Reviews

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

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emmagess12's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

4.5

jazzzzzzzmyn's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

aarnireads's review against another edition

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2.0

Repeat after me: not every YA needs a love interest. Sometimes a girl can have boys as friends. It was so yawn-inducing, more tell than show. And its never presented as a crush, always instant love. Buddy, you're 16. You're not in love.

This started out pretty intriguing, but I quickly came to realize I was going to skim the rest of it. The pacing was so, so off, some scenes felt too quick, some a little too slow. Could have been so much better with a little more.. Well, everything.

demievrything's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

ashction's review against another edition

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5.0

WOW. I wasn't 100% sure I'd be into a book like this, but The Gilded Ones grabbed me from the get-go and I found it hard to put it down! If I had to comp it to a similar series, it reminds me a bit of Children of Blood and Bone. I think I enjoyed this much more, though. Namina Forna's writing is crisp and clear, and Deka's voice comes through with such strength and sincerity. There's a wonderful cast of characters at hand, mystery at the heart of the well-imagined fantasy, and also a clear and powerful message on how men SUCK. (That's a very loose understatement, sorry.) At the center of this debut is a wonderful exploration of the ways in which men, society, and religion seek to oppress women and turn them into something they're not. It's not a takedown of all men, but it is a takedown of the men who abuse and diminish women every single day. I'm so happy to see this novel exist, and actually very interested in seeing where the series goes from here. It ends in a way that could have easily been a good standalone, so I'd love to see where Namina Forna plans to take this next.

This one is absolutely a must read!