“We all have a choice right now. Are we girls or are we demons? Are we going to die or are we going to survive?”

I really enjoyed The Gilded Ones! A super feminist and empowering YA novel that offers a diverse cast of complex female characters. A Black main character, with many Black, Asian, and brown major and minor characters. It can at times be violent, and deals with many issues we all face, but it's handled and written beautifully.

This was a solid YA fantasy, and one I can see teens enjoying immensely! It was fun, fast-paced, with memorable characters. It didn't work for me, personally, all the time— but my issues with it were more personal issues and not stuff I think would bother other readers.

“We all have a choice right now. Are we girls or are we demons? Are we going to die or are we going to survive?”

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I say I am MAD at myself for waiting so long to pick up this gem of a book. What was I thinking?! Clearly my senses left me for a little while because this is everything I could want in a YA fantasy and more!

We’re following the tale of Deka, a young girl who has grown up always knowing her place. And that place is to be subservient to men, as the priests have taught her. Her greatest wish is for her blood to be the color of purity when it’s her time to be tested; to be red like all other normal girls. But, when the Ritual of Purity arrives, Deka’s blood runs gold… the blood of impurity. Of demons. She soon finds herself caught up in a life of pain and despair. When she is offered the chance to serve her country and, possibly, be made pure once again, she snatches it. But things aren’t exactly as they seem and Deka will soon learn that there is so much more to her blood than she could have imagined.

You ever get that feeling while reading a book that it would make a fantastic movie? That’s the overwhelming feeling I had the entire time I was devouring The Gilded Ones! Turns out the author, Namina Forna, is a screenwriter, so it makes sense! This book is a masterpiece of storytelling, of pacing, of character development, and my only wish is that I could have more. Which is kind of a good thing as it is the first book in a series! I loved everything about this book and can’t wait to continue Deka’s story. I will say to check trigger and content warnings before diving into this one. It delves into some dark topics and does not shy away.

My favorite aspect of this book would have to watching Deka develop as a character. It’s incredible to see her growth from this naïve girl who has been told all her life that her only worth is in how well she can take care of a man to this fearless young woman who knows that she is more than that. I particularly loved reading about her time at the Warthu Bera, the military academy where Deka receives her training. It made me think of basic training so much that I got a little nostalgic, lol. I enjoyed the gradual way new information about her world began to broaden and change her world views. It felt so genuine that it was truly like watching Deka grow up. All the characters in this book are well-crafted, but Deka is definitely something special.

Final thoughts: What can I say other than “When does book two come out?” This book was absolutely incredible! The plot had me gripped instantly, the characters were engaging, the world-building was *chef’s kiss*, and it added up to a book that I will be thinking about for awhile to come. This had the same energy as watching a movie in the theaters: I was completely caught up in the story and, after it was done and I emerged back into the real world, it took a minute to adjust. It definitely has darker themes and it doesn’t shy away from the very real brutality that a lot of girls and women face. If you’re okay with that and you love fantasy novels that can transport you while you’re reading them, I think you would love The Gilded Ones!

A Western Africa inspired fantasy book about a girl who learns how to fight ferocious monsters in a world divided between human blood(which is pure blood) and demon blood in a world that isn't what she believes it to be and must deal with the fact of her demon blood within her.
Screams that there's going to be a whole bunch of actions and female badassness! It delivered.

For this book I did Goodreads Status Updates instead of a review
August 19, 2021 –
96.0% "For some reason, I wasn't really shocked by the recent revelations even though they should be shocking. I kinda guessed something like this would happen in my head." (Audiobook Edition)
August 19, 2021 –
68.0% "That backstory about the brothel is brutal!" (Audiobook Edition)
August 19, 2021 –
45.0% "The development about her Mom's backstory is unexpected and interesting!" (Audiobook Edition)
August 19, 2021 –
10.0% "Loving the worldbuilding but excited for more explanation because right now I still feel like I don't really know anything about this world." (Audiobook Edition)
August 19, 2021 –
1.0% "Right at the beginning-already intrigued-ritual of purity and girls treated lesser than-the makings of a book I can dive headfirst into

