Gild (The Plated Prisoner, 1)

From internationally bestselling author and TikTok phenom Raven Kennedy comes the first book in a stunning fantasy series inspired by the myth of King Midas, perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas and Jennifer L Armentrout.

The fae abandoned this world to us. And the ones with power rule.

Gold.

Gold floors, gold walls, gold furniture, gold clothes. In Highbell, in the castle built into the frozen mountains, everything is made of gold.

Even me.

King Midas rescued me. Dug me out of the slums and placed me on a pedestal. I'm called his precious. His favored. I'm the woman he Gold-Touched to show everyone that I belong to him. To show how powerful he is. He gave me protection, and I gave him my heart. And even though I don't leave the confines of the palace, I'm safe.

Until war comes to the kingdom and a deal is struck.

Suddenly, my trust is broken. My love is challenged. And I realize that everything I thought I knew about Midas might be wrong.

Because these bars I'm kept in, no matter how gilded, are still just a cage. But the monsters on the other side might make me wish I'd never left.

ADD TO MY SHELVES

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Published Mar 26, 2024

402 pages

Average rating: 6.54

544 RATINGS

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The Night Court Book Club - Southern San Diego

A romantasy book club for lovers of fae courts, dragons, slow burns, and morally gray heroes. If Fourth Wing or the Maas-verse is your thing, welcome.

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What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Gild* delivers a dark fantasy rooted in the King Midas myth, featuring strong character growth and immersive world-building. Reviewers ag...

Sharpquill14

Mar 05, 2026

6/10 stars

If I had a drink for every time c*m was used… boy! The characters were slightly bland but interesting plot. It might, MIGHT be worth finishing the series

CeLynasings

Mar 03, 2026

7/10 stars

I am not one to fantasize about being a prisoner it is actually very triggering for me. I however read this book to see the hype. It is a very fast read and the twists are great! I did cry in several scenes and my favorite scene of the book toss had me laughing so hard I had tears. I loved the build of the story and I am now looking forward to reading the rest of the series as I have fallen in love with Auren.

Justice4Suriel

Jan 23, 2026

9/10 stars

I went into this book mostly blind and finished it in two days. It starts with a bang (literally), and I assumed the story would stay in that high-intensity lane—but what surprised me most was how it slowly pulls you into Auren’s inner world. The way her thoughts, trauma history, and long isolation are layered in made her reactions feel believable, and the book explores Stockholm syndrome in a way that builds empathy rather than judgment. I especially loved how certain conversations later on begin planting seeds of doubt, pushing her to question what she’s been told is safety and love. I’m excited to see where her journey goes next.

Tealynne21

Mar 22, 2026

6/10 stars

Took a long time to tell this story

Ash.leyrose

Mar 19, 2026

7/10 stars

I think it’s an interesting concept. Book 1 truly evolved around world building to allow the reader to understand the patriarchy and the importance of magic on the kingdoms. Few main issues that continuously reappear: Auren has attention issues (especially from Midas), jealously engulfs all other female characters which causes hatred towards Auren (until a certain incident occurs where at least one of them has a minimal character arc) and yeah, with the whole patriarchy concept, women are often victims and belittled. I know A LOT of readers hate that but the concept is just like medieval kingdoms in reality. If you don’t like it, look towards a different book because it gets rough (literally). Personally, I had a hard time reading the book so I opted for audio instead. 110% recommend the audio version (it’s duet style). I think you’ll find it more interesting, compelling and easier to follow.