Reviews

Saint-Seducing Gold by Brittany N. Williams

verovivaldi9's review

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Swordfights, Shakespeare and bisexuals! This is the sequel to a that I enjoyed immensely and described as something that could have been book a really good early 2000’s Doctor Who episode set in Shakespeare’s London with a Black heroine who has the power to control metal through her bond with Ogun, one of the Orisha.

I’d been really looking forward to this sequel. I wouldn’t call this a lighthearted story necessarily even though I find it kinda comforting. I think it’s because I truly love the characters in these books. There’s a big ensemble of characters, including Shakespeare himself, and they’re all so witty and loveable. The villains you truly want to strangle yourself so the characters in general are just really well fleshed out. I’m encountering more ACTUAL love triangles in books and I am here for it. Make it queer! Make it polyamorous! All in all this is a very good, short fantasy novel in a historical setting with historical figures and that adds a lot of depth to it and also makes it an easier read. There’s no intense world building so you can just jump into the story easily.

bookmindedmag's review

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

ellejaereads's review against another edition

adventurous tense

3.0

This was better than the first book in the series. I liked the intrigue and court politics. The interludes were enjoyable. The narrator did a great job with the various accents. The mix of Orisha and fae lore is interesting. 

edavis0423's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

jayishino's review

4.0

Saint-Seducing Gold is the second book in the Forge & Fracture series. Again we follow Joan Sands as she's been newly appointed a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne, Titanea in disguise. What's more is Joan has her own personal feelings to deal with as she gets closer to both Rose and Nick.

I enjoyed this second installment of the Forge & Fracture series. But I didn't love it as much as the first one. The Shakespearen stuff seemed to peter off the more time Joan spends in court. One thing I also didn't love was the not-quite-love-triangle. I appreciate rep like this especially in YA stories though, it's just not my personal cup of tea. I enjoyed the story and Joan's continued character development was great. I will read the 3rd one when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Patricia Allison is undoubtedly the voice of Joan, and no one can beat her on that. She's a fabulous narrator.

sup3r_xn0va_maya's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

💬:"She’d wavered for too long, and her indecision left her conflicted mind open for Ogun to overtake her. He’d attack where she wouldn’t and damn them all to traitor’s deaths. She tried to resist but felt herself drifting, a numbness overwhelming her as her consciousness was shoved away from her physical body. Ogun pushed through and left her to see and feel with no control of her actions."

Williams, Brittany N.. Saint-Seducing Gold (The Forge & Fracture Saga, Book 2) (p. 5). Amulet Books. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: fantasy, historical fantasy, fae, magic

📚Page Count: 304

🎧Audiobook Length: 08:57 

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3/5

Saint-Seducing Gold is the second book in The Forget and Fracture Saga by Brittany N. Williams. This book continues on right where the first book left off. The fae and humans are now at war sort of, Joan is pressured into joining the Royal Court and she can't leave it for fear that her captured godfather won't survive. Can Joan save the world as she knows it while balancing having two romantic interests ?

I didn't really like the first book but I wanted to give the series a chance and I'm sad to say that I didn't really like the second book either. I think there was more action this time around, which was nice, but I think my problem is the setting. For some reason Shakespearean London with an Orisha blessed Blacksmith just doesn't work in my head for some reason.

Overall, the story was just okay. I'm giving it 3 out of 5 stars. 
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars

Thank you [NetGalley.com], Brittany N. Williams (the author), and Abrams (publisher) for the arc (advanced reader's copy.)

piratenami's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

blackgirlbujos's review against another edition

4.0

ARC Review, courtesy of NetGalley 

To read this book is to appreciate this book. Brittany N Williams so clearly did her research and it pays off. Not only are the references clear and the usage of history intentional, but she finds ways to captivate even the most anti-shakespeare of readers. I loved seeing Joan come into her own and appreciated seeing her grapple with the love in this story. Joan is 16 and it feels so real. Williams paints her thoughts and insecurities throughout the story while highlighted her efforts and confidences. Saint-Seducing Gold picks up right after That Self-Same Metal and does a lot of the work to fill in the gaps from the first book of the series. I enjoyed this story more than That Self-Same Metal but both were solid reads. 

C 8.5
A 7
W 8
P 7
I 8
L 7
E 9

laileanah's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

 

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Brittany N. Williams,  Spotify Audiobooks, and NetGalley.

I absolutely adored the first book in this series, That Self-Same Metal. When I saw an opportunity to review this sequel on NetGalley, I was extremely excited. Let me just start by saying, this sophomore novel was absolutely wonderful. I tend to struggle sometimes with the 2nd book in a trilogy. At times it can feel like the author is stretching the action or adding filler to force a shorter narrative into a trilogy, which can be frustrating. However, this novel had none of that energy.  The story was bursting with action, the cast is greatly expanded as Joan spends more time at the royal court. We meet King James I, who I don't think was even introduced in the first book. As with the first novel, I love the play on Shakespeare's work as well as the real UK historical characters. The author is clearly well versed in British history for this time period and is obviously a fan of Will Shakespeare. I love the Midsummer Nights references. This is very clever and the author is fully able to make it work. 

The basics are Joan is Black,  she lives with her parents and twin brother in James I's London. Her father is a goldsmith who designs jewelry & weapons. Her brother, James, is an apprentice with the King's Men, William Shakespeare's own theater troupe. Joan choreographs the acting company's fight scenes. She also designs, creates and maintains the troupes' acting weapons. Joan, James and their parents are children of the Orisha. They have magical abilities given to them by their Orisha. Each family member has their own Orisha and gifts. Two millennia before the story starts the Orisha Ogun brokered a pact between the people of the UK and the Fae to protect non-magical residents. This pact was interrupted in the first novel and this entire novel deals with the politics of this fallout. Joan's romantic relationships grow in important ways in this novel as well. 

I loved this every bit as much as the first book and eagerly await the third and final book in this series! 

Patricia Allison is the perfect narrator for this audiobook. She was also the narrator of the first book in this series, so for me, she is the voice of Joan Sands. Her voice perfectly embodied the emotional scenes and her narration of the fight sequences are unmatched. I hope to listen to more audiobooks narrated by her in the future.

Thank you to Brittany N. Williams, Spotify Audiobooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own. 

 

yanareadit's review

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5