The author seems to have become rather weary of the series after five books, but this does at least mark a welcome improvement over the sixth. The length and the issues noticed may have made me go with three stars, but I'll stick to four because the dragons and the main human characters are still pretty much themselves, their interaction continues to be interesting, occasionally amusing and, if perhaps less than in earlier books, every so often even raising a few important issues, and the few surprising moments are used well enough.
Admittedly, I read with a critical eye in recent years, so I tend to notice more problems than most, but I doubt such attention is even needed to have reason to complain about the rushed ending or some other simplifications, and I must also mention that at least a few things don't quite add up properly. However, overall Crucible of Gold does at least give some reason to hope that the series won't end with a whimper.