I received an ARC of Gilded Cage from NetGalley and I would like to thank Vic James and Del Rey Books.

Gilded Cage is set in a dystopian, totalitarian alternative United Kingdom where certain individual are born with the power of Skill. This created world is a mix of Dickensian Britain (with slave towns) and modern Britain (with computer consoles and C-pop music). The Equals are the ruling aristocrat elite here as they are born with the magic of Skill, they are the celebrities and they run the nation. Everyone lacking Skill is controlled and for ten years of their lives have to work there 'Slave Days'. Essentially, ten years of their lives where they work for the state in terrible conditions, for no money and during these times they have no rights and aren't even seen as real people any longer. James has created a large amount of back history too for the Dark Gift's trilogy that is hauntingly similar to our own. One example being the members amongst the long history of the revered Equals composed family trees. Another being characters discussing revolutions (hauntingly alike the French and American) throughout the world and also talking about countries who are living now after overthrowing their Equal ruling elite.

We view this world whilst following the point of view perspectives of members of two families on different sides of the divide. A normal, average family containing three children and an aristocratic Equal family, also with three children, who are anything but average.

This action takes place mainly in two places. The home of the Equal family at Kyneston which is surrounded by an invisible magic gate/wall that encompasses the family grounds and at the slave town called Millmoor where people work six days a week in awful conditions for no money. The destinies of members of the two families intertwine and the story progresses.

The main characters all seem very developed and intriguing. My favourites to read about were Equal "Young Master" Silyen who seems to be brimming with magical prowess, the normal bloke Luke who finds out a lot about himself during these pages and the kind-hearted Dr. Jackson. The majority of the Equals seem to have peculiar motives and are manipulative. The people without the power of the skill are just trying to live quietly and act inconspicuous. Kyneston is as elegant a mansion and estate as you are likely to read about in fiction whilst Millmoor is the opposite. That isn't to say that what happens in Kyneston is all rosy. Millmoor is grotesque and horrendous for individuals spending their slave days there. There is an underground faction there below the sights of the authorities, however; who reminded me a bit of The Reckoners in Sanderson's Steelheart.

I don't wish to say too much about the story, how characters feel about, and interact with others, or discuss the magic as they are most fascinating aspects of this engrossing and highly original debut outing from James. The end I found phenomenal and it was extremely upsetting. That being said, it sets up Tarnished City (Dark Gifts #2) expertly promising to highlight more places in this compelling alternative Britain. Although it is marketed as YA and can be enjoyed by a younger audience, I can say that if that puts you off picking this up then you are missing out on an extraordinarily good story by a gifted new author. 4.5/5 rounded up to 5.

Grade: C-

Gilded Cage is the first in Vic James dystopian fantasy series based on a world that is controlled by the magically elite who require the commoners to serve them for ten years of their lives. Hints of romance flavor this story as James sets up a complicated and heavily character integrated world. The premise is certainly interesting. Who doesn’t get a bit of a chill when presented by what looks to be a David and Goliath type of story? The enslaved will rise up with the help of an unknown source to topple the autocratic ruling body. Hell to the yeah! The strong writing and solid base shines through but the sheer enormity of the storyline with its many many layers, and varied characters who are involved is overwhelming. It felt like I was hearing one million voices all trying to make me understand what was happening at once. While I appreciated the efforts James extends to personalize this world, showing us both sides of the coin so to speak, I admit I just couldn’t find the connection to any of the characters. No one stood out for me. No one screamed champion. No one looked to be my David. The ending left me a little peeved as I felt as though I just finished an excruciating race only to be told this was only the first leg of my journey. My questions left unanswered were legion. Interesting to an extent, the story just tried do too much to the detriment of my enjoyment.

In the alternate reality of "Gilded Cage," slavery is still alive and well, though it has nothing to do with race. Instead, commoners -- ordinary people -- are forced to give up a decade of their lives in unpaid, often miserable service to the ruling class. Those in power are known as Equals, and they have innate hereditary abilities to do things like heal themselves from injury, read minds, wipe memories, cause pain, and so much more. You can surely see where this is going: time for a revolution.

Luke and his family -- his mom, dad, older sister Abi and 10-year-old sister Daisy -- end up smack in the middle of the excitement when they decide to do their slavedays together as a group, and Abi has arranged for them to be house slaves at the estate of one of the most powerful Skilled families in Britain. They expect it to be a comparatively cushy 10 years, but things go awry when Luke is whisked away from them to a horrendous slave town filled with treacherous factories, malnourished "property," violent guards -- and faint stirrings of subversion.

