If you take a handful of Beauty and the Beast and mix it with a scoop of How to Train Your Dragon, and throw in a few sparks from something like Rumpelstiltskin, you’ll have an idea of why I enjoyed Embergold by Rachelle Nelson so much. (Beauty and the Beast is probably my favorite fairytale, and I love HTTYD.)

From the back cover:

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.

“Thank you for showing me stories.” My throat ached.
“You reminded me why they matter.”
~Chapter 17

For those of you who like dragons, or enchanted castles, or girls with gumption going on adventures, or a little bit of romance, or all of the above, Embergold is the perfect book, whether you’re a young teen, a mature teen, or an adult. Embergold doesn’t avoid reality but stays squeaky clean with content and language, making me confident to recommend the story to readers as young as tweens. (I would love to read this story with my kiddos someday, especially if I have girls.)

I was intrigued by the premise, in the beginning, and through the entire story. There were so many questions asked that I wanted to see answered, so many layers and complexities to the characters, events, and customs that I wanted to explore. The regular cliffhanger chapter endings kept me up well past my bedtime to solve the latest problem or get past the next danger. I don’t think I breathed at all during the climax. And the ending—not what I expected, but fitting and sweet.

(I really want to know if there’s going to be a Book 2. There easily could be, and I would pick up a sequel in the beat of a dragon’s wing.)

“You can travel to all kinds of places in books,” he breathed. “But you can’t feel the rain.”
~Chapter 25

One of the elements (ha) I found most fascinating about this story was its magic system. Embergold portrays magic as I believe it should be: a pure and given side that does good and brings joy, and a dark and manipulated side that costs blood and lives and is used for evil things. This magic felt less elvish and ethereal like The Lord of the Rings and more archaic and, in a way, honest like the old-fashioned fairytales.

I also appreciated the real, relevant themes. Embergold tells a powerful story of change and growth, of hope and healing, of learning to trust, love, and be loved. In simple but sturdy prose—much like Gilde herself—that carries the story well, Embergold shows off the perfect kiss between the light feel of a fairytale and the deep echoes of Something More. You’ll see what I mean when you get there. 😉

Young Gilde had let things happen to her.
No more.
I was the Gilde who made choices. And now I had a dragon on my side.
~Chapter 29

To recap: if you’re curious about a Beast who’s essentially Toothless (cute ears and all), a Belle who can’t read and has a physical limitation, a castle that hides lethal secrets instead of talking furniture, and secrets of fire and water and gold and power, Embergold is the book for you. This story holds so much beauty, endearing humor, and deep truth, and I’m thrilled to recommend it.

(I really hope there’s a Book 2 someday. Soon. Maybe. Please.)

P.S. If I ever answer a question with the obvious explanation, “I’m a dragon,” you’ll know where it came from.

P.P.S. I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I read the ARC and promptly pre-ordered my own hardcopy.