The Gilded Ones – Namina Forna

I seem to be reading a lot of YA lately – maybe it’s something to do with nostalgia, or maybe it’s because there are some great YA novels out there!

I am also a sucker for a pretty cover, and this one is beautiful. I did read this on my kindle so I didn’t get to handle it up close, but you can see for yourself how nice it is.

The story is told through Deka’s eyes, starting off in her Northern village in Otera, a patriarchal world in an ancient setting, a world where demons called deathshrieks roam the earth, and people pray to gods who may or may not exist.
The location felt like a smaller version of our world, a scaled down model. Where North means cold and pale skin, South means warm and dark skin, and East and West follow the same pattern as our own, more or less.

Deka is extremely excited to reach an age mature enough to go through the Ritual of Purity – she can finally prove herself to be virtuous and to be in the right place. As part of the blurb of the story, we know that her blood runs pure gold and not the hoped for red. As an adult reader, I was a little bit nonplussed about why she was surprised – her mother wasn’t from the village and had a bit of a secretive past.

She quickly finds herself going from one sticky situation to another, and another. I really got the feeling that this had shades of Hunger Games and The Handmaid’s Tale – the main characters are singled out for being different, living in an imposed and extreme regime. Deka is a great, strong hero – slightly out of touch with her feelings for me, and I think it could have benefitted from a few more of her innermost thoughts, but you did get a sense of what she was thinking.

There were some neat touches – her blood is sold at one point, for example, and others like her have items made into helmets, masks and jewellery. I also liked that it was Africa-centric, and the metaphors come thick and fast in this. I do want to try and avoid spoilers, but I also thought that there is a section which seems to allude to being trans-supportive, which was interestingly done.

On the other hand, I thought it was quite graphic at points, and perhaps unnecessarily so. I know that it is common for YA to contain detailed description, especially in the fantasy genre. Personally, I found accounts of 15 year olds getting their spines ripped out was a little bit over the top. That might be right up your street though!

This novel is named as Number 1, which hints at a series. I’d like to return to the world – Deka is a good character who could absolutely withstand and benefit from some development and maturation.

Thanks as always to Netgalley and Usborne Publishing!

To be honest, I was never able to read the file on my ereader. I try many times but I was stuck to the first page and it was impossible for me to read more.

So I waited for the release to buy it an read it. And I'm a bit disapointed. I've waited so much time to read this book and many I have too much expectations but after 5 chapters I had to stop my reading and make a break.

I like how the writer writes, I like the characters, the story is easy to read and to undestand. But, I'm not "in". It's hard to explain why but something doesn't work. Maybe it's just not the moment for me to read this book, and I want to resume my reading in a few days or weeks but I didn't manage to hang at the beginning of the story when I finally try.
So, I can(t say if it's a good book or not, and I think it' a good book, but it wasn't the moment for me to read it.

De vez en cuando hay que salirse de la zona de confort y es cierto que el lanzamiento de The Gilded Ones ha venido acompañado de una intensa campaña publicitaria, por lo que decidí darle una oportunidad a esta novela en principio destinada al público juvenil.


La premisa de la que parte el libro está situada en una sociedad eminentemente patriarcal, con un estricto código religioso que rebaja a la mujer a mera acompañante del hombre, supeditada en todo momento a sus necesidades. De hecho, al cumplir los 15 años, todas las jóvenes deben someterse a una prueba de sangre, para saber si son puras o impuras. La protagonista de la historia, Deka, siempre ha estado bajo sospecha porque su madre no era natural del pueblo donde comienza la historia. Así que al parecer nadie se sorprende cuando en la prueba de madurez mana oro de sus venas en vez de sangre. El castigo es la muerte inmediata para evitar que la impureza pueda transmitirse a las demás jóvenes del lugar.

Sin embargo, no es tan fácil acabar con ella. Es aquí, en uno de los pasajes un tanto sangrientos de la novela (y hay más de uno y más de dos), cuando empieza la tortura de la protagonista. Y es que Deka es capaz de volver de la muerte. Se convierte por tanto en una fuente de ganancia para los ancianos del pueblo, que se dedican a torturarla y matarla para obtener el oro de su interior. Estas escenas son bastante duras y solo la aparición de una extraña con poder imperial es capaz de sacarla de este círculo de destrucción y sufrimiento.

