I enjoyed this book. Deka is such an interesting character, and it was nice to follow her transition from a scared girl, who did what was expected, to the strong woman she becomes.

This book was an absolute joy to read! Deka is a dark-skinned 16-year-old girl living in a society governed by the Infinite Wisdoms, a religious doctrine that preaches the inferiority of women. An outcast who is called "dirty" because of her "ugly southern skin," Deka looks forward to the day of the Ritual of Purity. During this right of passage event, all girls of age are publicly cut to see what color they bleed. Deka hopes that her blood bleeds the red color of purity so that she can finally be accepted, but on the day of the ritual her blood is revealed to be an impure gold and she is subjected to the Death Mandate. A mysterious woman saves her from her fate by offering her an opportunity to join the emperor's army to fight the deathshrieks, creatures that have been attacking the villages of Otera. Deka accepts the offer and begins her training as an alaki at the Warthu Bera training grounds. That roughly summarizes the first 3 chapters, and everything after that is a total whirlwind of surprises and shocking plot twists. I really can't say more without spoiling anything. I really appreciated that Forna tackled some pretty heavy themes. Even though this book is YA, it's not for the faint of heart. The fighting isn't too gory (in fact, I wish we had more scenes of the alaki training at Warthu Bera! most of this happens off screen), but Forna writes some pretty sinister characters who are violent towards women; she did a beautiful job of interrogating the patriarchy without pulling any punches. My favorite thing about this book was the celebration of sisterhood and found family. The bond between the alaki warmed my entire heart. And of course, it wouldn't be a YA book without a dash of romance! Chalk this book up to another fantasy win for Black girls

The Gilded Ones was a splendid book to read! I loved how women were the powerful center in this whole novel. And the second thing that I really loved about it was that was how there was a different intake to patriarchy and misogyny.

I mean in a general sense it is often seen that to show empowerment, these concepts are usually neglected to have a more serene outlook, but the thing about this novel was that it was very much in your face from the starting. The ritual, the masks etc. is so similar to what we see even now in many patriarchal society to somehow ‘tame’ women and the same was seen in this novel too. Women empowerment was seen by actively dismantling this very oppressive system. Furthermore, racism and colorism were also explored greatly throughout the book.

It’s after a long time that I read such a refreshing fantasy novel exploring so many topics! I am really eager to read the second installment and get to know more about the world setting.

Trigger Warnings: Rape, Torture, Graphic Violence, Colorism, Trauma Abuse

I was provided with an arc copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review!

The Gilded Ones is the first in a debut YA fantasy trilogy that follows Deka in a world where girls must prove their purity by bleeding red or die. After being ostracized her entire life because her father married someone outside the village, Deka's spent her entire life waiting for her ceremony to finally be accepted by her community. However, when she ends up bleeding red, instead of facing judgment and death, Deka is given a second chance and offered a place at the emperor's new army against the alaki monsters. This book was so immersive with the folklore and religion playing huge roles in the story. As Deka's primary motivation for the majority of the story is searching for her second chance and purity, we get to delve into an interesting conversation between how a patricarchal society uses religion to oppress its women.

Deka did suffer a bit from the "special snowflake" treatment and is really the only character with a complex arc and tangible development throughout the story whereas the supporting characters just serve to spotlight her. Despite this imbalance, her main group of friends still were fleshed out enough that made them distinct in my mind and definitely leaves room for their stories to grow with the future books. I will say, the romantic sub-plot would have to be the least developed but it's not such a big hindrance to this first installment. For a debut, The Gilded Ones definitely sets up a fascinating world and an even more exciting journey ahead full of questions to answer.

I received this and as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for giving me access.

At first, I was a little hesitant about reading this, but I am so glad that I did! The storyline was amazing with rich world building and powerful women. All I can say is that I really need book two right now. I would definitely recommend this to others that are looking for a strong female, POC main character.

I was very excited to read this book, and I think it has an interesting premise. I think some of my students will enjoy it. But the writing style and where the storyline was heading just did not match me personally as a reader.

