I loved this story. I'm a big fan of Deka's character development, not only how she became a stronger more outspoken character but how she got past her internalised misogyny and realised that the way of thinking that she has been taught is flawed.

The friendship development was good as was the romance. However, I do wish that more of the romantic development was done onscreen instead of the author telling us about the development after the fact, but aside from that what was shown was enjoyable.

The world-building also could've been handled a bit better, instead of mostly being dumped in the early part of the story through Deka's thoughts but it was interesting none the less.

The pacing was good and the story itself was pretty interesting. I do wish we got a bit more back story on the mythology but I can understand why there wasn't much information, given what the characters were led to believe.

Wow, this was a fantastic read! I was sucked in right from the beginning and the entire way through! The twists and turns were surprising, normally I can guess what is going to happen and be pretty spot on, but this one definitely shocked me! I really loved the overall story and history within the timeline; a highly recommended read!

I was so disappointed that I didn't like this book more. It isn't a bad story, but I think it just wasn't the book for me. I'm not one to super enjoy YA fantasy that focuses on a war, fight training, and battles as the main plot focus. I usually need more POVs or magic or something else to keep me interested. This one is definitely a darker book and the war aspect was also paired with a culture that brainwashed its citizens and cast out those it literally called demons. Our main character was cast out and spent the beginning hating herself since she believed her culture. They torture her extensively before she is taken away and then trains as a soldier. Unfortunately, I just didn't connect with her and wasn't interested in this kind of plot line. There was also a romance but I didn't see any chemistry between them. I did like the twist at the end and the West African inspirations. I'm sure others will enjoy this book, just not for me,

So incredibly weird and unconventional. It honestly felt like I was trapped in a bad dream whenever I read it where things should make sense but they don’t. It was violent and gruesome and cruel and didn’t make me feel invested. And it was pretty one-dimensional as far as its study of patriarchy goes. I was expecting a lot more. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend this one.

I could heartily recommend this book to someone looking to get into YA fantasy, particularly if that reader is from a marginalized community and wanted to see herself as the protagonist in such a story. I would have to do so with the suggestion that she look carefully at the story's content warnings, however, as there is a lot of graphic gore and less-graphic sexual violence embedded in the narrative.

For frequent readers of YA fantasy, the general patterns and tropes will be apparent from "go". A sixteen year old girl faces a Ritual (yes, capitalized) dictated by her patriarchal and puritanical society. Things go Terribly Wrong because she is Different, and in the rest of the story, she must Embrace Her Destiny (capitalizations mine, here). Standard fare, but it's certainly nice to see more diversity applied to those tropes.

The religious themes are heavy-handed with little room for nuance, but in a way that's fairly typical for the genre. The story's "big twist" is easy to see coming a mile away for any genre-savvy reader, and getting to that point is a bit of a bumpy ride. The narrative sort of careens between training montages and infodumps, without giving us a lot of time to appreciate the characters. We're often informed about personalities, but we get less opportunity to see them on display.

The predictable YA romance is predictable and rather boring. There was absolutely a more interesting choice, and if I continue with this series, it would mostly be to see if the author pulls a bait-and-switch on the expected direction and makes the bolder choice later on.

This is a feminist fantasy title that doesn't shy away from serious subject matters. The first book in its series, The Gilded Ones places emphasis on the oppressive patriarchal society, how it demonizes and demoralizes women by hiding behind twisted cultural and societal expectations designed to keep men in power and discourage equality.

Our main protagonist Deka has her entire world rocked the moment she discovers she bleeds the cursed gold color rather than the natural red like everyone else. Deemed impure and an alaki to boot, the rest of the story follows Deka as she decides to join the emperor's army and fight off the deathshrieks with other girls just like her, all with the intention of eventually becoming pure once more.

One of the strongest aspects of this book (and one of my favorites) is Deka's relationship with the other girls, particularly Britta who is so opposite of the life Deka led before, that you can tell both these girls are much stronger together than they are apart. There's a deep love, warmth, and loyalty that roots their friendship and only grows as the book goes on. It grounds the story in soft moments when the book gets bloody (and there's a LOT of blood spilled).

I also appreciate the lore and mythology in the book, though a second read would most likely reveal things I missed the first time. The Gilded Ones (not the title), as goddess and not the cursed demons history (and men) have painted them to be are fascinating and unique, and the way it all ties in with Deka's ancestry as we learn who and what exactly she is.

