vibes: necromancy, dark princesses, kinda the sense of Witcher?

The Basics:

Ever since she brought her mother back from the dead, Hellevir has lived as an outcast, learning from a hedegwitch. Since then, she hasn't attempted to raise anyone again--until the queen comes to the witch's doorstep, demanding someone resurrect her poisoned granddaughter, Princess Sullivain. The catch (besides the fact that there's a price for resurrection and Hellevir must give up something, including body parts, every time she brings someone back) is that Sullivain is a constant target for assassins as heir to the throne. So even after she's been brought back, the queen isn't done with Hellevir. She'll have to stay by the princess's side... not to protect her from death, as tensions in the kingdom rise, but to keep her from staying dead.

The Review:

I was immediately drawn in by the summary for this book. A necromancer? A necromancer who's charged with resurrecting a princess (repeatedly)? A necromancer who's charged with resurrecting a princess (repeatedly) and then they kiss? Sign me the fuck up.

However: I did expect a sapphic fantasy romance, based on that summary, which does mention Hellevir falling in love with Sullivain. This is not that. Now--it's the first book in a series and very much does not end on a standalone note. I suspect that we'll see the relationship between Hellevir and Sullivain deepen and grow even more complex... and uh, it's pretty complex as it is. But this book was a queer fantasy novel with a romantic subplot. Which is fine! However, in order to give this novel the best shot at finding its correct readership, I want to be clear about that.

Like, I do think a lot of fantasy romance readers will enjoy this, as long as they aren't strict "the romance must be the Big Plot or else I won't like it" readers. Hellevir and Sullivain's relationship is part of the book's CORE, but I wouldn't say that at this point their romance is.

That said, it is a fascinating relationship, and I say that as someone who is going to go ahead and like... not defend basically anything Sullivain does in this book. But defend her as a character. I was surprised to see so many reviews just like, dragging her existence. It's one thing to say "she is a bad person", because she is. However, she's also a fascinating character who's clearly gone through a lot and been shaped to have a very warped sense of self and morality. She's manipulative. She's clearly a bit cracked (being assassinated and living under constant threat of MORE assassinations will do that to you). She's spoiled. And yeah, she does treat Hellevir like shit.

But uh... First off, if this was a romance novel, I'd still say "but a lot of y'all's favorites from dark romances and even some books that aren't marketed as dark do the same or worse and y'all love them". Not to honk the misogyny horn, but Sullivain reminds me a lot of certain dudes on certain fantasy shows, and some of them may or may not ride dragons, idk, idk. Except I liked her more, frankly.

Hellevir is also a solid character, but I found her a bit less compelling because she does a lot of stuff that does seem to set her up for failure or manipulation. It feels intentional to me, though--and I'm interested to see where her arc goes with it all. I mean, she has what is really an incredible gift, but she sort of lets herself be jerked around a lot. There's got to be something to that.

Also--yeah, her interactions with Death are super loaded and interesting. And I want to see where THAT goes, too.

This book is very queer--and it goes beyond the relationship between Sullivain and Hellevir. (Can I just say, though? How refreshing it is to read books where the queer characters, particularly the sapphic characters, aren't meant to be ROLE MODELS and also aren't homophobic stereotypes? Hellevir and Sullivain have a very toxic relationship and I approve.) You have a secondary m/m romance, you have the general themes of otherness and parental rejection and some interesting gender stuff happening. Like, I do think the queerness in baked into this book beyond the relationships, and that's cool to read.

The prose is really pretty and has a fairy tale quality. I've seen people describe this as "cozy" and I don't know, maybe it was the constant dying and fingers being chopped off and shit, but I found it creepy. In a good way. Sullivain really does go through it, y'all. I don't know what tot tell you. Does she deserve it? Up to you.

(I mean, listen. Crimes, are. Uh. Committed.)

What I did sort of go "hmm" on was the pacing. This is a slow-moving book, and I don't really think the world was so big and vast that it had to be. There were a few times where the writing/editing side of my brain wanted to take my scissors and chop some bits out of there. Streamline the narrative a bit--and then devote more time to the Sullivain/Hellevir dynamic. Because, while it may not be a conventional ROMANCE (I mean, not as of now--WE GOT TIME, I am open to the Sullivain redemption hour, or the Hellevir corruption hour, or whatever) I do think we needed a bit more time with them together in order to get more invested. And a bit more time with Sullivain in general. But that may just be me as someone who's like "everyone loves a bad girl" (not a fucking terrorist... I GUESS).

