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Witches Steeped in Gold #1
Witches Steeped in Gold
Divided by their order. United by their vengeance.
Iraya has spent her life in a cell, but every day brings her closer to freedom - and vengeance.
Jazmyne is the Queen’s daughter, but unlike her sister before her, she has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power.
Sworn enemies, these two witches enter a precarious alliance to take down a mutual threat. But power is intoxicating, revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain - except the lengths they will go to win this game.
This Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut about two enemy witches who must enter into a deadly alliance to take down a common enemy has the twisted cat-and-mouse of Killing Eve with the richly imagined fantasy world of Furyborn and Ember in the Ashes.
Iraya has spent her life in a cell, but every day brings her closer to freedom - and vengeance.
Jazmyne is the Queen’s daughter, but unlike her sister before her, she has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power.
Sworn enemies, these two witches enter a precarious alliance to take down a mutual threat. But power is intoxicating, revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain - except the lengths they will go to win this game.
This Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut about two enemy witches who must enter into a deadly alliance to take down a common enemy has the twisted cat-and-mouse of Killing Eve with the richly imagined fantasy world of Furyborn and Ember in the Ashes.
544 pages, Hardcover
First published April 20, 2021
About the author
Ciannon Smart
4 books745 followersCiannon Smart grew up in a small town in the south-east of England. As the only daughter in a house full of boisterous sons, she developed a voracious appetite for reading from an early age, preferring anarchy in stories rather than real life. In YA she loves her heroines exactly as she loves her villains: wilful, wily, and unpredictable. When not writing, Ciannon can be found reading, painting, or taking the long way home to listen to a good song more than once.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,551 reviews
August 31, 2020
holy. shit.
i can't form into words how much i needed this book
i can't explain how much i love this book
i'm going to be screaming into a void until 2021
to see my identity represented and this story exploring the duality and dichotomy of heroes and villains?
holy. fucking. shit.
beautiful, amazing, wish i could rate it more highly
i can't form into words how much i needed this book
i can't explain how much i love this book
i'm going to be screaming into a void until 2021
to see my identity represented and this story exploring the duality and dichotomy of heroes and villains?
holy. fucking. shit.
beautiful, amazing, wish i could rate it more highly
February 12, 2021
from a cultural standpoint, this book is fantastic. the jamaican influence, diversity, and representation are what gives this story its power. theres so much magic and heart and imagery. it reminded me very much of ‘a song of wraiths and ruin.’
and although im not as obsessed with the plot (full of YA clichés) or characters (there isnt a lot that personally distinguishes between the two MCs - i kept ketting their POVs mixed up in the beginning) as everyone else seems to be, i still found this to be a pretty good story. and i thought the use of antiheroes and morally gray characters was actually well done. i also enjoyed the ending. i think it concludes naturally and sets the story up well for the next book.
overall, this is a nice debut!
thanks to harper collins for the ARC!
↠ 3.5 stars
and although im not as obsessed with the plot (full of YA clichés) or characters (there isnt a lot that personally distinguishes between the two MCs - i kept ketting their POVs mixed up in the beginning) as everyone else seems to be, i still found this to be a pretty good story. and i thought the use of antiheroes and morally gray characters was actually well done. i also enjoyed the ending. i think it concludes naturally and sets the story up well for the next book.
overall, this is a nice debut!
thanks to harper collins for the ARC!
↠ 3.5 stars
Shelved as 'dnf'
June 9, 2021Okay I am about 150 pages into this and I’m giving up. 😓 I hate DNFing books, but I literally have no idea what is going on. It’s pretty slow and I am just so desperately behind on following the world-building that I don’t think I’ll be able to catch up. Maybe I can pick this up again sometime in the future, but for now I’m going to have to set it aside. I just don’t think I’ll be able to trudge through the rest of this 550 page chonker right now.
**For more book talk & reviews, follow me on Instagram at @elle_mentbooks!
**For more book talk & reviews, follow me on Instagram at @elle_mentbooks!
September 6, 2021
I want to like this book. The premise sounds amazing, right? Jamaican... witches fighting together against a common foe. I desperately wanted to like this book, and yet, I don't. I actually really don't like this book. I didn't finish the book, I am going to try to but I find this book so offensive as a Jamaican, born and raised in Jamaica that it's hard to read. I can't tell what this book is trying to be, it feels like a punishment, the worlding building is a slugfest, the characters thus far uninspiring and uninteresting. To be honest I can't tell them apart.
The language of this book bothers me, the phrases used, the way patois is integrated is strange. I want to be clear, you can't sprinkle the word "mon" into sentences like parsley, and call it patois. I felt like this was majorly a clinical version of patios for international audiences and that is fine but the way it is implemented is very clunky which is strange. In Jamaica, you have various types of patios spoken by the people and you actually have a version that is typically used by persons where standard English (the Queens English) is their first language that is pretty sanitized and easy to understand that could've been used throughout the novel.
