An excellent, enthralling book! I highly recommend it!

Gilded Cage is the first novel of Vic James' Dark Gifts series. The fantasy series follows a cast of characters on different sides of a political battle. In this alternate Britain, aristocrats with special powers, or Skill, rule over ordinary, Skilless, people. The commoners must spend 10 years of their lives as slaves to the aristocrats. There are few of the aristocracy who would see the slavedays law abolished, but the majority revel in the power of their society.

I had high expectations of Gilded Cage, but unfortunately they were not met. I wasn't immediately hooked into the story and instead read on hoping for something to grab me. Gilded Cage is like a foundation story. The parameters of the world are established and the main players of the story are pinpointed, and that's the most this story accomplished. I expected to be able to connect to the characters who were oppressed and had a reason to fight for their freedom, or fight for the safety of their family. However, the characters were one dimensional and not impressive, like Luke and Abigail. I thought they were going to be the sparks to ignite revolution. Instead, they let others manipulate and prod them into actions that were thwarted or amounted to more trouble. Though I appreciate the fast pace of the plot and the efforts to add action and excitement, it wasn't enough to make me want more.

I walk away from Gilded Cage unsatisfied and strangely unmoved. It's rare that I find myself unhappy with a fantasy read, but Gilded Cage just didn't do it for me.
*eARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

Vic James’ debut novel Gilded Cage is a novel that I’ve been looking forward to reading for months now. The premise – that a form of slavery is alive and well in England and that the ruling class uses magic to keep this unfair, dehumanizing system in place – intrigued me from the moment I first read the book’s synopsis and so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. Thanks so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and Vic James for providing me with an e-galley of Gilded Cage in exchange for my honest review.

So, what did I think of it? Well, honestly, my thoughts about Gilded Cage are a bit all over the place. There were definitely plenty of things I liked about the book, but that said, I also encountered a few problematic areas.

Let’s start with the good.

What I Liked:

Slavery vs. Rebellion: I was intrigued by the class-based society where magic-wielding "Equals" ruled over a non-magical citizen body and where each member of the non-magical citizenry is required to submit to a decade-long period of servitude called ‘Slavedays.’ While serving a Slavedays term, an individual basically relinquishes all of his or her legal rights as a citizen and becomes a slave to the Equals until your ten years are up. The concept of the Slavedays was quite fascinating because although the decade-long sentence of slave labor is mandatory, each citizen is able to choose when they serve their sentence. Some choose to serve fresh out of high school or college, while others choose to postpone it as long as they can. Families, if at all possible, are also allowed to serve their sentences together, and even if it’s not possible to keep all family members together, young children are required to be kept with a parent.

James’ readers get to see Slavedays up close and personal as we are introduced to some of the novel’s main characters, Luke and Abi Hadley, as they and their family members prepare to enter their Slavedays. Older sister Abi has deferred her acceptance to medical school to go ahead and serve her sentence and, as part of her deal, has managed to secure her family a pretty decent gig serving out their Slavedays at Kyneston, a magnificent estate owned by one of the most prominent Equal families in England, the Jardines. Compared to the alternative, a grungy, smog-filled industrial city called Millmoor, Kyneston sounds like a dream. Things don’t go according to plan on the day they are supposed to depart for Kyneston, however, when what appears to be a clerical error separates Luke from the rest of the family and he is sent by himself to Millmoor. We thus get to see both Millmoor and Kyneston as we follow both Luke and Abi on their very different journeys into Slavedays.

As expected, Millmoor is pretty much a nightmare filled with cruel supervisors, back-breaking labor, unhealthy food, and just an overall demoralizing atmosphere. What I liked about seeing the inside of Millmoor though was that the reader is immediately presented with covert signs of rebellion. I was so glad to see this because up until this point, I had been sitting here thinking “Why the heck are these citizens just voluntarily giving up ten years of their lives, selling off their homes and possessions, just because some uppity ruling class says that’s the way it is?” It was great to see that some folks weren’t just lying down and taking it without offering any kind of resistance. As Luke joins the resistance, we get to see more and more brazen acts of defiance and it’s pretty exciting to read and root for this band of underdogs that Luke has joined up with as they are clearly gearing up for a rebellion.

In contrast to the horrendous living and working conditions Luke and his fellow Millmoor inmates are subjected to, Abi and her family are given fairly nice housing to live in at Kyneston, ample food to eat, and their workloads are quite manageable as well as respectable, especially considering they are serving the same kind of sentence Luke is. Abi works as an administrative assistant to one of the Jardine brothers, her mother works as a nurse for an elderly family member, her father does maintenance work on vehicles on the property, and little sister Daisy is providing child care for Gavar Jardine’s daughter. Apparently all Slaveday terms are not created equally.

