The Gilded Ones

Dripping with rich world-building, infused with empowerment, and punctuated by well-crafted action sequences, Namina Forna's debut novel, "The Gilded Ones," is an illustrious addition to the realm of YA fantasy literature.The narrative centers on Deka, a young girl living in the patriarchal society of Otera, where a blood ceremony is used to determine the purity of its girls. When Deka's blood runs gold - the color of impurity - her life takes a dramatic turn, thrusting her into a brutal world that forces her to question everything she knows about her identity and purpose.Forna deserves much acclaim for crafting a richly imagined world steeped in African mythology and layered with intricate societal dynamics. The vivid descriptions breathe life into Otera, making it a character in its own right. Deka, with her resilience, bravery, and the continuous internal battle between her perceived impurity and her growing sense of self, is an exemplary protagonist. The ensemble of strong female characters Forna crafts around Deka is a breath of fresh air, providing the genre with much-needed diversity and strength."The Gilded Ones" sets itself apart through its exploration of darker themes such as systematic oppression, the toxic nature of patriarchal societies, and the strength that can be found in female solidarity. It handles these themes with a careful, sensitive hand, offering readers thought-provoking insights without detracting from the overall narrative.While the book's world-building is exquisite, it sometimes eclipses character development, resulting in some secondary characters feeling a bit underdeveloped. Also, the pacing could have been better balanced to give readers time to connect more deeply with the characters and their individual journeys.Moreover, while the plot twist towards the end provides an exhilarating climax, it can feel somewhat rushed, leaving readers wanting a bit more depth and explanation. However, given that this is the first book in a series, one can hope that these gaps will be filled in the upcoming installments.In conclusion, "The Gilded Ones" by Namina Forna is a book of courage, friendship, and self-discovery set against a backdrop of a meticulously constructed fantasy world. Its unique blend of African mythology, feminine strength, and societal critique makes it a valuable addition to the YA fantasy genre. Despite minor shortcomings, this book successfully lays the groundwork for what promises to be an exciting series.If you're a fan of vivid world-building, strong female leads, and aren't afraid to delve into some darker themes, this novel will be a worthy addition to your reading list. It's a testament to Forna's storytelling prowess, leaving readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Deka's journey.

