Thank you to NetGalley for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review

I really wanted this to be a five star read for me but unfortunately it just didn’t quite cut it.

Grieving Gold is the first book in a new epic fantasy series. It is a multi-pov that follows a number of different characters of different genders and ages in the city of Lumo no se or “luminocity” a city that has a vast wealth and privilege gap between the wealthy and the poor. The story predominantly revolves around Lax,a young con-man who has been tasked by his ailing father with saving the failing family business. As Lax works on balancing the books, there is war brewing, both with the neighbouring country and the city’s seedy underbelly. Will Lax save the family business? And will anyone make it out alive?

For the first 50% of this book I really struggled with the constantly changing POV as it felt like I was starting over with every chapter but eventually I found the groove and really liked it. It was fast past and engaging and I cannot wait to see how the storylines eventually all weave together.

I did think that this book struggled with the world building and the magic system a little bit. The world it takes place in, and the magic system are extensive and I wish they had been explained a little bit more upfront, as I still feel as though I don’t truly understand them.

This book is good for people who enjoy
- multi POV
- Interesting magic systems
- Epic fantasy
- A “show, don’t tell” world building style

I enjoyed the story once I got really into it, and will be looking forward to reading the next one once it comes out, to start piecing more of the overlying story together. Overall I gave Grieving Gold 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Endless Equinox for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Grieving Gold by Daniel McDaniel had all the elements that usually draw me into a story—a world rich with mythology, a protagonist with a morally gray streak, and the promise of high-stakes heists. However, despite these intriguing aspects, I found it difficult to connect with the book and struggled to follow the storyline.

One of the main issues I had was with the complexity of the plot. The concept of a world where powers are granted by the gods, specifically the abilities to find and lose, is fascinating. However, the way these powers were explained and woven into the narrative left me more confused than captivated. The story seemed to jump between various subplots and characters without enough clarity, making it hard to keep track of who was who and what was truly at stake.

Laxerion, the protagonist, is a character with potential—a thief navigating high society, trying to save his family’s failing business, all while facing threats from a dangerous crime lord. Yet, I found it challenging to get a solid grasp on his character and motivations. His internal conflicts and relationships, particularly with his estranged father, were hinted at but never fully explored in a way that made me feel invested in his journey.

The pacing also contributed to my difficulty with the book. The narrative moved quickly from one event to another, but without sufficient development or explanation, it felt more disorienting than thrilling. The world-building, while imaginative, was dense and sometimes overwhelming, making it hard to visualize the setting and understand the stakes of the unfolding conflict.

Additionally, the intertwining fates of multiple characters and the looming war on the horizon added layers of complexity that, instead of enriching the story, left me feeling lost. The introduction of eldritch beasts and ancient secrets promised a dark, exciting turn, but the execution was too convoluted for me to fully appreciate or enjoy.

In summary, Grieving Gold is a novel with a lot of ambition and a unique premise, but it didn’t quite work for me. The intricate plot, fast pacing, and dense world-building might appeal to readers who enjoy piecing together complex stories and don’t mind a bit of confusion along the way. However, if you prefer a narrative that’s easier to follow with more straightforward character development, you might find this book challenging to get into, as I did.

A promising start to a new sci-fi fantasy adventure epic!

As other reviewers have noted, this can be a challenging read due to the multiple POVs (at least 5) and storylines that all twist and intertwine with each other. The author is world-building and trying to cover the breadth of this, but there were points were the story lagged a bit and as a reader, i did at times struggle to remember who was what and where doing which thing.

But I stuck with it! And am so glad I did, because I am invested now and will need to get hold of the next book to see how the story develops from here.

I really enjoyed the fantasy element and the whole mystery around the magic and how the world seems to have been split into those that live 'below' and those 'above'. Book 1 has introduced an intriguing world on the cusp of civil war, with good and evil at play along with gods ruling the sky, mystical and incredibly powerful priests with their own agenda and all the characters in their own way trying to find their purpose/way in the world. Not everyone is human in the traditional sense and the magic element seems to present differently for everyone - definitely piqued my interest and drew me in.

This was well-written and enjoyable! The world-building and magic system are unique and distinctive; something vastly different from other fantasy novels. As the first book in a series, the pacing can be slow at time due to character introductions (of which there are many), and information dumping. I did find I had to take detailed notes to keep up with the storyline here and there. With 5 main POV's and a whole world to learn, it was overwhelming sometimes BUT I kept with it and delighted in the story as it mixes fantasy elements with horror features. Overall, a great read from a new author!

Thank you to NetGalley & the Daniel McDaniel for allowing me to escape into the world of Lumo No Se.

Grieving Gold is an epic fantasy full of fantastical elements full of gods and magic. As a mexican-american, Grieving Gold is particularly significant to me. I enjoyed the Aztec mythology in a fantasy setting because it is something you never see anywhere. McDaniel prose is brilliant.

I loved Laxerion and his wily ways, his use of his magic always astounded me. With witty banter and a heist it made this book memorable.

I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys an interesting magic system and supernatural elements.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC.

An adventurous novel that transports readers into the city of Luminocity. The book has interesting and distinctive POVs that intertwine the story perfectly, overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I couldn't make it past 40 pages before I had to give up to save my sanity.

***'Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

(please for the love of god indent paragraphs; this book is far too convoluted to be staring at a wall of unbroken text for 450 pages.)

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!