Book Review: Lord of Gold and Glory (Fae Isles #2) by Lisette Marshall

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 580 pages
Author: Lisette Marshall
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 18th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Emelin has escaped the Crimson Court and saved Creon from the Mother’s chains. But her newfound allies bring dangers of their own. Thrown into a world of old feuds and thorny grudges, she needs all her ingenuity to keep the Silent Death safe from his friends-turned-enemies.

And the political games of the Alliance are the easy part …

Haunted by shadows of his past and magic he never wanted to wield, Creon is slowly losing control of his powers. The only solution may be found outside the buried halls of the Alliance’s stronghold – back within reach of the Mother and her armies hunting for him.

Soon Emelin can no longer hide from the war looming over the archipelago. And when her quest for Creon’s safety reveals glimpses of her own mysterious origins, she has no choice but to claim her place on the battlefield … or lose the male she loves forever.

MISSIN’ A LITTLE SOMETHING.

I wish I loved this as much as the first, but I fear second book syndrome got me this round.

I really enjoy Emelin and Creon’s relationship. They generally communicate well and respect each other and take care of one another. What I didn’t love, is 9 times out of 10 when they were alone, they banged. I just need the steam to make sense for plot and story and not thrown in there without thought. There’s plenty of good moments between them overall at least.

There’s a good sense of general plot development. I liked seeing the side characters more and getting a better understanding of team dynamics. I thought the world building progressed well and I do think this magic system is a really cool concept. Amidst all of the learning and growth there I wish there were a bit more battle-ish scenes. I got all of the politicking, now lets amp it up.

The writing style carries me over enough that I do want to continue the series. There were some good reveals (and I have my eyes on a few particular one for the next book) that I’m excited to see how they shape Emelin’s world.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy Romance
Language: some strong
Romance: multiple open; high explicit
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, war themes, murder, torture, weapons and magical violence