment is probably that we did not get to see more of The Wrath in this book. I would have loved to see more interactions between Slade and his loyal and trusty inner circle. Apart from Osrik, we don’t really get to see the rest of them almost at all until the very last chapters of the book. And while we are here, I will admit that I am not such a huge fan of Osrik and Rissa’s love story. It felt so rushed and so forced that at one point I even found myself wondering how did this incredibly deep level of love and loyalty was even reached that incredibly fast. I would have probably been able to appreciate this side love story more if it wasn’t that sudden, but otherwise I low-key felt like it was just some additional information added to an already slow-moving and rather uneventful story.
ㅤㅤ✴Malina (and Dommik) - despite the popular opinion right now, I did not hate Malina’s redemption arc, nor did it feel forced in any way for me. I absolutely loved her redemption being marked by her status as queen for her people and how she became the ideal monarch, the one willing to sacrifice it all for her kingdom. I also highly enjoyed the slowly-developing love story between her and “her assassin” and I think it became the most intriguing side story in this series. However, I admit her chapters were a bit too numerous and at times filled with some unnecessary information that did not bring anything to the story apart from the number of pages. Although, I am looking forward to her future development and actions. I was screaming "let it go, let it gooooo" each time she was using her magic, or talking about hoe the cold is not bothering her 😭
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ✧ ending and conclusions ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ
ㅤㅤThe ending of the book brings once again a new heart-breaking cliff-hanger with a trope that, I have to admit, makes me more than frustrated at times. The ending also brought a level of surprise for me as I did not expect to experience an entire book with the main characters not even meeting for a single moment and while I do enjoy a good level of pinning, I felt like this was a bit too much for a 5th book in a series. Not to mention that this ending automatically brough a new problem that will have to be solved and it makes me worry for the last book as there seems to be quite too many conflicts that will need to be addressed in a single book which might end up being rushed once again.
ㅤㅤWith a tinge of regret, I will conclude by saying that Gold was probably the most uneventful and disappointing book in The Plated Prisoner series which is a total shame when you consider that this is the second to last book in a series that is very dear to me. I am not a fan of filler-books in general even though I do not hate them, but this book was definitely way too long for its purpose. I do hope that Goldfinch will be able to bring back this series and save it from a disappointing ending and I will surely be here to expect its release as soon as possible.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ━3.1 - 3.2 ☆ ━
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⊱ ──── might contain spoilers ────⊰
ㅤㅤI am finally writing the review for Gold, one of the most expected reads of this year for me. After some long and busy Christmas days, I finally managed to finish reading the 5th book in The Plated Prisoner series; a series that has quickly managed to become very dear to me and one of my favourites.
ㅤㅤWhile a huge fan of the series, as mentioned, I have to admit I am finding myself in a rather difficult position when it comes to reviewing this book. The more than a year long wait for this release was more than treacherous especially after the heart-breaking cliff hanger that ended the previous book and I found myself badly missing the beautiful writing and the characters of this series. But unfortunately, finishing this book left me feeling a bit disappointed and even slightly..frustrated (maybe) after such a long wait filled with expectations.
ㅤㅤWithout further ado, allow me jump straight into analysing the elements I am constantly focusing my attention on while reading a book and start an in-depth review of the 5th instalment in this series.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ✧ world building, action and writing ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ
ㅤㅤDespite falling so deeply in love with the world carefully constructed by Raven Kennedy throughout these books and with the help of her magnificently beautiful writing style, I was slightly disappointed to discover that both these elements fell rather short in this book. While finally being introduced to the magnificent world of Annwyn, the magic realm of the fae, the book didn’t do so much for the description and presentation of this realm, unfortunately filled with battles and sufferings and highly affected by the political games of a cruel king. The paragraphs of description that we got for both Annwyn and the new kingdoms of Orea that finally get introduced are rather short and do not add enough information to form a clear and vivid introduction for these places.
ㅤㅤI do not feel like I have anything to really add regarding the writing style. Raven Kennedy proved she is a really good master of the words and constantly manages to wave them in order to create beautiful, exquisite imagery and express feelings that are bound to move even a heart made of stone (pun intended, King Carrick). And in this regard this book did not disappoint; the longing, the pinning and the insane feeling of loneliness of our päyur brought the element of beauty in the rather cruel and unfair events and action of this book. What was indeed rather boring were the multiple POVs and the huge focus on characters that, at least for me, were neither interesting enough, nor captivating, this in the detriment of the main characters who appear in probably less than half of this book. This lowkey felt like an even less eventful Tower of Dawn, which I also did not enjoy 😔
ㅤㅤAnd now that I also mentioned the element of ‘action’ let me say how the action of the book was entirely disappointing. Despite being the 5th book in the series, Gold felt entirely like a filler book which I found rather strange and unnecessary at this point in the series. The disappointment was especially strengthened by the release period during the previous book and this one that was so long. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE long series and I would always appreciate getting more books with the characters I love, but about half of this book felt entirely unnecessary and too long in terms of action which was both slow-paced and rather uneventful. The multiple POVs and the side story of the other characters brought nothing to the action, but they rather made the book itself even slower and added to the feeling of a filler book. At this point in the series, I usually expect to see all the elements of the conflict coming together in order to be addressed and solved in the final book, but this book added so little to the element of conflict that became rather boring at times due to the way-too-lengthy paragraphs of almost no new information. Therefore the action itself probably represented the biggest flaw of this book for me.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ✧ characters ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ
ㅤㅤI am a HUGE lover of the found family trope, redemption arcs and unconditional love between characters which also receive their own POV, capable of adding interesting and heartfelt moments to the story. However, this book unfortunately failed in gripping my attention and keeping me interested enough in both the big redemption arc that it introduces and the side character that received its own POV meant to accentuate the element of love which was supposedly impossible to present between the main characters. But let me talk briefly about my dear characters and express some of my honest opinion regarding the way they were portrayed in this book.
