I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine.

This first book in the Dark Gifts trilogy sets the stage very nicely for how this alternative history of Britain works. Author Vic James has made it easy to understand how the Equals and slaves came about. I appreciated her cleverness in calling the ruling class aristocrats "Equals" when, of course, we see in this novel that they are nothing of the sort. They are, instead, a group of people who have inherited magical abilities. These abilities are used to keep the ordinary people under their strict control. If you don't posses the Skill, you must do a term of ten years as a slave doing the jobs necessary to keep an economy running. If you live through your decade of slavery, you are then declared to be "free". And since it has been this way for so many hundreds of years the Equals keep becoming stronger and the others stay exactly where they are. For the most part the primary characters in this novel are young adults, mostly in their late teens or early twenties.

When Abigail Hadley learned that her parents were about to enter their decade of slavery she applied to the Labor Allocation Bureau for permission for her entire family to be sent to the Kyneston Estate in Hampshire to remain together and do their slaveyears together. On the day of their departure they found that mother, father, Abigail (19) and Daisy (10) were, indeed, bound for Kyneston. Luke (17) however had been assigned elsewhere. As each member of the Hadley family begins their new life as a slave they have remarkably different experiences though none of them are entirely pleasant and it only gets worse as time passes. One of the Equals on the Kyneston Estate has powers other Equals can't even begin to imagine and he intends to use those powers for his specific purposes. This story shows perfectly how power can be used in corrupt and dangerous ways.

Fans of Young Adult fiction will enjoy this imaginative world created by a talented writer. I'm sure people who enjoyed this first book will be awaiting the second with great anticipation.

Loved this book! It was really 4.5 stars for me, but half stars were not an option.

This is a well paced, exciting, and inspiring book about an upper class supresting a lower class, and the fight for equality. I really enjoy dark, edge-of-your-seat books that you can not put down, so this book was perfect for me! I just hope I can get the galley of the next book because I don't think I can wait for the sequel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this YA book. I appreciated the similarity between the world of this book and our own. The "celebrity" status of the ruling class makes a great statement on how celebrities are viewed in our world. I liked the political intrigue, the eccentricity of the "young master," the character development in general, etc. I am definitely looking forward to where the series will go in the next book.

Wow! What a fascinating and complex alternate history! I usually don't care for alternating narrators but here I found myself leaping from one storyline to the next, each as well-developed and engaging as the last. Not repetitious, either: each narrative moved the plot along without wallowing, a bane through much of YA. More of this world, please!

I received a digital copy of this title from NetGalley.

My 15-year old son gives this 3.5 stars. He liked the character of Jenner the best. Also, he doesn't care for the trend of series books. I guess I should look for more standalone titles for him. He was ambivalent about reading Dark Gifts #2, whenever that should be released.

I found it an interesting read, particularly now, when discussions of white privilege are not uncommon, and racism (sadly, terribly) still exists. Commoners endure 10 years of slavery to the Equals, aristocrats who usually possess a certain magical Skill. Gilded Cage follows a family that is doing their 10 years all together, including their youngest daughter.

Sometimes the number of characters became overwhelming, though there are a manageable amount of main characters to keep track of. The writing flows well, with solid pacing throughout. This title earns the achievement of being the YA book with the most vocabulary words I added to my Kindle list. Thanks for making me a bit smarter, Vic!

The ending wrapped up the initial events enough to satisfy readers, while at the same time skillfully whetting the appetite and setting the stage for the next book in the series. I'd be happy to read that one as well.

Gilded Cage has been one of my most anticipated books of 2017 since I first read the synopsis. I was immediately intrigued by the magical Equals and I couldn't wait to find out what Abi's terrible choice was. Not to mention the revolution that was hinted at. I went in fully expecting to love it. Now I have so many feelings about Gilded Cage and not all of them are good.

This book has multiple points of view. In fact, there are chapters told from seven different points of view with some characters getting one chapter each and never appearing again. Multiple POVs can be really hit or miss, but with this many different characters it's almost always going to be a miss. I had a hard time connecting to many of the characters because they'd disappear and by the time I got back to them I had to think to remember who they were.