La historia prosigue con la militarización de Deka y otras chicas como ella, transformadas en un valioso recurso bélico. Me gustaría destacar ante todo la sororidad que se desarrolla entre estas muchachas, todas con orígenes y circunstancias diferentes, a las que las mareas de la vida llevan a unirse en un círculo de amistad irrompible. Me encanta ese mensaje de optimismo que lanza la autora, inspirando la posibilidad de sobreponerse a los malos momentos con el apoyo de aquellos y aquellas a los que realmente importas.

Es por tanto una novela que manda un mensaje poderoso al lector. Es una crítica al machismo, al racismo, al miedo al que es diferente… Pero es cierto que también representa algunas escenas bastante duras, tanto de tortura física como de violación (aunque esta última no se ve, sí que se habla de ella). La fantasía y la magia sirven para empoderar a la protagonista femenina, pero el verdadero poder no está en su capacidad de resucitar o su dominio sobre otras formas de vida, si no en la piña que consigue formar con otras oprimidas como ellas. Un mensaje muy potente que merece la pena escuchar.

The Gilded Ones está publicada en España por Editorial Molino como Las que estamos muertas con traducción de Raúl García Campos.

There is a reason I have already read this book twice in 2021. It is absolutely excellent, an amazing fantasy.

This book is brutal and harsh and comes with a whole heap of content warnings, but it is utterly brilliant. The character development is exquisite, and the twists in the story are breath-taking. Deka goes through so much, and I love how her relationship with herself and her world changes. I love the challenges to misogyny ad religious bigotry.

A few tweets about it, especially around the launch & the BGBC event. Absolutely gripping read, & quite thought provoking! Looking forward to the sequel already...

'The Gilded Ones' by Namina Forna introduces its readers to the mythical world of Otera, a society where sixteen year old girls go through the blood ceremony. Their blood either runs red, the colour of purity, or gold, signalling the blood of a demon. Our protagonist, Deka, does not even make it to her ceremony before her blood runs gold. It is after this she discovers she is an Alaki, a being who can regenerate after death and possesses supernatural strength and abilities, who are being recruited into the emperor's new army against the violent and horrific deathshrieks who threaten their land.

Anything you assume about how this plot will unfold you need to re-evaluate. Forna has crafted a rich new fantastical world, the fascinating Alaki at the centre with their otherworldly natures. The revelations and twists along the way, particularly towards the end of the novel, make this quite the pacey thrill ride. I loved Deka's sisterhood with her fellow Alaki, I loved the innocent blossoming of romance along the way and I loved how the story knitted together in the final chapters.

However, in places, the plot feels disjointed and jumpy, particularly in the lead up to the final campaign against the deathshrieks where time seems to evolve in fits and starts. This novel is also not one for the fainthearted: I am shocked this is aimed at young adults. The language is accessible but the tone is dark, including descriptions of various methods of execution, death in battle, sexual abuse and rape. Otera is a horrific place to be a young woman.

Overall, this novel's plot is engaging and the direction of revelations make it quite the read. Be warned, it is graphic in its descriptions throughout so definitely bear this in mind before you read it. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Woooh this was hard to get started on since the story is set in a very patriarchal world. That was insane. I needed to put the book down some moments to just breath. A direct quote from the book is “women were created to be helpmeets to men, subservient to their desires and commands”. So like, yikes. The worst is that Deka, our main character, fully believes this is right and that she is nothing at the beginning. This was why it was hard to start.

But Deka grows as we read, and she begins to realise her worth, and that women should have rights. This is kind of a big journey and by the end, Deka is a really independent woman, ready to fight for what she believes. I am so proud of her. You go girl.

The best part of the story honestly is the bonds between the girls. They're all have been brought there because they are seen as ““monsters”” and have to fight till death. Multiple deaths. But these girls decide that they should be united between them!! They're all here for the same reason so they should help each other!! No girl on girl hate (thank gods) and they're all vastly different! We start to learn more about them and I love this group of girls.

Britta and Deka's relationship also!! They are best friends!!! They are so different from one another but they are here for each other and I want to kinda cry at their relationship. When Deka said Britta was her dearest friend I really cried. Love these amazing deep bonds between girls. Want more of that.

Despite all of this, I am not sure I will read the next book. It can be read as a standalone and I think I am ok with this conclusion. I am interested tho in seeing how they grow and what change upon the world they make. So. Maybe.

