ALC Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The narrator did a good job and conveyed the personality of the FMC just fine. If the rating was based on voice acting this would have been a 4 star rating.

The FMC, being the main POV we witness and hear the story through, made my listening experience a struggle at points. I did end up reading the book too through KU. Just to see how they compared and I did enjoy the audiobook when the FMC wasn't blaming everyone else for her situation. Lots of whining. I can understand including some of it, but it came off repetitive, hard to listen to, and surprising based on her years of experience dealing with the Fae.

I liked the twist of Beauty and the Beast with Rumpelstiltskin. I loved the magic/alchemy aspects we got to see. I would have liked more of it.

The glimpses of the world within the story and the side characters kept me going. While the world building could have been more detailed, this being the first book in a series with clear indications this was a Beauty and the Beast + Rumpelstiltskin it was enough to carry the storyline.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ALC!

Great concept well written good spice. If you are an avid reader you can definitely see where this author pulls inspiration and maybe take a guess at what some fav authors are. I can see the authors imagination and original ideas in this. Enjoyed it

✨𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ✨
‘𝘈 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘉𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥’ 𝘣𝘺 𝘡𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮

⭐️ 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: (𝟒/𝟓)
Overall this book is very well written. A unique take on a Rumplestiltzkin re-telling. It caught my attention right away, and held it throughout the entire book.

🌶️ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: (𝟐/𝟓)
The tension and playfulness between the MC’s in this book is very well written. A good amount of angst and supernatural attraction. A couple M x F intimate scenes in which will make you come back for more.

🎧 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: (𝟓/𝟓)
The narration was very, very well done. High quality audio and an excellent performance by Ash Kingsley. Her ability to play both a non-annoying FMC voice, and a sexy, accented male voice is very impressive.

“𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵… 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨.”

—

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
Enemies to lovers, fae male x human female, captor x prisoner, forced proximity, power imbalance, alchemy, seelie and unseelie fae.

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬:
While this book has magic, just like most fantasies, I particularly enjoyed the way the author spun alchemy into the mix. The way she described the magic and science together makes it very interesting! I’m pumped for the next book!

—
𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰, ⁣
⁣
I just want to give a huge shoutout to Zara Storm and Victory Editing. This book is fun and well-written, and I am very grateful that I received an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate your trust, and I am looking forward to the next book in this series. Thank you for taking the time to read my review!
⁣
𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, @𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘉𝘦𝘦.𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴⁣
⁣
For more reviews and bookish content, find me on TikTok and Instagram.

Court that Bleeds Gold is a dark fantasy full of court intrigue, rich world-building, and a unique magic system. A compelling start to The Gold Weaver series, even if the pacing lagged in spots. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC!

Book one of The Goldweaver Series by Zara Storm. Thanks to the author, NetGalley and publishers. What an absolute ride. Dark fae courts and magic. I love a good enemies-to-lovers, especially an sloooow burn. Read the series, you’ll love it.

Retellings are usually my thing and I’ve read a thousand so I was happy to read a different twist.
For a story marketed as a dark romantic fantasy, I expected something with a little more darkness. That said, the lighter tone didn’t take away from the fun I had while listening.

One thing I really appreciated was how curious and questioning the female lead was. In a lot of fantasy books, especially when humans cross into fae realms, the characters tend to just accept the bizarre things happening around them without much thought. This heroine wasn’t like that. She asked questions, looked for explanations, and brought a refreshing layer of logic and science into the story. I especially loved how she used her knowledge and skills not just for herself, but to help her family, her town, and eventually the fae world she finds herself in. The blend of science and alchemy was a great touch.

As for the audiobook narration, Ash Kingsley has a lovely, engaging voice. There were moments where her pacing felt a little repetitive, but overall she did a fantastic job breathing life into the characters. Her voice work was spot on and really added personality to the story.

If you’re a fan of the Fae, with all their charm and quirks, this is definitely a listen I’d recommend. It gave me the same kind of vibes as a Holly Black book if Holly Black ever ventured into retellings. The familiar fae-world atmosphere mixed with its own unique twists made it a great addition to my audiobook library.

I really enjoyed the story and the characters. Looks like I have to find the second book.

The narrator did an amazing work in this enjoyable book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Audio ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for a great book.

