“Here’s to Strong Women, May We Be Them,May We Know Them, May We Raise Them”, and May the word Honor us as Mothers of the Universe!!! Praise to Forna, for igniting this quote throughout this novel!!! She takes us on a metaphorical journey, of women, that gives a glimpse of bonding, loving oneself, and creating a power within, that shines bright for all to see, even when the world deems you powerless because of your gender. It speaks to our divine purpose, portrayed by strong female characters that change the world through their courage, struggle, and a tenacity so fierce, ALL, had to give honor and praise to the Gilded Ones!!! What a remarkable read that should be housed in the hands of readers because it pulls you in, so deep, I liken it to the relationship of tides and the moon!

I've been excited about The Gilded Ones since the moment I heard about it and the moment they revealed the cover and my excitement only increased. Look at that beautiful cover, the colors, the art it all captures the feel of this book beautifully. Forna created a cast of characters you couldn't help but love, a world you can't help but want to know more about and a story that will leave you longing for more.

Deka has been looked down upon all her life because of the color of her skin and she believes that proving she is pure at the blood ceremony she would finally fit into her village. But when Deathshrieks, creatures that are reeking havoc on the kingdom launch an attack, leaving several members of her Deka's village dead. Deka stops these creatures but at the price of unknowingly revealing that she bleeds gold. Bleeding gold means she is impure and will be sentenced to death. When a mysterious woman comes to town, she saves Deka from a series of horrible deaths and gives her a choice: go capital where she will fight for the emperor in the war against the Deathshrieks and learn how to use her abilities an Alaki to defeat them or stay in her village and suffer until the village Elders find what will bring her to her True Death. The choice is an obvious one. But when Deka arrives at the capital the secrets of her life and that of the Alaki begin to unravel before her, no one is safe and nothing is what it seems.

I love Deka's character and her evolution through out this novel. She goes from being a meek, head down and quiet village girl to their fierce warrior who will do anything to protect the ones she cares about. Through out the novel we see the hard decisions that Deka has to make and the things she has to sacrifice. But we also get to watch as she learns shocking and life changing revelations about herself and who she truly is.

The world building in The Gilded Ones is beautiful and amazingly done. Forna managed to create a complex world with monsters, a corrupt kingdom and a detailed history of the Alaki and the culture of several different regions of the world. Though the world is complex, it isn't hard to understand it and grasp it. Forna doesn't give readers that dreaded info dump but gives information through out the novel on this world. The second half of the book is a wild ride. Secret after secret comes to light, one more shocking then the other. There is a huge plot twist, one that I never saw coming and I am so excited to see more of this in the next book.

Overall I can't give The Gilded One enough praise. Its beautiful, heart breaking and powerful all in one. I can't wait to read more from Forna in the future and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I was excited to read something different and this book did not disappoint me.

The Gilded Ones is one heck of a read. If you are looking for a book that features a group of girls who are trained to respect/fight/take no business from men, then this is the book for you.

The reason I rate this book down a star I found something about the way the book wrapped up in the end too ... clean? Too 'Bilbo Baggins hitting his head on a rock and sleeping through the Battle of the Five armies' clean. Strangely enough, the book would exist well as a stand-alone, but I'm very curious to see where she takes the next book.

I honestly could not tell where this book was headed and I felt as lost and afraid as Deka. Though, I love her spirit, her love for her friend Britta and boyfriend Keta to be absolutely sweet. Again, I found her relationship with all the girls rather sweet.

This book's focus is about never forgetting and learning to replace the hurt with positives and a new acceptance o yourself, if that makes any sense. Very feminist, very inclusive, very female driven.

I'm willing to sit patiently for book two!

The Gilded Ones is not only a coming-of-age story, but also a perfect example that just because you're female and different to the “norm,” does not mean you are less than what is expected. If anything, it gives you the opportunity to show the world that you are not just more than they thought, you are exemplary.

