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The Gilded Ones (Deathless, #1)

Namina Forna

Start date: April 3, 2023

Finish date: April 30, 2023

Discussion: Book of the Month

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What Members Thought

May 16, 2021 akacya ❦ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ownvoices, format-ebook, audience-young-adult, genre-fantasy, black-authors

After a ceremony determines that Deka isn’t one of the village members, she runs off to be with alaki, an army of near-immortal girls who are like her. On her journey to train in the capital, many surprises are thrown her way.

I thought the plot was executed very well. Honestly, the blurb doesn’t do everything in this book justice, which is understandable, because I’m having trouble putting it into words myself. It was original and unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Additionally, the characte ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

May 08, 2021 Alicia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: demons, covers-i-love, bipoc-mc, gods, bipoc-author, fighty-chicks, fantasy

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book.
The way it was promoted I thought this was going to be a heavy political fantasy, which tend to bore me. But... when it has such a gorgeous cover, who can resist giving it a go?
I think if you enjoyed the Medoran Chronicles, you'd probably enjoy this. Very different world (obviously) but it's a similar easy writing style, strong on friendships and light on love interest (but with some waayyy darker themes). It's more about exploring and adventure with ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 28, 2023 Darien Klein rated it liked it

Shelves: reading-challenges, 2023-reads

I appreciated the inherent darkness of this universe immediately upon opening the book. The horror present in the purity ceremony, the removal of anything that could cut a girl for a full year pre-ceremony to ensure that any "impure" are publically outed and condemned. The greed and brutality that humankind can inflict on those they view as other. Personally, most of the twists and turns I was able to see coming from a mile away. Surprisingly, the one twist I was sure was coming, never materiali ...more

1 like · Like · see review