This one immediately jumps into the story, to the extent that I wondered if there was a previous book in the series that I’d missed. There wasn’t, so I settled in and before long I was utterly hooked. Kadou is an interesting male protagonist. Highly strung and prone to fits of nervous prostration that leave him with devastating self-loathing, he is all too aware that he doesn’t deal effectively with the cadre of elite bodyguards trained to tend to his every need. In fact, he doesn’t feel that he does anything all that effectively. And that’s a real problem right now, because there has been a worrying break-in that unaccountably isn’t being properly dealt with. It doesn’t help that his sister, the ruling matriarch of their land, has recently given birth to a daughter, so she passes the task for looking into this problem to Kadou. During a hunting trip, there is a disastrous event that leads to the death of two of his guards and the disgrace of his captain. So there is a vacancy for the newly qualified and utterly dedicated over-achiever, Evermer.

I’ll be honest – the growing relationship between Evermer and Kadou wasn’t the main reason for picking this one up and I was far more interested in the conspiracy and Kadou’s interestingly conflicted personality. That said, the romance is skilfully handled. While there is the inevitable misunderstanding that characterises their early relationship, the growing attraction between them is portrayed with tenderness and humour that won me over to the extent that by the end of the book I was thoroughly rooting for the couple to overcome the hurdles ranged against them.

I enjoyed the magic, where some adepts are able to trace the purity of metals they touch while some are gifted, or cursed, with the ability to know if someone is lying. However, I did feel the intricacies of the magic system was a bit under-developed and I would have liked to know more about how many of the population had magic, for instance. And whether Kadou’s synesthetic experience regarding his magical talent is the norm. The book also ended rather abruptly – I strongly feel there should be a second book in the offing to complete the narrative arc, though there isn’t any sign that this is a series on Goodreads or Amazon. And for both these reasons, I have knocked a point off what would have been a ten for me, with a compelling, complicated character and a lushly written backdrop that doesn’t hold up the action. This author is One to Watch and comes highly recommended. While I obtained an arc of A Taste of Gold and Iron from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10

I know when I’m absolutely besotted with a book I can't help gushing about it and I wanted so much to feel this when I finished reading “A Taste of Gold and Iron”. I did like this diverse very slow burn enemies to lovers queer fantasy romance standalone once I got into it, I just wish it had been more epic fantasy. Overall for me it lacked a satisfying plot and worldbinding, the magic was literally just a taste but I did love the Ottoman Empire inspired setting and the prince/bodyguard trope. The romance building is the main focus and it may have been the slowest of slow burns but it was quite endearing, and the mental health representative is written with care. I could see how much passion and gentleness this author puts into diversity and the characters developments, that’s where the author delivered their magic. My fantasy soul was not completely fulfilled, but my romantic heart is content with the beautiful love story.
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I’ve seen a lot of love for this story, and I know for many this is a golden read. It certainly has the perfect cover. I have the The Broken Binding edition and it’s pure eye candy!!

It astonishes me when people greet attempts at inclusion in the fantasy genre with some kind of outrage or argument about logic. If you’re in any kind of online space you no doubt see the backlash to just about everything, and it feels like it’s everywhere I turn lately. It’s relentless and disheartening and makes me think of a line from a musical I love, where a dreamer is described as being able to “make you see what the world could be in spite of the way that it is”. And that, to me, is what fantasy can and should be doing too. That’s what we should be striving for at a time when people need it most.

That’s what this book did for me.

The world building is just exceptional here and - hefty though this novel is - I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface of the potential in this world. There was certainly a lot to get accustomed to but it’s exquisitely described, and before long I was picturing it all with ease. The regal and commonplace clothes alike, the foods from different regions, the palace, city and the wider world, the customs and roles of characters. And the characters themselves. I can’t begin to describe how incredible the work is here. We alternate between a prince who’s made a mistake and his newly appointed bodyguard that hates him for it, and follow their achingly romantic journey of understanding and forgiveness, of duty and love. This slow burn romance is executed to perfection, and the book at large handles ideas of consent, propriety and reciprocity throughout, with the political plot line taking a backseat to the formation and evolution of relationships - relationships that invite characters out of their shells, encourage growth and communication, and involve such care and love and loyalty that I’ve hardly recovered from how beautiful it is.

Queer characters are at the forefront here, in a world that includes non-binary identities among others from the outset, with in-world words for describing them. It has painfully accurate anxiety rep that I’m so grateful to see on the page, and the sense of patience, support and encouragement that only grew throughout warmed my heart to no end.

