Only the remote marshlands keep Gilde and her father from the great dragon. Yet now Gilde has come of age, and her father ushers her from that sheltered life to the human village. Just as the 17-year-old is acclimating to new people and even the idea of magical gifts in this wide world, she is forced to confront her terrible fate—sudden and grievous treachery by someone she trusted to love and protect her.

Now prisoner in a mountain castle, Gilde discovers her dreadful captor hides deep virtues. Every of disobedience brings real consequence while each act of dark magic bears a cost. As soldiers seek the hidden fortress and mysteries haunt the halls, Gilde must confront her disenchantment and choose whom else to trust.

Rachelle Nelson forges the 2025 standalone fantasy Embergold, which might be loosely inspired by “Beauty and the Beast” but wields its own enchantment. Gilde’s strength amid vulnerability draws readers to her side, especially those who’ve also felt deep betrayals. Vivid descriptions illuminate creatures and humans alike, conjuring a wild yet accessible land where true light shines in darkness. Yet the greater power lies in Embergold’s eventual tributes to this world’s Creator and the beautiful redemption He offers even to those corrupted by the evils of dark magic. Meanwhile, listeners of the audiobook edition will be entreated to narrator Aimee Lilly’s earnest and enchanting performance.

Best for: Teen girls age 16 and older, other fans of romance-gilded fantasy.

Discern: Frequent family dysfunction, such as references to husband’s abuse against his young wife; fantasy violence includes battles between soldiers and magical beasts; one spectral figure menaces heroine, yet grants her one wish; scenes of a young woman changing clothes, yet without description, while a male dragon responds by declining to stay with her; late-teenage romance with mild sensual descriptions and emotional responses; people are gifted with limited abilities such as future-prediction, alchemy, and body transformation, but also suffer dark penalties for their wicked choices.

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