Abi and Luke are arguably the main characters in this story. Abi has put her med school career on hold for ten years in order to get her family cushy slave days (more on that later), but when it doesn't go as planned, Luke get sent away while Abi stays with the rest of her family. Unfortunately, I didn't particularly care about either of them. I did find Luke's story to be a bit more exciting, but I still wasn't terribly concerned about his well-being and that's never a good sign.

The real bright spots in this story were the Jardine brothers - Gavar, Jenner, and Silyen. Gavar is the family heir and undoubtedly has an extremely intriguing backstory but, oddly, none of it was revealed. In the prologue we find out that he shot his baby's mother for reasons (?) that are never discussed in the 368 pages of this book. Jenner is the brother with no magic, also for reasons (?) that are never discussed. Finally there's Silyen, the mysterious brother with an absurd amount of power for reasons (?) that are never discussed and who I would love to read an entire book about. All of them seem to fall somewhere into gray on the spectrum and I'm certain they're going to be fascinating when everything about them is finally revealed.

My real issue with Gilded Cage is that very few things are sufficiently explained. The world building is never fully fleshed out. The slave days, for example, are confusing. The normal people of Britain - all those except the Skilled Equals - are forced to give up ten years of their lives to "slave days" where they will be considered sub-human and carry out hard labor. I'm not sure how a system would work where normal citizens go off to become slaves for ten years and then reenter normal society. To be honest, I think this book could have been better without slavery. There could have easily been inequality and need for a revolution between the Equals and unskilled without slave days and it would have made more sense, at least to me.

All of that being said, the story is interesting. I was intrigued by the talk of revolution and was eager to see how it would play out (or even get started). I also really wanted to see where each of the Jardine brothers would fit into this political shift - which side would they end up on? I was riveted by every single thing that happened with the Jardines! But the weird thing about this book is that it doesn't feel complete. Absolutely nothing is answered by the end and, although I know this is set up to be a series, each book should still wrap up to some extent. This one just created more questions as time went on and never really resolved anything.

At the end of the day, I'm most baffled by the synopsis. I never did figure out what Abi's "terrible choice" was. The romance that is hinted at never really gains any momentum and neither does the revolution. I want to know more about the aristocrat who "will remake the world with his dark gifts." Re-reading the synopsis after finishing the book, it seems like an overview of the series because many of the things mentioned never happened.

If everything in the synopsis actually happened in this book, it would have been much better, although the magical and political systems would still be unbelievable. What I would really love is a book about the Jardine brothers, specifically Silyen. Based on this character alone, I will be reading the next book in the series. I was definitely disappointed by Gilded Cage, but I'm holding out hope that book two will answer a lot of questions and hopefully give more insight into the Jardine family.

Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts #1) by Vic James is a fantasy novel for teens and adults. In this world, Equals have magic and have the power in society. All the rest of the population are non-magical and have to do slave days, FOR 10 YEARS. They no longer have rights during that time and are treated poorly, or even killed. This is a story about one family that wanted and planned to do the slave days together but ended up getting split up. It is almost two tales in one. It is dark and captivating at the same time. There are many interesting characters and a plot with many twists. I enjoyed it and couldn't help think about it because it was so strange. (In a good way.) Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

This book ended in a way different from what I expected. There were surprises, twists and turns and I was fully engaged the entire time I was reading. There are some slow-moving portions, yet they're easy to get through. I want more from this author and believe that this is a good foundation for an engaging series.

James builds a very interesting world. The depiction on the slave years in particularly unflinching and I like the way it includes factory work and other jobs as part of the system. I didn't feel like it really needed the multi-view point narration, it didn't add a lot and it seemed to drop a lot of characters just when it could have been interesting. I'm interested in reading the next one, I don't know that it will become the hot new thing but I think fans of Charlaine Harris and Twilight will enjoy it.

I requested this e-galley via Netgalley because it sounded like something I could get into rather easily. And I was right. I pulled it out to read whenever I could, including during the times I was in line at New York Comic Con. When I got toward the end of the book, I found a corner to sit and read, ignoring everything around me, including the panel I had planned to attend. Oh, well.