I thought the author made the right choice in using multiple points of view to tell the story, giving us a commoner's look at life in a brutal slave town and at the estate, as well as Equal perspectives. As with any uprising story with a political bent, there are plenty of secrets, intrigue and people who are not what they seem, and while I was disappointed that there wasn't as much fantasy as I expected, there was enough excitement to hold my interest and I enjoyed getting to know the characters (especially a dark, inscrutable and terrifyingly powerful Equal named Silyen). I'll most likely read the next installment of this series, which feels to me like a somewhat less-impressive Hunger Games with a tinge of fantasy.

*I received a free advance copy of "Gilded Cage" from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Gilded Cage may get lost among the countless books concerning a magician ruling class in England (from Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, to Sorcerer to the Crown, to the excellent Bartimaeus trilogy). However, the unique worldbuilding, and intriguing concept of a set slavery to the "elite" (wizards) made this a good and fun read. The first of a series, ends in such a clever cliffhanger that will have me looking for the sequel when it comes out. 4/5

In an alternate United Kingdom, aristocrats are born with special magical gifts... powers that give them control over the "commoners", who must serve them as slaves for 10 years. The commoners are free to decide when they will serve, but they will serve. The running comment is, "serve young and never get over it, serve older and never survive it". Abi, an 18 year-old with a promising future as a doctor, decides to take her family's future into her hands and procures a deal that will allow them all to serve at Kyneston Estate, home of one of the most powerful families, the Jardines. But on the day they are picked up for transport, her younger brother, Luke, is sent to a Millmoor, horrible slavetown to labor under inhumane conditions. While Abi learns that the Jardines have some pretty big secrets of their own, Luke finds strength in numbers and bands with a group in the slavetown to resist. With an abolition referendum on the line, things are tense in the government and at the camp, and one of the Jardine heirs is keeping his loyalties close to the vest.

Gilded Cage is the first in the Dark Gifts series, and has some promising intrigue and world-building. The story is told in character POV chapters - about six or seven - and spends a great deal of time on laying out what I hope are future plot details. The Jardine family are fascinating - we get a nice background on this leading family, including some internal conflict and outside rivalries. Silyen Jardine is easily the most interesting character, playing his own game, but doesn't get enough print time - yet. I hope to spend more time with him in future books. Abi's younger brother, Luke, takes much of the center stage in this first book; he is on a hero's journey that teaches him about himself and the world around him.

I had a few problems with the book, most notably, the very slow build-up. Being able to choose your 10 years of slavery being another - what's to stop you from just not serving? Why serve when you're young? Why not live a full life and go in when you're on your deathbed? The women in the novel seem to be either hand-wringing damsels in distress or cruel harpies (with one or two exceptions), and the men are calling many of the shots here. Still, I'm interested to find out what Vic James has in store for us in her next installment.

Gilded Cage received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and was designated Debut of the Month by Library Journal.

A good series opener introduces a strange, new world with fascinating characters and an exciting plot. It answers just enough questions to assuage readers while leaving the rest for future novels. It makes you care about the characters and the world so that you want to come back to them and it again and again. Thankfully, Vic James' debut novel does just that.

Gilded Cage pretty much has it all. There is magic and a gross difference between the haves and the have-nots. There is a growing awareness of the unfairness of it all and a burgeoning movement to do something about it. There are secrets and power struggles. There is love, although not in the form one expects. There are random acts of kindness, acts of rebellion, acts of stupidity, and acts of heroism. There is a unique backstory that is easy to understand and a current society that is all too familiar. There are plenty of questions and few answers. There is an ending that leaves you wanting more of everything.

One of the unique aspects of the story is that it is set in present-day England. With a few tweaks to history and current geopolitical borders, the England of the Hadleys is essentially the same as anything you will find today. Establishing the story in such a familiar environment eases some of the natural tension that arises when readers do not understand the setting. Yet, like any good fantasy story, not everything is the same. Ms. James does an excellent job explaining the origins of the differences, thereby removing the setting as an obstacle to understanding the story.

That being said, there are enough differences to let you know that the world of the Hadleys is not today's England. One of the most shocking examples, outside of the Equals' Skill (a.k.a. magical powers), is the fact that every non-Equal must serve ten years as a slave. When you serve these years is at an individual's discretion but there are age caps at both ends of the spectrum to force the issue. There have been plenty of stories in which the have-nots have little to no rights and are little more than slaves. Where Gilded Cage differs is the fact that the non-Equals know the difference between the life they have and the life they will as a slave and knowingly have to give up all of the creature comforts as well as their rights upon starting their years. The long-ago law creating the slave years is a subtle form of sadism that makes those Equals who continue to support it that much more despicable.

