The Book of Gold by Ruth Frances Long

Book Review

David Green

Looking for a fantasy book set in a ‘What If?’ version of 16th century Antwerp? What about if that novel is all about heists, too? But… what if that novel also has a helping of well-placed romance, a love of literature and the art of books, *and* a pantheon of meddling, petty gods all added for good measure?

You need not look further than ‘The Book of Gold’ by Ruth Frances Long. It has all the above and more and, I’m happy to say, it’s a brilliant, ripping-yarn of a tale.

With a studious eye to history – Antwerp is Amberes here, which is the Spanish name of the city – Long grounds us in what, at first glance, could be a historical fantasy. The level of detail to the setting is that high. The research (and hard yards around Antwerp done by the author) pays off in spades – Amberes feels real because not only is it painted with vivid strokes but with life and energy, too.

But this isn’t exactly a historical fantasy. There’s magic in this version of Amberes – lots of it – and it all centers around the fabled Book of Gold. Inspired by the Plantin Polyglot Bible, Long’s love of books shines through every page of this tale. The theme of ‘books as treasure’ underpins the book – Kit, the protagonist Lyta’s brother, is a printer, and even the gods themselves cast envious eyes at the titular Book of Gold.

The character work is top-notch, too. Lyta is a well-rounded and rambunctious sort who lives her life according to the luck bestowed on her by the Trickster god, Eninn. Her relationships with the people around her – her brother Kit, Eninn, and former lover and mutual pain in the backside Sylvain – are what makes up the moreish center of ‘The Book of Gold’. The heist is enormous fun, as is the political intrigue and excellent world-building, but the characters sing. Long keeps an excellent pace to her storytelling, too, understanding the requirements of heist and caper innately.

However, I must say, I’m a sucker for gods who are up to no good. Or are just down right petty and, frankly, an annoyance to a whole lot of regular people. While not exactly like McClellan’s Powder Mage trilogy in the way the pantheon of gods is used, ‘The Book of Gold’ shares a similar viewpoint which I very much admired and enjoyed. In fact, both the Powder Mage trilogy and ‘The Book of Gold’ share the attention to detail and grounding of places that feel very real and might have been lifted straight from history. So if you were a fan of ‘Promise of Blood’ and the following books in that series, you’ll find plenty to love here.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with ‘The Book of Gold’. Smooth prose mixed with confident world-building and stunning imagination. I’m fully on board for more adventures with Lyta and crew, and am excited to see where Long takes us next.

For fans of ‘Solo’, ‘The Princess Bride’, ‘Ocean’s Eight’ and ‘Ocean’s Eleven’, and anyone looking for a wonderful book worthy of heists.