I was given an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.


I do not know where to start with this book. The end has me reeling, and I would like to name Lynette Noni the new Queen of Cliffhangers.
The plot was decent. But the writing was clunky and choppy instead of lyrical and flowing. It drove me up the wall, honestly.

And Kiva. I adored her in the first book, but in this one she drove me INSANE. She was blind and naïve and honestly, a doormat. Her personality on this one was so annoying!!
Regardless of the things that annoyed me, I still enjoyed this book. It was good extension of the first book, and I enjoyed how the world building continued in this book. I desperately need the next one! I can't wait to see how the story concludes!

With the end of The Prison Healer I expected this sequel to go a bit differently than it did. I wanted to see a bit more character tension but overall it was a good read and I’m excited to read the third book. I did struggle connecting with the MC in this one and her and Jaren didn't have as great of chemistry to me. I was highly nervous the entire book for what would happen and it read quickly. I really had trouble seeing things from the rebels pov so it made Kiva’s flip flop between Jaren’s family and her own harder for me to really understand. I wasnt sure why she had loyalty to them when they continually let her down and used her. I was angry a good amount of the book on her behalf.

A great follow-up to THE PRISON HEALER, a book I loved and enjoyed. I feel that this series is very, very fresh in the genre and is on that border between YA and adult. Without giving too much away, we follow Kiva in the aftermath of THE PRISON HEALER and watch her deal with the results of the happenings of the first book, and I love where this series is going. Kiva is so complex, and while she does make me SO MAD at some parts, I can't help but love her and her journey and story. Here's to the next one!

4/5 stars

Once again, I am wowed by a book. The Gilded Cage was an amazing sequel to the prison healer. We got to see more of the kingdoms, a larger cast of characters, and a developing romance.

The one reason I docked a star for this book was because of the pacing. The middle was kind of boring, and I feel like some scenes could have been cut.

This was an excellent sequel, and if you want to know what happens next after that crazy cliffhanger in the prison healer, I highly recommend reading this. I can't wait for book three!!!

Amazing sequel! The Prison Healer is an underrated gem in the YA fantasy realm, and it's not easy to follow such a wonderful debut in a new series with an equally engrossing sequel. But this certainly doesn't disappoint, and again, Noni takes things to a new level and gives you surprises along the way. This had me gasping as I did with the first! Happy to add this to our collection and recommend to our teen readers!

Lynette Noni is such a gifted writer--and a new favorite for me in 2021!
The Gilded Cage gave me all the same feels as The Prison Healer. I tried not to finish it in one day... But, the story is SO well-written and Noni, again, is such a smart writer with every choice and the path her characters take leading into more complex developments--either of the character's growth (and normally making them even more endearing to me) or making the plot even more captivating that I lose track of time outside the novel. She is taking the orphan trope we see in YA Fantasy and recreating it.
And, no, I once AGAIN did not see the twist coming!
All the stars to this series! 5+
...And, I can't wait to embrace the next book.

Fans of the first book are 100% sure to enjoy this one. I say that because, in many ways, they're virtually the same book. There were times the foreshadowing was clumsy enough to be mildly insulting, and it's weird to me that the main character doesn't spare a single thought for prison reform (given what she learned in the first book), but, it's a fun read if you can get past those issues.

The pace of the story started slow; however, it allowed you to learn more about the characters. When you get to the last third of the story, the betrayal, the anxiety of what is going to happen is high. You know it cannot end well, and it leaves you broken. You know it is coming and you cannot stop it; it makes you so stressed out! You keep wishing for some miracle to make it right. Definitely will be picking up the next read in this series