Fantasy is usually not my go-to genre, but I was intrigued by the synopsis. The Gilded Ones did not disappoint. It was a fast paced story that focused on sisterhood and friendship. Deka is the strong female protagonist that you can’t help but root for. Overall, a captivating story that kept me engaged throughout. Perfect for readers that want a little feminism with their fantasy genre. I look forward to recommending this to our audience and will consider it for a future book club pick for our book club.

This was such an enjoyable read! It was quick, both story and pacing and I adored the characters! The sisterhood, the camaraderie, the unwavering trust, this book just made me feel empowered. I will say, though the progressing romance between the main character and the love interest was a weaker point to the story, that is in no way a demerit to the story, I found myself really loving the gradual build up to the eventual feelings. I'm glad this reads as a standalone, but I am HIGHLY anticipating the sequel!

This book was amazing! It follows Deka who is dealing with quite a lot and her society is very much stacked against here. There are so many themes being explored from inequality in society based on the color of your skin and because of your gender. This leads to a strong discussion of feminism and the fight for making women equal in a society that for so long has taken away women's voices. Because of the society they live in a big theme is also purity which I think is great to be addressed in a young adult book because society forces purity standards on the young. There's also the themes of sisterhood and how finding love with friends is sometimes even more valuable than romantic or familial love. Finally, this ties in with the theme of loyalty and sticking beside those you love. I find the world building straight forward and easy to understand which is great for people who might not read many fantasies. This book does contain many scenes of violence and abuse especially violence towards women so trigger warning for that. Overall, this book was well built and well written and I can't wait for the sequel!

I am predicting that this is going to be a highlight for a lot of people on their YA fantasy lists of 2021. It features a lot of strong female characters, POC characters, interesting world-building and magical elements, great commentary about the patriarchy, especially the religious patriarchy, and so much more. There is so much packed into this 400+ page novel and a lot of readers are going to be 100% there for it. However, I struggled with it, mostly because of the pacing. But, I think if you have a stronger connection or love of the characters than I did it won't be a problem.

Pacing issues aside, I can see the greater purpose and vision behind this novel. It may be a fantasy book, but it is an examination of deeply patriarchal societies and their bullshit. The misogyny in this world may feel to some readers like it is a foreign or even impossible thing for some readers, despite being some woman's reality somewhere out there in the world. The women of this world are forced to wear masks in public, they can't go anywhere unaccompanied, and they're tested for their 'purity'.

Overall, I would recommend this for someone looking for a new and interesting fantasy, while also flipping off the patriarchy. This is a solid debut novel and I can only see the series, and the author, getting better from here.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte for providing me with an eARC of this book. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was an easy 5 star read for me. From beginning to end I was swept up in the world, falling in love with Deka and her bloodsisters. Otera is a strictly patriarchal society that controls women in every way. I loved watching Deka slowly shed her own internalized beliefs about herself and other women as she learned the truth of who she was. The ending was satisfying with a great opening for future books. Overall I would highly recommend picking up this YA fantasy!

Deka is a lead character who is easy to love, and naturally endearing. The horrors that she goes through after being found 'impure' horrified me and made me cry - not just because of how horrendous they are, but because I know that so many women around the world are treated in appalling ways that are justified by reasons just as bizarre and, as here, fictional.

The journey that Deka undertakes as an alaki is nothing compared to that which she undertakes in herself, both with her gifts and without. She goes from fearing her blood, hating being at all different, to declaring herself proudly the descendant of a demon. I loved watching her character development, not just to this point, but beyond - when she starts questioning the actions she's being asked to undertake. The relationships she develops are based entirely on the trust with her blood sisters having her back, and she having theirs, and the pairings with the male warriors also come to be powerful when both in battle and social situations.

Deka is different even for an alaki, and she moves from being self conscious to feeling exploited for this ability. While still trying to harbor the respect for those teaching and in control of her, she is faced with an internal struggle, especially when it comes to her attention that the person she had most been putting her trust in might not be all they seem...

Overall, I found this book to be powerful, emotive, and a strong depiction of just how easily women can be shamed for being at all different. The book is reflective on this point as well as being a simply brilliant read. I can't wait to see what the author produces next.

