Gilded Cage by Vic James
- tarascates
- Jan 31, 2017
- 2 min read
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?
This book ripped me up mainly because of what America is going through right now; it was as if the author could foresee the future and know the wide disparity between classes would be happening in reality.
I felt the dialogue was realistic and it flowed well conversationally. So often there were things the characters said I’ve seen on social media or in TV interviews lately so it made these words all the more gut wrenching. Reading how even within the elite there were some who wanted to make things different and help but were being beaten back by those in power it was like watching the current protests come through the pages of this book.
The plot is well thought out, the storyline is well written and overall I just felt the author did a magnificent job of capturing the political angst that occurs when you have a minority class of people in power oppressing the majority until the majority begins to snap, demanding their freedom and equality.
It was a bit like the British version of The Hunger Games but more political, you definitely get more from the ruling class in this book. There are some truly atrocious things done by those in power to the others and some of the acts were so gut wrenching it made it difficult to continue reading at times but that’s also a testament to the author’s writing ability to evoke that much emotion.
I think it very much speaks to the current political climate and I’m vastly curious to see where the author is going to take it from here particularly since it ends on a cliffhanger.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for allowing me to review this book.
*synopsis and pic from netgalley.com