Gilded Cage has a decent number of answers for an opening novel, but there are plenty of questions that remain. Many of these questions revolve around the Skill the Equals yield. They also swirl around the political backstabbing and power grabbing. The characters' motivations remain infuriatingly nebulous, so much so that readers finish the story feeling just as used as Luke and Abi Hadley and just as clueless. Moreover, one gets the impression that the growing support for the abolition of Slave Days is not the end goal of the series. It is all too blurry and too unformed a hypothesis to concretely establish, and it may all be a red herring, but there are just one too many unknowns regarding the actions of certain Equals. One thing is for certain though; it promises to be a stellar sequel.

Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved.

Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.

A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.

Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?

A boy dreams of revolution.

Abi’s brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.

And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.

He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?

Gilded Cage takes place in an alternate Britain, where Equals, aristocrats with magical powers, rule over commoners who are forced to serve ten years of slave labor, aptly named “Slave Days,” within their lifetimes. The story focuses on two families, the Jardine Equal family and the Hadley commoner family. The Hadley family is scheduled to begin their Slave Days as servants to the powerful Jardine family.

Luke Hadley is refused by the Jardines and sent to serve his ten years alone in a slave town. Soon after he arrives, he befriends a group of radical slaves who break all the rules in an effort to make the Slave Days a bit more bearable with the ultimate goal of one day getting rid of the Slave Days all together. Little do they know that a political movement amongst the Equals could do just that, as they will vote in a few months time on whether or not to abolish the Slave Days law. Luke is eventually brought to the Jardine estate to rejoin his family, which is where the fun begins as political unrest comes to a head and everyone is not who they seem to be.

The book was initially a bit hard to get into because you have to understand all the jargon and who the key players are, but by the end of the book I was dying for the second book in the series already!

I would definitely recommend Gilded Cage for anyone who is a fan of YA fantasy, and I have to say I am thrilled that this is the first book of a new series from Vic James.

**Disclaimer** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I got this book to review through NetGalley. It ended up being nothing like what I thought it was going to be and I struggled with it right from the beginning. The book jumps around a ton between many different characters. While this wasn’t hard to follow it broke the story up a lot and made it hard to stay engaged in the story.

The premise was also a bit unbelievable to me. Basically anyone who isn’t an Equal and doesn’t have a magical gift has to serve as a slave for 10 years. Many of the people serve in awful slave camps with little to no food or shelter. Some serve on the Equal’s estates. The people seem to have been basically okay with this for many years despite the fact that normal people are way more prevalent than Equals.

The book takes place on an alternate sort of Earth, so it’s set in modern day (I thought it was supposed to be a Victorian setting). The books ends up being more of a YA dystopian than anything else (it seems more like a fantasy based on the description but it’s not). The blurb on the back does a very poor job of describing what the reader is getting in this book.

The book bounces between the Abi’s family members (focusing mainly on Abi’s and Luke’s POVs) but also bounces between the POVs of the three Equal brothers Abi ends up serving. In addition to this we occasionally hear from the POV of other Equal members outside of the Abi’s serving family.

The constant jumping around between all these points of view (POVs) honestly makes the story a bit of a mess. For the first part it was just tough to follow what was going on. As the story continued it was easier to understand what was happening but I was still frustrated by how little I understood the world and how little I engaged with these characters.

This whole book was a bit frustrating for me because I feel like the author is on the edge of something really great but never actually gets there. I think the characters could be amazing if we weren’t jerked around between so many of them...but we just never get to know them well enough to care. I feel like the world could be amazing if we were able to focus on a few areas rather than jumping around. I also feel like the concept of Equals could be an awesome thing if only the author had explained it better.

Overall this ends up being an okay book that I think could have been something really great with a bit more editing and cohesiveness. Although there are bits and pieces in here that I found intriguing I don’t plan on continuing the series. This book was just too all over the place.

The premise for this book was awesome and I did enjoy parts of it. The author painted a very bleak picture of Equals and the commoners, who are required to be their slaves for a period of ten years at some point during their lives. So there is inequality and more importantly, there is magic among the Equals. The magic is what separates the Equals from the commoners. It's passed down through the families, but this is kind of where the author lost me with the world building. There just wasn't enough magic in it for me. I craved it something fierce. When there was magic, I was so excited but those scenes just weren't enough. I also don't think the author delved too deeply into where the magic came from originally and how the laws got to be passed about everyone's slave days. It seems so odd that these laws were passed without too much resistance, but then again people used their magic so I think some of it can be explained by that.

