by Rachelle Nelson
publisher’s synopsis
Fire dreamed of water, but the first sip would be its last.
Gilde has spent her life isolated in the wild marshlands, a place too wet for the dragon to go. She’s safe there, according to her father. So why is he asking her to leave with him now that she has come of age? There is more to Gilde’s family than she knows, and debts need to be paid.
Betrayed and shattered, she wakes in a crumbling mountain castle with the beast of her nightmares. Except this dragon speaks like a man and reads books. His kindness confuses her and opens a forgotten longing in her heart, all while Gilde plans her escape from a mountain full of secrets.
This place can unveil her past and why she was sacrificed to the beast—truths that may put both their lives in danger if they can’t learn to trust each other. But how can Gilde ever trust again? Especially after she discovers what dragons truly are.
I love fairy tale retellings, so I adored the Beauty and the Beast motifs woven throughout Embergold. While the book pulls some of its inspiration from the tale, Embergold is still its own story and holds a few surprises in store. Nelson’s writing style fits perfectly with the tone of a classic or fairy tale, which only enhances the reading experience.
Gilde and the dragon are great characters. While Gilde’s innocence/native could have come off as grating and annoying, I thought that Nelson handled it well and realistically. Yes, there were moments when I disagreed with Gilde’s choices, but I understood why the character was making them and they fit with her backstory.
Because of some of its themes, I would recommend Embergold to older YA readers, simply because they’re heavier subject matter. Nelson does handle them carefully and appropriately though.
Overall, Embergold is an enchanting book, a new fairy tale with a classic feeling that readers will love.
Cautions: gaslighting; mentions of verbal and physical abuse, non-descriptive; allusions that a character was involved in unsavory things as a child; two mentions of characters being born outside of marriage; light/moderate romance; two kisses; non-graphic violence; dark magic*
*magic isn’t a caution I normally mention, but I did want to in this case. There are two types of magic in Nelson’s storyworld, one of which is good and “natural.” The other is dark magic that requires hurting or killing other people. It’s always portrayed in a negative light and as evil, but I did want to mention it since it might be unsettling for some readers.
Hailey Huntington 
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