Saint-Seducing Gold is the second book in the Forge & Fracture series. Again we follow Joan Sands as she's been newly appointed a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne, Titanea in disguise. What's more is Joan has her own personal feelings to deal with as she gets closer to both Rose and Nick.

I enjoyed this second installment of the Forge & Fracture series. But I didn't love it as much as the first one. The Shakespearen stuff seemed to peter off the more time Joan spends in court. One thing I also didn't love was the not-quite-love-triangle. I appreciate rep like this especially in YA stories though, it's just not my personal cup of tea. I enjoyed the story and Joan's continued character development was great. I will read the 3rd one when it comes out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. Patricia Allison is undoubtedly the voice of Joan, and no one can beat her on that. She's a fabulous narrator.

💬:"She’d wavered for too long, and her indecision left her conflicted mind open for Ogun to overtake her. He’d attack where she wouldn’t and damn them all to traitor’s deaths. She tried to resist but felt herself drifting, a numbness overwhelming her as her consciousness was shoved away from her physical body. Ogun pushed through and left her to see and feel with no control of her actions."

Williams, Brittany N.. Saint-Seducing Gold (The Forge & Fracture Saga, Book 2) (p. 5). Amulet Books. Kindle Edition.

📖Genres: fantasy, historical fantasy, fae, magic

📚Page Count: 304

🎧Audiobook Length: 08:57

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3/5

Saint-Seducing Gold is the second book in The Forget and Fracture Saga by Brittany N. Williams. This book continues on right where the first book left off. The fae and humans are now at war sort of, Joan is pressured into joining the Royal Court and she can't leave it for fear that her captured godfather won't survive. Can Joan save the world as she knows it while balancing having two romantic interests ?

I didn't really like the first book but I wanted to give the series a chance and I'm sad to say that I didn't really like the second book either. I think there was more action this time around, which was nice, but I think my problem is the setting. For some reason Shakespearean London with an Orisha blessed Blacksmith just doesn't work in my head for some reason.

Overall, the story was just okay. I'm giving it 3 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars

Thank you <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">[NetGalley.com]</a>, the author, and publisher for the arc (advanced reader's copy.)

This book was even better than the first. I love the continued character development and the incredible world building. I am impatiently waiting for the next book to be released.

ARC Review, courtesy of NetGalley

To read this book is to appreciate this book. Brittany N Williams so clearly did her research and it pays off. Not only are the references clear and the usage of history intentional, but she finds ways to captivate even the most anti-shakespeare of readers. I loved seeing Joan come into her own and appreciated seeing her grapple with the love in this story. Joan is 16 and it feels so real. Williams paints her thoughts and insecurities throughout the story while highlighted her efforts and confidences. Saint-Seducing Gold picks up right after That Self-Same Metal and does a lot of the work to fill in the gaps from the first book of the series. I enjoyed this story more than That Self-Same Metal but both were solid reads.

C 8.5
A 7
W 8
P 7
I 8
L 7
E 9

Beginning of the book: Is this a duology?

End of the book: well that went sideways fast. definitely more books incoming.

This book and the first should be read immediately one after another. Saint-Seducing Gold jumps right in where That Self-Same Metal left off and relies heavily on knowledge and tension created there.

As with book one, the Elizabethan time period, Shakespeare, fae, and West African mythology mix together in a smooth and incredibly creative setting. Joan is a swordsmith talented in fighting and crafting thanks to her gift from Ogun. She must hide her skills to avoid being branded a witch and arrested, a task made harder by her appointment as a lady in waiting to the queen. Doubling her trouble is a secret only she knows - the queen is dead, and the imposter on the throne is none other than the Fae queen Titania.

The writing shows improvement and growth from its predecessor, one of the main critiques I had of the first book. I love to see the experience in action!

One of my favorite parts continues to be the interludes, a series of story vignettes featuring characters and creatures and dangerous situations. Sometimes the tidbits are related to the main plot, other times not; occasionally they have happy closures, while others end in tragedy.

Patricia Allison encores her great performance for this recording and I recommend it as an excellent way to experience this story.

I'm looking forward to seeing where the series goes next!

While I enjoyed the first book of the series, That Self-Same Metal for the blend of theatre and mythology, I felt there were some issues holding it back from being as good as it could have been. Well, I’m glad that Saint-Seducing Gold improves on many of my issues of the first book, with a tighter and fast paced plot and fleshed out characters, all while raising the stakes, and I couldn’t pull myself away. If you’re into fae, Orisha, Shakespearian London, and magic, this series is one you need to get into as soon as you can!