The story is your obvious YA story. A young girl who used to be not very popular in her village, due to her heritage, has hidden powers with which she can help the emperor’s army defeat the demonic creatures that befall the land. Of course, everyone, even the emperor, has a hidden agenda. Soon it’s clear that Deka, the main character, has to become the saviour of all, especially of oppressed girls and women.

In this case the story has a west African background. The world-building is good. The main character, Deka, is strong and her character arc is interesting. But, sorry to say, it is a YA fantasy that distinguishes itself only by not being based on European or North American fantasy blueprints.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Usborne Publishing for approving me for an eARC of The Gilded Ones to review.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021, as mentioned in my post and I jumped at the chance to read it early! It has been on my Wishlist since it was first announced, and I was so so excited for it.

I’m sad to say that this book didn’t live up to my expectations. Perhaps I went in with too high hopes, and it just couldn’t reach them. A novel about an army of female warriors descended from demons just sounded too good!!

This novel is inspired by African mythology and I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel. I love that more YA fantasy is appearing in the bookshops which is inspired by other cultures, and this book is an excellent addition to the YA shelves!

I enjoyed this exploration of mythology and I also enjoyed the studies of religion in relation to the girls and how they were treated. But I really needed more of the world and the world-building to fully appreciate it. I know there’s a sequel but I needed to know more!

I think my least favourite aspect of the novel is a fairly rushed romance between two main characters. This really irritated me! Our main character barely knows the boy, yet after two interactions they are falling head over heels. It just felt much to rushed for me! It drew my attention away from the main narrative and actually lessened the intensity and power of the storyline.

Overall I liked The Gilded Ones, it kept my attention and it mentioned some interesting themes. Sadly it just didn’t live up to the hype I had for it, and I didn’t love it.

Oh my goodness, what a book! The Gilded Ones is the first book in the Deathless series, and it’s already much talked about! Get ready to dive into a YA Fantasy that will brutally show you what happens when society believes oppression is okay. And how one girl, who is deemed different and therefore, cast away from her village, will rise up and fight for her freedom!

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Deka grew up and lives in Otera, a kingdom with patriarchal values. The Kingdom has the Ritual of Purity, where every girl’s worth is being determined by the colour of her blood. When a girl reaches a certain age, she needs to prove she’s “pure”. If she bleeds red, she is “pure” and is accepted as part of the village and required to wear a mask.

When the day comes for Deka to undergo the Ritual of Purity, she bleeds gold – the colour of impurity, of a demon. She faces a consequence worse than death, and is saved by a mysterious woman who tells Deka of her true nature. Deka is an Alaki, a near-immortal with exceptional gifts. And this woman offers her a choice: fight for the Emperor, with the other Alakis, or be destroyed…

“Giving us impossibilities and calling them choices.”

My Thoughts:

The Gilded Ones is everything I expected it to be and more. From the very first page, I cared so much for Deka. As the chapters went on, I couldn’t peel my eyes off the book. Firstly, the world building is spectacular. Namina Forna created this fictional world, and society so cruel that it made me hurt for Deka and the other Alakis.

These people don’t really appreciate and accept the worth of a woman, even when she is considered “pure”. The women in the village are only there to bear children and be housewifes. They are also required to wear a mask to cover their faces. Don’t get me wrong – there is nothing wrong with being a housewife and staying home. But it has to be the woman that makes that choice. And in this society, the woman has no voice, no space to make a choice, no other option. And these are the “pure” women we are talking about. What about those that are deemed “different”?

The Alaki

Deka and the others like her bleed gold, and therefore, the society thinks they are evil. The society is afraid of anything that is different to them, and therefore rejects it. These girls are subject to terrible things, And through Deka and her friends’ experiences, we find out about the most gruesome and brutal things that can happen to women, in a society led by men and voiceless women. These girls now have to fight for the Emperor, having no other choice, and stay together. However, they have some unexpected powers, especially Deka, that with time, she will learn to use. Their training and battles will teach them things that will change them forever.

“The physical body – it heals. The scars fade. But the memories are for ever. Even when you forget, they remain inside, taunting you, resurfacing when you least expect.”

Remember your scars! Embrace them! Let them remind you where you came from, what you went through. Let them remind you how much you’ve achieved! Without those scars, you would never be the person you are today.

As a YA Fantasy, The Gilded Ones exceeds everything!

