Witches Steeped in Gold
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- Create Date：2021-04-16 13:51:05
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Ciannon Smart
- ISBN：006294598X
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Summary
Divided by their order。 United by their vengeance。
Iraya has spent her life in a cell， but every day brings her closer to freedom - and vengeance。
Jazmyne is the Queen’s daughter， but unlike her sister before her， she has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power。
Sworn enemies， these two witches enter a precarious alliance to take down a mutual threat。 But power is intoxicating， revenge is a bloody pursuit， and nothing is certain - except the lengths they will go to win this game。
This Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut about two enemy witches who must enter into a deadly alliance to take down a common enemy has the twisted cat-and-mouse of Killing Eve with the richly imagined fantasy world of Furyborn and Ember in the Ashes。
Iraya has spent her life in a cell， but every day brings her closer to freedom - and vengeance。
Jazmyne is the Queen’s daughter， but unlike her sister before her， she has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power。
Sworn enemies， these two witches enter a precarious alliance to take down a mutual threat。 But power is intoxicating， revenge is a bloody pursuit， and nothing is certain - except the lengths they will go to win this game。
This Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut about two enemy witches who must enter into a deadly alliance to take down a common enemy has the twisted cat-and-mouse of Killing Eve with the richly imagined fantasy world of Furyborn and Ember in the Ashes。
Reviews
Amanda Long
，
4。5
GavRix
，
Such a treasure each one of these books is :） I've heard a few of them and can't wait to read most of these :） If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top Such a treasure each one of these books is :） I've heard a few of them and can't wait to read most of these :） If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top 。。。more
Sakina （aforestofbooks）
，
I was so excited for this book， especially after the HCCFrenzy event， however I didn't end up loving it as much as I was hoping。The writing really put me off。 The way things were worded， sentences structured， and even the specific choice of words confused me more times than I can count。 Especially in the beginning， there were so many different characters and groups of people and events thrown into the dialogue and narrative， that with the confusing way it was written， it didn't really help me un I was so excited for this book， especially after the HCCFrenzy event， however I didn't end up loving it as much as I was hoping。The writing really put me off。 The way things were worded， sentences structured， and even the specific choice of words confused me more times than I can count。 Especially in the beginning， there were so many different characters and groups of people and events thrown into the dialogue and narrative， that with the confusing way it was written， it didn't really help me understand what was happening。 And while it did seem to get better half-way through the book， I still felt like I was piecing together bits and pieces without really knowing what was going on。I did read the arc of this book， so maybe there are changes in the finished copy， and I'm really hoping the finished copy comes with a glossary or a cast of characters or something。 I started to get confused between all the different terms， especially since it was hard to keep track with how much is going on in this book。 The magic system was really cool， especially with the use of gold as conduits。 Though I was a bit confused with how it worked， especially considering how there didn't seem to be limits to what you could do with the magic。As for the characters， I think they were okay。 I didn't fall in love with anyone in particular。 There's a lot that happens off page that as the reader you just don't expect。 It reminded me in many ways of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom。 There's underlying plots that are maybe hinted at， but a lot of the action revolving these plots happens off-screen， which I found kind of disorienting。It does make for a pretty intense conclusion however。 A lot happened in the last 100 pages or so， and I will admit that while the writing and characters fell short for me， the plot was definitely engaging after the mid-way point。 It's intense and fast-paced， and everyone is sort of lying and you don't really know what's happening so when things do happen it's a nice shock-factor。 Overall， an okay read。 3/5 stars 。。。more
Alicia
，
It's going to be a hit for sure and the Jamaican influences add something not seen often enough in YA literature but brings the excitement for this YA fantasy yet the cliches and dialogue had me rolling my eyes a little too much to enjoy it fully。I'll have multiple copies to share with students but it's not something I was ensconced in like A Song of Wraiths and Ruin， recognizing that fantasy is not my strongest category to read。 It's going to be a hit for sure and the Jamaican influences add something not seen often enough in YA literature but brings the excitement for this YA fantasy yet the cliches and dialogue had me rolling my eyes a little too much to enjoy it fully。I'll have multiple copies to share with students but it's not something I was ensconced in like A Song of Wraiths and Ruin， recognizing that fantasy is not my strongest category to read。 。。。more
