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lollalong's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars
The Gilded King is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Julia has only know the Blue. The city where humans are treated as servants and ruled over by the Nobles. She dreams of escaping but the Red is filled with contamination and death. Is it more important to serve, or find the chance for survival on your own?
Cameron is a Noble with a purpose. For centuries, he has been looking for Emmy of their own who was taken from them. When he's given a clue to her whereabouts, that lead to a rogue band of Silver, will he uncover more than just her location?
Triggers: if you don't like the mention of blood, gore, or death then this may not be the book or series for you. There is off-screen violence mentioned towards a woman, and it does seem a little similar to domestic violence depictions so this could also be problematic for some readers. This book centres on vampires and zombies as the main theme which does lead to a lot of detail of the first three triggers.
I am a sucker for vampires, and dystopian so when the author was asking for reviews I couldn't resist but to ask for a copy and I'm so glad I did. (Although not so sure my bank balance will agree with me once I pick up her backlist...)
One of the things I liked about this book was the world building. I felt like we were immersed in the world and I was able to get a solid idea of what was happening. I struggle to visualise things, but this book I was able to almost follow along as though it was playing out on film. I loved the contrast between the regimented "safety" of the blue compared to the re-building world of the red. I would love to know more of the backstory of how the world ended up in this dystopian state where all technology has disappeared. But I may need to read Josie's other series to potentially get a hint of that.
I also really enjoyed the choice of words in this book. Because this has been self-published, Josie has been able to use words that aren't seen as much in traditional publishing. I feel like sometimes you have to write to a strict formula and use specific sets and styles of words for the publishing houses to take you on. So it was refreshing to come across rarely used, and in some cases, unknown words.
The main thing I disliked about this was that it was a little slow in some places. It didn't ruin my overall enjoyment, but there were a couple of sections that dragged a little.
The Gilded King is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Julia has only know the Blue. The city where humans are treated as servants and ruled over by the Nobles. She dreams of escaping but the Red is filled with contamination and death. Is it more important to serve, or find the chance for survival on your own?
Cameron is a Noble with a purpose. For centuries, he has been looking for Emmy of their own who was taken from them. When he's given a clue to her whereabouts, that lead to a rogue band of Silver, will he uncover more than just her location?
Triggers: if you don't like the mention of blood, gore, or death then this may not be the book or series for you. There is off-screen violence mentioned towards a woman, and it does seem a little similar to domestic violence depictions so this could also be problematic for some readers. This book centres on vampires and zombies as the main theme which does lead to a lot of detail of the first three triggers.
I am a sucker for vampires, and dystopian so when the author was asking for reviews I couldn't resist but to ask for a copy and I'm so glad I did. (Although not so sure my bank balance will agree with me once I pick up her backlist...)
One of the things I liked about this book was the world building. I felt like we were immersed in the world and I was able to get a solid idea of what was happening. I struggle to visualise things, but this book I was able to almost follow along as though it was playing out on film. I loved the contrast between the regimented "safety" of the blue compared to the re-building world of the red. I would love to know more of the backstory of how the world ended up in this dystopian state where all technology has disappeared. But I may need to read Josie's other series to potentially get a hint of that.
I also really enjoyed the choice of words in this book. Because this has been self-published, Josie has been able to use words that aren't seen as much in traditional publishing. I feel like sometimes you have to write to a strict formula and use specific sets and styles of words for the publishing houses to take you on. So it was refreshing to come across rarely used, and in some cases, unknown words.
The main thing I disliked about this was that it was a little slow in some places. It didn't ruin my overall enjoyment, but there were a couple of sections that dragged a little.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Physical abuse
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