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The Gilded Ones

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The Gilded Ones

Written by: Namina Forna
Narrated by: Shayna Small
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Buy Now for $34.87

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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TEEN VOGUE

"A dark feminist tale spun with blood and gold. Must read!" –Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.

The start of a bold and immersive fantasy series for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Panther. Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Literature & Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Village
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What a great story! I absolutely adore this world that's been created and appreciate this text for being the Kick-Ass Black feminist literature that it is. It has a lot of really heavy topics (abuse, trauma, violence, etc) and deals with heavier topics than I expected in a YA so young readers definitely need a trigger warning (but nothing is too gory or unnecessary, all the issues are well presented and logical in their additional) It can be very violent but never unnecessarily so. I feel that this is a really well written, female lead, Black perspective that the fantasy world benefits from having. So good

Yaasss

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Oh boy … while the story idea is interesting if you’re into dystopian fantasy, the narration gets in the way of the story (e.g. forced accents, especially for Britta which made her very unlikable to me, and sometimes the narration for the main character, although no accent, had odd intonation). The narration got in the way of the story and I found myself focusing more on it than the plot. This is definitely an example of when less is more. I may give this series another try and get the second book, but I’m unsure if I’ll get it on audible if it’s the same narration.

Narrator — Less is More

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I was exhausted by the basic and overdone fantasy storylines Audible kept recommending (usually written by a man with 0 empathy and self awareness). So imagine my surprise when I came across The Gilded Ones on the day of its release!

This is not a light and frivolous book BUT explores real world issues (racism, xenophobia, misogyny, etc.) in an engaging way. Entertaining enough for adult readers and accessible enough for kids. Can’t say enough good things about the plot line. I can usually guess where things are going but Namina held my attention the whole way through! 10/10

A Gem In A Sea of Fantasy Duds

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Captivating story and narrator! The female lead Deka goes through the most stunning character growth and I fell in love with all the lead characters. Can't recommend enough!

Could not stop listening!

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It's definitely a different book from what I am used to. The Gilded Ones, by Namina Forma, has been on my TBR list for so long, and Im glad I finished it. I'll be honest, it took me a while to finish this boo. Yet once I got into it, I enjoyed and appreciated the twists and emotions that surprised me as I read. I recommend this book. I am looking forward to knowing more about this series in the next book!

Not What You Expect At All... in a Good Way

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