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A review by fanboyriot
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Honestly, I didn’t really like this book at all. I just couldn’t seem to get into it with the characters falling flat and the stiff dialogue; the only reason I didn’t DNF is because it was an audiobook and I figured I made it half way already.
While I liked the idea of this book, fighting against a world were there was unnecessary hatred; there were just so many moments that made no sense with how the belief system worked. Not to mention how did all the Northerns, Southerners, Easterners, and Westerners all agree all girls who bleed gold were demons but girls who bleed red were valued?? You’re telling me not one person out of all the different ideologies each group had that they didn’t noticed an issue with their system??
I don’t know if it’s because I don’t care for first person point of view or just how the book was written but I didn’t get attached to any of the characters either which is really disappointing. However, the world building was easy to understand for a fantasy book. It was simple and to the point.
My biggest questions though is how did no one bleed before they were sixteen?! Women were not allowed to do “strenuous” work because they could NOT bleed before they turned sixteen years old?!
You’re telling me:
While I liked the idea of this book, fighting against a world were there was unnecessary hatred; there were just so many moments that made no sense with how the belief system worked. Not to mention how did all the Northerns, Southerners, Easterners, and Westerners all agree all girls who bleed gold were demons but girls who bleed red were valued?? You’re telling me not one person out of all the different ideologies each group had that they didn’t noticed an issue with their system??
I don’t know if it’s because I don’t care for first person point of view or just how the book was written but I didn’t get attached to any of the characters either which is really disappointing. However, the world building was easy to understand for a fantasy book. It was simple and to the point.
My biggest questions though is how did no one bleed before they were sixteen?! Women were not allowed to do “strenuous” work because they could NOT bleed before they turned sixteen years old?!
You’re telling me:
- No one lost their baby teeth until sixteen then?
- No one tripped and skinned their knee as a kid?
- No one had any medical issues until then?
- No one had bodily functions like periods until the minute of their sixteen birthday?
- That there weren’t any accidents in their everyday life that happened UNTIL they turned sixteen?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Abandonment