The Gilded Ones is a young adult fantasy about girlhood and achieving liberation from the patriarchy. Our main character is Deka, a sixteen-year-old girl from a rural village who gradually becomes disillusioned by the patriarchal savior constructs society has taught her. Namina Forna has constructed the kingdom of Otera and in this world there is a strict caste system from royal aristocrats to peasants to the alaki. The alaki are women and girls who possess unique traits and abilities that aren’t characteristically human, and they are regarded as outcasts for it. Alaki are at the bottom of the social hierarchy because of their “unnaturalness” and perceived deviance. There is a coming-of-age tradition that teenage girls must undergo to verify their “purity”; this ritual is used to distinguish the alaki from human girls and they are subsequently put to death. Deka is prepared to undergo the ritual until the event gets derailed and this begins Deka’s journey of self-discovery. Deka gets recruited into an alaki army which is tasked with exterminating the kingdom’s primary threat, deathshrieks. This is a story of self-actualization in which Deka learns about herself and the society that has been constructed to keep women and girls under male control.It’s clear what Namina Forna intended for this novel. She wanted to create an ode to teenage girls and tell a story of camaraderie, empathy, and women’s liberation. So often, society disrespects and devalues teenage girls much like how the human and alaki girls are treated in the novel. But Forna has created a space in which girls are not only valued but powerful, and they use their power to liberate the kingdom. If I were to put a song to this novel it would easily be “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyonce. That’s what The Gilded Ones gives me. In the beginning of the book, I was kind of skeptical of this message of liberation that was forming because Deka and the alaki army were being used as tools in the emperor’s army to kill the deathshrieks. While their participation in the army did allow them to hone and utilize their power, they were still coerced into this situation because their only options were fight for the emperor or die. While Deka and the others felt somewhat empowered by their strength and abilities, I didn’t think it was true empowerment nor liberation because they were still fighting at the behest of the emperor, who wields complete control over their lives. Sidebar: this sort of gets into the problems with white feminism in that white women think that if women are allowed entrance into male spaces then that is liberation and equality, but that is not the case because men are still doing the gatekeeping and they can control and manipulate the circumstances of women’s participation. It was interesting to Forna tackle feminist issues in a YA novel and I really appreciated how she developed those ideas. The novel does develop gradually however, that by the end of the novel I was more convinced that the alaki were on a true path of liberation (but I have more thoughts about the ending that make me suspicious because I think that there are some ulterior motives going on…).I really like how Namina Forna developed the story. The plot just kept building and it kept me in suspense. The momentum didn’t let up, there was always new information that we were learning, and it didn’t feel like the story plateaued in between these moments unlike a certain YA fantasy that I read last year… I also appreciated how carefully Forna developed Deka’s character. She showed the journey of Deka gradually unlearning the doctrines and norms that she was taught. Now, at the end I did feel like she turned a certain leaf suddenly and that didn’t feel realistic, but overall Deka’s character developed nicely. She had to gradually unlearn the patriarchal religious dogma she learned, and she had to realize the extent to which women and girls are suppressed. A lot of restrictions were placed on women and girls relegating them to second-class citizens. Deka slowly realizes this, and this motivates her to change it. She didn’t immediately just change her thinking. I also liked that writing in the novel! This really doesn’t feel like a debut novel, but I learned that Namina Forna is a screenwriter, so she has a way with words for a living. With her being her a screenwriter, I expect that this will be optioned for TV, and it's not then they need to make that happen, expeditiously!This novel is pretty graphic for a YA novel which I’m cool with but if that’s triggering then I would beware. The gore can be pretty explicit, but I like when authors push the boundaries of YA, no kiddy bopper shit. I think my favorite character is White Hands. She’s mysterious, aloof, and morally ambiguous but she’s intriguing because you never know what her next move is. The award for most improved goes to Belcalis because she grew on me the most. The more we learned about her the more I understood her, and I really empathized with her. Britta gets the award for the most annoying. I know she was doing her best to protect Deka and be a good friend to her but sometimes she was kind of annoying and I just wanted her to be quiet, but I still respect her. I can’t wait to see how Namina Forna expands the world in the next book and how the rest of the characters develop. I also have a feeling that she might do multiple POVs in book two but idk, it’s just a feeling.Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was fun to read and it kept me intrigued! I'll be patiently awaiting the next book!4 stars

This book really blew me away! I knew I would like it, I didn't know that I would love it. I wanted Deka to just gain her strength and run away from all of them. I loved the progression of the story and having things get revealed slowly as Deka came into her powers. I could not put this book down once I got passed 50% and sacrificed sleep to finish it. It was that good. All of the Aliki better be coming for blood in book 2.Also Ixa was so freaking adorable. I looked at him like a familiar that witches often get. I can imagine him being this cuddle bear until someone threats what's his and then he is out to kill. 1000/10

I loved how intricate and deep this book was, addressing common day problems with fantasy and adventure! Completely recommend to a more mature audience, as there is explicit language and violence. Loved this book! And I can't wait to read the merciless ones!!! Thank you Namina Forna!! :)

