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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
I hate forcing myself to finish a book, but I did for this one. I really wish I had enjoyed this one. It's an interesting concept, and there was a lot that I know the author was trying to do, but I just don't feel it was executed well.
I was excited to receive a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
I have a tendency to pick out books to read solely by looking at their covers, rarely reading the blurb. Let’s just say that the end of chapter two came as quite a surprise!
There was a lot to like about this book. It was fast-paced and jumped right into the story. The world building was seamlessly woven into the story, none of that non-so-thinly-veiled wise elder telling you about the past nonsense. In fact, every time Deka asks for an explanation, White Hands tells her that she’ll know when she needs to know. As readers, we end up in the same boat and in fact do learn things only when we need to know them.
This book tackles some big topics - the patriarchy, race, feminism - in a compelling and well-developed way. It did feel slightly heavy handed at times, but not in a way that was off putting. I really appreciated that the female characters in the books actually supported each other and the central concept of the alaki is based on empowering women.
One negative about this book for me was the romance. It was fairly easy to assume who the love interest would be, since Deka only regularly interacted with one male character. I suppose that I assumed something was going on off-screen, but there was very little tension and build up. When something finally happened, I didn’t find myself caring.
Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast-paced fantasy novel that deals with real world issues (with a healthy dose of violence thrown in). I’ll be interested to see where the sequel takes it…
I have a tendency to pick out books to read solely by looking at their covers, rarely reading the blurb. Let’s just say that the end of chapter two came as quite a surprise!
There was a lot to like about this book. It was fast-paced and jumped right into the story. The world building was seamlessly woven into the story, none of that non-so-thinly-veiled wise elder telling you about the past nonsense. In fact, every time Deka asks for an explanation, White Hands tells her that she’ll know when she needs to know. As readers, we end up in the same boat and in fact do learn things only when we need to know them.
This book tackles some big topics - the patriarchy, race, feminism - in a compelling and well-developed way. It did feel slightly heavy handed at times, but not in a way that was off putting. I really appreciated that the female characters in the books actually supported each other and the central concept of the alaki is based on empowering women.
One negative about this book for me was the romance. It was fairly easy to assume who the love interest would be, since Deka only regularly interacted with one male character. I suppose that I assumed something was going on off-screen, but there was very little tension and build up. When something finally happened, I didn’t find myself caring.
Overall, I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast-paced fantasy novel that deals with real world issues (with a healthy dose of violence thrown in). I’ll be interested to see where the sequel takes it…
This is a pretty good ya fantasy with a romance subplot. It’s an interesting premise and I loved the diversity.
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If The Gilded Ones has caught your eye with its gorgeous cover, rest assured that you will love the inside.
In a world where women are oppressed and valued for their purity, girls are subjected to a blood ceremony when they come of age. If you bleed red, you are considered pure and accepted in society. But if you bleed gold, I regret to inform you that you are cursed. Enjoy your last moments, because being considered a demon, a fate worse than death awaits you.
When an attack occurs on the day of her ceremony and she ends up wounded, the outsider Deka knows she is doomed. Her blood is golden.
Decapitated, dismembered, drowned, stabbed and more, Deka feels her fate is to be tortured until her ultimate death. That is, until someone offers to send her to train as a warrior in the emperor's army.
What will happen to her now?
This is an incredibly violent book, full of genocide and body horror. There is a slow-burning journey of self-discovery and it explores how patriarchal society imprisons women in our own minds. The characters are wonderfully written and interwoven within their oppressive world in a phenomenal way. The world is incredibly elaborate, dark and nail-biting [It deals with racism, xenophobia, misogyny, inequality, abuse and trauma]
This is the first book in a duology and let me tell you that I loved this book much more than I thought I would. The plot was exciting and full of unexpected twists. Deka is brave, Britta is loyal, Adwapa is persistent, and each of the characters is just wonderful [Yes, even the villains were amazingly written].
This book deserves to be a best-seller; deserves to receive worldwide attention. This is definitely a must read book, so go ahead and read it. And remember, if you bleed gold, run.
CW: racism, death of a parent (off page), blood, violence, gore, death, torture, rape and sexual assault, trauma.
Rep: Queer Black MC, POC li, Black, Asian, and Brown MCs and SCs.
If The Gilded Ones has caught your eye with its gorgeous cover, rest assured that you will love the inside.
In a world where women are oppressed and valued for their purity, girls are subjected to a blood ceremony when they come of age. If you bleed red, you are considered pure and accepted in society. But if you bleed gold, I regret to inform you that you are cursed. Enjoy your last moments, because being considered a demon, a fate worse than death awaits you.
When an attack occurs on the day of her ceremony and she ends up wounded, the outsider Deka knows she is doomed. Her blood is golden.
Decapitated, dismembered, drowned, stabbed and more, Deka feels her fate is to be tortured until her ultimate death. That is, until someone offers to send her to train as a warrior in the emperor's army.
What will happen to her now?
This is an incredibly violent book, full of genocide and body horror. There is a slow-burning journey of self-discovery and it explores how patriarchal society imprisons women in our own minds. The characters are wonderfully written and interwoven within their oppressive world in a phenomenal way. The world is incredibly elaborate, dark and nail-biting [It deals with racism, xenophobia, misogyny, inequality, abuse and trauma]
This is the first book in a duology and let me tell you that I loved this book much more than I thought I would. The plot was exciting and full of unexpected twists. Deka is brave, Britta is loyal, Adwapa is persistent, and each of the characters is just wonderful [Yes, even the villains were amazingly written].
