I did not finish this book, and stopped at about 30%. I was jarred by how often the perspective switched, even within the first few chapters. I would have preferred to become acquainted with Abi, Jenner, and the Jardines and then learned more about Luke's life and what was going on in Parliament. I found myself wanting to skip Luke's chapters and read only Abi's, as hers was the story I found most enjoyable.
I wasn't particularly impressed by the execution of the concept either. It didn't seem unique to me. However, I did like how the author seemed inspired by Britain's history as an imperialist nation ran by the aristocracy. The classist society of Equals and commons seemed to be a fitting commentary on Britain's past and even, to some extent, present.

I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Gilded Cage was a book that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. The premise was intriguing; a servant girl falls for a forbidden boy while uncovering his family secrets and a slave boy fights for a revolution. When I received this book, I thought I was going to get romance, action, and mystery, which was probably my fault, because I didn’t get that.

Gilded Cage has a well-developed plot. The many complex characters with various motives and goals create an elaborate and complex story. The many moving parts feel more like a movie than a novel. Most books that have more than 1 POV fail to distinguish between the different voices. That wasn’t the case with this book. Although, the characters were complex enough to recognize, the main characters, Abi and Luke, fell into the background and I couldn’t connect with them.

Also, I didn’t understand the purpose of Luke and Abi’s parents. They were present, but never did anything to progress the story. They seemed unnecessary and I felt that if they were removed from the story altogether nothing would change.

On the other hand, my favorite characters were Luke, Renie, and Silyen. Renie was a bold and mighty 12-year-old girl and Silyen felt the most complex. His scenes were always the most interesting. Luke went through the most character development; he went from a weak boy to a fearless rebel through the course of the story.

My biggest problem with the book was the writing technique. The writing itself is good, but too descriptive to the point it became wordy and unnecessarily long. It’s not too difficult to understand, but it forces you to peruse through the reading rather than get lost in the words. The overall effect is a slow-paced and occasionally-boring read.

For a fantasy book, there isn’t much action or thrill in this book, but an abundance of political drama. We get a lot of information, some even unnecessary in my opinion and combined with the long, detailed writing the book became a hard book to read for me.

Lastly, I’m very disappointed with the romance in this book. The synopsis made me think that romance would be a big part, but it’s hardly mentioned at all. Through a handful of interactions, Abi falls for one of the brothers and I don’t understand why. Their relationship resembles more sibling than romantic. Regardless, the relationship itself is so insignificant, it could be eliminated from the book and it wouldn’t matter.

Honestly, I think Gilded Cage would be better for upper YA and Adults, because I can’t imagine a lot the younger readers enjoying this. To be fair, a major problem was I was expecting a different story than the one we got. The lack of action, wordy writing, many POVs, and the absence of romance was not what I was expecting. Then again, now that you know what you’ll get, maybe you’ll enjoy this read.

Didn't realize this was the beginning of a trilogy when I requested this title from Netgalley, and I wasn't really looking to start another series; however, I am so glad I read this novel. The story takes place in an alternate version of England where the elite, called the Equals, have magical powers, called skill, and the rest of society has to serve 10 years of slavery during their lifetime. Throughout the story, you learn that other countries do not have the slavery requirement for un-skilled. The story revolves around two interconnected families one is about to serve their 10-years of slavery and the other is the family they will be working for.

The story is told through various viewpoints which weave around each other to reveal different aspects of the story while still leaving the reader in suspense. By the end of the novel I was craving more and can't wait for the sequel, so I can learn what happens next to these families and this world in general.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley for an honest review. All opinons are my own and I was not compensated in any way.

First off, I want to begin that I didn't care for this book. That isn't to say there aren't good things about it, it just didn't jive with me. To start this review right, I'll put the good stuff first and end with what I didn't care for. There may be some intermingling between the two parts, but that's the way my brain flows.

And now onto the good stuff . . .

