Grieving Gold” immerses readers in the sun-kissed city of Luminocity, where gods grant unique powers. Our protagonist, Laxerion, adept at finding lies, leads daring heists. But when he inherits a failing family business and faces a deadly debt, his life takes a treacherous turn. Meanwhile, war looms, ancient secrets stir, and eldritch beasts awaken.

Now, to the heart of the matter: “Grieving Gold” is a labyrinth of characters and plotlines. While the world-building shines, the sheer complexity can overwhelm. Multiple POVs and intricate threads make it a challenging read. If you seek epic fantasy, proceed with caution—this treasure hunt demands patience and focus.

This started off really good but I quickly found the writing style wasn't for me. I could tell that it was going to be very slow paced and full of info dumps, so I decided to quit while I was ahead.

I would recommend it to fans of high fantasy who don't mind a slow paced read.

This book took entirely too long to finish only to end up with a rating of 1.5 stars. In the beginning I was invested, the magic system was intrigued me and I wanted to see how the author would expand on it. The main character we were following had baggage and I was here for it. I even had a favorite character.

However it all started going downhill. More and more characters were introduced that it was difficult to follow them all and remember the facts about their situation. Names were quickly forgotten and each chapter I read seemed like a means to an end, not an actual interest to know what was going to happen to them. I couldn't get attached to anybody because I knew too many characters and everything was getting jumbled. I usually don't mind following multiple characters, but in this case it was especially annoying because barely any of them intertwined or made sense. I could see the author attempting to represent the city and world as a whole, yet it fell short and was exponentially more confusing.

I wish the magic system was more expanded especially: how does one get these powers? why are these powers given? is it inherited or a result of the environment? I understand that this is a series and that these may be answered in a later book, yet I very much do not want to continue this series if every book reads like this. This review took so long because every time I picked the book up I wanted to put it down.

See, the magic system is just amazeballs! How original and well thought out! I really enjoyed it, but there is a big BUT!
The story is written different POVs, which in itself isnt bad, but there are many (and I mean like 5) different POVs, and it was really hard to keep up with and even remeber who is who and what they want. I routinely confused characters, and had to backtrack (my ADHD is a curse sometimes) and check prvious info and names.

Grieving Gold is the first book in a series by McDaniel. Be forewarned this book is huge. The cover, synopsis and influences from South American culture entice a reader. However, it has a very interesting magic system that I really don't understand, using light or the dark on enhance abilities. There are five separate POV's which jump around and are not brought together until later in the story. The two prologues griped me in but felt like a tease because they were not expanded on. This is different and if you are willing to plow through the changing POV's I think readers will enjoy this different type of fantasy.

YES! Now that's what I'm talking about! This book was everything I look for in an epic fantasy! Incredible world building, strong character development and relationships, intriguing and intense plot, and just overall excitement and enjoyable! Highly recommend, especially to fantasy readers. Easy five starts!

A solid start to a series!
There are huge amounts of world building and lots of povs to follow so it did take me a while to get into the story - I had to read it in bite sized segments to absorb everything that was going on and remember what pertained to who. But once I got into the flow of things it was a lot easier to pick up the pace. Bear in mind, for me this was at around page 150 - it's a dense book! What kept me interested throughout was the characters; I mainly enjoy character driven stories where they are well fleshed out and so far that delivers here!

As this is the start of a series the majority of this book is setting all the ground work for the next one and I have certain favourite characters I hope to find out more about and follow their journey in the next one!

Ok I’m not gonN write a lot cause I don’t want to spoil, it is in fact a book best to go in blind. It was captivating and the magic system was unique in a way I only find for my favorite authors nowadays. It low key reminded me of the Silverblood Promise? Mostly the vibes I guess.

Ok so here's my dilemma with this book. I loved the world building and the intricacy of this book. However, I feel like I was misled by the synopsis. There was only one character mentioned in the synopsis, when this is actually a multi-POV story. I enjoy multi-POV, but I feel like I didn't get to stay with any character long enough to develop an attachment to them. It was also difficult to tell whose POV I was reading when the chapter started. That aspect made for a difficult reading experience for me.

I couldn’t get into the story just as I thought. Not disappointed but need more depth, I think. I can't remember when was the last time when I read a book in which the whole plot was 100% equal to what was written in the blurb and nothing more. There was no surprise there, no resolution to any of the plot threads and the whole story was blatantly predictable and painfully dull.

"Grieving Gold" by Daniel McDaniel is a dark fantasy novel set a world where divine powers of light and darkness govern the lives of its inhabitants.
I really enjoyed the world building and how the the author is drawing inspiration from Aztec mythology. McDaniel's depiction of Luminocity creates a captivating backdrop for the story and the magic system, centered around the powers to find and lose, is interesting, though a bit vague in how it works. Character development is another strong suit though the numerous POVs were initially confusing. The pacing is generally well-handled despite a feeling that the opening sections of the book felt like a bit of a false start.
Overall, it's a promising start.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

Wow! This book was one of the most immersive and in depth fantasy worlds I've read in a while. It really was very complex, with a lot of moving parts and characters, but also so intriguing! I found myself wanting to keep reading. Daniel's writing, worldbuilding and storytelling was fantastic.

This story follows a handful of characters on their own journeys within the world of Lumo No Se. These characters intertwine and become important in each other their stories as they try to survive in this apocalyptic world faced with many hierarchy imbalances. The world has just started to gain new technologies and discoveries, while there are 3 suns that protect the world from darkness. The magic system is sooo cool! Although it can be confusing at parts, it was really well thought out with Daniel thinking of every detail. There were aspects of science fiction with the different technologies and moving parts, which was an interesting addition.