Let's talk about the characters. First of all, I think there were way too many POV's. The main problem with this book was that I couldn't connect with any of them. Most of the characters were just boring. This book took a while to read because so much time would pass with nothing happening to any of them. I did like Luke and the resistance that he joined. I think that is relevant with what's happening today, but I don't think they carried the resistance part far enough. They could have done more with that, I think. There isn't really a lot of romance here, which awesome. But there is some insta-love between Abi and her master. How can you possibly fall in love with someone who is basically holding you hostage. I also had a really hard time following the bloodlines and the family ties of the most powerful family in England. There were so many names and events from the past that my head started spinning and I found myself rereading few paragraphs to try and get everything straight.

The ending to the book was pretty awesome and that does make me want to read the next one. I don't know that it would be a priority for me though.

Scheming, politics and family secrets abound in Gilded Cage. With dramatic flair, it introduces an alternate modern-day Britain where only a thin veneer of magic and opulence separates society.

Not All Are Free.
Not All Are Equal.
Not All Will Be Saved.

"Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England's grandest estate lies a power that could break the world."

GILDED CAGE is Vic James' debut young adult fantasy. First publishes on Wattpad, it introduces readers to an alternate British society where magic is the driving force behind a society, separating them into two classes. An elite, aristocratic class of those with magic known as The Skilled, and the commoners, also known as The Mundanes, who possess no magic and are required by law to 10 indentured years serving the skilled.

The setting for Gilded Cage is a clash of ideas, featuring the lavish and opulent setting of Kyneston Estate and the dark, gritty world of Millmoor, an industrial slave town. The story opens with the Hadley family, commoners, beginning their 10 years of service to the elite Jardine's at Kynestone Estate when they find out they are to be separated with their son, Luke, being sent to Millmoor's instead.

A Girl Thirsts For Love And Knowledge.

"Abi is a servant to England's most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family's secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?"

One of the strongest features of Gilded Cage is the contrast of settings used as a vehicle and the separating of the Hadley family to demonstrate the demoralizing inequality with the abuse of magic. Told through multiple viewpoints, in particular, brother and sister, Luke and Abi's, we see behind the decadent curtains of the gifted at Kyneston as well as what lies behind the smoked tinged world of Millmoor's.

A Boy Dreams Of Revolution.

Abi's brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.

Vic James is crafty in her characterization, building each slowly, while ultimately leaving us guessing at some of their true natures. I enjoyed trying to figure out the motivation behind each character, and until nearly the end many kept me guessing. Kyneston and Millmoor both hold surprises for Abi and Luke, changing them and forcing them into action, some willingly, and some not.

An Aristocrat And His Dark Gifts.

"He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?"

At the heart of the story, Gilded Cage, makes us ponder what would one do with power, the temptation for abuse and the ability to do good, straddling side by side, and the ability of the powerless to rise up for a common goal. Again, there are some surprising characters that I'm still not sure 100% about. Are they going to fuel a revolution or something dark and insidious?

A Plot Whose Thickness Hampers Reading.

For all the things I enjoyed in Gilded Cage, the thickness and dense political intrigue hampered some of my enjoyment. It seemed to take a good portion of the story to move the plot along and action sprinkled throughout helped but ultimately it felt sluggish. I enjoyed what was happening but was hard to wade through.

Dramatic Flair And Infused Magic.

Gilded Cage definitely supplied a dramatic flair but the magic was less than I had anticipated. I think readers need to know going into this story that there is a strong focus of the social climate and drama, with magic lightly infused into it, rather than the other way around, in order not to be disappointed.

In The End.

Gilded Cage is dramatic with politics and family drama filling the pages. A slow plot and light use of magic should be anticipated. With its climatic ending, I'm curious enough to want to visit the next installment.

This book was a bit difficult to get into. We get some action in the prologue but then it takes about a third of the book to set up the world and for me to start caring about the characters. In this world Equals rule because they have Skill and Commoners must slave away 10 years of there lives to them. The world was brutal with commoners having no rights whatsoever during their slave days but the cruelity made me more invested in the rebellion. I also love it when a story has likeable villains. I liked the idea of Skill but it wasnt explained very well. I didnt like how some of the history was explained like I was in a classroom. It didnt feel natural. There was also quite a few words I wasnt familiar with which diminished my reading experience.