Taken from the life that she has known since birth, our lead Deka is thrust into a class of warriors meant to rid the land of Otera from their enemies, the deathshrieks. Deka is just like her counterpart female soldiers, girls who bleed gold thanks to the legacy of four banned goddesses from which they hail. And while this makes them monsters to others, it also makes them invaluable to the emperor, as Deka and her bloodsisters—all known as alaki—are the only ones able to withstand a chance against deathshrieks and conquer them.

The central cast of this story is extremely pleasing to read. The girls are so strong and bright, they are so resilient despite the horrible things that many of them have had to withstand. And while all of them have suffered in their own ways, I was drawn to both Britta and Belcalis, especially the latter. She exudes strength born from years' worth of pain, and against herself sometimes she shows the loyalty and bravery that's undeniable to who she is as a person. She makes a great contrast to Britta, always warm, always attempting to find the silver lining despite the harsh situations in which they find themselves. Both of these girls are great complements to Deka as sidekicks and best friends.

Deka herself is very likable, very driven. There's immense growth to her by the end of the novel compared to the pious and deeply afraid person that she is at the beginning. If there is one thing that I disliked about her is the fact that her growth happens too swiftly. Not just in personality, but in the rendition of her powers. I would have liked to see this progress maybe even within the span of two books, as impressive as she turns out to be, just to make it come about a little at a time.

That's true throughout the story, however. The Gilded Ones is very easy to read, it goes by so fast, and it's very enjoyable. But there are times when decisions, and the beliefs/thoughts/alliances of characters change far too easily. It takes away sometimes from the struggle of the moment and the steady—and much more believable—pace that could be set. I would have also liked for the alaki training to last more than it does in as far as us, the reader, witnessing it. Yes, it might have made the novel longer, but again this is part of the grappling for existence that these young women have to acclimate themselves to. We begin so strong, and while there are times when it's really rough to read the violence and pain that these alaki-in-training have to resist, it eventually lags and by the time they're going on raids there's no longer that strict sense of livelihood that they apparently had to hold themselves up to when they enter the Warthu Bera where they train.

This aside, the plot is compelling, and there are enough twists and big reveals—the origin of the deathshrieks and their connection to the alaki was my favorite of these—that not only are you kept entertained but it promises future growth for the other book(s) that are coming next. I would have liked more fanfare given to the awakening of the Gilded Ones considering the big occasion, but I cannot wait to get to know them more and see how they shape this world and the lives of the characters. And I have such affection for the bond between Deka and Keita, while being appreciative that the novel did not go by the way of many stories which make “the” romance central to the plot, rather than giving everything else its due importance.

I very much look forward to others enjoying this book and getting to know this bunch of courageous young women and their male partners-in-arms.

Omg. I loved this book. Start to finish; it was absolutely amazing. It felt so new and original. Okay, so maybe it had some of the basic base layers. A girl finds out she’s “special” and ends up fighting for the wrong side, all while finding a boy to love. However, the story was written so magnificently that it felt brand new. It’s been a long time since I read something this good, and I’ll definitely be buying the books once it comes out. The beginning started with a little religious fanatics, but it wasn’t bad or overwhelming. The characters were strong and define. The love was by no means, instant. The fantasy aspect was new and refreshing. The story was dark and action packed. I just loved it. All the stars given.!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

I have to tap out on this one. It's a case of getting something I wasn't expecting and not in a mental space to read. I barely got a few pages into this book before a man was being gross to the main character, and not long after that the text was talking about people being dismembered, and talk of demons and the undead. Yikes. I also read that there is a rape scene somewhere in the book. Not to mention in the 20% or so of the book I read, there are so many references to the main character thinking she's ugly or not as beautiful as someone with lighter hair/skin. It probably gets better, but I don't really want to read through more to get to the better things.

It's not like I haven't read gory, violent stuff with rape. It just wasn't what I was thinking I would read, and certainly not what I wanted to read. Maybe someone else can look past all that and enjoy the story, but I can't right now.

