
Gilded Cage
Dark Gifts, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Avita Jay
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By:
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Vic James
About this listen
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 10 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 10 years....
Look for all three books in the mesmerizing Dark Gifts trilogy: Gilded Age, Tarnished City, and Bright Ruin.
Praise for Gilded Cage:
“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)
“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 best-selling 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)
©2017 Vic James (P)2017 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Castlevania meets Romatasy meets your favorite queer manga? Yes please
- By Anonymous User on 10-15-24
By: Rin Chupeco
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Stealing Thunder
- By: Alina Boyden
- Narrated by: Deepti Gupta, Alina Boyden
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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In a different life, under a different name, Razia Khan was raised to be the crown prince of Nizam, the most powerful kingdom in Daryastan. Born with the soul of a woman, she ran away at a young age to escape her father’s hatred and live life true to herself. Among the hijras of Bikampur, Razia finds sisterhood and discovers a new purpose in life. By day she’s one of her dera’s finest dancers and by night its most profitable thief. But when her latest target leads her to cross paths with Arjun Agnivansha, prince of Bikampur, it is she who has something stolen.
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Very colorful world
- By Anonymous User on 05-17-20
By: Alina Boyden
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The Dissonance
- A Novel
- By: Shaun Hamill
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 17 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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"You can never go home again," the saying goes—but Hal, Athena, and Erin have to. In high school, the three were students of the eccentric Professor Marsh, trained in a secret system of magic known as the Dissonance, which is built around harnessing negative emotions: alienation, anger, pain. Then, twenty years ago, something happened that shattered their coven, scattering them across the country, stuck in mundane lives, alone. But now, terrifying signs and portents (not to mention a pointed Facebook invite) have summoned them back to Clegg, Texas.
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The Dissonance - An amazing new urban fantasy horror novel that grabs your heart and doesn’t let go.
- By Jesse LaCrue on 11-24-24
By: Shaun Hamill
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A Plague of Giants
- A Novel
- By: Kevin Hearne
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels, Xe Sands
- Length: 22 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Mother and warrior. Scholar and spy. Rebel and hero. Set in a magical world of terror and wonder, this novel is a deeply felt epic of courage and war, in which the fates of these characters intertwine - and where ordinary people become heroes, and their lives become legend.
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It's a tough one to gauge...
- By Call of Kthalia on 11-19-17
By: Kevin Hearne
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Fireborne
- The Aurelian Cycle, Book 1
- By: Rosaria Munda
- Narrated by: Christian Coulson, Candice Moll, Steve West
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Annie and Lee were just children when a brutal revolution changed their world, giving everyone—even the lowborn—a chance to test into the governing class of dragonriders. Now, they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn't be more different. Annie's lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee's aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet.
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Look up what Dystopian means
- By Kindle Customer on 12-11-23
By: Rosaria Munda
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The Wolf
- By: Leo Carew
- Narrated by: Matt Addis
- Length: 16 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Ready or not, Roper has been thrust into a position of leadership that he's woefully ill prepared for. Now, a massive army approaches from the south, old allies turn against him, and new rivals seek to undermine his rule. Facing attack from within and without, Roper must forge reckless alliances, no matter the cost, to save his kingdom.
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I tried, I regret it.
- By Kilo rev's on 06-26-20
By: Leo Carew
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Small Magic
- Short Fiction, 1977-2020
- By: Terry Brooks
- Narrated by: Scott Brick, Mark Deakins, John Lee, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Escape to worlds full of adventure and magic in the first-ever Terry Brooks short story collection, featuring both new and fan-favorite stories from all three of his major literary worlds: Shannara, Magic Kingdom, and The Word and the Void.
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Wonderful
- By Garry on 03-11-21
By: Terry Brooks
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Rewitched
- By: Lucy Jane Wood
- Narrated by: Evie Hargreaves
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Belladonna Blackthorn hasn’t lost her magical spark, precisely . . . but she hasn’t seen it in a while either. With her witchcraft under wraps and a toxic boss making her days miserable, Belle is struggling to keep her beloved Lunar Books afloat and just make it through the day. The last thing she has time for is perfecting her magic. So when her thirtieth birthday brings a summons from her coven and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle fears the worst.
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The narrator is amazing!
- By Anna on 12-27-24
By: Lucy Jane Wood
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The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.
- A Novel
- By: Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland
- Narrated by: Laurence Bouvard, Shelley Atkinson, Laural Merlington, and others
- Length: 24 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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From best-selling author Neal Stephenson and critically acclaimed historical and contemporary commercial novelist Nicole Galland comes a captivating and complex near-future thriller combining history, science, magic, mystery, intrigue, and adventure that questions the very foundations of the modern world.
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Exceptional voice cast, unconventional format
- By Jesse on 07-03-17
By: Neal Stephenson, and others
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The Bright Sword
- A Novel of King Arthur
- By: Lev Grossman
- Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith, Lev Grossman
- Length: 23 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a place at the Round Table, only to find that he’s too late. King Arthur died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table are left. The survivors aren’t the heroes of legend like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Table, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill.
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A rambling woke mess
- By Adam on 07-18-24
By: Lev Grossman
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Bonds of Brass
- The Bloodright Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Emily Skrutskie
- Narrated by: James Fouhey
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Ettian's life was shattered when the merciless Umber Empire invaded his world. He's spent seven years putting himself back together under its rule, joining an Umber military academy and becoming the best pilot in his class. Even better, he's met Gal - his exasperating and infuriatingly enticing roommate who's made the academy feel like a new home.