I want to start by thanking NetGalley and Random House Children's Delacorte Press for giving me free access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing I need to say is this will undoubtedly be in my top 5 books for 2021. I absolutely adored this book and am only sad I'll have to wait for the next book. And the only criticism I can find is there were one or two things that didn't quite make sense even by the end. But, they were rather minor and I don't think will take the reader out of the story.

The world building was just so amazing and well done. There are moments, especially towards the beginning, where the reader needs to be okay not fully understanding everything. Though, this is common for most fantasy novels as readers are getting accustomed to all the things that are different from our reality. That begin said, despite it being a fantasy novel, there is so much that feel poignantly relevant and a comment on our current society. It is my personal opinion, that some of the best fantasy (and sci-fi) novels do this. Forna is also extremely skilled at giving foreshadowing, but without giving away completely what is to come.

From very early on, I was fully invested in wanting to know what would happen to Deka and how the society would change or not change as the story continued. (And it's going to be so hard to wait for the next novel to see what happens going forward! Or maybe we'll get more history? Either way, I'm super excited.) The characters are complex - and sometimes frustrating - and just very skillfully written.

If you like fantasy, I can't recommend this book highly enough.

A fantastic YA fantasy novel with unique and powerful world-building. The concept of the story is fresh and fascinating and kept me on the edge of my seat. Definitely recommend (though I would say people need to be in the frame of mind for violence at various points in the story) and I can't wait to see what comes next.

TWs: death of main character multiple times (kind of reincarnation), mutilation and violence, discrimination based on gender, race, and general identity

I love the cover of this book. I was drawn in by it alone.

This is an incredibly feminist book. I especially enjoyed reading about the sisterhood among the alaki. While I expected rivalries and cattiness, there was none. Very refreshing. Although there is a love interest for Deka, it pops up here and there, and is not a central focus of the book. (And for a change, it's expressed as fondness, not strictly physical attraction.)

The novel did not give me the usual YA plot that I would have expected, and I am thankful for that. It unfortunately did not draw me in enough that I forgot to think about where the book was going; I was constantly wondering what twist would happen, what White Hands' end game would be. While the twist wasn't surprising, I also didn't anticipate it, and I love when that happens!

I found it a little hard to get into this book, but I think that was just me. Of course, Forna needed to give us Deka's backstory; I just wanted to get to her becoming an awesome warrior! I have a feeling that I would enjoy

Things I loved about this book:
The light-but-minimal romance, and that it appeared occasionally but was not the focus of the book
The twist at about 80% through the novel, which wasn't entirely surprising, but I didn't see coming
Ixa, Deka's pet - I got warm fuzzies whenever he would mentally say her name. Very cute.


The so-so:
Deka's progression from pious doormat to feminist warrior seemed a quick for me. However, she does express skepticism of her community elders and religion from the beginning of the novel, and her imprisonment lasts for months. So, perhaps it was not so quick.
The enemy Deka has to fight at the end. I was not surprised, but I also feel that it should have been foreshadowed a bit more.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I'm thrilled to have read a super-feminist YA novel.



I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

I will start off by saying that this book was brutal. Like, more violent and brutal than what I would have imagined for a book marketed for the ages 12 and up. So I will warn all readers and remind you all to check out the trigger warnings just in case. Either way, I was also blown away by how the author never shies away from tough and dark themes. The Gilded Ones was a solid start for a series I'm incredibly excited to follow!

Usually when I read, I'm looking for an escape from real life. To travel to a new world and experience adventures. This book was set in a patriarchal world which pissed me off so much, which was the intention. After all, this book explores feminist ideas and follows women fighting against prejudice and discrimination. It felt quite empowering to read this, and I do believe younger girls will find this book inspiring.

However, I did have a problem with the pacing. This book kinda skipped a lot of time periods. Like, the start was a bit slow, and the the last half of the book just went - ZOOM - and done. Suddenly we skipped several months! Moreover, I do believe the author sometimes forgot that this book is 12+ cause the violence and descriptions of death was kinda too much. At one point things were really dark, and then suddenly turned teen friendly as if the author just remembered the book was 12+. I just found it funny, I guess. Also, the plot twist was quite predictable to me, but maybe that's just because I'm really good at guessing plot twists.