The book has a good plot, but the execution leaves much to desire. Wouldn't recommend if you’re looking for Jamaican Fantasy or Caribbean Fantasy. May be fine for international audiences but doesn’t stack up with the lived experience of Jamaican or Caribbean mythology
The language of this book bothers me, the phrases used, the way patois is integrated is strange. I want to be clear, you can't sprinkle the word "mon" into sentences like parsley, and call it patois. I felt like this was majorly a clinical version of patios for international audiences and that is fine but the way it is implemented is very clunky which is strange. In Jamaica, you have various types of patios spoken by the people and you actually have a version that is typically used by persons where standard English (the Queens English) is their first language that is pretty sanitized and easy to understand that could've been used throughout the novel.
The book has a good plot, but the execution leaves much to desire. Wouldn't recommend if you’re looking for Jamaican Fantasy or Caribbean Fantasy. May be fine for international audiences but doesn’t stack up with the lived experience of Jamaican or Caribbean mythology
Want to read
August 10, 2020This Synopsis said, "Caribbean," "Witches" and "Revenge" and they just so happen to be a few of my favorite words.
and like, can we talk about this cover though????
----
UPDATE: I got an ARC!!!!!!
and like, can we talk about this cover though????
----
UPDATE: I got an ARC!!!!!!
May 17, 2021
3/5
"Trouble doesn't give signs like rain, so we must always be ready for it."
And I guess that's on my most anticipated releases not being good lmao.
While this book isn't that bad, it lacked everything I wanted from it. It wasn't a tale of revenge and blood and witches who are willing to get revenge at whatever cost. I guess I wanted too much from it.
The writing is okay. My issue is the two POV's are incredibly similar and I often forgot who I was reading about. I also think many of the characters completely acted out of character in the last few chapters. The personality of Jazmyne did a complete 180 turn on its head, to a point I wondered if she was being mind controlled or something. Of the two POVs, it's obvious to me Jazmyne's is better. Ira is very annoying and she makes so many dumb decisions reading from her POV became really frustrating. Jazmyne on the other hand tried to be somewhat logical. The other characters fell pretty flat in my opinion and could use some more fleshing out.
Though the night is flush with stars, the sky still seems like a lid of earth closing atop a grave.
The plot is very very lacking. It is so slow. Most of this book is a drag, to the point I skipped two chapters and was still able to follow the story as if they hadn't existed. I think more action throughout the book would have helped it a lot, instead of rushing the ending to be action and twist packed.
The ending was ten times better, but the twists made no sense to me. It didn't really make sense in the logical way of 'how could this even work?'. And the major death at the end was way too easy and simple to be the climax. The characters all acted out of character in the end, and their actions just didn't make any sense. Jazmyne at least had some things sorted out, Ira was a mess.
The atmosphere I wished this book had wasn't there. The magic system didn't seem to have any limits when someone has enough gold, and there weren't any explanations to how someone inherited family magic. The magic system is pretty simple but it's lacking in finer details that makes it seem real.
The worldbuilding as well was lacking. It was incomplete and the different orders overall didn't make much sense to me.
I also feel the synopsis is wrong because our two MC's don't ever actually team up. It's pretty clear they never agree on anything, and they don't even have a full conversation until halfway through.
So many plot points were brought up, like The Yielding, but then never refocused on. I think the witches themselves weren't there. They don't even mention being witches that much, and the book wasn't witchy.
Also, the romance was awful. Ira and her love interest had zero chemistry and it was focused on so little I didn’t understand why they suddenly liked each other so much. And to the point they felt betrayed by each other? Anyways.
At the end of the day this book was a solid and average debut, but I don't think I'll pick up the sequel. That being said I'm curious for what Ciannon has next to write.
Hope may be for the faithful, but it is also for the focused, and what lies ahead means I must be dagger-sharp.
"Trouble doesn't give signs like rain, so we must always be ready for it."
And I guess that's on my most anticipated releases not being good lmao.
While this book isn't that bad, it lacked everything I wanted from it. It wasn't a tale of revenge and blood and witches who are willing to get revenge at whatever cost. I guess I wanted too much from it.
The writing is okay. My issue is the two POV's are incredibly similar and I often forgot who I was reading about. I also think many of the characters completely acted out of character in the last few chapters. The personality of Jazmyne did a complete 180 turn on its head, to a point I wondered if she was being mind controlled or something. Of the two POVs, it's obvious to me Jazmyne's is better. Ira is very annoying and she makes so many dumb decisions reading from her POV became really frustrating. Jazmyne on the other hand tried to be somewhat logical. The other characters fell pretty flat in my opinion and could use some more fleshing out.
Though the night is flush with stars, the sky still seems like a lid of earth closing atop a grave.
The plot is very very lacking. It is so slow. Most of this book is a drag, to the point I skipped two chapters and was still able to follow the story as if they hadn't existed. I think more action throughout the book would have helped it a lot, instead of rushing the ending to be action and twist packed.
The ending was ten times better, but the twists made no sense to me. It didn't really make sense in the logical way of 'how could this even work?'. And the major death at the end was way too easy and simple to be the climax. The characters all acted out of character in the end, and their actions just didn't make any sense. Jazmyne at least had some things sorted out, Ira was a mess.
The atmosphere I wished this book had wasn't there. The magic system didn't seem to have any limits when someone has enough gold, and there weren't any explanations to how someone inherited family magic. The magic system is pretty simple but it's lacking in finer details that makes it seem real.
