A Touch of Gold

Annie Sullivan

He said, ‘In order to enjoy the dance, you don’t have to know all the steps. You just have to be part of it.’ He looks Pointedly at me.

I love a good retelling. A Touch of Gold is a retelling of the King Midas Myth. Parts of this review may contain spoilers.

What Happens?

After King Midas’s gift—or curse—almost killed his daughter, he relinquished The Touch forever. Ten years later, Princess Kora still bears the consequences of her father’s wish: her skin shines golden, rumors follow her everywhere she goes, and she harbors secret powers that are getting harder to hide.

Kora spends her days concealed behind gloves and veils. It isn’t until a charming duke arrives that Kora believes she could indeed be loved. But their courtship is disrupted when a thief steals treasures her father needs to survive. Thanks to Kora’s unique ability to sense gold, she sails off on her quest to find the missing items.

Magic, mythology, fantasy, and pirate adventures charge through every page as Kora learns that not everything is what it seems—not her companions, not the thieves, and not even Kora herself.

My Thoughts?

A Touch of Gold was an interesting take on the Midas Myth. There were things I liked and things I did not.

I liked the sense of adventure of A Touch of Gold. I am a sucker for a book take takes place on the ocean and has pirate vibes. I also enjoyed Princess Kora, Midas’s daughter, dealing with life altering side effects after being turned to gold by her father.

I found a few elements I thought were unbelievable. I understand fiction is fiction, but I have to be able to buy into the story—the whole story. Our leading lady, Kora, fall quickly for not one but TWO people. One that was obviously up to no good. While the characters search for Midas’s gold, you learn that Kora may have more abilities than even she knows how to control. This was great up until the “epic” battle scene with the sea most deadly pirates. I just wanted more from a battle I had been waiting for chapters to occur.

Princess Kora was not my favorite lead, but I did like she grew into herself and abilities. While I did not enjoy this book to its fullest there are things I did like— gold, pirates, and the thrill of sailing. Sadly, I was hoping for more development in the romance and plot as a whole. BUT this is coming from an older YA reader. A younger reader would probably look past what I disliked, I know my younger self would have.

Should you read it?

No. A Touch of Gold is a fun adventure that adds a fresh look on an old myth. If you like retellings, myths, and fast paced romances you will probably enjoy Touch of Gold. I’d recommend this read for teens by the beach or pool side. If you are an adult reader, I’d say skip.

There is a second book called A Curse of Gold, if you are interested.

Have you read A Touch of Gold? Do you want to? Do you like retellings?