I loved Dawb and his little crew. They were all so tough and had been through so much despite being kids. Lax and his storyline was also so interesting, and I found myself loving the progression of the storyline once he met Aaina. The characters all had goals to reach and their own motivations, but I did not find myself getting confused with the POV's or lost much.

Towards the end, it really gained momentum and sets up the next book really well. I really found myself interested and on edge, but my biggest complaint was I wish there was romance! But I did find myself not necessarily looking for it as the plot held well on its own without it.

Ok advance publicity told me that this was the first novel in what they hope will be an epic series, however I was still disappointed when I finished reading this first instalment.
The book is full of numerous intriguing and interesting characters and storylines which only intersect briefly and infrequently. Although each thread kept me engaged throughout I felt robbed of the time I had invested when I finished reading and none of them came to a satisfying conclusion.
A good read if you are a fan of fantasy and don’t mind being left hanging!

I would like to express my gratitude to Net Galley and Endless Equinox for providing me with an advance copy of this book.

I found this story to be truly captivating from the very first chapter. The vivid imagery drew me in, and I was engrossed in each character's unique storyline. The novel is structured with chapters dedicated to different characters' points of view, which added depth to the narrative. I often found myself eagerly anticipating the next chapter, as each one left me wanting more.

Despite my enjoyment of the book, I did encounter some challenges due to the large number of characters. It took a significant amount of time for their paths to intersect, and even when they did, the interactions were brief and left me craving more development. The ending of the book left me with more questions than answers, making it feel like I had only scratched the surface of the story.

Overall, I believe that the groundwork laid in this book sets the stage for an incredible sequel. I am eager to see how the story unfolds in the next installment of the series and look forward to delving deeper into the world and characters that have been introduced.

There is A LOT going on in this book - many characters, plot lines, and world building concepts. I found myself reading and digesting this story at a slower pace so that I could keep characters and plot lines straight. The final chapters of the book, where the plot lines of several of the characters began to converge, was when I decided I couldn't put the story down.

The world building was laid out so delicately by the author. Everything felt purposeful in a way that makes you feel like you're trying to solve a cold case. Did I mention that the uniqueness of almost everything in this book was refreshing? Well, it is. This is the sort of book that makes you want to take notes, because the little details resurface in later parts of the story and begin to fit together in satisfying ways. I'm looking forward to finding out what is in store next!

Really appreciate the opportunity,unfortunately this was not for me.
I found the world building and the whole concept of the book great,but the jumping from story to story was really confusing. It was like reading a book a long time ago and trying to remember what it was about,and then you would jump to another story and so on.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6498012014

Very imaginative and unique world building, and some promising characters who I felt I was starting to get to know and care about by the end of the book. The author also has a real talent for suspenseful set piece action scenes. On the flip side, there is a lot of ground - and a lot of different storylines and viewpoints - covered in this book, which meant it took me a while to get into it and which sometimes jarred as it chopped and changed between them. But I think that might be because this has been a labour of love for the author that he has been nursing for years - and all that time and care does show. I will read the next one in the series. Thanks to him, the publisher and author for the ARC.

This book was . . . hard to enjoy. It promises epic, which is does give, but feels as if it bit off more than it could chew into easily digestible pieces. So many characters, two prologues essentially, a lot of info dumping in the beginning. There's a lot of great here too. Though I felt there were too many characters to get the pace flowing well and stay in the flow, the characters were great. I just had a hard time falling in love with the book or staying in love when I did. I wouldn't discourage people from giving this book a try though.

First, this cover is stunning—it made me so excited to have on my Kindle's lock screen! The world building was very creative and explained in a way that was easy to understand, as was the magic system. The duality of light and dark within this book made this a very intriguing read, and the scenes flowed well together, especially as we wove in and out of action scenes. While the science fiction aspect was a little challenging for me, that is due to my lack of familiarity with this area and nothing to do with the quality of the writing. I did find the amount of POVs to be difficult to stick with, but, again, that could just be a me thing!

Thank you to Daniel Makk, Endless Equinox, and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

So. Many. POVs. (Let's see... Lax, Val, Ilumi, Dawb, Aiana, that random Razu guy, the Duke, and then the two prologues and the epilogue)

Grieving Gold is an epic fantasy with multiple POVs and one of the coolest magic systems I've ever seen. Characters can either "find" or "lose" aspects of themselves, such as courage, strength, lies, and even who they are as a person. The way this was portrayed was very intriguing, and I also liked the mixture of sci-fi elements and fantasy elements. Honestly, the worldbuilding was what kept me reading in the beginning.
My biggest issue with this book was the plot and the lack of direction for the first half. I know multiple POV stories in which characters don't immediately meet can feel slower, but this one genuinely confused me at points. Not only are there five "main" POVs to keep track of, but the reader frequently goes more than five chapters without hearing back from some of the characters. While I found the ending more interesting, I still feel like the majority of this book was set up for the sequel, and while that isn't an inherently bad thing, I think some pacing issues could be resolved.
Because there were so many characters, I'll focus on the main ones. I think Ilumi was my least favorite just because she never really got "involved" with the other characters (besides Dawb), and I still don't understand how she ties in completely. I also had issues connecting with Aiana, but she is probably one of the more intriguing characters, given where she lives. I liked both Val and Lax a lot, although I went back and forth between who I liked more (and I think I decided on Val?). Dawb gave major Fishcake from Mortal Engines vibes, and I think he was probably my favorite.
Fans of epic fantasies with unique magic systems and what I presume will be a found family of some sort will enjoy Grieving Gold and all of its twisty character dynamics.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5