Gleam (The Plated Prisoner Series Book 3)

In Gleam, we pick up right where Raven Kennedy left us hanging off the cliff in Glint. The revelation of Rip's identity, Auren fighting for her freedom from her cage and her fear, and Midas just being... well, Midas. If you've read the first two books, this needs no explanation. In the third installment of the Plated Prisoner Series, our main characters are reunited, whether they like it or not. They are each grappling with the things they've learned and trying to determine their next moves. Auren and Rip are at a crossroads, but Auren is also at one with herself. Her transformation from a caged pet to the master of her fate is the driving force of this book.

Gleam (and the entire Plated Prisoner Series) is everything a new-adult high fantasy novel should be. It's sexy, it's adventurous, it's tense, it's thrilling, and did I mention it's sexy? Well, it bears repeating. It takes well-known favorite tropes and presents them in a way that's unique and unpredictable. Readers will not only fall in love with the world, but they will also relate to many of the characters. Auren is a complex, flawed person whose life has been defined by the greed of others. Readers will see themselves in her and feel that her wins are theirs, too.

Raven Kennedy's writing is so deep and raw that it can consume readers whole. She's not afraid to confront real-life traumas, painting them gold so they're easier to conquer. Readers will find themselves staying up all night to finish, only to start a countdown until book four arrives. Without risking any spoilers, there is one revelation/twist that may tempt readers to throw something (or maybe that was just me.) It hits like a freight train and is so incredibly well done that readers won't see it coming.

As with the first two installments, some trigger warnings need to be addressed. Scenes contain sexual assault, physical and mental abuse, drug use, and mutilation. It contains mature sexual content and graphic violence. Due to the above mentioned, this book is appropriate for an 18+ audience.

I could sit here all day talking about how great this story is. I don't have a single negative thing I could say about it. I say the whole series deserves five out of five stars. If it were possible to give it six out of five stars I would. I cannot wait to see what Auren does next.