Either way, this book left me astonished. I mean, the ending was really epic! I will definitely follow this series and read the next instalments!

The Gilded Ones is a powerful fantasy novel. It deals with issues that we are all familiar with, unfortunately: racism, xenophobia, misogyny, inequality, abuse, trauma, and more. It's a feminist and empowering YA story that delivers a diverse cast of complex female characters.

At the age of sixteen, every girl is subjected to a purity ritual. If her blood runs red, she is pure and welcomed as a woman of the village. If her blood runs gold, she is unpure, a demon who is immediately subject to death. However, those with gold blood are stronger, and much harder to kill. When Deka's blood runs gold, village elders attempt to kill her 9 times, before White Hands offers her a choice. Deka can either stay in her village and continue to be tortured and bled, or she can join an elite fighting unit composed of others of her kind.

I really enjoyed this book right up until the end. The characters were dynamic, well written and engaging. I don't want to give any spoilers, but I thought the ending was poorly done. It seemed rushed and explanations were glossed over. Overall, the ending felt very unsatisfying. Because of these criticism, I am not likely to pick up the next book in the series.

4.5 stars = I loved it! Would re-read.

Wow! The world building here is fantastic! I was expecting a story about racial inequality, but this is actually about patriarchal societies, misogyny, etc. I also picked up more subtle commentary on religion, which added a fascinating layer to the story. I felt like the big reveals at the end - which were great - were a bit rushed. I would have loved a little more depth to them, but that might have slowed the pacing of the climax too much. It's a worthwhile trade off to keep the fast pace. This stands well on its own with many of the big issues wrapped up by the end, but there are still injustices to be addressed, so watch for the sequel. (Some language, violence, TW: references to sexual assault)

I'm just going to come right out and say it - I am IN LOVE with this book… so much so that I think it might my new favorite YA fantasy series?!

The Gilded Ones is so fascinating because it blended so many of the fundamental themes and elements of the feminist dystopian genre with the excitement and feel of YA fantasy.

This is such a masterfully thought-out novel because it balances so many important issues - colorism, classism, xenophobia, misogyny, violence against women - with tons of action, heaps of plot twists, and wonderfully lovable and compelling characters.

Deka was a fantastic protagonist - vulnerable yet heroic, real yet superhuman - you can’t help but cheer for her. Deka’s alaki warrior sisters at the Warthu Bera were all so wonderful and together they were such a beautiful representation of sisterhood, found family, and women supporting women. And White Hands?! I am a sucker for a mysterious, all-powerful bad bish and she was everything!

Another thing - the world building in this book is phenomenal. Forna crafts the high fantasy African world of Otera with so much finesse and ease, it is truly something to behold. There are no info dumps here or dragging plots while the world is crafted - anyone who appreciates fantasy will love this book for the world alone.

There are few things I hate more than a cliffhanger, so I was so relieved to find that this book had the perfect amount of closure in the end.

The Gilded Ones is easily one of my favorite YA fantasy novels that I’ve ever read, and I cannot wait to see what happens in the sequel!

CW/TW - (off-page) s*xual assault, physical violence, murder

It took me over a week to finish this which is very unusual for me. I think that was 25% caused by the book and 75% caused by my own headspace. This is also still one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen. This review may come across negative, but I will continue with the series-there is so much potential here.

One of the things that drew me to this-other than the cover-was a group of girls coming together. That was there, but not as much as I wanted. Britta is probably the best developed character outside of Deka (the main character). Id di really like her and the bond she had with Deka, but I think it could’ve been deeper. This did get a little better toward the end and I believe will get stronger as the series goes on.

I think the world is interesting, but I don’t fully understand it. I was frequently confused about the history and politics. I’m hoping this will become clearer as Deka learns more.