There is danger, adventure and magic. There is Deka’s main storyline, that drives the story forward as we learn more about her and her role in this world. But there are also the stories of her many Alaki friends she meets, all bearing their own weight, all powerful and emotional in their own way. I especially loved that we had a romance creeping into the book, but it so subtle and never took importance in the story. I loved how independent Deka was, and how well represented it was that love can exist in your world, and you can care about someone, but it doesn’t have to define you as a person, or affect your decisions. This is not the case with most of the YA Fantasy books, and I am so glad that this book focused on it.

Namika Forna wrote a masterpiece, and this book will go a long way! It’s all about that raw brutality and pure emotions dripping into every single page. My heart was breaking for Deka, Britta, Belcalis and the other girls! The Gilded Ones is a book that shows how to live past the stereotypes, and when oppressed, to fight for freedom! It shows in a brutal way what would happen if a certain behaviour becomes supported by the general public and becomes the new norm. It also shows that you can fight through it. And considering today’s world is not too far off from this fantasy, hopefully we’ll all learn a little bit more about important topics worth talking about!

I saw this described somewhere as West African Culture meets Feminist Magic and that captures it perfectly. The Gilded Ones is a thrilling fantasy with a great premise and unique worldbuilding. I love the myth surrounding The Gilded Ones. This is a story about so many familiar themes still around in the world today but it's also a story about empowerment and sisterhood. A strong first installment in what I hope to be an epic feminist fantasy series.

In The Gilded Ones we meet Deka, a girl in a highly patriarchal society, where women must prove they bleed pure. When Deka's blood turns gold, the color of demons, her world collapses as she's taken captive. When she's saved by a mysterious woman, Deka has the choice to become a warrior and fight in the emperor's army with women like her, or die her true death.

With The Gilded Ones, Namina Forna takes us on a thrilling, captivating and empowering ride. The ending has left me terribly excited for the next installment. Highly recommend that you read The Gilded Ones as soon as you can.

Deka bleeds gold - which means she's a demon. Then she's recruited to form an army with other demons, and things absolutely spiral out of control.
This is a quite gruesome story, with a strong plot and strong character development. The YA fantasy genre is quite saturated, but this one definitely stands out with its gorgeous cover and strange (and cool) premise.

I definitely liked the diversity in this book. There are characters of all ethnicities, which is definitely rare in (fantasy) fiction. The world building however, fell a little bit flat to me. I would have liked getting to know more about the world and its history, but because this story is super high-paced, there wasn't really any time to get to know the characters and the world a bit better.
All in all, an interesting debut and I think it will do very well.

The first thing that caught my attention about this book was its stunning cover. I didn’t know what the book was about but its title and cover stood out to me from hundreds of other fantasy young adult books and I’m glad I trusted my instincts! I decided to start reading it without having read the synopsis and it was a good call, because this book really surprised me!

The first two chapters of the novel are so effective, so shocking and so well told that they reminded me of The Hunger Games and the Divergent series: those first few chapters of the first books where we are introduced to this world and where the main character’s life takes a quick turn that will change everything forever.

The main character, Deka, is from now on one of my favourite fictional characters ever. I truly understood her motivations, her pain, her dreams… Her development and growth through the book are only matched by the amazing plot.

I also really loved all the other characters: White Hands, Britta, Belcalis, Adwapa, Keita… They are all diverse and complex characters, something that I often miss in young adult books. The characters are well-written and the worldbuilding is rich and well-thought, 400 pages are more than enough to get submerged into this story.

I loved how this book is an African-inspired fantasy. I loved the atmosphere, the symbology, the mythology. For someone who has grown up in Europe, reading fiction written mostly by white straight men, this felt fresh and original. But let me tell you, even if we got twenty new African-inspired fantasy novels per month, it would probably still seem fresh and new, because it hasn’t been exploded as European-inspired fantasy has and it was about time there was more room for these stories!

Another thing I really liked about the book is how love is a central theme in the book but romantic love is nothing more than a side plot. This novel is all about found families and finding your place among people who are like you.

Nevertheless, the best thing about this book is without a doubt its raw and honest portrayal of the patriarchy. This might be a fictional world with fictional stories, but the pain and suffering of its female characters is very real.

Female empowerment is key in this book and it is also important how the author shows us that even if there are many men who will be afraid of powerful women and will try to oppress them into submission, there are always good men, allies, who will fight by our side as our brothers towards ending the patriarchy and its injustices.