The ending left much to be desired as it didn't really end; it just left more questions. And since I read it before it actually gets released in February 2017, I have to wait 4 months longer than everyone else to find out what happens next. Le sigh.

The reason I gave it only 3 stars is because I felt it could have been better. There are a lot of characters and POV-changes throughout the book, so not a lot of focus was on one or two people. It was hard to find a connection with the story because of this. But I'm very hopeful this is a series that ends strongly, so I'll read the next book.

Gilded Cage by Vic James
Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts, #1)
by Vic James
3 out of 5 Stars

Anticipated Release date: 14 Feb 2017

Gilded Cage has some flaws, but the payoff is worth it. It's a tale of class warfare, of the "haves vs the Have-nots" that the British do so well, and Vic James is no exception.

The book starts off a bit choppy, but smooths out beautifully into a gripping coming-of-age story that's difficult to put down. The lead characters are fleshed out well, and feel real... down to our teen Hero sulking.

Where it trips a bit is in the choice to deliver some necessary background information via a vignette at the start that feels out of place. It might have been better done to reveal that info slowly through the novel, building tension. As it stands, it's a clunky info dump that makes me wonder where the editor went. The secondary characters are sketched out very lightly. Too lightly. In my opinion the parents might have been better eliminated entirely, if there was no way to make them more real.

Overall though, i'll be adding this to my list of authors to watch, and you should too.

This is one of my favorite ya books to date. I loved the complex story line which stands out among all others of this genre. Filled with twists this story keeps you on your toes. The characters really add to the book as well. I can say that I didn't love all of them but they added their own unique points of view which allows you to understand their choices and how far they would go. There is just the right amount of action and romance that you don't get lost in any additional fluff some authors add to fill connections between the two. This is the first book I have read from this author and I am so intrigued that I want to read more. If you are looking for a new kind of ya then I suggest you pickup a copy today.
Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I am having a problem wrapping my head around the world building. This book takes place in modern day, but it’s a dystopian world where people must spend 10 years of their lives as servants. Going into this book, I didn’t think it took place in a modern world. And I think I would have preferred it much more if it had taken place in a different time. I also was only 10% into the book and was getting a bit overwhelmed with all of the characters. In the 2nd chapter, we get thrown all of these names at us and I didn’t know who was important or not. I was really excited about this book due to the high number of 5 star reviews, but I don’t think it’s my cup of tea.

DNF 10%

Gilded Cage starts off with a young woman, Leah, running for her life across the ground of the estate she was a slave too….Kyneston. She is hoping to make it to the wall before Gavar and Jenner do. She has her baby, Liberty (aka Libby) with her and she is hoping that Libby would be able to open the gate so they could escape. It doesn’t happen. Libby doesn’t have the Skill to open the gate. Or as Silyen, the youngest and the most Skilled of the 3 brothers said, maybe she doesn’t want to leave her family. It doesn’t really matter anyways because before Leah could do anything else, Gavar shoots Leah. Miraculously, Libby isn’t hurt and Gavar takes her back to the house….leaving Jenner to mourn over Leah. Jenner does try to get Silyen to heal her but he won’t…saying that even he can’t bring back the dead. As they are talking, Leah dies.

A few months later, we are introduced to Abi, Luke, Daisy and their mother and father. Luke is the equivalent of a junior in high school and Abi, a senior. Their little sister, Daisy, is 10 years old. Luke is studying for his final exams when he notices a strange man looking at his father’s restored Austin-Healey. The man unnerves Luke, for some reason, and is quickly on his way after seeing that Daisy is celebrating her 10th birthday.

Later that night, Luke overhears something horrific. His mother and father have decided to enact their slave days. See, in this dystopian society, all commoners are supposed to serve the Equals, those who have the Skill and rule over the country, for 10 years. What is Skill….well consider it magic of a sort. The Equals can do anything with it…including healing, mind reading and building houses or maintaining a gate that only opens for the Equals. They are sent to a slave town (called Millmoor) to serve out their 10 years. After the 10 years are over, the commoners can hold certain jobs (never went into in the book), own a house and travel abroad.

