At this point in my life I should be honest that if it's fantasy and there are queer characters, I am absolutely going to read it by that criteria alone. So when I got my hands on this book, you can imagine I was overjoyed.

A Taste of Gold and Iron is a lush romantic fantasy set in a kingdom reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire. The dynamic between the characters and the story-building was done so incredibly well that I was drawn in instantly. It's easy for fantasy authors to fall back on well-known fantasy tropes, but this author really took the time to build the world - and not only that, but made the queerness of it so excellently woven that I was in love.

I highly recommend this to anyone that loves fantasy, romances, or just is looking for a really good book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and tordotcom for the e-ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I feel like readers are either going to a)really love this or b) feel like they want to love it but are underwhelmed in a sense (and there’s a reason for that)

I fall on the a side of things because I absolutely ate this up. With all the components/tropes that I adore, ATOGAI was like the warmest embrace for my fantasy romance loving heart. And all throughout there were conversations being had that completely ignited me

Kadou deals with crippling anxiety- something that I also deal with- and seeing it brought to light so reverently was refreshing. And then there were talks of ethics - amidst washing each other’s hair *swoon*- and things of morality that were so earnest, it was like coming undone, having an actual intimate conversation with someone. It felt real in a way many other books can’t accomplish.

Plus this is a bodyguard romance- yes BODYGUARD romance- one of my absolute faves and it was portrayed here in such a wonderful dynamic with intensity and fragility, I adored it SO much.

Now the underwhelming aspect, the plot. There is a plot, a very good plot in my opinion but it’s very tame in comparison to other political based/action filled romantasies and I feel this is the part that many readers are going to struggle with. Personally I’m here for the romance (and how masterfully done it was) foremost and the plot just as an undercurrent to progress the development of the characters forward- so this was perfect to me.

All in all with brilliant representation, fantastic conversations, unique, elaborate world building and a magnificent love story that took its course through time- I adored ATOGAI so much!!

Okaaay, this book took me a little while to read because it's chunky but I also wanted to savour it so badly. Like, I really didn't want this book to end and I was low-key distraught to find that I was nearly done with it! I can only hope the author has more like this up their sleeve!

First thing's first, Kadou, our MC has anxiety and the way I squealed at seeing some anxiety rep in a book, and a fantasy one at that! I used to be way more into fantasy than I currently am and a large part of that has to do with how little rep there can be in fantasy so this book, for me, was kind of like coming home? Like it was so comforting, because I was reading Kadou's POV like...omg it's literally me and I got so emotional it's not even funny. It was brilliantly done and obviously I loved my precious little bean Kadou who was more than capable of being a badass despite everything.

The other reason I found this comforting? Queerness is normalised in this book and my heart felt so full as I was reading. Not only is the romance queer, but the use of different pronouns isn't an issue. It's just there, smoothly and seamlessly worked in and nobody thinks anything of it. Neither do they think anything of a queer relationship or gender fluidity. It was all so normalised and seamless and there was none of the negativity of the real world regarding any of it. Kadou's sister didn't even blink at his relationship with Tadek, and was out here finding him a lovely man to have an arranged marriage with. It truly wasn't an issue and I was trying to read this slowly so I could spend longer in a world this accepting. It's for this reason that I've described this book as being like 'top tier fanfiction', you know, when queerness is normalised and there's none of the nastiness of our world to contend with.

Speaking of Kadou's sister, I loved that she didn't have to marry her baby's father. He was just the 'body-father' until she decided to grant him any kind of claim and both she and Eozena, and all the women were such badasses. Speaking of Eozena, I LOVED her. She was hilarious and every time she bantered with them all I found myself chortling away.

I'm not going to lie, a lot is kind of thrown at you in the beginning about the world but the introduction and the set up for the other MC is immaculate. I do think the world building was ultimately well done and it was easy to get lost in it, even if it did take me a minute to get to grips with things! I had a clear picture of the settings, which is one of the things that made this book so easy to get lost in. Despite the romance being somewhat of the main focus, with a bit of mystery on the side, a lot of care was taken with the world both to paint a picture of it but to set future events up so the plot was solid.