I was first drawn to Gilded Cage for its cover and the dystopian world blurb. Before you start thinking the world of this book is set in the distant future or past, it's more like modern times (this is important because it threw me for a loop. For some reason, I wanted it a Victorian esque setting). So, think of today, but with magic and ten years of slavehood for the non magic folk.

This concept is interesting. It gives the world a depth to it and doesn't give off a complete dystopian where everyone are "equal" or there's some big brother or games to kill each other. It's simply rich people wanting to remain powerful and normal folks getting the serious raw end of the deal. There is a rebellion in the works and the different point of views do lend a different aspect to what's going on.

The writing is also well done and you can read it fairly quickly. I was up to 25% in one sitting.

That said, now onto why I didn't care for it . . .

Okay, obviously there's the issue with the magic and setting. For some reason, the fantasy mixing with modern times bothered me. I couldn't grasp it in my head and kept putting them in an older time period. This became troublesome when you add in characters playing on a game console, but then have rich guys riding horses for day to day transportation. It played with my mind and it didn't sit well.

Another issue I had were the slavedays themselves. The concept of people being slaves for a number of years isn't a big deal. It is a big deal when these guys have been living like this for a long time and aren't rebelling until now. There are no mentions of previous failed rebellions. If there were, I'd be more inclined to understand it better. Also, ten years is a bit much. Especially if the main populace are supposed to do slavedays. I don't know . . . it just seems even more unbelievable for the world.

Though there was a good reason for the multiple points of view, it made reading the book a bit disjointed. I honestly didn't care about anything the Jardine family had to offer. Not as characters as much as characters with run time. I feel the book should have stuck with one or two viewpoints, possibly just Abi and Luke. This way we get the feel of slavedays in both enviornments and want to root for Luke more.

May I also add the names. Boy did they have special names. Now I understand that dystopians and fantasy books are filled with strange names, but Jardine? Kyneston? Zelston? Silyen? The list goes on and on. I didn't know how to say the names for one. For another, I got confused with all of the strange nomenclature that it pulled me away from the story itself.

So, yeah, I was constantly being pulled away from the book. I didn't know who was the bad guy, even though the good guys were pretty straightforward. I felt disjointed and I was not sure what I was reading. This just wasn't a book for me.

Publication Date: February 2, 2017
Link: http://dulivre.blogspot.com/2017/02/book-review-gilded-cage.html

3.5 stars


Plot: James welcomes us to a world much like our own, except there is a mandatory slave period for all non-magical people. Abi and her family decide to take their 10-year slave period right after the youngest has turned ten. Of course Abi has done her research and made it so that her entire family will remain together and have a rather light sentence. This all changes when Luke, her brother, is sent to a factory town to work 10 years of hard labor. With betrayals and behind the scene politics, it's clear that not everything is what it seems.

Despite how seductive that premise sounds, I felt that Gilded Cage was missing something. I was sucked in by the idea of a mandatory slavery sentence and the hierarchy of the world. However, with all of the different perspectives that this novel cycles through, it's hard to keep track of any action or poignant scenes. This is another one of those books that never has a sense of urgency, even though the topics covered include slavery, rebellion, and political ambition. With such themes I had hoped for a lot more deep dialogue or acts of violence. Yes, there were some pretty violent deaths but nothing graphic - just the mention of someone being shot and blood spraying. There were not emotions attached to these deaths. I can admit that this novel was anything but predictable. It hits the critical scenes that you would expect, but there always an added bonus that kept you guesses about someone's alliances, motivations, or history.

Characters: Gilded Cage follows the lives of Abi and Luke's family along with the mysterious Equals. There are about six or seven perspectives that James rotates through, and it was hard to keep track of everyone. There were a lot of different settings but not enough distinctive voices to understand the characters. Time flies quickly in this novel and there wasn't any development with any of the characters. The most interesting character was the youngest, Daisy, but I didn't find her interesting for a good reason. Daisy has an odd relationship with the oldest Equal. Seriously, this relationship between a 10-year old and a 20-year old was odd and a bit concerning.

There were also a lot of background romances that were never really acknowledged so they felt unnecessary. You would think that the love between a commoner and an aristocrat would be sexy and romantic but it was just....there (and boring).

