I enjoyed this book.
I did it find it had a lot of the trendier tropes in it for a fantasy romance. It reminded me of ACOTAR with a some beauty and the beast Stockholm syndrome. It wasn’t too graphically spicy (I’m more of a mid spice fantasy romance reader), so I appreciated that.

The female main character was interesting. I’m really interested in her magic will develop in the next book, but I don’t feel like I really connected to the love interest. I would read the second book to see if he is further developed.

I would like to see a bit more of the world building in a future book, and developing of the seelie vs unseelie realms/people.

Great bones, I just wanted more meat.

As for narration, I found the narrator really easy to listen to. Her narration was dynamic and enjoyable.

I did find the timing between chapters a bit drawn out? There would be times that I thought my book had paused but it was just waiting for the next chapter to start.

The Court That Bleeds Gold by Zara Storm was such an enjoyable listen. I’m excited to see where Eleanor and Ruskin’s journey leads next. Big thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook!

Court That Bleeds Gold was likened to Quicksilver, which I loved, and maybe that's why this unfortunately didn't meet the mark for me.

Rating 3⭐
Spice 🌶️🌶️

FULL ALC REVIEW

This was very similar to Quicksilver, but in a way where it was more predictable? And the FMC was more frustrating. My friend did remind me (because I either overlooked it or stopped paying attention) that the FMC was around 18-20 years old. It's not really confirmed? Like she didn't spat out and say how old she is, again unless I over looked it.

I didn't find anything significant in the story, nor the main characters. I felt the on page interactions between the MCs were very short for them to fall in love. I feel a lot of Romantasies are not really showing on page or mentioning the MCs are indeed interacting with each other. That's how at least how I feel. By the time they are, showing off page, they're already considered "together." Am I making sense? Probably not.

I did find the magic system very interesting, but that's probably really it.

I received the ALC through Netgallery. My review is honest and truthful.

🎧🎧/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️/5
♥️ Hidden Identity
♥️ Bound by a Fae deal
♥️ Unknown magic
This book surprised me. Although the book started off pretty slow, I found myself enthralled in the story. The author's unique take on the 'gold touch' trope was refreshing, as I haven't really heard this kind of spin on it before. I found the narration by Ash Kingsley to be a bit mismatched, as her cheerful voice wasn't fit for this dark romance. There were some surprising torture scenes, and it didn't connect to be read in such a bubbly tone. Despite this, the cliffhanger ending left me eager to continue onto the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this story in exchange for my honest review.

I’d give this one three stars overall. I loved the premis, retelling aren’t always my favourite things to read but I loved that she was an alchemist. But other parts of the story just didn’t hit well enough for me and I started losing interest at about 50% onwards.

What a lovely start to The Gold Weaver trilogy. Our FMC was literally minding her business when she gets captured by the kings guards. In attempts to get away, she strikes a deal with a Fae.

The Fae turns out not to be who she thought and of course we fall for this man.

This books is interesting from the beginning with a great balance of world building and character development.

Our FMC finds herself having to use her wit to get out of dangerous situations while trying to find ways to get out of her deal.

I enjoyed the development in her relationship with the MMC. Also, no trials!!

Looking forward to book two!
The audiobook had great narrators and was an easy listen.

I received a copy of this audiobook on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you!!

If you have an ACOTAR hangover, this book is for you! Loved the emphasis on the traditional fae bargains, the fae inability to lie, and all the consequences of those bargains. Be warned, Eleanor is sometimes infuriatingly stubborn, and Ruskin is of course infuriatingly high fae about, well, everything. The burn is slow and the ending isn't even an HFN so this lands solidly in the fantasy with romance subplot genre for me. There is action and violence but I wouldn't call this dark fantasy either.

I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed it! Ash Kingsley did a great job of having different voices for everybody and it made it easy and enjoyable to listen to.

Thank you to Zara Storm, Relay Publishing, and NetGalley for facilitating me with a review copy of this book at no cost and with no obligation. I reviewed this book voluntarily, and all opinions are my own.

This book is a Rumpelstiltskin/Beauty and the Beast retelling. The concept sounded intriguing, and had the potential to build into an interesting fantasy story, but unfortunately, it just fell a little flat for me!

I mostly liked the main characters, Eleanor and Ruskin, but they lacked character development or believable chemistry. The whole story seemed to hinge on their relationship, and yet she only seemed to like him occasionally, in between her bouts of being impulsive and annoying.

Further into the book, obstacles seem to be overcome a little too conveniently, and I would have appreciated a few subtle references peppered through the earlier chapters to link back to. Things like the FMC “suddenly remembering” something she had learnt in the past to solve a problem, when there had been no prior mention of it in the book, and then is brushed past once the problem is solved.