The concept of the Khayalar was intriguing and I loved that they're guards, but they're also allowed freedom to study whatever they want. This is just another of the elements of the book and it's world that's been created to make the romance even more delicious, though, and to make some of the future moments between the MC's and conflict really work. Initially, Evemer hates Kadou and he has good reason to do so. It's not some flimsy, weak excuse to quickly be gotten over. It takes time for him to get to know Kadou and see that he was wrong,

The progression of their relationship was truly delicious, like it was slow-burn at its finest with the way it slowly builds up, and it had me screeching at the tiniest thing! It's not at all rushed, and they progress from enemies of a sort, to slowly coming to respect each other (Evemer respecting Kadou in particular) and they slowly bond as they try to figure out what's going on with the counterfeits and Evemer helps Kadou with this anxiety. Kadou meanwhile, doesn't want to force Evemer because of his authority etc and needs to come to believe in himself and his decisions.

I shipped them so badly it wasn't even funny. Like normally guards like Evemer are written as badass and stoic and yes, he was both of those things to an extent, but he was so patient with Kadou, helping him with his anxiety and helping him figure out the mystery. He's so soft for Kadou and they had such beautiful moments together throughout the book. The use of tropes in this is phenomenal as well by the way, I won't spoil but the way I screeched towards the end.

We do have dual POV, which I don't always get on with but Evemer and Kadou's voices were both so distinct from each other that I didn't have trouble telling their POVs apart. It was also hilarious at the beginning because of Evemer's general demeanor and his internal thoughts and I was chortling to myself like 'pal, that's your future man'. I genuinely think the romance in this book has ruined me for the foreseeable future, I can't believe the end was spicy but had me feeling all the feels at the same time.

Alongside Kadou and Evemer there's some truly brilliant side characters, like Eozena who was a particular favourite of mine. Tadek really grew on me, I wasn't sure what to make of him at first but he ended up being so much fun. I loved him from the moment he needled Siranos, I think, and the interactions between he, Kadou and Evemer were brilliant! Especially towards the end! Melek was another favourite of mine and my heart dropped when I thought they'd been killed off!

Honestly, I'm still trying to process this book. I kinda want to live in it, like I really didn't want it to end. It was perfectly written, perfectly built up and you guys...the LONGING. The scenes with the hairbrushing and the caresses, I was literally squealing as I was reading. Please, please can the author write like 50 more books in this world? I'm begging! Tadek needs a happy ending you know! Zeliha too!

This is a good book that would be better with some editing in the middle, but overall enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the world-building in this book. It felt fleshed out and filled with little details that I can see the author exploring more in the future. I also loved how LGBTQIA people were seamlessly part of that world-building and not shoved in for diversity points. The third gender inclusion was also great, and I loved how there was no explanation. This book expects you to accept how it is and deal with it as it should be. I was trying to figure out what sort of culture things were based on, as the clothing mentioned, and would have liked a little more description to fill out some gaps.

The romance was a slow burn and felt earned and sweet. I like how Evemer treated Kadou's anxiety was wonderful to see, and I'm glad it wasn't disregarded as a so-called "weakness." I just read a book that just ignored a character thinking similar things without challenging those thoughts to the reader.

I did think that the middle portion of the book dragged on when they were investigating the counterfeits. I feel that more editing would have helped the slower pacing there. I was very surprised by how long this book was, and it took a long time to read. Also, the villain was predictable and could have used more complexity, especially since it took so long to get to the conclusion.

Overall I like this book, but it is not one of my favorites because of the pacing and length of the book.

Thank you to Tordotcom and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC!

This was an intriguing political drama, with wonderful slow burn romance, excellent mental health rep, and very well done lgbt rep. I enjoyed it a lot!

ATaste of Gold and Iron was fantastic! Prince Kadou finds himself questioning whether his life is in danger but when his men are too quick to act on those feelings people end up dead and Kadou is held accountable. To prove to his sister, the Queen, of his loyalties, Kadou undertakes an investigation, along with his newly appointed guard Evemer, into a break in at the ship builders guild where the authenticity of the money there is in question. Arasht coin is some of the most finely made so a threat to their currency is a threat to Kadou. Things escalate when one thing leads to another and the break in leads them to a much larger issues at play.

The beginning of this story plops you in the middle of this fantasy world with no explanations. I found I was getting whiplash trying to figure out who was who and how they were important. The beginning was dragged down with this and I wish a little more describing happened. Once the story got going though, I wasn’t able to put it down. In a world where someone who becomes pregnant retains full claim on their child unless they specifically share that claim with the child’s sire gives so much power to women. I quite possibly liked that element the most. I also really like the magical element of metal tasting. I wish it played more of a part though, as being the title of the book makes you think it would.

