#taste of iron and gold

[realitys-abore]

📖REVIEW📖

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Firstly: Kadou, our MC has anxiety and the way I squealed at seeing some anxiety rep in a book, and a fantasy one at that! I used to be way more into fantasy but it often has so little rep, so this book was kind of like coming home?

It was so comforting, because I was reading Kadou's POV like...omg it's literally me 🥺 It was brilliantly done and obviously I loved my precious little bean Kadou who was more than capable of being a badass!

The other reason it’s comforting? Queerness is normalised and my heart felt so full as I was reading. Not only is the romance queer, but the use of different pronouns or gender fluidity isn't an issue either.

Kadou’s sister was really out here trying to matchmaker him with a nice young man, I was truly living while I was reading this! Like I was legit trying to read this slowly so I could spend longer in a world this accepting. THIS is why I described this as ‘top tier fan fiction’ btw!

While a lot is thrown at you in the beginning, the introduction and the set up for the other MC is immaculate! The romance may be the main focus with some mystery on the side, but a lot of care was taken with the world to paint a picture of it and to set future events up for a solid plot.

The concept of the Khayalar was intriguing and it makes the romance even more 👌🏻 AND makes some of the future moments between the MC's and conflict really work.

It’s enemies to lovers and Evemer has good reason to hate Kadou, no flimsy, weak excuses here! It takes time for him to get to know Kadou and see that he was wrong! The progression of their relationship was just immaculate like it’s slow-burn at its finest with the way it slowly builds up!

Evemer was badass and stoic but so soft for Kadou 🥹 he’s so patient and he helped him with his anxiety and figuring out the mystery, I loved them 😭

The use of tropes and dual POV in this is phenomenal as well by the way! And I genuinely think the romance in this book has ruined me, I can't believe the end was spicy but had me feeling all the feels at the same time.

Honestly, I really didn't want it to end. It was perfectly written, perfectly built up and you guys...the LONGING. The scenes with the hairbrushing and the caresses, I was literally squealing as I was reading!

Please, please can the author write like 50 more books in this world? I'm begging! Tadek needs a happy ending you know! Zeliha too!

[ariaste]

So excited to announce my next book!!! If you've never read any of my books before, no worries--this is a standalone, so you can jump right in without any extra context. (And for fans of my previous books, great news! This book is set in the same world, and it's even in the same region as the two novellas SOME BY VIRTUE FALL and THE LIGHTS OF YSTRAC'S WOOD, so you'll recognize some familiar worldbuilding :D) SUMMARY: Tam Becket has hated Lord Lyford since they were boys. The fact that he’s also been sleeping with the man for the last ten years is irrelevant. When they were both nine years old, Lyford smashed Tam’s entry into the village’s vegetable competition. Nearly twenty years later, Tam still hasn’t forgiven the bastard. No one understands how deeply he was hurt that day, how it set a pattern of small disappointments and misfortunes that would run through the rest of his life. Now Tam has reconciled himself to the fact that love and affection are for other people, that the gods don’t care and won’t answer any of his prayers (not even the one about afflicting Lyford with a case of flesh-eating spiders to chew off his privates), and that life is inherently mundane, joyless, and drab. But then, the very last straw: Tam discovers that Lyford (of all people!) bears the divine favor of Angarat, the goddess Tam feels most betrayed and abandoned by. In his hurt and anger, Tam packs up and prepares to leave the village for good. But the journey doesn’t take him far, and Tam soon finds himself set on a quest for the most difficult of all possible prizes: Self care, forgiveness, a second chance... and somehow the unbelievably precious knowledge that there is at least one person who loves Tam for exactly who he is—and always has.