I truly enjoyed and loved this book more than I can tell. White boys have always found themselves in Frodo Baggins, in Harry Potter and in countless other heroes. It wasn’t until recently that white girls started finding themselves in characters like Katniss Everdeen or Tris Prior, girls who were not damsels in distress but their own heroes. Now finally, black girls can also find themselves in these characters, characters like Deka who are their own heroes, without the need of a man or a white hero.

This book is proof that we need more representation. That we need every single boy and girl to feel like they can be the heroes of their own stories. Gay, trans, black, Asian, neurodivergent, disabled, poor… they all deserve stories that are made for them.

I loved this book.

The worldbuilding is on point. The descriptions are evocative but what I liked the most was the mythology. It does take a while to get the information we want, but there is an excellent reason for that and the concept of the Gilded Ones is intriguing. The army training camp is an ideal setting since it lets Deka meet other women just like her (sort of) in a relatively friendly environment, where she's not treated like trash because of her golden blood. Her original village was very hostile to her so even though White Hands is infuriatingly full of secrets, it's easy to let our guard down in Warthu Bera.

About Deka, at first, I was frustrated with how much she puts herself down. However I can definitely understand where she comes from. She's been told all her life that golden blood means she's impure, that her very existence offends the god she loves and worships. How do you develop any kind of self esteem with that upbringing? Even when her abilities are finally valued, she's still "different" and "wrong". Lucky for her, though, she has a supportive squad. Brita's optimism and sunny disposition are a good contrast to her own quiet self. With the other girls and their urunis (brothers in arms), they're skilled and efficient, which earns them quite a bit of respect from the army and the villagers around. I also loved the addition of Ixa, because I'm a sucker for a cute pet and because he fiercely protects Deka when she's in danger. I get why the other girls weren't thrilled but I'm the kind of girl who would have wanted to pet him all the time.

Without spoiling the ending, there were several revelations worth talking about. I did suspect some lies, some I didn't see coming at all, but basically I got the answers I was waiting for, they made perfect sense and they lay the ground for an epic sequel so I'm very excited about it. I don't know when it will be out but I'm already looking forward to it and I didn't even think twice before preordering of physical copy of The Gilded Ones to reread when the sequel arrives.

Definitely recommend. Gorgeous worldbuilding, relatable characters, badass ladies kicking misogynists in the nuts, lot of potential for the rest of the series, ... I'm sold.

Thank you to netgalley and Usborne Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been waiting so long for this book's release, and it did not disappoint!

At the age of 16, every girl in the village must attend the blood ceremony to determine their purity. Those who prove to be impure face terrible consequences. But Deka is saved from these consequences by a mysterious woman with gauntlets like bone, along with many other girls who also bled gold at their ceremonies. As Deka learns the truth about who she is, she must decide who to trust, and how far she will go to do the right thing.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting from this book as I'm not that good at reading blurbs or remembering them, but I was really surprised by the plot in a good way!

These are the things I really liked about this book:

- strong themes of feminism and sisterhood
- solid world building
- cute animal sidekick
- slow burn romance
- found family trope
- unexpected and unpredictable twists
- the writing is clear and easy to follow
- likeable and well developed characters. I am basically Britta.

The only negative I have is that the pace is pretty slow and steady until just over half way, then the ending felt a little rushed with the explanations of everything and then the happily-ever-after resolution. I did have to reread sections of this to fully understand, and I do feel like some of it could have come out maybe a bit earlier and a bit more organically, although that would make it easier to spot the twists earlier on.

But overall I give this book a solid 4, as I was engaged throughout it and I did really enjoy it. At first it took me a while to gel with Deka as our MC but I think that was just because of her strong pious-ness, and when she found her strength and developed as a character I grew to like her even more.

I had high anticipation for The Gilded Ones, and as so often happens this unfortunately led to me being mildly disappointed in some ways - however, at its core, the intentions behind this book are important, and the world built within it is mesmerising.
I found Deka to be a much more realistic protagonist than others found in YA - she doesn't immediately reject her entire upbringing as her circumstances change, but visibly struggles with realigning her sense of self when confronted with new truths. The reader can see the after effects of how she was brought up and the expectations of her community throughout the book.
Despite this, however, the characters didn't always feel fleshed out enough for me - I sometimes found it hard to be emotionally invested in events within the book, as I didn't feel I knew the characters they were happening to well enough. Facts about their lives were more prevalent than details of their personalities.
The world built within the book is really intriguing - and as this is a series (although the first book functions well as a stand-alone too) this will hopefully be expanded upon, and characters may become a bit more fully embelished too. I would probably be tempted to pick up further books in the series, especially to see which direction the narrative takes after events in this first title.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The Gilded Ones is a book anticipated by a lot of people in the book community, and I must say that it almost lived up to the hype.

