Hey ForeverBookers,
How are you all? I hope you’re well!
I’ve just finished “GLINT,” book 2 in the “GILD” series by Raven Kennedy and OH MY GOODNESS, I LOVED it SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!
PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU READ “GILD,” BOOK 1 BEFORE YOU READ THIS REVIEW!
5 FREAKING STARS!!!!!
Auren is at the camp of Commander Rip, and Fourth Army when we start “GLINT.” She’s there because the Snow Pirates gave her away, with the other saddles in “GILD,” book 1. She wants to escape to be back with the love of her life, King Midas at the beginning of the book. She meets and makes friends/allies with a few of Fourth Army’s soldiers, Lu, Osrik and Judd, who are Commander Rip’s wrath or closest comrades/allies. They don’t think it’s fair how Auren has been treated by Midas! Also other minor characters include a cook at the camp, as well as the other saddles. Speaking of the other saddles, they still HATE Auren with a vengeance pertaining to how she’s “Midas’s favored.” I don’t really want to give away more here, as the rest will have spoilers!
I read “GLINT” for a few readathons. They were:
Cardcaptor-A-Thon - The Power - Read a book with a superhero in - Now, I’m skewing this a bit, but it’s my readathon so it’s fine! While there aren’t superheroes such as batman, superman or that kind of persona, there are characters that save the day, I’d say!
Reading Rivalry - The theme for April 2022 is Cartoon Network! The prompt I chose to read “GLINT” for is Book featuring multiple POV because we see from another POV, not just Auren in this second book in the “Plated Prisoner” series.
Orilium Magical Readathon - I have chosen to become an Illusionist Rogue! To have this career I need to pass 3 Spring Equinox exams! Those being, Shapeshifting, Art of Illusion, Psionics and Divination. “GLINT” works for Art of Divination because the prompt is “Book With A Trope I Like” and it has the start of a forbidden romance/feelings, which is my favourite trope EVER!
Disney Hopathon Round 2: Disneyland Paris - Park Entrance ticket - Disney Land Paris - Read a book that’s been calling to you - because I knew certain things that happened in “GLINT”, if not exactly how or when they happened, it was definitely calling to me to pick it up!
POPSUGAR CHALLENGE 2022 - A book about a found family - Auren, our main character finds her place within the camp of Commander Rip!
TRIGGER WARNINGS: There’s bad language and allusions to sex and abuse in this series!
Spoilers Below...
“Death clings to me.
I wanted so badly to leave my cage. To be able to roam freely in Midas’s castle.”
This is one of Auren’s first thoughts in “GLINT.” Auren killed Captain Fane at the end of “GILD” by turning him to gold. That’s why she says that death clings to her. All she wanted was to be free. That is a running theme until the end of “GLINT.” Does she get that freedom? You’ll need to read to find out!
She’s taken to Fourth Army’s camp, along with the other saddles. We don’t see too much from the other saddles which I’m glad about as in my opinion, they really slowed down the pacing of “GILD.” We saw snippets of them, and that was enough for me. They still HATE Auren for being Midas’s favored, as I said above. Especially Mist and Polly! Rissa hates Auren too, but has her reasons for keeping her onside, what are these reasons? You’ll need to read “GLINT” to find out!
What I did love about “GLINT.” was seeing Auren come out of her shell. She doesn’t have to be careful around Fourth army’s soldiers, she doesn’t have to watch what she says or does, she can just be!
“What’s your name? I say instead. I should know it, now that we’ve stolen a wine barrel together.
“Lu,” she answers.
“Just Lu?”
“Talula Gallerin, but if you call me Talula, I’ll knock you on your golden ass, Gildy Locks.”
My lips twitch. “Thanks for the warning. And it’s Auren.”
“Just Auren?” she retorts with a wry look. “No family name?”
I shrug. “No family.”