So it is understandable that Luke is upset. He is losing 10 years of his life and Daisy, who is 10, will not be able to receive any education during the 10 years. Luke would be missing out on college, girls and the start of his life. I would be upset too.

But Abi had come up with a solution. She applied, for the family, at a department within the Labor Allocation Bureau called Estate Services. That is where the Equals go for their house slaves. Her application got accepted and they are being sent to serve the Jardine family on the estate of Kyneston. Seeing that Luke is under the age of 18, he goes with his family. It is the perfect solution to something that is dreaded in the lives of the common people.

Except it didn’t go that way. The day that they are being picked up by the LAB person to be driven to Kyneston, things change. The driver only has 4 names written: Mum, Dad, Daisy and Abi. Luke, unfortunately, gets sent to Millmoor. Which is unheard of because he is a minor. The officer, who was an idiot and I didn’t like him at all, and Luke’s Dad gets into a scuffle. Dad gets a beat down and the officer, Kessler, explains that they are all non people and have no rights. They all separate and then the story goes into Luke at Millmoor, Gavar at Kyneston and various areas , Silyen at Kyneston and Abi at Kyneston.

I couldn’t put my finger on how I felt about Silyen. He had an agenda and he wasn’t afraid to use people to get desired results. But I also saw glimpses of a kind person and of someone who could be more than what he was raised to be. If that makes sense.

Gavar did redeem himself in the book. I did feel bad for him because his father had an ironclad grip on him. It came out that he was in love with Leah but his father made him shoot her. Which is awful. But his father’s control over him was slipping. Gavar reminded me of an abused dog who is just waiting for its master to not be paying attention before tearing his throat out. I also feel that his fiancé will be caught up in that once Gavar snaps. But he does have a soft side. He loves his daughter and he is very taken with Daisy, who is Libby’s nurse and I believe that he would move heaven and earth to protect the both of them. It is going to be very interesting to see how Silyen and Gavar’s storylines end up in the other books.

Jenner was actually my favorite brother. He is Skillless but he is an asset to the estate and runs it. He is close to Silyen (well as close as Silyen lets him be) and he is getting very close to Abi. So close that Jenner’s mother, Lady Thalia, reminds him that he is an Equal (even if he doesn’t have powers) and that she is a slave and warns him off her.

Daisy had to have been my favorite person in the book. She was so upbeat and always saw the bright side of everything. She even liked Gavar, which kinda blew my mind. To be caring for a baby at her age was amazing (now granted Gavar did most of the caring for Libby when he was home and Daisy was just there as a babysitter) but still. She matured over the course of the book and I can’t wait to see where the author takes her character in book 2

I honestly didn’t know what to think of Abi. At times I liked her, at times I wanted to tell her to shut up and at other times I was in awe over her braveness. I am very interested to see what happens to her in book 2.

I felt awful for Luke. Being ripped from his family, put into an awful slave town and being worked to the bone, no wonder he became radicalized. His friendship with Renie, a girl his sister’s age, was very cute but at the same time dangerous. The events after was reunited with his family were beyond his control. I am very interested about what happens to him. Very interested.

Lord Whittman Jaradine, Gavar, Jenner and Silyen’s father, is a bad, bad, bad man. I literally got the chills when I was reading his scenes because his evilness just came off the pages. Again, a storyline that I would be very interested in seeing where it goes. I am also interested in seeing what happens between him and Gavar.

The end of the book ends as a cliffhanger, which made me want to yell. If you have read my reviews for any length of time, then you all know how I feel about cliffhangers. But, it did get me interested in book 2 (which I didn’t know there was going to be one until I pulled Gilded Cage up on Goodreads).

How many stars will I give Gilded Cage: 4

Why: A great dystopian book. This was a quick read with complex characters. I can’t wait to read book 2!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age Range: Teen

Why: No sex, no language. But there is violence…including a graphic scene of a head being blown off. Also, there is a disturbing side story about a man forced to live like a dog.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**