Politics: In addition to seeing that Slavedays is quite different depending on where you are assigned, we also get to see the flipside of things as we follow Abi and the rest of the family into the heart of Equal society and all of its political games. I'm a bit of a political junkie anyway so I found the goings on within the Equals' ruling body to be quite fascinating. There are apparently a lot of ambitious and ruthless people within the Equals. There are power plays to be Chancellor, a small but vocal faction who supports the abolition of Slavedays altogether, and all sorts of other exciting things at play as Parliament is in session. If you’re into reading about politics and all of its behind-the-scenes machinations, there’s definitely a lot for you to enjoy in Gilded Cage.

Cloak and Dagger: I also really liked how James kept me guessing as to what side many of the characters in Gilded Cage were even on. It was never safe to assume any particular character was pro- or anti- slavery just based on their standing in society. There were several jaw-dropping surprises throughout the novel as it became clear that the rebels weren’t necessarily who I thought they were.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

Too Many Points of View: Where I'm somewhat conflicted about Gilded Cage has more to do with how the book is structured and the lack of explanation about certain key elements. First of all, there are so many points of view that without the book’s synopsis singling out three characters, I really had a hard time distinguishing who the main characters were supposed to be. You have the points of view of several members of each class - Abi and Luke, who are regular citizens beginning their period of servitude, and then you have several points of view from those who are considered Equals, such as Silyen and Gavar Jardine, who are brothers in one of the most prominent Equal families. While it was definitely interesting to see the class dynamic and the rebellion from both sides, it just made for a confusing time trying to keep track of everyone and it also made it hard to really connect with any of the characters.

Why Are Characters Doing What They’re Doing?

Characters' motivations also weren't clear to me. Aside from the general wrongness is the idea of mandatory servitude, why is Luke so quick to jump on board with the rebellion? Even though we're in his head seeing what he's doing from his point of view, there is still no real explanation for why he starts participating. It's basically just one minute he isn't, the next he is.

There were similar instances with the Jardine brothers as well. Silyen is, by far, the most fascinating character in the book and all of his schemes are so intriguing. He almost appears to be playing both sides against the other, but it's not entirely clear why he's doing what he's doing. Is he truly an abolitionist even though he's an Equal? Is he trying to create chaos and disruption so as to stage a power play and overstep his older brother to become his family's heir? I'm hoping all of this will be become clear in the next book because I definitely found Silyen to be the most interesting character in Gilded Cage.

Abi’s Inappropriate Flirtation:

So those who regularly follow my reviews know I’m not big on romances randomly being inserted into a storyline where it’s unnecessary. To James’ credit, it does take a back seat to the rest of the action of the story but it’s still there so I have to comment – mainly because again, her motivations are unclear. Abi works very closely with one of the Jardine sons and becomes attracted to him. First of all, it’s not appropriate since it would basically be a master-slave relationship. Second, she is supposed to be working diligently to try to get her brother out of Millmoor and back with them, so why is she sitting around letting herself get distracted by a cute boy?

I’m all about strong female characters so in this sense, Abi was kind of a letdown if she really is supposed to be one of the main characters. She does do something risky and heroic at the end of the novel though so I’m hopeful this means she will step up and be the strong character I want her to be as the series continues.

The Verdict:

All in all, I found Gilded Cage to be an entertaining if somewhat confusing read. With a few of the kinks worked out regarding point of view and starting to explain why some of the characters are behaving as they are, it's got the potential to be a great series.

Rating: 3 Stars

All I can say is I need the second book ASAP! Gilded Cage by Vic James is an impressive first look into a new, grim world that feels oddly familiar and appropriate given the current state of affairs in the world. Society is broken up into the haves and the have-nots, as those with special powers they were born with (and are acquired through inherited birth by a few it seems) are in control of Great Britain, while the plebs without power all must endure a ten year period of slavery.

Characters are intriguing, especially those that are Equal. There is so much intrigue and family politics that we just don't know and it drives me crazy! Silyen, the youngest of the Parva-Jardine family is the one with the most Skill, yet, the aristocracy isn't Skill/merit based. It's still handed down to the first born. Which puts emotionally unstable Gavar as next in line to rule one of Britain's founding Equal fathers. James does something incredibly interesting when it comes to Gavar. She sets up an initial prejudice for readers, automatically framing him as an antagonist. Yet, for the rest of the novel, we see more than just the monster James paints in the prologue. We see there is a struggle there; he is volatile, yes, but he is loving too. He is extreme, and yet it is the reserved Silyen who gives off an air of detachment to everyone and everything, that proves to be the extremist. He is the one with the long game, though no one knows what it is, including readers.

