Veil Us in Gold by Shepard DiStasio

Find a weapon lost to myth, and Drake can save the world. Find a creature lost to war, and they can save themself. Drake Elýnus was never supposed to be in Tārāmen. They were never supposed to be working for Tārāmen’s royal family. They were never supposed to do the things they’ve done. But Drake hasn’t stood a chance since the day their home was burned to the ground, the boy they loved was executed in front of them, and wayward magic cast them into a life of lonely immortality far from anything they’d ever known. All they have is revenge. But when the culmination of their efforts backfires into a death sentence, their only hope is to make a deal with the very queen they tried to ruin. The world around Drake is unraveling. Whispers of ancient monsters bubble beneath the surface. Fights escalate on the borders of a country that has not been its own in fifty years. Treaties are no longer worth any more than the blood they were written in. And a mysterious general they all call the ‘White Rose’ is apparently the face of it all. With the gilded gold of society finally peeling, Drake might have a chance to escape—but only if they confront who they were truly supposed to be. The first book of the Sins of the Divine series and DiStasio's debut, Veil Us in Gold explores what it means to be good, the secrets people will do anything to keep hidden, and the monsters that prowl not only in shadows, but inside hearts as well.

Adult • Diversity Representation/Disability/Own Voices • Fantasy/Sword and Sorcery • Fantasy/Dark • Diversity Representation/LGBTQ+/Own Voices

Content Warning: Graphic Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness (OCD stims), Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Drug use, Gore, Blood, Murder, Chronic illness Moderate Child death (not in scene but mentioned multiple times), Xenophobia (fantasy discrimination), Alcohol, Emotional abuse (verbal abuse), Torture (brief and not intense but still on page), Vomit Minor War, Murder (including assassinations and mass death), Death of parent, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury

Reviewed by APGoodman on 2024-06-11T09:22:36Z:

Veil us in Gold creates a world of their own, that is still familiar to ancient lore, with an intriguing motley crew of characters in this NBMC fantastical adventure.