Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did the novel’s use of multiple narrators and plotlines affect your engagement with the narrative? Did you have a favorite storyline you were always eager to get back to?

2. What was the single most impactful or memorable scene for you, and what made it stand out so strongly?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Auren uses the mantra “My name is Auren Turley. And I am stronger than the dark” to anchor her identity while her memories are under attack (39). Do you have a mantra or saying you use to ground yourself during challenging times in your life?

2. Many of the novel’s fae characters are motivated by their commitment to the Vulmin. In your own life, is there a cause or group that drives you?

3. The relationship between Rissa and Osrik blossoms when he insists that she stop performing an assigned role. Do you have someone in your life who helps you express your true feelings?

4. Auren ultimately rejects the throne in favor of personal freedom. If you were in her position, would you choose a life of leadership and responsibility or one of quiet, personal fulfillment?

5. Slade’s Wrath is a tight-knit found family. Within your own life, who’s part of your chosen family? Consider sharing a story about a time that brought you together.

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does Goldfinch fit the key elements of the romantasy subgenre? Why do you think this blend of romance and fantasy is resonating so strongly with readers?

2. At the end of the novel, Auren declines an invitation to become queen and considers serving in a democratically elected government instead. What critique of traditional, inherited power structures do you think the novel is making? How do these ideas connect to real-world conversations about leadership and governance?

3. How does Kennedy’s history with Kindle Unlimited and digital piracy influence your perspective on the book as a creative work and a commercial product?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. If you’ve read other romantasy works, such as Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses, how would you compare the world-building and the development of the central romance? What similarities or differences do you see in how the authors approach themes of trauma, fated love, and female agency?

2. The motifs of gold and rot are central to the identities of Auren and Slade. How do these elements evolve throughout the story?

3. Commander Ryatt is described as a foil to Slade, representing duty and order in contrast to his brother’s chaotic power and personal devotion. In what specific ways do their leadership styles differ during the war? What might the novel be suggesting about leadership?

4. Auren’s journey is closely tied to the Vulmin sigil of the broken-winged bird. How does the novel trace her transformation from a caged “Goldfinch” to a character who literally manifests wings and learns to fly? Where did you see this symbolism appear most effectively?

5. The climax of the novel unfolds through rapid, intercut scenes across two different realms. What is the effect of experiencing Ryatt’s battle, Malina’s sacrifice, and Auren’s and Slade’s confrontation with Cull all at once?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you’ve been tasked with designing a new flag or sigil for the governing assemblage that replaces the Annwyn monarchy. What symbols would you use to represent the new era that Auren and Wick hope to build?

2. If you were to write a short story set 10 years after the end of Goldfinch, what would daily life be like for the stranded Oreans in Annwyn? What new roles and relationships might characters like Ryatt, Rissa, and Osrik have forged in this new world?

3. The story ends with the realms permanently divided. If an unexpected and limited way to send a single message between Annwyn and Orea were discovered, who do you think would be the first to use it, and what would their message say?