A review by jashanac
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Not a new favorite, not something I want to shout from the rooftops about, but I had a good time reading it and am curious enough and intrigued enough that I plan to pick up the sequel. 

This was BRUTAL at times, including very early on. Very much content warnings for murder (of young girls especially), torture (of young girls specifically), sexual violence, sexual violence against children, gore, xenophobia... there is only one scene with a mention of sexual violence that happened to one of the girls when she was younger but the description of what happened to her is truly horrifying... so be aware of that before picking this up! 

I felt like the pacing was a bit rushed at the end -- it kind of came across to me like the author was aiming for an epic "here comes the cavalry" and epic "omg PLOT TWIST" moment a time or two, which fell slightly flat for me. Not terribly flat, not super disappointing, but just a little bit, "Oh... okay." 

I enjoyed the cast of characters and seeing them form very close bonds with one another, and I appreciated that while we do have a bit of a budding romance that we see forming that was not at all the focus and the main character's friendships even had priority over the romantic interest/relationship. 

The magic and world-building was also intriguing to me -- enough that I do indeed look forward to the next book! 
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