The Court That Bleeds Hold is the first installment in a fantasy series that follows Eleanor, a young woman who finds herself in a precarious situation—betrothed to a cruel king. In a desperate bid for escape, she strikes a deal with Ruskin, a fae prince. Trapped in the fae realm, Eleanor agrees to use her metallurgy skills to assist Ruskin in exchange for her freedom and a way back home.

I found the writing to be strong, and for a fantasy novel, this was easy to read. The world-building is well balanced—there’s just enough to paint a vivid picture without overwhelming the reader, and the story gets moving quickly. While this is categorized as a dark fantasy, I’d consider it on the lighter side. Eleanor does face moments of cruelty, but nothing too intense—at least in this first book.

The audiobook narration was excellent. The narrator brought the characters to life with a great range of voices that really suited the tone and feel of the story.

A retelling unlike any I've heard or read in a very long time. I was baffled and befuddled, confused, and turned around so many times in this twist Rumple retelling. With a dash of a beauty and the beast feel, the book was enchanting from the moment you start. From our stand in for Gaston in the beginning, to the harrowing journey with our Beast/Rumple, I simply couldn't put it down. This tale stole days of my life and I am not mad about it. I love the characters, the vibrancy in which the author spun her tale, and am excited for what adventures await in the next installment. Profoundly good, exciting, and a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, worth every second. I highly recommend!

The Court That Bleeds Gold was everything I didn’t know I was craving—slow-burn betrayal, power plays, and a morally gray heir who bleeds charm and cruelty in equal measure. He’s not just dangerous.. he’s deliberate. Regal. The kind of man who doesn’t need a sword to kill, just a whispered word and a well-placed smile.

And her? She’s the storm he didn’t see coming. Sharp, quiet, and impossible to control. Their dynamic was pure tension, knife-edge trust, unspoken truths, and that unbearable pull between enemies and something more.

This book gave:
👑 Dark courts & dangerous games
🗡️ Power balanced on a blade’s edge
🔥 Slow-burn tension with real stakes
💔 A heroine who refuses to bow

If you like your fantasy with shadows, secrets, and the kind of chemistry that builds like a war, this one will absolutely deliver. And to the golden prince with blood on his hands and fire in his eyes - you can ruin me any day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the advance listeners copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5⭐️ - an immersive audiobook with decent book and will please fans of the genre. The story has a strong foundation, with rich lore and atmospheric writing that paints a vivid picture of a realm dripping in intrigue and blood-soaked power plays.

The audiobook narration was solid overall. The narrator brought the story to life and handled the complex world-building well. However, some character voices could have used more distinction, and pacing in a few chapters felt uneven. Overall not perfect, but definitely worth a listen for fans of the genre.

3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)

This book was heavily inspired by Rumpelstiltskin, and executed it very well.

The vibes were dark, the love interest was broody, and the banter was bantering. The worldbuilding? Gorgeous. The angst? Chef’s kiss. The pacing? Like trying to drive a sports car with a flat tire.

Docking one star because sometimes the pacing went full turtle when I needed it to sprint — but overall, I devoured this. Highly recommend if you like fantasy that’s dark, spicy, and has you questioning things. Still, the romance delivered enough tension to keep me invested. Not a new fave, but if you like dark fantasy with spicy moments and can forgive a few hiccups, it’s worth a read. Just...go in with lower expectations lol.

I did listen to the audiobook, and the narrator killed it. She honestly slayed the different accents.

Thank you so much to Zara Storm and Victory editing for the ALC! I absolutely loved this audiobook. Most of the time I tend to enjoy books with multiple narrators, but holy cow Ash Kingsley did such an amazing job with all the different voices. The story like others that I’ve read from Zara was absolutely amazing and I really enjoyed it! It has such interesting elements that I haven’t read before in a fantasy! (Rumpelstiltskin elements) I love how interesting Zara’s stories are, but they never get overwhelming to understand! I love an easy read and would definitely recommend the audiobook!

“This doesn’t mean you own me! You Need Me!”

CourtthatBleedsGold by ZaraStorm
is book one in the TheGoldWeaver , and is a 3.8 ⭐️ read.

The Audiobook is Out Now and this is a completed series.

Desperate to escape marrying a brutal king, she makes a deal with a Fae Prince...

