When a growing religion preaching life-after-death meets a young woman who can step into death and bring a soul back, it is not good for the young woman. Marianne Gordon tells the tale of Hellevir who first stepped into death to bring her mother, who had died in childbirth, back in trade for a little finger. She is working as a herbalist in a small village when the Queen with The Gilded Crown(hard Harper Voyager) brings her the body of her granddaughter and heir, Sullivain, who had been poisoned. Death lets Sullivain return to life for a minor trade as long as Hellevir finds special objects for future trades. Of course, Hellevir is brought to the capital city when her parents had moved and where a religion from her mother’s homeland is becoming more powerful. The same politics that caused Sullivain’s poisoning are still present and one noble family may be at fault. There is more coming.

I liked the first 3rd, but once it got to the political stuff I didn't care anymore. I hated the princess and I don't see why the main character would be interested in her at all. I liked the main character and all the stuff with death though.

I have mixed feelings about The Gilded Crown. On one hand I absolutely loved the author’s prose and the premise of this book. One the other hand I was left feeling incredibly underwhelmed. Hellevir is an intriguing character and I loved learning about her ability to raise the dead. Her visits with Death were some of my favorite scenes. The worldbuilding was great, I found myself being able to completely envision the world thanks to the author’s beautiful descriptions. There was plenty of political intrigue which I also enjoyed. This book is marketed as romantasy but I would hesitate to agree. There is romance but it lacks so much chemistry. I didn’t care for the love interest whatsoever. Plotwise, it started off strong but then it started to fall flat with all the repetitiveness. I hate to say it but with where the book left off and the direction the plot is heading, I don’t have a desire to pick up the second book when it releases. Overall, if you love fantasy with necromancy, political intrigue, and The Witch’s Heart type vibes I recommend giving The Gilded Crown a chance! Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was not for me. It was written well. However, it was marketed more as a Romanasty and it wasn't that. Not really. I'm still giving it a 4 star because it was written well and it's interesting but not exactly the genre I had hoped for. It was more similar to The Witch's Heart and others like that and they just really aren't for me.

So I think the elevator pitch line was what originally drew me in but looking back, this is not really my thing any more. As usual, will give three stars for benefit of the doubt!

This was a different one for me. When I requested this book, I didn’t know what to expect. It was an anticipated read for me and it didn’t disappoint.
This book has so. Much. Death. 🥲
Cool premise, interesting storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book.

I expected to enjoy this book more than I actually did. The story progressed a little too slowly for my liking. I thought the world was interesting and Hellevir's (FMC) ability to bring people back from the dead is super interesting. I could not get past how rude and ungrateful the princess is. I also struggled to envision a map of the world as well as the city. A map would have helped. I also couldn't quite understand nor care to understand the Onaistus religion.

The one aspect of the book I loved and continued to wait until I got more of, was Death. Every time Hellevir went to Death's limbo world and spoke with him to negotiate with him for souls I was enraptured. I wanted more, but understand that the plot in the normal world had to carry on.

This book was not meant for me, but if you like political intrigue, dark fantasy, queer romance, and necromancy, then this book is for you!

"The Gilded Crown" is a remarkable debut that blends fantasy, romance, and political intrigue into a cohesive and enthralling narrative. Marianne Gordon has crafted a story that is both heart-wrenching and hopeful, with characters that linger in the mind long after the final page. Fans of fantasy and lovers of intricate, character-driven stories will find much to admire in this novel, making it a must-read for the genre.

No lie, I would've given this a higher rating if the FMC wasn't crushing hard on her abuser, but that might be me being too harsh on fictional victims of Stockholm Syndrome. (See my review for To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. Or don't.)

Anyway, I was very surprised to find myself engrossed with this novel! It reminded of Addie LaRue, but make it more political fantasy and with higher stakes.

This is one of those books with an MC that isn't all that likeable. Hellevir's problems stem from her being selfish, even at a very young age. Usually, I hate this, but this is one of the rare times where I stan a female character making the type of decisions that a male MC would get a pass for.

But she does find out that her increasingly bad decisions puts her life (and others) in danger. And by then, it's too late.

Ultimately, this is the kind of depressing book where you get to see the MC's life spiral downwards to the point where it feels almost sadistic to read about. And as someone who likes these types of books, I appreciate how the antagonists (Death and Princess Sullivain, and to an extent, the Queen) all have their own end goals when it comes to using and abusing Hellivir's resurrection powers.

Don't get me wrong, I'm rooting for our girl, Hellevir, but I don't mind if this series ends up taking an extremely dark turn with her story. It's a pretty dark fantasy and would definitely fit in line with this first installment.

I might be in the minority here, but I can't wait for the sequel!

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this arc.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book early.

