Fantasy• Romance

Review: Of Earth and Gold by Shona Barton

February 4, 2026

Synopsis:

Grief made her cautious. Destiny will make her unstoppable.

Lily Carvish is a widowed mother of two, living a quiet life in Misty Ridge with nothing more magical than the coffee machine in her café. But when a stranger with molten-gold tattoos and an impossible pull walks into her world, everything she thought she knew begins to unravel.

Aodhan is no ordinary man, he is an immortal fae prince hunted by enemies, bound by prophecy, and pulled toward Lily by a bond older than the courts themselves.

As danger creeps closer and Lily’s dormant magic awakens, their worlds collide in a storm of passion, secrets, and ancient power. But loving him means stepping into a realm where beauty masks cruelty, loyalty is deadly, and a shattered sceptre holds the fate of every court.

Can she accept love after loss? And can she open her heart to a fae prince, knowing it means admitting that everything she believed about her world was a lie?Perfect for readers who matesFound familySingle mother heroineProtective fae princeSlow-burn to burning-hot tensionHidden magic and elemental courtsHeart-wrenching stakes and epic romanceOf Earth and Gold is Book One in The Fae Sceptre a romantasy series filled with elemental magic, dangerous courts, and a love powerful enough to shake worlds.

Review:

When we first meet Lily, she is truly happy. We get a glimpse of her warm, peaceful life, but there’s already a quiet feeling that something will soon break that calm. And later, that feeling becomes real. On the outside, Lily seems to have rebuilt a good life for herself and her family. She looks steady, even content, but you can still feel the pain she carries. Her loss hasn’t disappeared; it sits under the surface of everything she does.

Then Aodhan enters the story. From the moment he appears, I was rooting for him. He’s a mysterious stranger searching for something, yet he also feels a strong pull towards Lily that he can’t explain. He shows up again and again, always gentle, never pushing too far. He becomes a steady, quiet presence, especially when she needs someone the most.

The first two thirds of the book are very character‑driven. The focus is on Lily, her family, and the slow, meaningful connection that grows between her and Aodhan. Small hints appear along the way, showing that this isn’t just a normal love story. There is something deeper tying them together, something that suggests they were meant to meet long ago, but someone interfered and kept them apart, changing their destinies.

The danger builds slowly in the background. Then, in the final third, the tone shifts. Suddenly, the threat becomes real, and their new happiness feels fragile and short‑lived. The stakes rise, and I was completely pulled in.

For a debut novel, I have to praise the author. The story feels well rounded and full of heart. It isn’t perfect, but it comes very close. I’m genuinely looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.

🌙 Recension: Of Earth and Gold (Fae Sceptre Saga #1) by Shona Barton
📚 Genre: Romance & Fantasy
📅 Release Date: February 4, 2026
📗 included in Kindle Unlimited
📱 Read as: Kindle
💸 I received a free copy of this book by the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 521
⭐️ 4.5/5