A Taste of Gold and Iron

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I really wish the book focused more on the romance. The romantic subplot didn't receive the spotlight as frequently as it deserved. I still loved it of course. I loved those stolen moments, those fleeting glances, their subtle banter and the unwavering royalty to each other. I live and die for a great slow burn romance. And trust me, Alexandra Rowland should get an award for writing such a marvelous slow burn romance. Evemer and Kadou’s relationship was built on mutual respect, trust and loyalty. Their love and devotion to each other was unflinching and raw. I loved every single second of it. Specially whenever Evemer was talking about Kadou, the fondness and love in in voice...I could die right there. Winter’s Orbit’s politics meets a lesser cruel Captive Prince. Add a slow-burn romance full of yearning, and A Taste of Gold and Iron is born. Kadou dragged his chair closer to oblige and, between the two of them, they managed to get Eyne transferred into his arms with no more than a few ominous grumbles from the child. She was, somehow, already notably bigger and plumper than she’d been the week before. Kadou had had no idea that babies grew that fast. “If you can’t enjoy the hunt yourself, why drag all of us out here?”

Strikes the perfect balance of political intrigue and romance. . . . A beautiful, compelling navigation of power and consent, loyalty and love, trust and hope.”— Shelf Awareness Truly, though,” she said, “I can’t imagine having a baby without six kahyalar to help. And even then, they always disappear just at the wrong moment. Can you take her? My arms are about to fall off. She’s deceptively heavy.” But before he’d been able to answer her, Zeliha had declared that it was high time they all got out of the palace for a day and thought about literally anything besides kingdom-running. A hunt, she said, would be just the thing. A delicious tangle of romance, fealty, and dangerous politics.”—Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne I have no words to say how much I loved him.So much that sometimes I wished this was a MMM book so he can stay with our MCs because the three of them were 😍 (And I don’t even read MMM books!!)Kadou, the shy prince of Arasht, has no intention of wrestling for imperial control with his sister, the queen. Yet he remains at odds with one of the most powerful ambassadors at court – the father of the queen’s new child. Then a hunting party goes terribly awry, and Kadou finds himself under suspicion of attempted murder. This should have been a great fit for me - fantasy world with political intrigue, and a queer central romance? Perfection.

In truth, this book is just one more forgettable gay romance in the sea of forgettable gay romances that make up the Tor frontlist. The writing is cringey, the romance is meh, and the world is empty of any real vitality. All of it is in service to this idea that if you just write a book like it’s a fanfic, people will automatically love it.

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The mystery plot got lost constantly, to the point that I didn’t understand what or why was happening. The break-in? I actually still don’t know what that was about. Thanks to Dumbledore11214, I learned that the author wrote a 10K-word epilogue, what spring does with the cherry trees. It's on AO3, and you can read it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/414.... This book is a bit of a mixed bag, and I find myself in a state of ambivalence. On one hand, it had many of the elements that typically draw me into a story, but on the other hand, it didn't quite capture my heart. It's safe to say that I was, in a way, captivated by it, especially as I raced through the last part with a determined fervor. However, the initial section of the book was a bit sluggish in its development. A Taste of Gold and Iron" was, in every sense, what a good political fantasy should be. Scenes including political turmoil outnumbered the romantic scenes. So, you can imagine..this book was heavy with court politics, treachery, betrayal and tactical negotiations. The political intrigue was surprisingly enjoyable. I don't like political fantasy novels that much. But the political discussions in this book were easy to understand and I thoroughly enjoyed them. The action sequences were great. I liked how the main characters were being thrust into forced proximity whenever a conflict appeared. Both of them, Kadou and Evemer, pretended that all of it was fake and out of necessity but they secretly waited for such opportunities. Opportunities when they could be together however they wanted without any obligations to follow by the ruled. Moments when they could express their hearts' desires; even if it was under disguises and pretense. Kadou and Evemer were loving it all. And me? I was busy trying not to melt into puddle...