Woven by Gold continues the Beasts of Briar series and while the Beauty and the Beast inspiration is still there, this book really starts to step out on its own. The nods to the original story are more subtle now, and the world Elizabeth Helen is building is starting to take shape in a much bigger way.
That said… we are now two books and nearly 800 pages deep into what might be the longest edging session I’ve ever experienced in a why-choose romance. I mean truly. At this point I’m staring at these princes like, are we ever going to get there? 😂
The spice is still pretty light, which I suspect comes from the strong YA undertones of the series. We do finally get a mated bond between Rosalina and Farron, plus a moment that technically qualifies as a threesome… though let’s be honest, it’s really just Farron and Deyton doing their thing while Rosalina politely observes the chaos. Beyond that it’s mostly tension, longing looks, and a few kisses.
What this installment really excels at is Farron’s story. Spending time in the Autumn Realm was easily the highlight of the book. Watching Farron step into leadership after the loss of his mother—uniting his kingdom, claiming his strength, and leaning on the support of both his mate and his boyfriend—was honestly beautiful. His character growth was one of the strongest parts of the entire series so far.
Now… Kel is driving me absolutely insane. I understand tortured brooding male leads as much as the next romantasy reader, but at some point sir, you have to stop being cruel to your mate and start figuring out how to keep her from literally ending up below. The angst is strong with this one.
Meanwhile Ezryn is starting to show a little spark, and I have a feeling his story is going to bring the next wave of tension—and hopefully some actual spice.
Overall this series is still wildly fun, full of yearning, magic, and complicated beastly princes, and I’m very curious to see where the story goes next.
Now if these men could just get their emotional lives together and stop slow-burning us into oblivion, that would be great.
Looking forward to the next installment!