Deka is from a small village in Otera, a land where all girls who come of age must undergo the Ritual of Purity where bleeding red means being pure (and a life of marriage, child-bearing, cooking, cleaning, and general lack of freedoms), but bleeding gold means being an alaki, a near-immortal demon descendant with remarkable strength and speed. Lucky alaki are rounded up to serve twenty years as part of Otera's elite army. The unlucky are tortured and bled for their valuable golden blood.

The Gilded Ones is a story of empowerment, but not in the I'm-an-independent-lady-doing-it-for-myself sense. These young women have experienced the absolute worst humanity has to offer and in a society where that is completely acceptable and downright encouraged. There is a sadness and a rage to this empowerment. Namina Forna points an accusatory finger at patriarchal oppression: You turned us into this. Treated us like monsters. Now here comes the reckoning.

This is also about the importance of voice and what gives it power. Deka, like many women today, has to force others to listen to her voice, while every male character's mere existence gives their voices power. It really made me reevaluate my conversations with both men and women. I, myself, have been guilty of not taking a woman at her word. Oftentimes, "no" from a man ends the conversation, but "no" from a woman begins a negotiation. We are all the hero of our own story and we all deserve to have our words heard.

This review will be posted at https://chaptersandcharms.com/2021/02/08/book-review-the-gilded-ones-by-namina-forna/ on Feb. 8, 2021, 11 a.m. ET.

Ready for some epic battle scenes, well-paced character growth, and overthrowing the patriarchy? Debut author Namina Forna hits the ground running with The Gilded Ones, the story of a teen girl living in a repressive fantasy world who must train to slay demons for the emperor after being rejected by society for her cursed golden blood.

Genre: YA, fantasy
Who should read it: Readers looking for an absorbing escape; must have a strong stomach for gore.
You may like it if you like: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi; Dread Nation by Justina Ireland; The Power by Naomi Alderman; The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Characters

Deka - All Deka has ever wanted is to be accepted. That’s hard enough when her skin is brown like her mother’s people from the South, rather than pale like everyone else in her village. It becomes impossible when her blood doesn’t bleed red at her coming of age Purity Ritual.

White Hands - A mysterious woman who comes to take Deka away to join the emperor’s army, riding a chariot pulled by two centaur-like creatures with claws for feet. She gives no name, so Deka dubs her White Hands for the bone-white gauntlets that cover her hands and fingers.

Britta - Deka’s best friend from the day they meet in White Hand’s chariot on their way to the capital. Like Deka, her blood runs gold, which makes them both superhuman beings called alaki.

Keita - A young recruit for the male soldiers known as jatu. He is paired with Deka when each alaki is assigned a jatu partner for training, and they soon become friends and even more.

Plot

The kingdom of Otera is under attack by deathshrieks, creatures whose screams can cause great agony as they raid towns and villages stealing away young girls. The only people who have a chance of defeating them are alaki, girls like Deka with golden blood and unnatural strength, speed, and ability to heal after most forms of death. Alaki are said to be descendants of four ancient demons known as The Gilded Ones, and they’ve always been killed by the priests once their identity is revealed at the annual Ritual of Purity for sixteen-year-old girls. Now the emperor has lifted the death mandate on the condition that they join his army and train to defeat the deathshrieks.

After being tortured for months as the priests try to find the one way to kill Deka for real, anything sounds better than what she has endured. She jumps at the chance to serve her empire and perhaps earn absolution for her demonic heritage. But the more she learns about deathshrieks and about herself, the more she realizes that the version of reality she has been told all her life may not be the truth after all.

My Thoughts

It’s not hard to figure out the main theme of the book. Forna says right in the author’s note at the beginning that this story is about feminism and the patriarchy, based on her experiences of sexism in both Sierra Leone and the United States. The beginning may start a little heavy-handed with an Atwood-esque society where women are expected to be soft and demure, obedient and yielding, on pain of ostracization or death. But what truly impressed me was the seamless and subtle deprogramming that Deka undergoes as she learns that the world is bigger than the rules she grew up by.

She transitions smoothly from a young woman who genuinely believes that she needs to earn the love of a demanding patriarchal god by keeping her head down and being good, to accepting her place as a demon unworthy of love for her differences, to finding her calling as a leader and outcast, to finally questioning the entire system and working to overthrow it. There is not just one big aha moment, but many little ones that contribute to her transformation in a way that strikes me as a really good depiction of character growth.