🌟🌟🌟.75/5 stars
·
Oh my, this fantasy is quite the ride!!
·
This book follows Deka, a girl deemed impure by her village's Ritual of Purity and sentenced to the Death Mandate for one reason: her blood runs gold. She is a "demon," immortal in all deaths but one. But before the priests can find her "true death" and kill her completely, she is taken to become a soldier in the emperor's army against the monstrous Deathshrieks that plague the kingdom. But, as usual, all is not what it seems. Political agendas and whispers of rebellion make blurry lines even blurrier, and Deka must figure out who is truly manipulating who before it is too late for any of them.
·
The fantasy elements are this book's strong points! I felt myself getting lost in the world-building time and time again, and the action, magical creatures, etc really make this novel stand out. Plus, the characters are all really interesting, and there are little hints of romance to feed my appetite 🙈. Overall, I enjoyed my time with this story!! I kept trying to solve the mysteries with Deka but I could never get close, I didn't know who she should trust either! It's edgy, gripping, and tear-jerking at times. If you do pick this book up, be sure to get through the first 25% of the book if you're hesitant because the author and the story grow a lot after that and you won't regret pushing through! I didn't vibe a lot with the ending, but overall I know a lot of people felt differently than me about it!

I feel like the cover for The Gilded Ones is everywhere lately. Every day I see it on my Goodreads feed, booktubers and bookstagrammers promote it, twitter, blogs, you name it...so... I also wanted to be part of that train gang.

I can proudly say that the hype surrounding this novel is well deserved. This was really good story, with good representation and message, that was also very enjoyable and entertaining.

If you know me, you know that the most important things to me, when it comes to books and stories, are characters.
The Gilded Ones has variety of interesting characters that I got to know through a story and by the end of the novel, I found myself truly caring about them, so I am really looking forward to read about them in future installments.

The world building was done great. It was so easy for me to imagine all the palces, jungles and deserts in the story.
I like to read fantasy from time to time, but I don't consider myself an expert in this genre, however, I do feel like I can say that the author did a good job introducing this world, with all the history and present events.

The story was easy to read, thanks to a good, simple but rich writing style.

The end was good, and even better introduction to next book in the series.

I was really fascinated with one event that was mentioned closer to the end of the book, when one character described what happened in the past. I won't say more about it bc it would be a spoiler, but I will stress out that it impacted me the most, because I never came across to something similar in my reading life.

I also want to quickly mention how the main event or purpose in the story passed so quickly and after so much preparation surrounding it, it was resolved so easily and I expected more obstacles.

The Gilded Ones is good book about feminism, impacted by author's own experience and authenticity.
It also represented diversity, the are POC characters, lqbtq+ characters (I should stress out that for now only sapphic relationship was mentioned, but I feel there's space for more representations in sequels).

There are also some references and mentions of sexual abuse, so be aware of that.

I also want to emphasize how The Gilded Ones can provoke great discussion, so I encourage you to reading in book clubs.
Of course, reading it in your own company has it's benefits too.

To make it short, I recommend you to read it.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. When I read the description of this book I knew that I was going to love it. It gave me all the things I need as a woman. It was all about power, pain, self-discovery and adventure of a lifetime. Deka always felt different and only wanted a place to belong. When she turned 16 years old she is test for purity but her blood is gold instead of red. She because an outcast among her people. Then a mysterious woman comes and tells her there is something greater out there for her. She goes on a journey to find who she really is and what she is capable of. There are some dark themes and twists and turns but it kept me wanting to see if Deka would find what she was looking for. I want more in this world.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was drawn in to the Gilded Ones right from the start. It has lush world building and interesting characters. The story moved along a fast pace and kept me interested. It does have some sensitive topics: , extreme physical violence, misogyny, abuse, xenophobia, not explicit but referenced sexual violence. All these topics can lead to good conversations with students. I loved the friendships made during this story.

"The Gilded Ones" is the book young girls crave and adult women wished they had as children. Namina Forna found a way to present the truth within the fiction for adolescent readers, but made it alluring for adult readers as well. While this book should NOT be read by everyone, it should NOT be missed by anyone. Go and read one of the best (debut) novels of this year!

