Book Review: Gleam
- Series: Book #3 of The Plated Prisoner
- Author: Raven Kennedy
- 613 pages, Kindle Edition
- First published May 31, 2021
The Plated Prisoner
Auren is back with Midas. Without the bars of her golden cage, but in a new kind of prison. She’s no longer a prisoner, but she’s still under his power to fulfill the whims of the golden king. But I finally saw a heroine I could like. Because Auren is “enlightened” and something more. The heroine is no longer the naive little girl who wants to be rescued. Say hello to the woman who decides to save herself this time.
In this book, the action takes place in the Fifth Kingdom, where King Ravinger has delivered Midas’ favorite. At Ranhold Castle, Auren fights her battle for freedom, but still tries to be diplomatic. She thinks she knows Midas well enough to earn the privilege of leaving his chambers. But she is not prepared for what is to follow. She is not ready for the truth. Midas reveals himself fully. Her past with Auren is not as she thought. He is not the savior hero that deserves her loyalty and devotion. His soul is much blacker than he previously thought. Unexpected, but pleasant.
The golden bird
One of the reasons this book impressed me so much was the development of the main character. The path Auren has taken from the guild to here is thorny and long, but the outcome is satisfying by my standards. The main character has finally shown character. The golden bird has set her sights on her goal outside the cage, freedom, and she liked it.
Rating
The plot of “Gleam” is captivating. I didn’t feel the heaviness of the third book when you sometimes get tired of the monotony and characters. Quite the opposite. The fact that the heroine really comes of age before the reader’s eyes and the revelations about her past, which remains a mystery from the previous books, keep the reader’s attention. Despite its 600 pages, I read the book in record time.
Raven Kennedy is a storyteller who manages to weave the emotions of her characters and convey them to the reader. The dialog is light hearted and spiced with a dash of humor. Auren is a very entertaining character. All of this combined with the tension of the situation in the castle, the mystery surrounding the characters’ pasts, the flirtation between Auren and Rip and the murderous ending make “Gleam” one of my favorites of the year.
My rating for the book and the series so far is 5 stars. I borrowed the books from a library, but returned them before I started book 4.
Because I really must have them…
ing Midas made me the woman I am today. Notorious. Unattainable. His.
The thing about being confined is that you believe it’s to keep the bad out… Until you realize it’s about keeping you in.
I’m now in a strange kingdom surrounded by liars, with no allies of my own, but I won’t sit idly by and let myself wither. No, there’s something that’s bloomed from the pit of my repression. Something dark. Something angry.
But the last thing I expected was for my anger to call out to him. King Ravinger.
He’s sinister and powerful and entirely too seductive. I’ve learned my lesson with trusting manipulative kings, so why does my chest constrict every time he’s near? I need to tread carefully, or I’m at risk of losing much more than just my freedom.
Regret and revenge war inside of me, and I need to figure out a plan fast before I get tangled up in the schemes of kings and queens.
Because I won’t be caught in a cage again. No, this time, It’ll be me setting the trap… I just hope my heart comes out of this unscathed.