The beginning of this book was great. It was nice, pretty fast-paced and so immersive that I read the first 100 pages in one sitting -which I don’t do often when I start a book to be quite honest-. I really enjoyed the setting, the worldbuilding was fascinating, I really liked how it was explained and the plot moving really fast was everything I needed at that time. The writing was also good but nothing special either. Honestly, I was positively surprised by this beginning and it gave me high hopes for the rest of the book.

The overall atmosphere of the book was pretty dark. The setting was really interesting, with a world so against women that it made me think a lot of The Handmaid's Tale book by Margaret Atwood. Women in this world had no rights at all. They were almost servants, the adult women couldn’t show their face so they had to wear a mask, they couldn’t work, run or do anything that wasn’t seen as "graceful" or "delicate". And if by the age of sixteen, they had the misfortune of having golden blood in their veins, they were tortured and killed by their own villagers. So yeah, a pretty dark book indeed.

“The truth is, girls have to wear smiling masks, contort themselves into all kinds of knots to please others, and then, when the deathshrieks come, girls die. They die.”

The plot got very interesting when Deka arrived at the Warthu Bera, the training ground for Alakis, women with gold blood. I really enjoyed the new friendships forming with the other Alakis and the interactions with the Recruits, young male soldiers that got partnered with them. All these new characters were enjoyable and nice, but what I found most lacking in this book, was characters depth and development. It was all cute and enjoyable to read, don’t get me wrong, but it somehow felt forced. Deka’s growth into a powerful and badass woman felt also a bit rushed but I loved it anyway. The friendships became almost instantly strong, and some other relationships developed a bit too fast in my opinion -like the romance-, and while it didn’t ruin the book of course, I couldn’t connect or get attached to them as I wanted to. But despite that, I still enjoyed reading about these bloodsisters.

The romance wasn’t the main focus of the story but that was still there and surprisingly, I really enjoyed that part. It was also rushed, but since it wasn’t the main focus of the book, I didn’t mind it and found it very cute. These friendships were also heartwarming, even the rushed romance and overall, it was just an enjoyable read.

“The way I see it, we all have a choice right now. Are we girls, or are we demons? Are we going to die, or are we going to survive?”
I thought the plot was also a bit too predictable. It was fast-paced through the entire book, the intrigue was interesting but also sometimes frustrating and I thought that the logic and the characters behaviors were sometimes forced. Some of the plot reveals felt also too easy, it lacked in complexity, it was way too convenient and it honestly bothered me. While I enjoyed this nice and fast-paced YA fantasy story, I was still waiting for some plot complexity and intrigue, which I didn’t really get here. The ending was really good though, and definitely a page-turner.

The topics such as feminism and racism, brought into this book were also really good and are truly important to read in YA. The best points of this book were really the setting with a dark atmosphere, the badass feminist women and the fast-paced plot.

I think the YA genre is starting to be a bit too young for me now. Overall, while I enjoyed that read, I was expecting more, on the characters and plot levels but I truly think that this book will be well loved by a younger audience. That is why I’m still recommending this book if you’re looking for a nice, fast-paced and easy read despite a pretty dark atmosphere.

TRIGGER WARNINGS : Abuse, Graphic violence, Rape. (12+ only)

The Gilded Ones By Namina Forna is a West African YA fantasy novel that tackles the oppression of women by an extremist religious community. It is the first book in the Deathless series. I remember seeing this cover and being blown by it. It is truly one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen and the colors just pull you in. This is a story that is unapologetically feminist and female-centric cast takes on us a journey to unravel the secrets of a patriarchal community.

The gilded Ones tells the story of Deka, a 16-year-old who is subjected to the deeply abusive blood ritual of their community to find out if she is pure or not. The ritual proves her to be impure when she bleeds gold and she is abused over and over again for the impurity. No one supports her or comes to help her. People whom she considered to be friends abandon her. When a mysterious woman comes to her rescue and gives her a deal to start her life anew, she takes it. All she has to do is be part of the army and train with them to eliminate the threat their country is facing from a dangerous creature. As she learns to fight and train she discovers truths that will threaten the balance of their country forever. Will she be able to move forward confidently with the new knowledge or will she crumble under the truths?