The worldbuilding as well was lacking. It was incomplete and the different orders overall didn't make much sense to me.
I also feel the synopsis is wrong because our two MC's don't ever actually team up. It's pretty clear they never agree on anything, and they don't even have a full conversation until halfway through.
So many plot points were brought up, like The Yielding, but then never refocused on. I think the witches themselves weren't there. They don't even mention being witches that much, and the book wasn't witchy.
Also, the romance was awful. Ira and her love interest had zero chemistry and it was focused on so little I didn’t understand why they suddenly liked each other so much. And to the point they felt betrayed by each other? Anyways.
At the end of the day this book was a solid and average debut, but I don't think I'll pick up the sequel. That being said I'm curious for what Ciannon has next to write.
Hope may be for the faithful, but it is also for the focused, and what lies ahead means I must be dagger-sharp.
Want to read
June 18, 2020my wallet better be steeped in gold to allow me all these epic-sounding new releases
LOOK AT THAT COVER AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
LOOK AT THAT COVER AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
May 6, 2021
I had to PUSH through this one. I wanted to like it so much more than I did but I found most of it to be boring. Things picked up a little in the middle and then slowed down again and the ending felt a little rushed in my opinion. The magic system could've been more fleshed out as well. However, the world-building was amazing and I did love a lot of the characters (we got BLACK PIRATES BBY!!).
This is the thing that really got me:
I love books with dual pov but it didn't seem to work in this one. I think this is because Jazmyne and Ira barely spend any time together for the first 300 pages (out of 500 plus). Alternating between the two MCs every other chapter slowed the story down tremendously throughout the book. For this to be written entirely in first person, I felt that everything we learned about Ira and Jazmyne was surface level. It didn't feel that we were in their heads and there was no real distinction between the two girls to make me go "yes this is def Ira's chapter" I would've loved this more if it was told only from Ira's POV. There was so much more to her journey that I wish we could've seen and I found her chapters to be the strongest overall in terms of plot.
Overall Ciannon is a good writer and this was a solid debut. I'm excited to see what she does next.
This is the thing that really got me:
I love books with dual pov but it didn't seem to work in this one. I think this is because Jazmyne and Ira barely spend any time together for the first 300 pages (out of 500 plus). Alternating between the two MCs every other chapter slowed the story down tremendously throughout the book. For this to be written entirely in first person, I felt that everything we learned about Ira and Jazmyne was surface level. It didn't feel that we were in their heads and there was no real distinction between the two girls to make me go "yes this is def Ira's chapter" I would've loved this more if it was told only from Ira's POV. There was so much more to her journey that I wish we could've seen and I found her chapters to be the strongest overall in terms of plot.
Overall Ciannon is a good writer and this was a solid debut. I'm excited to see what she does next.
Want to read
February 24, 2021I would have bought this book for the cover alone, but then I read the synopsis and now, I'm off to perorder!!
There is only so many times you need to say the word, vengeance, in a synopsis before I am sold. And by that, I mean, once.
You only need to say it once.
There is only so many times you need to say the word, vengeance, in a synopsis before I am sold. And by that, I mean, once.
You only need to say it once.
Shelved as 'dnf'
August 1, 2022dnf @ 200 pages
Want to read
April 12, 2021this was comp'd to Killing Eve so <33
thank you to the publisher for gifting me a proof copy in exchange for an honest review!
thank you to the publisher for gifting me a proof copy in exchange for an honest review!
August 8, 2021
DNF at 16%
Nope, this book definitely wasn’t for me. I had been trying to finish it for more than a month and if I continued like this, I was going to end up in a reading slump. I was so bored that I just couldn’t 😬
Nope, this book definitely wasn’t for me. I had been trying to finish it for more than a month and if I continued like this, I was going to end up in a reading slump. I was so bored that I just couldn’t 😬
Read
February 25, 2022DNF @ 5% — I just couldn’t do it
Read
September 13, 2020As I've already promised my husband's left tit for another book, I will GLADLY give his right tit for this one. The way I NEED THIS FACE OUT UGGHHH my body (and my shelves) are 👏READY👏
Read
January 31, 2021Content warnings:
I am one sad reader. This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 and although I liked some of it and saw the potential in it, it ultimately ended up disappointing me because of everything that I didn't like about it.
The positives:
- The worldbuilding and lore. This was the book's strongest suit and my favorite thing about it by far. It's Jamaican inspired and so so rich and vivid, I got excited every time we learned something about the workings of the island, especially the history of it and how it got to be the way it is.
- The way the magic was explained and layed out and how that influenced (or was influenced by?) the beliefs of people wilding it. We have two factions that have very drastic ways and philosophies about approaching and using magic even though said magic has the same origin, and each one thinks the other is Wrong.
- The concept of there being two sides to each story with the two main characters being from the two factions, each of which have oppressed the other at one point and thinking they are The Bad Guy. But as a reader, when you get both versions of the story and put the missing pieces together, you realize that there really is no one bad guy and the villain is someone's story can be and is the hero in someone else's.
-The relationship and very fragile truce between Jazmyne and Iraya were fascinating to read about.
