A Touch of Gold

A Touch of Gold
Annie Sullivan
Blink/Zondervan, 2018 308 pages
Grades 7-Up
Fantasy/Mythology

A first person retelling of the legend of King Midas from the point of view of his daughter, whom he turned to gold. King Midas has not been the same since "the incident" and he has an unhealthy attachment to the bewitched gold, leaving the running of the kingdom to his brother. Narrator, Kora, is still cursed with the residue of the spell. Her skin has a gold tint and she can transport gold from one object (or human) to another. This makes folks fearful of Kora and she lives a very sheltered and lonely life, until a suitor visits the kingdom who is not put off by Kora's curse. Aris is not only not scared off when he meets her, but agrees to help Kora when the gold that her father needs to survive is stolen. He has connections to a ship and crew and the two take off to track down the gold and break the curse. Unbeknownst to Kora, her cousin Hettie has stowed away and the captain and crew are less than thrilled to have the cursed teen aboard, resulting in further complications. What follows is a series of adventures, deceptions, and acts of daring. Kora learns to trust herself and accept her powers as gifts instead of curses. The adventure leads the team to pirates, sirens, and brawlers. Through it all, Kora gets stronger as she perseveres on her quest to save her father, as well as herself.

I wanted to read this book both based on the cool cover and that it’s a retelling of King Midas. With all of the fairy tale and mythology re-tellings that have been published recently, this is the first that has crossed my path based on King Midas. I was further intrigued that it was in his daughter's point of view. It is interesting to think about what may have come later in the story, especially to that poor daughter that was turned to gold. Sullivan offers a delightful romp of a book that imagines the "what next", all while keeping readers turning pages. The action never stops in this story with one dangerous episode and betrayal after another. Kora grows as a character as she finds her inner (and outer) strength, learns who to trust, and discovers how to use her curse/gift to her best advantage. Set in the mythological past, A Touch of Gold will transport readers to a swashbuckling adventure filled with treasure and espionage. The major plot is for the most part resolved, yet Kora's curse is not fully broken, leading readers to a possible sequel. There is a touch of romance for both Kora and Hattie, yet it all remains innocent. A magical retelling with a strong and interesting female main character, a rich plot, and plenty of action.