Embergold

By: Rachelle Nelson

Narrated by: Aimee Lilly

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.

©2025 Rachelle Nelson (P)2025 Oasis Audio

This story warmed my heart

This book was better than expected. Loss, love, betrayal, and kindness. I was intrigued from the start and didn’t want to put it down. It was hard not to love and root for some of the characters. The only reason I give it a 4/5 is because there were parts of the story that gave me some serious “Beauty and the Beast” vibes. It didn’t ruin the story though. Overall great book, satisfying ending.

Gorgeous Love Story

Beautiful love story with knowing your identity and worth and sacrifice for love. Starts a little slow but when it gets to the really good stuff it stays that way for the remainder.

What fantasy should be!

absolutely loved it. I also love her other book. Many fantasy authors I can’t stand because it’s all dark and shady and no light in the stories. Rachelle writes story’s with mystery intrigue and yet still instills hope and love in them. Absolutely love it.

An interesting fairy tale retelling

For the most part, I really liked this Beauty and the Beast re-telling. There were surprising details, suspense, and passion, and it was very clean. For me though, it felt a bit lacking and then abrupt at the very end, and I felt like the author left a few strings hanging. If anything, it needed an epilogue. If there were to be a sequel to the novel, I would definitely give it a try to see if there was more to the story.

Excellent!

The book is an excellent young adult fantasy fiction read and listen. Though it is classified under Christian fantasy, the book is Christian in the subtly allegorical themed CS Lewis Narnian sense rather than the overtly Christian allegorical Pilgrim’s Progress sense. That is, there is Christian imagery but not so much as to be evangelical.

The book, rather, establishes a clear moral context within hard magical rules which are laid out clearly in the book. Dragons are one thing and wizards another; people have magical or supernatural “sparks” which elevate their abilities in some otherwise mundane area. The rules are revealed gradually throughout the book as world building slowly takes shape.

The characters’ problems are similar. All major players have past trauma from abuses. The book examines the nature of abuse, how children and others respond, and the lasting effects. It shows how growing up within a certain context shapes our view of ourselves, others, and the world in general. What we think of as normal and right often isn’t. As young adults, we begin to question these things and so take responsibility for ourselves.

The writing is beautiful and evocative, creating an atmosphere which leaves clear scenes in the mind. This style of writing is wonderful for creating feelings but lends itself also to slow plot progression at times. Sometimes I felt the writing was a little too overly dramatic at times, and the end left me a little annoyed with Vill (or is it Will; I only heard the word so I don’t know how to spell it). I prefer books where males are a bit more confident, not arrogant, but confident.

The reader was wonderful as well, but I found myself listening at almost 1.5 times the normal speed. That is a new record for me. Don’t let my objections fool you because the book ended in an absolutely thrilling manner, and the book really is fantastic!

I enjoyed the book, the beautiful writing, the world, the characters, and the imagery. It is a kind of reimagining of a Beauty and the Beast tale, but Ms. Nelson’s writing is not limited to that story. She creates a new world for us to enjoy and explore. The end hints at more. I am looking forward to it. Thank you for allowing this audiobook to be accessed through Audible Plus. It is one of the best I have had the privilege to listen to.