**I was provided an electronic ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Namina Forna's debut novel, The Gilded Ones, is a feminist, West African-inspired fantasy where the demon-tainted girls bleed gold. When Deka has her coming-of-age ritual, she hopes to bleed red, a mark of purity. When she finds that she is one of the impure, it starts a whirlwind of suffering in which she loses all that she has. When presented an opportunity by a stranger, Deka finds herself anew as a warrior of the empire along with other tainted girls who possess rare gifts.

I was quickly immersed in the world that Forna created. I'm a sucker for the training camp/school/etc. and Forna executed this trope in Deka's military training beautifully. I also found it notable that all of the "cursed" girls were partnered with boys, but that romances took a firm backseat in the entirety of the story. Deka has a love interest, but this story was absolutely and undeniably about the strength and power of the girls. The boys, while present, were barely side characters for a majority of the book. This isn't commonly found in YA books, and it was a refreshing change.

I loved that Forna showed glimpses of what was to come throughout the book, while managing to still have a "big reveal" moment. Forna has also set up nicely for a sequel, which I hope will come as I am invested in Deka's world.

I really wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did, and am thrilled to have been able to read this early. I am sure that readers will support this release as it seems to hit on many points that are popular right now, while having beautiful execution of the writing throughout.

I very much look forward to seeing what Forna releases in the future after such a strong debut.

Namina Forna's promise of this being a feminist book does not disappoint. As someone who's faced her fair share of the various inequalities of society by grace of living as a woman, there are many instances in the book that resonated with me. At one point, I teared up and wanted to cry.

The fantasy world of Otera is beautifully diverse, with well thought-out characters, culture, history, and politics. The Gilded Ones tells the familiar story of discovering and accepting oneself, but with twists and turns that make the reading experience infinitely more enjoyable.

I cannot wait to see this book published in all its glory, along with its sequels when they come out.

The Gilded Ones is an incredibly unique fantasy set in a world where blood means everything. Deka, the main character, must undergo a ritual to test the purity of her blood. Pass, and she will be welcomed as a full member of her village and be able to marry and have children. Fail, and she will be killed for being an impure demon.

This book was full of action-packed battle scenes, as well as gory details (like how Deka was repeatedly killed) that I didn't expect but also really enjoyed. I also liked the important social commentary lacing the entire book: Deka's world is extremely sexist, with women not even being allowed to run or raise their voices. At the beginning, Deka believes in this world, and wants nothing more than to be a normal woman in her village, marrying and raising her children. However, the more time Deka spends training to fight the deathshrieks and learning more about what it means to be a 'demon', she becomes stronger mentally and physically.

I also liked Deka's friendships with the other girls, especially Britta. Britta was such a great character, although she did pale in comparison to Deka, who had a mysterious power that none of the other girls had. The romance in the book was very downplayed, which I appreciated because the book did focus more on Deka's discovery of herself. However, the romance was downplayed so much that I didn't feel much of a spark between Deka and her love interest.

As I read this book, I was drawn in to the world that the author created within the story. The main character’s journey and what she discovers about herself throughout the story was intriguing and fun to read. Also, I found it to be a much easier read that some of the other books that I’ve read lately, and I’ve felt was a good thing for me right about now. Plus the cover of the book is pretty cool! The only thing that bummed me out about this book was that I have to wait until next year to get a physical copy of this book. Since the copy that I read was an advanced reader copy, and I know the author will likely make revisions to it before it’s published next year (which I hope aren’t too many, I really enjoyed it as it was), I’m only going to give it four out of five stars for now. And I can’t wait to get a copy of it when it finally comes out next year.

