karlee_reads 's review for:

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

3.5

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The first half of this story was a strong start for me. I liked the gore and then focus on the pain Deka was experiencing. We didn't glaze over it or shy away and I think that was valuable to establishing both her as a character and the world of the story. However in the last third of the story, as we learn about the lore of the Nuru and Deka's fate - I feel like the pacing changed. Deka was struggling internally in the story but was quick to accept an answer outside of herself, and I didn't love that for her. I wanted to see more struggle with the revelation of her origin. Also the final chapters felt a bit too neat and tidy for a book that I know is the first in a trilogy. I would've preferred a stronger cliffhanger, maybe cutting it off at the Emporer revealing his strength and the reality of the Jatu. I don't know. Lost half a star in the last third for me. Also the oppression of the society that Forna crafted was plenty clear without having to have Deka express it so overtly and frequently (a feature also amped up in the last third of the story). It became a bit less impactful by being shoved so forcefully into the reader's mind.