We follow a lot of characters which was a little confusing at first but once I got the hang of it I appreciated the different perspectives because it gave me a chance to understand both sides. I enjoyed the main character Lukes perspective a bit more the other main character Abis perspective. He was more willing to take risks to stand up in what he believes in then his sister Abi. I also felt like Abi didnt try hard enough to get him back from the slavetown because she was more interested in what Jenner thought of her. Renie was one of my favorite characters. Having grown up in a slavetown made her pretty resourceful. As soon as I met Angel I had my suspicions as to who she really was and after that realization I figured out Docs connection to her.

The age difference between Lukes and Abis ten year old sister Daisy and twenty year old Gavar made her crush on him really weird and I kept worrying it would get innappropriate but it didnt. He was just appreciative that she took such good care of his daugther Libby. Gavars belief in decency for slaves and his love for his daugther made him more lovable despite his violent outburst. I think he reacted that way because the way his father treats him. However that doesnt excuse what he did to the mother of his child. At least he wasnt as coniving and callous as his fiancee Bouda or a sociopath like his brother Silyen. Despite Silyen lack of emotions I liked his character because I never knew what he was going to do next. I loved all the politcial scheming. Jenner was the nicest brother but I wish he wasnt so weak and stood up for what he believes in.

This story had a few plot holes that bothered me. For example, if all the commoners have to do their slave days for 10 years you would think they would be more aware of what happens once they sign up to do their slave days or how the Skills work. People talk and with that many people doing their slave says word would have gotten out by now. I also think with so many people having to do their slave days it would be a common thing saying goodbye to friends but we dont see that when Luke and his family are getting ready to leave. They make it seem like his friends wont be doing the same thing in a few years. If they can hack into stuff they should be able to send footage to people on the outside of the children who are stuck in the slave towns. I also thought the ending was really frustrating.

In a world of dystopian books, Gilded Cage is a stand out!

I would like to thank Random House Publishing - Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I really liked the premise of this book - that there are Aristocrats with magical gifts, called Equals, who forcibly took over the rule of England (and parts or all of the rest of the world) and made it so that those without gifts must work for 10 years of their lives in factory towns. Basically, those 10 years are spent in terrible conditions, and they are considered to be slaves, with no rights whatsoever for the duration of the 10 years.

This story follows Luke, Abi, Daisy and their parents as they start out their 10 years. Luke ends up going to one of the factory towns on his own, but Abi, Daisy and their parents go to the biggest estate in England owned by Equals to serve out their time.

I really enjoyed reading this story, and I also really enjoyed learning about the characters in this book - including some of the Equals. There were also a lot of the Equals who are pretty awful, and just completely secure in their sense of power. Thinking back on the story, the one thing that is most striking to me is that at the beginning, you get this sense that when the normal people are just living their lives that life is somewhat similar to what our lives are like. They have families and go to school and work and are mechanics and work with computers and are doctors and nurses and the kids go to school. But then when a family or an individual chooses to get their 10 years started, the next 10 years is nowhere near normal.

I would have liked to have had more information on what the rest of the world was like as far as the Equals go. There were bits and pieces of information, but nothing that I really feel gave me a complete picture as to where they are and are not in power around the world, so I don't feel totally clear on that knowledge. The story occurs in England, but because they talk about the rest of the world some, I just feel like I was left with half of that picture. Also, I can't help but wonder what life is like for these people after they come out of the factory towns. Do they just get to pick up life where they left it off when they left? Are their houses and jobs still there? They are really minor details, but I am left wondering about them anyway.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I am never compensated for my reviews.

*Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey Books for an ARC in exchange for a fair review*


Gilded Cage is the debut from author Vic James. This narrative, set in Britain, supposes an alternate world where humans are either born with or without magical abilities. The Equals, aristocrats with magic, have all the power. Leaving the commoners to suffer in servitude, most often hard slave labor, for 10 years.

Behind the enchanted gates of one of the three most powerful estates, Kyneston, a great power rises that just might break their world apart.

There is a lot going on within the book. One one hand is the haves and have-nots of magical ability and how that affects the characters, the world and the driving force of politics throughout the book.

Is the adult fiction or YA? Probably a crossover for both. The driving force is the introduction of two families and how they impact each other. As commoners, the Hadley's are in a precarious place. Eldest daught, Abi, thinks she's negotiated a great deal to have her entire family serve their time together at Kyneston; however, as Equals, the Jardines break their own rules regarding keeping minor children with parents and Abi's younger brother, Luke, gets sent to the harsh labor town of Millmoor. These scenes are brutal but are the driving force for the story. While at Millmoor, Luke becomes involved with a rebel group trying to improve the lives of slaves and readers later discover that there are more connections and a lot more deceit and power struggles afoot.

