I really wanted to love this one but unfortunately I didn't. For me, the pacing felt off and I felt that there wasn't enough romance. What started off as a great premise fell a little for me and I decided to DNF at 25%.

This is a fantasy written in a very distinct style, but unfortunately it just didn't work for me and I struggled to connect with the characters. The magic system was interesting though and pulled it back a little for me!

Sadly this one just never turned into what I was really hoping for. I think the premise is great and I really enjoyed the scenes with death. The writing itself is also very beautiful. Just the story and plot just never really amounted to its potential falling flat.

I was drawn in by the premise of the book and have read a few chapters. At this time I don't feel a draw to continue reading. I would like to potentially get a physical copy and read it again in the future. Feel I am potentially at a reading slump and this would be unfair to the author as I was initially excited to read.

Once again another fabulous book! I truly enjoyed reading this one, Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy of this book.

In trying to do the right thing Hellevir finds herself dragged into a world she wants no part of: lies, deception and ruthless feuds. So far, so common a theme - a commoner 'nobody' becomes 'a someone' at court. Where Gilded Crown is different is the old earth magic, which I haven't read in a while and enjoyed. This makes Gilded Crown a bit special - there are SO MANY brilliant kick-ass heroines with dragons or swords and a fantastic sex life, but it's been a while since I read an excellent earth magic book with communing with animals and living things. The resurrectionist parts are brilliant, but talking to a raven, or embers of a fire - that's MAGIC. I don't want to be a dragon rider any more, I want to be a herbalist, resurrectionist dragon rider.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story is a dark, queer romantasy following the life of a young healer with the ability to bring back the dead. Hellevir is strong and independent, but gets roped into a situation that she must navigate carefully for the sake of her family.

It started off strong, with a fast paced jump through the heroine's childhood, and her first three encounters with Death, but after a while the story slowed so much that I almost lost interest. The plot became very political and while there was plenty of intrigue, I felt that the slow-burn queer romance that first drew me to this book was pushed to the background.

The character development was a saving grace as I really felt myself warming to some of the secondary characters as the story progressed. The emotional twists in the latter half of the story kept my interest, but ultimately the ending was rather underwhelming.

This was an interesting premise. I enjoyed the story but some of the chapters were just way too long to keep my focus.

I was provided with an arc copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The imagery of the place where the gate keeper waits is beautiful and deeply haunting. I don't think any book has described it so well or in such a wonderful way. The conversations Hellevir has with Death are thought provoking and make the reader question just as Hellevir does herself.

Hellevir is a wonderful character filled with a light that the world desperately needs. She has a gift and she uses where she feels it is right without counting the cost.

The direct counter to her selflessness is the Crown Princess who doesn't understand . Who can't be selfless because she has far to much to guard against.

The author has built a history, rich and detailed world. I have loved spending time in it's crown city and it's small simple villages. I can't wait to see what this weaver of story will create next.

This I would give a solid 3.5⭐️, which I've rounded up here.

We follow along the FMC Helliver, a woman in hear early 20s, who is able to speak with Death and bring back people and creatures to life. This causes her a lot of issues throughout the story as she uses this power.

The writer beautifully captures the relationships throughout the books, and I am impressed as this is written in third person point of view and sometimes this can be hard.

This book had me captured, albeit a bit slow at the beginning, but then I couldn't put it down. The worldbuilding, the characters, the development and the political system are something that I really enjoyed reading.

Going into this book blind, I was pleasantly surprised by the story. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperColllins for this eArc for me to read and review.

There's a lot of potential, the a brilliant idea that became Hellevir and there's an unsufferable character like Sullivain that I hoped could become less nasty.
That said I think I will read the rest of the series because I love Hellevir and want to know what will happen
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was not able to finish this book, I read 30% but had to put so much effort to get to that point.
I couldn’t connect with the characters, nor the story. I expected to be gripped into this world from the start but it never did.

Unfortunately if I have to drag myself through the pages, I don’t feel it’s worth continuing, because it doesn’t give me any joy…. Maybe I’ll pick it up again one day (since I own a hardcover copy), who knows.

Interesting one that gave me Priory of the Orange Tree vibes - The tone is kind of fairy tale-esque, and usually I do like those sort of reads.

Characters are hard to like unfortunately, many of the lead characters are totally insufferable and consequently had me wishing Hellevir bucked up a bit and told them to shove off a bit more than she did. It's going for empowering - I don't know that it quite gets there.

Nice debut I guess - but there are a million of these kinds of stories kicking about and this wasn't original enough on any level to make it stand above the crowd.

It's okkkkkk, forgettable though in a sea of these kinds of stories. I wasn't rushing to pick it up. Unoriginal and unlikeable characters.

The gilded crown

3⭐️

If you like intense books, I think this is a good one for you.

Hellevir has the ability to step into death and bring people back. But there is always a price, and she soon learns how steep the cost can be. I really liked the magic(?) System here. Every exchange with the being in death is intense and unsettling. It's also very clear that hellevir does not truly understand how it works even at the end of this first book.

Characterwise, I liked her brother and his Knight along with her father. Her relationship with her mother is complicated, but I grew to like her also. I also enjoyed the nightingales. I'll give it to the author she also knows how to write extremely unlikeable people. From the queen to the peer and to sullivan. Sully is complex, and while that is very much the point, it does make the subplot between her and our main girl a tad unconvincing. Clearly, they're connected, but its not a connection I'm dying to read more of.