Overall, this felt like a mashup of popular fantasy books in content, but missed the heart of these books that made them so successful. It’s like if Feyre (ACOTAR) made a deal with the Bargainer (Rhapsodic) in the setting of Elfhame (Cruel Prince) but she also has some alchemy skills with gold. The audio narration was good, though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced listener copy of the audiobook.

I love this cover and it really does give a lot of visual to what the story is revolving around. So this story follows a 19-year-old goldsmith, Raven, who strikes a deal with a Fae Prince so she can get out of a dicey situation. The Fae Prince uses their bargain to keep her at the Seelie Court and expects her to fix a problem without telling her what the problem is. Of course, Raven and the prince are both attractive, and she is 19 and he's many centuries old. This is said to be a dark fantasy. It is not at all a dark fantasy. I kept waiting for the dark part to come into play, but it did not. So if that is what you were hoping for, sorry. This is just a plain old romance. I would say this was heavily inspired by ACOTAR with some Rumplestiltskin influences as well as some of the Iron King/Queen influences in there (This is an older YA series BTW). Basically, most Fae books seem to be similar. Anyway, while reading this book, I enjoyed it, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder "why?". I like that Raven is smart and inquisitive. She is young but loves to learn and is constantly asking questions. Sometimes her inquisitive nature gets her into trouble. I never understand why these 300+ year old men/women fall for these barely adult people, and why do these 300+ year olds always act like they themselves are barely adults? We need a bigger contrast in emotional maturity here. This book, though, does spin some unique qualities with the curse that is placed upon the kingdom and how Raven can manipulate metal. The character development was a bit lacking all around, as well as overall world-building. I don't know if the author was trying to put in a bunch of action to help move the story forward and thought that development of the worlds and characters would slow the pacing, or if she plans on flushing everything out in the coming stories. Raven has this deep connection with her parents, but we don't see much of that relationship beyond passing comments or very short descriptions. Even the human/fairy worlds are limited in descriptions. We find out very little about the rules and systems that this world entails. The story also ends on a cliffhanger, and there seems to be a lot of miscommunication and drama between our FMC and MMC that could easily be solved by a 10-minute conversation. Overall, this is a romance; it is fun and interesting. The heroine is quick on her feet and sharp as a tack. The narrator does a great job with voices and bringing the characters to life. If you enjoy a breezy romance, then you may like this one.

2.5 stars rounded up. I really liked the premise and was interested at the start, but began to lose interest about 50% on. I loved that she was an alchemist, but The romance was one-sided insta love and the storyline felt wobbly.

The Court That Bleeds Hold is the first installment in a fantasy series that follows Eleanor, a young woman who finds herself in a precarious situation—betrothed to a cruel king. In a desperate bid for escape, she strikes a deal with Ruskin, a fae prince. Trapped in the fae realm, Eleanor agrees to use her metallurgy skills to assist Ruskin in exchange for her freedom and a way back home.

I found the writing to be strong, and for a fantasy novel, this was easy to read. The world-building is well balanced—there’s just enough to paint a vivid picture without overwhelming the reader, and the story gets moving quickly. While this is categorized as a dark fantasy, I’d consider it on the lighter side. Eleanor does face moments of cruelty, but nothing too intense—at least in this first book.

The audiobook narration was excellent. The narrator brought the characters to life with a great range of voices that really suited the tone and feel of the story.

A retelling unlike any I've heard or read in a very long time. I was baffled and befuddled, confused, and turned around so many times in this twist Rumple retelling. With a dash of a beauty and the beast feel, the book was enchanting from the moment you start. From our stand in for Gaston in the beginning, to the harrowing journey with our Beast/Rumple, I simply couldn't put it down. This tale stole days of my life and I am not mad about it. I love the characters, the vibrancy in which the author spun her tale, and am excited for what adventures await in the next installment. Profoundly good, exciting, and a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, worth every second. I highly recommend!

The Court That Bleeds Gold was everything I didn’t know I was craving—slow-burn betrayal, power plays, and a morally gray heir who bleeds charm and cruelty in equal measure. He’s not just dangerous.. he’s deliberate. Regal. The kind of man who doesn’t need a sword to kill, just a whispered word and a well-placed smile.

And her? She’s the storm he didn’t see coming. Sharp, quiet, and impossible to control. Their dynamic was pure tension, knife-edge trust, unspoken truths, and that unbearable pull between enemies and something more.