There is a sense of heavy worldbuilding here as Vic James mentions how different parts of the world are split up between Equals and commoners. America split in two, an obvious nod to the Civil War, but also the current heavy rift in society and culture. Britain itself remains aristocratic and parliamentary, but it has become more of a joke, as those with the most power tend to be the most in charge; physical displays of Skill taking command. We also get a heavy sense of history behind everything, giving the world a gravity that draws you in.

I could talk about Gilded Cage by Vic James for hours. There are so many layers masterfully intertwined in a book that still remains firmly YA. Strong characters and solid worldbuilding make the political themes of the book flourish, giving readers a desire to make changes in their own world after seeing the inconsistencies and cruelties that are allowed to exist to the benefit of the empowered few.

I tried numerous times throughout the book for some enthusiasm about it. It wasn't to my liking and I can't recommend it at this time. I do hope the book does well.

Ugh. This book was just so dry and confusing. In order for me to really understand what was going on while reading, I had to go back and read the book summary here. It just has this weird alternate setting England dystopia with these people of magic gifts (called Equals) that are the aristocrats. I originally was under the impression that it would be more of a fantasy. I just wasn't a fan of this setting, and it gets explained poorly because there are just so many characters point-of-views throughout this book. Then the fact that there are so many POVs of characters that I just couldn't get invested in. None of the characters really had an internal drive to make them interesting. Even if a chapter of a character has a cliffhanger, it takes forever to get back to that character's chapter because there are so many others, and by then I've forgotten or lost interest in their story already.

There's a lot of political intrigue in this book as well. If you like a lot of politics and a lot of characters in your stories, this book is for you.

I received a free eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: A free advanced digital copy of this book was received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow.

Just.

…

Wow.

This is my attempt at making this review as spoiler free as possible, please bear with me during this brave endeavor.

Okay… *deep breath* So, when I read the synopsis, my expectation of the book was completely skewed. Because the romance was the plot mentioned first and then the revolutionary and then the ambiguous wild-card character, I automatically assumed that this would be the hierarchy for the amount of time spent on each character in relation to the plot and, subsequently, that it would be a clear indication of each of their significance. Add on the fact that the prologue tainted my perception from the beginning, and bam - I went through the first portion of the book expecting things that weren’t going to happen.

Well, color me pink with pleasure! Shame on me for going into a story with presumptions. There’s romance, but it’s not the main artery in this network of plots - so it’s a bonus, not the focus. There’s revolution, but it’s so nuanced and ubiquitous that your blood thrums along with the growing dissention. And then, of course, there’s Mr. I-could-be-destruction-or-salvation-but-who-knows that throws ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS INTO DISARRAY. *heavy breathing*

I am so freaking happy with this book. I am ecstatic that I got to read it before it was released because I know I want a physical copy in my personal library so I can re-read and annotate it. Every few chapters brought to light new information that slightly altered the reader’s scope. The concepts introduced took on a broader, and more heady, tone as I digested the author’s words. Each storyline was a slow, slow burn that got me to feel for the characters and their circumstance before engulfing everything in flames. While I didn’t particularly like a few of the characters, I understood each of them and I fully appreciate the author’s dedication to character growth and three-dimensionality. It made for a compelling and wretched story of privilege, inequality and strife.

Most of my favorite books took me less than a day to finish, but this one took me a little over a month. Why? This actually correlates with some of the points I made above. The author packed so much information into the each part of the story. The setting, the people, the world… It was… a bit too much at times, for me. The story is set in England (a place I’m not familiar with) with modern details (I was constantly trying to pinpoint an exact time) and there wasn’t any clear divide on who was ‘good’ or ‘evil’ (which drove me absolutely crazy). Throw in the common excuses of work and daily chores, and you have a recipe for delayed literary completion.

Is the book perfect? No. Does that matter? No. BECAUSE IT’S NEW, REFRESHING, UNRUSHED, AND DIVINE. I absolutely love social hierarchy drama. I can’t wait to see where this is all going. Will it be a happily ever after? Will it be just death and destruction? Can a world change at the hands of the oppressed or must it be destroyed before it can be reborn again? I don’t know and I don’t think any of the characters know either but I will follow them every freaking step of the way.

Also, side note, I love Silyen. Please give me more Silyen, forever and ever. Vic James, if you’re reading this, please know - he is the most interesting megalomaniac I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading and no matter where his life takes me, I don’t believe I will be disappointed with its direction.

