Rate: 2/5
Medium: Audiobook
Overview (No Spoilers):
A few weeks ago several of my coworkers were talking about how they’ve been finding some wonderful books recommendations from TikTok. Inspired, I decided to see what unexpected titles I would stumble across. Alas, I ended up with what was one of the most subpar reads I’ve finished in a long time.
Gild starts out quite memorably with our trapped prisoner casually observing her King in the midst of a tangled orgie. While there were a handful of spicy scenes in Gild, the last was horrific enough I almost put the book down. The cruelty of it was so over the top and gratuitous that I regret picking up this read.
Additionally, the ending of Gild did not necessarily feel like the conclusion, but more the pause between chapters. Packed in the last few chapters were some key plot twists that have major implications for the following book, however the pacing felt off. While I do find myself curious about what will happen next, I’m not sure I’m up to more of Aubren’s weak thoughts.
With Aubren being isolated due to her status as the King’s prize saddle, the supporting cast was severely limited. We were only granted the chance to get to really meet maybe one other person in anything resembling depth. Everyone else was kept at bay. That said, despite being a whole novel in, I feel like I barely know who Auren was, especially with her vague backstory that has only the barest of outlines filled in.
Overall, Gild was a story brimming with potential, though kept immobile in a golden cage instead of being allowed to fly free.
Additional Insight (Spoilers Abound):
- What happened to Digby and why is he so loyal?
- Is Auren an elf? How does she have powers?
- Does Midas have any powers? How was this secret kept for so long?
- Who is King Rot and surely he can’t be as bad as King Midas?
- Poor, poor Sail.
- I can’t handle how weak Aubren is. She has to get better right?
The Critiquing Chemist 