Kadou and Evemer are so soft with each other, and so desperately fond. “He pulled all the pins out of his hair and unbraided it-his scalp ached even more to be released from that tight binding-and spent the next half hour staring into nothing and reviewing every word that he had said to anyone that day, inspecting each interaction from several angles to determine which ones he should be crushingly embarrassed about, and to what degree.” - A Taste of Gold and Iron, pgs.
The depiction of anxiety in A Taste of Gold and Iron is startlingly, painfully accurate - it’s more than just worrying too much it’s the way Kadou obsessively frets over every little thing, constantly apologizes, and feels like he’s not good enough and is an inconvenience to everyone around him. But his constant anxious thoughts and unexpected panic attacks make him doubt his own judgment and worth. Through Kadou, the book ruminates on questions of loyalty and reciprocity, the duty of care that rulers owe their subjects, and the responsibility that comes with power. He wants so badly to do his duty to his kingdom, and to his sister (the sultan), and to the kahyalar in his service. Kadou, my beautiful, anxious little prince. Though, Kadou also just has that effect on people. But he quickly realizes there’s more to the prince than meets the eye, and once you earn Evemer’s respect, the guy is the definition of ride-or-die. Evemer, basicallyĮvemer doesn’t think Kadou is a worthy prince, but it’s his job as a kahya (a bodyguard, but one that also helps Kadou dress and bathe and shave, etc.) to serve him loyally, and die for him if necessary.
It has that x-factor that takes a book from “great” to “I’M OBSESSED”: Complex, compelling characters, and an almost indulgent focus on their relationship told through alternating points-of-view that let you see them being extra AF about each other internally (and externally).Ī Taste of Gold and Iron is a slow burn enemies-to-lovers, in that Evemer doesn’t like Kadou for, like, 5 minutes, and then they both spend approximately a million years oblivious to their feelings while somehow simultaneously pining. Alexandra Rowland just gets me, okay? This book feels like fanfiction, and I mean that in the best way. Now for the main event: Kadou and Evemer, loves of my life. There’s no question of whether nonbinary people or queer relationships will be accepted it’s just an ordinary fact of life in this world, which is so fun and refreshing to read. Araşt is a matriarchal society, and there are multiple nonbinary characters (çe/çir), as well as characters that appear to be ace, demi, bi/pan, and gay, though the specific terms aren’t used. This is a fantasy in more ways than one: there’s no sexism, no homophobia, no gender binary.
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