YA – The Gilded Ones

Forna, Namina. The Gilded Ones. Delacorte Press, 2021. 978-1-474-95957-5. 432 p. $18.99. Grades 9-12.

Deka is awaiting her blood ceremony that will determine if she can become a member of her village; her blood needs to run red, and Deka is afraid her’s won’t. The day of the ceremony comes the worst case happens, and she is now faced with making a choice. Should she stay in the village and face her fate or follow this stranger to fight for the emperor with an army of girls just like her? Deka decides to leave the only life and home she’s ever known and journey to the city to learn more about herself and the empire. The Gilded Ones is the first in a young adult fantasy trilogy (Deathless) and starts off extremely fast paced. The magic system is interesting, and there definitely is room for that to grow as the series goes on.

THOUGHTS: Overall, this is an amazing introduction to a new, dark YA fantasy trilogy. In the version I read, there was a warning for violence and that would be the only thing to know going into this book.

Fantasy          Mary Hyson, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

In Deka’s village, the color of your blood determines your fate. Before becoming an official member of the community, the females must attend a blood ceremony. Any female with gold blood is considered to be impure, and when Deka’s runs gold, she is given a choice. She can stay in the village where she continues to be tortured, or she can join a group of warriors made up of other girls like herself. Not only is Deka’s blood gold, she also cannot die. This unique ability, shared by the other girls with golden blood, makes them valuable fighters. As Deka and the others train and prepare for battles, she discovers the truth about her new life and makes difficult decisions in order to survive and earn acceptance in her future.

THOUGHTS: The Gilded Ones is a new fantasy series with a large cast of female characters trying to survive in a patriarchal society. Each one has been deemed unworthy to live in their village and suffers at the hands of people that were supposed to love them. Although this is a fantasy, readers may still find connections with the many issues and topics present in both the novel and our society today including racism, misogyny, inequality, abuse, feminism, and empowerment. This would be a great recommendation for fans of Tomi Adeyemi’s Orisha Trilogy. 

Fantasy          Emily Hoffman, Conestoga Valley SD