Review: The Gilded Cage | A Visit to Barner Books
“Not all scars are as visible as this. I daresay you have many more inside you. But never forget that every scar is beautiful. And you should never, ever be ashamed of them.”
In case you don’t remember, I checked out this second book in The Prison Healer series from Libby IMMEDIATELY after finishing the first. That’s how good the cliffhanger was. You can find that review here. I’d recommend starting with that first, so I don’t accidentally spoil anything.
Almost three weeks passed while I dug into other books, my loan expired, I got her back, and THEN we were finally ready to go.
Publisher’s description: “Kiva trades one cage for another when she leaves behind a deadly prison for a deceptive palace.
Kiva Meridan is a survivor.
She survived not only Zalindov prison, but also the deadly Trial by Ordeal. Now Kiva’s purpose goes beyond survival to vengeance. For the past ten years, her only goal was to reunite with her family and destroy the people responsible for ruining their lives. But now that she has escaped Zalindov, her mission has become more complicated than ever.
As Kiva settles into her new life in the capital, she discovers she wasn’t the only one who suffered while she was in Zalindov—her siblings and their beliefs have changed too. Soon it’s not just her enemies she’s keeping secrets from, but her own family as well.
Outside the city walls, tensions are brewing from the rebels, along with whispers of a growing threat from the northern kingdoms. Kiva’s allegiances are more important than ever, but she’s beginning to question where they truly lie. To survive this time, she’ll have to navigate a complicated web of lies before both sides of the battle turn against her and she loses everything.”
I have mixed feelings about this book….
What I liked:
I liked the world, the towns, the castle, everything about the setting. I like that between the drama there were moments where the characters and I just got to exist in this fantasy world where things were good and there were tea shops, festivals, and sweet treats.
I liked the twists and turns. Sure the ending didn’t give me the same dopamine hit as the first book, but it was still stressful and surprising and solid.
I like Caldon the best out of all the characters, which is funny because he’s barely in the first book. He was a great, thoughtful, funny, protective, and deep addition to the crew.
I also appreciated that this book seemed to move much quicker than the first one.
What I didn’t like:
Kiva-sorry. I know the point of the book is supposed to be her vacillating between her supporting her family’s rebellion or the royal’s rule. But my god, have a spine. She made so many dumb choices that I had a hard time feeling bad for her by the end. I hated how she would come to some resolve and then immediately do the opposite of what her values seemed to be.
I also grew a little bored of Jaren to be honest. He was so good. But I wish he had more of an edge like Caldon. Actually, can we just switch the love interest to Cal next book?
There were a lot of overly convenient things that happened. The characters didn’t hold each other accountable like I wish they would have, and some of the royal laws were a bit…childish… which took me out of the story a bit.
To sum it up, if you are a fantasy person I think these books are worth the read. They made me happy and sad and frustrated and all the things I like. I love the world and (most) of the characters and it leaves you NEEDING more somehow. Once I got about 30% in I flew through this book, loving how quickly moving it was and dying to know how Kiva’s poor choices would turn out.
But if this is your first fantasy, I’m not sure if it’s the place to start. I think I stuck with it at times just for the sake of experiencing the castle and magical world, and if it wasn’t my thing, I may have bailed.
Or maybe it’s the opposite….. maybe those of us who read fantasy have bigger expectations and if this is your first you will love it….
I don’t know. You decide.
My Rating: 3.75/5
Read the book and agree or disagree with me? I want to hear from you!
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Barner Books (New Paltz, NY)
Barner Books was FILLED with cozy, rare finds. A staple of the Hudson Valley book community, they specialize in buying and trading valuable books. I got lost in the winding aisles, historic finds, and out-of-print collections. Perfect for a rainy day when you want to lose yourself in time for a bit.
Thanks for reading this week! Hope you all have a great week of books and bookstores.
*No bonus article this Friday- I’m recovering from the flu (good thing I was ahead on articles so I somehow still got this review out on time) and want to get caught up with some other book reviews before I get too far behind. Everyone stay healthy and see you all next Tuesday!