This is a wonderful book about the power of women and allyship and playing the long game to achieve something truly spectacular. Young women, ostracized from their communities, are trained as warriors....but when the biggest battle comes, there is a startling and liberating secret that has to come out. I loved this book, which draws from West African myth and lore, has well-developed and diverse characters, and is masterpiece of layered stories and motivations.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
I loved the world building and character development we get for our main girl, Deka. Her growth at the end of the book was so satisfying - especially considering how nervous and pious she was at the beginning. Her relationship with her sisters was so real and I'm always a sucker for found family books.
Thank you to Namina Forna for including her authors note explaining her examination of the patriarchy and who thrives under those restrictions. She definitely delivers on that promise, making the book fun to read while not being afraid to delve into the dark truths of male-dominated societies.
The book was enjoyable and easy to read, however there are a few times where it felt like decisions/alliances/struggles happened very quickly without any sort of back and forth between the parties involved. It wasn't a detriment to my reading experience, but it did take away some of the stakes for me because I knew that things were going to work out, especially in the end, which felt rushed.
However, the plot twists/reveals were compelling and entertaining and I can't wait to see what happens in future books. This feels like the beginning of a complex adventure series and I only anticipate things moving up from here!
I'm so sad that this book was pushed back but I hope that means it can get the launch it deserves in 2021! It definitely deserves the hype.

This was a truly beautifully written and powerful story of a girl searching to find a place to belong. I absolutely loved the plot and the imagery in the story. Deka, while uncertain a lot of the time is still a wonderful character that I really enjoyed reading about. I would definitely recommend this story!

Beautiful, vibrant, a refreshingly unique world with serious themes that hit at home, all expertly written. This is sure to be a contender for best of the year in 2021. There was a fantastic balance of characterization and world building with fast-paced action that many authors try, and fail to execute. There was an undeniable message being conveyed in regards to patriarchy and what it means to be accepting of oneself in an oppressive world. It's bold and full of life and feminism and I was utterly entertained the whole way through. My only critique was that I felt the characterization took a bit of a left turn for Deka towards the halfway mark, and some of the narrative for the last third of the book felt a little rushed and tended to info-dump. It didn't take away from my enjoyment - I am very much looking forward to the next installment!

Thank you to netgalley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Gilded Ones was a rich and colorful book filled with strong friendship and awesome female characters! The demon warrior thing was incredibly cool, but it also taught a lesson about how people are treated differently because of the way they were born. I really liked the story line but sometimes it felt a bit slow and lacked action! The ending was fantastic and I loved the idea of the goddesses! I'm so excited to see where this series goes next, but boy is it going to be a long wait!

an interesting fantasy novel with a unique cast of characters. I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I loved the world building and how it correlated with the story. It was very interesting learning about religion and history. I wish we would have gotten to see more of Ortera(I think?), because I absolutely loved the part where they got to explore Heimara. The concept was also super good. I also adored the diversity, it’s not something you see very often in young adult.
Only reason this isn’t a five star is because of some cliche aspects of the plot and characters I found very predictable. But that’s pretty nit picky. My main thing was the end, it felt incredibly rushed for me.
Uh so **SPOILERS**
But Deka basically fulfills her main purpose of existing at the end of the book and entirely resolves everything in the plot. This could have easily been stretched over like another book or something(I understand this is a series?). There was some build up with like leftover jatu who are like alaki, which wasn’t even touched on until the end. It was basically a happy ending otherwise. I don’t know, maybe that is a personal opinion. But yeah I enjoyed this overall.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3266551605?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Five stars

I'm big enough to admit that I requested this arc for one reason: its cool cover. Normally, I'm a lot more thoughtful about what I want to pick up, but I'm so tired of the lack of diversity in YA - especially on YA book covers - and so I wanted to give this a go for its stellar imaging alone. Fortunately for me, the contents - like the cover - do NOT disappoint.

Deka is a young girl living in a society that believes young women who bleed gold are demons and that they have to be killed - often repeatedly - to rid the society of their sinfulness and impurity. Who here is surprised to know that this is a patriarchal and religiously organized society? Oh. Deka bleeds gold early on in the novel, and male-identifying figures immediately start failing her and actively turning against her; simultaneously, the women-identifying and nonbinary/fluid/shapeshifting characters appear to really be on her side.

There is *so* much to love about this novel. The symbolism - particularly around the blood, the gold, the shapeshifting, and the use of un/voiced power - is stunning. This theme of sisterhood runs throughout the novel in really beautiful and at times unexpected ways, and I found myself really moved by this. The tropes that tend to obscure this theme are simply not present here, which is incredibly refreshing. Also, I loved the novelty of the deathshrieks (and the play with their names). Among the many points I thought were so winning, my favorite is the way the women-identifying characters talk about knowing each other's pain: that girl- or womanhood is rife with a particular kind of suffering, and that torment bonds those who have the shared experiences, even when those experiences cause them to feel so isolated. There are many dark moments in this novel, but I found it endlessly inspiring and meaningful nonetheless.