This book gave:
👑 Dark courts & dangerous games
🗡️ Power balanced on a blade’s edge
🔥 Slow-burn tension with real stakes
💔 A heroine who refuses to bow

If you like your fantasy with shadows, secrets, and the kind of chemistry that builds like a war, this one will absolutely deliver. And to the golden prince with blood on his hands and fire in his eyes - you can ruin me any day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the advance listeners copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5⭐️ - an immersive audiobook with decent book and will please fans of the genre. The story has a strong foundation, with rich lore and atmospheric writing that paints a vivid picture of a realm dripping in intrigue and blood-soaked power plays.

The audiobook narration was solid overall. The narrator brought the story to life and handled the complex world-building well. However, some character voices could have used more distinction, and pacing in a few chapters felt uneven. Overall not perfect, but definitely worth a listen for fans of the genre.

3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up)

This book was heavily inspired by Rumpelstiltskin, and executed it very well.

The vibes were dark, the love interest was broody, and the banter was bantering. The worldbuilding? Gorgeous. The angst? Chef’s kiss. The pacing? Like trying to drive a sports car with a flat tire.

Docking one star because sometimes the pacing went full turtle when I needed it to sprint — but overall, I devoured this. Highly recommend if you like fantasy that’s dark, spicy, and has you questioning things. Still, the romance delivered enough tension to keep me invested. Not a new fave, but if you like dark fantasy with spicy moments and can forgive a few hiccups, it’s worth a read. Just...go in with lower expectations lol.

I did listen to the audiobook, and the narrator killed it. She honestly slayed the different accents.

Thank you so much to Zara Storm and Victory editing for the ALC! I absolutely loved this audiobook. Most of the time I tend to enjoy books with multiple narrators, but holy cow Ash Kingsley did such an amazing job with all the different voices. The story like others that I’ve read from Zara was absolutely amazing and I really enjoyed it! It has such interesting elements that I haven’t read before in a fantasy! (Rumpelstiltskin elements) I love how interesting Zara’s stories are, but they never get overwhelming to understand! I love an easy read and would definitely recommend the audiobook!

“This doesn’t mean you own me! You Need Me!”

CourtthatBleedsGold by ZaraStorm
is book one in the TheGoldWeaver , and is a 3.8 ⭐️ read.

The Audiobook is Out Now and this is a completed series.

Desperate to escape marrying a brutal king, she makes a deal with a Fae Prince...

The Court that Bleeds Gold is the first book in a dark fantasy romance trilogy. This enemies to lovers series has shades of Rumpelstiltskin and Beauty and the Beast, with a dark hero who will absolutely burn this damned world to the ground for our sharp-tongued heroine. Expect steam, violence and plenty of barbed exchanges.

—:—:—:—:—

I do love a good retelling, and this one is GOOD! The mix of a few stories to build a world I came to enjoy was a great balance and exactly what is needed for fantasy readers. I didn’t find the book to be too dark, so it’s good if this is a toe in the warm waters if you’re looking to read darker books.

Favourite Quote: “My brave and brilliant gold weaver, how could I have ever underestimated you?”

Spicy Level - 🌶️🌶️

Note: Please read and review all trigger warnings before reading any recommended book. We love to read for our pleasure, so keep your mind, and emotions safe!

Audio Book Available
Publisher: Relay Publishing
Narrator: AshKingsley
Publication date: Out Now!

This book was ok, it was an easy listen and the gold aspect was cool.

There were some twists and turns along the way which gave the book a lift, otherwise it was a lot of internal dialogue of being wary/hating of the fae, and then falling into a romantic dalliance with Ruskin felt a little bit unexpected.

I wanted more depth, an understanding of why Ruskin was the way he was, a little darkness would have been nice, it was like shadow daddy vibes without the shadows and baddiness... eh I dunno, it was missing something, tension maybe?

Or maybe it was Eleanor... She schemed, made assumptions, was flippant with peoples feelings and had an unnecessary agenda, she literally walked herself into every situation she faced.

Ruskin and his band of merry folk were great, I loved the dynamic and comradery between cheeky Destan and feisty Halima, they gave life to the story.

The narrator did a good job, I enjoyed their tone and the way they presented the different characters. The book just left me a little bit meh and I don't feel the urge to know what happens next which is a shame.

Overall, more drama, depth and darkness needed to really suck me in.

I liked the premise, it sounded interesting and fun and although we started quite well at the market and with a bit of action I can’t say I loved the book.
I found the fmc irritating, extraordinarily beautiful, kind hearted, everyone wants to marry her but she just wants to help people, scared of everything but back chats anyone going.
I didn’t find any ‘banter’ funny or that interesting and once the story got going not that original.
All in all it was fine but I didn’t love it.
Fine narrator