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Summary
Summary
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 Cag e 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
Author Notes
Vic James is the author of Gilded Cage, which was shortlisted for the Compton Crook award and was a World Book Night 2018 pick, and its sequels Tarnished City and Bright Ruin. A current-affairs TV director who loves stories in all their forms, she has covered the 2016 U.S. presidential election and Britain's EU referendum for BBC1 and has twice judged The Guardian 's Not the Booker Prize. She has lived in Rome and Tokyo, and currently lives in London.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
James's clever debut, first published on Wattpad, introduces an alternate present day in which British society is stratified into aristocrats, who have magical skill, and mundane commoners, who are required by law to spend 10 years serving the skilled. Most end up in the factories and workhouses in Manchester's infamous slave town, Millmoor. That's the fate of 16-year-old Luke Hadley; the rest of his relatives are sent to work at Kyneston, the country estate of the Jardines, one of the most powerful families in the country. At Millmoor, Luke quickly becomes part of a secret group that helps ease the harsh lives of workers. Meanwhile, his parents and sisters are caught in the middle of Jardine family intrigues and political scheming that could change the country forever. The setting is so interesting that readers will eagerly suspend disbelief, and James drops tantalizing hints about how the rest of the world treats those who do and don't have access to magic. 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. Agent: Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown, Ltd. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
At first glance, the world of James' first novel seems familiar, but that illusion is quickly dispelled. The monarchy has long since been destroyed the British aristocracy has been replaced with Equals, people born with magical gifts, who lord it over the commoners with their powers. The story starts just before siblings Abi and Luke begin the 10 years of slavery mandated for all commoners (i.e., those without magic). Unexpectedly separated, they quickly learn how little they understood of the Equals as their views of the world shift. Luke adapts to life in a factory town by joining a rebellion, while Abi and the rest of the family live together but grown apart while serving a powerful family of Equals. Nobody emerges unscathed from their slavery years, as the Hadley family can attest after mere months of service. The twists and turns make this book hard to set down; a second read may reveal many details that readers might breeze past the first time through. Readers will eagerly await the rest of the trilogy started here.--Moritz, Frances Copyright 2016 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
This captivating dystopian tale of forbidden love has all the makings of a successful YA fantasy novel. Riveting and accessible writing will quickly draw readers into a story full of surprises, grief, and mystery. The book follows two siblings at the bottom of their extremely stratified society. Abi and Luke must endure 10 years of mandatory service to the exclusive and manipulative elite class, ironically named the "Equals." Blending modern technology and Oliver Twist-esque poverty and cruelty, James has created a Britain that teens will want to see fall. Readers will easily connect with the variety of narrators. Some may be turned off by the blatant political undertones, but the plot is so well developed that most won't mind. VERDICT An easy sell to fans of fantasy and dystopian fiction, but be prepared-teens will be anxious for the next installment in the planned trilogy.-Ashley Selima, Lincoln Public Library, RI © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Guardian Review