The negatives:
- The pacing. This was the book's biggest downfall imo and the thing that made me lose interest in it. A lot of the action and reveals (re: most, if not all) were left to the last quarter of the book and as such, I was bored for a lot of the story and by the time all those things happened and things were revealed, I just... lost interested and wanted to be done with the book already.
- Some of the reveals were too convenient and didn't make 100% sense with the rest of the story. Especially some things that required the characters acting out of character.
- The way the characters were and the way we were told they were didn't always match up. This was noticeable the most for me with Jazmyne towards the end of the book.
- The romance. I absolutely despised it. There was no chemistry or development to it and I really would have liked it to not be there, it didn't make sense to me.
All in all, don't let this deter you from reading the book. It might not have worked for me but it might for you.
I am one sad reader. This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 and although I liked some of it and saw the potential in it, it ultimately ended up disappointing me because of everything that I didn't like about it.
The positives:
- The worldbuilding and lore. This was the book's strongest suit and my favorite thing about it by far. It's Jamaican inspired and so so rich and vivid, I got excited every time we learned something about the workings of the island, especially the history of it and how it got to be the way it is.
- The way the magic was explained and layed out and how that influenced (or was influenced by?) the beliefs of people wilding it. We have two factions that have very drastic ways and philosophies about approaching and using magic even though said magic has the same origin, and each one thinks the other is Wrong.
- The concept of there being two sides to each story with the two main characters being from the two factions, each of which have oppressed the other at one point and thinking they are The Bad Guy. But as a reader, when you get both versions of the story and put the missing pieces together, you realize that there really is no one bad guy and the villain is someone's story can be and is the hero in someone else's.
-The relationship and very fragile truce between Jazmyne and Iraya were fascinating to read about.
The negatives:
- The pacing. This was the book's biggest downfall imo and the thing that made me lose interest in it. A lot of the action and reveals (re: most, if not all) were left to the last quarter of the book and as such, I was bored for a lot of the story and by the time all those things happened and things were revealed, I just... lost interested and wanted to be done with the book already.
- Some of the reveals were too convenient and didn't make 100% sense with the rest of the story. Especially some things that required the characters acting out of character.
- The way the characters were and the way we were told they were didn't always match up. This was noticeable the most for me with Jazmyne towards the end of the book.
- The romance. I absolutely despised it. There was no chemistry or development to it and I really would have liked it to not be there, it didn't make sense to me.
All in all, don't let this deter you from reading the book. It might not have worked for me but it might for you.
May 10, 2021
I really don’t have anything nice to say about this book. It took me a month to read and it was a LONG month. The pacing was incredibly slow, the plot dull, the characters shallow and barely distinguishable from one another. The premise of the novel that is described in the blurb only happens 60% into the book. The romances fell flat and the world building was confusing. The writing was ok, if at times overly complex.
I wish the best of luck to the author for the sequel, but I certainly won’t be reading it.
I wish the best of luck to the author for the sequel, but I certainly won’t be reading it.
April 27, 2021
When I picked up this book I had no idea what to expect but I was extremely excited to read it- luckily, it definitely delivered. A Jamaican-inspired young adult fantasy full of intrigue, action, scheming and compelling characters, Witches Steeped in Gold bewitched me from the first page until the very last.
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
The plot revolved around two witches who belonged to enemy orders: Jazmyne who belonged to the Alumbrar order and Iraya who belonged to the Obeah order. The story alternated between both of their perspectives as they entered into a precarious alliance to achieve a shared goal.
Jazmyne started off quite indecisive and afraid of taking action against her mother who was the doyenne of Aiyca- despite finding her rule unjust. As the story progressed it was interesting to see her realise that she had power and watch her learn how to wield it and stand her own ground. What was more interesting still was how her taste of power obscured her initial noble intentions and she sank lower and lower to hold onto it at any cost. She pretty much had a corruption arc and the irony wasn't lost on me that she became exactly what she started off fighting against. I didn't like Jazmyne much at all by the end but that isn't a criticism of the book- she was extremely interesting to read about. I have to say though, Jazmyne's romance sub plot was extremely lacklustre and boring- I feel like the book would have been better of without it.
For me, Iraya was a more likeable character despite her tendency to act rashly (it was honestly painful to watch her keep acting impulsively and making the worst choices) and avoid responsibility in the misguided belief it will keep people safe. Her constant internal conflict revolved around her trying to reconcile people's expectations of her and her own desires and hopes, her duty to honour the dead and her duty to do right by the living. Unlike Jazmyne, I feel like she had more selfish motivations in the start but as the book progressed they became more selfless as her sense of responsibility towards her people grew. Iraya's romance sub plot was a lot more interesting and while it definitely was a bit cliché, I found the way her relationship with Kirdan developed very entertaining.
Both Iraya and Jazmyne's perspectives had distinct voices and personalities and switching between them made the tone of the book more dynamic. As the book progressed, Iraya began to realise that she could let people help her and that she didn't have to carry the burden alone to succeed whereas Jazmyne began to realise that she couldn't rely on the people she trusted. I thought it was clever how Iraya surrounding herself with more people and opening up was contrasted with Jazmyne becoming more isolated and closed off. It was chilling how by the end of the book they had both become what they were most afraid of at the start.
