The Gilded Ones
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TEEN VOGUE
"A dark feminist tale spun with blood and gold. Must read!" –Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles
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 because of her unnatural intuition, 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 to train 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.
The start of a bold and immersive fantasy series for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Panther.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say, the reviews agree that *The Gilded Ones* is a powerful, empowering story centered on themes of female strength, sisterhood, and self-trus...
Oh. My God. This book was so incredible. It took a bit for me to get to that oh-my-gosh-i-cannot-put-this-down stage, but I cannot even express in words how beautiful this book was. There were so many important messages and lessons in it, and it was so darn empowering. Like I closed the book and literally felt like I could take on the world. Everyone needs fo read this. Also, it was such an intricately crafted world, and a beautiful told story. Every time I thought I knew something then I wasn’t proven wrong, necessarily, but was just surprised. My gosh, I could talk about this forever, female empowerment, the power of love, friendship, trust, all of it is in here. Also can we just talk about Keita? He is everything and I have so much respect for him. A truly beautiful soul. And, madam Deka. She is such an inspiration, and I really want every Black girl to read this book, because it is such a powerful read.
YA fantasy. Beautiful world building, but touches on some very harsh subjects. I was annoyed by the FMCs self flagellation thru the start of this story. But it is a part of the growth/coming of age. This is definitely a girl power story... but i have a feeling somethings gonna be up as it's a trilogy
It was so slowww. But excellent narration. The narrator did a superb job with all the accents of the humans and inhuman characters.
For me, it took until about 85% to really get interesting. When it did, it felt a little anticlimactic. However, I don't feel like I wasted my time reading it. Still, I don't think I'll continue the series over other books in my TBR though I've heard book 2 is better.
While the overall reading experience was pleasurable, my perception is that the final five chapters, along with the treatment of the romantic aspect, seemed somewhat hurried. As Namina's inaugural novel, she merits commendation for crafting a captivating, imaginative, and stellar work. The narrative skillfully integrates elements reflecting African ancestry, particularly in the nuanced descriptions of various tribes. This literary piece stands out as a commendable exploration of feminism and the significance of sisterhood, adeptly deconstructing societal norms and emphasizing the essential journey of self-trust.