Book Review: Gleam

I stayed up late on Saturday night to finish the third book in the Plated Prisoner series by Raven Kennedy, Gleam. I thought I would read some of the last 150 pages I had left on Saturday night and finish it yesterday, but some big things happened in those pages and I couldn’t put it down!

Gleam picks up where book 2, Glint, left off. Auren is back with King Midas but in Fifth Kingdom, which Midas has slowly started to take over. After spending so much time with Rip, his Wrath, and the soldiers of Fourth Kingdom, Auren has mixed feelings about being back with Midas.

Never before had she fully realized how little freedom she had. Midas had convinced her for so long that her gilded cage and how protective he was of her was for her safety. Now that she knows what life could be like, she’s not going back.

The novel follows Auren coming into her own and realizing that life with Midas is not what she wants and maybe Midas is not the amazing man who saved her years ago that she thought he was.

This book was so good and possibly my favorite so far. Definitely better than Gild and maybe better than Glint, but in Glint we got more Auren/Rip time. *Spoiler Alert* we learned at the very end of Glint that Rip is actually King Slade Ravinger and he has the ability to shift from Commander Rip with the spikes to Ravinger who has the ability to rot people. Now that they’re in Fifth Kingdom and staying in the same castle as Midas (Slade is there as a guest), they have to sneak around. The further development of Auren and Slade’s relationship is sooo good. I love how he opens her eyes to all that she can be and he believes in how powerful she can be. Unlike Midas who uses her and emotionally manipulates her for his own power.

The ending was action packed and devastating and hopeful all at once. It was like one thing after another. I can’t wait to read the next book soon!

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