Ella
，
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding （even if sometimes I got a bit lost in the details 😅）， but everything else was fine。 Like some other reviewers， I found the pacing to be quite slow at the beginning then it really picked up towards the end。 The plot definitely relies on YA clichés， but that is not necessarily a bad thing and I thought the setting more than made up for it。Thank you Harper Collins and GoodReads for the ARC！
Jo
，
Like antiheroes， morally gray characters， and vibes reminiscent of Killing Eve all jam-packed in a dark Jamaican-inspired fantasy book exploring the duality of heroes/villains？ Ciannon Smart's evocative debut is for you。Many people had recommended this book to me， and I’d found its dark， morally-grey nature to be its biggest draw along with it being a Crossover book。 This is a Young Adult book， but I think adult readers in the SFF genre would also enjoy this book。Witches Steeped in Gold is a Jam Like antiheroes， morally gray characters， and vibes reminiscent of Killing Eve all jam-packed in a dark Jamaican-inspired fantasy book exploring the duality of heroes/villains？ Ciannon Smart's evocative debut is for you。Many people had recommended this book to me， and I’d found its dark， morally-grey nature to be its biggest draw along with it being a Crossover book。 This is a Young Adult book， but I think adult readers in the SFF genre would also enjoy this book。Witches Steeped in Gold is a Jamaican-inspired fantasy， deeply steeped in political intrigues and blood-soaked history that bursts to life through its pages。 I would not speak to how much Jamaican influence this book had since I am not from a Jamaican background and thus it would not be my place to assess it; but from the magic system to conversations between characters， the worldbuilding felt thoroughly complete and realised。 The magic system itself， is a truly unique and amazing one influenced by the novel’s background history and instrumental to its narrative。 I also loved how it helped setting up the divide between the Alumbrar and the Obeah， the two factions at odds with each other and it just really adds a thrall to the conflict in a way I could not quite put to words。Most of all， however， Witches Steeped in Gold is a book about shifting loyalties， betrayal， and a perpetual state of paranoia， not knowing who to trust。 Even I as a reader could not find anything trustworthy about the two main characters。 I was on edge the entire time I was reading it， always expecting a betrayal round the corner。Speaking of untrustworthy protagonists， it was such a breath of fresh air to read morally grey， （definitely） chaotic neutral characters whose alignment shift according to the means they need to take for their own ends。 From the Alumbrar’s side， there’s Jazmyne with such an intriguing character arc that I kind of saw coming but not quite the way it did in this novel。 Iraya， from the Obeah， is a distrustful and reckless warrior who would at times score top of the class for terrible， terrible choices somehow both selfish and selfless。 United by a mutual endgame—revenge—they come together in an alliance so precarious they couldn’t help but scheme against each other as well in true Killing Eve fashion。 Juggling their fragile alliance， the strong draw they have for each other， and their own fears of what they’d become in their pursuit for their own brand of justice， the two walk a thin， fine line—a razor edge， if you will—between hero and villain。Even the side characters exuded an air full of mystery and intrigue。 Kirdan， especially， was an enigma no one could quite figure out most of the time and he bides his time in the mystery until it was time for him to make his move。 When he finally did， my breath legit escaped my lips the way it did Jazmyne and Ira’s。 I hope we’ll get to see more of his story in the sequel。This book takes off at such rapid speed from beginning to end， even as it establishes its foundations。 Smart is incredibly generous with her twists and turns at a breakneck pace， the adventure within Witches Steeped in Gold's pages becomes truly addictive one would develop a rabid need to find out what would happen next。I came in with high expectations for Witches Steeped in Gold， and it delivered！ I must be on a lucky streak， the books I’ve read so far struck me right and it’s starting to scare me。 This book is simply amazing！ Right from its first page， its claws dug deep in me and did not let go for even a second。 Smart’s characters are complex， beautifully layered navigating through a dangerous game of betray or be betrayed， forced to flip their morality back and forth as means to their respective ends。 While the two primary witches in the book are fundamentally at odds with each other， it is practically impossible to pick a side。