I can imagine that some folks will not love the various scenes of torture and death and the general malice that some of the characters express. However, for me, those blips barely existed in the space of the magic of this novel. I CANNOT WAIT for the next one. (And, btw, there's a clear setup for a sequel at the end, but know that you are not getting yourself into an infuriating cliffhanger here).

I got this as an ARC from NetGally. This is the first book I have read by Namina Forna. Honestly, this book is so amazing and so much more than I anticipated! The world building and characters are truly wonderful! There were so many twists and turns, I couldn't put it down.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Kids for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Firstly, let me state that Namina Forna creates this very diverse cast of characters with different physical characteristics, attitudes, life experiences and voices that makes for a fabulous story. I found myself liking the world and growing with Deka, our main character, as she goes from timid and beaten to strong and aware. This was a feminist one-two punch or action and heart that I feel could have been quite impact if not for the technical issues.

Disclaimer: I was sent the eBook format and I often find that eBooks have weird things going on. This book, however, had entire repeated sentences, inconsistent action and dialog tags that were used way too often to fit properly. I GREATLY look forward to this book when it comes out on it's new publication date in 2021 because if what I read was going to be released in two-ish weeks, I would have been upset when my pre-order came in.

Pros!
- As mentioned before, this book has amazing characters when it comes to all the Bloodsisters, some of the Jatu fell short. The many women in this story, the focus, are all so different and special in their own ways. Deka as a main character was endearing. A girl raised in a small town up north finds that all the nonsense about women being less are wrong. I enjoyed her journey from meek to powerful and the ONLY thing I'd ask them to revise is maybe show her questioning before she starts declaring herself an accepting demon.
- Great in-universe lore and mythology. I mean, honestly it is great.
- I think they handled the topic of trauma very well for the time they gave it.
- the ending was satisfying and left room for more epic adventures in future stories.

Cons!
- the technical issues (in the eBook version I received) are kind of just... bad. It makes it seem like the editors did not care. I KNOW that's not true but, I can only review what I saw. There were several typos in the first few chapters, repeating sentences and action inconsistencies that simply should not have been overlooked. And I know all authors have the one phrase they cannot stop using but Deka sure rasps a lot in this book.
- There is a massive exposition dump near the end of the story that could have been fed to the reader in parts throughout the first two thirds. I fully understand wanting a big reveal but some of reveals were things we should have had some inkling of at the beginning.
- If you watch anime then you'll fully understand why the sudden power creep was jarring. Again, the expansion and explanation of abilities could have been spread out for a smoother entry to the end of the book.
- Personal, but this is not a MG book, it's young adult. There is enough gore mentioned that this is definitely YA. I'm seeing it put down as MG in some places and no.

That all being said, I loved what Namina Forna was going for here. This was, at it's beautiful core, a story about feminism, sisterhood, growth and allowing yourself to be whatever you are. Embrace what makes you different instead of hiding it away for someone else's benefit. That message is powerful and does shine through. Based solely on the version given to me, this book received 2.5 out of 5 stars. Rounded up to a three simply because I did leave it feeling like the good guys won and that made me happy.

The author begins the book with a lovely author's note that states that the purpose of this book was to examine the patriarchy and who does and doesn’t thrive under it, and also how it can hurt so many people. Having now read the book, I can say that she definitely succeeded, and I am impressed at how she answered while still making this an incredibly fun and exciting book. This is definitely a dark and violent story and some of the ways that the deaths were described surprised me for a young adult book, but the author manages to do all this without making everything seem too grimdark. This book is definitely unique (I was surprised at many of the twists and turns and truly felt like I was along for the ride), and I felt so empowered while reading it. The book isn’t about forgetting trauma, but finding acceptance with yourself and how that can help healing.

My big complaint about the book is that some aspects at the end seemed too rushed, like the final showdown ended very quickly. And while this isn’t so much of a complaint as a minor quibble, I also thought that some of the romance aspect of the book I was more told than shown, although I loved the love interest. In general, the writing could be stilted and repetitive and definitely involved more telling than showing. As I told a friend, the writing was just kind of there and didn’t do it any favors but also didn’t hurt it any, it was the type of writing that could either be saved or ruined by the story. Ultimately, the story being told was enough to save the writing.

