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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
I had such high hopes for this book. It had all the necessary components to be at least a 4 stars, but I felt like there was too much focus on all the wrong things.
I wanted more of Jaren and Kiva, I got ONE scene and even that I barely considered. I need more character development if I’m to continue this series. But if you’re in it purely for the plot, go ahead.
Also, I honestly didn’t give two flying fucks about the disease that she was trying to cure, idk if that makes me heartless but I would’ve rather had more focus on the trials themselves. Speaking of the Trials, I hated every single one xx. I thought they were going to be Trials that require a little bit of intelligence, but no, they were honestly the stupidest Trials I’ve ever seen
I wanted more of Jaren and Kiva, I got ONE scene and even that I barely considered. I need more character development if I’m to continue this series. But if you’re in it purely for the plot, go ahead.
Also, I honestly didn’t give two flying fucks about the disease that she was trying to cure, idk if that makes me heartless but I would’ve rather had more focus on the trials themselves. Speaking of the Trials, I hated every single one xx. I thought they were going to be Trials that require a little bit of intelligence, but no, they were honestly the stupidest Trials I’ve ever seen
3.5 ⭐️ Honestly, was predictable up until the ending. Solid starter book!
More people need to know about this book! It needs more hype and this author is amazing. The cliffhanger ending really shocked me and left me with an excited thrill, waiting to borrow the next book from the library. There was plenty of MC trauma to go around though (really, Kiva suffered through a lot) and a lot more topics that might interest some people like:
- Royals
- Trying to cure a mystery illness
- Rebels who want to put the 'rightful heirs' back on the throne
- Elemental (water,earth,fire,air) and healing magic
- An unjust prison (mistreating prisoners)
- An opportunity to get freedom by completing an impossible trial with 4 deadly challenges
So if anything listed above appeals to you then you should totally read this book.
- Royals
- Trying to cure a mystery illness
- Rebels who want to put the 'rightful heirs' back on the throne
- Elemental (water,earth,fire,air) and healing magic
- An unjust prison (mistreating prisoners)
- An opportunity to get freedom by completing an impossible trial with 4 deadly challenges
So if anything listed above appeals to you then you should totally read this book.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The book could have been about half the length if the author stopped repeating themself and explicitly stating things that were already heavily implied. The definition of telling and not showing. The trials were boring and while there was a teeeeeeeniest bit of foreshadowing, the author intentionally kept information from the reader to create a big twist, so instead of it being incredible and satisfying, it was just jarring.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A great plot, well developed characters and a quality map of the world.
While I’d like to say I loved reading this book, it was honestly quite sad, stressful and felt pretty hopeless at times. Themes of power, oppression, injustice, and control permeated throughout, giving it a very dystopian feel reminiscent of The Hunger Games. I think these stories are important to tell, but I don’t necessarily enjoy the feelings of stress and anxiety it brings me. I found The Prison Healer was a good first instalment, but I hope The Gilded Cage leans more into the fantasy genre!
All that being said, I did feel like I knew where this book was going, and while the ending wasn’t necessarily surprising, I am still quite excited to see where we go from here.
While I’d like to say I loved reading this book, it was honestly quite sad, stressful and felt pretty hopeless at times. Themes of power, oppression, injustice, and control permeated throughout, giving it a very dystopian feel reminiscent of The Hunger Games. I think these stories are important to tell, but I don’t necessarily enjoy the feelings of stress and anxiety it brings me. I found The Prison Healer was a good first instalment, but I hope The Gilded Cage leans more into the fantasy genre!
All that being said, I did feel like I knew where this book was going, and while the ending wasn’t necessarily surprising, I am still quite excited to see where we go from here.