Witches Steeped in Gold is a brilliant， dark， and evocative debut that breathes a world where blind trust and loyalty mean certain death， and betrayal is the only currency of worth。 Conflicting motivations come to a head， and Smart’s characters walk a razor edge between hero and villain as they juggle between their fraught loyalties， their goals， and their strong draw to each other。Morally grey， tense， full of dread and dark imagery; this book checks all the right boxes for me in such a fascinating fashion。 I have little doubt that fans of the TV show Killing Eve and Rena Barron’s equally twisty thriller fantasy epic Kingdom of Souls would find themselves enamoured by Ciannon Smart’s breathtaking Witches Steeped in Gold。My review of Witches Steeped in Gold can also be found here。My many thanks to Frenzy without whom I would not have been able to review Witches Steeped in Gold！ I received a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Casey Williams
，
This books is everything I needed！ With immense world building， amazing characters and a plot that sucks you in。 I can’t wait to get all my thoughts written down and throw you a long review。 Anything to make you preorder and pick this book up。。。 NOW！
Raji
，
Review to come
Omer
，
can u marry book covers？ asking for a friend
Priyanca
，
“This Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut about two enemy witches who must enter into a deadly alliance to take down a common enemy has the twisted cat-and-mouse of Killing Eve with the richly imagined fantasy world of Furyborn and Ember in the Ashes。”Whaaaaaaaattttttt？？？？？？！
Sara Pavone
，
Fantastic Jamaican-inspired Fantasy with intriguing characters that draw readers in from the very first page。 Well-written and I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction to Jamaican witchcraft and obeah。 The magic and the story were complex & mesmerizing。 I can’t wait for the sequel！
h o l l i s
，
Look， I'm not saying I'm an idiot for picking up a dense complicated fantasy while trying to pull myself out of a slump but。。 if the shoe fits， right？While a good portion of my struggle with this book is， as above， my own damn fault， I also think the first half of this book is just too thick。 There is so much to wade through as far as history and worldbuilding and terminology， which is kind of understandable with a series-starter， but it just didn't sink in。 And while the second half of the stor Look， I'm not saying I'm an idiot for picking up a dense complicated fantasy while trying to pull myself out of a slump but。。 if the shoe fits， right？While a good portion of my struggle with this book is， as above， my own damn fault， I also think the first half of this book is just too thick。 There is so much to wade through as far as history and worldbuilding and terminology， which is kind of understandable with a series-starter， but it just didn't sink in。 And while the second half of the story was full of action and betrayals and reveals， oh my， I'm still left wondering if I understand anything about this world。I definitely suggest you still give this is a try if you're interested， though; I'm writing this just two weeks shy of its release and the early buzz is poppin'。 This is connecting with， and entertaining， so many readers。 So don't let this slumpy party pooper put you off。 Full review to come。** I received an ARC from the publisher （thank you！） in exchange for an honest review。 ** 。。。more
The Bookish Faerie
，
The Obeh with lies in her eyes and poison in her heart。The Alumbrar， foolish with desperation。The Zesian with ambition big enough to rival the two witches'。 Actual rating: 3。5 starsRight off the first page， the book didn't seem like a debut novel！ It was rich with culture and you can already there are layers of world-building set in the foundation。 Inspired by the author's Jamaican heritage， Witches Steeped in Gold stars two witch heirs raised in opposite enemy camps - Iraya Adair and Jazmyne Ca The Obeh with lies in her eyes and poison in her heart。The Alumbrar， foolish with desperation。The Zesian with ambition big enough to rival the two witches'。 Actual rating: 3。5 starsRight off the first page， the book didn't seem like a debut novel！ It was rich with culture and you can already there are layers of world-building set in the foundation。 Inspired by the author's Jamaican heritage， Witches Steeped in Gold stars two witch heirs raised in opposite enemy camps - Iraya Adair and Jazmyne Cariot form a deadly alliance to take down a common， greater evil and save their island。 The lore of the world-building intricate， making it a series to rival Throne of Glass。 It is not suitable for a reader beginning to read fantasy。 The pacing is on the slower side due to the writing of Ciannon Smart paving the complexity of the world （witches clans， language， culture， textile designs）。 It is heavily political and the schemes have unexpected outcomes。 The characters are morally grey， making it hard to know who to trust。 Which only adds the fun of journeying with our three picklings from diverse clans。 It is in two POVs - Iraya Adair （Obeh） and Jazmyne Cariot （Alumbrar）。 I personally didn't care for the romance， it felt too much like Love At First Sight for me。 With a hint of "The Hunger Games" and "Children of Blood and Bone"， be prepared to be dazzled away by this complex high fantasy world written by debut author - Ciannon Smart。Readers who love "An Ember in the Ashes"， "Raybearer"， "Children of Blood and Bone" will find themselves steeped deep in this Jamaican tale。 Witches Steeped in Gold will be available in all good bookstores starting 20th April 2021。 Thank you @definitely。books for the ARC！ 。。。more