If you are told, by your mentor "don't do this" and the queen who barged into your home and demanded too much of your mentor (who also said no to the queen) but you decide to just ... be super badass witch... EXPECT THE CONSEQUENCES THAT FOLLOW!

I had to DNF. The main character is foolish. I had so much hope and promise for the story, but I can't read something with a FMC who ignores the warnings and dives into bad decisions only to be shocked that they have consequences.

As a huge fantasy lover who has read hundreds and hundreds of fantastic epics, this was a pleasure to read. I expected it to be a run of the mill YA fantasy, but it was more adult and very interesting, which I was glad about.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC copy gifted in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars.

Hellevir is able to raise the dead, but her gift comes with a price. Each time she visits with Death, she loses a small part of her self. When rumors of her gift reach the royal court, the Queen seeks her out and demands that she become the on-call resurrectionist for Princess Sullivain, sole heir to the crown. Hellevir finds herself in difficult position as she navigates the world of political intrigue, threats, and conspiracy all while attempting to balance her personal morals with the complex relationships she forms.

Read if you like:
- political intrigue
- necromancy
- dark fantasy

I am conflicted on how I feel about this book. Overall, I enjoyed the premise of the story but I feel like it didn’t meet it’s full potential. A majority of the plot line was repetitive. I would have liked more of a backstory, especially regarding the history of the War of the Waves and the Onaistus religion. A map would also be helpful.

I also didn’t care for Hellevir and Sullivain’s relationship. It was toxic and I found it difficult to believe in their subplot of a romance. Sullivain is incredibly manipulative and doesn’t seem to care about the emotional or physical toll of Hellevir using her gift. She also never takes accountability for her actions. But who knows, maybe she’ll get a redemption arc.

I did really enjoy the scenes with Death and the mystery surrounding his character. Hellevir has far more interesting interactions with him than anyone else. I also loved the raven. 10/10 for the animals.

That being said, I feel like there is the potential for Hellevir’s character to have a lot more growth and development in the next book. Like girl, you can still be empathetic and compassionate, but grow a backbone. I am also curious to see how the rest of her bargain with Death pans out, as well as what happens within the court. I liked this enough to give the next book a shot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for a free digital copy of this book. This is my honest review. Publication date: July 2, 2024.

*Tandem between ebook and audio formats.*

4⭐️ for overall story / 5⭐️ for audiobook performance

Overall I enjoyed this story. It held my interest and I found it fascinating. I know a lot of others have complained about what it is not, but I liked it for what it was. A dark fantasy with queer characters and an FMC who was constantly just trying to do the right thing but was always left being someone's chew toy...until she wasn't.

I read this as an e-arc, but the audiobook also came out on Everand during that time, so I added that in as a tandem read at about the 35% mark. This one had the same narrator (Kristin Atherton) as Belladonna, and she is just *chef's kiss*. Atherton has incredible range and really gives the reader a multi-cast experience while being just a single narrator. I was already enjoying the book, but enjoyed it even more due to the audio.

Speaking of Belladonna, this story gave big Belladonna vibes. But it's also very different. Think Belladonna mixed with One Dark Window. FMC Hellevir is walking and talking with Death, also very dark and kinda gothic vibes, nature/spirit magic...

The cover as it is now, doesn't really fit the story. Mixed with the blurb, it leads you to believe it's a romantasy, but it's not. I wouldn't even call this a romance. It's the barest of sapphic (more like undertones)...if anything, there's more achillean romance in here (I loved those characters). The old cover (on the arc copy) is more appropriately reflective of the story: Hellevir with the raven on her shoulder walking one way, while the man in black is walking above her in the other direction. Not really sure why they changed the cover. Sullivain isn't even queen in this book, so the image of her as the crown being both alive and dead is not really accurate.

This book read like a more mature YA, but the main characters seemed more on the young side. I'm not sure what it's categorized as, but it is a tad bit darker in nature. But overall, I enjoyed the writing style and found it easily consumable, yet not overly simplistic in nature.

I liked that same-sex relationships/partnerships seemed to be somewhat normal in this world, or at least in the court environment.

I felt like some of the backstory seemed a little convoluted. I wanted a little more. The War of the Waves wasn't really explained all that well, to me, so I had a hard time connecting those events with those of the Onaistus history. I didn't really understand how that religion came to be. But I could have just missed some things.

There were a few things I didn't see coming, so I liked that. I enjoy a good twist or something that jerks my emotions suddenly because it's unexpected.

A smidge of character analysis:
Hellevir: I really enjoyed her character. She had a realistic/logical personality, but cared deeply at the same time. I appreciated her gift and her connection to the earth and natural spirits. I really loved Elsevir as her little familiar. I was so happy with how she acted at the end.