This book deserves to be a best-seller; deserves to receive worldwide attention. This is definitely a must read book, so go ahead and read it. And remember, if you bleed gold, run.
CW: racism, death of a parent (off page), blood, violence, gore, death, torture, rape and sexual assault, trauma.
Rep: Queer Black MC, POC li, Black, Asian, and Brown MCs and SCs.
Character development and plot are appropriate for YA but felt lacking for me. I did not feel connected or invested in most of the characters. At times it felt rushed. I have no idea how much time passed in the book - 1 year? 2 years? More?
Violence, rape, abuse - can work for some YA readers as long as they are prepared for it.
There were also some slightly problematic stereotypes.
Violence, rape, abuse - can work for some YA readers as long as they are prepared for it.
There were also some slightly problematic stereotypes.
liked: sisterhood, warrior women, destroying patriarchy, magic, mythology, menstruation as part of the reality, a magic and cute animal companion.
shy of a full 5 stars because: the world-building and mythology felt a little underdeveloped, Deka notes obvious clues early on but then just ignores them and is completely blindsided by the 'reveal'. i really liked the premise and if someone described the plot to me i would give it 5 stars but somehow i didn't ever feel fully invested or immersed in the story as it unfolded. will definitely read the subsequent books in this series though.
shy of a full 5 stars because: the world-building and mythology felt a little underdeveloped, Deka notes obvious clues early on but then just ignores them and is completely blindsided by the 'reveal'. i really liked the premise and if someone described the plot to me i would give it 5 stars but somehow i didn't ever feel fully invested or immersed in the story as it unfolded. will definitely read the subsequent books in this series though.
This is one of my favorite fantasy books I’ve read. I love the way the author is able to make you feel uncomfortable about the characters’ decisions. I loved the character growth and the women-supporting-women themes.
Okay I'm not sure what to rate this and it doesn't really matter because the goodreads app is busted and only shows me 1 star.
Brief synopsis: Deka is whisked away to become a super soldier after her village tries to kill her for having "impure" gold blood and also collects buckets of her blood because even though gold is evil its still valuable? Anyway, Deka makes friends, learns she has more special powers than the other gold girls. repeatedly saves their asses from the giant monsters they're forced to fight or be killed for being impure, while everyone around her tells her shes crazy and more unnatural than all the unnatural girls put together. But everyone is still supportive while not being supportive? Oh and there's like a needless romance subplot too
Moving on
I have a lot of questions and I doubt there will be answers. So here go the spoilers.
If the Alaki (gold blooded super girls) are reborn as deathshreeks (enemy monsters) then how can Deka's mother be dead unless she was killed again later in her second form?
Surely there had to have been another way to free the gilded ones (goddesses trapped by the emperor) than forcing the alaki to unknowingly kill their own kind and cause the deathshreeks to think their savior was a traitor.
What was even the reason for the emperor to hate women so much? I can't imagine they were treating them as badly as the men treat women now (beating, raping, gore raping, killing, or only allowed to be a house wife and can't leave the house without escorts) Like I get it, women are still oppressed in current times and the author was trying to speak to that feeling of repression in us, but a man raised in a female ruled society doesn't just turn on his people for no reason. He would have been raised to respect women.
As a whole I liked the book, the audio narrator was good, but when picked apart its a mess, not just for plot errors but some annoying writing too. Nowhere near as bad as J.K.Rowling and her god awful dialog (harry said happily, Hermione said sadly, ron said adverbaly ) but repetitive descriptions of things every time they come up, like we get it, your senses are heightened in "combat state", you don't need to describe it every time it happens!!
Anyway, 3 out of 5 stars. Maybe the second book will fill in the gaps but I kind of doubt it.
Brief synopsis: Deka is whisked away to become a super soldier after her village tries to kill her for having "impure" gold blood and also collects buckets of her blood because even though gold is evil its still valuable? Anyway, Deka makes friends, learns she has more special powers than the other gold girls. repeatedly saves their asses from the giant monsters they're forced to fight or be killed for being impure, while everyone around her tells her shes crazy and more unnatural than all the unnatural girls put together. But everyone is still supportive while not being supportive? Oh and there's like a needless romance subplot too
Moving on
I have a lot of questions and I doubt there will be answers. So here go the spoilers.
If the Alaki (gold blooded super girls) are reborn as deathshreeks (enemy monsters) then how can Deka's mother be dead unless she was killed again later in her second form?
Surely there had to have been another way to free the gilded ones (goddesses trapped by the emperor) than forcing the alaki to unknowingly kill their own kind and cause the deathshreeks to think their savior was a traitor.
What was even the reason for the emperor to hate women so much? I can't imagine they were treating them as badly as the men treat women now (beating, raping, gore raping, killing, or only allowed to be a house wife and can't leave the house without escorts) Like I get it, women are still oppressed in current times and the author was trying to speak to that feeling of repression in us, but a man raised in a female ruled society doesn't just turn on his people for no reason. He would have been raised to respect women.
As a whole I liked the book, the audio narrator was good, but when picked apart its a mess, not just for plot errors but some annoying writing too. Nowhere near as bad as J.K.Rowling and her god awful dialog (harry said happily, Hermione said sadly, ron said adverbaly ) but repetitive descriptions of things every time they come up, like we get it, your senses are heightened in "combat state", you don't need to describe it every time it happens!!
Anyway, 3 out of 5 stars. Maybe the second book will fill in the gaps but I kind of doubt it.