This book might be for you if:

You like enemies-to-lovers but you think it would be improved by being one-sided and meanwhile the other person is living through a "hopelessly yearning for childhood crush" trope

you like it when two people are so, so, so stupid that they've been fucking for 10 years and Person A hasn't figured out that Person B is in love with him, and Person B hasn't realized that Person A doesn't even know about his feelings

You know how fucking hard it is to Do The Work In Therapy and you want some catharsis about it

you want to read about an imperfect, truly difficult person who still gets loved, because being perfect is not a requirement to deserve affection and care

you know that apologizing for wronging someone doesn't just magically take away the bad feelings and automatically repair the relationship, and you want to read about someone having to do the extra steps that come after the apology

this one's for the wlw: fat harvest goddess milf. my gift to u

you like gods who don't have anything better to do than stick their noses into human business

when you see a gorgeous man holding an infant, it takes you out at the knees

you like queernorm fantasy AND small-town gossip, and you find the intersection of the two delicious and intriguing

a religion based on pre-Christian Brythonic England. That is, they've got henges and standing stones instead of churches and altars. it's cool

plant magic!!!!!

"god of temptation and evil" actually "god of self-care and personal boundaries and taking responsibility for the consequences you consented to".

Stay tuned for the cover reveal next month, when general preorders will go live! If you're already excited and you want to make sure you don't miss that announcement, you can sign up for my newsletter or join my Discord server: https://linktr.ee/alexandrarowland.

And if you'd like to preorder an autographed copy from me directly, just fill out this form! :) (Signal boosts are very much appreciated!)

[kindnessinsilver]

Does anyone else have a penchant for m/m romance with main character who have interesting sexualities and submissive streaks a mile wide? Or is that just me?

Alex Rowland has had me eating out of the palm of their metaphorical hand for the past several months because of some of their main characters. Anybody who has known me for really any amount of time and ever heard me talk about my taste in books will know that I have a tendency to find a power dynamic reading in almost any pairing I really like, but Alex made it easy with some of these guys. They make me want to cry in the best ways because it is so beautiful to feel seen.

Running Close to the Wind:

Avra Helvaçi, absolute feral gremlin brat who just wants to be teased and pitied and mocked and for all his friends to be just a little mean to him all the time as long as they think it’s endearing or hot. I relate to this so strongly it’s almost not even funny, but I can’t say that because Running Close to the Wind is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Avra’s sexuality is “yes please how soon?” except for the rare times when it’s “actually can you please just hold me I am sad and tired.” He has been in an on-again-off-again relationship with his best friend and biggest bully for 15 years, and they understand each other and tolerate each other in ways that no one else on the planet ever could.

A Taste of Gold and Iron:

Evemer Hoşkadem shows us a completely different version of submissive leaning that also calls to my soul. He is dedicated to service, honor, and protocol. He is a core guard of the royal family, and he has been chasing this goal for years because he believes that it is something great and noble. Fealty comes more naturally to him than humor or general affection. He believes in the trappings of power but also in the responsibility of power. Power has the responsibility to care for people, live up to their expectations, and accept the service that is its due. He is seeking, trying to find purpose and trying to find someone worthy of his service and his devotion. Evemer wrecks me because I swear I’ve lived those moments and because I’ll always be a little jealous of characters who get to prove their loyalty by risking grievous bodily harm. His sexuality is “meh” and “shoulders” and “competency kink”. Mood.

When I tell you that I hardly included half the incriminating quotes from the internal monologue of Evemer, I mean it. Read this.

Yield Under Great Persuasion: (under a read more because this book came out a month ago)

Tam Beckett, in Alex’s newest book, definitely doesn’t have the same level of obvious submissive streak, largely because it is covered up by a huge swath of bitter and lonely. Still, the interesting sexuality part applies, and he’s got a few lines that sing to me in similar ways. He has been in love with this one guy for 20 years but also he hates him. But also if he goes longer than a week without his dick, he might die. But also if the guy invites him for a second round, he might throw himself out a window. He is angry at Lyford and angry at his favorite god. He is angry at death and the passage of time. The instant he is given a chance (or 2 or 4) to make up for what a shitty human he’s been for years now, he jumps at it. He wants to be good, he wants to be loved, he wants to be worthy. But also he’s an asshole with a sharp tongue and he will push Lyford’s buttons until the man snaps if that’s what it takes to see his real reaction. He’s also got a similar level of touch starvation and need to be held and loved that Avra has.

