Okay, before everyone jumps down my throat because if this mediocre rating, hear me out. This book is the first in an epic fantasy duology, that is described as having a complex magic system.... which is the understatement of the century! This book is over 500 pages long and 300 of them are spent on world building. By the time I reached the end of the book, I still didn't understand how the magic system in this world worked. This could have easily been a trilogy, the world is just that complex. This is where the book lost all it's stars for me, I was confused as to what the heck was going on 99% of the time. The other 1% was me think 'now kiss' anytime there was any tension. Mostly because it was so comical.

The best thing about this book was the back and forth between Jazmyne and Iraya, you didn't know who to trust, who would end up being the bad guy, who would screw the other over. And, maybe most of this was because I was confused AF while reading but I really enjoyed their banter and Iraya's sarcasm. Also, this book had a lot of fighting/violence/gore and witchery which is something I'm always down to read about.

My interest is piqued enough to read the next book and see how this all ends and plays out. I just hope it has less world building than the first one.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this copy of the book. I enjoyed this story from the very beginning. It gave me some children of blood and bone vibes while still being completely original. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a gripping girl.power fantasy story.

I enjoyed this book so much! The world felt fresh and it was filled with scheming, deception, and I didn't know how to feel by its end. I can't wait for the sequel!

***I received an uncorrected proof of this ebook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

“Hope may be for the faithful, but it is also for the focused, and what lies ahead means I must be dagger-sharp.”

This was a pretty good, albeit somewhat generic, YA fantasy. I did find it a bit too long, with a few too many slow sections that had me losing interest. A good chunk of the middle could have been completely cut out and the story would have been the same with a better feeling of high stakes. I was also anticipating a bloodthirsty witchy revenge tale, and I didn’t really get that. I found myself skimming some of the slower bits and didn’t feel like I missed anything by doing so. The synopsis for this book frankly rings false.

While the main characters were very different in theory, their POVs read so similarly that I was confusing their voices. There wasn’t enough to distinguish their personalities. Until near the end, when everyone acts completely out of character… but anyways. The side characters felt pretty flat and that romance had me scratching my head. They had no chemistry and clearly trusted each other NOT AT ALL. I didn’t *feel* the “betrayals” because I didn’t understand where they got close enough to actually feel betrayed by one another.

The magic system was a little more vague than I would prefer in a witchy story. There didn’t seem to be limitations other than lack of gold, and the inherited familial magic was not explained satisfactorily. I wish the magical canon had been fleshed out more, and that there had been more unique details to make it stand out/ feel more “real”. I was also super fascinated by the Yielding, but that plot point basically dropped off the map after the intro.

Ultimately, this book was a solid albeit average YA fantasy debut. I’ll definitely read the next book, and I did actually really like Smart’s writing style so I’ll keep an eye on her future work.


†must be checked against final text

It took me a while to write this review because I had to read this book at several intervals. The premise of the book and the cover- stunning! Caribbean, Witches, Revenge- If you know, you know! But I found myself unable to really get into this book because of the language. I wanted it to be colourful. I wanted the Jamaican-ness, the Caribbean-ness to shine through. I wanted to hear the music in the language and read it in the descriptions. It was just not there- the book itself was good- typical of a YA novel of this kind- so perhaps my expectations where just a little bit too high.

A refreshing read told from two opposing viewpoints full of ancestral magic, traditions, tradgedy, It took some time to be fully immersed in the world but the payoff was worth it. Worldbuilding is seemingly a priority as it felt rich and extremely detailed. While most of the terminology isn't explained as much as it's meant to be inferred, and new vocabulary and concepts continue to be introduced throughout the book by the first few chapters, I got the hang of who was who and who did what. The story kept me guessing and trying to figure out who I was rooting for. A slow burn, many of the questions that need answers aren't given until the end which kept me interested and intrigued until the very last page. This is an epic fantasy and I'm so glad there is a sequel coming in 2022.

3.5/5 Stars

Two witches who are sworn enemies must create an alliance to overthrow the current ruler. One is out for revenge while the other just wants to see a positive change in her land.

I struggled with this one, which is really disappointing because I was SO excited to read this! It was a very dense and complicated fantasy, that I found very confusing. I was 215 pages into it and I was so confused with what was going on. The only thing I really got was that Ira wanted revenge and Jazmyne wanted change... I did really like how both main characters were very morally grey, but at times it was hard to tell them apart from one another. The book is very slow unfortunately, and doesn't really pick up any action until the last few chapters. It just couldn't keep my interest until the end, and by then I was so lost with what was going on I just wanted the story to be over to say I finished it.

I'm thinking about re-reading it in the future, before the sequel comes out to perhaps get a better grip on this world, because I really do want to love this as much as others seem to!

Great debut! I personally love morally gray characters/antiheroes. The Jamaican culture present in the story makes it that much better.

I absolutely loved how beautiful the writing is, and the story is phenomenal! I love seeing more representation and just learning about a culture different than mine is beautiful to see.

When I tried to read this book, I was not in the mental state to really enjoy it or anything really. I only got about 1/3 of the way but from what I could recall it was a good book. I can't praise or critique it because I couldn't really read it in a good mental space time, but it was an interesting premise, story and I knew it would hook someone looking for goof storytelling.