Under a Watchful Eye by Adam Nevill, The Core of the Sun by Johanna Sinisalo, Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows by James Lovegrove, The Iron Tactician by Alastair Reynolds, Gilded Cage by Vic James, Defender by GX Todd Adam Nevill's riveting ninth novel, Under a Watchful Eye (Pan, [pound]12.99), ventures into the heartland of British horror so successfully charted by the likes of MR James and Arthur Machen. Horror writer Seb Logan is struggling with his latest novel when he becomes reacquainted with his old university friend Ewan Alexander, now a shambling down-and-out alcoholic who stalks and then moves in with Logan. Alexander is obsessed with the work of the horror writer and con man ML Hazzard, leader of a mystical cult investigating astral travel who, through Alexander, wishes Logan to do his bidding. Nevill charts Logan's descent into the eldritch realm surrounding Hazzard and his cult with subtlety, drip-feeding doses of horror to great effect, ramping up the tension to an edge-of-the-seat denouement. You don't read an Adam Nevill horror novel: you live it. The Core of the Sun (Grove, [pound]12.99) by Finnish author Johanna Sinisalo, translated by Lola Rogers, tells the story of the Eusistocratic Republic of Finland. This is a near-future dystopia in which women have been genetically altered to form two subspecies: eloi femiwomen, attractive and destined for procreation; and the intellectually superior morlocks, who are sterilised and consigned to lives of hard labour. Vanna is a morlock who passes as an eloi, searching for her lost twin sister who she suspects was murdered; in her grief, Vanna becomes a drug addict and a dealer. Through flashbacks, letters and sections from textbooks, the novel describes how the society developed. The Core of the Sun has been compared to Atwood and Vonnegut, but Sinisalo's disturbing and often whimsical vision is uniquely her own. James Lovegrove's latest fantastical Holmes adventure, Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows (Titan, [pound]12.99), contains a conceit within a conceit. A preface by the author claims the manuscript was sent to him by a lawyer in Providence, Rhode Island, while Dr Watson's introduction states that what follows is the true account of the exploits of Sherlock Holmes, and that the established canon has been adulterated to save the world from the terrible truth of the Cthulhu mythos. It's a clever metafictional nesting technique which allows Lovegrove to mash together Doyle and HP Lovecraft to great effect. The year is 1880. Emaciated corpses have been turning up in Shadwell, and Holmes and Dr Watson's inquiries lead to an evil genius who is intent on bringing the Elder Gods to Earth to further his own ends. The pastiche is pitch-perfect; Lovegrove tells a thrilling tale and vividly renders the atmosphere of Victorian London. The Iron Tactician (NewCon, [pound]6.99) by Alastair Reynolds is his fourth novella featuring the free-wheeling Merlin and his sentient starship Tyrant. Merlin is vain, wise-cracking and sardonic, though his heart is in the right place, and he is on a quest to locate a superweapon which, he hopes, will aid humanity against the onslaught of the implacable aliens known as the Huskers. This adventure finds him embroiled in a war between humans in a far-flung binary star system, helping one side to retrieve the eponymous Iron Tactician, an advanced military AI that might bring an end to the centuries-long conflict. Reynolds excels at capturing hi-tech far futures, imbued with scientific exoticism and peopled by believable characters. One of the many strengths of Vic James's Gilded Cage (Pan, [pound]7.99) is its depiction of institutionalised magic being used to rule contemporary Britain, which provides a familiar backdrop for a fantastical premise. Britain has been ruled for 300 years by the Equals, an aristocratic elite who have the "Skill", or magical ability. The have-nots, those without magical powers, are forced to undergo a decade of indentured servitude to the aristocracy or serve their time labouring in the grim northern town of Millmoor. The novel follows a diverse cast of characters drawn from both the unSkilled and the Skilled to give a rounded picture of the privilege and terrible deprivation that exists in a divided country. Beautifully characterised and compellingly plotted, Gilded Cage is an impressive debut. Another accomplished first novel is Defender (Headline, [pound]12.99) by GX Todd. Seven years before the story opens, humanity began to hear mysterious Voices that turned citizens into homicidal maniacs and resulted in a global apocalypse. Those left alive now engage in a dog-eat-dog fight for survival in which loner Pilgrim teams up with orphan teenager Lacey on a 600-mile trek across a blitzed US to locate her sister. As well as having to evade and outsmart ravaging homicidal gangs, Pilgrim has his own problems, not least of which is the Voice in his head ... Defender is lifted way above other novels in the over-subscribed post-apocalyptic subgenre by Todd's sympathetic characterisation and superb pacing. * Eric Brown's latest novel is Jani and the Great Pursuit (Solaris). - Eric Brown.