[xiaq]

You know when a book or a fic is so good that you keep delaying reading it? Because it will be over too soon and you want to linger. Like, no, no, slow down, let's set it aside after this chapter. I need to walk the dog. Clean the tub. Take out the trash. Lets savor this journey a bit longer. I love that feeling.

[heyitsrink]

you're a godsend

[noahhawthorneauthor]

these are some of my favorites ✨🏳️‍🌈📚

[dinoari]

Your left hand or your right?

[thesebooksaremytherapy]

A Taste of Gold and Iron is so funny because Evemer goes from thinking that everything Kadou does and says and looks like is a sign of his weak character and immorality and flightiness while Evemer literally grows in rage with every little interaction.

And then by the end of the book Kadou is mounting his horse with “breathtaking grace”, filling Evermer with pride with every tiny action, and making Evermer want to fall to his knees and press Kadou’s hands to his forehead in worship of his Lord.

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]

[labelleizzy]

Dedication by Alexandra Rowland in the front of A Taste Of Gold And Iron.

I thank you all, too. I wouldn't have gotten to writing and letting people read what I wrote, without all of you writers and fellow readers.

I am looking FORWARD to THIS!

[asmolbirb]

I cannot explain the noise I made when I went to the ATOGAI tag on AO3 and sorted by kudos and saw a 10,000-word coda written by Ariaste themself

We are FED and WATERED my good friends!! No one is doing it like them!!

[ariaste]

THREE WEEKS LEFT until my pirate comedy comes out, set in the same world as A TASTE OF GOLD AND IRON!

Avra Helvaci has just accidentally stolen the most valuable secret in the world, and he's heading to a remote pirate republic find a buyer. And to see the cake competition.

Also featuring such questions as:

What to do when your ship is pulled over by the fantasy sea cops?

How can a jump-rope contest be heavily plot-relevant?

What happens when a government stops considering you a person and labels you just meat?

Who is the most avid and passionate communist in this little island town?

It's out on June 11th from @torpublishinggroup!

[patroclusdefencesquad]

running close to the wind by alexandra rowland is very good very funny very crack very queer i need six more just like it immediately

[mielmoreland]

My greatest accomplishment of 2024 to date. Possibly the best thing I'll do all year.

("Assistant" is of course a loose general term for the relevant characters. And Csethiro is wonderful. But I'm queer, and AO3 understands my need for Csevet fic.)

[heyitsrink]

Kadou and Evemer from A Taste of Gold and Iron

[aliterarydance]

Queer Fantasy Book Rec

Absolutely judge this book by its cover!!! It’s just as freaking beautiful and soft and lovely as the cover suggests!! It’s all fealty and reciprocal devotion and a love so pure it’ll worm its way into your brain and re-wire you!! All the side characters are also amazingly memorable! It takes place in a fictional Ottoman Empire-like kingdom in a queer-normative world where a third, gender-neutral pronoun is totally normal, and about a third of the characters are actually referred to by it. No one has issues with any kind of sexuality at all. It’s just such a beautiful world to be the backdrop of this absolutely addicting love story.

It also handles anxiety and perceptions - both of ourselves (the people we think we are and who we’re aiming to be) and that of other people (who we expect them to be and who they really are) - with nuance and care.

I read this first as an audiobook. But about a quarter of the way in, I knew I had to have a physical copy of the book and immediately ordered the hardcover. The book came in the next day after I finished the audiobook. And when I tell you I immediately picked up the gorgeous book and reread it in its entirety, I mean IMMEDIATELY!

@ariaste thank you, thank you, thank you for my new favorite book!! I’m telling everyone in my real life to read it ASAP!