Gold by Raven Kennedy

Title: Gold
Author: Raven Kennedy
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication Date: July 20, 2024
ISBN: 9781464224515

Synopsis:
Every end is also a beginning. I thought I was going to die, and would have if it weren’t for Slade. The only way he could save me was to open a rip between worlds. The only way for me to save myself was to go through it. Sometimes, fleeing one dangerous place just brings you to another Annwyn. The realm of the fae. There is magic and beauty here, though around every corner, threats lurk. But I’m a threat too.

———

I’m still uncertain whether The Plated Prisoner Series really lives up to all of the hype, but my inkling is that it doesn’t. While it’s an entertaining and expansive fantasy world, the dialogue continues to be anachronistic and jarring, preventing this series from being the knock out that it could have been. While the world-building is strong, the characterization and dialogue, for the most part, continues to lag, which is why I continue to be on the fence. I want to love this story, but I live for strong characters and realistic dialogue. For me, this is an area where Kennedy’s writing lacks in a very overt way. I’m stalled after this fifth book, surprised that I’ve made it this far before losing my momentum.

Book 5 in this series, Gold, continues to follow Slade and Auren in their separation between worlds. I’m not a huge fan of this trope with the main characters separated for a good portion of the book, but Kennedy keeps the story moving by introducing new perspectives, like Malina’s or Osryk’s, exploring new and mysterious ebbs and flows of the fae magic of our protagonists, and allowing the reader time to discover a new and unexplored world in depth. Plus, there is a twist at the end that brings these two characters closer than before in an unexpected and surprising way.

Slade’s arc in this story is one of revenge and violence and anger. His devotion to Auren drives him to feral madness, to the point of heartbreak. There aren’t yet many repercussions for Slade’s killing spree, but it speaks to his power that he stands nearly unopposed against the people in the kingdom. Hopefully we’ll see him reunited with Auren in the final book in the series and their magic resolved and united. They stand in opposition against the might of the fae army and the threat of death and incredible loss is tangible.

It’s interesting that Malina is quickly becoming on of my favourite characters in this book. Seeing her complete and utter fall from grace, and subsequent fight to claw her way to survival makes her, in my opinion, one of the most interesting characters in this series. She is shunned and beaten down again and again, yet no matter how much her life comes under threat, she rises to fight to live another day.

There are pros and cons to this series, making it fine entertainment, but not one of the prolific series in the romantasy genres. There are heavy hitters out there doing this same thing in a much better way. While there are some positives to The Plated Prisoner, it continues to fall short for me. If you’re reading it, I hope that this series speaks to you a bit more. It is generally very well rated and enjoyed.

Happy reading!