Book review: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Good afternoon bookworms! I am hosting a buddy read for this book on Instagram (it’s full already sorry) and I’m so excited to discuss it with people because it was really interesting! Definitely a 5 star read for me.

The Gilded Ones follow Deka a 16-year-old girl that discovers her blood is impure. Normally that would mean a death sentence but she is saved by an emissary of the emperor who has decided to use the strength of the impure Alaki girls to form an army instead of just killing them all. Deka makes friends for the first time in her life, she even adopts the fantasy version of a kitten. This book was full of girl power, sisterhood and personal growth. I loved all the relationships Deka builds as she learns more about herself. You’ve got a high fantasy with magical blood, inhuman strength, an animal sidekick, a love interest and amazing female friendships, what else do you need?

This one is classified as YA but it’s quite violent, there’s also talk about sexual assault and rape, misogyny and racism. check out the story graph for more trigger warnings. Overall I loved it. Deka was thrown from the world she knew for 16 years into a world where she was powerful instead of weak, where she was loved instead of ignored, where she could grow into a strong young woman instead of facing death because of the colour of her blood. This one would be great for fans of The Grace Year by Kim Liggett, or The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Happy reading!

Angie