** True rating 3,5/5 **Ok, I had some hurdles to overcome going through this book. Those who are closest to me will know my first issue. I just don’t like books that have been written from a first-person perspective. I don’t know what it is but there is only so many times that I can read: “I did this…I say this…I felt this,’ before losing my mind. Granted this is a personal preference at best and doesn’t say anything about the quality of the book. That quality is foremost shown in the world-building. Looking over Deka’s shoulder, who only knows the lies she has been fed for as long as she can remember, we discover more with every page we read. We learn about the hierarchy and social confines, the geography of Otera, the god (or should I say gods) that have walked the land and how everything neatly fits together. We learn about the patriarchal system that is meant to keep women down, especially those who are ‘unpure’, who are abominations in the eyes of the most high. Giving up a hint of a Handmaids tale vibe which I, for one, approve of. However, the ‘unpurity’ of these women is one of the other things I do take issue with when it comes to this book. Apparently, those women who bleed gold, are demons, forsaken by the one true god. So far, no problem. I can see that, I can accept that.   The problem starts when the author wants us to believe these women, well girls really, only find out what colour their blood runs around sixteen years old. Sure we are offered a flimsy explanation that says they are not allowed to handle knives from the time they turn fifteen. Sure we are told the richest girls are hidden away in padded retreats, safe from sharp edges. Let’s be real though, that is not the only way a girl would ever see her own blood. Show of hands from girls who had their first period before sixteen, please? Show of hands from girls who are incredibly clumsy (like me) and have had countless cuts and scrapes from paper, their own fingernails, doorposts, their own glasses, the list goes on.What happens to these girls who know they have gold coursing through their veins. Do you want us to accept each and every one of them will meekly let themselves be led to the slaughter? Yes, they have been oppressed, but to completely miscount self-preservation goes a bit far. Why aren’t girls purposely injuring themselves to find out what they have inside them? Making plans to escape this kingdom that hates them to their core. Why aren’t loving families sending their daughter away to safety? Surely not everyone hates their own progeny.While we get some answers to these questions, they are few and far between. Not to mention that the answers we do get, feel lacklustre.When we get past this, however, we are left with an interesting plot and a set of characters we quickly grow to love. I have nothing but praise for some of the Alaki. Britta my darling, Belcalis my poor damaged soul, White hands you cunning devil. The praise this book has been lauded with truly is due to your presence.The friendship between the Alaki is perhaps the most redeeming thing about this novel. The kinship between Deka and Brita. The protectiveness Deka feels over Belcalis, who certainly doesn’t make it easy for people to get close to her. The raw grief when Katya is ripped from this world without a goodbye. The unbreakable bonds, women helping women. That’s what makes this story.It is so good, it even makes me overlook the young adult romance. Which, trust me is an impressive feat.Not to say that Keita and Deka are a bad paring. They are innocent and cutesy sure, they are ‘unlikely’ lovers, those who aren’t meant to be. But, and this is a big one: they hit every young adult trope that you can think of:-       Downtrodden commoner who only recently discovered they possess immense power: Check-       Person born into nobility who shirks his responsibilities by joining the army: Check-       Bonus points for having a tragic backstory where one or more family members died a gruesome death; Check and Check-       A meeting under dire circumstances causing tension between them: Check-       Slowly falling in love as they share their vulnerabilities: Check In my humble opinion, it would have been better if these two had remained friends. No need to add a few stolen glances and rushed kisses. It doesn’t add to the story, so why add it at all.Finally, I have to talk about the plot twist. Who doesn’t like a fat, juicy one? One that seemingly came out of nowhere. ‘Seemingly’ being the keyword. A plot twist only feels satisfying if the author has sprinkled breadcrumbs throughout their story. Skillfully masking these hints that have been hidden in plain sight. Leaving you feeling duped and dumbfounded when all is finally revealed. You could have seen it all along, you should have seen it all along, but you didn’t.The plot twist in The Gilded Ones, isn’t that. The plot gets twisted alright, but there is little building up to that moment. One of our main characters isn’t who she pretended to be, fine. Making her all but omnipotent, less so. Turning sworn enemies into blood sisters at the drop of a hat, no thank you. Introducing a new, equally matched ‘race’ to suit the story, ehh I’ll pass. It just doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t fit the larger narrative.Now don’t get me wrong, overall this certainly isn’t a bad book. I would go as far as to say this is quite an exemplar debut novel. It is just that it could be much more, a lot better. If some of the plot holes were correctly addressed, if some of the side characters were given more interesting adventures, if we could just get more build-up to the grand reveal, it would be amazing. A dash more struggle during the ultimate clash wouldn’t hurt either. As it stands, it’s just ok.Who knows though, perhaps Forna will blow us all out of the water with the follow up to this action-packed debut.