Another unique aspect of this story was the negative color symbolism associated with gold. Why would the author choose to make demons bleed the color of wealth and sunshine? Apparently the imagery came to her in a dream but there is more to it. The blood of Deka and the other alaki is both hated and useful. The elders of her village literally strip mine her body for the liquid gold she bleeds, which can be traded as currency or even melted down for armor. There’s clear parallels here to the commodification of women’s bodies and also to exploitative practices of colonizers to the colonized. Then again, maybe we are asking the wrong question. Who says that golden blood is cursed and evil: the elders, the emperor, the scriptures---men in power. What if everything is not as they claim?

If you are looking for an action-packed story of self-discovery and liberation, definitely give this book a read.

What’s been your favorite girl-power story lately? Let me know in the comments.

This book is awesome. Smash that Patriarchy, indeed. It's definitely violent so warnings there, and mentions of past sexual violence as well. I love these characters, relationships, just basically everything. Definitely will be picking up the next books to see where this story goes.

"Freedom for every woman..."

The Gilded Ones sets another fantastical fantasy for YA. Forna brings different cultural elements and themes like abuse, trauma, racism, misogyny and xenophobia in The Gilded Ones. to weave together a beautiful story. Side note: The cover is freaken' gorgeous so pops to the artist!!

The characters here are all vast and uniquely different. Deka has to undo everything she's been taught and believes; as readers we see her struggle to overcome the prejudices and lies that have been told to her. The strong bond of understanding and friendship between the main and side characters was beautiful. However I couldn't enjoy the characters, the personalities felt to one dimensional at times. I believe they all had to potential to be much deeper than they were but the attention between them was spread too thin. There were too much cast and not enough development. The romance in The Gilded Ones was subtle but not needed. It detracted from the main story.

While the world-building was extensive; I felt disconnected for the world at times. The diversity between each of the places between the different places was great for being able to tell them apart though. I enjoyed the differences between each of the places. There was a lot going on and I think Forna spread the world too thin at times. The violence in The Gilded Ones could be quite graphic; it made me angry and sad in different places as it occurred in the story. The hints throughout the book are quite hard to miss when it comes to the plotline, and while I find hints to be helpful I felt that there was too much handholding for the reader when it came to where the plot was going. The plot twist was obvious. The ending did have me excited for what comes next; I do hope the little kinks here and there will be filled out in the second book.

I’ll be honest, when I started reading, I wasn’t immediately pulled in to the story, but it didn’t take long for that to happen. I throughly enjoyed watching Deka transform along her journey (mentally and physically 😉) and everything about the Alaki and the Deathshrieks. The plot quickly swept me in, as well as the vibrant cast of characters Deka meets and befriends. I loved being able to guess along with Deka as more things were revealed, and untangle the history surrounding her and her ancestry. I’m very excited to see where the sequel takes us after the events of this first book.

I started reading this book at bedtime and didn't put it down for hours. The following afternoon I wanted two things: a nap and to keep reading (neither of which I could have because it was a work day and I was at work).

There are a lot of familiar YA fantasy tropes - girl is different, girl has suffered loss, girl is fearful of an upcoming ritual - which are like comforting signposts. But then things get twisted sideways with violence and an unexpected amount of torture.

I very much enjoyed this - sinking into a new world like the one has Namina has built is a great pleasure. It's populated by familiar and unfamiliar creatures. And familiar evils - the society in which Deka (our heroine) lives is misogynistic to the extreme.

Eventually Deka is at a training ground where she finds a tight group of friends and learns how powerful her difference is. Again, familiar beats against an unfamiliar backdrop. She is searching for answers, and accepts as small pieces of information are doled out and more promised.

When this book comes to a climax, it happens quickly. A lot of action and a lot of backstory take place in a fairly short amount of time. Some parts felt a little out of the blue, though I may have missed the signposting as a reader.

Because so much happened so quickly at the end, I'm glad that there will be further books in the series where we might be able to explore this world a bit more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this title.

This one started out slow for me, with all the hallmarks of easy YA tropes.

A coming-of-age ritual to kick things off, a la The Hunger Games, and which marks the MC as an "outsider" who is "not like the other ones"? Yep, and the ritual is called... The Ritual.

Surface level feminism that is predictable and doesn't offer anything new? Of course!

A training academy like every other YA fantasy book of the last twenty years? Welcome to the first half of the plot!

For me, the second half worked better, as Forna developed the world and the creatures that populate it. The deathshrieks are an inventive creature, and she unspools their origin story in a methodical manner. The action picks up and the various allies around the protagonist start to gain depth as the stakes rise.

