Fire dreamed of water, but the first sip would be its last.
Gilde has spent her life isolated in the wild marshlands, a place too wet for the dragon to go. She’s safe there, according to her father. So why is he asking her to leave with him now that she has come of age? There is more to Gilde’s family than she knows, and debts need to be paid.
Betrayed and shattered, she wakes in a crumbling mountain castle with the beast of her nightmares. Except this dragon speaks like a man and reads books. His kindness confuses her and opens a forgotten longing in her heart, all while Gilde plans her escape from a mountain full of secrets.
This place can unveil her past and why she was sacrificed to the beast—truths that may put both their lives in danger if they can’t learn to trust each other. But how can Gilde ever trust again? Especially after she discovers what dragons truly are.
My Review:
Look at me, moving out of my comfort zone and becoming thoroughly enchanted by Rachelle Nelson’s loose reimagining of Beauty and the Beast! And with a dragon hero no less!
Evocative descriptions, engaging characters, imaginative world building and a plot that moves along at just the right pace. There’s time to savour tender scenes in between the action and adventure ones. I loved watching the friendship gradually build between Gilde and the dragon. Gives new meaning to the enemies to more trope too!
I really enjoyed the mystery elements as well. Around Gilde’s story and the dragon’s origins and the way their worlds collide. So many delicious story layers for a reader to lose herself in! There’s grit and drama and villains to thwart and things get quite dark in places. I about passed out from holding my breath a time or two! And, whoa, the way the author builds tension and emotion to an epic scene that needled me with an onslaught of goosebumps! Truly inspirational! I need a sequel. Immediately!
I listened to the audible edition of Embergold and was absolutely captivated by Aimee Lilly’s narration. Her portrayal of every character is spot on – especially the voice she gives the dragon! Highly recommend the audio edition of this book.
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:
US – paperback or ebook – winner’s choice
Canada – ebook or audible — winner’s choice
International – ebook if you have a US Kindle account
If you would like a chance to win a copy of Embergold, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 14 2026
Kav's Best Reads 
Sounds good.
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It’s so much fun! Good luck, Kim!
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EMBERGOLD would definitely be out of my reading zone too. However, a Beauty and the Beast retelling and a rave review from Kav all means I’m all and can’t wait for the opportunity to give it a read. It does sounds like a wonderful mixture of events and characters.
Thank you so much for the wonderful chance to win a copy and giving me a boost to step out of that comfort zone!
2clowns at arkansas dot net
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Sometimes it pays to venture out of our reading comfort zone! Good luck, Kay!
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Embergold is EPIC!
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You’ve got that right! I think you were the one who introduced me to this book during a RCW, so thanks, Caryl. Good luck!
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Ooooh! I typically am not a big fantasy reader, but Embergold sounds fascinating! And I like that it’s a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast! Thanks for the chance to win a copy of this book, Kav!
Alison Boss
nj(dot)bossman(at)gmail(dot)com
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