I love the mix of familiar tropes and also the unique twists on magic! Necromancy is always interesting to read about. And the protagonist's relationship with her mother hits home.

Marianne Gordon’s debut, The Gilded Crown, offers a fresh take on death magic, weaving a dark fantasy about Hellevir, a young woman with the power to raise the dead—at a personal cost. Since childhood, Hellevir has been able to pull souls back from Death’s grasp, but each resurrection comes with a price extracted by the enigmatic figure who rules the afterlife. When Princess Sullivain, sole heir to the throne, is assassinated, the Queen summons Hellevir, demanding her granddaughter be revived. Bound to Sullivain to prevent further assassination attempts and the risk of civil war, Hellevir faces a growing threat not only from the kingdom’s enemies but from Death himself, who always demands his due.

The magic system is a highlight, and Gordon’s exploration of death magic feels innovative and haunting. Hellevir’s interactions with Death and the toll of each resurrection add depth to the worldbuilding and weight to her choices. However, while the setup of a slow-burn romance between Hellevir and Sullivain had potential, the development felt a bit underexplored, making it harder to fully invest in their relationship. Because of this, I’d hesitate to call this a "romantasy," as the romance takes a backseat to the plot.

Overall, The Gilded Crown is an intriguing start for Gordon, showcasing her potential as a fantasy writer with a unique approach to magic and sacrifice. I look forward to seeing how her work develops in future books!

The vibes are immaculate. While the writing style is straightforward, it still portrays a very satifysing fairy tale vibe. The premise of a young woman who can enter Death and make bargains to bring people and creatures back to life is well formed and somewhat unique. In some ways, the story reminds me a bit of The Bear and the Nightingale in the way it sets up the childhood of Hellevir as unique, the religious tension and a somewhat naive and innocent main character being forced into political scheming.

I don't know why some reviews seemed to think this would be a romantasy, as the advertising doesn't really every say anything about romance. The characters are interested and while Sullevain is mostly unlikeable, its not for lack of characterization but rather serves an interesting foil to Hellevir. There is some romantic tension, that I think does drive some of Hellevir's motivations, but it is subplot at best. The pacing is somewhat uneven at times, but remains overall intriguing. I think I know where things are going with Death and the more mythology aspect of the action, but I'm interested to see if I end up being right.

Not for me. Had some really good world-building but I couldn't connect to the characters in a meaningful way.

For a debut, it's not bad but it's not exceptionally great either. 3,5 ⭐

It started with an intriguing premise, cited from the description: Since she was a little girl, Hellevir has been able to raise the dead. Every creature can be saved for a price, a price demanded by the shrouded figure who rules the afterlife, who takes a little more from Hellevir with each soul she resurrects.

Until she resurrected the heir of the kingdom, Princess Sullivain. You think with such a power she would have a better bargaining position. But no, the Queen blackmailed and threatened to hurt her family if she refused to be around just in case the princess was assassinated (again).

And the book becomes frustrated (at least for me). I'd love for Helevir to fight more, be more cunning, more so to survive within the kingdom. Stand up for herself. She did, tho and I love her for that. But in the end, love wins. She couldn't do anything. She would still do what the Queen asked for her no matter how ridiculous the number of princess' deaths that she had to ressurect.

Oh and I think she needed to be more considerate who to help. Like the way the princess acted made it not worthy (honestly).

What I like is her on adventure finding the clues to give the Death. She with her best friend raven. Her relationship with her father. This girl deserves better really. That ending is kinda hopeful.

Oh and in my mind her appearance is kinda horror the way she had to pay the price with her body and her soul. But I think the writing could be more atmospheric bcs sometimes I find it hard to visualise the people, esp in the kingdom. I do love the desc of Death's area and his demeanor, tho.

This is a suitable read in October. Horrorish fantasy with kingdom political intrict.

Thank you for the arc in exchange for honest review 🩷

I wasn't able to really get into or enjoy this book much, I thought that it was something completely different and not my usual read. It could have been my mood however I don't think that I will be continuing the series.

This was an amazing read. I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere and dark story. Hellevir's arc was very enjoyable. She really just wanted to live her life and genuinely help people. A classic tale of how that can go astray. The romance subplot was understated in a nice way. It was there but not the point of the story. I didn't particularly care for Sullivain but she came around. The portrayal of death was great. There was a neat concept of payment for bringing souls back which made sense but was nest to see none the less. Overall I enjoyed the pacing. It kept me engaged and wanting to know the next page. I cannot wait for the next book.