aliah ☆
，
I see you Owlcrate😏
Stacey
，
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher， Harper Collins for this ARC。 This book was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 and I'm sad to say it was not aa great as I wanted it to be。 The synopsis sounded amazing and I was excited to get a Jamaican based fantasy because it's something that I've never read before。 Let me actually say before anything else the world building and the rich folklore that was put into this story was fantastic。 I loved learning about Jamaican folklore and the magi Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher， Harper Collins for this ARC。 This book was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 and I'm sad to say it was not aa great as I wanted it to be。 The synopsis sounded amazing and I was excited to get a Jamaican based fantasy because it's something that I've never read before。 Let me actually say before anything else the world building and the rich folklore that was put into this story was fantastic。 I loved learning about Jamaican folklore and the magic system was very unique。 My problems with this book though was mainly the pacing。 I had to start this book over four different times because I couldn't keep track of the different points of views and I felt like I was missing something。 I just wasn't understanding what was happening for the first third of the book。 maybe it's because I had such high expectations that I was disappointed I don't know。 This book was still a three star for me because there were so many unique elements to it that made it special。 So I hope the negative side of my review does not deter you from picking up this book because I think everyone should read it。 。。。more
Vishia
，
I like how the main characters met each other， I love the plot and everything about this book。 Good job writer！ If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on NovelStar， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top
Jthbooks
，
This was my third time trying to read this book， I’d put it down twice as I couldn’t get into it， but this time I managed to finish it。 For me， it wasn’t worth it。 It was long and dense。 The first 150 pages were just explaining the complex magic system。 I did start to get into it more once we’d passed this but I never felt engaged or attached to the characters。 I’m not saying this is a terrible book by any means， and I know many people love it。 For me， there’s better fantasy books out there。 Tha This was my third time trying to read this book， I’d put it down twice as I couldn’t get into it， but this time I managed to finish it。 For me， it wasn’t worth it。 It was long and dense。 The first 150 pages were just explaining the complex magic system。 I did start to get into it more once we’d passed this but I never felt engaged or attached to the characters。 I’m not saying this is a terrible book by any means， and I know many people love it。 For me， there’s better fantasy books out there。 Thanks to the publishers for my copy。 It’s out April 20th。 。。。more
Morevna
，
sounds good but is it gay？
Christine Chatelain Latimer
，
I definitely DNF （Did Not Finish） at about 30%。 I couldn’t get into this read as much as I would like to。 I found myself having to read the same pages over and over to get a grasp of what’s going on。 The synopsis was written beautifully to catch my attention but honestly I don’t think Witches Steeped in Gold is for me at the moment。 I might pick it back up on a later note。 Thank you HarperTeens and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。
Bethany
，
A stunning debut that draws you in page after page。Smart creates a world so vivid and real， you think you're the one slinking through the jungle wielding magic through gold。 It's such a fresh take on magic， and readers of fantasy will appreciate such a new and fantastic concept。 The characters are rich and deeply woven into the story， I couldn't decide who I was rooting for or against by the end of it！ I love that it kept me guessing and eager to find out what happens next。 I loved the concept o A stunning debut that draws you in page after page。Smart creates a world so vivid and real， you think you're the one slinking through the jungle wielding magic through gold。 It's such a fresh take on magic， and readers of fantasy will appreciate such a new and fantastic concept。 The characters are rich and deeply woven into the story， I couldn't decide who I was rooting for or against by the end of it！ I love that it kept me guessing and eager to find out what happens next。 I loved the concept of two rival witches having to come together， but even that doesn't give you half of what transpires in these pages！A Jamaican-inspired fantasy that will have you itching to turn the page。 I can't wait for book two！ 。。。more