This is Auren’s introduction to Lu, a female soldier of Fourth’s army. Auren is shocked that Fourth army HAS female soldiers. She knows that Midas would never allow them in Third army. I loved the nickname she gave to Auren too, “Gildy Locks.” I laughed every time I read it. The first thing they do is steal a barrel of wine from the opposite side of the camp. I thought this was funny! Lu becomes Auren’s female confidant. This was nice to see! Will Auren learn about her family that was, or maybe still is in “GLEAM,” “GLOW” and book 5? I hope so!
After meeting Lu, Auren meets Fourth army’s other most trusted members, Osrik and Judd. Osrik and Judd don’t trust Auren to begin with or as easily as Lu seems to. Will they by the end of the book? You’ll need to read to find out for yourself. I loved the cook, Keg! I imagined him as a Jamaican guy. He just gave off those vibes to me. When I read lines from him, he had a Jamaican accent. He’s only a secondary character in “GLINT.” but funny, nonetheless. He helps Auren to get a bath to the other saddles, something which they REALLY DON’T DESERVE with how badly they treat her. Mist is probably the worst. She’s pregnant with Midas’s baby, which Auren isn’t happy about, but that still gives her no right to be at all horrible to Auren. “You hear that? The favored came down from her pedestal to check on us lowly saddles. How kind,” is an example of Mist’s horrible/selfish attitude towards Auren.
There were certainly a few funny bits to help balance out the more serious/depressing elements of the plot. One of these is when Judd uses Auren’s women troubles (periods) to get alcohol. “She’s in need. Having her women troubles, if you catch my drift.”
My mouth drops open, and embarrassed heat floods my cheeks.” I loved how all of Rip’s wrath treated Auren as a friend, rather than an enemy.
My favourite character, other than Auren was DEFINITELY Commander Rip! He starts off as a bit of a bad guy but slowly comes to like and trust Auren, and so becomes one of the good guys. Rip becomes Auren’s lifeline in more ways than one. He shows her how to fight as well as helping her learn WHO she truly is—fae, like him.
“And before that?” Rip asks carefully, and my chest is beating so hard, because it hurts to think of it, to remember it.
I haven’t spoken it aloud in a long, long time. I only ever dared to murmur it in my head on the cusp of a dream.
Annwyn,” I whisper. “I was in Annwyn.”
The realm of the fae.
I feel the ache of home crack inside of me like an eggshell star.
Twenty years. It’s been twenty years since I’ve been home. Twenty years since I’ve breathed its fresh air, since I’ve walked on its sweet soil, since I’ve heard its sun’s song.”
Auren clearly misses her home land. Will she get back there, with Rip perhaps? You’ll have to read the series to find out!
Rip has the ability to grow spikes out of his arms and back. You might think this is creepy but it isn’t. It’s just a part of his character, and as I said above, he’s a good guy, at least in “GLINT.” He also shares a tent with Auren, not that anything untoward really happens in this second book but the set-up is certainly there for “GLEAM” and I hope “GLOW” and book 5—I shouldn’t think it’ll happen in a tent, though! I think my favourite moment between them was when they shared their pasts while on the beach looking at the moon, as well as the kiss of course—instigated by Rip! I also LOVED the nickname he gives her, “Goldfinch.” When he realises she’s getting cold on the beach he tells her,
“Time to go, Goldfinch.”
My heart squeezes from the nickname as I get to my feet. I’m going to miss this when I’m back with Midas. I’m going to miss him.
That realization, this awakening awareness, it feels as if the world is moving beneath my feet. Like I’m going to look up and see the ground while I walk on the sky.
Even more shocking is that it somehow feels right.
I’m going to miss him, and I can’t lie to myself about it anymore.”
This is where Auren starts to think she’s developing feelings for Rip. She says it “feels right” being with him! I REALLY hope that she gets with him! Rip is someone that Auren knows she can rely on, that is until the end of “GLINT,” anyway. After the reveal (SKIP the next paragraph in this review if you don’t want to see it) we’re not sure if she can trust him or not! I really hope she can!