I couldn’t have been happier to receive this eARC and I’m so grateful to have read it. It makes me hopeful. I couldn’t recommend it more.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book took a little while to get going, but all the character exploration at the start was worth it because it made you really invest in the plot going forward. Kadou and Evemer are an OTP and I won't have anyone doubt it! I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for low- to medium-stakes drama with a healthy splash of romance and a lot of sarcasm thrown in. In a fantasy market saturated by series, it's also pleasant that this is a standalone, although I believe the author hasn't ruled out returning to the characters in the future. Fine by me!

This is a fantasy romance between a prince, who is a walking ball of anxiety, and his new bodyguard, who is a very by the rules man.

The Prince is desperate to prove himself to his sister the Empress (because he's been accused of something vaguely treasonous) by solving this crime that occurred. But what started as trying to solve a simple break in becomes more and more complicated as a bigger conspiracy emerges.

And as he investigates, obviously his bodyguard is forced to come along and they start bonding.

I read this whole book in an evening - not what I'd planned but I couldn't put it down and I loved this.

The fantasy element is quite minor, the have sense based magic, so the Prince can touch coins and know if they're counterfeit or not. It doesn't seem like the most useful of skills in general, but in this particular scenario very much is.

This book is very much about the romance between the two male leads. It's very slow burn, it's about them developing and changing as individuals but as a result of them spending all this time together.

We have a strong cast of supporting characters (and I very much enjoyed how much I disliked his sister). The relationship is just lovely and it's got a good plot. Uts got everything I want!

A sexy fantasy with fantastic world-building and strong, memorable characters!

I really liked a taste of gold and iron! It was a chunky book, with over 500 pages, but it really didn't feel that long. When I heard this was enemies to lovers with found family and a slowww burn romance, I was ready for it all. And I got it too! It was slow and angsty, with a ton of political intrigue! It gave me the same vibes as Winter's Orbit. I think it was a solid read, although the ending was a bit okay for me. However, I would highly recommend this if you want to find a book with m/m romance and a great plot!

Highly recommend!

A definate case of 'its not you, it's me' with this one, as I rrwlly failed to engage with the writing style and characters. It's a very insular writing style, with a lot of internal monologues and repeated thoughts that meant the characters never really felt as though they had any kind of chemistry. The style is also jarring, and doesn't really fit with the overall fantasy theme. It's a bit too... contemporary.

Speaking of fantasy - it's hardly present here and really could have done with some work in terms of world building and development. This could have easily been a historical political drama and left the fantasy aspects out of it and it probably would have worked better because what little there is I found confusing and pointless.

Not great unfortunately.

2.5*

I really wanted to enjoy this one because it sounded fascinating and the cover is gorgeous, but I just wasn't invested and my attention kept waning. Although the politics, mystery and slow-burn romance had their intriguing moments, I felt that I had to push myself through this.

It took a good while before I could actually get into the characters and the story. However, on a personal level, what I appreciated most about this book was the care with the portrayal of anxiety, which was relatable and I felt seen in many aspects of Kadou's characterisation and experience of anxiety.

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

How do you rate a book that's 5 stars for world-building and 0 stars for story/plot/pacing? Shall we say, 2.5 stars?

In a way, this was fun to read because of the incredible world Rowland has imagined, including the gender diversity. But it felt like reading fanfiction rather than canon. Perhaps my mistake was to look at this book as a fantasy novel, when in fact it was just a romance that happened to be set in a fantasty world.

The slow-burn romance itself was frustrating because Kadou and Evemer had interminable angst-filled inner monologues and conversations that were a) repetitive, and b) made little sense. (Tip: if you've read one, you've read them all.) Tadek was a most annoying creature, though in the end he seemed to have the most character growth. He also had some great lines. Despite the tedious angsty thoughts and conversations, there was very little we get to know about how the romance actually developed, when/how feelings changed/emerged, and how/if it affected Evemer's ability to perform his duties. The author is also exceedingly coy while writing romantic scenes, which is somewhat annoying because the euphemisms were often beyond me. There was a weird hair-washing scene that I just...have no idea what it served, if it was symbolic of something, or... heck, I have no idea!

