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A review by lostlenore_
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
2.0
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
Namina Forna's debut novel is a very easy novel to read that brings forth an interesting discussion about womanism, collective black feminism and the patriarchy. It's a pretty decent sample of a new writer and it uses imagery compellingly. However, the book was very superficial in the way that it was too plot-driven and the characters' choices weren't rooted in their own wants/needs but rather in what the writer wanted to accomplish and where she wanted to lead the story. This is what we call a plot-driven book and this is an important reason why I'm not so sure I want to read the second one. I had to speed-read many pages because I was bored by the way Deka always seemed to connect everything in her mind, even if there wasn't enough proof and the way all plot points were predictable and very easy to call.
Yes, it's a very intriguing premise and yes, the idea of bleeding gold was aptly used in combination with the worldbuilding. Nevertheless, a story doesn't need only a compelling idea to stand for itself. There are so many plot intricacies to be taken care of that this book simply didn't.
Namina Forna's debut novel is a very easy novel to read that brings forth an interesting discussion about womanism, collective black feminism and the patriarchy. It's a pretty decent sample of a new writer and it uses imagery compellingly. However, the book was very superficial in the way that it was too plot-driven and the characters' choices weren't rooted in their own wants/needs but rather in what the writer wanted to accomplish and where she wanted to lead the story. This is what we call a plot-driven book and this is an important reason why I'm not so sure I want to read the second one. I had to speed-read many pages because I was bored by the way Deka always seemed to connect everything in her mind, even if there wasn't enough proof and the way all plot points were predictable and very easy to call.
Yes, it's a very intriguing premise and yes, the idea of bleeding gold was aptly used in combination with the worldbuilding. Nevertheless, a story doesn't need only a compelling idea to stand for itself. There are so many plot intricacies to be taken care of that this book simply didn't.