The Jardines are an interesting family. Lots of highs and lows with plenty of potential for the rest of the series. Silyen is proving to be very tricky, dark and apt to show his hand at being an unhinged sociopath. If nothing else, he's creepy. Gavar's relationship with Daisy, the youngest Hadley is also unsettling and I spend part of my reading wanting to shake more sense into Jenner. For Abi, I can see the romantic appeal and attraction to the 'skilless' middle Jardine brother but she's a bit naive.

I do see potential for the series, especially with the events occurring at the novel's end for Abi and Luke. I discovered the book, thinking that it might have echoes of Harry Potter and in some ways it does. What surprised me is the bleak, dark and plain cruel nature of this society. Definitely though provoking given the state of our own world. For the next book, I do hope there is more exploration of magic.

Final rating: 4 out of 5 stars


Follow the author on Twitter: @DrVictoriaJames

Gilded Cage had a lot of promise but it didn't quite take things to the next level for me. It had an interesting world and magical system but it didn't explore it as much as I would have like, it had complex characters but there were too many perspectives, and it had a plot that took a really long time to kick in. Despite being excited to read it, it wasn't my kind of read. I think if you are a more character-driven reader you may like this book a little bit more.

Gilded Cage by Vic James is the start of what is sure to be an epic fantasy tale, set in modern day England. The world is not our world. Magic exists and England is ruled by "Equals" (those with magic).

Gilded Cage weaves together rich characters in different circumstances that are part of a larger tale and with an end game is nowhere close to being revealed. The two families central to the story, the Hadleys and the Jardines are themselves complex, each character having their own story.

Rebel, Romantic, Idealist, Heir, Caring Misfit, and a sort of mash up of Tom Riddle and Victor Frankenstein. Is there a singular hero? Not yet. There are definitely villains, but no one definite evil, just a power system that elevates the powerful and crushes the masses. Will revolution come from those masses or will a savior arise from the Equals?

This book has me wanting to find out. Definitely ready for the next book, or five. I very much recommend.

(I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book I received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review.)

“Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved” reads the tagline for Vic James’ Gilded Cage, the first book in the Dark Gifts series. While it’s not a particularly pleasant thought, this engrossing story certainly doesn’t shy away from themes about class warfare, providing an unique take on an age-old struggle with a relevant, fantastical twist.

In the novel, England is run by an upper echelon known as “Equals,” all of whom have varying hereditary powers known as “skill.” They protect their country from outside harm, but these select families rule rather mercilessly. The commoners are required to complete 10 years of brutal “slavedays” to appease their rulers. They’re usually spent being worked to the bone in smoggy, infested slavetowns, but Abi thinks she’s found a better gig for her family. They’ll be working as servants at Kyneston, an Equal estate owned by the Jardines, one of the founding Equal families. But when the day comes, her brother Luke is forced off to Millmoor, the local slavetown, instead. Tensions unfold as Abi discovers that the Equals have horrific schemes of their own and Luke finds himself in the midst of a dangerous resistance effort.

The premise is great and if you love worldbuilding, you’re really going to fall for this alternative but not overly far-fetched reality. However, the story struggles to streamline its narration. There are 7 or 8 different points-of-view involved. Only 3 or 4 felt necessary. Abi and Luke are our protagonists and their perspective is worth clinging on to, as is that of Silyen Jardine, the youngest boy in the Equal family who is a maybe-wicked-genius mastermind and terribly underutilized. He gave us the creeps and we were obsessed with every second he was featured (which sadly, wasn’t enough.) The story felt like it was about these three characters and while we might have accepted one more point-of-view for occasional context, a lot of the switching around felt superfluous. In terms of plot, it was especially troublesome that Luke’s POV is the only one covering the Millmoor revolts while more than handful of POVs cover the activities over at Kyneston.

Abi and Luke’s stories are intertwined, but have two pretty different paces. Luke’s misadventures are relatively fast-paced and there’s always a threat on his heels, while what’s happening to Abi is more of a careful psychological thriller. Though we do see some Equal skill at work, the major threat is what they could do if truly provoked. Both stories have major intertwining factors that keep you interested, but story does have some points that slightly slower than we would have hoped, giving it an inconsistent feel.