ㅤㅤ✴ Auren - I absolutely DEVOURED the development and progress this character achieves in this book. The way Auren shows her primal, fae side and she acts so unhinged in her quest to protect the people she meets and quickly become dear to her is absolutely beautiful. The “beast” reigning inside of her is both protective and caring and it definitely comes to play in this book in the most fascinating and beautifully-violent way. Unfortunately, I feel like this progress was not developed and presented enough which, in the end, caused the change in Auren to seem quite rushed and sudden. I do hope we get to see more of her protective and possessive side in the last book of the series, even though, considering the state of this character in the end of the book, makes me fear we will, once again, have to endure a long and tedious process of finding oneself and re-learning to cherish that warrior, revengeful side.
ㅤㅤ✴ Slade/Rip/
ㅤㅤ✴ The Wrath - my biggest disappointment is probably that we did not get to see more of The Wrath in this book. I would have loved to see more interactions between Slade and his loyal and trusty inner circle. Apart from Osrik, we don’t really get to see the rest of them almost at all until the very last chapters of the book. And while we are here, I will admit that I am not such a huge fan of Osrik and Rissa’s love story. It felt so rushed and so forced that at one point I even found myself wondering how did this incredibly deep level of love and loyalty was even reached that incredibly fast. I would have probably been able to appreciate this side love story more if it wasn’t that sudden, but otherwise I low-key felt like it was just some additional information added to an already slow-moving and rather uneventful story.
ㅤㅤ✴Malina (and Dommik) - despite the popular opinion right now, I did not hate Malina’s redemption arc, nor did it feel forced in any way for me. I absolutely loved her redemption being marked by her status as queen for her people and how she became the ideal monarch, the one willing to sacrifice it all for her kingdom. I also highly enjoyed the slowly-developing love story between her and “her assassin” and I think it became the most intriguing side story in this series. However, I admit her chapters were a bit too numerous and at times filled with some unnecessary information that did not bring anything to the story apart from the number of pages. Although, I am looking forward to her future development and actions. I was screaming "let it go, let it gooooo" each time she was using her magic, or talking about hoe the cold is not bothering her 😭
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ✧ ending and conclusions ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ
ㅤㅤThe ending of the book brings once again a new heart-breaking cliff-hanger with a trope that, I have to admit, makes me more than frustrated at times. The ending also brought a level of surprise for me as I did not expect to experience an entire book with the main characters not even meeting for a single moment and while I do enjoy a good level of pinning, I felt like this was a bit too much for a 5th book in a series. Not to mention that this ending automatically brough a new problem that will have to be solved and it makes me worry for the last book as there seems to be quite too many conflicts that will need to be addressed in a single book which might end up being rushed once again.
ㅤㅤWith a tinge of regret, I will conclude by saying that Gold was probably the most uneventful and disappointing book in The Plated Prisoner series which is a total shame when you consider that this is the second to last book in a series that is very dear to me. I am not a fan of filler-books in general even though I do not hate them, but this book was definitely way too long for its purpose. I do hope that Goldfinch will be able to bring back this series and save it from a disappointing ending and I will surely be here to expect its release as soon as possible.
October 10, 2024
It would totally be a 1 star book if I hadn't skimmed to an extreme level. I literally read only dialogues for most of the book and few words here and there to make sense of what was going on. NOTHING HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK. Auren and Slade never met for whole 650 pages. Osrik was pathetic (I am sorry) and the nickname "yellow bell" reminded me of yellow bell pepper. Slade on a revenge rampage was hot for a solid minute and then felt stupid. Auren travelling from one city to other for another 650 pages was such a disappointment (because last book was also this only).
I was looking forward to Queen Malina's chapter surprisingly enough. THE KNEELING QUEEN AND THE SILENT ASSASSIN carried the whole book for me. Her chapters were so much more interesting. The tension between those two was great. RAVEN KENNEDY did Malina's redemption arc so wonderfully. I am in love with her and her assasin.
I COMPLETED MY GOAL FOR THIS YEAR WITH THIS BOOK OF 100 BOOKS(including rereads) I love this series as well, so I am happy (if only this was a trilogy I would be totally head over heels for this world)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
let's get this over with
I was looking forward to Queen Malina's chapter surprisingly enough. THE KNEELING QUEEN AND THE SILENT ASSASSIN carried the whole book for me. Her chapters were so much more interesting. The tension between those two was great. RAVEN KENNEDY did Malina's redemption arc so wonderfully. I am in love with her and her assasin.
I COMPLETED MY GOAL FOR THIS YEAR WITH THIS BOOK OF 100 BOOKS(including rereads) I love this series as well, so I am happy (if only this was a trilogy I would be totally head over heels for this world)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
let's get this over with
July 4, 2024
3.75 ⭐️ It was ok I was just hoping for more… especially after how the last book ended. It was just a bit boring and I wanted the group of characters back together. Malina’s chapters were actually some of the more interesting parts of the book (which is saying something…)
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