Gilded Cage by Vic James
This is a YA fantasy novel set in a dystopian future where there are a few people who are able to use magic. Those who are unable to use magic must spend ten years of their life as a slave. This could be in a factory or it could be in a manor where the “Equals” live their lives of luxury.
This book follows the Hadley family as they embark on their “years”. Even from the beginning everything starts to fall apart.
Although the book jumps around through many different perspectives, it mostly follows Luke and Abi Hadley as they end up having very different experiences during their slavery. Luke becomes involved with a group of slaves set on trying to change the system of inequality. Abi on the other hand finds herself falling for the Equal she is supposed to serve despite the fact that he is the first in his family to not have any abilities.
I think probably my favorite character in this book was one of the Equals who we know very little about but he’s kind of dark and creepy and mysterious.
Overall this was an ok book. It gripped me and made me want to keep reading. There was definitely a rather heavy emphasis on the politics of the situation which I wasn’t a huge fan of but I know some people really love that.
/my biggest kind of disappointment was when I neared the end of the book and realized that it is a series and not just a stand alone book. Thus instead of actually ending in any capacity, the book just turned a different corner and got all set up for the next book. That being said, I probably won’t continue the series (although I don’t think the next book is even out yet) although I certainly don’t regret reading this one.
This was very obviously a teen book in ways that were occasionally very frustrating to me as a slightly older person.
Overall an ok book. Its a very interesting concept albeit totally unrealistic and never really explained as to how we got from our world to this dystopian version.
#64 of 2017
Gilded Cage on Amazon
This was the last book I read in 2017 and I finished it on December 30. I’m really proud of how many books I read. I definitely read way more than I was expecting to be able to. I guess it just goes to show what you can do.
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