(Review copy from NetGalley)

DNF 45%. This book and me go together like oil and water, even if it should have theoretically been just up my alley. It was not off to a good start when I started nitpicking the dumb, nonsensical plot setup. Just in the first few percents we have: Kadou being blamed hardcore because the people who were supposed to be protecting him freaked out when he fell off his horse during a hunt, no one but Kadou raising as much as an eyebrow when the investigator into something that’d threaten the country suddenly decided there’s nothing to investigate, the prince liking to give lessons to students in cheap taverns…sure the author gives reasons for every single character being useless when the plot demands it, but none convinced me. It felt slapdash, and I know that romance is the point here but…come on. Don’t hand out idiot balls like they’re candy. Don’t make my suspension of disbelief take this much of a beating.

As for the romance…Evemer started off having an emotional intelligence of a rock, which is kind of inconvenient when guarding (and dressing? And hairstyling? And it’s later mentioned that kahyalar go on to become ministers? And some apparently check flour? Is there anything these guys don’t do?) a prince who is an Anxious Mess™. It gets better with time and I kind of wanted to see where it goes, but I was in too much of an irritable, uncharitable mood with everything else. I’d much rather cut my losses and go try to find a book I’ll actually enjoy.

This was quite a lovely, slow burn (veryyyy slow burn) fantasy story. The plot was intriguing, and the romance, when we got to it, was sweet, and there was lots of yearning, but I would have liked to see more of the main couple.

Words cannot describe how much I loved, adored and enjoyedthis, I don’t think there’s enough superlatives in the world.! Beautiful! Stunning, fare too many feels ! Kadou and Evemer sate just everything to me , Tadek is just perfect I’m obsessed and id so love a book for him in the future (please !!!) In fact most of the characters are wonderful, but my boys Kadou and Evemer, I just loved their relationship and how it developed. I was sp ecstatic when I read the anxiety portrayed, as someone who suffers from it myself, I’m so happy to see a realistic and relatable portrayal, this was done so well, sensitively abd still so honestly, I loved how it covered the physical and mental symptoms but I particularly loved how it showed the war within of your own mind and your self esteem.

The magic system, was really interesting and I liked how individual and unique it was, although I think I would have liked a bit more detail, as it felt it wasn’t touched on enough or at least for my liking, but that could be just me and that’s the only criticism I think I have for this, and it’s not a huge one, just more personal.
The writing style of Alexandra I found to be really engaging and not overly heavy on the politics of the world involved (which I always find drains me from loving a book) the descriptions, are just perfect and not too much or too little.

I’d recommend this to anyone who loves a well constructed fantasy with great characters and an addictive plot.

Thanks to netgalley, black crow PR and Tor books for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion

DNF'd the book pretty early on.

I initially thought I would like this book as the plot and premise seemed to really be my style. However it was very long, the writing was confusing (I'm still confused if Kadou is the baby daddy or the brother or the queen or is he both?), the characters weren't interesting enough to keep reading and the pace was far too slow for my personal liking.

What I Liked:

I loved the relationship and how it developed between our main boys Kadou and Evemer.

The magic system, while barely touched, was interesting and new! I like how individual it was to the person, and how their own experiences shaped their perception.

I really, REALLY liked the anxiety portrayal. It was raw and honest and so very relatable. From the mental struggles to the physical symptoms, even the ongoing baddle Kadou waged against his own mind and self esteem was so well done.

Best boy Tadek made me laugh so much. That line about the oil wrestling (IYKYK) was pure gold 😂

What I Didn’t Like:

Zeliha. That is all.

For real though, our esteemed sultan Zeliha is my least favourite character in this. Even more so than the actual bad guys, which is saying something. While she clearly loves her brother Kadou, she treats him like a small child, not a grown man. She may love him, but she doesn’t respect him, and that irked me so much while reading.

Other Impressions:

The whole “home and hearth” line reminded me of the Final Fantasy Kingsglaive movie and not in a bad way! Loved that film, and loved the meaning behind “home and hearth” in A Taste of Gold and Iron.

The writing style was engaging, the politics weren’t too heavy, the economics was interesting, and (most) of the characters were likeable! The dialogue flowed really well and the descriptions, while detailed, aren’t excessive or overly flowery.

I’d highly recommend to anyone who loves political, well-built fantasies with loveable characters and just a taste of magic.

After a slow start and difficulty initially connecting to the main characters, I wasn’t certain where A Taste of Gold and Iron was going to take me. I was delighted when the pacing picked up, the characters revealed depth to them, and the relationships developed in ways that made you squeal.

