This was a solid read with great potential.

The world building was there, but hard to follow. I think the author needs to work on the details. I can see how readers can get lost in this if they are not into world building.

Overall, the book was intriguing. It does have first book syndrome to me - it seems all just a set-up book. I was expecting a little bit more.

But the character development was also fantastic !

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review *

A Heartfelt and Poetic Journey Through Grief

Daniel McDaniel’s Grieving Gold is a poignant and deeply moving exploration of loss, healing, and resilience. McDaniel’s prose is elegant and evocative, capturing the rawness of grief while weaving in threads of hope and transformation. The metaphor of “gold” to represent both the weight and the value of grief is particularly striking and resonates throughout the book.

The narrative’s pacing is deliberate, allowing readers to linger in the emotional landscape McDaniel crafts. While at times the reflective style can feel repetitive, it ultimately serves the story’s meditative tone, offering solace to anyone who has known the ache of loss.

Grieving Gold doesn’t shy away from the messy, contradictory nature of mourning, and it’s in this honesty that the book shines. McDaniel has created a work that is both intimate and universal, a testament to the human capacity for healing and growth.

Four stars for a beautifully written and emotionally stirring read that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.

I finished Grieving Gold last night and I’m still not a hundred percent certain what to think about it because despite taking my time, and sometimes re-reading parts of it? I came away from this first book in the epic fantasy series, Luminocity, wondering what parts I must have missed and was left with questions I couldn’t answer.

What I think caused most of my problems with fully understanding what was going on and for whom, was that there were several points of view (at least five). Also, it wasn’t always apparent who was talking in that chapter and how what was occurring affected other people we’ve also encountered. If you’re going to have so many people telling their part of an overall event, you need to make it obvious who it is and there are a couple of characters who have a similar ‘voice’ which makes it all the more confusing until you’re a few pages into a chapter in some instances. I think it would have been beneficial to maybe add the character’s name into the chapter to help readers be certain for example ‘PLACE NAME - CHARACTER’ wouldn’t take anything from the book and not have me ( and it seems several other readers needing to double check.

I did enjoy Grieving Gold, even though I did feel disorientated, and might re-read it and annotate to try and reduce some of my uncertainty because I did enjoy the world-building of those living ‘above’ and ‘below’ and the mystery that lingers throughout the book. The age-old battle of Good versus Evil is well done, and some of the sinister characters do make your skin crawl, or perhaps get nauseous. I won’t spoil it for those who like to be unsettled but I would refrain from eating when reading this book due to some uncomfortable albeit brief descriptions. The Gods in Grieving Gold are far from deserving of respect and belief and their priests deserve a harsh kick or two for their self-serving nature. What did have me utterly confused and perhaps I did indeed miss something was how the magic in the world worked properly, I think I got some level of the 'how' at times and then it would be lost.

It has so much potential but I just think that it needed less voices at times because there are moments that just don’t seem necessary and take you away from the story and the how and why of what’s happened. I also think a subtle way of explaining more about the world’s magic would have been beneficial.

I hope book two in the series, when it comes out, will be more fantasy and less, what is happening and to whom which is off-putting.

I’m sad I left this one so long to pick up, as it’s an excellent read.

This is the first in the series, and I was rather upset to find the next one isn’t out yet as I’m keen to continue!

It’s an interesting world, many suns, gods, power in light, but also a lot of darkness, secrets, poverty and riches.

The blurb on the back says it all better than I can, and it really does live upto its promise.

An excellent start, I eagerly await the next book.

My thanks to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very interesting book, and the author has a great voice. I found myself pulled into the story and thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters are well developed. This is a strong first book in the series. I also absolutely love the cover.

This was an extremely unique book alongside the plot. The author was incredibly descriptive with this and the reader was able to vividly imagine the world

The world is incredibly complex with a multitude of characters to get on board with! There’s a lot going on and at some points I did find myself getting a little lost! But overall a gripping story and not a moment of boredom!

Really confusing because of the sheer amount of POV's! Currently catching up to my arcs so I will give a more detailed review in the future!

Because the amount of POV's this book felt very slow to me. The amount of POV's made me lose the plot multiple times and at some point I was just....confused. The only reason I kept pushing through was because of the really cool magic system. Oh I love me a book with an original magic system

Grieving Gold is a thrilling and captivating novel that immerses readers in the unique and mysterious world of Luminocity. Set in a city where the light of three sun gods casts down upon the decaying remnants of an ancient civilization, this book blends fantasy, horror, and a touch of science fiction in a way that kept me hooked from start to finish. The setting itself is fascinating, with the interplay of light, magic, and history adding layers of intrigue to the plot.

The story is both gripping and entertaining, with a pace that never lets up. McDaniel’s writing pulls you into this world effortlessly, and the combination of fantasy and horror elements keeps the tension high throughout. The magic system and the supernatural elements are fascinating, and the twists and turns in the plot make it hard to put the book down.

I thoroughly enjoyed Grieving Gold, and I can’t wait for the next books in the series. I’ll be getting them as soon as they’re released! This book is a must-read for anyone who loves fantasy, magic, and a touch of the eerie. Highly recommend!