As this book went on, it started to feel like a massive prologue setting up what is to come. I spent a long time trying to decipher what the overarcing plot of the series was actually going to be. Sadly, I'm still not sure. It looks like it's now a treasurehunt with a background of an upcoming war for both the throne and which religion will take hold.

Unfortunately, the book just didn't grip me. The first chapters that detail the MCs original exchanges with death were brilliantly written, but as it went on, I found myself struggling to care about what was happening. Even writing this review is difficult because my brain feels battered by everything that was going on. There's a lot that happens, and very few pieces felt explained or completed. I am unsure if I'll continue the series, but I don't think it was badly written, just maybe not the right series for me.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, marianne gordon, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Definitely darker than expected, but I loved the adult angle and the darker themes. There's such an exploration of death and it's meaning to people and grief. It's really in depth and shows a lot of angles on the same concept. There's magic, there's betrayal, there's a lot of political scheming and court intrigue. I loved the world descriptions it was brought to life so vividly, and the characters are amazing. Our FMC is strong and powerful willed in a world determined to keep her down, and her raven companion is the best character in the book!
Overall an exciting premise, a tad slow on the pacing but only in the beginning, and a good read. Definitely check those trigger warnings first.

I enjoyed this story and think it sets the scene for future books, great world building. The depictions of what happens after death were atmospheric and intriguing whilst also being full of foreboding and threat. Main protagonist Hellevir is just a girl at the start f the story and it’s interesting following her growth into a strong woman, unerringly loyal to those she loves but struggling with her feelings for the princess she is forced to keep rescuing from death.

Woman who can bring back the dead....honestly I was sold with just that. The book delivered most of my expectations. Hellevir was an interesting character, and though I didn't always like the choices she made, I could understand it. The other characters were also quite an interesting mix and I think this book sets a good premise for the next one.

Special thanks to HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book is really well written, but unfortunately I couldn't connect with the characters. The romance is more of a sub-plot and this book could easily fall in the category 'cosy fantasy' because the stakes didn't feel very high. The cover is gorgeous, but I feel like it doesn't fit the story that well.

I wish I could give a higher rating but I didn't feel that strong pull to pick up the book whenever I had some spare time.

Hellevir has been able to raise the dead since she was a little girl. The dead can be saved at a price, which is determined by the shrouded figure who rules the afterlife. With each life she saves, Hellevir gives up some of her own soul.
When Princess Sullivain is assassinated, Hellevir brings her back to life. Intrigue and betrayal at the heart of the court mean that the Princess’ life remains in danger, so the Queen commands Hellevir to stay by the heir’s side while they are trying to find the culprit behind the attempts on her life.
However, there is danger in using the old ways and raising the dead, which are forbidden by the country’s leading religion, and Hellevir risks prosecution by the Onaistian faith if she is discovered. But the Princess’ death would result in civil war, and Sullivain must be kept alive at all cost. As Hellevir trades more and more of herself to keep the princess alive, feelings get tangled...

I really enjoyed reading from Hellevir’s perspective, which I found interesting, even if I at times disagreed with her choices. Her loyalty to her parents, who had abandoned her as a young girl, was something I struggled to understand. In fact, there were plenty of characters I was intrigued by and adored: Milandre, Elsevir the raven, Farvor and Calgir, the Priestesses of the order of the Nightingale, Death and Hellevir’s father. Further, the rise of the Onaistian faith shown in the novel was terrifying – it very much echoed the witch hunts in early modern Europe.
The one aspect I didn’t warm to was the romance between the two main characters – this was mainly due to the fact that I found very few redeeming qualities to Sullivain. Thankfully, I was absolutely rooting for the romance between Hellevir’s brother Farvor and Calgir, which took a much more central role in the plot.
I’d recommend The Guilded Crown for readers who enjoy court intrigue, a mystery element and death magic, and will be picking up the sequel to see where it goes next!

Hellevir has been visiting death since accidentally brought back a fox when she was ten years old. The cost? Some berries and a drop of blood. But the exchange isn't always quite that easy. When the royal family find out about her gifts, they hire her to ensure that the princess stays alive. This book is the start of the adventures of Hellevir and her raven Elsevir.

This was a delightful book! I definitely felt transported back to some of the fantasy series I loved as a teenager. It reminded me a bit of Sabriel, although it's been many years since I read that one. And it's not just the necromancy (which are very different in the two books) either. Both have a similar dark fairy tale (or light if you go based off the originals!) atmosphere. Maybe also a bit of Narnia thrown in at times? I absolutely loved the world that the author created and am sure that she will do some interesting things with it later in the series. While this definitely wraps up in a satisfying way, there are still paths left open to keep exploring in further books.

I wish that the characters had been explored in more depth. Both Hellevir and the princess feel very young. Apparently they are meant to be in their twenties, but Hellevir in particular feels like a teenager (maybe around 16 or so?). It definitely feels like it should be being marketed as YA (although maybe there is a reason why it isn't in the later boos? I have no idea where this is going though so for now I'm just going to be surprised by the marketing choices). Obviously this isn't a massive issue, but I do wish that the author had assigned them a different age. Since I'm talking about the characters anyway, I thought I'd just mention that there isn't very much romance, especially since romantasy is so popular these days. I was happy with this as I prefer my fantasy being more fantasy heavy, but those who see this marketed as romance and are going in for this aspect will be disappointed.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opionions are my own.