A Taste of Gold and Iron

Dropped at 35%

Like many reviewers, it wasn't the writing necessarily but the characterizations and lack of world building. This book just didn't seem planned out well. We're dropped into this somewhat-Middle Eastern type kingdom where gender and sexuality is a non-issue, there's elemental magic, and women always hold the highest offices. Sounds great, tell me more. Well, instead, we follow whingey, useless Prince Kadou around while he tries to keep a relationship he doesn't even want with one of his now-fired guard (who is annoying as all get out) while his new guard tries to ignore his own boner for Kadou. And that's all that happens for the first quarter of the book.