The Court that Bleeds Gold is the first book in a dark fantasy romance trilogy. This enemies to lovers series has shades of Rumpelstiltskin and Beauty and the Beast, with a dark hero who will absolutely burn this damned world to the ground for our sharp-tongued heroine. Expect steam, violence and plenty of barbed exchanges.

—:—:—:—:—

I do love a good retelling, and this one is GOOD! The mix of a few stories to build a world I came to enjoy was a great balance and exactly what is needed for fantasy readers. I didn’t find the book to be too dark, so it’s good if this is a toe in the warm waters if you’re looking to read darker books.

Favourite Quote: “My brave and brilliant gold weaver, how could I have ever underestimated you?”

Spicy Level - 🌶️🌶️

Note: Please read and review all trigger warnings before reading any recommended book. We love to read for our pleasure, so keep your mind, and emotions safe!

Audio Book Available
Publisher: Relay Publishing
Narrator: AshKingsley
Publication date: Out Now!

This book was ok, it was an easy listen and the gold aspect was cool.

There were some twists and turns along the way which gave the book a lift, otherwise it was a lot of internal dialogue of being wary/hating of the fae, and then falling into a romantic dalliance with Ruskin felt a little bit unexpected.

I wanted more depth, an understanding of why Ruskin was the way he was, a little darkness would have been nice, it was like shadow daddy vibes without the shadows and baddiness... eh I dunno, it was missing something, tension maybe?

Or maybe it was Eleanor... She schemed, made assumptions, was flippant with peoples feelings and had an unnecessary agenda, she literally walked herself into every situation she faced.

Ruskin and his band of merry folk were great, I loved the dynamic and comradery between cheeky Destan and feisty Halima, they gave life to the story.

The narrator did a good job, I enjoyed their tone and the way they presented the different characters. The book just left me a little bit meh and I don't feel the urge to know what happens next which is a shame.

Overall, more drama, depth and darkness needed to really suck me in.

I liked the premise, it sounded interesting and fun and although we started quite well at the market and with a bit of action I can’t say I loved the book.
I found the fmc irritating, extraordinarily beautiful, kind hearted, everyone wants to marry her but she just wants to help people, scared of everything but back chats anyone going.
I didn’t find any ‘banter’ funny or that interesting and once the story got going not that original.
All in all it was fine but I didn’t love it.
Fine narrator

When I first started this audiobook, narrated by Ash Kingsley, I thought that it was really great. I loved the set up of the fae market and our introduction to the fae world. It reminded me of Nettle by Bex Hogan and the The Cruel Prince, both books that I enjoyed a lot.

Then, as the book continued, I found Eleanor to be quite bratty and annoying, not believing that anyone in their right mind would talk to someone like Ruskin the way she does. Even when she is apparently scared of him, she's giving back chat and being all sassy, which doesn't fit with his sudden outbursts of violence and the fact he's this big scary fae Prince everyone fears.

Another thing that irked me was Ruskin as a character - he seemed quite abusive with few redeeming qualities and some of his behaviour was never challenged. It's no surprise that I wasn't a fan of the romance, given that I didn't particularly like the MMC or FMC.

That said, I found that it was easy to follow what was happening, even if the pacing did feel odd at times. There were some pretty likeable side characters and the plot was engaging enough to keep me entertained, though perhaps a tad predictable.

I will say some of the dialogue made me cringe, but I think it's just not for me and that others will like it.

Overall, a mixed bag, but there were aspects I rather liked.

Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for the ALC

Ａｕｄｉｏｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
🌟🌟🌟
*Court That Bleeds Gold* by Zara Storm is book 1 in the *Gold Weaver* series! The premise is described as a dark romance; a girl desperate to escape marrying a brutal fae king. She can also spin gold. While this book gives me *Rumpelstiltskin* retelling vibes, something is missing for me. The romance was kind of insta-lust/love and felt flat. The book was also rather long, while nothing much was happening. I don't know; I just think I wasn't the target audience for this book. I really don't know if I would continue with the next book.

The audiobook is narrated by Ash Kingsley. She did a good job; she was easy to listen to and understand. I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Audio ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

3.75/5

The Court that Bleeds Gold was a pleasant surprise. I went in with low expectations—romantasy can often feel repetitive—but Storm delivers an engaging and imaginative story that stands out. The audiobook was well produced, and the world-building was vivid and detailed enough to picture clearly, even without a map.