The true strength of this book was Deka’s relationship with her sisters, and just the richness of all the women in general. I am a sucker for found families and found plenty here.

I was on the fence about requesting this from Netgalley, but in the end I decided to give it a shot and I am so glad I did! This is one of the better fantasy novels I've read in a while and I have a feeling it will be one of the best fantasies of 2020. The main character, Deka, grows exponentially throughout the novel and it was such a joy to read. She starts out pretty unsure of herself and takes the teachings of her village and country as gospel. When her blood runs the impure gold instead of the pure red, she accepts it when everyone around her tells her she is a demon and sentences her to the Death Mandate. However, she is offered a reprieve in the form of a mysterious stranger who tells her she can go with her and join the emperor's army to fight the monsters that have been wreaking havoc on the kingdom of Otera. As Deka grows into her training she makes discoveries along the way that change her perspective of everything she knew to be true. By the end Deka becomes one of the stronger characters I have read about. Being able to see the transformation she undergoes as a character was probably my favorite part of this novel. I truly cannot wait until the sequel to see where the story goes next. This was a great start to what promises to be a fantastic young adult series. I think all fans of fantasy and strong female characters would find a new favorite in The Gilded Ones!

WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA. You cannot hit me with a book like this!

This book was crazy. I mean beyond crazy. From the beginning of the book I had no idea what direction the book was taking and I definitely can say that it had twists and turns that no one could possibly see coming.

Al in all, this was the complex and dark world that I want in fantasy books. We have a protagonist that has a head on her shoulders and does things true to her heart. I gave this an extra star as I let the story marinate after I finished. It stayed with me days later, and that is how I know what I experienced was worth it. I feel like my words don't do justice to how I feel.

I also love how your opinion changes throughout the book. It's not just clear cut 'good' and 'bad' by the end, you really begin to understand the choices and decisions that the main character must make. Fantasy books can often overwhelm you with the sheer expanse of the worlds they're set in. But this book doesn't do that. It has a wonderful focus on the specific places it visits, and because of this you are really able to imagine what's going on.

Overall an absolutely fantastic OWN VOICES fantasy with plenty of diversity rep in a unique world.

4.5 out of 5 stars!
I received this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review from NetGalley.

What first interested me in this book was the cover, and then my interest only grew as I read the summary. I thought the worldbuilding was fantastic. The writing was emotional and compelling, The violence is well-described-- enough to put you on edge, though certainly not the violence porn that fills too many books.

Deka is definitely not a flat character, and her relationships with other seem real and built. Characters are not just props to show off how fantastic she is! While Deka is talented in a way that no one else is, it's not unbelivable to see how she could achieve the things she has. The twists near the end were all neatly foreshadowed and well-laid out.

A great book, and a fun read! Some of the plans of characters might be a bit confusing, but it went well.

The Gilded Ones is a wholly original fantasy set in a world with problems that feel all too real. This is a story of women, friendships, loyalty, and unconditional love.

The characters around Deka are some of the best - I wish I knew them. I loved that there was no bullying of each other when they got to the training; it was all supportive, and they understood they were all in the same boat. There is romance, and although it is not a central plot point, it feels very natural to the story.

I usually do not enjoy reading books where the main character has to overcome a lifetime of brainwashing, but I feel like this book handled it wonderfully and moved at a quick pace.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this one! It was amazing - I was captured from page one.

I first wanted to read this book because the cover is one of the most stunning ones I’ve ever seen. I tried to temper my expectations, because I know what a disappointment that can be. Cover buys are never a great idea. Then I saw it was available on Net Galley and applied for a copy. I was excited to get a chance to read it and decide if the cover was worth the buy. Let me tell you, it is definitely worth it! I want to run to the store and buy a finished copy ASAP! I can’t believe this was a debut novel. It’s one of my favorite YA fantasy novels I’ve read in a while. This is how feminism is done! I absolutely loved the girl power in this book. I also loved all of the diversity. The story was so unique, like nothing I’ve read before. I cannot wait for more stories from Namina Forna! This is a definite recommend!