Mixing elements of Rumpelstilskin and Beauty & the Beast, our fmc can blend metals into gold, which earns her the attention of not only the king of the human realm, but also prince regent of the fairy realm (mmc). Tied to him through a deal she can not leave the feary realm until she manages to un-make gold. But the reasons for doing so aren’t disclosed to her. So she sets out to not only free herself from the deal, but find out what is going on with this Prince, his kingdom and the need for un-making anything.

This book is written from the point of view of the fmc, who pulls us into her ways of thinking and her back and forth between reason and heart. It is what drives the plot forward and makes for the most interesting plot lines.

This personally found the back and forth a bit tiering and immature; it felt like the fmc kept changing her mind (although I think it was meant has listening to reason vs listening to her feelings/heart).
This was mainly evident in the romance. Trying to use the chemistry to get the mmc to do what she wants (mind), but after getting it on being super emotionally invested and telling herself he is the best and most handsome guy ever (heart).

The mmc was truly morally gray (which I appreciate). Until the end we don’t know what his motives are, how much of the truth he isn’t telling, if he is mainly using our fmc for his end goal… it worked well paired with the back and forth between heart and mind of our fmc.

The side characters though were well written and made the plot a lot more enjoyable. They made me laugh more than once.

The world building was a bit weak, maybe it will be explored more in the next book. I am hopeful, because the potential is great!

To sum it up:
I had a good time
I will read book 2
I would recommend, but add a warning about a frustratingly indecisive fmc
Review on Instagram has been uploaded on June 20th

This book was so great and fun!!

I love the Rumpelstiltskin meets Beauty and the Beast vibes. I was sucked in right away and can't wait to get to book 2.

If you like:
Alchemy / magic collide
Fae
Slow burn
Lies, deceptions, half truth

was given an advanced reader copy of this work in audio format from Netgalley in free of charge in return for an honest review.

The Narration is excellent and really brought the story and its characters to life. Very well done.
I was drawn to the book first by the cover art a black back ground , golden chains and the golden bloody heart it caught my eye and i just couldn't look away. i had to know what the story was and wow what a story it was!

Elenor Thorne has grown up knowing that the Fae are dangerous and not to be trusted. She deals with them on market day for the gold so she can obtaine the ore she needs for her alchimical experiments. She's so close to creating gold and improving the lives of herself and her family and those in her village she can feel it. And then it goes horribly wrong.

This story is a mix of Rumpelstiltskin and beauty and the beast. And it most certainly has spicy sceans that will keep you reading long past your bed time. I really loved this read and am so glad i picked it up.

if fairytales and sexy fae are your bag then this read is totally for you.

Fantasy
Romance
Retelling
Enemies to Lovers

An absolute joy to listen to.

I am not one for retellings but this was a lot of fun. The narrator did an absolutely splendid job with the audio and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Her voices were spot on and she really brought the story to life.
The book itself I would compare to a Holly Black book if she did retellings, it had a lot of the same characteristics and elements of her world which I enjoyed.
I can easily recommend this Audio book for everyone who love the Fae and their quirks as I do.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing for this Audio-arc.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this audio ARC.

For something being described as a dark romantic fantasy, I expected something…darker.

I love how inquisitive the FMC was. In some fantasy books, I think the human character going into fae lands just accept the things they see rather than trying to figure them out.

As the book progresses, secrets are exposed that make the premise of the book increasingly more interesting. The more details that were revealed, the more I was enjoying reading it. I like that this had a combination of science and alchemy - the fmc uses her knowledge and abilities to help her family, her community, and later, the fae realm.

The narrator was great! I really enjoyed the accents she was able to do throughout the story to differentiate characters and their personalities.

Would love to know more about this world! Impatiently waiting for book #2.

I can’t tell you what it is about this book that had me so enraptured. Maybe there was crack laced in the story and it somehow managed to seep through my headphones? Whatever it was, I could not stop once I started and I’m fairly certain I’m about to binge the rest of the series.
I absolutely LOVE the Rumpelstiltskin aspect to this, and I like the added Beauty & the Beast twist.
I really enjoy Eleanor. She’s spunky and empathetic, without being some overly badass, somehow knows how to fight FMC. Basically, she’s real (for a fantasy protagonist). She works hard and she’s essentially a fantasy representation for STEM. I think it is so cool that she is part blacksmith part alchemist. Ruskin is a big broody ball of mysteries but with a soft side. He’s willing to do what he must for the good of his people but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. I like that about him. I can’t wait to crack him open as the series continues.
There weren’t any insane twists for me in the story and I was able to predict them for the most part. That said, I have some question and I’m super intrigued to see where this goes.
Ash Kingsley was great as the narrator. I really enjoyed her voice and accent(s). I think she did well portraying the different characters and the different moods.