Deka is a young teenager whose life is turned upside down in a blink of an eye.  She always felt different then everyone else but her hope was that she wouldn't be.  When she bled gold blood instead of red she knew then that her life would never be the same.  White Hands appeared to her and offered her a choice would be her savior and the thorn in her side for the next few months.  Deka chooses to fight and is sent to the Warthu Bera training grounds.  The toughest place for all Alaki. These girls are put through hell in order to fight a war that is nowhere near what it seems.  The more Deka trains the more she learns that she is not a typical Alaki.  There is something different about her and she is determined to find out what it is.

"Are we girls or are we demons? Are we going to die, or are we going to survive?"  This was another Netgalley book that I requested and I'm so glad that I did.  This is a West-African fantasy adventure that is written so beautifully I really can't describe it.  Forna creates such a wonderful world with so much realism in spite of the clear fantasy element.  The issues that the girls face in this book while they are exaggerated to an extent they still are true to the everyday issues that we as women have to deal with on a regular basis.  I couldn't put this book down and anyone that loves fantasy will love it as well I definitely recommend this book.

#netgalley #thegildedones

A young girl finds out she is unpure due to her blood. She is whisked away to an army to be trained to kill the deathshrieks. She uses her unique ability to stun the deathshrieks allowing them to be slaughtered.

I actually really enjoyed this book. It felt so different from most fantasy books. I loved the main character and the romantic interest as well. The storyline was fantastic, and I hope there will be a continuance of this series.

“We who are dead salute you.”

I haven’t felt this invested in a story since the Harry Potter series.

All Deka ever wanted was to feel accepted in her village. In a world where a ritual decides your fate. Bleed red and you live. However Deka bleeds gold. Labeling her as a demon and is subjected to the Death Mandate. Except, she won’t die.

I think the mechanics of this world are remarkable. Namina Forna does a fantastic job of explaining how everything works. She describes what makes the alakia (or demons) different from the population without overwhelming you. You get a grasp of this empires religion and how that molds the views of each character.

I felt so empowered by this novel and I can’t wait to see more from this debut author.

Hmm. Still debating between 3 and 3.5 stars. The fantasy world-building and characters were fascinating, but I struggled with the rapidfire pacing and some plot decisions. Longer RTC near release date.

Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. The writing in particular wasn’t for me; it was a lot of telling and not showing, as well as the repetition of certain details to emphasize them which was more annoying than anything.

While I appreciate that this book delves into the patriarchy, based on the author’s experience of it in Sierra Leone (where she’s from), the worldbuilding other than that felt very basic. The north is coded as Western Europe, the south Africa, the east Asia, and the west Native Americans (I think?). I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with this; a lot of other books do it. I just got tired of reading the same characterizations for each group. For example, people from the east would be pale and have “black hair that cascades like a river.” That was it. I couldn’t really tell if it was actually characterizing people from these groups as one thing or repetition of the same characteristic, but it felt like the former.

Honestly though, I tend to be more critical of books that I don’t really enjoy or can’t get into. Please know that this is my personal opinion! While I didn’t like this book, I’m sure many more people will enjoy it.

I stumbled across this book weeks ago on a blog that was listed upcoming YA titles. The cover caught my attention (how gorgeous is it?!), then the description hooked me. From the first few pages I was wholly invested in Deka, her forced part in society, and the world Namina created at large.

Although this is YA, there are many parts especially in the last third of the book that I had to set it down and take a break; it's so easy to connect with these characters that their pain is a little too real. PTSD is no light thing, but I feel that Namina handled it beautifully with both Deka and Belcalis. One buries it beneath her duties, in the other it festers. There is a very poignant moment where these girls confront it and I was about in tears.

By the end I was so emotionally invested in this world, these characters (all of whom are distinctly individual with clear personalities and motivations), and the hope that they stand and strive for. I loved everything about this from the first word to the last. And I want my very own flock of Ixas, please 🙂

This book is beautifully written and reminds me a little of A River of Royal Blood by Amanda Joy. The story is captivating though it starts with building the world to give you a view.
The cover is what pulled me in but the story is what pulled me through and into a world I would never have dreamed of.

