Who Are The Main Characters In Witches Steeped In Gold?

Iraya, the exiled heir of the Adair dynasty and former witch-in-training, and her twin sister Jazmyne were central to the story and their complicated relationship was almost as powerful as their combined magic. Iraya, sharp as a knife and with a rough exterior, had been betrayed and abandoned by her family years prior. So she lived, for most of her life, in relative solitude with a rough and pragmatic exterior to match her harsh and isolated past. Jazmyne, on the other hand, is a daughter of the witches’ enemies and has always lived in a position of power and luxury, but her own brand of magic is just as potentially deadly. Her own brand of cunning is wrapped up in her strategic and precisely controlled magic.

I loved that the sisters’ magic also reflected their personalities. Iraya’s untamed magic is clearly a reflection of her defiance and hard-brained nature. Jazmyne’s, on the other hand, is carefully controlled as she’s a strategic mind. The world-building in this story was also fantastic – especially with how much Jamaican folklore there is. I couldn’t put this book down because every interaction between the two sisters felt like a waiting keg of powder about to explode.

Loved this. Favorite character is Iraya Adair (oh so very) favorite because she is just a combo of burn it all down and vulnerable all at once. And her polar opposite Jazmyne Cariot is just the right amount of smooth and charming, with hidden tension and a complicated relationship with her family. Both of their voices are so unique and clear and, oh man, the dialogue in both of their chapters is just a punch to the gut, and then there’s Jazmyne’s chapters that just drip with tension. Additionally, the magic systems between the two of them are fascinating because of how Iraya’s Obeah is shadowy and dark and on the down low versus Jazmyne’s Alumbrar arts that are slick and polished and beautiful. And then there are the awesome supporting characters, like snarky & funny and somewhat distrustful Kirdan. I think one of the things that really made this work for me is their longstanding rivalry that isn’t just about power. The two of them have a history of sort of tormenting each other, mostly because of childhood drama and their respective legacies of bad feelings towards the other. Which, naturally, leads to a lot of messy and sort of gray morality choices. Which is my FAVORITE. And it’s even better with these amazing, Afro-Caribbean magical practices. I am obsessed. The magical practices described here are so fresh and unique and steeped in culture, it’s just amazing to me that I haven’t really read anything like this before.

The struggles between the two females are mainly centered around childhood trauma and the burden of legacy. This novel appreciates the complexity of giving in to choosing morally gray areas, and I can confirm that I am 100% obsessed. The Afro-Caribbean influences that are woven deeply into the magical systems of the story are stunning as well. There is just something so unique and so deeply rooted in culture that is refreshingly new in the world of fantasy.

Iraya and Jazmyne are the two center personalities in this novel, and the two have some fabulous dramatic confrontations. Iraya is sort of the underdog of this book, with an attitude to match. Jazmyne is the “golden girl” and has lots of secrets that are slowly revealed. The magic in this book is rooted in Jamaican traditions and it makes the battles between Iraya and Jazmyne very physical and real. I love how Iraya’s grittiness is up against Jazmyne’s poise. The rest of the characters are fine, but there’s just something about the twisted relationship of these two twins that makes me want to keep reading. And the end of the book? Oh no, I better not start telling you about that and then not deliver on a sequel.