Kadou and Evemer sexualities were never brought into question. If you are LGBT+ that is just how this world accepts you. Having their relationship be a subplot to the investigation it started out strained and organically evolved. Those are some of the best kind- the romance that you can’t see coming. The book also touches on mental health with Kadou’s struggle with anxiety and panic attacks. This book normalizes so much and was so refreshing to read. I very much enjoyed this book!

This book was extremely difficult for me to finish. Despite my desire to enjoy this queer historical fantasy set in a fictionalized Ottoman Empire, I wasn't able to do so because the plot falls flat, and the development of the romance isn't particularly compelling. In addition to these issues, the narration of the first several chapters feels disjointed, and some of the character rants are overly repetitive.

The characters also didn't do much to improve my reading experience. The protagonists are uninteresting, and their base personalities are lifted directly from the characters of gay erotica novels written by straight women. Some of them are also annoying as hell. The best example is Prince Kadou, who acts oppressed by his status despite being privileged. Why should I care about him, a privileged member of the royal family, and his problems as one of the most important people in the kingdom? Until Chapter 15, you can read passages like "He was not allowed to be himself. He was not allowed to want for himself." The antagonists are also incredibly boring, with no mystery surrounding their evil plot. The reveal of the villains is also unimpressive. It's far too predictable, and the stakes are far too low.

However, a few things did stand out to me. Tadek and Evemer, who, while tied to the fanfiction tropes in which they're summoned, made me hope for some depth to the story. They deserve to be in a different world with a different plot so that their characters can be properly explored. Another example is how the author chose to address Tadek's fuck buddy status and Kadou's anxiety disorder. Both are handled well and deserve to be commended.

After I finished the last chapter, I read the acknowledgements section and admired Rowland's perseverance. I hope she reads reviews like this one because I appreciate her determination, and if she incorporates feedback from readers of this book into her future projects, there's a chance she'll create a novel with strong world-building and an unforgettable cast of characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for the digital ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This is breaking my heart because this book was absolutely one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I was SO convinced I would adore it, but... after two months of trying my best and failing to trudge through, I'm finally setting it aside. I might give it another try someday when I'm feeling a bit more patient, but the plot isn't pulling me in at all, the writing is not quite there, and worst of all, these characters are wholly and painfully unlovable.

I know when I’m absolutely besotted with a book I can't help gushing about it and I wanted so much to feel this when I finished reading “A Taste of Gold and Iron”. I did like this diverse very slow burn enemies to lovers queer fantasy romance standalone once I got into it, I just wish it had been more epic fantasy. Overall for me it lacked a satisfying plot and worldbinding, the magic was literally just a taste but I did love the Ottoman Empire inspired setting and the prince/bodyguard trope. The romance building is the main focus and it may have been the slowest of slow burns but it was quite endearing, and the mental health representative is written with care. I could see how much passion and gentleness this author puts into diversity and the characters developments, that’s where the author delivered their magic. My fantasy soul was not completely fulfilled, but my romantic heart is content with the beautiful love story.
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I’ve seen a lot of love for this story, and I know for many this is a golden read. It certainly has the perfect cover. I have the The Broken Binding edition and it’s pure eye candy!!

A Taste of Gold and Iron was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind, but I was really confused. Just within the first chapter there was so much info dump and story after story. I only got through a few chapters before giving up. I might go back to this story one day.

I was very excited for A Taste of Gold and Iron to come out, especially after seeing it compared to The Goblin Emperor. I hate to say it, but it did not live up to the hype. I found both main characters unlikable and hard to empathize with, and their chemistry non-existent. I love romantic fantasy, but here, I think the romance was forced and honestly should have taken a back seat to the plot. Last complaint: NOT ENOUGH MAGIC! But props to Rowland for queer representation and a non-patriarchal society (see...there are some positives).

Overall, I had to slough through it when I usually finish books in a day--it just couldn't keep my attention. This one was meh for me; not terrible, but not terribly good.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing an advance copy, my resulting review is unbiased and honest.

Just finished this book and I’m still breathless. What a beautiful slow-burn romance!

Alexandra Rowland drew me in with her meticulous writing and her ability to put all the feelings into these ~500 pages. I had no idea that a slow-paced book like this could be so captivating. Everything Evemer and Kadou went through is so vivid and you can’t do anything else but feel with them.

Beautifully written and plotted.

Just know, there’s not much Fantasy. It’s really more a romance story with a light Fantasy background.