A world filled with Equals with Skill(magic) and commoners who become slaves. This sounded really interesting and had my attention in the beginning. But eventually it got a little slow and honestly boring through out. Being in multiple povs I only really enjoyed a couple of the characters chapters and just had a hard time wanting to read this story. The end definitely picked up and shocked me with everything that went down. I'm curious where this series will go but it was an okay read overall.

In Gilded Cage , Vic James has created a world where slavery still exists- 10 years of it for every single person. It doesn't matter if you serve your ten in a glass mansion or a dingy factory-slavery is still slavery.

I enjoyed the world-building and almost despite myself I became attached to the Hadley family. Even though their rather naive daughter, Abi got on my nerves a little bit, I did care about her brother, Luke, her sister and parents. I found the concept of the "Equals" a fascinating one, they being the people catered to by everyone else. Capable of chilling powers and yet the true depth of their power was not fully evident until near the end of the story.

Another thing I very much enjoyed was the complexity of the villains. At some points, it was difficult to distinguish who they even were and I liked trying to figure that out. Lastly, I relished the fact that not everything is all laid out and explained in great detail like at the end of a TV show. I still have a couple of questions-so even though I'm not even a fan of YA AND I've sworn that I'm not starting any more series', I do plan to read the next book.

The reason I'm giving 4 stars and not 5 is because I felt things got bogged down a bit, (a la the Song of Ice & Fire series), when introducing all the political machinations of the different families. I don't feel like there was too much, exactly, just perhaps too much all at once .

It's always nice to be surprised by a book on which you take a chance. I requested this one based on the appeal of the description alone-I really didn't think the book would live up to my expectations, but I'm happy that it did!

Recommended to fans of YA, magicians, (of a sort), and fantasy!

You can get your copy here:Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts)

*Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*

In Gilded Cage the world is ruled by Equals who are aristocrats with magical gifts. Everyone else are known as commoners and at some point during their lifetimes they have to serve the Equals for a period of ten years as their slaves. Commoners can choose to serve at any point in their lives from 10 to 80 years old.

After Luke’s younger sister turns ten his family breaks the news to him that they have signed up the entire family to serve their slave days. Luke’s older sister Abi has arranged for the family to do work together at a plantation owned by England’s most powerful family of Equals. But upon arrival the paperwork has been messed up and Luke is shipped off to a slave town separate from the rest of his family.

I was a bit back and forth reading Gilded Cage by Vic James the entire time. Some of this book I really enjoyed and would get caught up in what was going on but other parts just felt really slow to me. The idea behind the serving ten years of your life kept me engaged as wanting to know what would happen though and in the end I decided to give this read 3.5 stars.

I think for me following Abi, Luke and the rest of their family and the others around those characters were the more interesting parts of the story. For whatever reason I kept feeling a disconnect when the chapters would switch to the point of view of the Equals. Giving up ten years of your life and deciding when to do that just had my mind spinning so perhaps that was why I was more interested in that side.

Overall, not a bad start to the series at 3.5 stars, some slower parts for me but still an interesting story.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

So I was trying to explain to a friend why I think this book is important for the generation of YA readers who may encounter it, thinking, much like Gilded Cage's Abi does (and I did, tbh, when I first picked it up,) that it'll be a romantic Upstairs/Downstairs sort of novel with magical powers, with dystopian overtones to give it all a frisson of Seriousness. And maybe I haven't read enough dystopian YA, maybe I'm underestimating the average reader, maybe they're smarter and more aware than I am. But reading that very first chapter where the reality of slavery comes crashing down on the very white, very middle class, very Anglo Hadley family, where all their hopeful expectations get violently trampled upon: my body reacted even more than my mind did, upset to my stomach at the horrific violation of their humanity, no matter how voluntarily they surrendered their rights. Because, despite being brown and politically aware (and oh my God, irrevocably middle-aged now with this last birthday,) the framework of my mind and life experiences are traditionally British schoolgirl, a vestige of my upbringing, and while I always knew and felt and believed that slavery was evil, it's not often that the reminder of it acts like a punch to the gut. And that's just in Chapter One!

In this alternate reality, the British monarchy was overthrown not by Roundheads but by people with magical abilities called Skill, who set themselves up as a ruling gentry called Equals. Everyone not an Equal must serve a ten-year term of slavery in order to keep the apparatus of economy going. Abi and Luke Hadley are teenagers who go into their slavedays with the rest of their family, thinking they've figured out a way to ride out their terms in relative comfort. Boy, are they in for a surprise! And so are we readers, as the book twists and turns both in plot and in emotion, presenting the complex realities of not only abolition but what it means to be an ally. I can't overstate the importance of that last enough or, unfortunately, say much more without going into spoilers, but it was extremely refreshing to read, particularly in the current political climate.