Worldbuilding: I was sucked into this world immediately despite not knowing what it was. Was it historical fantasy? Was it modern? Gilded Cage somehow worked as a contemporary magical world and the premise was exciting. I could easily imagine the posh lifestyle of the aristocrats and the smokestacks of Millmoor. One thing that I really enjoyed about this book was how the author incorporated real world events into the world of the magical. The American Revolution? Battle between the commoners and Equals. The French Revolution? Same. It was very creative and helped solidify this alternate universe Britain.

Short N Sweet: Gilded Cage has a fantastic premise but lacks a steady stream of action and character connection.

Book Title: Gilded Cage
Author: Vic James
Series: Dark Gifts #1
Genre: Dystopian-ish, Fantasy-ish
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine
Source: I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

⇝Add to Goodreads⇜

⇝Buy at Amazon⇜



♪♫MY PICK FOR BOOK THEME SONG♫♪
♫ Tear Down the Wall by Art of Dying --This is really for Leah who is the MC of the prologue, but it's pretty fitting for the rest of the book too.♫


⇝Ratings Breakdown⇜

Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
The Feels: 4/5
Addictiveness: 4/5
Theme: 5/5
Flow: 2/5
Backdrop (World Building): 4/5
Originality: 5/5
Book Cover: 5/5
Ending: 4/5 Cliffhanger: YES!!!

Will I continue this series? Hhmmm…I'm still deciding


OVERALL RATING: 3.7/5 STARS




⇝My Thoughts⇜

Gilded Cage has this whole modern/historical/feel to it. Mixed with a witch/superhuman/monster thing.


I believe this has everything it needs to be great, plot wise, anyway. It missed the mark somewhat for me. It might be that it's too British for me or it might be that it has so many words that I was clueless about. I didn't get why the author would want to use so many odd words in her story, it seemed over the top to me. But, maybe that falls into the whole too-British thing. I don't know??? All I know is I struggled with the flow.

I love the cover for this, it's absolutely stunning. The world it's set in is exceptionally shocking and somewhat intimidating too. So much so, that I really wish I hadn't struggled with reading it, because I wanted to love it completely.

⇝Sex Factor⇜ While sex is noted…it's not done explicitly.

I was provided a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I knew from the moment I saw the description of this book that I was going to want to read it. Having seen the cover, read the description...when it showed up in a NetGalley email to me, I knew that I had to request it.

I was not disappointed.

James writes a chilling picture of a world which looks a great deal like our own, but is far and away different at the same time. The world is divided in half, the Equals--those who possess a type of magical ability (or come from a family that does) called Skill, and the commoners, who are Skillless. It have been made mandate, at least in the version of Great Britain that we are following, that all unSkilled people are to serve what they call their "slavedays"--a decade of servitude to the Equals. Some work in houses as "servants", others in industrial work camps. We follow the Hadley family, who are all meant to go--by design--to Kyneston, one of the most (if not the most) prestigious house there is...until the lone son of the family, Luke, is sent alone to Millmoor, a slavetown with a reputation for being the absolute worst of its kind.

We see a lovely transition in each of our characters, fascilitated by the changing viewpoints, with none of our main point of view characters left behind. (I'm reminded a bit of the Song of Ice and Fire series, and all the switching POVs there. Whereas we could almost be anywhere in the world in Westeros in any given chapter, the places stay fairly consistent through CAGE, which I think helps manners and allows for the plot to flow more evenly.

Abigail, the eldest child of the family, finds her way into an office job with Jenner, the oddball member of the Jardine family who--despite having Skilled parents--has no Skill himself. Daisy, the youngest, cares for the Heir Gavar Jardine's illegitimate daughter Libby. The mother works as a nurse and the father assists with mechanical repair. All in all, relative peace. (Inasmuch as there ever is in Kyneston.) As for Luke, his first days at Millmoor aren't all sunshine and rainbows--not that he expected them to be--but he quickly finds a way to make a difference in a world that desperately needs helping. At the same time, Abi begins to see that not all is rosy in the world of the Equals, and sees just how broken the system can be--and both what needs to be done, and what is not likely to be done. Too often, they're the same thing.

