The Gilded Ones is an exhaustive look at the damage inflicted on women by a patriarchal society, and when I say damage, I mean D-A-M-A-G-E. I will give you so many brutal almost-deaths, you’ll marvel at my ingenuity from here to eternity. There’s a great line in The Gilded Ones from Captain Kelechi that really seems to set the tone for Namina’s fabulous debut effort… Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself. 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. Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she’s ever known. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire’s greatest threat.

They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts.

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. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.īut 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. 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. Racism, xenophobia, misogyny, inequality, trauma, and more are all mixed in this empowering story that offers diversity through a cast of complex characters, including an incredible lead.Īnd similar to Bethany Morrow’s superb A Song Below Water series, this book interlaces and intertwines all of its contrivances, integrating them with the story’s central themes in a natural way. ★ 'This book shimmers like gold.The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna is a wonderful West African folklore/fantasy novel that balances multiple real-world themes and fantastical magical elements with a razor sharp precision. The Merciless Ones is the second thrilling installment of the epic fantasy series in which a young heroine fights against a world that would dare tame her. And with her own gifts changing, Deka must discover if she holds the key to saving Otera.

Yet hidden secrets threaten to destroy everything Deka has known. For there is a dark force growing in Otera-a merciless power that Deka and her army must stop. but war is waging across the kingdom, and the real battle has only just begun. ”-BuzzFeed It's been six months since Deka freed the goddesses in the ancient kingdom of Otera and discovered who she really is. “Fans of Children of Blood and Bone, Mulan, and the Dora Milaje from Black Panther are going to adore.

The epic, hotly anticipated sequel to the instant bestseller The Gilded Ones about a girl with the power to remake her world-or destroy it.

The gilded ones 2