Hellevir and Death's interactions over the course of the story were so interesting to me. They seemed to have this rolling type of relationship as the book progresses: enemies, business partners, father/daughter, brother/sister, lovers(?). Either way, he clearly cares for Hellevir. Death's character was so fascinating to me. He's still shrouded in so much mystery by the end and it left me wanting to know more.

Sullivain: I absolutely could not stand her character. She just used Hellevir only when it suited her, but wanted to act like she meant something to her only when she felt her grasp on Hellevir slipping. Sullivain made Hellevir feel worthless and threatened her family any opportunity she could get. I feel a little pity for her because I think she was a puppet, but I also think she's a coward for not standing up for herself and Hellevir more with her grandmother. I also despise Sullivain for making Hellevir have feelings for her. I don't think Sullivain had any intention of actually pursuing a relationship with Hellevir until they became so bonded by their death exchanges. I think she's that much of a selfish B, despite what she told Hellevir.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this book, but not to romantasy readers specifically. If that's what you're looking for, you will not find it in this book. However, if you are a reader of fantasy in general, who also enjoys darker fantasy romance/romantasy, or either of the two books that I comp'd up above, then you may enjoy this for what it is. But just know, any sliver of romance in here is simply the subplot, so you should have that expectation going into it. Happy reading! 🤙🏼💕

Thank you to Avon/Harper Voyager and NetGalley for digital copy of this book. This review is my honest feedback and given voluntarily.

{3.5/5}

CW: gore, death, some others

What a strangely delightful book. I…have a lot of thoughts.

Hellevir has always known she had a gift— the ability to step into death and bring back the soul of the departed. But every exchange has a cost, and the more she walks with Death, the more Hellevir loses. The cost to raise a princess, though, may be more than she’s willing to pay.

I’m not going to lie, this book took me a while to get through. And by ‘a while,’ I mean that it took me about 4 days, which is roughly double what a book of this length would usually require. Somehow, despite the extra time, it never felt like it was dragging.

Full disclosure— I didn’t like the main character. Hellevir is naive, often willingly so. She’s full of rage and power, and yet she ends up coming across as spineless, especially early on in the story. Perhaps worst of all, for me, is that this combination manifests as a total inability to say no and stick to her guns. It’s a fitting set of characteristics for her situation, but that doesn’t make it any more likeable. Strangely enough, I found almost all of the characters in the story to have a similar problem. With the exception of maybe 2 side characters, pretty much everyone ended up being less than stellar human beings.

The real redeeming quality to this story, what made it so easy to read despite the slow pacing, was the magic. It’s a simple sort of magic there. A communion with the spirits of nature. While this isn’t a common gift in Hellevir’s world, the depiction of it and the interactions she has with the living beings around her was beautiful. It feels soft and warm and perfect, and I loved reading it. Even Hellevir’s interactions with death and the depictions of that world were amazing.

Regarding the actual story…not a lot actually happened. But also a lot happened. It’s definitely a very character-driven storyline; the whole point really becomes Hellevir’s growth and the changes as she interacts with the world. Fortunately, she does indeed grow and change, and combined with the magic it makes for an ultimately decent story. The ending to the book felt like both an ending and a beginning, which was fitting for both the character and for the series (as this is listed as book 1 in The Raven’s Trade series). There’s a lot of potential for an even more active and engaging story in future books, and I look forward to seeing how that plays out.

Overall, I liked this book a lot more than I would have thought had someone simply described it to me. I do think it’s one that most people will either love or hate, but it’s got a subtle sort of magic woven in those lines.

This review it's written in spanish to explain myself better about how I felt about the book.

Me gustó mucho. Tanto la creación del mundo como el desarrollo de Hellevir.

Me pareció sumamente interesante el personaje de la Muerte y me encontraba queriendo saber más de él cada vez que Hellevir se iba de ahí. Se nota que es un personaje con muchas capas y creo que todos queremos saber quien fue/es (kind of a spoiler but actually it's just a theory: si era una persona o si en el pasado fue a la tierra y vivió entre la gente durante un tiempo).

La relación entre Hellevir y la mamá se me hace TAN real, siento que retrata la relación de cualquier madre-hija (generalmente en aquellas familias donde hay más de un hijo y no son solo mujeres).

El tema de la religión y la persecución por pensar/ser diferente, cómo se usa la misma religión para excusar tales actos simplemente deja en velo la realidad de nuestro pasado y (lamentablemente) el presente de algunas personas.

Me encanta que Hellevir pueda hablar con los animales y las cosas de la naturaleza. Siento que se asemeja a la relación entre una chica y su mascota de la infancia.