Both the concept and the scope of Skill are fascinating, and James' world is terrifyingly believable. Seeing the difference in Abi and Jenner attempting to maneuver their working relationship as edges of something else start creeping in, and Daisy's complete ability to care for Libby and be unswayed by the massively intimidating Heir to the Jardine House is brilliant in its simplicity, and shows us the internal chaos of Kyneston nicely without having to beat anyone about the head and shoulders to do such--and shows the difference between the life of the Equals and the life of the slaves even more so. And for once, a classic YA trope happened and I wanted it to. (I wanted it so badly.) So that's a benefit.

I'm excited to see that this will be a series; I really want to see how the bombshell at the end pans out. Well worth a read.

Rating: **** (Recommended)

Looking forward to the rest of the series. Interesting concept.

Gilded Cage by Vic James

Gilded Cage by Vic James places us in an alternate reality where a revolution in 1642 England has resulted in the Slavedays Compact. This treaty means that “Our world belongs to the Equals—aristocrats with magical gifts—and all commoners must serve them for ten years.” Abi’s family determines to do their time together, serving on the estate of Kyneston, home of the powerful Jardine family. It is an accepted fact that the surest way to survive service is to keep your head down and play dumb but brilliant, talented Abi finds feigned ignorance a difficult act, especially in front of Jenner Jardine.

This alternate reality fantasy is scary, engaging, and engrossing. The first in a new series it leaves us longing for book two.

Memorable moment: The meeting between Jenner and Abi.

Her words died behind her lips when she looked at Jenner Jardine. Not from a distance on his horse, or with one eye on her indiscreet little sis, but properly at him.

He had warm brown eyes and coppery hair. His face was dusted all over with freckles, and though his mouth was wider than usual in a man, it was balanced by strong cheekbones. Abi took in all these details, yet none of them really registered. She felt giddy again. Felt naked again. And it didn’t leave her cold. No, not cold at all.

Maybe it was the title, which I liked, but was a tiny hesitant about. I shouldn't have been, because this book surprised me. The magical rule over the non-magical. That's familiar, but don't fret, this isn't a re-do of another series. One family was suppose to stay together, and everything fell apart. From here it goes like most books do, but with lots of interest, push, pull, romance, drama, action and adventure. It held together and was reasonably solid. A nice surprise!

My copy came from Net Galley. I am leaving this review because I want to. My thoughts and opinions are my very own.

Wow. Just WOW. This book completely blew me away. I was not expecting this amazingly and thoughtfully crafted dystopian world filled with such a fantastic cast of characters. I was hooked from the very start and could not put this book down.

Gilded Cage has a whole slew of characters and connections to keep track of, but I swear it is all worth it. The story focuses mainly on the Hadley and Jardine families, specifically Abigail (Abi) and Luke Hadley and Silyen Jardine. The story is told from multiple points of view and each chapter was like peeling back the layer on an onion. Each voice was distinct and you get to go deeper into the inner workings of the character's mind and see just what makes them tick. I especially loved the contrast between how a character is viewed by others/presents themselves versus who they truly are. Not everyone is as they seem. The characters were wonderfully complex and there were lots of shades of grey between who was truly good and evil and what is right and wrong. Can something be truly good if it's done for the wrong reasons? What about something bad being done for the greater good?

The pacing of the story was perfect and the conflicts encountered by our characters were at times intense. I don't think you could write a book about slavery and human decency (or lack there of) without eliciting these powerful emotions. The author gets you invested in these characters and you root for them to persevere and hurt with them when they struggle. The highs are incredibly high, filling your spirit with hope, but goodness, the lows are heartbreakingly low, tearing your heart right out of your chest. This is truly a testament to the superb writing and storytelling of Vic James. Gilded Cage really had it all and I cannot wait to continue on with this series!

