A few weeks ago, I fell madly in love with Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall (my review). When having finished book one, I was SO relieved to know that part two of this four-book series, Lord of Gold and Glory, was going to be published shortly after and that I had been selected as an ARC reader. I am so happy to say that I loved this second book just as much as I loved the first!

Attention: this review contains spoilers for book one!

Lord of Gold and Glory

Creon and Em have successfully fled the Crimson Court and are now at the Underground, the secret hideout of the Alliance. However, not everyone (or anyone at all, really) is happy to have Creon in their midst, so their new location isn’t much safer than their previous one. While Creon heals, Em is taught how to fight in preparation of the upcoming war with the Mother. But being surrounded by enemies isn’t great if you possess demonic abilities to sense emotions, and Creon’s control over his powers is slipping. Because of this, they decide that he will temporarily leave the Underground while Em remains to continue her training. It soon becomes clear, however, that Creon is in danger so Em and her friends decide to travel to the Golden Court, his last known location.

An amazing sequel

When starting this book, I really, really hoped that it would live up to the expectations created by book one. I was so very glad to discover that it did!

In book two, the reader gets to learn more about the colour-based magic system and the history of the world in which the story is set. In the next book, I hope we get to know even more about demon powers and about Creon’s father. I think there’s quite an interesting story there that is still (partially) untold.

I love the attention that is given to the mental health of both main characters, their traumatic pasts and the way they cope in the present. Quotations like the following simply broke my heart:

Don’t be visible. Don’t be difficult. Don’t be you.

I loved to see how Creon and Em’s relationship developed and I was pleasantly surprised that the author gave them the necessary time to get to know each other better. And the smutty scenes? Oh my, those were VERY good <3 I truly ship these two: the way in which they understand each other, can be themselves around each other while playing pretend with everyone else is *chef’s kiss*

Em. He closed his eyes. I’m not your bloody audience. I stared at him. Don’t make me that. Don’t make me someone you have to be perfect for. The gods know I’m imperfect enough, and you still seem to tolerate me for reasons I’ll never be able to grasp. There’s no need to tip the scales further to my disadvantage.

Usually, I’m not the biggest fan of the type of plot line that develops once the characters arrive at the Golden Court (I am being very careful about spoilers here, not easy). However, it was done in such a believable way that was at once funny, infuriating, and emotional that I really like it this time. I am so curious to see this unfold further in the next book. You’ll see what I mean once you get to that part of the story 😉

Last but not least, there was one scene in particular that made me laugh so hard, it’s ridiculous. It’s probably one of those “you had to be there moments”, but I’ll try and explain. To give you some context: I work at a bank and protocols are my everyday life, so I couldn’t help but laugh out loud thanks to the following lines:

‘Well,’ Tared said, taking a chair uninvited. ‘Do your protocols have anything to say about this situation, Lord Protector?’ ‘In protocol terminology,’ Agenor said stiffly, ‘this would be called a problem.’

Adventure, love, found families, great magic and greater spice, what more can a girl want? Five out of five gemstones again!

Age Category: New Adult

Representation:  LGBTQ+ supporting characters, PTSD

Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)

Warnings for parental abuse & neglect, and torture.

Do you want to discover more?

If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores.

Amazon.nl: Paperback edition

Amazon.nl: eBook edition

Similar to this

Lord of Gold and Glory is the second novel in the Fae Isles Series. If you cannot wait for the third book in this four-book series, there’s also a prequel available, called Heart of Silk and Shadows . This novel is the tale of a human servant at the Crimson Court who finds herself forced to steal from the Fae…If you subscribe to the author’s newsletter via her bio on Instagram, you’ll get this eBook for free.

Lisette Marshall has also written The Queen and the Assassin Series, which starts off with Iron. This novel is described on Goodreads as a “steamy assassin fantasy romance” with enemies-to-lovers and grumpy/sunshine tropes. Doesn’t this sound marvelous? I’ll definitely also read this one.

Looking for more Fae romance? I’m assuming you’ve already read the A Court of Thorns and Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas. If not, what are you waiting for? This series is well worth the hype. You can find my spoiler-free review of the first four books here.

Did you already read all the famous ones? Then I would love to recommend you a lesser known series which I also adored: The Rowan Blood Octology by Kellen Graves. Book one, Prince of the Sorrows, tells the tale of a human changeling who is desperately trying to stay in the Faerie realm. In order to do so, he strikes a deal with a Faerie prince, but that deal is in no way without danger. LGBTQ+ Fae romance with lots of adventure and attention for non-binary characters: what’s not to love? Check out my review here!

Recap: Lord of Gold and Glory

In the following section, you’ll find a recap that you can use to prepare for the next book when it is published. Of course, this is by definition full of spoilers, so it is hidden behind a spoiler tag. Enter at your own risk!

Note: This is the recap of book two only, you might want to read the one for book one as well at the end of my review in order to fully refresh your memory.

Want a recap before starting the next part? (click here, contains spoilers)

World: : See recap of book 1

Main characters: Main characters: see recap of book 1

New characters: Various family members of Tared and other members of the Alliance, none of which are fans of Creon.

Agenor. 1254. Fae lord and overseer of the Golden Court. He turns out to be Em’s father. He’s known for always following protocol, but, in secret, he has been working against the Mother for ages.

Plot: The story starts with Em, Creon, Tared, and Lyn arriving at the Underground, the secret hideout of the Alliance. Creon is in a bad shape and requires urgent medical attention, but while he is cared for it is clear that nobody wants him there. Creon has never learned how to shield, so those emotions make him depressed and he starts to isolate himself. When Em learns that he used to be in love with Lyn, they finally have an honest conversation and they move past their differences. Not being able to shield himself, however, takes such a high toll on Creon that he loses control over his powers. They decide that he will leave temporarily, while Em continues her combat training with Tared to prepare for the upcoming war. Creon is soon captured, however, and Em, Lyn, and Tared travel to his last known location: The Golden Court. This court is run by Lord Agenor, who explains that he is on their side. It soon becomes clear that he’s Em’s father and he explains that he believes her mother Allie (whom he loved very much) is still alive although she disappeared right after having had “a stillbirth”. They agree to work together and kill all the Fae at court who are still loyal to the Mother. Em encounters a female Fae who is trying to flee and decides to show mercy. Unfortunately, she betrays them to the Mother, who sends Ophion and an army. During the battle that follows, Creon unleashes his demon magic, saving Em. The Alliance wins and they manage to capture Ophion. Em makes a bargain with him: his life in exchange for honest answers to some questions. This way, she learns that bindings can be undone by the Mother, and decides that she will find a way to give Creon’s voice back. At the end of the story, Creon and Em proclaim their love for one another to each other, and Em slowly starts to build a relationship with her new-found father.