So, this does have a bit of the "first book in a fantasy series" syndrome on that level. However! I still think it's an intriguing start. If the wrinkles are ironed out in the next book, we could have something really special. And honestly? That's kind of a fantasy series Thing in my experience. If SJM could change the entire romantic trajectory of her series from book one to book two.... This series can tighten up a bit. I'm ready and listening.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Queer Fantasy
Gore Level: Medium (the worst isn't on the page)
Spice Level: Kisses
Representation: A couple of gay couples

Sometimes, I have a hard time getting into a book, and I'm not sure if that's because of my mood—that was the case for this one. *THE GILDED CROWN* starts with a few incidents of Hellevir meeting death. It gives a good feeling for the tone of the book—a bit dark and brooding, and danger from death. BUT there's more!

As Hellevir gets tangled in politics, everything marches to a faster beat. And a more dangerous one, where life truly is in the balance..
Just ponder what changes when a girl can bring people back from the dead. Assassination attempts? Failure. Tyranny? Absolutely. So, what can break the hold? That is why I kept reading—I had to find out how this book would end.

*THE GILDED CROWN* doesn't read like a debut because the world is fleshed-out. Religions, politics, intrigue, betrayal, sacrifice, death, mystery, quests, and so much more woven together in a tight knot. I'm looking at you, fans of *The Priory of the Orange Tree* because this is one you will want on your must-read list.

Happy reading!

I always love books that conceptualize Death in a different way, so I loved the idea of this girl who is able to barter for the life of loved ones - but only at the cost of part of herself or something important to death. I also love sapphic fantasy.

This book was an interesting read, but in some areas I found it fell short for me. The magic was the most interesting, and Death was an extremely fascinating character. I was also intrigued by the world. But the main storyline follows Hellevir having to resurrect the princess of the kingdom again and again, and slowly develops feelings for her. Unfortunately to me, the princess was hardly likeable at all. She was ungrateful and reckless and didn't seem to care that that affected Hellevir's wellbeing, which made the potential romance between them toxic and uncomfortable. The book was also fairly slow, with most of the interesting parts being at the beginning and then the very end. I want to see where this world goes, but it was hard to get through this book at points, so I hope the sequel improves upon that.

I am finding this hard to get into. I’m about 30% in and I will DNF for now. I will try to revisit at a later date but it’s so hard to follow and engage with.

The guilded crown
2.5⭐️2.5🌶️

Fantasy
Politics
Sapphic
Matriarchal society



With the blurb and cover art I thought this was going to be a YA sapphic romantasy. Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t. It was an adult book with a very bland romance…

The FMC and the connection with death was really intriguing. I enjoyed her ability to talk to creatures and things around her. I wanted to see so much more of that… instead we are swung into court life, politics and a hint of a sapphic crush that doesn’t pan out.

I definitely needed more magic/world building and the pacing was very slow.

Maybe this book just wasn’t for me.


Thank you NetGalley and Avon And Harper Voyager for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

"A woman made of fire, all the brighter to you because of what you have sacrificed for her."

The Gilded Crown reminded me a lot of Adalyn Grace's Belladonna but with way more politics and way less chemistry. I really wanted to like this book, and I know that the romance itself isn't a big part of it, but the plot relies so heavily on character dynamics, and I didn't see the chemistry between the lead characters.
Hellevir is a necromancer. She communes with Death and brings back those who have perished in "unnatural" ways in exchange for bits of life. The story begins when Hellevir raises Sullivain - the princess - after an attempted assassination. Most of the plot revolves around court maneuverings and Hellevir trying to escape with her family before she is forced to raise the princess a dozen more times. There are also some subplots with riddles assigned to Hellevir by the gatekeeper of death, and there are some romantic scenes as well. Overall, though, I felt it was very slow until the last 20%, and I would've liked to see some more variation in the plot.
I also didn't connect to most of the characters. Hellevir was fine as a protagonist; I didn't love her, but I didn't hate her. Calgir and Farvor were my favorites (they reminded me of Achilles and Patroclus), and I wish we saw more of them. The real issue for me was that I didn't like Sullivain. She is supposed to be the love interest, but Hellevir had way more chemistry with Death. Sulli was cruel at first, reckless even when she knew it would hurt Hellevir, and she didn't show interest in Hellevir until she was practically begging for attention. The relationship between Hellevir and Sullivain read as toxic to me.
While The Gilded Crown wasn't for me, I do think fans of folklore, complicated love stories, and riddles will enjoy this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.25/5

This book was a very slow start for me. The whole concept was very attractive to me even 30% into the book, I was still wanting more. I really wanted to be more captivated earlier in the story.