The story isn’t particularly heavy on romance and really, we’re okay with that. Abi has some romantic tension with Jenner, the middle Jardine brother who isn’t a traditional Equal. Their interactions are sweet and enjoyable. We didn’t fully root for them, because Jenner, while sympathetic, is basically the only feasible option Abi has and isn’t willing to give up his comforts to protect commoners. A “good guy” who guiltily allows oppression because it doesn’t affect him is not a good guy. However, there’s potential for him to become more pro-active and if that’s happens, we’re on board. Buuuut we’re still not-so-secretly shipping Abi/Silyen instead.

This book has some glorious twists and does an excellent job setting up the series moving forward. By the time the final chapters rolled around, we were invested. This book came out two days ago and we’ve already ready for the next one in spite of any flaws this one had, so that’s saying something!

4.5 stars.

In the world of Gilded Cage (2017), there are those who are called Equals ― but there’s a deep divide between Equals, who have magical Skills, and the commoners, the Skilless, and they are decisively not equal. In England the Equals are both the aristocrats and the sole parliament, and they hold all the power, with the magical ability to enforce it.

One of the ways the Equals use their power is to require all commoners to spend ten years of their lives as slaves, known as slavedays. There are some interesting rules associated with this 10-year slavery law: there are advantages to doing it early in your life (such as the right to own a home, travel abroad, and hold certain jobs), you are required to begin them no later than age 55, and those under age 18 are to serve in the same place with their parents.

When 18-year-old Abigail Hadley finds out that the Jardine family, perhaps the most powerful Equal family in England, is looking for more house-slaves and will accept her family, her family decides to take their slavedays together, including her 10-year-old sister Daisy and 16-year-old brother Luke. The idea is that they’ll all be together at the Jardine family’s sumptuous Kyneston estate, as opposed to one of the factory towns, where life is harsh and brutal. But the Equals break their own rules about keeping minor children with their parents, when the Jardines decide they don’t need Luke at their estate. He is sent the industrial slavetown of Millmoor to do manual labor, while the rest of the family goes to Kyneston.

Abi promptly falls for Jenner, the middle of the three Jardine brothers, and the one who, seemingly inexplicably, has no magical Skill. Meanwhile, at Millmoor, Luke falls in with a secretive group of rebels who are trying to improve life for the slaves and, ultimately, to bring about a revolution in England, against tremendously long odds. Daisy has her own role to fill, that of caring for the illegitimate baby daughter of Gavar, the oldest Jardine brother; surprisingly, this leads to some real influence for such a young girl. And among the Equals, there are several individuals and factions competing for power.

Gilded Cage is told from multiple characters’ points of view, both Equal and commoner, which may muddle the storyline for some readers, but I found these interweaving viewpoints and plotlines interesting. The story focuses primarily on the political intrigue and the horrors that the Equals impose on the slave population. Slaves are legally “non-persons” and have no legal rights, and there are many Equals, and even commoners who oversee the slaves, who abuse that relationship. The connection to actual slavery in our world is apparent.

The world-building in Gilded Cage is well-done for a young adult book. Vic James slips in some explanations of how Great Britain’s society ended up where it currently is. For example, the slavedays began in 1642, with Charles I, the “Last King,” which matches up with the real-life date of Charles’ failed negotiations that led to the start of the English Civil War. We are also given some information that puts the situation in Britain in a broader perspective, with some intriguing links to actual history:

"But many countries are governed by commoners: France, where the people rose up against the Skilled aristocracy and slaughtered them in the streets of Paris. Or China, where our kind retired to mountain monasteries long ago. Or the Union States of America, which deems us enemy aliens and bars us from their ‘Land of the Free,’ though their cousins in the Confederate States live as we do."

I was worried that Luke’s part of the story would be unalloyed misery and angst, but his part of the tale ended up being much more engaging than I expected. On the other hand, Abi’s part of the tale, focusing on her relationship with Jenner, was a let-down. The romance feels under-baked, and there’s the distasteful aspect of it also being a slave-master relationship, despite Jenner’s best intentions. The romance could have been skipped with no real loss to the story. And after their initial appearance, unfortunately, the Hadley parents pretty much become non-entities in this story, other than to futilely express concern at what their teenage children are going through.

The Equal characters are a varying group of personalities, ranging from a small group of Equals secretly helping the slaves, to the kind-hearted but largely non-influential Jenner, to the cruel and stony-hearted Bouda, Gavar’s fiancée, who shares Lord Jardine’s contempt and disregard for slaves’ rights. Thanks to Ilona Andrews’ KATE DANIELS series, I’m familiar with the term “bouda” as relating to hyenas; Wikipedia clarifies that bouda (or buda) is the power of the evil eye and the ability to shapeshift into a hyena. It’s an amusingly appropriate name for this scheming young woman, whose view on commoners is exemplified by her support for a “perfectly logical scheme to assist the long-term unemployed by returning them to slavery for twelve months’ respite.” The willful self-deception that permeates that entire sentence is mind-boggling.