My doubts originally came from Kadou’s character. While the representation of a main character with crippling anxiety was refreshing to see and handled accurately, it did make it hard to connect to him to start with. It may be a dominant part of his personality, but we didn’t see any other side to him. Once you delve under that surface panic, you get a complicated prince desperate to help his realm and his sister but with absolutely no desires on the throne himself – which I loved.

Evemer, however, won me over instantly. Stoic and unmoving, he tries to hide every emotion with a focus purely on doing his duty and nothing more. Naturally, as events unfold, it’s the growing depth of Evemer’s emotions that give you the giddy feelings, as much because he’s allowing himself to feel.

I enjoyed the position Evemer is in for Kadou. He’s not a bodyguard; not a servant. He’s a mixture of all of the above and it’s not a position I’ve seen a character in before. It gives the personal intimacy coming from doing a man’s hair for him, to the fierce protectiveness of trying to keep him safe in a world full of knives.

This is not quite enemies-to-lovers, but there are similar traits. Both are convinced the other doesn’t care while being convinced it’s impossible for that to change. Throw in a fake-dating trope taken to the extreme and you’ve got a chaotic mess of emotions that make for amusing and moving reading.

The pacing and the plot starts out slow, which again is why I initially wasn’t sure. It took a while to figure out what the events meant and the repercussions they had due to how this society works. But it again doesn’t take long for that to start picking up, and by the time you’re a third in, it’s a gripping story full of mystery and deceit.

There’re hints of a magic system but not as the main focus. Some – including Kadou – can touch-taste metal, able to know if a coin is pure or debased with other metals. There are also characters able to tell when someone is lying. The magic helped move the plot along and ironed out otherwise sticking points rather than being a centre part to the story.

The world-building is based on the Ottoman Empire. Not an era I know a lot about, but it was easy to follow the structure and immerse yourself in this world once you’ve figured out how family is depicted in this time.

Despite initial misgivings, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was unable to put it down towards the end. Full of character development and an interesting plot.

Thrilling! Beautiful! So. Many. Feelings! I love Kadou and Evemer so much and I want them to be happy forever. Tadek is amazing and I’d happily read another book which is just about him. All the secondary characters are great and the world building was really well done. A really enjoyable read! I’m definitely reading more of Rowland’s work.

This is perfect for fans of TJ Klune and Freya Marske!

An absolutely addictive romance with the most gorgeous slow burning pining I've read in a long time.

'A Taste of Gold and Iron' takes its time to introduce the main character Kadou and his motivations, he is a very shy and anxious person, which reminded me a lot of 'The Goblin Emperor'. I can also see why some readers would be frustrated with the mc as he's also very passive.
This novel has little world building (though what we see is quite interesting), but it shines in its characters and their development. It's a soft and slow paced romance in a fantastical setting with a subplot of political intrigue. I have to admit, the book lost me a bit in the last third and I felt impatient as the romance and the plot felt unorganic.
Overall a well executed romance, that kept me entertained for the most part.
3,5 stars.

I ended up DNFing this at 70% but I had definitely read enough to form an opinion about it.

I appreciate the author for the queer and representation and anxiety representation but apart from that this book felt so dull.

To put it simply, I was bored. The narrative was way too slow and repetitive. The mystery element is not written well and anyone with half a brain would know the culprit behind all the chaos.

The romance was okay....the romance development felt stilted at times and I honestly couldn't bring myself to care about the main couple.

This is definitely a book which I could have finished if I pushed myself but I didn't cared enough about the story or the characters to put myself through it.

This is one of those stories you become completely immersed in whilst reading as the world-building is so rich and the characters so layered. The plot is sort of secondary to the slow unfolding of a beautiful relationship between a prince and his bodyguard. Kadou and Evermer are both complex and engaging characters and I'd love to read more about them one day (please can we get a sequel?!). The side characters are also wonderfully portrayed and I have so many favourites (Tadek and Eozena especially). I'd love a book featuring Tadek as there is so much to explore with him and he deserves a happy ever after of his own.

The humour and snark are pitch perfect whilst being balanced with a sensitive depiction of mental health issues such as anxiety/panic disorder and issues of self-esteem. The author explores the concept of fealty in great detail and it was rewarding to read about and better understand where these characters were coming from. There wasn't much plot but I didn't care at all and the book stands strong without numerous action scenes and a fast pace. Highly recommended.