Sobre el tema del interés amoroso. Es algo bastante complicado por cómo inicia la relación entre ellas y el daño que le hace Sullivan durante todo el libro. Si bien se nota, a medida que pasa el tiempo, que ella va cambiando y empieza a desarrollar sentimientos, la realidad es que no se ve demasiado porque siempre vemos la historia desde el punto de vista de Hellevir. Nosotros no sabemos lo que significa ser Sullivan, lo que tiene que vivir para ser y hacer las cosas que hace. Si hubiesemos tenido esa dualidad se justificaría más que se hayan enamorado. Hellevir no tiene muchas razones para enamorarse de ella con todo lo que hizo pero supongo que ese lazo que se genera cada vez que la revive y que se fortalece cada vez más, quizás le deja ver quién es Sullivan en realidad. Sentir los sentimientos de otra persona es algo que nosotros como simples mortales no lo podemos experimentar, tan solo imaginar, sí podemos ser empáticos y ponernos en la posición del otro pero no es lo mismo. Quizás sea esa la razón de que algunos no comprendan por qué se enamoran.
Por otra parte el longing no me molestó (aunque me suele molestar) por el contexto del libro y la situación tiene completo sentido.

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0 stars

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and Harper Voyager. The opinions expressed are my own.

Hellevir discovers at a young age that she can enter Death and resurrect the recently dead. As a young woman, she is asked to raise the Queen’s granddaughter and heir. When she does so, she finds herself caught up in political intrigue and conspiracy when all she wants is a quiet life. Things develop from there….

It started a bit slow, which is not unexpected for a first book in a series that has to do a fair bit of heavy lifting in establishing characters and world building. It definitely picked up pace as it went.

It explores interesting (to me, at least) themes around power dynamics and religion. There are definite parallels drawn with the spread of Christianity (in the form of the Roman Catholic Church) across Europe in the Middle Ages.

While it is described as a romance, this isn’t really very developed in this book. It is obvious who the romantic interest is meant to be, but given the circumstances (the aforementioned power dynamics being a big part) I think this is a good thing.

The world is what I consider “generic Medieval European, although the cultural nods were a bit all over the place (Hellevir and her family read Scandinavian-ish, her mentor’s name sounds French, the capital is pretty generic but with nods to Venice, etc), which I found distracting in a way that pulled me out of the story sometimes. I think it would work better if the author stuck to on culture or avoided real world cultural references entirely. But this is a fairly minor quibble for me.

Overall a good debut and a good story and I look forward to the next book

This was such a beautiful and harrowing story about a young woman with the ability to raise the dead, ensnared in a deal with a kingdom on the brink of civil war who bares the responsibility of keeping a princess, under threat of assassination, alive.

I felt so deeply for Hellevir. She’s such a strong but gentle character. I loved her crow companion Elsevir, and the setting descriptions for the castle and apothecary. Most importantly every character brought to your attention is given some sort of development and holds weight and relevance. In a book this long I was shocked at the end by how it never felt repetitive, despite how well explored each character and plot line was. It makes so much sense that the Authors day job is Editing for a publisher!

The author uses fantastical and mystical imagery in her metaphors and allegory for feelings, and it creates such a holistic and immersive experience.

Though this story wasn’t filled with an explosive war drenched narrative, its elements of political intrigue and mystical encounters with death personified kept me turning the pages rapidly. I was enraptured in this narrative and I can’t wait for the next book! This could technically be a standalone because everything really wrapped up nicely but I would LOVE to meet “Death” and Hellevir again.

Sadly this one just never turned into what I was really hoping for. There was great LGBTQ+ representation throughout the book. . The marketing, cover design, and concept all led me to believe that this was some sort of romantasy novel and it wasn't which kind of disappointed me

This book was everything I needed right now. The writing, the plot, the characters, everything was very well done.
Helliver is very stubborn, which in most protagonists I would’ve been annoyed with. But it fits her very well. It made the plot move forward and I enjoyed seeing her try to do what she thought was right.
I wish there was more about the mysterious “Death”. He is very prominent in the story but we didn’t really get an understand of who he is. This will definitely be brought up in the next book so I’m not too worried.
I really liked this book, it was a great time and I can’t wait to read the sequel.

I enjoyed The Gilded Crown! I think this would be good if you’re a fan of The Nightshade Kingdom, The Wilderwood or The Shepherd King.

Hellevir has a special gift- she can go to Death and bring people and animals back. This does come at a cost to her but that’s where Death’s bargain comes in. He’s looking for treasures and since Hellevir is the only who can do what she does Death needs her. With Hellevir having this gift it doesn’t take long for someone in power to learn of it.

For this first book I really like the balance of Hellevir looking for Death’s treasures and the pressures of being used for her gift with the living. This balance allowed everything to move well and kept me from getting bored.

I will be interested to see how Hellevir navigates everything in the next book. I wouldn’t call the end a cliffhanger but it definitely is left open for the story to continue.