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I didn't like it, but your mileage may vary
- By Zell Oakley on 04-15-20
By: Emily Skrutskie
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Prince of the Blood
- Riftwar Cycle: Krondor's Sons, Book 1
- By: Raymond E. Feist
- Narrated by: Peter Joyce
- Length: 16 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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If there were two more impetuous and carefree men in the Kingdom of the Isles, they had yet to be found. Twins Borric and Erland wore that mantle proudly, much to the chagrin of their father, Prince Arutha of Krondor. But their blissful youth has come to an end. Their uncle, the king, has produced no male children. Bypassing himself, Arutha names Borric, the eldest twin by seconds, the royal heir. As his brother, Erland will have his own great responsibilities to shoulder.
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Great book, bad narrator
- By G. C. on 12-07-17
By: Raymond E. Feist
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Lady of Steel and Straw
- By: Erica Ivy Rodgers
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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After ten years of exile, following regicide in the House of Tristain, an alarming royal edict is delivered to the immortal scarecrow Guardians who once defended the crown: surrender themselves to the church of the Silent Gods, or stand accused of further treason. But with a puppet prince set to take the throne and vengeful wraiths appearing with alarming frequency, something foul and sinister is at work in the kingdom of Niveaux.
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We all need a Guardian!
- By Lauren Whitlock on 11-30-24
Pretty good
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I find all the characters likable. Even some of the “villains”. The premise of the world is very interesting. I do think the author could have gone a bit deeper into the world building, but they did a good enough job.
The narration was great. I found her voice very pleasant. Many characters had distinctive voices though not all. She is not the best I’ve ever heard, but certainly one of the better.
The pacing was sort of all over the place. Some POVs could be cut out. There were too many and I think that may be why it took some time to get into. It wasn’t a linear plot. But all in all, I liked this book. I think the bad reviewers are a bit up themselves.
Surprised
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loved this
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Fantastic!
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What did you love best about Gilded Cage?
The whole story and all the characters.What does Avita Jay bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Avita Jay bring an extra dimension to the book. The people come to life.Any additional comments?
I am waiting for the next 2 books.Waiting for book 2 and hope it comes soon.
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Phenomenal Worldbuilding, Slow Burn
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Where does Gilded Cage rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
this was a good story with great characters and a few twists. I loved it....but....where is book 2???great story
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Imagine walking into a museum and seeing a gorgeous medieval tapestry. The overall impact is overwhelming. Then you begin to notice the finer details. Strands of shining gold and silver catch your eye. You notice the less brilliant colors the silver and gold intertwined with. You begin to see patterns. You see how individual colors, whether vivid or muted, work together to create the whole work of art. I have just described The Gilded Cage by Vic James. It is a work of art.
I have read over 100 books this year, 2016, and The Gilded Cage is in the top 3. It is a finely crafted novel. It was released in February 2017 along with an audiobook version. I suggest you get both. I read 99% of books in electronic version due to a movement disorder. Gilded Cage and any sequels will be ordered in hardback. These I plan to give to my future grandchildren when they are old enough.
There are two main families in Gilded Cage. The Jardines , the “haves’, and the Hadleys, the “have nots”. It is what they have or not that makes this novel so unique. The Jardines have “Skill”. The Hadleys do not. Skill is the ability to use magic. This is not the learn the spells and potions of Harry Potter magic. This is the intuitive, instinctual, primal magic that flows from the individual’s soul. Not everyone can do the same things with Skill and not everyone has the same strength of Skill.
The universe Gilded Cage is set in has always had Skill as a part of it. The difference in England begins when King Charles the first (and last) is not overthrown by puritans. He is executed by a powerful Skill member of the aristocracy. A new system of government is set up. Parliament with only Skilled members. A few token Unskilled are allowed as observers. Other countries have different systems. In the States United of America, the Civil War was fought. The North has outlawed Skill while the South continues to follow the same system as Britain.
But the worse change is the years of slavery forced on the Unskilled. Each Unskilled man, woman, and child must serve ten consecutive years in slavedays to the Skilled. That slavedays can be in a factory area working six days a week, with barely enough food, and no rights. It can be served on the estate of one of the Skilled. It can be served when one is young or old or anytime in between but it must be served. Whether in slavedays or before or after, the Unskilled have no rights. They can be beaten, raped, killed and all with no consequence to the Skilled who did it or to the Unskilled who did it under the direction of a Skilled. This is the world which the Jardine and Hadleys cross paths.
The characters are very well developed. Abigail Hadley is strong young woman who forgoes medical school to enable her family to serve their slavedays together. She fights for her family. She works the system. She does what she needs to do without relying on anyone, let alone need a man to save her. Luke Hadley, Abigail's brother, is a sixteen year old, who in the way of all teens, somehow never thought his slavedays would really arrive. He must grow up quickly to survive.
The Skilled are not simple characters either. The Jardine family has its heir in Gavar, it’s mystery in youngest son Silyen and it’s total shame in middle son Jenner who is Unskilled. The premier Skilled family contains a son who may be the most powerful Skilled of all time and one of only two Unskilled ever born to Skilled parents. Each Skilled family has the head of the family and it’s heir sitting in Parliament. What each member of each Skill family has is an agenda all their own. One of my favorite parts is when one Skilled character remarks to another, “Your allies aren’t always who you think they are, Miss Matravers. And neither are your enemies.”
Avita Jay does a great job narrating the book. There are male and female voices. Voices from upper, middle and lower class. Voices that hold power and danger and voices that verge on voiceless because of their despair. Ms. Jay conveys all of this so very, very well. I hope she will be narrating the rest of the series because I know hear Abigail with her voice.
The novel has an ironic sense of humor. “Father was planning a debate. Silyen was planning a resurrection. And Gavar was planning a wedding. There was so much wrong with that, