The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna ISBN-13: 9781984848697 Hardcover: 432 pages Publisher: Delacorte Press Released: Feb. 9, 2021

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else in this Northern village because of her Southern, dark-skinned mother, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs. But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat. Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital and trains for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself.


My Review:
The Gilded Ones is a young adult fantasy novel. Though somewhat dark in tone, this reminds me of the epic fantasies I used to read when I was young. The women of this empire are oppressed through a religion that says they will be accepted by their god only if they submit to men and follow many rules. Rules that Deka quickly learns are meant to prevent "demon" women from realizing their power. The men have been identifying these women as soon as they come into their power and then kill them. But they're difficult to kill and so may need to be killed multiple ways until they really die. This is the dark part of the story. Deka and the other women are exploited and are tortured to keep them in line even after they agree to fight for the Emperor. We're not really graphically shown the torture, but we're told that it happens and see how this mentally affects the girls.

Throughout the story, Deka and the other warrior girls start to uncover the many lies that they have been told about their role and their power. Some of the twists won't surprise longtime fantasy readers, but it's still enjoyable to watch the girls grow in strength, knowledge, and self-confidence as they uncover the truth. They envision a future where women and men are equals in opportunities and respect. This novel tells a complete story, but we're told about possible future battles that suggest a sequel in the future.

The characters were well developed, complex, and reacted realistically to events. They were likable, and I cared about what happened to them. The world-building created a land that was unique without getting bogged down in details unnecessary to the story. The mystery about why Deka is different and about who will die in battle added suspense. There were no sex scenes. There were a few uses of bad language (an evil man repeatedly called the women b**ches in one scene). Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable, interesting fantasy. I look forward to future novels in the series.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.