The Golden Child

Lately, I have not read much for pleasure because I am on the judging panel for 2 different book panels.  However, I recently finished The Gilded Ones and it was FANTASTIC! (Thank you Hear Our Voices Blog Tour and Delacorte Press for gifting me a copy of the book.

Release Date: February 9, 2021

Author Namina Forna

The Gilded Ones is West African-inspired, feminist YA fantasy.  The author, Namina Forna, was inspired by the deeply patriarchal societies in her native country of Sierra Leone and here in the US, where she attended college.  Basically the same pig, just a different dress (my words, not the author).  The book looks at the patriarchy and it is used to determine the narrative for women including our place and our worth.  It also examines how it thrives and survives, including how women and non-binary people survive under the patriarchy. 

I loved all the powerful, uplifting, supportive women in this book.  The young women in this book are in a precarious situation, yet they support each other to the end.  Each character is powerful in their own way.  In a world where the men basically determine your worth, these young women uplift each other and find a way to determine their own worth.
The action was fast-paced, the characters were well developed and I like how Ms. Forna did not play to traditional gender roles.  The diversity in the book was well represented.  

Rating: 💖💖💖💖.5/5

Today is my Tour Stop for Hear Our Voices Blog Tours.  I was tasked with Dream Cast and a Playlist.

For the Dream Cast, I chose Ajiona Alexus because she looks like my image of Deka and I believe she could pull off the spirit of Deka.  I was torn between Ashton Sanders and John Boyega for Keita.  Both could pull off that nobleman next door attitude.  White Hands is Regina King all day, especially after seeing her as Sister Night.  Britta was the hardest to cast but after seeing Derry Girls and Bridgerton, I settled on Nicola Coughlan.  She plays Penelope on the Bridgertons.

For the Playlist, usually, I approach like I'm setting a musical score for the book but for this playlist I wanted to create a mood.  So much of this story is about the non-male characters finding their voices and determining their worth.  So I went with empowering songs that uplift and put you in a kick-ass type of mood.  You can listen to this when you've had a crappy day, when you're getting ready to hang out with your girls (as soon as it's safe again), or when you and your crew have to topple the patriarchy before drinks.

Synopsis:
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 is quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself