From Namina Forna
The Gilded Ones lives in West Africa and follows Deka, a young girl who is more than she seems. After an adult blood ceremony, the blood in Deka’s veins was found to be gold instead of red, indicating that she does not belong to the villagers. Deka’s existence is threatened, but shortly before she receives a punishment worse than death, a mysterious woman invites her to join the “Alaki”, a group of warriors like her with special skills. She now has to train to defend her life in an epic battle set to take place in the capital. Deka and the Alaki are reminiscent of Hunger Games and Black Panthers and fight for the right to exist as they are. The author Namina Forna is a young black woman from Sierra Leone whose life is a great inspiration for this debut novel.