Overall, the story feels more focused than the first book. The main conflicts are clear and unlike the first book, where I felt like I had to remember a bunch of stuff to keep up, I rarely got confused on things and mostly enjoyed listening through the book over a single weekend (I had a bunch of errands), and it’s not super long either, compared to the last handful of reads that were twice as long. There was little meandering in this one, and I think part of it was the main cast feeling more focused on fewer characters than last time.

Once again, we’re in a magical version of Shakespearian London, where in this book, the fairies have hidden themselves within high human society, with Joan forced to mingle with one in particular, continuing form the very intriguing cliffhanger from the first book. Joan’s out of her element, but still willing to get her godfather out so they can end the crisis before it truly begins. She also has to deal with the magic hating secretary of state, Cecil and his son, William, both of whom I hated by the end for good reason. Quite a bit for her to manage instead of being in a theatre troupe. I really enjoyed Joan’s growth and cleverness as she’s stuck in a situation she doesn’t want to be in, proving herself in more ways in one as she’s trying to restore the pact before the fae get too strong to handle. Her goals and motivations were easier to pinpoint and made me enjoy her twice as much as I did in the first installment. Determined yet caring.

The romance didn’t feel like it was intruding too much into the plot, and it was intriguing to an extent. Especially the whole blackmail into marriage part with someone Joan dislikes. There is the love triangle thing going (Joan is bi), but I have a feeling it won’t be resolved in the traditional manner, which makes me so happy.

There are little interludes that expand the world through other characters, and I felt these were more relevant to the story this time around, and gave us a glimpse of what’s happening. Instead of being a distraction to the story, they were an enhancement.

Overall, the rest of the world was fascinating to explore with interesting magic, which was a high point in the first book, fusing two traditions from different cultures. The fae’s magic was confusing in the fist book, but being more present from the start of this installment, their magic was easier to follow. I wish there was a bit more explained to some of the magic sometimes. The fights are dynamic and easy to follow. Again, some of it gets a bit graphic and bloody, so be warned. The prose was crisp, descriptive, and yet easy to listen to. The narrator, Patrica Allison, was great once again, with her British accent giving an extra air of immersion.

I also did like the historical notes at the end of the book, and actually took notes on some of it. Williams did her research and it shows, as it was a strong point in the first book as well and got better here.

This was a great improvement and I’m looking forward to the final book of the series and see how everything wraps up!

The plot is cooking, and Book 3 is going to be good!
With the Fae taking the face of the Queen and using the boan against Joan, the threats are everywhere.
Joan is used to actions and fighting, so it was genius of the faerie Queen to place her into the political Court element and leave her out of her element. It added a great chance for Joan to grow as a character in an area she was exposed to. The growth of the political plot was just wanted this book needed to grow the characters & the plot.
Between chapters, we witness innocents being attacked, turned and eaten by the fae, now free of their binds - which was excellent to see and adds to the horror of the situation, like that orphanage one & plague scene were terrifying.

This is the second book I've read lately with two love interests that are both amazing, and I was TORN like the main character, but then Rose & Nick suggesting they all be a couple, and I clapped because yes. "Love us both or neither."
Everyone loves each other and supports Joan; I'm here for it! Speaking of that, have you all seen the artwork of Joan/Rose/Nick? It's GORGEOUS!

The narrator was excellent!

ALSO: Cecil and his son, William, DISGUST ME! One is a racist little man, and the other is a weasel/predator trying to threaten Joan into a relationship. I was with Joan and wished she had not saved him.

♡ Audiobook Review ♡
♤ Release April.23 ♤
4 🌟
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•Fae
•Shakespeare vibes
•Queer Romance
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Saint-Seducing Gold is the second installment in the Forge & Fracture Saga, and this book was definitely an improvement from the first book. I can appreciate the first book now because it was definitely giving you the world building before the main storyline and plot. This second book definitely gives you the storyline, plot, and romance. It kept my attention the entire time. Can't wait to read the next one.
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The narrator Patricia Allison did a phenomenal job with this one. I love and enjoyed how she gave each character a different voice, and I was able to tell which character was which and wasn't confused.
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Thank you, Netgalley, and Spotify Audiobook for the ALC - Audiobook for my honest review.