I want this book to sell millions of copies because, much like Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, it tells a very important story (tho, tbh, I did prefer that Vic James got to the point faster instead of waiting till a third book to explicitly state her central message, as Ms Collins did.) The only thing that stopped me from giving this book 5 stars on Goodreads was the writing itself, which could use a bit more polish. It serves to get the (very important) point across and tell an entertaining story, but it feels very often bare bones. I'm hoping Ms James builds on this terrific debut and am looking forward to reading more, of this series and of her writing in general, as she's definitely got terrific narrative and ethical instincts, and only needs to work at the wordsmithing to be truly exceptional.

Genres: Young Adult ,Fantasy, Dystopia
Reading from: Finished copy sent by publisher/EARC
Publication: February 14th 2017
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Pages: 320 pages
Series or Standalone: Trilogy

Rating: 4/5 stars

Do I recommend it?: YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Summary from Goodreads: Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved.
Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.
A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.
Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?
A boy dreams of revolution.
Abi’s brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.
And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.
He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?
MY THOUGHTS
I want to send a major thanks to the publisher for sending me a finished copy! This didn’t in any way change my opinion on this book, all opinions are mine.

So its a dystopian but it has some fantasy elements. So its basically an “Alternate reality world” its set in Great Britain. So this book gave me major X-Men feels, so if you’re into X-men I would totally recommend this book. So there’s two groups of people in this book mainly. One of the groups is “The Equals” and basically its a rich elite(aristocrats) with special abilities ( telekinesis and such), and they basically run the country because I mean they are rich and they have powers. And then there’s the commoners which have to do ten years of slave days.

The story focuses on a family of 2 sisters, a brother and parents after they decide to do their slave days.

The story is all told in multiple POVs, however each character had a distinct voice so it was easy to identify them without jumbling them up. Each character has such a a distinct voice.

Their is also a bit of romance in this book, It WAS OKAY not exactly my cup of tea, but it was easily overloked. It wasn’t a main focus in the book it was more of a minor plot in the book.

All the characters were enjoyable to read, although I did prefer reading from Abi’s character she just had such a fun POV.



Memorable Quotes
“There’s no magic more powerful than the human spirit”


“If you want to change something, you need to think big.”


“Honestly, Jack, your handwriting is terrible.”
Jackson held up both hands. “What can I say? I’m a doctor.”


“Always look at the people, not at the mass. A face, not the crowd. Look at the world, not at the ground. Every little detail you see is a victory.”

https://bookishdiana.wordpress.com/2017/01/29/gilded-cage-dark-gifts-1-review-spoiler-free/

Started off with a bang: a tragic death of a helpless innocent by a cruel guy with magical powers. A young child was the cause of all this drama. There was a sharp contrast in abilities and personalities of the cruel guy and his two brothers. My hopes of this being good were so high, and then I kept reading...

The POV kept changing with each chapter. They were switched up so much that I didn't care about any of them. The characters were in drastically different circumstances, social circles, and settings that for the longest time the stories barely seemed interconnected. Literally I was at the 50% mark and was wondering what the point of this book was. It was incredibly boring. So many storylines were going on at once, but not much was happening with any of them until the end. By then I would have rather gouged my eyes out than keep reading, so I didn't care that it finally tied together.

The elites who ruled the world had magical powers although they varied in ability and power from person to person. Since they were superior, regular people had to serve as slaves for 10 years at some time of their choosing throughout their life. Luke and Abi's family decided they would serve as slaves because they honestly believed they would be able to remain together in slavery. How stupid were they to believe this? It's not like they never had the chance to speak to people who had been enslaved.

The main characters were all teenagers or in their early twenties. Of course the power to change the world whether good or bad resided in their hands, because that's so likely. Since Luke and Abi were no longer disillusioned with their situations, they decided to do what every YA does in a dystopian novel which is try to make the world a better place.

There wasn't much romance although it might have spiced this story up a bit if there had been. Abi and Jenner were the only people who cared about each other romantically, but based on their situations it wasn't meant to be. Despite Jenner being a nice guy, Abi was his slave. When her thoughts drifted to Jenner, it made their situation seem more appealing than it was.

