Namina Forman has effectively written a story about loss and gain while spinning an engaging and beautiful story.
Deka has always stood out among her village, she doesn’t fit in, but on the day when she is meant to finally earn her place she is marked as impure. Her blood runs gold. Cast out by her family and friends and taken to the capital, she is now forced to use her new gifts to fight for her people, but which side is really the right one, and why is she so important to the war?
Namina Forman effectively captures the safety and danger of not fitting in and both the beautiful effect of found family and the misery or losing your own. She shows that all people can fight for their home and country even if others don’t believe they can.
I would 100% recommend this book to young girls and boys from the age of 13 and up who have feminism close to their heart and love adventure stories.
Deka, a 16 year old Oteran girl lives in a society where a woman’s worth is depicted by the purity of her blood, Deka is not so fortunate. Throughout the book she finds herself questioning who she really is time and time again.
The Gilded Ones is one of those books that you just wish you could read for the first time over and over again. There is no knowing what's going to happen next and every page is a mystery.
My favourite characters were Britta and Keita. Britta is a strong and fierce, yet caring young woman who always sticks by Deka’s side no matter what the situation. Keita, Deka’s uruni, was seemingly quite a cold character at the start, but his character gradually developed and his loyalty to Deka was made obvious and he remained loyal despite his beliefs.
Deka's strength and fight definitely gave me a ‘proud to be a female’ moment. When you were beginning to think that Deka doesn’t stand a chance, she came through showing her true abilities.
I would recommend this book to people who have read and enjoyed the 'Divergent' series and The Hunger Games.
Namika Forna wrote a masterpiece, and this book will go a long way! It’s all about that raw brutality and pure emotions dripping into every single page. My heart was breaking for Deka, Britta, Belcalis and the other girls! The Gilded Ones is a book that shows how to live past the stereotypes, and when oppressed, to fight for freedom! It shows in a brutal way what would happen if a certain behaviour becomes supported by the general public and becomes the new norm. It also shows that you can fight through it. And considering today’s world is not too far off from this fantasy, hopefully we’ll all learn a little bit more about important topics worth talking about!
Oh my goodness, what a book! The Gilded Ones is the first book in the 'Deathless' series, and it’s already much talked about! Get ready to dive into a YA Fantasy that will brutally show you what happens when society believes oppression is okay. And how one girl, who is deemed different and therefore, cast away from her village, will rise up and fight for her freedom!
The Gilded Ones is everything I expected it to be and more. From the very first page, I cared so much for Deka. As the chapters went on, I couldn’t peel my eyes off the book. Firstly, the world building is spectacular. Namina Forna created this fictional world, and society so cruel that it made me hurt for Deka and the other Alakis.
These people don’t really appreciate and accept the worth of a woman, even when she is considered “pure”. The women in the village are only there to bear children and be housewifes. They are also required to wear a mask to cover their faces. Don’t get me wrong – there is nothing wrong with being a housewife and staying home. But it has to be the woman that makes that choice. And in this society, the woman has no voice, no space to make a choice, no other option. And these are the “pure” women we are talking about. What about those that are deemed “different”?
The Alaki
Deka and the others like her bleed gold, and therefore, the society thinks they are evil. The society is afraid of anything that is different to them, and therefore rejects it. These girls are subject to terrible things, And through Deka and her friends’ experiences, we find out about the most gruesome and brutal things that can happen to women, in a society led by men and voiceless women. These girls now have to fight for the Emperor, having no other choice, and stay together. However, they have some unexpected powers, especially Deka, that with time, she will learn to use. Their training and battles will teach them things that will change them forever.
“The physical body – it heals. The scars fade. But the memories are for ever. Even when you forget, they remain inside, taunting you, resurfacing when you least expect.”
Remember your scars! Embrace them! Let them remind you where you came from, what you went through. Let them remind you how much you’ve achieved! Without those scars, you would never be the person you are today.
As a YA Fantasy, The Gilded Ones exceeds everything!
