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Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts, Book 1)

Gilded Cage Book Cover Gilded Cage
Dark Gifts, Book 1
Vic James
Del Rey Books
February 14, 2017
368

For readers of Victoria Aveyard and Kiera Cass comes a darkly fantastical debut set in a modern England where magically gifted aristocrats rule--and commoners are doomed to serve. NOT ALL ARE FREE. NOT ALL ARE EQUAL. NOT ALL WILL BE SAVED. Our world belongs to the Equals--aristocrats with magical gifts--and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England's grandest estate lies a power that could break the world. A girl thirsts for love and knowledge. Abi is a servant to England's most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of their noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family's secrets might win her liberty--but will her heart pay the price? A boy dreams of revolution. Abi's brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution. And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts. He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate--or destroy?

 

Review:

“Gilded Cage” is a good take on a dystopian world mixed with fantasy elements.

The story is well-thought out with multiple points of view effectively used to both advance the story and tell it from different segments of the society.  The world-building is excellent.  All of the characters are complex and leave some mystery to them to be explored in the next book.  There are definitely some parallels to the current political climate throughout the book to be found.

I recommend “Gilded Cage” to lovers of dystopian books mixed with some magical elements.  It’s a quick and relatively clean read that is thought-provoking and fun.  I’m looking forward to the next book.

This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.

 

Content Warning:

Language, Brief Sexual Situations, Violence