The Golden Daughter

Ingram (All Good Children) remixes the legend of King Midas with the gritty realism and moral ambiguity of A Song of Ice and Fire and a dash of wistful queer romance into a fantasy adventure that promises more than it delivers, but makes an auspicious series starter nonetheless. Liddy Vanya was cursed by her father and uncle to turn any person she touches into gold and has spent her adolescence serving as their assassin and “cash cow.” While her uncle is away, Liddy seizes the chance to murder her father and escape, heading out in search of a way to break the curse. What she finds—and what finds her—proves far more complicated than Liddy ever suspected. The act of storytelling itself is a fascinating element of the novel, as much of the backstory is relayed via stories the characters tell each other, highlighting the ways different people can perceive the same events. Little comes of the emphasis on perspective in this volume, though. Similarly, fascinating interpersonal conflicts—including between Liddy and her lost love—are established but not given time to fully develop. Still, the well-shaded characters and surprising plot make this a series opener worth checking out. Readers will hope to see the seeds planted here bear fruit in future installments. [em](Sept.) [/em]