The book pulls you in right away with its unique world and intriguing twists.
Laxerion is such an interesting character, his ability to find lies and his struggles with family debt made thia character seem.almost like a real person..
The Aztec-inspired lore and eerie creatures underground gibe this story depth which I really enjoyed. thia is a book that constantly has you wondering what's coming next.

This book was an uphill battle—so many concepts and perspectives, yet nothing truly came together. Too many questions remained unanswered, the prologue and epilogue felt disconnected, and key characters’ motives were unclear.

My thanks to Daniel Makk (the real name of the author) and NetGalley for a free DRC of "Grieving Gold" the first volume of "The Luminocity Seed" by Daniel McDaniel.
This was a bright debut inspired by the South American culture, and while I wanted a bit more cultural exploration, I am glad that the author was respectful and also created an engaging story for new adults.
The worldbuilding, the heist and the eldritch elements were quite fun after I managed to somewhat get used to the multiple points of view (maybe a bit too many POVs?).
My favorite character was Ilumi and I wanted to discover her secrets, but maybe they will be revealed in the next novels.
Overall a decent debut. I think the author is on his way to discover his own style. I hope he moves on from being influenced by Sanderson (not that is a negative thing) and develops a true authentic voice.

Sadly ,I had to dnf, I couldn't really get into this one as much as I thought I would but I think the writing was very good. I would still recommend this to people I know would love this type of story.

Grieving Gold by Daniel McDaniel is a captivating entry into the epic fantasy genre, blending elements of horror, adventure, and mystery. Set in the light-drenched world of Luminocity, the story revolves around five interconnected characters, each grappling with their own unique challenges and destinies.

The world-building is rich and immersive, drawing inspiration from ancient Aztec culture and weaving it seamlessly into a narrative filled with dark twists and eldritch horrors. The city of Luminocity, blessed by three gods, is a character in itself, with its crumbling skyscrapers and underground secrets.

The characters feel well-developed and relatable, each with their own distinct voice and motivations making it easy to remember whos point of view you are following. From Ilumi, the dedicated young scientist, to Dawb, the street urchin, McDaniel creates an array of personalities that drive the story forward. The interplay between light and dark, both literally and metaphorically, adds depth to the narrative, highlighting themes of power, loss, and redemption.

This is new sci-fi, fantasy world where the rich dominate the poor and class structure is very apparent. There is the threat of war looming. Lax, the main character, struggles in his attempts to save his father's bankrupt business. This was not an easy book for me to get through. The world building was a bit choppy and difficult to follow. That paired with the multiple POV storytelling had me running in circles trying to figure out who was where and doing what. At the start of each chapter, I would have to circle back to figure out how it was all related. I love stories told from multiple POV, but this one just didn't have the flow I've seen in other novels. After trudging through the world building and getting my wits about me with characters, it did end up being worth struggling through the entire first half of the book. This is a great book for people that like to keep notes and make drawings to when reading to help organize things.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Took me a while to read this book. Almost 10 months. I nearly gave up, then would read a page or 2, put it down and forget about it, pick it up, read, be bored to tears and wonder if i was going to have to file it under my dnf list which i hate to do. Anyway im glad i stuck with it in the end because it did get better after the 1st 100 pages and opened up into a much better story overall.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

📖 NetGalley Review

Grieving Gold by Daniel McDaniel
Endless Equinox, 1st February 2024

This milti-POV fantasy blends adventure, horror, and mystery. Lax has left home and pursues a life of crime; Lax's older brother Val is a soldier, and they both thought they'd become their father's heir; Illumi is a young scientist at the Scientific Institute; Alana is a would-be huntress; and Dawb is a street urchin seeking revenge for his best friend's killing.

When Lax and Val's father dies, leaving a bankrupt business with huge debts, Val assumes his father's position: General of the reserve armies and High Judge. Lax helps his brother resolve the financial issues. The story unfolds through the POV of Lax, Val, Illumi, Alana, and Dawb, although it is not always clear through whose eyes we are seeing, so it became confusing at times. It was a struggle to understand what was going on in the first part of the book, which detracted from the enjoyment. It was, however, worth wading through this to reach the engaging tale that emerged.

This is a fast-paced adventure with many twists and turns, and the story contains a world of contrasts that make it interesting. There are righ and poor, strong and weak, powerful and powerless, dark and light. If epic fantasy is your bag, you should find Grieving Gold a highly enjoyable read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Daniel McDaniel and Endless Equinox for the eARC provided via NetGalley; this is my honest review.

I tried really hard to get into this book. It has interesting characters who are introduced in detail before they begin to interact. There are so many of them keeping track of who is who was sometimes difficult. By the time they began to interact I had unfortunately given up and could no longer care who did what and why. Not the book for me I’m afraid.

Three sun gods bathe the city of legends, Luminocity, in their blessed light. The city stands on the decaying ruins of an ancient civilization. Skeletal skyscrapers guard their solemn secrets of forgotten technology and past tragedies. A dark God that holds grudges. Great book, Very developed characters.