Rip is actually King Ravinger, King Midas’s most hated foe. This is revealed in the last chapter of “GLINT,” but I found out before because I searched the series before I bought it! I LIKED knowing this fact before I read the end of the book because I could see how things were being pieced together/happening. It made the reading experience more interesting to me because I could see what made Rip the man he is! I REALLY CANNOT WAIT to read “GLEAM,” as I believe Auren and Rip fall in love. The starters of this relationship happen in “GLINT.”
Lastly I’ll touch on my LEAST favourite character briefly, Midas! He’s an absolute PIG and bully to Auren when she returns from her adventure with Fourth Army.
“The gold-touched saddle returning to her king.
Despite the fact that I can sense them watching me, I don’t feel the weight of hate or enmity anymore. I wonder what Orea would think if people knew the truth about Fourth’s army. If they knew that they weren’t monsters, not bloodthirsty villains set on killing.
Formidable? Definitely. Deadly? Without a doubt.
But they were honorable. Not once did I fear for my life, not once was I abused or used. Instead, I was treated with respect, and I suspect there’s one person in particular to thank for that.
An army is only as good as its commanding officer.”
Auren doesn’t feel hated by Fourth army anymore, before she leaves to go back to Midas. She feels like she fits in there, even though she still wants to be reunited with her king at this point in the book. It’s only when she IS returned that she sees Midas’s true colours—he tries to capture her in the new very small cage he had made for her in his dressing room, of all places, when like I said at the beginning all she wants is her freedom! Again, there’s a glimpse of her feeling for Rip here. She thinks he’s a good commanding officer.
“Do you see, Auren? This is why you need the cage,” he says again, his voice grating against my ears like metal against stone. “Not just to protect you, but to protect everyone from you.”
My tears drip.
My spine aches.
I called Rip a monster, but really, I am.”
Midas is making it seem like it’s Auren’s fault, that she turned her doppelgänger to gold. The doppelgänger was sent as a way to hide Auren. Midas doesn’t want the world to know that she exists because he’s selfish and wants her all to himself to change his castle or dwellings to gold. He doesn’t love her in the way that she loves him. He’s saying that Auren needs the cage to keep herself safe but also to keep everyone else safe too. She thinks that she’s the monster, but of course she isn’t. Midas is!!!
Does she escape that cage? Who helps her? You’ll need to read to find out!
The other POV is Queen Malina, the rightful heir to Orea. Her father didn’t want her to be ruler as he thought of women as inferior. I didn’t love reading these sections, however, they were few and far between so it didn’t put my off my reading stride. Malina’s chapters were quite short and the last one set her off on an adventure, which I can see being quite important in the next books. She’s still a horrible character, however!
Well, what can I say. I FREAKING ADORED “GLINT!!!” It had everything I love in a fantasy/romance novel, apart from intimate scenes for our main character, but I’ve been told there are a few in “GLEAM,” and I assume there will be in “GLOW” and book 5 too, so I’m more than happy to wait! I liked that “GLINT” had more of an adventure aspect to it than “GILD,” with nice characters. Most, if not all of the characters were horrible and selfish to Auren in “GILD,” apart from Sail and if you’ve read “GILD” (why are you reading this review if you haven’t?!) you know what happened to him. I can’t see Rip dying, though—phew! Commander Rip has DEFINITELY made it to my book boyfriend list at either spot two or three! I cannot, FLIPPING WAIT to read “GLEAM” but I’m going to wait until “GLOW” until Book 5 is at least announced as definitely happening!
Next I’m going to read another manga! I probably won’t review it here, although I always keep my Goodreads up to date so look there if you want to know my thoughts. My next review here, will be up sometime after Easter, I expect!
Reread - March 2023
Well, I freaking LOVED rereading “GLINT”!!! It has everything I love in a good book from great character development to more of a plot than “GILD” had, and the romantic tension is perfect!!! Plus, I was surprised at the ending again! Unfortunately, “GOLD,” #5 has been pushed back until December 2023 so I’m not reading “GLEAM” or “GLOW” until the autumn/winter this year. That will make the anticipation so much sweeter, though as they will both be first time reads for me!
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