Library Journal Review
Every person in England lacking the gifts of an Equal dreads their slave days, the ten years they must labor without wages or rights. Thanks to eldest daughter Abi, the Hadleys believe they have a better deal than most, as they have arranged to serve their decade together at the Jardine family estate. Things go wrong almost immediately, as son Luke is sent instead to the Millmoor workhouse where he falls in with a group plotting the end of slavery while the rest of the family are at the mercy of the Jardines. Debut novelist James does an excellent job of creating a dark contemporary world in which magic is used to prop up a corrupt aristocracy at the expense of ordinary people. Hopefully the details of this realm's powers will be fleshed out in the next volume, which readers will eagerly anticipate after the cliff-hanger ending here. VERDICT With solid YA crossover potential, this first novel should especially appeal to fans of Suzanne Collins's "The Hunger Games" trilogy. [See Prepub Alert, 8/22/16.]-MM © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Excerpts
Excerpts
One It was an unusually hot weekend in mid-June and sweat pooled along Luke Hadley's spine as he lay on his stomach on a blanket in the front yard. He was staring blankly at a spread of textbooks. The screaming was distracting, and had been going on for a while now. If it had been Abigail trying to revise, Daisy and her pals would never have been allowed to make such a racket. But Mum had inexplicably gone into overdrive for Daisy's birthday, which had turned into the party of the century. Luke's little sis and her friends were careering round behind the house shrieking at the tops of their voices, while some unforgivably awful C-pop boyband blared through the living room window. Luke stuffed his earbuds in as deep as they'd go without rupturing anything, and turned up the volume on his own music. It didn't work. The catchy beat of "Happy Panda" was backed by the delirious vocals of ten-year-old girls massacring the Chinese language. Moaning, he let his face fall forward onto the books spread out on the grass in front of him. He knew who he'd be blaming when he failed History and Citizenship. Beside him, her own exams long since completed, Abi was lost in one of her favorite trashy novels. Luke gave it the side-eye and cringed at the title: Her Master's Slave. She was nearly finished, and had another pastel-covered horror lined up. The Heir's Temptation. How someone as smart as his big sister could read such rubbish was beyond him. Still, at least it kept her distracted. Uncharacteristically, Abi hadn't nagged him once about revision, even though this term's tests were the most important until he finished school in two years' time. He turned back to the mock exam paper. The words swam before his eyes. Describe the Equal Revolution of 1642 and explain how it led to the Slavedays Compact. Analyze the role of (i) Charles I, the Last King, (ii) Lycus Parva, the Regicide, and (iii) Cadmus Parva-Jardine, the Pure-in-Heart. Luke grunted in disgust and rolled onto his back. Those stupid Equal names seemed designed to confuse. And who really cared why the slavedays had begun, hundreds of years ago? All that mattered was that they'd never ended. Everyone in Britain except the Equals--the Skilled aristocrats--still had to give up a decade of their life. Those years were spent confined to one of the grim slavetowns that shadowed every major city, with no pay and no respite. Movement caught his eye and he sat up, scenting distraction. A stranger had walked up the driveway and was peering through the windows of Dad's car. This wasn't unusual. Luke jumped up and went over. "Brilliant, isn't it?" he told the guy. "It's an Austin-Healey, more than fifty years old. My dad restored it. He's a mechanic. But I helped. It took us more than a year. I could probably do most of it myself now, he's taught me so much." "Is that right? Well, I reckon you'll be sorry to see it go, then." "See it go?" Luke was nonplussed. "It's not going anywhere." "Eh? But this is the address in the advert." "Can I help?" Abi had appeared at Luke's shoulder. She nudged him gently. "You get back to your revision, little bro. I'll handle this." Luke was about to tell her not to bother, that the man had made a mistake, when a stampede of small girls hurtled around the house and thundered toward them. "Daisy!" Abi yelled repressively. "You're not to play round the front. I don't want anyone tearing into the road and getting run over." Daisy trotted over to join them. She wore a large orange badge with a sparkly "10" on it, and a sash across her chest bearing the words "Birthday Girl." "Honestly." Daisy folded her arms. "It was only for a minute, Abi." The man who'd come about the car was looking at Daisy intently. He'd better not be some kind of pervert. "Birthday girl, is it?" he said, reading the sash. "You're ten? I see . . ." His face went funny for a moment, with some expression Luke couldn't work out. Then he looked at the three of them standing there. It wasn't a threatening look, but it made Luke put his arm around his little sis and draw her closer. "Tell you what," the man said. "I'll give your dad a call some other time. You