thatbookwormgirl
，
I would first off like to thank Harper Collins for sending me this ARC for review！TW: Mentions of r*pe。This high fantasy book is sure to keep you entertained throughout all 544 pages。 I am so happy to see a Jamaican inspired fantasy， as this is something I have never seen before。 Having a new culture to inspire a young adult fantasy is so amazing to finally be available to readers。 Both main characters are cut-throat and prepared to do whatever they have to in order to get what they want。 I also I would first off like to thank Harper Collins for sending me this ARC for review！TW: Mentions of r*pe。This high fantasy book is sure to keep you entertained throughout all 544 pages。 I am so happy to see a Jamaican inspired fantasy， as this is something I have never seen before。 Having a new culture to inspire a young adult fantasy is so amazing to finally be available to readers。 Both main characters are cut-throat and prepared to do whatever they have to in order to get what they want。 I also appreciate the female/female romances that were mentioned throughout the book。 They seemed to be kind of in the background， but it was important that they were included in general。 I personally had a hard time following the magic system， but that probably was more on me than the book。 I have not read many high fantasies in comparison to some readers， as I am slowly getting adjusted to this genre， so this was a big shock for me。 Overall， I suggest picking this book up and/or preordering it。I look forward to Ciannon Smart's future works and know that she will be a strong new voice in young adult literature。 。。。more
Vee
，
[ARC Provided by Hot Key Books， my review is unbiased]Wordpress Blog | TwitterQuick disclaimer - I'm not an Own Voices reviewer so please， please go find those and give them a like to boost them to the top！I'm a little burned out by fantasy， but very much on the look out for fantasy books that feel different， which may be why I was disappointed by this book。 While it's rich Jamaican-inspired setting and people made the book better， I couldn't help but feel that the bare bones of the story stayed [ARC Provided by Hot Key Books， my review is unbiased]Wordpress Blog | TwitterQuick disclaimer - I'm not an Own Voices reviewer so please， please go find those and give them a like to boost them to the top！I'm a little burned out by fantasy， but very much on the look out for fantasy books that feel different， which may be why I was disappointed by this book。 While it's rich Jamaican-inspired setting and people made the book better， I couldn't help but feel that the bare bones of the story stayed firmly in that Court Politics fantasy box that I despise so much。Between Iraya and Jazmyne， Iraya was the stronger character。 Her family murdered， imprisoned and biding her time， she's such a raw character that I connected with more than Jazmyne。 I did find Jazmine a little forgettable in comparison， there was something lacking about her that I just can't put my finger on。Overall， this is a solid debut， I just couldn't quite get into it， perhaps because it was too long。 Some elements like the romance felt forced and the characters never really got a moment to sit down and connect with each other - which might be why the romance felt forced。 An incredible cover though。 。。。more
Kat
，
DNF ~40%I really and truly wanted to enjoy this book。 It had been on my TBR for a bit when I finally decided to read it。 The cover is gorgeous， the concept is beautiful， and I was so excited to experience this author's culture。 However， 'Witches Steeped in Gold' legitimately put me to sleep。。。while I was at work。。。drinking a cup of coffee。 I felt that I was less reading， and more like I was prepping for the ACT I took almost 10 years ago。 The story was slow and I felt that the characters were a DNF ~40%I really and truly wanted to enjoy this book。 It had been on my TBR for a bit when I finally decided to read it。 The cover is gorgeous， the concept is beautiful， and I was so excited to experience this author's culture。 However， 'Witches Steeped in Gold' legitimately put me to sleep。。。while I was at work。。。drinking a cup of coffee。 I felt that I was less reading， and more like I was prepping for the ACT I took almost 10 years ago。 The story was slow and I felt that the characters were a little dry， with no real meat to them。 I understand that Smart was developing this world， and truly trying to let the reader experience what it would be like to live on these islands and experience this beautiful culture。 However， I believe that the story suffered for it。 It felt bogged down and too slow， like trying to move through honey。Maybe this just wasn't the book for me at the time， but I would really like to pick it up again at a later date。***Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me with an eARC。 。。。more
Josh Schmidtka
，