My favourite aspect of the book was that we are shown the perspectives of both the Alumbrar and Obeah in a way that makes it impossible to 'pick a side' because neither is fully good or evil. Whilst I was reading I felt quite anxious wondering if they would put aside their differences or if one side would come out on top in the end and how I would feel about the possible outcomes. The story emphasised how subjective notions of heroism and villainy are as Jazmyne and Iraya walked the knife edge between the two, thinking that they were breaking the cycles of hatred and violence while unknowingly perpetuating them. A part of what makes this story compelling is that there are no heroes or villains... there are just people like you and me doing what they think is best for themselves and those around them.
I adored the world Smart created. It was nuanced, exciting and full of vicious beauty. I loved the Jamaican influences, the intricate lore and traditions and it all felt very immersive and put together with love and care. I liked how the Obeah and Alumbrar magic systems were contrasted and the way these systems directly influenced and were influenced by the wider society- I especially liked the idea of gold being the conduit for magic.
Overall, the plot was twisty- driven by scheming and betrayals. However, the first half of the book was quite slow paced and the plot took a while to really get going. I do think this was necessary to set up the world, the characters and the stakes but if you dislike books structured like this then I don't think this book will be for you. The main reason that this was a four star read not a five star read was that while I was engaged in the story and wanted to know what would happen I wasn't as emotionally invested as I wanted to be.
Witches Steeped in Gold was a compelling read that I highly recommend, perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes. The book ended in a strong place and set everything up nicely for the next book so I think the sequel has a lot of potential to be a five star read and I'm very excited to read it!
Thank you to Ciannon Smart and HarperTeen for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review and more can be found at my blog Sereadipity!!!
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
The plot revolved around two witches who belonged to enemy orders: Jazmyne who belonged to the Alumbrar order and Iraya who belonged to the Obeah order. The story alternated between both of their perspectives as they entered into a precarious alliance to achieve a shared goal.
Jazmyne started off quite indecisive and afraid of taking action against her mother who was the doyenne of Aiyca- despite finding her rule unjust. As the story progressed it was interesting to see her realise that she had power and watch her learn how to wield it and stand her own ground. What was more interesting still was how her taste of power obscured her initial noble intentions and she sank lower and lower to hold onto it at any cost. She pretty much had a corruption arc and the irony wasn't lost on me that she became exactly what she started off fighting against. I didn't like Jazmyne much at all by the end but that isn't a criticism of the book- she was extremely interesting to read about. I have to say though, Jazmyne's romance sub plot was extremely lacklustre and boring- I feel like the book would have been better of without it.
For me, Iraya was a more likeable character despite her tendency to act rashly (it was honestly painful to watch her keep acting impulsively and making the worst choices) and avoid responsibility in the misguided belief it will keep people safe. Her constant internal conflict revolved around her trying to reconcile people's expectations of her and her own desires and hopes, her duty to honour the dead and her duty to do right by the living. Unlike Jazmyne, I feel like she had more selfish motivations in the start but as the book progressed they became more selfless as her sense of responsibility towards her people grew. Iraya's romance sub plot was a lot more interesting and while it definitely was a bit cliché, I found the way her relationship with Kirdan developed very entertaining.
Both Iraya and Jazmyne's perspectives had distinct voices and personalities and switching between them made the tone of the book more dynamic. As the book progressed, Iraya began to realise that she could let people help her and that she didn't have to carry the burden alone to succeed whereas Jazmyne began to realise that she couldn't rely on the people she trusted. I thought it was clever how Iraya surrounding herself with more people and opening up was contrasted with Jazmyne becoming more isolated and closed off. It was chilling how by the end of the book they had both become what they were most afraid of at the start.
My favourite aspect of the book was that we are shown the perspectives of both the Alumbrar and Obeah in a way that makes it impossible to 'pick a side' because neither is fully good or evil. Whilst I was reading I felt quite anxious wondering if they would put aside their differences or if one side would come out on top in the end and how I would feel about the possible outcomes. The story emphasised how subjective notions of heroism and villainy are as Jazmyne and Iraya walked the knife edge between the two, thinking that they were breaking the cycles of hatred and violence while unknowingly perpetuating them. A part of what makes this story compelling is that there are no heroes or villains... there are just people like you and me doing what they think is best for themselves and those around them.
I adored the world Smart created. It was nuanced, exciting and full of vicious beauty. I loved the Jamaican influences, the intricate lore and traditions and it all felt very immersive and put together with love and care. I liked how the Obeah and Alumbrar magic systems were contrasted and the way these systems directly influenced and were influenced by the wider society- I especially liked the idea of gold being the conduit for magic.
Overall, the plot was twisty- driven by scheming and betrayals. However, the first half of the book was quite slow paced and the plot took a while to really get going. I do think this was necessary to set up the world, the characters and the stakes but if you dislike books structured like this then I don't think this book will be for you. The main reason that this was a four star read not a five star read was that while I was engaged in the story and wanted to know what would happen I wasn't as emotionally invested as I wanted to be.
Witches Steeped in Gold was a compelling read that I highly recommend, perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes. The book ended in a strong place and set everything up nicely for the next book so I think the sequel has a lot of potential to be a five star read and I'm very excited to read it!
