Das Buch in einem Wort: unvorhersehbar. Ich habe so gut wie keinen der Plottwists vorhersehen können und wurde vor allem zum Ende hin so von der Wendung überrascht! Gleichzeitig ist das Buch einfach so anders, als andere Romantasy Bücher und es konnte mich trotzdem komplett in seinen Bann ziehen. Es gibt keine typische Handlung, allein die ersten Szenen haben mich komplett aus der Bahn geworfen. Gerade das macht das Buch direkt spannend, interessant und nahbar. Mich hat das Schicksal der Protagonistin so mitgerissen, vor allem ihre Akzeptanz und Dankbarkeit darüber, wie sie behandelt wird. Ich weiß jetzt schon, dass dieses Buch erst der Anfang von einer epischen Romantasy Geschichte sein wird und freue mich schon sehr auf die Entwicklung von Auren! Zum Ende hin habe ich erst richtig gemerkt, dass ihre Geschichte gerade erst anfängt.

Finally started the Plated Prisoner series and honestly… why didn’t I do it earlier? I went in with doubts thanks to all the “ Gild is boring” and „you have to survive it” reviews, but I genuinely enjoyed it from the first to the last page. Maybe low expectations helped, maybe committing to six books upfront did—who knows. I loved being introduced to a whole cast of interesting characters, and the writing style worked for me—even if I had to get used to some of the word choices. „Saddle"… yeah, I’ll leave that one untouched. I also liked the setting, the worldbuilding, even the ribbons-and-spikes situation. Is it a little cringe? Absolutely. Is it unique? Yep. Is it hard to picture in any aesthetically pleasing way? Oh, 100%. But I still liked the idea behind it. The plot had its slow stretches, but it never lost me. The constant stream of new characters kept me hooked. And that one particular twist? I absolutely did not see it coming. The atmosphere was spot-on, too. It matched perfectly with me reading it in winter—haha—and the author managed to steal my heart and rip it right out within a wink. How dare she do that to that character?? I’m still recovering. ❤️‍🩹 All in all, I had a great time—and now, fully acclimated to the writing quirks and sitting on a pile of unanswered questions, I’m definitely craving more.

A king turning everything he touches into solid gold, including his lover. The story is about the young gold touched woman Auren, who lives as the most beloved saddle locked up in the golden palace of King Midas. The young woman discovers secrets and becomes part of the political disputes between the kingdoms. *** May include soft spoilers *** I finished the book within 3 days. I liked the world building and the design of the characters. I have to say that I often read very negative reviews about the series, so at first I had doubts if the book series would appeal to me at all. Surprisingly though, I really liked the first book, even though Auren, the FMC seems a bit weak at first, but she turns out to be entertaining and I was able to sympathize with her. I also like that the first book seems more politically related. It's about the political disagreements of the kingdoms, about the power struggle, and less about romance or love. There is just like one spicy scene and it's very short, I liked that!

3-3.5 Sterne Hat definitiv Potential, aber ich hab einfach mehr erwartet! Für mich hat die Geschichte nicht wirklich viel erzählt. Mir hat da wirklich einiges gefehlt. Gegen Ende wurde es allerdings spannend, was mich so ein bisschen auf die Fortsetzung hoffen lässt..

Rating: 4⭐️