enjoy your party, young lady. Have your fun while you can." He nodded at Daisy, then turned and ambled off down the driveway. "Weird," said Daisy expansively. Then she gave a war whoop and led her pals in a prancing, cheering conga back round the rear of the house. "Weird" was the word, Luke thought. In fact, the entire day had felt not quite right. But it wasn't until he lay awake in bed that night that it all came together. Selling the car. The fuss over Daisy's birthday. The suspicious absence of nagging over his own exam revision. When he heard hushed conversation floating up from the kitchen, and padded downstairs to find his parents and Abi sitting at the table studying paperwork, Luke knew he was right. "When were you planning on telling me and Daisy?" he said from the doorway, deriving a grim satisfaction from their confusion. "At least you let the poor kid blow out the candles on her cake before your big reveal. 'Happy birthday, darling. Mummy and Daddy have a surprise: they're abandoning you to do their slavedays.' " The three of them looked back at him in silence. On the tabletop, Dad's hand reached for Mum's. Parental solidarity--never a good sign. "So what's the plan? That Abi's going to look after me and Daisy? How will she do that when she's at med school?" "Sit down, Luke." Dad was an easygoing man, but his voice was unusually firm. That was the first alarm. Then as he stepped into the room, Luke noticed the documents Abi was hastily shuffling into a pile. A suspiciously large pile. The uppermost sheet bore Daisy's date of birth. Understanding slid into Luke's brain and lodged its sharp point there. "It's not just you, is it?" he croaked. "It's all of us. Now that Daisy's turned ten, it's legal. You're taking us with you. We're all going to do our slavedays." He could hardly say the last word. It stole the breath from his chest. In an instant, the slavedays had gone from being a dull exam question to the next decade of Luke's life. Ripped away from everyone and everything he knew. Sent to Manchester's filthy, unforgiving slavetown, Millmoor. "You know what they say." Luke was unsure whether he was berating his parents or begging them. " 'Do your slavedays too old, you'll never get through them. Do your slavedays too young, you'll never get over them.' What part of that don't you understand? Nobody does days at my age, let alone Daisy's." "It's not a decision your mother and I have taken lightly," Dad replied, keeping his voice steady. "We only want the best for you all," Mum said. "And we believe this is it. You're too young to appreciate it now, but life is different for those who've done their days. It gives you opportunities--better opportunities than your father and I had." Luke knew what she meant. You weren't a full citizen until you'd completed your slavedays, and only citizens could hold certain jobs, own a house, or travel abroad. But jobs and houses were unimaginably far off, and ten years of servitude in exchange for a few weeks of foreign holidays didn't seem much of a trade. His parents' reasonableness knifed Luke with betrayal. This wasn't something his parents just got to choose, like new curtains for the living room. This was Luke's life. About which they'd made a huge decision without consulting him. Though they had, apparently, consulted Abi. "As she's eighteen," Dad said, following Luke's gaze, "Abigail is of age to make up her own mind. And obviously your mum and I are delighted that she's decided to come with us. In fact, she's done rather more than that." Dad put his arm round Abi's shoulders and squeezed proudly. What had the girl wonder done now? "Are you serious?" Luke asked his sister. "You've been offered places at three different medical schools, and you're turning them down to spend the next decade saying nin hao every five minutes in Millmoor's Bank of China call center? Or maybe they'll put you in the textiles factory. Or the meat-packing plant." "Cool it, little bro," Abi said. "I've deferred my offers. And I'm not going to Millmoor. None of us are. Do what Dad says: sit down, and I'll explain." Still furious, but desperate to know how you could do days without going to Millmoor, Luke complied. And he listened with a mixture of admiration and horror as Abi told him what she'd done. It was insane. It was terrifying. It was still slavedays, and because he was under eighteen it wasn't like Luke had a choice one way or the other. His parents could take him wherever they wanted. But at least they weren't taking him to the hellhole that was Millmoor. Mum and Dad told Daisy the next morning, and she accepted the news with a stoicism that made Luke ashamed. For the first time, he allowed himself to think that maybe his parents' plan was the right one, and that they'd all get through their days just fine, as a family. A few days later, once it had all sunk in, he told his best friend, Simon. Si let out a low whistle at the big reveal. "There's a department within the Labor Allocation Bureau called Estates Services, where the Equals go for their house-slaves," Luke said. "Abi made an application for us there. We're being sent south to Kyneston." Excerpted from Gilded Cage by Vic James All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.