Title: Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts, #1)
Author: Vic James
Pages: 416
Publisher: 1st December 2016
Release date: Pan Macmillan
Blurb from Goodreads:
One glorious summer, Luke's family is torn apart. He's expecting nothing more sinister than exams, while his sister Abi anticipates university. But they'll be separated to do their slavedays - a decade of labour demanded by law, enforced by a magically-skilled aristocracy.
Luke will dream of rebellion in a barbaric factory town. Abi will navigate the malice of a high-born estate, and find an unlikely love. But the siblings must choose sides as Britain moves from anger to defiance. They'll become entangled in acts of savagery and magic, as nobles vie for power. No one is safe and none will emerge unscathed. Is there a better way - or will a dangerous young aristocrat remake the world with his dark gifts?
My Review:
*I
received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Pan
Macmillan and NetGalley*
The Hadley
family live in a version of Britain which is divided into Equals - those with
special abilities (Skills) who are aristocrats and rule the country - and those
without - normal humans who serve them.
Throughout
their lives each human has to complete their slavedays - a decade of servitude
- and the Hadley family have decided that it's time for them to do theirs.
Abi Hadley
has arranged for her family to spend their slavedays on the Jardine estate but
the Hadleys are separated when Luke is sent to a factory town.
Events
lead to the Hadleys becoming involved in the struggle for power as the seed of
revolution is planted in the population.
Can the
Hadleys serve their slavedays without getting into any trouble?
Gilded
Cage had a very interesting concept and I thought that this book set up the
series well.
I liked
the Hadleys and I felt sorry for them - they were pawns to the Equals, some of
who treated humans like dirt. I also liked some of the Jardines - more than I
probably should have!
The plot
was quite slow in places but this book was setting up the rest of the series so
that was understandable.
I liked
the writing style - it held my attention but I wasn't gripped.
I'm
interested to find out more about the world that Vic James has created.
Overall
this was an enjoyable read and a solid start to the series.
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