Review: Gilded Cage by Vic James

From Goodreads: 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. Abi is a servant to England's most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family's secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price? 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. [There] is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate - or destroy?

My Rating: 2.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Gilded Cage by Vic James was the 2017 debut I was probably most excited about reading. The prologue did nothing to decrease my excitement either – with a slave trying to escape with her baby off an estate and then getting shot by her master (who also happens to be the baby’s father).

The premise is supposed to be simple: In an alternate Britain, the aristocrats are now people with Skill – known as Equals – and all those that lack Skill have to serve them for ten years as slaves before they can become full citizens. When you choose to serve is up to you, but you can’t own property, travel abroad or have certain jobs until you've completed your slavedays. Despite this, Luke and Abi’s parents appear to have their own house and jobs. Considering you’re pretty much allowed to do everything you want then without fulfilling your slavedays (e.g. go to university, marry, have kids, own assets, etc.), I’m not sure why everybody wouldn’t wait until they’re about to die before doing their slavedays.

Besides the confusing worldbuilding, there were quite a few POVs as well. This is something I normally avoid because I find that characters’ voices often blend together … and this was the case in Gilded Cage. It also didn’t help that the storyline kept jumping back and forth between Millmoor, a slavetown, and Kyneston, the estate of the founding family.

Finally, I never connected with the characters. Luke was basically a pawn, and I just wanted to slap Abi because for someone who was supposedly smart, she developed an instant crush on Jenner, whose family essentially owned her and her family. Moreover, Abi continued to lust after Jenner even after finding out that he witnessed her memories being tampered with and didn't tell her what happened!

A disappointing read, Gilded Cage was released by Del Ray Books in February 2017. 

Comments About the Cover: To me, the cover makes it seem like the story is set in the Victorian era, even though it isn’t.

Review: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

From Goodreads: Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood. The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows - everyone knows - that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her. But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

My Rating: 4.5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Uprooted by Naomi Novik was a book that appeared on my radar as a read recommended for those who liked Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses (which I had put on my wishlist, but have yet to still read). I wasn’t sure what to expect from Uprooted when I began it; but after reading it, here are five reasons why I think you should definitely read it too: 

1. The protagonist: Agnieszka is a heroine that’s easy to root for. She’s average looking, loves the outdoors, is clumsy, and can never stay tidy. Even when Agnieszka finds out that she has magic and is a pretty powerful witch, she doesn’t develop an ego. Case in point: while the other wizards have fancy nicknames, she chooses to be Agnieszka of Dvernik.  
2. The secondary characters: I loved how well-rounded all the secondary characters in the story were. The villain, for example, still managed to earn some sympathy from me, despite having done such terrible things.  
3. The setting: I don’t want to spoil anything so all I’m going to say about the Wood is that it’s seriously creepy! 
4. The portrayal of friendship: I really liked how realistic the relationship between Kasia and Agnieszka was. Not only was their friendship layered, but it developed over the course of the novel as well. 
5. The romance: Initially, the Dragon and Agnieszka have a rather unequal relationship because he’s a lot older than her and much more knowledgeable about magic. Then, there’s the fact that Agnieszka has grown up resenting him because she knows that he’s going to take Kasia when they turn seventeen. However, Agnieszka and the Dragon’s relationship becomes more equal as she learns about her own magic and spends more time with him. I loved seeing the two of them slowly start to open up to each other! 

A must-read for those who enjoy fantasy, Uprooted was released in May 2015 by Del Ray. 

Comments About the Cover: I guess because the central picture is of a girl with a rose, the cover reminds me of Beauty and the Beast. The story though isn’t a retelling of the fairy tale, in spite of some similar elements.