Thank you to the author for the ALC!

I went into this audiobook with no expectations and ended up finding it a light, enjoyable listen. The story doesn’t go deep into complex world-building or crazy plots, it was just what I needed between heavier reads.

It’s mildly spicy (2–3 scenes), a bit predictable, and finishes without a massive cliffhanger.. though it did leave me curious enough to want to continue the series. Strangely, my favourite character ended up being Destan, a side character! 😆

I wasn’t completely sold on the FMC, but I’m hopeful she’ll grow in book two. The MMC felt a bit forgettable to be honest. I’m not super attached to either of the main characters yet.

As for the narration, Ash Kingsley has a pleasant tone, but her delivery felt a bit repetitive. There wasn’t much vocal variation, and I found myself wishing for more emotional range to help bring the story to life.

This is perfect if you’re after a lighter dark fantasy romance with fae, gold-spinning, and a mysterious prince, this could be a fun one to try!

This is my second Zara Storm novel and another fae prince-based romance, but honestly? I’ll take all the fae romances I can get my greedy little hands on.

Ms. Storm has a talent for creating rich worlds, engaging, heart-palpitating storylines, and intriguingly questionable, sometimes irritating, but always lovable characters. I think her writing style, however, just doesn’t resonate with me. That’s purely a personal preference, in no way a reflection of her skill as a writer, and the primary reason I’ve rated this book three stars.

In The Court That Bleeds Gold, Eleanor Thorn tells a desperate lie to escape a forced marriage, claiming she can spin gold. When the lie becomes truth, she finds herself imprisoned and sold to the last person she ever expected: Ruskin, a powerful and dangerous fae prince with his own secrets and scars. Dragged into the politics and power games of the fae realm, Eleanor must navigate a brutal world of betrayal, magic, and enemies-to-lovers tension that crackles off the page.

It’s dark, it’s romantic, it’s brutal. It should be added to your TBR immediately.

Ash Kingsley does a fine job narrating. I always admire a narrator’s ability to bring fantasy to life, and Ash handles the characters’ intonations and accents with skill.

Thank you to NetGalley, Relay Publishing, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and Zara Storm for this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loved loved loved this ALC ! It was just SO MUCH FUN , it was gripping, the banter kept me entertained
The story plot and spicy was just brilliant. Everything i want in a book
4.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the audiobook for my honest opinion.

I was instantly hooked with this book. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast meets ACOTAR.

Eleanor is a human who strikes a deal with the Fae Prince in order to free herself from the human King. It's obvious what happens with the Fae Prince and Eleanor but the story getting there was oh so good!!!

The cliffhanger at the end has me running for book two!

The narrator did a fantastic job. She was so so good!!

Beauty and the Beast meets A Curse So Dark and Lonely. I could almost compare it to ACOTAR, but I'm really hoping our MMC's character arc here is different (IYKYK).

'Then a voice soft as velvet, dark as the night, speaks behind me. "You called?"'

The selection of Ash Kingsley as narrator for this book was perfect! She did an amazing job, and her voice would have been my headcanon for this story without knowing it. I could not stop listening, and I've already got the next two books pre-ordered.

The writing felt a little imperfect, and some parts of the story could have used a bit more detail - but like I said, I've already pre-ordered the next two books!

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the Audio ARC!

I was pulled into this story's world almost instantly. I couldn't stop listening! Eleanor is like my spirit animal. I love a girly who is both strong and determined. The dynamic with her and Ruskin kept me on the edge of my seat. I love a good enemies to lovers. The world building and type of magic for the ghost of a story I had heard before was what really drew me in. The ending definitely made me want to pick up book two!

An easy to follow romantasy with fun vibes of Ruplestilskin and Beauty and the Beast. Eleanor is a woman who hates the unfairness of the world she had been born into. She is resourceful and driven to better not only her life but that of those around her, even those she doesnt particularly like. Eleanor is not content to keep quiet and do as she is told. She truly believes in justice and honesty. Ruskin is a morally gray MMC, need I say more? 🥰 I really enjoyed this book and im definitely going to try the rest of the series. Netgalley was kind enough to let me borrow the audiobook and the narration was great!