Title: Gilded Cage

Author: Vic James

Publisher: Del Rey Books

Publication Date: February 2017

Genre: YA Fiction/ Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series Book One

 

Synopsis can be found here.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Review:

a sloooooow burn.

 

Gilded Cage is the beginning of a promising series about magic, political intrigue and class.

I’m not going to lie. The beginning started out slow but after 50 pages in, I couldn’t wait to get home and read some more. Abi and her family have been transferred to the great estate of a Skilled family, a family that uses magic and is a higher class than Abi. There she meets the three sons, their ruthless father and mostly absentee mother, along with various other Skilled individuals who all have their own agendas. Abi and her family are sent there to serve out their require 10 years of slavery term, put into place many years before. Everyone except Abi’s brother Luke. Luke is sent to a slave working town where he befriends some very interesting characters, all seeking revolution. Thus, Luke is thrown into bigger plans that might get him killed, but he can’t seem to stop.

Going back and forth between Luke and Abi, the story fluctuates between the mysterious family and the brewing revolution. I really loved all of the characters. They are so extremely multi-layered and interesting, especially the Equal family that Abi is living with. Every son is hurt, powerful, beaten. Good and bad. I was suspicious of all and trusted none, but still rooted for each one, hoping they would find goodness.

Luke’s journey is also fun with a lot more action and suspense. I liked the setting of the labor camps and how realistic they were, how they changed people and how they were changing him.

At the beginning, it was slow to get into, a lot of set up and explaining. But soon, it was clear that the parallel story lines were both equally intriguing. And now that I’m done, I’m fully invested in the characters, the revolution and that cliffhanger ending!

Wow!