Silyen was demented and self serving. There was definitely more than meets the eye with him, but he was too heartless for me to care about him. Gavar was an asshole. Just because he loved his daughter it didn't make him a good guy. Jenner didn't have the balls to stand up for what was right. Bouda was a power hungry. Daisy was a love sick fool for Gavar. Abi didn't have the best instincts when it came to people. Luke was nothing but a pawn. Doc Jackson was slick and secretive at first but seemed dumb by the end.

Gilded Cage by Vic James is the first book in her Dark Gifts series. This book has such a great atmosphere full of political intrigue, magic, and rebellion. She said that the initial arc is intended to be a trilogy but she does see room to expand the story to more books if she feels it is needed. I love the way it looks like these books are going and I will happily read three books. I am a bit apprehensive about it going past more than that, because ultimately I want a happily ever after ending. I want the Slave Days to be abolished and everyone to live together peacefully. Can that happen... PLEASE?!

This world is dark. I read this at the same time I was reading Six of Crows, and I had a bit of trouble distinguishing the worlds at first. Not because they are similar in a detailed way, but it is more the feeling you get while reading. My favorite character is Silyen with his smart and powerful creepiness but I also loved the direction Luke's character took. And then there is Renie. She is perfect but I have been scarred by dystopian writers that always seem to kill off my favorite characters. I worry she has a huge target on her back.

There were definite plot twists that I never saw coming, and I'm sure the next book will have many more. I'll definitely be reading the next book as soon as I can get my hands on it.

4.5 stars!!
Gilded Cage is a young adult fantasy about London in an alternate universe. In this reality there are two classes of people, the Equals, who have special powers called Skill, who rule over the common people. The common people are expected to serve their slavedays, 10 years as servents to the Equals. Luke Hadley and his family become entwined with one of the most powerful Equal families, the Jardines. As the story unfolds, Luke finds himself in the middle of an uprising while his sisters are becoming closer to those who enslave them.
This was a captivating story full of complex characters. Just when I thought a character’s true self was finally revealed, the pendulum swung again and I found myself reassessing all of my opinions. The oldest and youngest Jardine brothers were the most intriguing to me and I’m very interested to see how these characters evolve in the next book. I was a little nervous going into Gilded Cage because of the dystopian feel (I’ve read SO many of them lately). However, I think Gilded Cage shines in its own way and it is absolutely a dystopian worth reading!

This is the author Vic James debut novel. It is the first book of a three book series, "The Dark Gifts Series." Keep an eye out for the second book coming out this July 2017. For those of you who would like to purchase a copy of this book CLICK HERE.
Overall I rated this book three out of five stars. This book is a dystopian novel. It is set in a world where there are those of us who are lucky and are born skilled, meaning are born with magical powers. For all the rest of us commoners those of us who are born with no magic skills at all, are forced to be slaves for ten years working under those who have skill or magical powers. This book tells the story of one family who gets themselves involved with a powerful skilled family and are forced to make difficult choices in order to keep their family together. The premise of this book had a lot of potential, but reading this book felt disjointed and disconnected. This book did not flow well. The characters were on the unlikable side and because of this it made it more difficult to enjoy this book more than I did. I really wanted to and I had high expectations before reading it. I really hope the next two books in this series make up for this one.
I want to thank Netgalley, Vic James, and Random House Publishing Group: Ballantine for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting world building set in a contemporary world with magic and a devious aristocratic society. The three POVs are engaging and it's interesting to see the world from the villain's perspective as well. A must-read for secondary world fantasy that takes place in our own.. The levels of struggle and fear are salient in all three POVs. I found myself drawn to Abi's the most because she had the most at stake. It's interesting because I normally wouldn't be terribly drawn to a family dynamic. Abi has to be so many roles to so many people that I grew to admire her. She's a fantastic character who uses her brilliance to navigate a trying situation.

