For those who aren't familiar, each month I've made it a goal to read and review one novel that came out that month from a debut author. This month, I read The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna.
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book, but let me tell you. It.
Was.
Amazing.
There was so much I loved about this group. The great complex and unique relationships unfolding between girls. The startling darkness that kept me reading in rapt horror, but mixed with moments of real joy and inspiration. The complexities of Deka's understanding of her religion, her society, and herself, and the way all these things morph throughout the story. The main couple-oh how I shipped them so hard. (Can you tell how much it's hurting me to keep all my gushing spoiler-free?)
If you want to know how good this book is, know this: This book is over 400 pages long. I read it in nearly one sitting. (If I hadn't had to get dinner in the middle, I would have read it in one sitting.) As it was, I read it in one night and I. Have. No. Regrets.
The Gilded Ones is a stunning debut, deserving of all the high praise it's been given. Give it a read, and you'll be doing yourself a huge favor.
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