Hellevir can slip in and out of death to bring souls back. She learns it at a young age when it costs her little to save a fox caught in a trap and later on a much bigger cost. After saving the princess Physically, mentally, and emotionally she is battling the tolls of bringing someone back knowing that if she doesn’t she could have possibly saved someone and instead walked away. She is now indebted to the crown and forced to bring the princess back regardless of what it why she has passed. And it makes no difference to others the toll it is taking on her. She makes a deal with death to hunt for precious treasures to trade instead. But only after she solves the riddles she is given. After bringing back the princess again and again hurting herself and her family in the process she starts to realize the predominant religious group in the city might be coming for her. She needs to escape but while under the crowns employee she cannot.
This story was so interesting and I am very excited to go where it is going

I love romantasies, but there’s a dearth of sapphic novels in this genre that I like. I was happy to find this one - it reminds me of Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon and Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. I love dark fantasy too, and this book struck me with the vibe of a dark, evocative fairy tale, atmospheric and stirring. Hellevir’s chemistry with Sullivain and Death both was a draw. The world building was great, too, and I think the author’s writing was strong, even if I at times wished for a more evenly-matched back and forth between Hellevir and Sullivain, who isn’t as likable as a character (but still provides a good foil). I’m a big fan of romances where one half isn’t exactly a great person, but think it requires a little more work to get readers invested in the relationship. That being said, I still enjoyed the angst and slow burn. This is a slower paced book, which can turn off some readers, but I personally enjoy a slower-moving plot. I also loved that there were both sapphic and achillean relationships represented.

#TheGildedCrown #NetGalley
If you enjoy fantasy And high romance in this book is for you. I would definitely recommend this to someone that enjoys fantasy. It is it is a A very Interesting and dark read.

I would categorize this novel under the growing umbrella of books I’ve read this year that I call quiet fantasy. Novels where, for the majority of the book, the plot events aren’t extremely intense. Or they are intense, but they’re spaced out in such a way that they don’t feel overwhelming. What often happens with quiet fantasy novels is that the end ramps up for that rollercoaster effect most other popular fantasy novels (I’m looking at you, BookTok) are putting you through the entire time.

This novel was beautifully written, and I particularly loved the relationships between Hellevir and the characters around her, because they were all incredibly flawed, and messy, and human. Her relationship to her family members, to Sullivain, to the Death-like character that waited for her on the other side. I couldn’t decide if I liked them, hated them, or was afraid of them—and I think that is actually a sign of great writing, that I couldn’t make a determination on each of these characters. In a few places, I felt like the author told more than showed, particularly in relation to how and why Hellevir chose to do what she did throughout the novel, but it took me out of the novel to feel this sense of distance between her and her mother, or even her and Sullivain, both of which were places where I should feel nothing but intimacy, whether positive or negative.

I found a few lulls in the middle of the book, but the last 10% of the novel was incredibly strong, and I was riveted to see where Hellevir’s loyalties would fall on the final page. The answer seems to be with herself, and I love that dearly. On the whole, I give this 3 ⭐

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I struggled completing this book and ended up DNFing at about 35%.. I believe it's the pacing, it was a little slow for me. I would like to try again another time. Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Let me preface this review by saying: I read a lot of books. Most linger in my mind as vague recollections days, weeks, months after I read them, no matter whether I rated them five stars or one. When you read a lot, things tend to...blend. ESPECIALLY when you read a lot in the same genre like I do. Because of this, very, very few books sear themselves into my brain and refuse to let me go.

But, for a number of reasons, the Gilded Crown is one of those few.

I originally rated this 3 stars, but the longer I sat with it, the more I realized this is an amazing debut and an incredibly promising start to a trilogy. It just suffers from some misleading marketing. Do not go into The Gilded Crown thinking it's a sapphic YA romantasy. It's not that at all, despite the generic romantasy cover and the blurb on the back really overselling the love aspect of things. It's more in the vein of The Witch's Heart, One Dark Window, or For the Wolf. The writing is stunning, and Gordon absolutely nails the worldbuilding. But I think my favorite part of the book has to be Hellevir, our heroine who can commune with Death himself. I loved how Hellevir comes into her own throughout the novel, and I genuinely could not predict what her next use of her magic would be. I also love how Gordon centered Hellevir herself rather than the romance (which is a weak point if you're reading it as a romantasy, and a strength if you're reading it as a young woman trying to break free of everyone's expectations of her -- and grappling with the nature of power in the process).

If there was one weak point, besides the marketing, I would say it's the middle of the novel. For a number of reasons, the plot sort of stagnates in the middle, after a promising beginning and before an exciting ending. Still, I cannot stop thinking about Hellevir, the world Gordon's crafted, and where she may take the series next.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Voyager, and Marianne Gordon for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! I am really looking forward to the next Raven's Trade novel!

