Book Review - Gild by Raven Kennedy

Gild by Raven Kennedy

I started reading this book after seeing it recommended on TikTok for those who like darker, more spicy fantasy stories. This book is a retelling of the story of Midas, a king who has the power to turn anything into gold. I will say that I wasn't familiar with Midas' story before I read this book, but after a little bit of research, I've determined that this book is a very unique retelling. In the original story, Midas accidentally turns his daughter into gold. But in this retelling, Midas purposely turned a girl, Auren, into gold because she was precious to him. 

I found this book very easy to read, though I will say this book is probably not the best choice for sensitive readers. There are content warnings in the description of the book, and I would heed them. This is a dark book with upsetting scenes. But I do think that this is part of what makes this book enjoyable. 

The only thing I did not enjoy was the way Auren let herself be walked all over by Midas, although I can understand why because she's essentially a prisoner, but still I was hoping that she'd realize her worth at some point and actually stand up for herself. 

At some point, I will be interested in reading the second installment of the series. I did sort of read some spoilers of the second book while looking through reviews, but I still do want to see how Auren's story continues.