This was a beautifully written YA novel that has feminist elements to it. The characters were well written and the story and magic were well developed. I recommend if you love Children of Blood and Bone.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna is an excellent book that is more of a journey, with epic adventures and paths along the way, towards a glorious destination all wrapped up in one exciting package.

This epic adventure has it all: fantasy, myths/legends, coming of age, adventures, suspense, action, and a dash of romance.

We first see Deka, a young teen, living in a village called Otera where women are considered second-class citizens. They are subservient and have little hopes and dreams of their own. At the pivotal point of a ritual of purity (where girls have the clearance to become women), instead of finding her blood running red, she is discovered to have gold. She is considered a Demon. After being chained, imprisoned, and disowned by all she knows, she is offered a life-changing choice by a woman known as “White Hands”: stay and suffer or embrace her Alaki and fight with others that are similar and special for the emperor. She chooses life.

Being able to meet all of the other excellent female companions and friends and see all of these girls grow into strong, confident, wonderful women is so awesome. To see this supportive environment, which they would never have had before, is so refreshing and welcoming. I love the growth that she shows and feels during this book. She is so smart, feisty, and tough. I love all of the character development, and I love the chemistry between her Keita (her male romantic interest). I loved everything about this book and I am excited to see that there will be more in this series in the future. I can’t wait.

5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press/Random House Childrens for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

If The Gilded Ones caught your eye because it had a beautiful cover, rest assured that the outside is just as good as the inside. Get ready to read your new favorite YA dystopian horror fantasy series.


YA fantasy these days is a dime a dozen, and after awhile, you start to see certain trends that can feel like clone stamps- even when the story is inspired from non western cultures or tries something different. The Gilded Ones is a case study on how a story can use tropes effectively without downing in them, because this story is completely original, You have some things- Like Deka being a chosen one- a special person among the special, and training with her squad to become a warrior, but even these common themes are turned on their head and written with surprising originality.

Deka lives in an incredibly, Handmaiden's Tale level sexist society that will shake you to your core within about 10 minutes into this book- and unlike many modern heroines, she actually buys into it completely. Deka is devoutly religious, meek, submissive, and gentle. She does not break the rules, speak up, or truly see anything wrong with the society she lives in. When she is discovered to have special powers and is accused of being a demon- even as the village turns on her, Deka feels as though the evil within her justifies their violence and cruelty- she does not become an independent "badass" overnight.

Our lovely main character is the product of her environment, and her growth happens slowly as she begins to engage with the bigger world outside of her village. Her journey of self discovery is a beautiful character slow burn that explores how patriarchal society imprisons women in our own minds, and it's not until Deka meets other women and hears their stories that she finds herself becoming the warrior she was meant to be.

The side characters are all beautifully written and woven into their oppressive world in a way that makes you instantly protective of them, while also being instantly mistrusting of the men in their lives. The world is beautifully crafted, dark, and biting. It's a violent world of blunt offering- decapitation, genocide, drowning, and full on body horror. There are several moments in this story that will give you chills, even within the first few chapters of the book. Namina Forna's world is a ghastly nightmare that will leave a lasting impact on you. You won't be able to get the Deathless series out of your head

One of the best debuts I’ve read in a long while. The Gilded Ones is a book that boasts an original plot, a captivating protagonist, sharp clever dialogue, and immersive descriptions. An undeniably strong start to a unique and compelling series.