When the protagonist's blood runs gold instead of red, she is declared a "demon" and sentenced to death...until a female figure appears and offers her a chance at "absolution." Feminism and misogyny are international themes and issues that continue to permeate into individuals worldwide. Namina Forna wanted to examine the idea of the patriarchy—how and why it is practiced—and how religion continues to influence this societal practice. "The Gilded Ones" by Namina Forna is the latest book to tackle how the “adult world” influences the youth negatively and why certain societal practices continue to exist through posterity.

When they come of age, girls in Deka’s world are cut to show that they have pure blood. If their blood flows red, no problem. But, if their blood is gold, they are impure and put to death. Deka is impure.

But a woman comes for her after her ninth death, and she gives Deka an alternative. She can come and fight Night Shrieks for the emperor in an army, and after a year gain her freedom. Deka takes this offer.

But—obviously—things aren’t as simple as all that.

Descriptive and lush world building along with a strong female lead is what makes this book stand out. Yes since Tomi Adeyemi’s smash COBAB, more series are coming that feature this type of trope. It’s of course fantasy and just like the previously mentioned book, there are people ( women in particular) that possess a certain blood that makes them tainted in their society but useful for the beasts they will encounter. In order to be viewed as useful some girls are “rescued” and required to fight for the king of their land in hopes of serving and surviving long enough to gain freedom. But alas, there’s a twist and there are secrets kept from these girls, are they actually bad, do they need to fight in the army to help the king or has their whole existence been a lie? Find out by reading the Gilded Ones.

SOOOO long. Very high fantasy. Although it raises great conversations about girls being set up to be monsters rather than heroes, the length and overwhelming world building is too much for my middle school library.

Dear THE GILDED ONES,

I love you. I love your world, rich with magic but broken by systemic patriarchal lies about blood and purity. I love Deka, a magical Black girl who thinks that her golden blood makes her a demon, for whom only way to escape endless torture is to volunteer as a child soldier for the empire that hates her. Deka who unlearns her shame and finds POWER.

I love the vast mythology you weave, steeped in the cultural heritage of West Africa, of Sierra Leone. I love Deka’s furious, fearless journey to uncover her true matriarchal lineage - one buried by colonial and patriarchal forces, but never eradicated from the bodies of powerful women.

You are a freedom cry, a triumph, a story about girls who face genocide, war, abuse, and brutality and SURVIVE. Girls who will not be made into monsters. Girls who love each other, who band together, who will change the world.

We need you here, in our world. And I want to put you in the hands of every girl who comes into my library. Can’t WAIT to read what comes next. Thank you. I love you.

PS - also can I say how much I love @naminaforna for representing Spelman with such fierce pride? As an Agnes Scott grad - I see you and your excellence!

"We all have a choice right now. Are we girls or our we demons?"
Namina Forna's highly anticipated debut did not fail to impress both young adult and adult readers alike. Forna wrote a true coming=0f-age story Deka, the main character faces horrible challenges of being deemed "impure" simply by her own biological markers with no fault of her own. This YA novel seamlessly weaves a character-driven plot while still focusing on the huge themes of friendship, coming-of-age, and injustice. Definitely a recommended read for sure!

I flew through this book. I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Trigger warnings to gore, sexual abuse, violence, death, and graphic content.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was one of my favorite books of the year, fantasy is my favorite genre and I loved the representation in this book. The story was so well done, I can’t wait for future books from namina forna!

I really enjoyed this book! I wrote a blog post about it and you can find it attached! I loved Deka and her crew of Bad a$$ warriors and found family!

This book was incredible and I need the sequel immediately! The magic system was perfect, the characters are unique and driven. They're strong and fearless and just amazing!

I absolutely enjoyed this one, cannot wait for the second book so I can see more of Deka, her love, her friendship and her challenging fate. Though there were some parts where I got lost in all the names and background story, I did love the development and the plot twists. The love interest was a little abrupt, but the ending made up for it. The bloodsisters were such a wonderful development, their friendship gave me hope and happy feelings, that true friendship can conquer everything. I am so excited to find out more of the goddesses and White Hands.