Thank you to Ciannon Smart and HarperTeen for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review and more can be found at my blog Sereadipity!!!
April 30, 2021
Just finished my April OwlCrate & OUABC Mystery Unboxing & Review Video !
Discount code for OUABC: MIRANDAREADS10
Thought this book was pretty good, solid 3/5. For a full review, check out the video!
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August 27, 2021
Actual rating 4.5/5 stars. This is the first instalment in the Witches Steeped in Gold series.
Iraya is heir to the throne yet she has spent her life far removed from it and inside of a cell. Jazmyne is heir to the throne, according to the woman who now sits upon it, and stands just a few steps behind it. Two individuals with the same goal and one figure standing in their way to getting it. When they join forces blood is shed, magic sparks, and both find out a lot about both themselves and the other in the process. What will happen, however, once their objective is met and the only option is to turn on each other?
This is definitely a young adult story but initial parts of it felt denser than a 1,000, Brandon Sanderson, adult tome! There were many new words to learn, historical facts to remember, magic systems to understand, people to meet, and places to travel to. It took me a little while to get my bearings but once I acclimatised myself to the tone of the book, I was hooked...
...And then I went and ruined this immersion by taking a month-long break from reading it! I found myself in too many fantasy worlds at once and decided that this was definitely one I wanted to set some time aside to solely focus on. I finished up my current reads, a few series, and dove back into the story. In these weeks away, however, I had lost some of my understanding of the minute particulars that make the story and the world such vivid ones. This is, of course, not the book or the author's fault but it did mean I had to take some time to find my way in this world again.
My high rating is reflective of the quality of the book and, upon reread, I believe this could well become a five-star and new favourite book. I loved how diverse, probing, dense, and powerful a read it was. It felt like a book you could read ten times over and find new elements to discover during each and every reading. This is something I am hopeful to do at least once before the sequel is released.
Iraya is heir to the throne yet she has spent her life far removed from it and inside of a cell. Jazmyne is heir to the throne, according to the woman who now sits upon it, and stands just a few steps behind it. Two individuals with the same goal and one figure standing in their way to getting it. When they join forces blood is shed, magic sparks, and both find out a lot about both themselves and the other in the process. What will happen, however, once their objective is met and the only option is to turn on each other?
This is definitely a young adult story but initial parts of it felt denser than a 1,000, Brandon Sanderson, adult tome! There were many new words to learn, historical facts to remember, magic systems to understand, people to meet, and places to travel to. It took me a little while to get my bearings but once I acclimatised myself to the tone of the book, I was hooked...
...And then I went and ruined this immersion by taking a month-long break from reading it! I found myself in too many fantasy worlds at once and decided that this was definitely one I wanted to set some time aside to solely focus on. I finished up my current reads, a few series, and dove back into the story. In these weeks away, however, I had lost some of my understanding of the minute particulars that make the story and the world such vivid ones. This is, of course, not the book or the author's fault but it did mean I had to take some time to find my way in this world again.
My high rating is reflective of the quality of the book and, upon reread, I believe this could well become a five-star and new favourite book. I loved how diverse, probing, dense, and powerful a read it was. It felt like a book you could read ten times over and find new elements to discover during each and every reading. This is something I am hopeful to do at least once before the sequel is released.
April 26, 2023
The following book contains mentions of suicide/self-harm, allusions to rape, language, violence, dark magic, LGTB characters
It's never a good sign when it takes me more than a few days to finish a book, so the fact that this took me over a week to finish should tell you something about my level of investment in the story. First impressions matter, and Witches Steeped in Gold and I did not get off to a great start. I'm the type of reader who doesn't like to commit to memorizing names and terms until you convince me your story is worth the time and brain space, so when Smart started the book by throwing a bunch of unfamiliar words at us, I was not a happy camper. There was so much random vocab, I had a hard time keeping track of who's who and what's what even with contextual reading. What could've been a vibrant, unique, and lush setting is dry and disappointing because the world building is nonexistent. Simply throwing around foreign words and inserting a few expositional paragraphs does not build a world. The explanation of the magical system is the literary equivalent of someone waving their hand around an object, providing a vague description of how it works, and calling it a day. I've never been a fan of authors who rely on glossaries to help readers (if the meaning can't be deduced from the context, you're doing it wrong,) but I actually found myself craving one here. (Remember, this is an ARC, so maybe there'll be one in the final version.)
I wish I could tell you the world building was neglected because Smart spends a ton of time on the actually story, but I'd be lying. The story moves at a snail's pace which is ridiculous because this book is 536 pages long and nothing really happens until the last 100 or so pages when the plot rushes towards the cliffhanger. It's like watching a bunch of lemmings hurling themselves into the sea. The writing itself is nothing to write home about and most of the action is explained rather than experienced. Most of the events are condensed into a single sentence at the end of a chapter (in a mini-cliffhanger kind of a way,) and then the story abruptly shifts to the next scene, so readers spend a good portion of this slogging through chapter after chapter of inaction.
Speaking of abrupt shifts, the POVs change every chapter make the already jerky pacing that much worse. One day I will give you all my full rant about alternating POVs, but for now, I'll just say there's no point in jumping around if everyone sounds the same and the constant back-and-forth makes for choppy and awkward storytelling.