There are several repugnant characters in this book, like Bouda, but there are also some who are much more than what they initially appear to be. Even the oldest Jardine brother Gavar, who initially seems an unredeemable brute ― in a bout of anger, he shoots and kills his former girlfriend, a would-be runaway slave, in the first few pages ― has a more complex personality than I first would have guessed. The most fascinating person of all is the youngest Jardine brother, Silyen, a very bright and extraordinarily magically gifted 17 year old who looks to be playing an extreme long game. I’m still trying to figure him out… and for that I’ll have to wait for the sequel.

Overall, Gilded Cage is a rather bleak story of abuse of power by those with superpowers, with some terrible things happening to good characters, but the story is lightened by some glimpses of hope. The second book in this DARK GIFTS trilogy, Tarnished City, will be published in September 2017. I’m dying to find out what happens next.

In an alternate version of England, the Equals are the ones that rule. They have Skill, different powers that set them above the commoners, who must serve their aristocratic families for ten years as slaves. There are no rights, no privileges, not even the consideration of being human during those ten years. Abigail tried to arrange for her entire family to serve their ten years for the most powerful family in England, but her brother Luke is sent to a work camp. Even among the Equals, there are rivalries and jealousies, as well as machinations and conspiracies that threaten to overtake the government. Luke is caught up in a rebellion, and Abigail is simply trying to survive.

The story is compelling and the background is immersive. Details are laid out over time so that the reader discovers more about the Equals as Abigail and Luke do in their different locations. Descriptions of the alternate history of this England is fascinating, as well as the actual powers that the Skilled have. They are the ones with rights and privileges, wealth and rank. The powers they have could bring great benefit to their families or be the source of tragedy; grief from one Skilled woman led to utter destruction and a twenty-five-year coma. It isn't just in England, too. Mention is made of other countries all over the world having Skilled people, and the Civil War in the United States led to a divided nation. The north believed in equality and not having Skilled people in charge, and the South kept their Skilled elite. It's a very interesting take on class and social structures.

The trading viewpoints gives you insight into what Luke and Abigail go through; the situations are horrible in different ways, and I found myself getting angry on their behalf. Horrible things happen to slaves, and most of the people in charge, free or Equal, don't care at all. The ones that do care have to move carefully via "games" to ferment revolt among the commoners. Luke certainly has the worst physical punishment and wear, but Abigail is still used at the whims of the Skilled around her. At first, the machinations are subtle, and it isn't clear that there are other forces behind the revolts. The last third of the book is one surprising twist after another. Even so, the end is a complete shock and I kept hoping that something would change for the characters. This is the first book in a series, though, so likely the fallout from this book will play out in future books. I can't wait to read them.

A YA dystopian alternate history, where instead of the Glorious Revolution, Britain had the "glorious Equal Revolution," a revolution not about equality but about granting power to the "Equals," or those with "Skill" (something like magical mind powers). The settlement after the Revolution established the "Slave Days," or a sentence of 10 years of servitude for any person without Equal status.

Flash forward to today, and a family which is just about to start its slave days. Daughter Abi gives up going to medical school for the chance to give her family a more cushy slave days assignment (how, is never quite explained); they will serve as servants for one of the Equal families at a country estate. Abi's plan starts to go awry almost immediately, though: sixteen-year-old brother Luke gets split off from the family and sent to Millmoor, an industrial slavetown; eleven year-old sister Daisy gets assigned to care for the illegitimate daughter of the Jardine family's volatile heir; and Abi is forced to work with the non-Skilled middle Jardine son, upon whom she develops a massive crush/insta love.

The book shifts back and forth between multiple characters: not just Abi and Luke, but the Jardine brothers and other Equals involved in the politics of society. There's stirrings against the system, but at the end of this installment, things look pretty bad for the aborted revolution. Will Abi be able to find help for Luke? Will Luke survive incarceration with the most evil of the Equals? Will the one Equal sympathetic to the cause be able to help now that he's been stripped of power? Will mysterious Silyen Jardine reveal his true colors?

Lots of great suspense here, which will keep readers wanting more despite the author's underdeveloped world building and clumsy handling of the romance plotlines.