Gilded Cage by Vic James

Britain’s magically skilled aristocracy compels all commoners to serve them for ten years – and now it’s the Hadleys’ turn. Abi Hadley is assigned to England’s most ruthless noble family. The secrets she uncovers could win her freedom – or break her heart. Her brother Luke is enslaved in a brutal factory town, where new friends’ ideals might cost him everything. Then while the elite vie for power, a young aristocrat plots to remake the world with his dark gifts. As Britain moves from anger to defiance, all three must take sides. And the consequences of their choices will change everything, forever.

Before starting Gilded Cage I knew it was going to be an interesting read, but I was still completely blown away with the utter brilliance of this book. I have read quite a few fantasy books and books with magical powers and I found this book to be one of the best I’ve read. Gilded Cage is the first book in The Dark Gifts series and I think this is going to be one of my favourite series ever.

The story starts off with the Hadley family going to start their ten years of slavery with the powerful Jardine family, but things don’t go to plan and Tom Hadley is separated from his family and has to do his slavedays in a horrid place called Millmoor. The Hadley family are a relatable family and I found them all really interesting characters, but for me the Jardine family are the ones that make this book so gipping, they are mysterious, powerful and very intriguing.

The world is very much like ours today but with a few differences. The main difference is that the ruling class have magical powers and the people who don’t have powers are forced to complete ten years of slavery. This is only a snippet of the plot but this is the part that won me over and made me want to read this book. I thought it was an interesting concept and it was really well executed. At the beginning of the book it felt like any other fiction novel, but then suddenly it was flipped on its head and the magical aspect of the plot kicked in and kicked this book to the top of my favourite book pile.

Once I started reading Gilded Cage I was glued to every page and I couldn’t put the book down until I read the very last page. I was gripped from the very beginning and everything about this book makes it so easy to read and I found myself finishing this book in only a couple of sittings. The writing is so descriptive and so immersive that you become part of the book and part of the world, and it makes reading this book even more exciting.

If you are looking for a new series to dive into then I would definitely recommend reading Gilded Cage because its something entirely original and an absolutely amazing book. I loved this book and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the series because if its anything like this book then I know its going to be an exciting journey.

I rate this book 5/5 stars