Overall, if you love feminist stories of empowerment with a diverse female-centric cast then you need to pick this book up. It's unique and Namina Forna deserves the credit for a wonderfully crafted YA fantasy that will enthrall you and keep you rooted in the story. I was thoroughly entertained and enjoyed this book. I gave the book 4 stars and highly recommend checking it out if you are on the lookout for a fantastic story.

There are not many books that have trigger warnings on the front. Well, this is my first and I would be lying if I say this story has not shaken me to the core. Deka might be a fictional character but the world Namina Forna draws is entirely our own and her protagonist is representative of all the women who are chained and who love their chains considering them to be dignified ornaments.
Deka is a girl from Irfut, a deeply patriarchal village where women wear masks from the age of sixteen once they complete the ritual of purity. Her mother was a southerner and she has inherited her dark complexion. All these years she has been dreaming of being accepted by the villagers when her blood flows red. Then she can wear masks and marry someone from the village. That is all she ever wanted.
Her world turns upside down when she shows the ability to command the death shrieks, the fearsome demons attacking their country and as expected her blood is gold. Her only way of atonement is to serve the emperor as a soldier, once her allotted time is over, she will be absolved of her impurity. There begins her unexpected journey which brings her closer to the truth of what she is.
It was hard for me to warm up to Deka in the beginning, a girl so adamant in believing the terrible customs doled out by religious authorities. Will she ever change and find strength in her difference? But each day in training awakens her to new capabilities that she was forced to shut down previously. We proceed with her, sharing her agonies and self-doubts because after all, this is also our story.
A truly evocative novel which will undoubtedly be one of the best books 2021 offers. And the book, though a part of the series, wraps up nicely too without any cliffhangers.

Content Warning(s) for the book: graphic descriptions of violence and murder, mutilation, torture, death of a family member, death of a family member due to illness, disownment, reference/discussion of rape, reference/discussion of child rape, fantasy bigotry/othering, racism, sexism

Representation in the book: west African inspired setting and cast, sapphic side character

Are we girls or are we demons? Are we going to die or are we going to survive?

The Gilded Ones is a brutal look at how religion is used to tool of misogyny, queerphobia and other bigotry in a deeply patriarchal society. It deftly explores how humans twist and corrupt religious ideas to suit their own agenda; how greed and malfeasance run in the veins of those very institutions. It is daring with it approach, giving us graphic details of violence inflected upon Deka — violence that continues to haunt her and yet one that she accustomed even as she vows to never let it happen again.

The world of The Gilded Ones is smartly built, shimmering and splendid. It has a deep lore, the veins of it run through and pulse with bright imagination. It immediately draws you in with its morsels of information with the knowledge of much more lying dormant tickling your brain. The reader is eager to explore more.

I liked how this novel focuses so much on camaraderie, especially between the girls who have been ostracized and have faced the worst in society. As these girls learn not to fear but to embrace and, to an extent, celebrate the demons inside them in a society deeply entrenched in misogyny and controlling women, they also learn to trust and care for each other in a way that goes opposite to what that society expects of them. In the same vein, the romantic aspect of this book is developed carefully — giving it time and nourishment before it becomes a flame.

Even though I enjoyed much of the story, there were certain aspects that left me unsatisfied. Every time a new concept is introduced, its implementation happens instantly. I personally enjoy a training montage. It shows me that the protagonist and their associates worked hard for their skills and honed them with training. Even as we traverse worlds full of magic, the stories we read are deeply human. So, it is important that we see these protagonists go through the human process of learning and then becoming better, which was sorely missing from this book. Also, I found the ending to be a little rushed and confusing. Although it allows for this book to work as a standalone, it was unnecessary to wrap it up in a bow since this is indeed a series, in my opinion. There was also some mention of the author trying to subvert and oppose the gender binary that our world perpetuates so much, but I did not find much of that in this book. On the contrary, it seemed very much into the binary, as it expected of a patriarchal society, which was slightly disappointing.

Although, it does leave something to be desired, The Gilded Ones is a beautifully crafted piece of art that intrigued and delighted me. I found its themes of oppression, misogyny and racism to be presented in a way that resembled much of our present, past and future. I await the arrival of its sequel with bated breath, expecting it to also surprise and thrill me as this one did.