Hello Shiquers and welcome back to Nerdy Shique Universe! Time for another book review!

Title: Gilded Cage
Author: Vic James

Disclaimer: This review is based on opinion and observation! Please respect her thoughts and feelings about this book.

Synopsis: This story is a telling of magical aristocrats in a modern world where commoners are there to serve them. We meet the Hadley family who end up in the world of Slave Days where a family has to work for the Jardian family, a huge aristocratic family that has been equal for many years, for ten years. The family is known for having many of magical skill and secrets that they don’t want to give until the Hadleys have their son sent to a Slave Town in order to work while the others were sent to the prestitious Clindestined where they not only have to take care of baby that one of their members gave birth to with a slave woman but taking care of a family member who has been in a coma for over twenty years.Twists and turns take shape and even people are willing to get hurt or die in order to change things and show that everyone is equal no matter who they are.

Thoughts: All I have to say this book was DAMN! This is one story I wanted to keep going and not be disturbed from reading because of how good it was! I did get confused on some points such as the family backstory with the character Utope who was in a coma for over twenty years. Yes, it got explained but I wondered is that is she so emotionally unstable even with death? I mean she went into her coma after losing her parents in a fire and then destroyed an entire wing after a death and I feel like that should be something the family should control or at least help her by going through treatment or training to control her powers or both. I remembered in the Dresden Files, it was explained that Molly’s powers can be triggered by feelings and in Ghost Story her guilt made her magic even more powerful. So, yeah Utope’s powers should’ve been helped with.

I was also even surprised by how Luke, the son, was sent off to the Slave Town for being “useless” to the Jardians but it was revealed later that he was useful. I did like all the parts with him and how he was dealing at the place he was in even when working with the rebels since it shown the darker side of the Slave Days if you’re not useful to the Equals. I almost thought they weren’t going to make it when a huge chemical fire rose up when he and the rebels rescued a friend that got arrested and tortured. You know those moments in books that you think your fave character will die but he survives in the end. I had that the most with Caid in Midnight Breed Series for most of the books he shown up. That is how I felt about Luke and hoping if there is a sequel, since the epilogue opened it to one, that he gets through what had happened to him in the end and that he gets rescued again.

Another character I did like was Abby, Luke’s older sister, I did like how she interacted with Jenna, the unskilled member, and had a feeling that they would get together despite how forbidden it was. I liked how she did the hardest not only to act normal as she worked but knowing the secrets of the family as she worked such as remembering the history since she had read upon it before working for them and trying to figure out why Luke got sent away when she and her parents and the little sister were sent to the Jardian home instead. I did like how she said, “Screw the rules!” towards the guy that was on the leash that was known as Dog. He did interact with her at first by grabbing her ankle when she had to take him to the stables on the property and she knew that something was really up and wanted to solve the mystery behind it and why was he treated as a dog. She is one of those characters that can fit with the Mystery Inc. group on Scooby Doo with how suspicious she gets. I can see why Jenna fell for her in the end.

Rating: 5 Star Star Pawprints out of 5! This book was a very good read! I never thought I would enjoy it as much! There were some confusing moments like I mentioned above but hey I got passed that with how well it was written. I am hoping there is a sequel since it opened up to one and you know I would be reading that! Way to go Ms. James!

That is it for this review! I am glad I am almost caught up with my “Older Than Three Months” shelf on my Net Galley account. I was so caught up with the Victor Reader Stream but I am glad to find some of the books I read in the past recorded and also as Bookshare files so far. That is about it!