Lately, I've been into darker, political fantasies. I loved Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake, and I loved The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin. Both would fit into the dark political fantasy group, I think, as would Gilded Cage. At first, I found reading Gilded Cage unsettling and uncomfortable, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to finish it. I'm glad I did, though. What I found so unsettling was what the premise of the book looked like in action. In James' British society, the world is ruled by the Equals, those who are born into families with Skill, essentially magic (but don't ever call it that!). Since the Equals are clearly superior and clearly do everything for the betterment of all (...right), those without Skill are forced to serve them. However, their system of slavery is unique. Each commoner must serve 10 years of his/her life as a slave to the Equals. During those 10 years, the commoners relinquish their rights wholly and completely. They essentially put their lives on hold. Commoners may choose when to serve their slavedays, but it has to be after the age of 10, according to the law. Parents may choose to do their slavedays, and essentially force their children to join them. In Luke and Abi's family, this is what happens. Once their younger sister turns 10, their parents decide they will all do their slavedays. Abi has secured a place for the family on one of the Equals' estates, which is perhaps a cozier use of slavedays than the factory towns. However, Luke, the middle child, is placed into a factory town away from his family. The narrative flits through different viewpoints, mainly Luke and Abi's as they learn about what slavedays are really like and deal with various struggles, such as falling for one of your masters and dealing with a resistance group. Other viewpoints given are from various Equal citizens, deeply entrenched into Luke and Abi's society and lives.
Overall, I ended up enjoying this book a lot. The first few moments of the family's slavedays and jarring and deeply uncomfortable, as they should be. I liked the multiple viewpoints here because it allowed me to really get a full picture of this society, what slavedays are technically supposed to be like, and what they really end up being. I'm a fan of political fantasy, and this does not disappoint in that arena either. There are so many moving parts here, and while the reader gets the full picture, most characters don't. I finished the book last night, and I'm still mulling over all of the connections and all of the places that this series could go, and it's exciting. In addition to the politics and courtly maneuvers, there is also some action here, but not a lot, which some readers may not prefer. I was so engrossed by the worldbuilding, politics, and characters that I didn't mind.
The characters are very intriguing people. Luke and Abi are fairly straightforward characters, and to me, serve the purpose of being protagonists that readers can understand in this world that is very different from ours. Abi is more willing to accept hte world as it is, at least at first. Luke, on the other hand, finds himself drawn to revolution after his experiences in the factory town...and I'm a sucker for revolutions. The Equal characters, on the other hand, are mysterious. The Jardine family, whose estate Luke and Abi's family are sent to, are a fascinating bunch. From the cruel lord and patriarch to the powerful and sly youngest son and the heir who I still don't quite get, I was entranced and repulsed in equal measure. These people clearly see no reason slavery is abhorrent, and don't acknowledge their own contradictions or breaking of laws once. They are powerful and drunk on the power. Some are more sympathetic than others, but when you really think about the ones who appeal, you realize they're not all you want them to be. I do wish there would have been a little more depth to the characters at times, but I have a feeling that things like that often grow over the course of a series.
Overall, this book gave me a lot to think about. The society is ruthless and power driven and not as foreign as we want it to be. The politics are there, the characters are there, and the fantasy aspects, while a little light at times, are there. I'm really interested to see where the series goes (and I would love to see more of the world outside of England, as different countries have dealt with Skill in different ways). The ending left a bit of a hole in my heart, but also a lot of eagerness to see what happens next (and I apparently don't have long to wait as Vic James' website says installment #2 will be published in July!). If you're intrigued, and don't mind political fantasy, check out Gilded Cage when it is released on February 14.
Note: I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. This has had no impact on my review.
Rating: 4 stars
More Information: Goodreads, Amazon, Vic James' Website, Vic James on Twitter

“Understanding slid into Luke’s brain and lodged its sharp point there...

‘We’re all going to do our slavedays.’”

About : Luke and Abigail Hadley live like normal teenagers all over Britain until their parents suddenly commit the whole family to their “slave days.” Every British commoner is forced to devote 10 years of service to the magically “Skilled” elite class that rules over Britain, a caste known as the “Equals.” At least the Hadleys manage to score a cushy group deal: all five will serve the richy rich Jardine family on their legendary estate of Kyneston.

At least, that’s what they're told.

But when the bus arrives, Luke gets marked as “surplus” and sent instead to Millmoor, “Manchester’s filthy, unforgiving slavetown.”

Because in a “state of non-legal personhood,” you have no rights.

“You are now chattels of the state.”

Expected publication: February 14th 2017 by Del Rey Books.

Thoughts : I requested Gilded Cage mainly hoping to read about the cool “Dark Gifts” of the series title (and based on Vic James’ exciting bio). But the meat of the first 50% focuses instead on the challenges you might find in a British drama. Maybe more like Downtown Abbey? With cruel lords and ladies making life miserable for their butlers, maids and slaves. (I haven’t actually seen much Downtown Abbey, as I don’t watch a lot of tv beyond Cops and 48 Hours, so this guess could be somewhat off.) The publisher is clearly marketing the book to people who enjoy this sort of story, and I think the target audience would enjoy it more than I did.

I read to 50% before deciding to set it aside.

Why DNF?

The title Gilded Cage perfectly encapsulates the majority of narrative perspectives in this book: Abigail Hadley tells us of life Kyneston; her new masters, the Jardine men, also share their perspectives with us in the first 50%. The “Gilded Cage” refers mainly to a magical wall that surrounds the Kyneston estate, keeping slaves locked inside, although it may also refer to the British society at large that cages its commoners into servitude. So we spend a lot of time in this cage, reading the thoughts of both captors and captives.