I will admit that I was brought in my the politics and world building for A Taste of Gold and Iron, and the interesting dynamic between Prince Kadou and his bodyguard Evemer. Unfortunetly....the relationship didn't seem to develop organically and it was rather cold and stale. I also wish this was less 'fade-to-black' because it is at the point where we see no touching between the two characters beyond what their job requires and I just couldn't find their attraction believable.

Such a good fantasy book! I really enjoyed the diversity and found the writing captivating. It had me hooked and I raced through it.

There are two reasons I really loved this story. It has a gorgeous romance and in addition, among all the politics and intrigue, is an excellent depiction of anxiety. But there is so much to this novel that I think even if you don’t prefer romance, you will still find yourself enjoying this story.

The author introduces an intriguing world to begin with. The Prince Kadou is not the ruler, his sister is, which is intriguing enough. Then add in that she is not married to nor intends to marry the father of her child. Kadou has interesting skills, the ability to touch-taste precious metals which will aid him or possibly bring about his downfall, depending on the intrigues and conspiracy they must combat. 

As for the romance, I love that the pair do not start out liking each other. Evemer is very dedicated and while he eventually grows to like Kadou, the two must come together to combat the intrigue and political conspiracy that could ruin the kingdom. I love that part of the worldbuilding is in their interactions, explaining how society is run in this fantasy world but also giving us a taste of the diversity and characters that are incredibly interesting. In addition, Kadou struggles with anxiety, fear as he calls it and it is an excellent depiction of that condition as we get to see how he deals with the condition and finds ways to work with it in his daily life. 

While I fell in love with Kadou and Evemer, it is not only these two that are so fun to read. I also love the secondary characters, Kadou’s sister, his previous bodyguard, the variety of people surrounding and protecting him. It also offers such a diversity with those who don’t identify as male or who identify and gender neutral, all written so seamlessly into this breathtaking world.

If you love rich worldbuilding, diverse characters, and a truly gorgeous romance between two men, I highly recommend this novel. I wanted more immediately and am hopeful there will be a second novel set in this world with these characters.

I made it 100 pages into this book and although I was not disliking my time I was also not invested in either of the main characters, which is something I care a lot about in a fantasy romance. The anxiety representation was great and I thought the character work overall was excellent but I did not care for the mystery plot and since I was not invested in the chemistry of the leads I decided to stop and try a different work. This was probably a case where the romance was just a bit too slow burn for my taste but would be something I would recommend to other fantasy romance readers.

A delightful political romance, deeply invested in questions of economics and morality as well as trust and family. It's also a perfect slow-burn romance, with all the best tropes thrown in for fun -- enemies-to-lovers, just one bed, kissing-as-distraction, and so on. A richly imagined and joyfully rendered tale.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

3.5/5 stars

I very much struggled with how to rate this one - I didn’t dislike it at all, but I never felt like I was dying to get back to it either. The writing itself was beautiful, the characters well developed; however, the plot was lacking and the slow burn romance was so slow that neither commanded my attention. And by the time the plot picked up, it was wrapped up so quickly and neatly that I felt I blinked and it was over.

The biggest challenge for me was pacing - as in the book is on the longer side but had very little plot to drive and support it. Plus, the most interesting little tidbits that were mentioned were often of little consequence or never mentioned again. The author clearly has a beautiful world and spectacular characters in her mind, but the best developed character ever written will still fall flat without a story to drive them.

Overall I would recommend this book to people that enjoy historical fantasy and a very slow burn, but I’m not sure it will be for everyone. I loved the characters but needed more story to hold my attention.

I very much enjoyed this MM fantasy book!

Unique magic system, double crossing, slow burn romance, grest world building and a matriarchal system!
This book had me hooked from the beginning. Also did I mention a slow burn romance? My favorite kind! Besides enemies to lovers that is. Totally recommend!

This was a very compelling read for sure. It took me a lot to get through it though , not sure if that was the writing style or just my general mindset when I read it but I did find myself quite confused at points. Some things took me a bit to understand and I didn’t fully understand everything by the end. I did really love the concept of the magic though I think a magic system centered around currency is very interesting and I haven’t read anything like it!
I also enjoyed the characters though some could be somewhat difficult to get into. I loved the family dynamics though and the royalty aspect so it didn’t bother me to much that the characters weren’t my favorite ever. Loved the tropes as well truly fun to read and I would love to pick up another book with the bodyguard prince forbidden romance situation. Overall good interesting read would like to read more like it.