The time that went into crafting the elements of the world so that they could compliment and elevate the romance is immediately evident. This novel is very clearly focused on the romance, and the plot and world-building run as an undercurrent to Evemer and Kadou’s relationship. While the world-building was wonderful, I must admire the author’s efforts for a different reason. If you’re looking for prose that makes you see things so clearly in your mind, that lifts scents and images from the page, let me introduce – A Taste of Gold and Iron. Everything about this novel was so vivid. The world was excellently crafted, and I could easily picture the architecture, the streets, markets and alleys, the beautiful and intricate court, the statues, and the unburdening temples.
Seliha was the queen I was hoping for, and everyone would have been doomed if it weren’t for Eozena’s cunning political movements. I adored how the women of the novel – primarily Eozena and Seliha – wielded their power without hesitation. The idea that ‘body-fathers’ only had claim over their children if women chose to grant them that power was so intriguing. I loved the concept of same sex arranged marriage, and how casually those elements were introduced. This made the political world-building so interesting. I loved the seamless use of different pronouns, and the normalisation of sexual and gender fluidity. I will never get tired of reading fantasy stories that are void of any queerphobia, and all the nasty aspects of our own world. There are so many elements I could praise, but the most important part of this story is how queerness is normalised. Sometimes a book can feel like it was written for you, and I felt that every single time I sat down to return to this astonishing world. This book has everything that I love about stories. Now that I am an adult, I prefer to read about people my own age, and it fills me with so much joy to see novels like A Taste of Gold and Iron being published. I grew up reading all the big YA fantasies and was disappointed every single time I didn’t see myself represented in the stories. Queer fantasies will forever hold a special place in my heart.
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