Review: Gilded Cage

The Details

Title: Gilded Cage

Author: Vic James

Genre: Dystopian, YA

Length: 368 pages

Release Date: February 17, 2017

Medium: E-Book

Rating: 4/5 stars

Pace: Medium

Stand-alone or Series: Series Dark Gifts #1

“Do your slavedays too old, you’ll never get through them. Do your slavedays too young, you’ll never get over them.”

The Goodreads Synopsis

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 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? 
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?

The Review        

I was provided this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Seconds please! This book has its own magical world that I loved. I enjoyed the different take on a dystopian genre. The slavetowns were a new concept that I found interesting. I felt there was so much history behind the book and loved the world building. I was eager to know what was going to happen and the ending has me begging for more!

The Characters

I enjoyed most of the main characters. I felt like the Kingston estate characters could use a bit more detail, but then again the darkness behind them was mysterious.

Abi was the sister everyone wants and loves. Doing whatever it takes to keep her family safe.

Luke was a great character that I cheered for the entire time. He felt so real and relatable.

The Style

This book is told from different perspectives every chapter or so. Sometimes that drives me crazy, but the flow was great.

The Recommendation

I recommend this to anyone looking for a magical and historical type of book. 

#T5W: Goals (01/04/2017)

Today’s Top 5 Wednesday topic is Goals. These do not need to be reading goals specifically, they can be any goals you want to talk about. Reading goals, blog/channel/instagram goals, personal goals...anything!

This year I have many goals I want to accomplish in my life. I have book goals, lifestyle goals, and career goals, below are just a few.

1. BLOG! I have been without internet so it makes it difficult to update my blog. I want to get myself to go out to the library or another place with free wi-fi. Such as, Barnes and Noble, where I am now!
2. Read 52 books. In 2016 my goal was to read 24 books (2 per month). I reached that goal by reading 30 books. I was in a rut for the first few months of the year and a couple minor ones throughout. My goal is to keep pushing through those ruts by reading middle grade or other shorter and simpler books. Add me on Goodreads!
3. Kanksbooklife Instagram. I have been lacking on this front as well. I have been traveling the country with my boyfriend in a semi and have only been reading e-books. They aren’t as great to photograph. I hope to spend more time with my physical books now that I am not gone for a month at a time.
4. Health. I want to improve my overall health. Make healthier choices, exercise, and hopefully lose a few pounds. I really want to improve my stamina and mood as well.
5. CTMH. I recently became a Close to my Heart Independent Consultant. I have tons of goals for that alone, but the first and foremost is to keep up with it. I plan to create a blog and already have an Intagram.

For more information on #T5W check out my Introduction to Top5 Wednesday post.