Got a copy from NetGalley， thanks！ "Divided by their order。 United by their vengeance。"When I read "Children of Blood and Bone" when it was released， I was amazed at the book due to the plot， the non-European world-building， and the well-crafted characters。 This was the case for Ciannon Smart's "Witches Steeped in Gold"， a Jamaican-inspired YA fantasy， which follows two witches of two separate enemy clans who are forced to work together towards a common goal and they are NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT EITHE Got a copy from NetGalley， thanks！ "Divided by their order。 United by their vengeance。"When I read "Children of Blood and Bone" when it was released， I was amazed at the book due to the plot， the non-European world-building， and the well-crafted characters。 This was the case for Ciannon Smart's "Witches Steeped in Gold"， a Jamaican-inspired YA fantasy， which follows two witches of two separate enemy clans who are forced to work together towards a common goal and they are NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT EITHER。The characters were well-thought-out， the world-building was fine， and the magic was fantastic as well as engaging as the unraveling of the story。 I had no issues with the book， which is a surprise for me since I usually have a problem or two with YA yet that isn't the case with some books。Overall， well done Ciannon Smart！ 。。。more
Laura （Bookie_mama_bear）
，
Witches Steeped in Gold is just an all consuming， magical， political work of brilliance。Two opposing sides， one hellbent on revenge the other wanting a new fairer world。 Ira & Jaz are forced to come together to save their home from the ruling Doyenne who is brutalising her own people under the guise of peace & protection。Plot driven with loads of description and fantastic characters - it’s a book to be savoured not devoured。 The rich history and language adds to the depth of this story and it re Witches Steeped in Gold is just an all consuming， magical， political work of brilliance。Two opposing sides， one hellbent on revenge the other wanting a new fairer world。 Ira & Jaz are forced to come together to save their home from the ruling Doyenne who is brutalising her own people under the guise of peace & protection。Plot driven with loads of description and fantastic characters - it’s a book to be savoured not devoured。 The rich history and language adds to the depth of this story and it really did consume me while reading it。If you enjoy a witchy read full of twists， betrayal & found family then this is for you！Loved it！！Thank you @hotkeybooksya & @authorciannonsmart for my #gifted ARC in return for my honest review。 。。。more
Lonopia
，
I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review。 I was really excited to be able to read this book before it's release date， because I've already seen so much hype and heard good things about it。 It started off a little bit slow for me。 The first few chapters seemed to drag。 I know the Ciannon was just setting the characters up， but I wish it had been a bit quicker。 Once something did 'happen' though， I was in it。 I didn't want to put it down。 There wa I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review。 I was really excited to be able to read this book before it's release date， because I've already seen so much hype and heard good things about it。 It started off a little bit slow for me。 The first few chapters seemed to drag。 I know the Ciannon was just setting the characters up， but I wish it had been a bit quicker。 Once something did 'happen' though， I was in it。 I didn't want to put it down。 There was lots of character development。 I'm looking forward to a physical copy and the hopes of a map， because I would dearly love to see this world and how it's laid out。 The point of view swaps back and forth between our two main characters Jazmyne and Iraya， and it wasn't confusing or frustrating in any way。 I definitely felt myself drawn more to one MC then I did the other， and maybe that's why the ending felt off to me。 The author made me care about this character and then in a turn of events flipped everything and made me feel like I was rooting for the wrong person。 I was just left feeling confused at the end of the book。 I'm very much looking forward to reading book 2 and hopefully getting those feelings sorted out。 。。。more
Valerie May
，
4。4 stars Thank you to Harper Collins for sending me an e-ARC thru Edelweiss。 This review is based in an advance reader's copy， so there might be some changes in the published book。 Will try to read the published one and give it a review too。） I don't know what to put in this review。 When I finished the book， I didn't know how to describe what I was feeling about the plot。 Though， one thing I'm sure， I felt really sad for the characters that I was rooting for with what happened to them and to 4。4 stars Thank you to Harper Collins for sending me an e-ARC thru Edelweiss。 This review is based in an advance reader's copy， so there might be some changes in the published book。 Will try to read the published one and give it a review too。） I don't know what to put in this review。 When I finished the book， I didn't know how to describe what I was feeling about the plot。 Though， one thing I'm sure， I felt really sad for the characters that I was rooting for with what happened to them and to their plans and schemes。 I felt sad because I felt like I liked the wrong girl and I can't bring myself to like the other one no matter how I tried when I was nearing to the end of the book。 