This is unfortunate for two reasons: (1) The Jardine men are a largely despicable lot, and (2) Abi’s plot mainly consists of developing feelings for one of them. The plot summary suggests more to her plot, later in the book—she discovers the Jardine family secret and must decide whether to reveal it or not—but I didn’t get that far because I just couldn't get into the story. The focus stays mainly on domestic and political troubles rather than magical, during the first half, and I had a feeling the focus wasn't going to change.

But my main problems with Gilded Cage relate to the characters. First of all, I thought there were too many narrators for such a short novel. The first 50% cycles through enough narrators that I don’t remember who they were or how many I met. More importantly, none of the characters feel like authentic people (with the bare exception of Abigail, who feels like a legitimately moony teenaged girl). The Jardine men especially fell flat for me. I had a difficult time buying Silyen’s antisocial brilliance and everyone’s fear of The Young Master. I especially couldn’t believe that the violently angry Gavar cared most in the world about his baby daughter. No amount of Gavar’s POV could convince me of that, after he shot the mother while she held the child in her arms during the prologue. The unrealistic psychology and motivations of the Jardine men left me bored and unconvinced.

Luke Hadley is also unfortunately a very wooden character, although his scenes in the slave town of Millmoor are the most exciting to read. Luke takes part in a slave rebellion, and I enjoyed the action scenes in his perspective. Little things in his perspective did make the narrative lose credibility, though, such as when one character gets harnessed up and steps straight off a rooftop, instead of carefully lowering herself down. Ouch! That would give you quite a jolt and likely smash you into the side of the building. I would definitely not recommend doing it thataway.

Overall : Unfortunately, Gilded Cage just doesn’t appeal to the “Fantasy,” “Alternate History” or “British Mystery” parts of me and I couldn't get into the characters. Very little surprised or interested me about the first 50%. The author focused on Abi’s romantic ambitions or the proceedings of the court of cruel lords when I was hoping for something more magical.

Recommended To : Readers who like both YA and British dramas. From what the positive reviews are saying, readers appeared to most enjoy the “Britishness” of it. It does feel very British. Lots of class warfare. I can see the Dickensian influence, as another positive review remarked—but only in the class structure and relations. That particular comparison makes me a feel a little sick; Dickens is known for his characterization and this book has terribly un-lifelike characters.

Thank you so much to Vic James, Del Rey and Netgalley for this e-galley!

I will readily admit that the cover had me taking a closer look at this book, it’s simplicity is what catches the eye and urges you to take a closer look, and after reading the blurb I figured I’d give it a go. And while I enjoyed it, I didn’t love it. It was that weird mix where I was intrigued by the concept, but the book never got it’s claws into me. I could put it down and not feel the urge to pick it right back up, but I still wanted to know what would happen next and when I did start to read it again I enjoyed it.

The concept is quite simple: People separated by status which is based not only on bloodlines and affluence, but magical skill ~ Equals. Those without all of those attributes are commoners and live in freedom with the exception of Slavedays, the 10 years of their lives when they “willingly” make themselves chattel to be used as the Equals see fit and if they survive can once more live their lives as they see fit. I’m still a little. I’m still a little murky on exactly why slavedays are even in existence, but it does set up the stirrings of rebellion within the story and that’s where Abi and Luke Hadley enter the story.

While I liked Abi and Luke, I found I liked Luke more. Abi just didn’t really speak to me like Luke did and I have to admit that it was because of the situations they found themselves in. Luke had to grow up and learn to survive or he’d die. Abi, while her situation was just a dire in some regards, was much more cushy. But though Luke and Abi are touted as the main figures in the story, it was the Jardine brothers who interested me the most. We have Gavar, the Brute who is almost heartless. Silyen ~ the Sneaky One who may or may not be evil. And Jenner, the Nice One. They are all so different and I found their dynamics when they did interact quite interesting. Silyen, for obvious reasons, is the one I’m most intrigued about, but Gavar is a close second.

The writing is engaging and does draw you in, but the multiple POV’s slowed things down for me. It wasn’t that they weren’t done well, or that they didn’t fit within the story arc, because they all did and gave depth to the world, it was more that when I started to get really into that particular voice it was over and I was left feeling a bit perturbed that I had to change gears. There is a cliffhanger type ending, not unexpected, but it has left me with more questions than answers and though I may not be chomping at the bit for the next book, I do want to see how everything plays out, so will be keeping an eye out for it.