Other than providing some much needed rep in YA fantasy, the characters aren't particularly noteworthy. No one has any kind of personality, and I couldn't connect with any of them. Jazmyne and Iraya don't have any kind of meaningful arcs, and any attempts at character development just fall flat. It's hard to believe the motives behind everyone's actions because their reasons all seem so arbitrary and flimsy. The insta-love, for example. We're just told people are attracted to each other, but there isn't any kind of relationship or even dialogue between the love interests. The only real reason mentioned is because the other person is hot. Nothing is developed, but apparently the characters are all attracted to each other. Seriously, these people fall in love faster than a person can make some Cup Noodles 😒
I think my biggest issue with the book is that the story drags on unnecessarily; it seriously has no business being 500+ pages long. I literally only finished it because I forced myself to. I spent my Saturday wading through this brick of a book, and for what? Flat writing, a brief outline of a magical world, one-dimensional characters, and a slow story. It's just so hard to be invested in a story when there's nothing to draw you in. Like, I wasn't even sure who to root for until I got to the end and decided I didn't want anyone to succeed. By the time the sequel comes out, I might forget how I felt about Witches Steeped in Gold and be tempted to pick it up when I'm bored and in need of something to read, but hopefully future Veronica will remember to read this review before she devotes more time to what will inevitably be another 500+ page marathon.
It's never a good sign when it takes me more than a few days to finish a book, so the fact that this took me over a week to finish should tell you something about my level of investment in the story. First impressions matter, and Witches Steeped in Gold and I did not get off to a great start. I'm the type of reader who doesn't like to commit to memorizing names and terms until you convince me your story is worth the time and brain space, so when Smart started the book by throwing a bunch of unfamiliar words at us, I was not a happy camper. There was so much random vocab, I had a hard time keeping track of who's who and what's what even with contextual reading. What could've been a vibrant, unique, and lush setting is dry and disappointing because the world building is nonexistent. Simply throwing around foreign words and inserting a few expositional paragraphs does not build a world. The explanation of the magical system is the literary equivalent of someone waving their hand around an object, providing a vague description of how it works, and calling it a day. I've never been a fan of authors who rely on glossaries to help readers (if the meaning can't be deduced from the context, you're doing it wrong,) but I actually found myself craving one here. (Remember, this is an ARC, so maybe there'll be one in the final version.)
I wish I could tell you the world building was neglected because Smart spends a ton of time on the actually story, but I'd be lying. The story moves at a snail's pace which is ridiculous because this book is 536 pages long and nothing really happens until the last 100 or so pages when the plot rushes towards the cliffhanger. It's like watching a bunch of lemmings hurling themselves into the sea. The writing itself is nothing to write home about and most of the action is explained rather than experienced. Most of the events are condensed into a single sentence at the end of a chapter (in a mini-cliffhanger kind of a way,) and then the story abruptly shifts to the next scene, so readers spend a good portion of this slogging through chapter after chapter of inaction.
Speaking of abrupt shifts, the POVs change every chapter make the already jerky pacing that much worse. One day I will give you all my full rant about alternating POVs, but for now, I'll just say there's no point in jumping around if everyone sounds the same and the constant back-and-forth makes for choppy and awkward storytelling.
Other than providing some much needed rep in YA fantasy, the characters aren't particularly noteworthy. No one has any kind of personality, and I couldn't connect with any of them. Jazmyne and Iraya don't have any kind of meaningful arcs, and any attempts at character development just fall flat. It's hard to believe the motives behind everyone's actions because their reasons all seem so arbitrary and flimsy. The insta-love, for example. We're just told people are attracted to each other, but there isn't any kind of relationship or even dialogue between the love interests. The only real reason mentioned is because the other person is hot. Nothing is developed, but apparently the characters are all attracted to each other. Seriously, these people fall in love faster than a person can make some Cup Noodles 😒
I think my biggest issue with the book is that the story drags on unnecessarily; it seriously has no business being 500+ pages long. I literally only finished it because I forced myself to. I spent my Saturday wading through this brick of a book, and for what? Flat writing, a brief outline of a magical world, one-dimensional characters, and a slow story. It's just so hard to be invested in a story when there's nothing to draw you in. Like, I wasn't even sure who to root for until I got to the end and decided I didn't want anyone to succeed. By the time the sequel comes out, I might forget how I felt about Witches Steeped in Gold and be tempted to pick it up when I'm bored and in need of something to read, but hopefully future Veronica will remember to read this review before she devotes more time to what will inevitably be another 500+ page marathon.
September 20, 2020
While the world building is excellent and complex, pacing is a serious problem in this work. The first half of the novel is painfully slow and most of the action driving events occur "off stage" so speak, resulting in hundreds of pages of the two protagonists reacting rather than doing (and those reactions are largely wishing they or their lives were different, that they were older, that past traumas hadn't occurred, etc.). The pace radically increases in the second half, which is refreshing, but ultimately the increase in pacing has minimal payoff as the sudden rush towards the end results in an abrupt cliffhanger. In some ways the reader is left feeling like they just read a 500+ page background or grounding preface, rather than a novel/story in its own right. The second volume, when it comes, will hopefully result in more meaningful action that will move the plot forward. Fans of Laurie Forest's The Black Witch Chronicles should give it a try.
