Witches Steeped in Gold (Witches Steeped in Gold, #1)

by Ciannon Smart

Trust no witch . . .

Iraya Adair has spent her life in a cell. Princess of an overthrown and magically-gifted dynasty, she was exiled from her home on the island nation of Aiyca when she was just a child. But every day brings her closer to freedom - and vengeance. 

Jazmyne Cariot grew up dressed in gold, with stolen magic at her fingertips. Daughter of the self-crowned doyenne, her existence is a threat to her mother's rule. But unlike her sister, Jazmyne has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother's power. 

Sworn enemies, the two witches enter a deadly alliance to take down the woman who threatens both their worlds. 

But revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain - except the lengths Iraya and Jazmyne will go to win this game.

Two witches. One motive. And a very untrustworthy alliance.

• ISBN10: 006294598X
• ISBN13: 9780062945983
• Publish Date: 20 April 2021
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: Collins
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 560
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

Proceed With Caution:

This book contains violence, blood, death, murder, mind control, and two mentions of rape and suicide.

The Basics:

Witches Steeped in Gold is narrated by Jazmyne, the current heiress of Aiyca, and Ira, an escaped prisoner who is the Lost Empress. Both girls have been brought up to the hate the other, but the current political situation gives them a common enemy: Jazmyne's mother and current ruler.

My Thoughts:

I was super duper excited for Witches Steeped in Gold because it sounded magical and exciting and intriguing! At times it is those things, but overall I was left feeling underwhelmed and honestly, confused. The description promises a lot and doesn't exactly deliver. Jazmyne and Ira don't exactly become allies. They do enter an oath to take down Jazmyne's mother together, but they both had ulterior plans to betray the other. It's very twisty, but not what I went in expecting.

Witches Steeped in Gold is set on an island based on Jamaica and rooted in Caribbean Lore. I really enjoyed this setting as it was refreshing and different than other popular YA Fantasy series. However, the worldbuilding was lacking. I found myself confused a lot, mostly about all of the different groups of people. Are they all magical? Are they the same race but live in different areas? Who are enemies and who are allies? Why do some have silver hair? I just have no idea.

The plot of Witches Steeped in Gold was very slow. It is 550 pages so it has plenty of space to build up tension and plot twists, but I found my mind wandering at times because it dragged. It was also hard to keep Jazmyne and Ira's perspectives straight. They sound exactly the same, and the only thing that distinguishes them is that Ira is willing to kill and Jazmyne probably wouldn't even swat a fly. But there's really not that many chapters with murder to help with that.

Witches Steeped in Gold was fine. I enjoyed the unique setting and the magic system (using gold as a conduit!), but I also needed more to actually understand and get immersed. The two leading ladies are fine, but not distinct enough. The plot had a lot of intrigue and betrayals and twists, but it dragged on and got confusing. It was just fine.

[Inkslinger]

I'm just going to get right to the point. 'Witches Steeped in Gold' by Ciannon Smart is the most enjoyable witchy fantasy book I've ever read. There is depth and texture here that's decidedly uncommon in similarly marketed titles.

 

I know there's been a lot of hype surrounding this title for months. I, myself, have been just as much a part of that hype engine as any other reader I know.. because it sounded so good. However, it absolutely blew the doors off the genre for me.

 

A Jamaican-inspired fantasy, the story is about a pair of witches from rival orders who have little choice but to make a pact in order to take down a common enemy. Told in a split-narrative, it follows Iraya.. who has spent her life in captivity plotting her vengeance and Jazmyne, the Queen's daughter.. with her own brand of retribution on her mind.  

 

Both women have endured heavy losses at the Queen's hand and neither of them is apt to forgive or forget, but their paths are ever-shifting and the only thing that's certain is they will do anything to achieve their goals.

 

Honestly, I cannot possibly convey exactly how much I loved this book. From a pure writing quality perspective, it's quite likely sitting in my top two releases so far this year and it would take a truly groundbreaking read to dislodge it. I fully expect to be giving my 2021 year-end recap with Smart's debut novel sitting right where it is today.

 

The magic system is complex, seemingly based largely in the ritual magics of the Caribbean. Primarily focusing on blood and herb magics, the story reads almost like a folktale at times. As my personal experiences are with a different variation, I cannot theorize too much about the actual source other than to reiterate that the author herself has said much of her inspiration came from stories told by family on a trip to Jamaica.

 

Everything is detailed ideally throughout the world-building and delivered naturally. From the political structure of the court to the social-ecological models both within and between Aiyca and the neighboring cultures, it's all crafted so perfectly. The result is an incredibly immersive tale.  

 

Challenges rise up to meet the women everywhere and I found myself conflicted throughout, unable to fully commit to some of my choices until late in the story. There are twists strewn about all the way to the end of the tale, but never so many that they feel overused.  

 

Besides Iraya and Jazmyne, there's a whole cadre of supporting players in the game. Some of whom I enjoyed as much as the main characters. Kirdan, Anya, and Roje are all spectacular in their own ways, as are those in the small group of friends amongst the Obeah.  

 

Admittedly, I did have favorites from the start. Kirdan is intriguing and Iraya is my kind of female lead. She's not infallible, but she is determined. She doesn't back down easily and she's not afraid to get her hands dirty. In fact, she rather likes them dirty. Bloodied.. whenever possible.

 

I'm already eagerly awaiting book two and if this isn't on your TBR list yet, it should be. In fact, you could probably brush aside most of whatever else is there and push it towards the top because if you haven't read it yet, you're missing out.

(I received this title as an ARC, but also purchased 3 copies. All opinions are mine and freely given.)