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher*

Grabbed me on the first page and never let go. I was enthralled by the intertwining of the two classes, their similarities and their differences. Was let down by the ending but now I see it's the beginning of a series. Can't wait to find out what happens in the next one.

This is a dark tale about the misuse of magic. There are the "haves" and "have nots" in this world just like in the world we live now, but those with "skills" are vindictive and mean. They are also the ruling class and the other unfortunates are slaves. They only have to serve for ten years but not all of them survive them. This not a nice world.

Del Rey and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published on February 14th.

The various characters in this book each have their own chapters. You get the story from all sides. The skilled and the slaves both have their say. The story is put together well and the plot stays together. The author even made me care about some of the characters; others I learned to hate. I didn't enjoy reading this as much as I expected. There's too much bad happening. I wanted a lighter read and this does not qualify for that.

One thing that really sent a shiver up my spine is the fact that the skilled can use mind control on you. That scares me. Imagine doing something you don't want to do because they made you...

I do think that young adult readers will enjoy it. It's a well told tale, but just a bit too dark for me. That might just be my age talking. Give it a try and see what you think.

So I'm normally NOT a huge fan of dystopian novels so I'm not sure what possessed me to request this in the first place. I AM SO GLAD I DID! It takes place in an alternate England where you have The Equals (my eyes roll as I wrote that) and everyone else, who gets to serve a decade as slaves for lacking the one thing "The Equals" have that they don't, Skill.

The characters are really well written as is the story itself. I enjoyed the multiple point-of-views and seeing the different, yet similar, struggles of the characters. While it's hard to imagine this happening in real life, the scenery and characters were realistic enough that I felt I actually knew them. I liked that it was not all gloom and doom and there were some lighter moments and stolen kisses throughout.

I cannot wait to read the next in the series!

I had a very very very hard time getting into this book. I think the fact that the narration and point of view changed after each chapter threw me off and kept me from getting immersed into the world of the book. There were also a lot of characters and back-story to keep up with.

What a great story. Imagine having to give 10 years of your life to a ruling class as part of your civic duty. When would be the most convenient 10 years? Early in adulthood? Later when you have established a career and family? Hmm. Of course this 10 years is spent in salve like conditions, some dangerous, some demeaning but always without retaining your rights as a free person.

The "Equals", or ruling family, all possess Skills; the author's term for magic or powers. They use it to maintain their lifestyles and impose their will on the common constituents. The story reads as if set in Feudal era's but scenes hint at setting in a more modern time. Either way, my mind kept seeing slaves, lords and caste systems and I had difficulty seeing any present day correlation.

This follows a family of 5 committed to doing their 10 years of service when their youngest child turned 10. With expectations of all 5 serving in one of the ruling houses of "Equals" they are devastated to find that the one and only son is being separated and sent to a workhouse community where physical danger is an everyday occurrence. He is just 16 but finds his way to help in an underground group trying to make life a little more livable in the community. Putting his life on the line daily to assist his fellow resident.

The rest of his family are serving in various capacities at the estate of one of the Equals. Demeaning servitude, although at a safer and more esthetic setting, still takes a toll on the oldest daughter who falls in love with one of the "non-skilled" sons of the Equals. Taboo in triplicate.

The story follows all the perils of the family and their desire to be reunited. With no rights of their own, they are definitely caught in a "cage" not of their making.

I loved the characters, loved the storyline and thought it a great take on oppression of the masses and rebellions that must be in everyone's mind. I did however find myself skipping forward in some parts and riveted to the page in others. The ending left me a somewhat cold but surely there will be at least a sequel in the future!

A thoroughly engaging altiverse with relatable characters but the ending was excessively bleak.

I galloped through reading this book. I was entranced and was driven to finish as fast as I could. In the midst of reading I attending NY ComicCon and had the pleasure to meet the author Vic James and get a signed print ARC of this same title...The only hard part was meeting her before finishing the novel..I was at the climax of action and just wanted to read! Good characters and beginning of a nice series. It got a bit frantic at the end and confusing sorting out who, what, when, but overall good work.