Gild Book Review

Gild is a dark retelling of the story of King Midas, for whom everything he touched turns to gold—inlcusing his most prized possession. 

Writing: 5/5
Story: 3/5
Darkness: 3/5
Spice: 1/5
Editing: 5/5

Triggering topics: Slavery & captivity, sexual assault (implied & on-page), childhood assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, emotional abuse. 

Gild by Raven Kennedy is a fantasy dark romance novel that turns the myth of King Midas on its head. King Midas is a central character; but the story is told through the eyes of Auren, his “gold-touched” prized possession and a prisoner of his castle. 

For the uninitiated, “King Midas” is a mythical Greek historical figure who could turn anything he touched to pure gold. It’s a cautionary tale about the ultimate price of greed—various retellings have Midas unable to eat or drink thanks to his curse, or some have him inadvertently transform his beloved daughter into a statue. 

I’m the world of Gild, King Midas can control the extent of his power. Not only can he eat and drink without issue, but he is able to transform his favorite servant into a living, breathing gold statue. 

But King Midas wasn’t always a king; and his gold-tinted servant was once a cherished friend. 

Having been saved by Midas in her youth, Auren gives herself to him body, mind, and soul. They travel together and sleep beneath the stars. Midas only becomes a king when a kingdom on the verge of destitution agrees to marry him to their daughter to gain access to his “gilded touch.” 

That is how Auren finds herself a gold-touched prisoner in a gold-drenched castle, spending long dreary days behind golden bars, in golden clothes, with golden chairs and books and birds to accompany her. Gild asks the question: How beautiful would your captivity have to be in order to tolerate it? 

Our heroine, Auren, has a serious case of Stockholm Syndrome—and it is written so, so convincingly. Even though I could see the emotional abuse and manipulation a mile away, Auren’s complete trust and acceptance made perfect sense to me. 

For the first third of the book, her conflict isn’t “how can I escape?” it’s “how can I trust the man holding me captive more deeply?” Even when King Midas orders her to bed another man in a political deal, Auren finds it within herself to put her faith in him until the last minute. 

Gild is a deeply personal story, even as political intrigue wars onward somewhere in the background. Sure, there are kings and nations, enemies and allies, armies and spies—but Gild isn’t really about those things. It’s about a deeply traumatized woman who finds safety in a cage, and who finds inner strength she never dreamed of when that cage is suddenly snatched away from her. 

Gild is an incredibly human story about learning to walk on your own two feet after experiencing the worst humanity has to offer. It’s about rising up instead of cowering, even if cowering feels safer. 

This narrative of healing through hard work and perseverance is set against a dark, sultry, dangerous, and lore-soaked fantasy world. Men turn flesh to gold. Pirates race along snowbanks instead of seas. Fae and humans cross bridges between worlds. 

Even if you recognize the myth and the journey, Gild wraps it all in brand new packaging that shines as brightly as our narrator. 

Gild is also very obviously the first book in a series. By the time I was halfway through the book, Auren had just left the castle for the first time. As I was nearing the end, she was about to begin her trials in earnest. Because of that, the book drags somewhat. Challenges feel small and temporary, because I know something more is around the corner. 

This will not be a book for the impatient reader. You will have to commit to the trilogy to get anything substantial out of it. Unfortunately, the cliffhanger was somewhat predictable and didn’t compel me into the second book right away. If anything, I could use some time apart. I feel a bit jilted; my time has been wasted. I have enjoyed a very, very long prologue, but not much else. 

Gild is an unapologetic opening to a potentially-great story. It asks that you buckle-in for the long haul. Whether you have the time or money to do so is up to you. 

Gild vibe quotes: 

Does it really matter if your cage is solid gold when you aren’t allowed to leave it? A cage is a cage, no matter how gilded. – Ch 2

My innocence was lost—that’s how some people would put it. But not me. I never misplaced my innocence. It wasn’t my own doing from a forgetful lack of care. It was taken from me, one cruel exploit at a time. I remember each piece of it as it broke away from me, until I was raw and bare, exposed to the harsh elements of the world with a chip gouged deep in my shoulder and a bitter taste always at the back of my tongue. – Ch 10 

It’s the arrogance of men, to think so little of women. And it’ll be their downfall too. – Ch 29

Men making deals on the behalf of women never seems to go very well for the women. – Ch 35

I wouldn’t call him handsome, he’s far too wicked looking for that, but the savage grace of him is as magnificent as it is utterly alarming. – Ch 39