Bumpy Oak Books

**I was provided an electronic ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

4 stars

Namina Forna’s debut novel, The Gilded Ones, is a feminist, West African-inspired fantasy where the demon-tainted girls bleed gold. When Deka has her coming-of-age ritual, she hopes to bleed red, a mark of purity. When she finds that she is one of the impure, it starts a whirlwind of suffering in which she loses all that she has. When presented an opportunity by a stranger, Deka finds herself anew as a warrior of the empire along with other tainted girls who possess rare gifts.

I was quickly immersed in the world that Forna created. I’m a sucker for the training camp/school/etc. and Forna executed this trope in Deka’s military training beautifully. I also found it notable that all of the “cursed” girls were partnered with boys, but that romances took a firm backseat in the entirety of the story. Deka has a love interest, but this story was absolutely and undeniably about the strength and power of the girls. The boys, while present, were barely side characters for a majority of the book. This isn’t commonly found in YA books, and it was a refreshing change.

I loved that Forna showed glimpses of what was to come throughout the book, while managing to still have a “big reveal” moment. Forna has also set up nicely for a sequel, which I hope will come as I am invested in Deka’s world.

I really wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did, and am thrilled to have been able to read this early. I am sure that readers will support this release as it seems to hit on many points that are popular right now, while having beautiful execution of the writing throughout.

I very much look forward to seeing what Forna releases in the future after such a strong debut.