The book has a great flow in the writing style with hidden gems in the writing you uncover as you go through the book.

I read this with a bookclub I love on Instagram in April, I was eager to keep up this time that I started the book a week early and got so into it that I was finished days before the official start. I was so glad that I made the extra effort.I really enjoyed this book but I'm going to start off with the one thing that stopped the book from being a 5 star read for me. That was the romance. To be clear, the purpose of this book is not romance, the real purpose of this story is so much more important than romance. However, these is a romance thread weaved in to the plot and it just didn't do it for me. I got the vibe it was meant to be a bit like enemies to lovers but more innocent as the characters are essentially children still but there was not enough development within the book for me to really rate the romance. That's just me though, as a romance lover I imagine my expectation on a good romance may differ from those who aren't a fan of romance.As I said though, the takeaway from this book has nothing to do with the romance. It's about inner strength, accepting who you are and pushing back against the injustice you might receive because of it. In this book, it's a strong feminism point as in the world this book is based on women's only purpose in life is be housewives and bear the mens children. Essentially second class citizens.I loved the flow of this book, it gives you enough to keep you engaged as the plot continues. The writing style is easy to read and to follow. Deka's journey is impressive and what the girls have to go through in this book can be horrendous. I found all the characters balanced each other out and I particularly enjoyed White Hands whose motives I'm still not 100% of.The plot felt a little predictable and I guessed a few of the twists but not all of them. As this is YA you can kind of expect a little guessing if you are an older reader. When I started reading this I thought it was a standalone book but as I was making my way through I found out it was going to be part of a series. A series I will continue to read as the ending is quite open and who knows what will happen in the next book.I really enjoy a book that is set to empower women and bring them up. I also found the author didn't skirt around how there was different treatment for different skin colours in different parts of this world which I thought added to the realism but there wasn't a strong theme of that within the book.Overall, from reading The Gilded Ones I think this series has a very promising start and once I can preorder the second book I definitely will be. If you enjoy themes of feminism, corruptions and self-development in a Fantasy setting this is one you want. I also love a book that has its own Gods front and centre.

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It’s been two days since I finished reading this book and I still don’t know exactly how to put into words what I felt during the entire ten days of the readalong. Just thinking about The Gilded Ones brings tears to my eyes. There’s sorrow for what the girls go through in this book’s brutal world. There’s heartache because it doesn’t take long to make the comparisons with what women face still to this day in our world, but also joy because Deka and the other alaki grow into strong warriors despite everything. They’re victim of the worst kind of misogyny and still they endure. And still they fight. Deka was such an inspirational character who I think will stay with me for a long time. Some moments I felt like she was talking to me.Everything else about the book that I normally mention in a review—the characters, the world-building, the pace—were fantastic. I inhaled the page. Despite the fast pace with which we see Deka’s growth once she gets to the Warthu Bera, I still feel like we’re not missing anything. I see her gradual change and feel the growing camaraderie with her fellow alaki. The level of friendship and trust that develops between the girls doesn’t feel out of place and I think a lot of it has to do with the author’s powerful writing. Even the romance, which is usually my favorite aspect of the book, comes second to the friendship. On the romance department, actually, I feel like we could have used a few scenes more in the beginning, but again, this was by far the most important element of the book.The Gilded Ones is easily one of my favorite reads of the year. It’s diverse, it’s empowering and it’s an interesting story with all the right elements of a good fantasy. I really want to thank the author for writing this gem. It came in exactly the right moment.