I won’t lie, I knew nothing about The Gilded Ones when I bought it but I saw the cover and thought that the art was just SO PRETTY I had to read it. It’s a YA Fantasy about a girl raised in a world where girls aren’t allowed to cut themselves to remain ‘pure’ and must undergo a ceremony to see if they are once they come of age. When Deca, the main character, undergoes the ceremony she bleeds gold bled instead of blood. Already set apart because of her skin color, Deca is instantly ostracized and deemed a monster, locked away. Deca finds herself recruited into an army by a mysterious messenger from her countries Emperor, who wants her to help fight the death shrieks that keep their country in constant terror. As Deca gets further into her military service, she starts learning more about her mysterious abilities and her origins including her mothers past which is nothing what she imagined it to be. As Deca pieces everything together, she uncovers a secret she never thought possible and embraces the powers she was afraid of for so long.
I love watching a genre grow! I’m so happy that I am starting to see more fantasy that isn’t British or Americanized. Namina Forna did a stunning job creating a fully evolved world and I found myself knowing enough about the world she created while at the same time desperately wanting more. Absolutely can’t wait for the next one! October 5th can’t come soon enough.
