

|b Random House Childrens Books, Attn Order Entry 400 Hahn rd, Westminister, MD, USA, 21157 |n SAN 201-3975 I also found some of the dialogue a little stilted. I think for me, the story - young women outcast by society because of the powers they’re born with, forced to fight monsters in their country’s army - just got bogged down in clumsy world-building. Second of all, this was a sloAlso I really, REALLY need one of those shapeshifting cat things that Deka has as my own pet. My Thoughts: First of all, can we take a moment to appreciate how freakin’ gorgeous the cover of Namina Forna’s The Gilded Ones is?! Because wow. 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.

Publisher Description: 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.