Opinions and feelings set aside， for a debut novel， this book was genius with plots and secrets you won't see coming but you'd be able to subtly sense the betrayals and doubts of the characters starting to brew at the middle of the story。 One thing readers have to know though is it has a heavy world-building。 And since it was heavily based on Jamaican culture， stories， and legends with all the terminologies and magic systems used in this book， I found it difficult to get my ahead around at first and might also be difficult for some readers。 While reading the first half of the book， I had to use a regular dictionary and a Jamaican dictionary to understand the magic system， rules， the history， artifacts， animals and beasts in the story。 And because of that difficulty， it took me ages to read the number of pages than I would normally have。 Once I was able to understand many things in the story （though not all since there are still words can't be found in the online dictionary）， the story became easy for me to read and understand and I found myself somehow anticipating to continue reading the book while doing my chores and job。 In the ending， you will discover more secrets and histories of these societies/clans and it will make you want to get your hands on the second installment。 Though for me， surely I will read the next book but the question would be 'WHEN' since I'm still sad about the character that I'm really rooting and I need time to accept that maybe the other is girl is more likable。 。。。more
Alli
，
Thank you NetGalley for this eARC！Witches Steeped in Gold is an incredible example of world building。 The magic is unlike anything I’ve read！ Jazmyne is the daughter of the Doyenne of Aiyca （inspired by Jamaica）。 She works as an emissary for her mother， but they have far from a loving relationship。 In fact， she’s been actively working against her rule ever since her daughter was sacrificed to maintain the doyenne’s power。 Iraya is the long lost heir to the Aiycan throne， and has been hidden in p Thank you NetGalley for this eARC！Witches Steeped in Gold is an incredible example of world building。 The magic is unlike anything I’ve read！ Jazmyne is the daughter of the Doyenne of Aiyca （inspired by Jamaica）。 She works as an emissary for her mother， but they have far from a loving relationship。 In fact， she’s been actively working against her rule ever since her daughter was sacrificed to maintain the doyenne’s power。 Iraya is the long lost heir to the Aiycan throne， and has been hidden in prison for the past 10 years。 Now， though， she’s found a way to escape and begin to enact her plan for vengeance。 While they don’t trust each other （and at times are actively working against each other）， the two form an alliance to accomplish a common goal。 I give this book four stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Author Ciannon Smart does an incredible job with the description of the island and the magic system in place。 That’s what kept me going through the first 2/3 of the book。 It was just really hard for me to get invested in the characters for the longest time。 There was so much scheming， it was hard to get a good read on personalities until both Jazmyne and Iraya started working together。 By the end， though， I was thoroughly into the book， and am excited for the sequel。 。。。more
✨Elianna✨
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This book was a stunning debut that I could not help but adore。 The characters were written amazingly， and the morally grey area that they all seemed to be a part of was well done。 My only issues with it were that in the beginning， it was easy to mix up Jazmyne and Iraya's POVs and confuse them for one another， and how the story seemed to drag on at some points。 I enjoyed how the author set up the ending so it could continue onto the next book smoothly。 I also loved the worldbuilding in this sto This book was a stunning debut that I could not help but adore。 The characters were written amazingly， and the morally grey area that they all seemed to be a part of was well done。 My only issues with it were that in the beginning， it was easy to mix up Jazmyne and Iraya's POVs and confuse them for one another， and how the story seemed to drag on at some points。 I enjoyed how the author set up the ending so it could continue onto the next book smoothly。 I also loved the worldbuilding in this story and the creatures and magic in it。 In all， this was a stunning debut， and I cannot wait until the next one comes out！ 4。5/5 stars from me！ 。。。more
Gigi
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DNF I’m not sure if it’s my mood or what！ But I’ve been struggling to get through the first 3-4 chapters。 This was a highly anticipated read for me， so it’s disappointing for me to be adding it to my DNF pile。 Maybe I’ll come back to it at a later date。 But at the moment， I’m finding it confusing as to what’s going on and a tad too much info all at once。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Witches Steeped in Gold
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Witches Steeped in Gold&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft