My Books

THE GILDED CROWN

EVERY LIFE COMES AT A PRICE

The first time Hellevir visited Death, she was ten years old…

Since she was a little girl, Hellevir has been able to raise the dead. Every creature can be saved for a price, a price demanded by the shrouded figure who rules the afterlife, who takes a little more from Hellevir with each soul she resurrects.

Such a gift can rarely remain a secret. When Princess Sullivain, sole heir to the kingdom’s throne, is assassinated, the Queen summons Hellevir to demand she bring her granddaughter back to life. But once is not enough; the killers might strike again. The Princess’ death would cause a civil war, so the Queen commands that Hellevir remain by her side.

But Sullivain is no easy woman to be bound to, even as Hellevir begins to fall in love with her. With the threat of war looming, Hellevir must trade more and more of herself to keep the princess alive.

But Death will always take what he is owed.

Praise for THE GILDED CROWN:

‘First-class fantasy. Marianne Gordon is a superb writer who brings a rare sensual and emotional richness to the world she so skilfully creates. This is a compulsively readable book that raises profound and unsettling questions around power, life, death and love. Highly recommended’ Alison Croggon, award-winning author of The Books of Pellinor

'Has the feel of an ancient fairy tale freshly told' Freya Marske, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Marvellous Light

'Fantastic series opener… A richly imagined beginning that shouldn’t be missed' Kirkus

'Fascinating dark fantasy… A study of kindness and humanity. This series is off to a promising start' Publishers Weekly

'A beautiful fantasy full of quests, court intrigue, and star-crossed lovers…' Library Journal

Comments

My Book Has Published! The Gilded Crown, Book 1 of the Raven's Trade Series

The Gilded Crown, HarperVoyager My debut novel, The Gilded Crown , is now published! Having a book finished and out there is something of a dream come true, and it's a real honour to be publishing with HarperVoyager. I've been writing since I was a child and I've always known it was what I wanted to do. I think it emerged from a complete paralysis about what I should morph my life into; pirate, firefighter, astronaut, soldier, I was spoiled for choice at a young age and very privileged to be in a position to become whatever I wanted to be (well, except perhaps pirate, but there's still time). As a writer, you can be anything and everything, you can study a thousand different areas of research (for the GC I read up on medieval medicine, herbology, and raven care, just to name a few), and become a thousand people. It is freedom, pure and simple, to cloak yourself in the fur of whatever beast you'd like to become. I have soared and galloped a...

Six Sapphic Books

The Locked Library recently shared a post where I give my top six Sapphic books, so I thought I'd post them here as well! Each of these has a special place in my heart (or, in the case of 'The Girls', a rent-free attic space in my brain, where it has claimed squatter's rights and will not be budged no matter the cartoons and plushies thrown at it). Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe Fannie Flagg A novel from 1987 about an old woman recounting the stories of her youth in Whistle Stop, Alabama, and the cafe run by her sister-in-law, Idgie, and her friend, Ruth. A main plot arc follows Idgie and Ruth as they grow up, bonded by a tragedy. You can hear the Alabama drawl in the tone throughout the book, it's just lovely. I'm a sucker for the Alabama accent. One of the most heartwarming books I've ever read. It explores themes of racism and bigotry as well as the struggles of growing older. The film they made is gorgeous, I'd watch Kathy Bates in...

June 2024 book review

Meet Me in Another Life, by Catriona Silvey Warning, spoilers! I drank this book down in a day. Books and films don't really make me cry. I've sat guiltily dried-eyed next to tearful friends in the cinema (two different friends for 'Barbie'), or been handed a book and told it will break my heart, which has a good old twang at the strings but fails to produce a sniffle. Through experience I've learned that my tear-jerk barrier is just set higher. I don't say this because I'm an ice-queen, but to emphasise that I don't cry at books . Catriona Silvey's book, 'Meet Me in Another Life', had me sobbing. The premise is quite simple. Girl meets boy. Girl and boy feel a connection, a kinship. Tragedy strikes. Then girl meets boy again. And again. And again. Their relationship takes a different dynamic each life - of teacher and pupil, sister and brother, parent and adoptive child, friends, lovers, confidants - but every time they meet in t...

Marianne Gordon

Search This Blog