Book Review: The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
Back in February, I listened to and loved Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow (my review linked). The last book I finished this year is The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna, also in audiobook format. These books, along with others like Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone (which I loved, but haven’t written any reviews of), are part of a new trend in science fiction and fantasy where the main characters are non-western girls. Let me be clear that I am here for this trend. As a GenX girl who loved science fiction and fantasy books, I grew up mostly reading about the adventures of young, implied western, boys. So I am thrilled that these two stories bookended my year in books.
The Gilded Ones is a traditional “chosen one” narrative, even if its protagonist and setting are uncommon in US-centric young adult fantasy. Deka, our main character, is special from the beginning, “unnatural” even among the other “unnatural” characters, placed in situations by her mentor who knows exactly what she is, even if she does not. While the circumstances Deka is put in have her commit some morally ambiguous actions, she is always a hero. She feels conflicted about what she is doing, and suffers from guilt about her actions, even though she believes she is fighting a just war.
The twist in the story was well-telegraphed. I would not have been able to tell you the details of the twist before it was revealed, but I knew what the generalities would be. There was nothing in it that surprised me. That said, it was well done and satisfying. I did not feel like I was promised something I did not get nor that I got an ending that came out of left field.
The supporting cast is my favorite thing about The Gilded Ones. Just like in many of this style of story, our protagonist is kind of the least interesting character we interact with. She’s a good person. We like her. But she is predictable. Her mentor and friends are given varied backgrounds and get to respond to the same stimuli in more nuanced ways.
The one place where I found the book to be somewhat novel is in its love triangle. Love triangles themselves seem to have become a requirement of all young adult fantasy with female point-of-view characters, (I do not think this is a standard trope in male-focused young adult fantasy, but I could be wrong), so the fact that it feels the need to have one is obviously not new or exciting. But what Forna does incredibly well is make the triangle both subtle and conflict-free (at least in this first book – I could see that changing in future books). The triangle is Deka, her male love interest Keita, and her best friend Britta. The relationships between Deka and Keita and Deka and Britta are solid. Britta and Keita understand each other’s roles in Deka’s life and do not question their own places beside her.
Forna is a talented writer, and I would say the Gilded Ones is better written than Iron Widow. But the truth is, I enjoyed Iron Widow more. In a sense, The Gilded Ones is the dramatic Oscar contender and Iron Widow is the summer blockbuster. Both are good and have different strengths, and which one you prefer is just a matter of taste. I had more fun listening to Iron Widow and appreciated the protagonist who is willing to be a villain in order to be a hero. But that takes nothing away from The Gilded Ones, and I happily recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy novels.
