The Book of Gold by Ruth Frances Long is such a fun, fast-paced read! It’s got everything—magic, meddling gods, a heist, and some seriously complicated relationships. The main character, Lyta, is this sharp-witted, daring thief who is trying to save her brother Kit, and their bond really drives the whole plot forward. The story kicks off with her striking a dangerous deal with the king, leading to an intense quest to steal the mysterious Book of Gold. But, of course, things don't go smoothly—there's a secretive scholar, her brother’s well-meaning interference, and the return of Captain Sylvian Chant, Lyta's former lover-turned-enemy. Their tension adds so much depth!

The worldbuilding was one of my favorite parts—it's set in a 16th-century-ish world of book printing, but with gods pulling the strings and magic making everything more chaotic. And the gods? So fickle! They have their own plans, so you’re constantly left wondering who can be trusted.

The book is full of twists and political intrigue, which makes it even more exciting because every choice could backfire. The ending was satisfying but also left the door wide open for more, and I can’t wait to see what happens next with these characters, especially the villains who are sure to stir up even more trouble.

Definitely a solid 4/5, especially for anyone who loves a good heist mixed with magic and complicated, high-stakes relationships!

This book was such a fun read! It had twists and turns, meddling gods who seem like they can be trusted (but they have a few plans of their own). Former lovers turned to enemies that are forced to plan a heist together. And finally an unlikely crew filled with thieves, scholars, printers, a lady and a solider.

I loved the worldbuilding and the incorporation of the gods and magic, the politics made the whole thing more twisty as you never knew how something might go.

There were some true villains and a couple that I think would really show their next colours in the next book.

4.75 ⭐ I was very intrigued when i read the blurb but i didn’t expect to like it as much as i did. The complex characters, their interactions, the plot, the twists, the writing! The only reason it’s not a 5star is because i’m the beginning with all the character names, the god names and places got me confused but after 2-3 chapters is so much easier to read and understand without trouble.
I loved all the characters even the ones that are not supposed to be liked, i couldn’t put it down.
Cannot wait to read more stories and books by this author. .

" A desperate thief. A magical book. And a heist for the ages." was all I need to hear and it not only met my expectations but exceeded them!

The vibes of this book are just immaculate, the found family - SUPERB. The plot with its heists, political intrigue and melding gods - PERFECTION. Honestly everything... LOVED IT.

The Book of Gold was honestly such a fun read, I was hooked from page one by magical books, gods, heists and the found family at its centre, the twists and turns were incredible and honestly, I cannot wait to read more about this world and its characters in the future.

This was a fun and tumultuous fantasy novel. I felt that the writing did more telling than showing, but Lyta was a fun character to follow and I enjoyed her narrative the most.

Sometimes, you know how good a book is by the way the author brings the story to a close. On that basis Ruth Frances Long has written an excellent fantasy book. The start and the middle are brilliant too. The fictional setting is the 16th century world of European book printing. If that sounds boring, you would be wrong. This is action packed fantasy at its best, with plenty of wit and romance to balance the hitting of heads.. What do we have? 1. A thief, a brother, and a childhood friend now soldier, whose pasts are complicated. 2. A twisting tale involving magic, and fickle squabbling Gods. Can you trust them? Mmm, maybe, maybe not. 3. Self serving villainy that cannot be allowed to go unpunished. But I think the best bit about the ending of this complete story, is that the author says there is more to come from Lyra, Kit, Syl and their new friends because it would seem the villains haven’t all gone away and The Feral Gods have many more reasons to play - play probably means deal out more retribution. So I’m looking forward to more story beginnings, middles and excellent endings. Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.