Content levels
Trigger warnings
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
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.
Is The Gilded Ones appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 14 and up.
This dark feminist fantasy contains strong violence including torture, executions, and body mutilation (specifically female genital mutilation themes), along with religious persecution and blood imagery. The themes of bodily autonomy and fighting patriarchal oppression are powerful but the graphic content warrants careful consideration.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include torture, self-harm, and death (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will find an empowering story of a girl discovering her strength while fighting against a system that labels her impure and trains with other outcast girls to become warriors.