May 17, 2021
This one took me a while to get into. I'm not as familiar with the terminology in this book as I would've liked, and sometimes certain things are not explained, so I found myself stumbling through the novel from time to time. But eventually I pushed past that and the story sucked me in. The novel is brimming with magic and secrets, and just when you think that you know what's going on, you're smacked with a new surprise. It's a really quick read despite the length, and even though I struggled slightly in the beginning, I was flying through once I got my bearings.
May 2, 2021
Put down that thesaurus! You don’t need it and it’s making you look silly. For a start, none of these words mean what you think they mean: ordained, rescinds, pinioned... and so on and so on. What was the editor thinking??? In one line, a character is said to ‘egress the bathroom’ (at least egress does actually mean exit). It was painful to read, which was a real shame because the story had potential and the more natural parts of the writing were pretty good.
Want to read
June 13, 2019Witches from enemy castes? Forming an alliance? Because they want revenge? SIGN ME UP
September 10, 2020
Fifteen year old me wouldn't believe it, but here we are.
Trigger warnings to come . . .
Trigger warnings to come . . .
February 19, 2022
DNF at 18%
I'm so sorry y'all. I tried to push through with this book, but I didn't understand any of the terms, or the worldbuilding. And I constantly had to go back to check things. It was annoying and it disturbed my reading. The writing was beautiful, but too lyrical and purply prose. Maybe I'll come back to this book later and try to read it when I don't have to study with my ACT's.
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Okay, but can we talk about the cover for a minute
The Books Of Black History Month:
1)Ace Of Spades ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2)Raybearer Beyond ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3)Children Of Virtue and Vengeance⭐️
4)Instructions For Dancing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5)Dread Nation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
6)The City We Became Beyond ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
7)Charming As A Verb ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
8)Skin Of The Sea ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
9)Witches Steeped In Gold⭐️
10)Harlem Shuffle⭐️⭐️⭐️
11)This Poison Heart⭐️⭐️
12)The Fifth Season Beyond ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I'm so sorry y'all. I tried to push through with this book, but I didn't understand any of the terms, or the worldbuilding. And I constantly had to go back to check things. It was annoying and it disturbed my reading. The writing was beautiful, but too lyrical and purply prose. Maybe I'll come back to this book later and try to read it when I don't have to study with my ACT's.
-----------------
Okay, but can we talk about the cover for a minute
The Books Of Black History Month:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
April 7, 2022
My blurb:
‘Aglow with detail, Witches Steeped in Gold is a thundering waterfall of magic, vengeance and intrigue. Ciannon Smart spirits the reader straight to the heart of a vivid and perilous world, where power rests in the hands of women and fate turns on the bonds they break and forge.’
‘Aglow with detail, Witches Steeped in Gold is a thundering waterfall of magic, vengeance and intrigue. Ciannon Smart spirits the reader straight to the heart of a vivid and perilous world, where power rests in the hands of women and fate turns on the bonds they break and forge.’
Shelved as 'dnf'
January 4, 2023DNF @ 10%
Putting this on hold for the moment bc I'm really not feeling it and I don't want to force myself to read it. The combination of the confusing worldbuilding and my lack of interest in the storyline is not making me want to continue 😬😬 Will probably come back to it at some point but rn is not the time 🤷♀️🤷♀️
Moving onto something else! 😊
Putting this on hold for the moment bc I'm really not feeling it and I don't want to force myself to read it. The combination of the confusing worldbuilding and my lack of interest in the storyline is not making me want to continue 😬😬 Will probably come back to it at some point but rn is not the time 🤷♀️🤷♀️
Moving onto something else! 😊
June 23, 2021
This book is a dream come true!
I've longed for a Jamaican inspired fantasy novel filled with political intrigues and hopefully something involving obeah since it's something very much edged into our Island.
Witches steeped in gold is a book about betrayal and not knowing who to trust, and it DID SUCH AN AMAZING JOB AT THAT.
I cannot stress enough why you shouldn't trust or give your heart up too easily to a single soul in his book. (I DIDN'T LISTEN TO MY OWN ADVICE LOL)
Although, it sometimes irked me how the patois in this book was written for the sake of English readers, I loved seeing a language I speak in my mind and aloud every day on the page of a YA fantasy book. It warmed my heart so much being able to read a fantasy book where I felt familiarized with the culture and the land.
I seriously can't wait for book two!
I've longed for a Jamaican inspired fantasy novel filled with political intrigues and hopefully something involving obeah since it's something very much edged into our Island.
Witches steeped in gold is a book about betrayal and not knowing who to trust, and it DID SUCH AN AMAZING JOB AT THAT.
I cannot stress enough why you shouldn't trust or give your heart up too easily to a single soul in his book. (I DIDN'T LISTEN TO MY OWN ADVICE LOL)
Although, it sometimes irked me how the patois in this book was written for the sake of English readers, I loved seeing a language I speak in my mind and aloud every day on the page of a YA fantasy book. It warmed my heart so much being able to read a fantasy book where I felt familiarized with the culture and the land.
I seriously can't wait for book two!
Read
June 2, 2021100 pages in and I was so confused.
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