Review Detail

When I read the synopsis for this book I was immediately intrigued. I love retellings and this book seemed right up my alley. A TOUCH OF GOLD follows Kora, King Midas’s daughter. When an accident almost results in her death Midas gives up his power and retreats behind the safety of his palace walls. Leaving Kora alone to deal with her curse alone. When a thief steals valuable items, the only one who can bring the items back is Kora. She will have to face her fear of the outside world and what her curse could do if she hopes to save her kingdom.

What I loved about this book was immediately how drawn I was into the story. Annie had me invested from the very first page. Giving us mysteries bit by bit and leading us across the ocean to battle pirates and thieves. I went into it knowing nothing and Ioved that everything was so unexpected and that at each turn the characters surprised me. The pace of the story was also extremely well done. There was a lot of time spent at sea and I never once felt like it was dragging on. Each moment was important and nothing felt forced or put in as a placeholder for the next scene.

One of the reasons this book worked so well for me was because of the characters and their growth throughout the book. When I first met Kora and Hettie and got inside Kora’s head I wasn’t sure how I felt about either of them. But the more I read the more I fell in love with them. Kora spends a lot of the time making assumptions about the people closest to her and the entire book you see how all of her assumptions are based on her fears rather than truth. There’s a lot of really great characters but Kora is by far the one with the most character development. She spent her life being afraid and it takes this journey to show her that it doesn’t have to be that way. People will always be afraid of her but the right people will love her and support her regardless. Then there’s Hettie. When she first came on board I wasn’t sure I liked her, but I have never fallen in love with a character faster. Because we see her through the eyes of Kora we get this image of Hettie being spoiled and lazy, but as time continues on the ship we get the real Hettie. Who is funny, brave, and loyal.

One more thing I loved was PIRATES. I mean who doesn’t love a good pirate book. This one had them and more. That being said, A couple things I wasn’t a fan of how fast the ending seemed. It felt a bit rushed and a little convenient. And for me, it was a bit easy to guess who was going to betray Kora. Those were my only issues with the book, which in the end aren’t enough to take away from how great this story was. I was just as invested and in love with this story as ever. And that ending, despite being fast definitely left me wanting more! I’m not sure if this will turn into more books, so far it says it’s a stand alone. But I would love to know what happens next for Kora and Hettie, and Royce. Something tells me this is not the end for our lovely group.

Overall I loved this book. I have been in a bit of a slump and this book was the perfect blend of mystery, fantasy, and amazing characters. I went into this not knowing anything about King Midas and walked away with a story that will be stuck in my head for days. Annie took a myth that I never thought I would be interested in and completely grabbed my attention. I highly highly recommend this one. Especially if you like retellings.