Hello everyone!!
Today we are reviewing The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna, which is the first book in the Deathless series , a YA Fantasy published in February 2021 by Delacorte Press.
I read this book together with the girls from #booktalkwithwifey read along and I really liked it. The story, the world-building, the characters and the writing were just beautiful.
There are many messages in the story as the setting is a deeply patriarchal kingdom with little or no respect for women and this story is about empowerment.
We follow sixteen-year-old Deka who lives in Otera, where a woman's worth is tied to her purity, and she must bleed to prove it. But when Deka bleeds gold - the colour of impurity, of a demon - she faces a consequence worse than death. She is saved by a mysterious woman who tells Deka of her true nature: she is an Alaki, a near-immortal with exceptional gifts. The stranger offers her a choice: fight for the Emperor, with others just like her, or be destroyed.
Deka is a beloved character, who faces discrimination and who just wants to belong. All that is happening to deka and the other female characters is not far from what women still face today.
There are amazing friendship dynamics between the women in this book that show how powerful women can be when they are together as a team.
I also loved how action-packed it was and all the plot twists and revelations.
This book is supposed to be a trilogy but for me it can stand perfectly as a standalone. The ending wrapped up everything really good. Nevertheless, I am curious to see how it will continue from there.
TW: Graphic violence, mention of abuse and rape
Rating: 4 Stars
See you in the next post and don't forget to keep reading!!!
Athina
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