Self-preservation was chasing her, but Hellevir was faster!

This story is about a young lady who discovered that she could communicate with death when she was a young girl. This gift or curse, depending on who's asking, grants her the ability to bring back persons who have passed on to the afterlife. But this talent comes with a cost. Every time she brings back someone from the dead, she loses a piece of herself. For anyone else, that would be too high a cost and risk, but not our heroine. She willingly dives into the deep end every chance she gets. No matter how many warnings she gets, Hellevir is convinced that she knows best and does it anyway.

There is a "love interest " in this story, but for the life of me, I couldn't understand why Hellevir continued to be so enamored. I honestly felt the potential for a better connection between Hellevir and Death, and I would have liked to see them explore the origins and why's or her ability. I think my favorite character was her bird lolol. Everyone else had me making notes and talking to the pages at various points throughout the story lolol.

All in all, if you're not bothered by frustrating characters, then give this book a shot. It is an interesting storyline from the very first page, and the characters feel like real people with depth. I am definitely interested in finding out where Hellevir's story goes next and to see if she'll continue living in delulu!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book.

I think I was a little confused with this book. I got as an arc so I had little to base off of. I thought it was a romantasy. Which I guess it could be since there is a love story. I just thought it was a competition to win or something. I feel like this is a mix of a retelling. She is a necromancer and has to save a princess.

I don’t think this was the book for me. I ended up DNFing it about 35% in. I wasn’t going to give feedback but I don’t want it to affect my rating percentage.

I kept reading to see if the book would redeem itself but that never happened. The romance was terrible and forced, the world building was nonexistent and the plot was all over the place.
What did I just read?
Thank you to netgalley for the arc, all opinions are my own.

The Gilded Crown was an amazing and fast read! Marianne Gordon has such an amazing writing style. I love the whole concept of the FMC being about to bring back the dead and be able to talk to death himself.

📔: The Gilded Crown-The Raven's Trade Book #1

✍️ By: Marianne Gordon-debut author

📃 Page Count: 380

🗓️ Publication Date: 7-2-24 | Read: 9-14-24

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager| Harper Voyager for this ARC 💛! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Genre: Adult Fic, Dark Fantasy, Sci Fi

🌏Setting: Rochidain

Tropes:

🧙🏽‍♀️healer/necromancer h
🧙🏽‍♀️slow burn
🧙🏽‍♀️politics/court intrigue
🧙🏽‍♀️LGBTQIA+ rep
🧙🏽‍♀️religious zealots
🧙🏽‍♀️no spice/sex
🧙🏽‍♀️murder mystery
🧙🏽‍♀️forced proximity

⚠️ TW: murder, death, resurrection

POV: single, 3rd person

💭 Summary 💭 Hellevir is tasked by the Queen to protect Sullivain from assassination attempts and bring her back to life if she dies. Death makes deals with her that every life requires a sacrifice in blood and objects. Bit by Bit Hellevir loses part of herself every time she resurrects someone. Sullivain is led by the Queen in cruelty and is careless with her life. Hellevir and Sullivain make a connection, but death keeps them apart.


Heroine: Hellevir Andottir-a healer and necromancer

Heroine: Princess Sullivain De Neid-last heir to throne

Side cast:
The Queen-Sullivain's grandmother
Piper and Pa-Hellevir's parents.
Farvor- Hellevir's older brother.
Elsevir- Hellevir's raven.
Milandre-Hellevir's guardian/mentor.
Lord Calgir Redeion-Farvor's love interest and knight
The Antler King/Death

My Thoughts: This has little to no romance between Hellevir and Sullivain. They were at odds most of the time because of the Queen and Death, but every now and then they stepped up for each other. There were plenty of deaths which made the story depressing at times. It spoke to Hellevir's gift and curse. Her and her mother Piper were constantly at odds about her "heathenistic" activities against the religious Onaistians. Farvor and Calgir were a tragic story of love and betrayal while Hellevir and Sullivain were what could have been. I look forward to the follow up.

Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
🌶️: Spice 0/5-1 kiss in last chapter
😭: Emotion 4/5
❤️: Couple 2/5
⭐️: Rating 4/5

The Gilded Crown, was a uniquely written dark fantasy that has a lot of promise for the next book. The pacing for this book was a bit slow for my taste, but I feel like we are building a base for the overall series. Overall, I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next in this series. A big heads up for readers though: don't go into this one expecting a romantasy. The focus in this book is not necessarily on the romance.