A Taste of Gold and Iron

By: Alexandra Rowland

Narrated by: Casey Jones

Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

The Goblin Emperor meets "Magnificent Century"—a queer central romance unfolds in a fantasy world reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire.

“A delicious tangle of romance, fealty, and dangerous politics.” (Tasha Suri)

Kadou, the shy prince of Arasht, finds himself at odds with one of the most powerful ambassadors at court - the body-father of the queen's new child—in an altercation that results in his humiliation. To prove his loyalty to the queen, his sister, Kadou takes responsibility for the investigation of a break-in at one of their guilds, with the help of his newly appointed bodyguard, the coldly handsome Evemer, who seems to tolerate him at best. In Arasht, where princes can touch-taste precious metals with their fingers and myth runs side by side with history, counterfeiting is heresy, and the conspiracy they discover could cripple the kingdom’s financial standing and bring about its ruin.

©2022 Alexandra Rowland (P)2022 Recorded Books

Slow start but by the end I’m laughing so hard.

It might be a little predictable but the character development is great and some are just wonderfully written. And the narrator does a great job. Super fun.

Good overall

First third was hard to follow or get engaged in. But the plot progressed and the characters developed well so I enjoyed the final 2/3 pretty well. Like that the sexuality of the characters wasn't a primary defining feature they had many characteristics that made them seem fully realized.

Oh the drama

I enjoyed the story and the performance. The characters have a lot of depth and are interesting.

Excellent, but leaves you wanting more.

The narrator does a wonderful job portraying these characters, giving them life and personality, while maintaining a clear and concise tone throughout. He carries you through the chapters easily, and his storytelling skills hook you into staying up well past your bedtime, only realizing it's midnight when your phone lets you know the battery is running low. His performance truly immerses the listener into the world of Kadou and Evemer.

The story itself is well written and easy to fall into. It has its hooks of adventure and intrigue, and plenty of romance and tension for any romantic to enjoy the slow build of their romance. The description of the scenes between the prince and his bodyguard are detailed in a way that shows the need each character feels for one another, and to quote one particular character in the book, one may feel a bit "warm under the collar" listening to someone describe these two making out in this way, but it is tasteful enough that it never gets too hot in description, and the tasteful avoidance of outright explicit depictions is both refreshing and hilarious when coupled with the occasional crude remark or term used to accentuate the emotions and sense of humor characters may have.

The only downside I have about this book is that there is a long, slow build towards the climax and resolution of this romance, and while all the loose ends are tied up in a nice little bow for the reader, the end feels rushed by comparison and subsequently cut short, leaving the reader wishing they had just a few seconds more.

Overall, I would highly recommend this audiobook to anyone interested in gay historical fantasy, especially to those who may feel squeamish about graphic depictions of sex, but are looking for a romance and don't mind a bit of passionate kissing and a more brief mention of anything beyond that.

narrator kept putting me to sleep

the story was good... a little dragged out, but I liked it. I had to keep backing up, though, because the voice kept lulling my mind instead of keeping me hooked and paying attention.

Fun!

Narrator was great, the characters were enjoyable to get to know. They grow and mature over the book. There were rollicking adventures and an interesting world to spend time in. Love when a writer shows me a world with queer diversity without preaching at me. People are who they are and it's all very entertaining. This is the kind of book I'm always looking for.

Beautifully written slow burn

I loved this story! I kept trying to figure out who would get with who and the author did a great job of not keeping it certain until near the end. Some minor recording issues. But I’m pretty picky on that.

Amazing!

The pacing of the romance was excruciating (in the best way). The characters were very well rounded and the world was really interesting.

wish that the tale continued

A slow beginning entering into a greatness of possibilities. Nicely created and entertaining. Thank you

oh my god

outstanding. literally a perfectly written book. not a single moment wasted in the entire book. I was rapted by every single word.