Unfortunately, the end turns into a series of, "oh, this is actually how this happened" moments. One or two of those is fine, but they were all shoehorned into the plot, none of them naturally. At one point, at the ending scene, one character (I'll hide the names for spoilers) is trying to ask questions while getting absolutely wailed on in a battle. It plays out like a missing Monty Python scene.

Find full reviews at: https://bookclubbed.buzzsprout.com/

Deka has spent all her life trying to live up to being pure, the only value women truly have. She knows that if she’s not careful, if she’s deemed impure, her blood will flow gold instead of red at the blood ceremony, and she’ll be declared a demon and put to death. But when the ceremony is interrupted by demons of a different sort, Deathshrieks, and Deka’s golden blood is revealed, her entire life is upended. Rather than continue to suffer as the priests of her village try over and over to kill her without success, Deka is offered a chance to become pure once more: if she joins the emperor’s army and helps to purge the land of Deathshrieks, she’ll be pardoned and cured. Grasping at the chance to be pure, Deka takes it, not knowing she’s risking much more than her life as she joins the army.

I received an advanced reading copy of The Gilded Ones in exchange for an honest review.

The Gilded Ones is a young adult fantasy novel by Namina Forna. It’s also her debut novel, and the first novel of the Deathless series. Quite an undertaking, this novel covers everything from violence against women to romance to sisterhood. But, I guess I can explain much more of that in a review, right?

If I were to compare this book to a recent read, it would be to Cinderella is Dead, by Kalynn Bayron. Both novels have women being put down, considered lesser by men. In Cinderella is Dead, young girls are forced into marriages, without any say in the matter, their appearance their most valued asset. In The Gilded Ones, it’s their purity, and it’s a very familiar topic. Purity has been so important for young women for so long in our world, with them forced to be “chaste” and “virtuous,” and shamed if they ever give any impression of being different. Here, the purity is of a different sort, but it still brings to the forefront memories of what I was told I had to be, as well as thoughts imposed on every other young woman still.

But the women of this book, doomed as they are by being called “impure,” raise themselves above these names that are being imposed upon them. Their “impurity,” in the end, is what makes them strong, their golden blood gifting them with incredibly long lives, impressive strength, and the ability to survive a variety of deadly wounds. Rather than being celebrated for these differences, these women are feared and tortured, as the men in their lives fear for their own power.

And that brings me to what I think is the most important topic in the whole book: sisterhood. Deka starts the book as a character who’s afraid of being different, afraid of what other people might do to her. And when she’s forced into a group of women who’re all like her, of course she finds herself struggling to interact with them. But as she does, I found that the shy protagonist who was ashamed of every part of herself began to grow. In Britta she found what true, loyal friendship was, and what life could be like. In White Hands she found how to be strong in a society that insists that every woman must be weak. In Belcalis she finds out what it means to go on, even after every part of you has been broken. All these women push her to become more, to become stronger, to become fiercer. And that is what I loved best about the novel. Oh, there’s romance happening here too, and it happens much faster than I expected, but I immediately called it once Deka met the character. The romance is definitely not as interesting as the sisterhood, though!

One big thing I also want to mention is that this novel has a cast of incredibly diverse characters keeping it moving! We have characters of all colors, shapes, and sizes. Deka herself is dark-skinned, an issue at the beginning of the novel when she’s living in a village where almost everybody is white. She does deal with some colorism at first, which could make these first few pages especially hard, as the combination of racism and misogyny are at their worst. The Gilded Ones is also an #OwnVoices novel, and Forna brings these wonderful characters to the forefront to deliver their stories.

I should probably also discuss the plot, huh? I will say it starts out fairly slow but then picks up. It starts off with the girls training, learning more about themselves, and then quickly starts to speed up. I will say I called almost every twist on here, but that might just be because, structurally, I figured that it would be heading that way. The twists continue to be very exciting, though! And a lot of the plot is inspired by the world Forna creates too, with it being influenced by the environment and the frequent attacks. And, without spoiling the ending, I will also say I really loved how the book is self-contained in terms of plot, so you can read only the first one of if you want, or you can read the following novels if you’re interested.

As for me, I’ll definitely be picking up the sequels. The Gilded Ones is an exciting fantasy novel about toppling the patriarchy and women coming into their strengths by supporting each other.

The Gilded Ones will be released on February 9. You can pre-order your copy from Delacorte here.