Glow

The premise of the Plated Prisoner series is an inversion of the King Midas myth in which Midas doesn’t have the golden touch. Rather, the touch belongs to a gold-skinned girl named Auren.

In Gild, Auren is an orphan whom Midas rescues from the streets when she is 15. He tells everyone he has the power to transform objects to gold, and Auren’s golden skin is presumed proof of his claims. After becoming king, he keeps Auren in a golden cage for 10 years. He then uses her as a bargaining chip with the king of Fifth Kingdom to raise an army against Fourth Kingdom. Auren is abducted by pirates but uses her gold power to defend herself. She is carried off by Commander Rip (Slade in disguise), who treats her well, and she feels a growing attraction to him. Midas vows to get her back.

In Glint, Auren meets King Ravinger for the first time (also Slade in disguise). Her fae origins become apparent to Commander Rip because he is also fae. Ravinger negotiates the return of Auren if Midas consents to give Ravinger the strip of land where Drollard Village is located. Midas agrees and puts Auren in an iron cage to keep her “safe.” She begins to suspect that he has been manipulating her all along.

In Gleam, Auren’s attraction to Commander Rip grows. Midas allows her out of the cage and gives her a room of her own. She eventually plans to run away with Rip. Midas punishes her by slashing the golden ribbons off her back. Afterward, Auren goes on a murderous rampage and drowns the entire castle in gold, killing Midas in the process. Slade arrives in time to use his rot power to stop her.

Glow explores Auren’s relationship with Slade and her growing ability to control her fae powers. The lovers are separated at the end of the novel when Slade opens a rift to Annwyn to save Auren from being executed by the rest of Orea’s royals.

Gold finds Auren trying to navigate her way alone through Annwyn, where she learns that she is the long-lost heir to the throne. She leads rebels who want to take control from a domineering fae faction. Slade loses the ability to open portals and wreaks havoc on all the Orean royals who tried to harm Auren. Queen Malina develops the power of ice. She forms a romantic bond with her former enemy, and they keep the fae army from advancing into Sixth Kingdom. Slade and Auren are not yet reunited, but Auren’s ribbons grow back.

In Goldfinch, Slade crosses the bridge from Seventh Kingdom to Annwyn, where he finds Auren at last. Together, they defeat the tyrant fae king. Slade’s father kills Auren, but she is resurrected. The fae army is defeated by the Oreans. Malina sacrifices her life to shut down the bridge once and for all. Auren is asked to be the fae queen, but she declines. All the central characters find their way to Annwyn, where they live together happily ever after.