Gilded Cage

De: Vic James

Narrado por: Avita Jay

MAGIC RULES. WE SERVE.

In a darkly fantastical debut set in modern-day Britain, magic users control everything: wealth, politics, power—and you. If you’re not one of the ultimate one-percenters—the magical elite—you owe them ten years of service. Do those years when you’re old, and you’ll never get through them. Do them young, and you’ll never get over them.

This is the darkly decadent world of Gilded Cage. In its glittering milieu move the all-powerful Jardines and the everyday Hadleys. The families have only one thing in common: Each has three children. But their destinies entwine when one family enters the service of the other. They will all discover whether any magic is more powerful than the human spirit.

Have a quick ten years. . . .

Look for all three books in the mesmerizing Dark Gifts trilogy:
GILDED CAGE • TARNISHED CITY • BRIGHT RUIN

Praise for Gilded Cage

“Beautifully characterised and compellingly plotted, Gilded Cage is an impressive debut.”—The Guardian

“Exquisitely wicked . . . a lavishly opulent, yet brutally vivid, alternate England which subtly questions modern beliefs . . . If ever there was a speculative fiction book that captured the zeitgeist of an era this is it.”—SFFWorld

“An alternate modern-day England where enticing drama and social unrest mix with aristocratic scandal and glamorous magic . . . conjuring up the specters of Les Misérables and Downton Abbey . . . an absorbing first installment that presages an intriguing new fantasy series.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Gilded Cage is a heart-pounding combination of dark magic, political revolution, and forbidden romance that had me addicted from the first page!”—Danielle L. Jensen, USA Today bestselling author of The Malediction Trilogy

“Devious and deliciously dark with lashings of magic, mystery, and mayhem, this juggernaut of a book will keep you hanging on by your fingernails until the very last page.”—Taran Matharu, New York Times bestselling author of the Summoner series

“A dark and intriguing vision of an alternate, magic-drenched Britain, Gilded Cage kept me up long into the night.”—Aliette de Bodard, author of The House of Shattered Wings

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Beautifully characterised and compellingly plotted, Gilded Cage is an impressive debut.”—The Guardian

“Exquisitely wicked . . . a lavishly opulent, yet brutally vivid, alternate England which subtly questions modern beliefs . . . If ever there was a speculative fiction book that captured the zeitgeist of an era this is it.”—SFFWorld

“An alternate modern-day England where enticing drama and social unrest mix with aristocratic scandal and glamorous magic . . . conjuring up the specters of Les Misérables and Downton Abbey . . . an absorbing first installment that presages an intriguing new fantasy series.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Gilded Cage is a heart-pounding combination of dark magic, political revolution, and forbidden romance that had me addicted from the first page!”—Danielle L. Jensen, USA Today bestselling author of The Malediction Trilogy

“Devious and deliciously dark with lashings of magic, mystery, and mayhem, this juggernaut of a book will keep you hanging on by your fingernails until the very last page.”—Taran Matharu, New York Times bestselling author of the Summoner series

“A dark and intriguing vision of an alternate, magic-drenched Britain, Gilded Cage kept me up long into the night.”—Aliette de Bodard, author of The House of Shattered Wings

“Brisk plotting, sympathetic characters, and plenty of intrigue will keep readers on the edges of their seats, eager for the next book in a very promising series.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Pretty good

Great voice. Story is meh but entertaining. Not sure about sequel. Uneven plotting but worth a listen.

the alternate society

It ended abruptly. I hadn't watched the time so when I heard Epilogue, I was very surprised

Surprised

I was a bit wary of this book due to all the bad reviews, but I’m glad I gave it a chance. I’m very interested to see what happens next. It did take me like 10 chapters to really get into the book, so hang in there. It gets better.

I find all the characters likable. Even some of the “villains”. The premise of the world is very interesting. I do think the author could have gone a bit deeper into the world building, but they did a good enough job.

The narration was great. I found her voice very pleasant. Many characters had distinctive voices though not all. She is not the best I’ve ever heard, but certainly one of the better.

The pacing was sort of all over the place. Some POVs could be cut out. There were too many and I think that may be why it took some time to get into. It wasn’t a linear plot. But all in all, I liked this book. I think the bad reviewers are a bit up themselves.

Hard to swallow

In our current state of inequality this book is hard to listen to. It’s a fantastic story, but painful. The injustice is overwhelming. The smugness of those in power makes your blood boil. I encourage you to listen and remember. We are unequal, we are slavers, we must stand together. Don’t let power concentrate.

loved this

great book. brings you right in, hate that i have yo wait for a book 2

Fantastic!

So good! The characters are intriguing and the plot is action packed. I couldn't put it down.

Waiting for book 2 and hope it comes soon.

What did you love best about Gilded Cage?

The whole story and all the characters.

What does Avita Jay bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Avita Jay bring an extra dimension to the book. The people come to life.

Any additional comments?

I am waiting for the next 2 books.

Listening to this after I read it in 2017

I read an ARC in 2017. To finish the series I listened to this to refresh my memory.

2017 review:
I really liked the set up of this alternate reality where those with magical powers (Skill) are the rulers (Equals). Usually the magical beings are in hiding and have their own world separate from those without magic. This turn around makes for an interesting story with power struggles, political maneuvering, and a rebellion that's going to be a heck of a time. Some reviewers on Goodreads said it was too political and they couldn't keep the characters straight. I don't get what they mean. It's YA and easy enough to follow.

I was happy that it was told from different POVs in the third person. That really gave the world building a fuller picture and we got to understand both the Equals and the slaves. Some characters got more chapters than others and so their story was better developed, but I hope to see more from Silyen in the next book. He's so conniving and the most mysterious.

A great starting point for a new trilogy.

4 out 5 Years of Servitude.

Phenomenal Worldbuilding, Slow Burn

A good and very interesting world! The author sets up an incredibly complex, but believable alternate reality with very real characters. However, the narrative is clearly just leading up to the next book. The climax leaves you wondering why it wasn't even a little resolved before the end of the book. If you're willing to wait for the real thick of the book until book 2, then you'll absolutely love this novel.

great story

Where does Gilded Cage rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

this was a good story with great characters and a few twists. I loved it....but....where is book 2???