Ruskin and Ella are compelling leads, though I would have liked to see more depth in their character development. The romance, in particular, felt a bit rushed—more like instant attraction than a relationship built over time. Given the twist at the end, a more gradual emotional buildup would have made the conclusion more impactful.

The minor characters were enjoyable, especially Destan, who stood out with charm and potential. I’m hoping he plays a bigger role in future installments.

While I didn’t feel deeply connected to the characters, the story intrigued me enough to continue with the series. Overall, an enjoyable read with promise for what’s to come.

While single person POV is not my favorite, it is generally needed for book 1 of this trilogy. Elle is a human alchemist drawn into a deal with a fae prince to save herself and finds out there is much more to this deal than meets the eye. Through navigating the fae's trickery, to her own tenacious questioning, she finds out there is so much more at stake.

This reminds me of a Beauty & the Beast meets Rumplestilskin retelling. I actually really liked Elle. She was not whiney and for the most part followed her gut and didn't fall into the FMC trap of making stupid decisions left & right. I'm not fully sold on Rus, but there's more books to work their magic.

I loved that I was able to binge the audio of this 1st book in this series and am truly devastated that I finished so quickly. I didn’t expect to enjoy this story, these characters, and this whole magical world as much as I did. The narrator’s performance was extremely enjoyable and perfect for this storyline.

Overall this was a fun read. Some twists and turns that were interesting. Definitely ends on a cliffhanger and now I HAVE to read book two. However, with that said, Eleanor was pretty annoying NGL. She spent 90% of the book mad at the fae even though she, literally, asked for the trouble she got herself into. But the other characters were compelling and fun. Ruskin and his fae trio were fire. I loved their dynamic and honestly the best banter came from one those three. I'll definitely read the other two books, if only to find out what happens next to Ruskin, Destan and Halima.

*Audiobook ARC review*

Ash Kingsley did a great job of narrating the characters, making each character voice unique and allowing their personalities to shine through.

I found myself not always enjoying The Court That Bleeds Gold and it took me a while to figure out why. I'm not a fan of the FMC. Although she's self proclaimed that she looks after everyone else first, I find her self centred, ignorant and honestly, annoying.

Despite not liking the FMC, I'm still going to continue with the series since it's available on KU 😅 I'm hoping her character develops into someone who is deserving of the title 'heroine'.

What a fantastic story! I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was fast paced, with a bit of mystery and intrigue, a bit of romance, emotional growth, strength of character and a strong, witty, intelligent FMC that makes the whole story just perfectly balanced. A solidly enjoyable story that makes me excited to continue on with the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This book was better than I expected. Not incredibly different from many other fantasy books out there but it definitely had its moments of uniqueness and it was an enjoyable story. It's an interesting mix of Beauty and the Beast meets Rumpelstiltskin. I'm interested to see where the story goes!

The narrator of the audiobook did a great job having a unique voice for each character, even minor ones. She had great emotional range and drew me into the story well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio ARC copy.

oh how I knew better! Take my rating with a grain of salt. Sometimes I just want to double check if romantasy is for me. And every time I remember that it's just not.

This one felt like a mash up of a bunch of different romance tropes. I wanted to feel the pull of the main characters and their ramp up from enemies to lovers. But by halfway I wasn't even remotely pulled in.

It's a lovely cover and the start of a series. If you love romantasy, give this one a try. It just wasn't my jam.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy of The Court That Bleeds Gold! While I found aspects of the story enjoyable, there were a few elements that disrupted the overall listening experience. The pacing felt uneven, some sections were drawn out longer than necessary, while others moved too quickly, almost as if the author was eager to get to the next plot point. A bit more attention to world-building would have helped anchor the story more fully.

The character development was adequate, but the concept that fae cannot lie made many of the characters feel somewhat one-dimensional. This was especially noticeable given that a lie from the female main character ends up being a major turning point in the story. The narration itself was generally fine, though the accent in the first chapter was distracting enough that I nearly stopped listening. I’m glad I pushed through, but ultimately, I don’t think I’ll be continuing with the series.