I find it really hard to suspend reality but the writing of this book made what would normally be a really hard book for me to get into a relative smooth read. It’s not something I would pick up myself in a store but I would highly recommend. This is a girl-power fantasy. Deka is such an amazing protagonist and I enjoyed this book overall.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

TW: gore, death, murders, torture, mentions of rape

Deka is sixteen years old and she fears the blood ritual that will determine if she is pure or not, whether she will become a full member of her village, where she's seen as unnatural for her mother, for her intuition. But when her blood runs gold instead of red her life is turned upside down. Tortured and killed many times, Deka one day has to face a choice, when a mysterious woman comes in her cell: stay in her village or fight for the emperor against a terrible threat, with girls just like her. Because Deka is an alaki, someone stronger than humans and with rare gifts. And Deka is the most peculiar of them all. During her training she will learn to fight, to be herself, to grow and to discover lies and truths about her life and her beliefs.

The gilded ones is one of the most beautiful book I've ever read. It's a feminist fantasy, with a strong female character, who was taught, all her life, what women have to be and what they can do.
According to the holy books, The infinite wisdoms, in Otera, her country, women have to be meek, subservient. They can't do anything that don't prepare them to an husband and a family. They can't ride horses, run, drink, shout, go to school, they can't even move without a male guardian. They aren't seen as indipendent, only inferior to the men.
Deka has known this all her life and she lived under strict patriarchal rules and impositions, resigned to their idea of female, fearing to be unholy, unpure, unnatural.
Her being an alaki means learn new things and slowly dismantling her beliefs and her idea concerning being a woman.

Her whole growth, her questioning things she thought were truths, her finding her place in the world, her growing stronger and more confident is something that happens throughout the book and the reader follows Deka, discovering things, abilities, family and friends.
The author wrote her journey, physical and emotional, skillfully, because the reader is able to understand her moods, her feelings and thoughts. The reader, a first, meets a young girl, molded by a cruel patriarchal society, fearing herself, her powers, her being deemed "unpure", a "demon". Her fear, disgust, rage and hopelessness is heartbreaking and skillfully written. The reader can experience her feelings and follow her in her growth, seeing her becoming more and more confident, having friends and faith in them and in herself. Becoming stronger, self-assured, able to fight, to defend herself and her newfound family.

In The gilded ones the women are oppressed, abused in a country that see them only as inferior. The alaki's stories, the way they were treated and abused were heartbreaking, like Deka's and Belcalis', their trauma forever part of them, never being able to forget it. They went through hell and came out stronger, tougher and it's beautiful and empowering reading about how they decided to fight against their oppressors, in more than one way, like using the words they say against them, demons, for themselves. Reading how they embrace being different, their powers and strength was intense and encouraging.

The characters were amazingly written, the characterization is one of the best I've read in a long time.
Besides Deka, who is a wonderful and complex character, I loved reading about all the female characters in this book. Britta with her energy, Belcalis with her sarcasm, Asha and Adwapa with their beliefs, White Hands with her secrets. They all fight against the patriarchal society and its belief, imposed on all Otera by priests, generals and the emperor.
I really liked the idea of the training ground, the raids, the war, as setting of Deka's growth and her finding family, friends and answer. The recruits, forced to work and fight with women they (and the society) considers inferior or demons are interestingly written, because they slowly starts to realized too the lies and the manipulations.
Keita is Deka's uruni and the only male character I loved in The gilded ones. His character is complex, deep and with a painful past. It was interesting reading about him changing his idea of a woman, of Deka by being and training with her. His relationship with Deka is wonderful, I love their chemistry, their trust in one other, their friendship and love.

Funny and wonderful is Ixa, his shapeshifting homorous and amazing, fiercely loyal and protective of Deka.

The book is full of plot twists, where the truths are slowly revealed, where myths and legends are very important part of Otera and its inhabitants.
The gilded ones is full of strong and complex character and the worldbuilding is fascinating and evocative. It's a brutal world, there are many gory scenes, violent battle scenes and monsters, even though they are not what the reader think.
It's a book about strong female characters, an attack to the patriarchal and oppressive society.
It's about love, friendship, beliving in one self, finding your own place and family, even though is not the biological one.
This fantasy is amazing and I suggest to everyone that wants to be captured by intense and complex characters, plot twists and a wonderful and evocative setting.