Deka was a good main character, but also a little frustrating .Maybe that was on purpose. She kept changing her opinion on people and things because someone would tell her something with no real proof. This happens a lot with procedural crime dramas and always bothers me. YOu didn’t trust this person two pages ago, but now you do because they told you something. It always feels like a plot whole or just convenient for plot progression. THe romance also felt a little forced. I love a good romance and hopefully I’ll come to really like this one. For Now it felt like it was there because YA Fantasy is expected to have a romance.

I do recommend this. It is good with some compelling conversations. And it has so much potential as a series.

While there are many pros I could list, such as the strong character of Deka as well as her strong character development, I did find the book to be quite lacking. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and didn't feel as emotionally affected which is usually not a problem I have, which could also be connected to the fact that I feel the narrative was slightly inconsistent. The time jumps especially confused me.

I also feel like the romance was slightly rushed which is quite sad because I love romance and usually cheer on every couple I come across, but it felt like I was int he dark for the majority of their growth together.

But I do not want to only share my problems with the book, there was a lot that I enjoyed. The writing was pretty fast-paced which i appreciated because sometimes fantasy books tend to drag out the world building so I appreciated the more show dont tell aspect of this book. I also really feel that the author handled really heavy topics well, especially for a YA fantasy book, I couldnt imagine a better way to discuss feminism, race, malnutrition and patriarchy. Also refreshing was to see how there was a bond between the females, no mindless female rivalry.

overall I did enjoy the book but I feel like I will not be picking up the sequel

Thank you very much @hearourvoicestours for allowing me to be part of this blog tour. This is an honest review in exchange of an e-ARC.

Review: It’s been a while since I read a YA fantasy book. There are so many books with the word Gilded in the title and I can see why.

The Gilded Ones is an epic book that follows Deka, who bleeds golden, which is not the norm. This is how people get outcast from society.

My favorite part about this book was the world-building. I really enjoyed how different the characters are from what we are used to, even though they are wrapped in epic tales and motivations.

I was particularly in awe by the term “alaki” because in Persian it also means useless, which was similar to the meaning in the book. I wonder how languages converge.

I enjoyed the action and plot twists, though at some point I wanted a bit more details.

Overall, this is a fantastic debut, as it is a celebration of people’s hopes, dreams, and hard work. I think this book is gonna be a big one🙏🏼.

Rating: 4/5

The Gilded Ones pulls no punches for a gripping (& heartbreaking) read. I loved it which surprised me a bit. I'm generally not fond of first person narration & have been in a Huge YA book slump for various & sundry reasons, but The Gilded Ones absolutely caught me up in the world from page one. While it fits firmly in the YA section, make no mistake, this book has some serious darkness between the cult-like patriarchal religion & the extreme torture and violence. If you're a more sensitive reader (or pulling for a sensitive audience) make sure you check the content warnings. That said it never feels gratuitous or like Forna is reveling. While the violence and abuse is horrifying its there to drive home the point of the story &, for me at least, it works.

What I loved most about this book is two fold. First the main character is lovely, especially for a YA novel. Deka's dealt a bad lot (in a world of bad lots) but handles up in an admirable but realistic (mostly) way & when given room she absolutely flies (not literally, it's not that kind of magic). She's also entirely invested in pulling other up with her which brings me to my second favorite thing, the found family aspects. She is totally dedicated to her found family & shows no real jealousy or aggression towards the other people she knows (aside from the war stuff & the baddies, I'm guess I mean interpersonal violence) & it is SOOOO refreshing.

Long story short I really enjoyed this read & will be eagerly looking forward to the follow up books (this one is totes good to read on it's own though, no big cliffhangers). Is it a liiiitle clunky in places? Sure, but it's also a debut novel with an interesting new world & a kick ass core message. Absolutely worth your time!

Wow, I thought this was such a great debut novel written by Namina Forna. I love how original this story is. The characters and plot were so beautiful written. Once I started it was hard to put down. I love Deka as a main character. She is so strong and level headed and determined. The ending of the first book has me wanting more. The only problem reading the book around the time it is first released we have to wait for the next book.