I feel like it reminded me of a fairy tale but I think it was just the vibes. This was really good and would definitely recommend

I absolutely love the concept for the idea of this world! It was a little slow to start because of things needed to be explained. But once the meat of the stories begin we have more magic(?), political intrigue, and our main character finding confidence in herself. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the story progress and getting to experience more of Marianne's writing!

Hellevir is only a young girl when she learns she can bring people back from the dead - for a price that Death demands. When the Princess Sullivain is murdered, the Queen demands that Hellevir bring her back, which she does. But Sullivain's life is always in danger, so Hellevir is kept alongside the princess so she's available the next time an attempt is made. Honestly, I would have preferred for Hellevir to fall for Death but instead she falls for the princess and I just couldn't understand why. There is little chemistry, and Sullivain is just plain selfish. Hellevir is such a doormat, considering she loses a body part with every resurrection, and is surrounding by people who don't really seem to care about her. There is a next book but I won't be reading it.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. While the premise is interesting, I just found it was a bit too slow of a read. I didn’t feel there was enough happening. I would have loved to see a bit more action in the story, as the idea of a necromancer who winds up being the personal “healer” of the princess was enthralling. I think the political intrigue was really interesting as well, I just think it needed a bit better execution.

Overall this book had an interesting theme and plot, but it was a little lackluster in my opinion. It seemed predictable at times, and was very long for how much could be guessed.

The writing is so well done, and I love the idea of this story, but staying interested was a struggle for me. Death was by far the most fascinating character for me, It wasn't that the other characters were unlikeable, but they didn't capture my attention.

Based on the blurb, I thought this would be a romantasy, however, it didn't hit that mark for me.

The Gilded Crown is an intriguing debut from Marianne Gordon. This is a fascinating tale about what would happen if a girl was able to bargain with Death. Of course, magic always demands a price and Hellevir must pay the cost. When Hellevir saves a royal, she puts herself on the radar of the queen. How will Hellevir choose who is worth sacrificing for?

The Gilded Crown is a rich and complex fantasy. Based on the cover, I initially thought it was a romantasy. While romance is a storyline, it is definitely not the main story. I enjoyed the dynamic between Hellevir and Death. I felt there were some issues with pacing and at times it struggled to keep my interest. I enjoyed the LGBTQ+ rep. I’m looking forward to seeing how Sullivain and Hellevir’s bond progresses. This was a great debut from Marianne Gordon. I’m curious to see what happens next!

Thank you to Marianne Gordon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

A solidly written fantasy novel with a lot of excellent elements: a main character who can walk into death, a murder mystery, a creepy religion, a sapphic romance sub plot, and court intrigue. The raven sidekick was my favorite character.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

I was really rooting for this book, but it never really stuck the landing. The writing is beautiful, but I never felt myself settle into the story. The plot, sadly, fell flat, and I kept losing interest.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

The Gilded Crown, penned by the talented author Marianne Gordon, is a mesmerizing tale of a woman gifted with the ability to resurrect the deceased, and her solemn duty to safeguard the princess, the sole successor to the throne, at any expense. This enchanting fantasy combines thrilling quests, intricate court politics, and a poignant tale of forbidden love.

This was described very well and sounded very interesting, but when it came down to it I was mostly lost and confused. I did finish it, but I don’t really know anything other than I liked a few characters.

The writing is interesting, the story idea intriguing, but ultimately it didn't meet the mark for me. It's not a bad book at all it's just not marketed correctly. It looks like it'll be a sweeping romance, but it's really more of a fantasy.

A girl who can travel to the realm of death and save people - for a price - is a strong premise for a book. Having this girl raise her kingdom's princess from the dead adds intrigue. If only The Gilded Crown had lived up to the promise it set up for itself.

Hellevir wants a quiet life as an herbalist, despite the fact that she has an ability to raise people from the dead. But when the realm's queen needs her granddaughter and heir brought back, Hellevir is exposed in a way that she had hoped to avoid. She's eventually blackmailed into becoming the princess's personal resurrectionist, all while the kingdom inches towards civil war.

I probably should have DNF'd this book, given the fact that I was bored and confused pretty quickly after starting it. But I pushed on, because I was curious about where it was going to go. There were definitely glimmers of interesting things - the civil war and corresponding political machinations, Hellevir's forays into the realm of death, her plucky bird sidekick - but the bulk of the plot was circular and frustrating. Hellevir kept threatening to leave the city and kept not doing it. She kept wondering why she was so drawn to the princess and then shrugging it off. People kept dying and she kept bringing them back despite her misgivings. It never quite felt like anyone grew or changed or learned.

The result was a book that was just kind of okay but not really all that good. Kind of a bummer.

3/5