4.5/5⭐️ to Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart. Thank you very much to HCCFrenzy HarperCollins Canada for an egalley to review!
For a debut fantasy, this was so impressive and immersive! The only thing keeping it from being higher rated was that the language was more on the complex side, which was great overall, but it kept me from getting into the story right away. Also, it did take me a few chapters to really be able to distinguish between our two MCs. However once past that, the story really took me for an adventure! I really enjoyed how the author wove her Jamaican culture into the story and how it shaped the world & magic system. Not only did we have a couple of awesome, dynamic main characters that I got very much invested in (super important for me to get attached to a book), but we also got a wonderful, diverse cast of side characters! They added to the tensions and dynamics of the story & plot, and helped the whole book come alive! Same with the world and magic system...incredibly immersive, and totally transports you to a different world! I found it really cool how the different magics worked, and how metals work within the system.

Please check out this wonderful debut novel, whether physically or on audio if you’re a fan of fantasy! I definitely had to get my own copy after finishing the arc!

“𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚞𝚜 𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚎𝚜. 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚍𝚘 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚛 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚍𝚘 𝚊𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝”- 𝙲𝚒𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚗 𝚂𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚝

Witches Steeped In Gold by Ciannon Smart was an amazing Jamaican inspired fantasy read. The story centres around two witches Jazmyne and Iraya, enemies separated by their orders and politics. They enter into an unlikely alliance in order to achieve a common goal. As they get tangled into one another, true intentions are revealed and it looks like not everything is what it seems

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱:
•The Jamaican influence, traditions and food intertwined in the story
•Two strong female witches. I love the contrast between the girls and their different personalities. Both have strengths and flaws
•Including both POV’s of Jazmyne and Iraya. Learning about their past, fears and circumstances helped to understand want drives and motivates them 
•How the Obeah and Alumbrar magic systems were constructed and how their order influences society 
•The twist at the end, how it will change the dynamic between Jazmyne and Iraya in the next book 

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗗𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲:
•The pacing of the story felt off and the ending rushed. The beginning felt slow and dragged a bit 
•The romance fell flat to me. I didn’t fell any true chemistry between Iraya and her love interest, it seemed a bit forced to me. Maybe it will dive deeper in the second book
•Overwhelming number of secondary characters, a bit confusing at times 

3.5/5 stars

I gobble up witch stories. Add a beautiful cover and the opportunity to learn about another culture? Sign me up. This was a solid debut and I look forward to the next installment. The problem with series where books aren't all published yet is this impatience that happens waiting on the next one!

Thank you Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Witches, pirates, spirits of ancestors, and revenge!

On an island protected by ritual magic, a revolution is mounting with the Queen's daughter leading a coup and the lost empress preparing for revenge. Traped in a role with no magic, Jazmyne forms unseemly alliances to take her mother's crown and power. Meanwhile, Iraya is trapped in a bargain binding her magic to the Queen and unable to seek revenge without putting her people in danger. The two royals form a shaky alliance impacted by their secret agendas. However, the outcome is nothing they had planned for.

A slow-building story with many minor plots within the overall story. There is a wide cast of characters that are hard for readers to keep track of further into the story. Iraya is a strong and independent character whose perspective many readers will enjoy. Comparatively, Jazmyne's motives are predictable but readers will enjoy her descent into power. The love interest is somewhat confusing since there is both a love triangle and another possible lover. The plot is broken into three major parts with the first part being slower than necessary. I found it irritating that the alliance described in the plot doesn't take place until about halfway through the book. There were a lot of mini-adventures that while it contributed to the plot, took too long. However, I can appreciate the detail and time obviously put into the world-building. I would have enjoyed more attention to the ancestral magic and the lore behind their power. The different tribes were well described but other groups were thrown in towards the end which cluttered the plot.

This was an exciting but slow story about magic, power, and revenge. The wide cast of characters gives readers a lot to process. I would recommend this to fantasy lovers and appreciators of black-centric fiction. This story captures the diversity of island culture and mythology very well.

Hopefully, the next book can focus on a smaller cast of characters and carry more momentum.

Has quite a few YA clichés but I enjoyed the Jamaican influence of the story. I found the two main characters a little hard to tell apart while reading just because their voices (writing style) seemed identical. Overall this is an average debut book that had the potential to stand out if it was a bit more refined. The magic system seemed to have no rules and i think having those boundaries would make it work more for the plot than against it.

I felt that there was a bit too much world building in the first 10% of the book, had to read it two times and still unsure what is going on. I made the decision not to continue at this time.

Excellent story. I loved the dynamic between Jazmyne and Ira. The world felt so unique with this different brand of magic. Loved it and can't wait to see what happens with the rest of the series.

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart
Publication Date: April 20, 2021
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Description from NetGalley...
“Divided by their order. United by their vengeance.

Iraya has spent her life in a cell, but every day brings her closer to freedom—and vengeance.

Jazmyne is the Queen’s daughter, but unlike her sister before her, she has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power.

Sworn enemies, these two witches enter a precarious alliance to take down a mutual threat. But power is intoxicating, revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain—except the lengths they will go to win this game.”
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Thank you to @netgalley @harpercollins @harpercollinsca for a digital copy in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts...
This book was a Jamaican inspired fantasy. It featured strong and powerful women. The story was quite detailed and comprehensive that helped with the world building. But, due to the details, it ended up being slow-paced and wordy. It took awhile for me to get into. The magic system was intricate and creative. If you enjoy reading complicated and detailed stories and characters, you might enjoy this.

I found the two POV's were so similar that I sometimes got a little confused but other than that the story was good. Will I read the next book in the series? Most likely.

This book was not what I expected from a YA Fantasy. Although I found the story compelling and interesting, the writing level felt too advanced in comparison to many other YA's. I think it would have found it's place much better on the Adult shelves alongside books such as Priory of the Orange Tree.