There is danger, adventure and magic. There is Deka’s main storyline, that drives the story forward as we learn more about her and her role in this world. But there are also the stories of her many Alaki friends she meets, all bearing their own weight, all powerful and emotional in their own way. I especially loved that we had a romance creeping into the book, but it so subtle and never took importance in the story. I loved how independent Deka was, and how well represented it was that love can exist in your world, and you can care about someone, but it doesn’t have to define you as a person, or affect your decisions. This is not the case with most of the YA Fantasy books, and I am so glad that this book focused on it.
Namika Forna wrote a masterpiece, and this book will go a long way! It’s all about that raw brutality and pure emotions dripping into every single page. My heart was breaking for Deka, Britta, Belcalis and the other girls! The Gilded Ones is a book that shows how to live past the stereotypes, and when oppressed, to fight for freedom! It shows in a brutal way what would happen if a certain behaviour becomes supported by the general public and becomes the new norm. It also shows that you can fight through it. And considering today’s world is not too far off from this fantasy, hopefully we’ll all learn a little bit more about important topics worth talking about!
I would highly recommend this book (and already have!) to anyone and everyone.
This book was amazing and full of adventure and an interesting narrative from the very first page. The beginning itself is such a hooking start that takes a sharp turn into action and sets the book up for great standards of quality that it do not fail, keeping readers on their toes.
The protagonist, Deka, is a very likeable character to get behind, and I loved reading about how she overcame her problems in the misogynistic and demon-fearing world. Her life is a good reminder that we all can overcome our problems and hardships.
Otera itself is a world full of wonder, pain, and monsters, the latter being where you least expect them...
I would highly recommend this book (and already have!) to anyone and everyone who likes a good read that will leave them in shock, admiration, and contemplation.
The book itself has a great rhythm and it is easy to get into very fast- you get drawn into the world full of awe, and a few plot twists later, you get thrown back out into the real world.
I absolutely cannot wait for the second book to come out- I am rooting for all of my new favourite characters and excited to see what else they get up to.
Overall, the book was unlike other I've read, as the world it was set in and the general concept of bleeding the cursed gold was intriguing and just in general, the atmosphere of Otera, of wearing half masks were great to imagine. The death shrieks added another layer to the book and the world that was captivating and added the drama. I can imagine of this were made into a movie, it'd have the perfect balance of everything a good one needs- the aesthetics, action running, and a strong plot line.
I’d recommend this novel to someone who is looking for a story which has strong female characters who fight for what is right in an unjust world. 'The Gilded Ones' is sure to leave you feeling inspired and empowered.
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna is action-packed with an engaging and exciting story line which is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire novel. The main character, being a young and very powerful women-of-colour, defines the odds of her current man-ruled society and completely destroys social-expectations by becoming one of the most competent and capable soldiers of Otera. The novel takes us through her long and hard fight to become the best she can and discover just who – and what – she truly is. Being deemed a ‘demon’ is, at first, a shameful and discouraging thing, yet we see Deka along with her other female companions learn to embrace who they are and use it to survive countless amounts of torture - and even death. However, Deka discovers that the world she knows is not how it seems and everything she had learnt and was brought up to believe was wrong, actually wasn’t. Are they girls, or are they demons?
I’d recommend this novel to anyone 12+ and interested in adventure and fantasy, someone who is looking for a story which has strong female characters who fight for what is right in an unjust world. The Gilded Ones is sure to leave you feeling inspired and empowered.
Classic story-time read, a real page-turner that can be enjoyed by many people.
A good book. A classic sort of storytime read; I enjoyed it because it is a real page-turner it made me want to read more when I was told to stop. The book is about a young girl discovering her past and the mission that she was destined to. I would recommend for ages 10 through to 14.
Excitement, mystery and scares. This is a page-turner.
Very engaging. I loved the culture and mystery behind the history of each girl. It's was page turning, and scary. But full of excitement. Great book.