A great blend of historical fiction and fantasy and a wonderful sequel. I enjoyed this original take on 17th century history featuring a bad ass Black heroine who becomes the Queen's consort, wields a sword like no other, loves Shakespeare and his plays and has a secret connection to the fae. Full of action, adventure and cutthroat fantastical beings, this was pure entertainment and great on audio too. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review. I can't wait to see how the series ends! Highly recommended for fans of books like One for all by Lilli Lainoff.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Brittany N. Williams, Spotify Audiobooks, and NetGalley.

I absolutely adored the first book in this series, That Self-Same Metal. When I saw an opportunity to review this sequel on NetGalley, I was extremely excited. Let me just start by saying, this sophomore novel was absolutely wonderful. I tend to struggle sometimes with the 2nd book in a trilogy. At times it can feel like the author is stretching the action or adding filler to force a shorter narrative into a trilogy, which can be frustrating. However, this novel had none of that energy. The story was bursting with action, the cast is greatly expanded as Joan spends more time at the royal court. We meet King James I, who I don't think was even introduced in the first book. As with the first novel, I love the play on Shakespeare's work as well as the real UK historical characters. The author is clearly well versed in British history for this time period and is obviously a fan of Will Shakespeare. I love the Midsummer Nights references. This is very clever and the author is fully able to make it work.
The basics are Joan is Black, she lives with her parents and twin brother in James I's London. Her father is a goldsmith who designs jewelry & weapons. Her brother, James, is an apprentice with the King's Men, William Shakespeare's own theater troupe. Joan choreographs the acting company's fight scenes. She also designs, creates and maintains the troupes' acting weapons. Joan, James and their parents are children of the Orisha. They have magical abilities given to them by their Orisha. Each family member has their own Orisha and gifts. Two millennia before the story starts the Orisha Ogun brokered a pact between the people of the UK and the Fae to protect non-magical residents. This pact was interrupted in the first novel and this entire novel deals with the politics of this fallout. Joan's romantic relationships grow in important ways in this novel as well.
I loved this every bit as much as the first book and eagerly await the third and final book in this series!

Patricia Allison is the perfect narrator for this audiobook. She was also the narrator of the first book in this series, so for me, she is the voice of Joan Sands. Her voice perfectly embodied the emotional scenes and her narration of the fight sequences are unmatched. I hope to listen to more audiobooks narrated by her in the future.

Thank you to Brittany N. Williams, Spotify Audiobooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was an amazing sequel! This book left me speechless. I adored this sequel and do not have the words to properly articulate my love for this sequel. It was everything I could have hoped for.

If you haven't tried this series yet and you are a fan of the fae, queer romance, and Shakespeare then you definitely should. Saint-Seducing Gold (still not sure why this is the title tbh?) continues to follow Joan, a bisexual young Black woman living in a magical version of Shakespearean London where the fae from Midsummer Nights Dream really exist and are trying to take over the human government. She is the daughter of a blacksmith and makes stage weapons for Shakespeare's productions, but is now getting caught up in far larger plots. Not to mention the fact that she is falling for a boy and a girl at the same time, while yet another boy is blackmailing her into a relationship. We got hints in book 1 that this might end up being polyamorous, and based on what happens here I think that is extremely likely. It's a fun, quick read and I will definitely pick up the concluding volume when it releases! The audio narration is great as well. I received an audio review copy of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Picking up the plot where That Self-Same Metal ended, Williams takes readers back into Shakespeare's England where Joan Sands is very much in danger... as is the rest of London.

Saint-Seducing Gold definitely does not suffer from the second book slump. Selfishly I was a little bummed that not much of the plot revolved around any of Shakespeare's plays, but I understand why this book was focused elsewhere. But the conflict kept me on the edge of my seat, I appreciated the development in the romantic side of Joan's life, and now I will be anxiously waiting for the third book in this series to find out what happens next.

The author's note at the end adds more depth to the background of this world and the characters in it.

Patricia Allison does a great job with the audiobook narration.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Spotify Audiobooks in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Saint-Seducing Gold is the thrilling, enrapturing sequel to That Self-Same Metal, with beautiful characters, a fantastic world, and even more adventure.

I LOVED this book. Seeing new and old characters and their development was fantastic, and I loved the budding romance and queer representation. The magic system and world were explored in new and fun ways. The writing was just as captivating, and the book was beautifully paced. And the ENDING. I need book three right now.

The narrator was also fantastic! She captures the story, world, and characters so well and truly makes the reading experience even more powerful!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

Thank you Spotify Audiobooks and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this great book. This is a wonderful continuation of The Forge & Fracture Saga. Lots of action, same great characters, and fast moving plot made this a fast and enjoyable read. Can’t wait to see how it all ends in the final book of the trilogy.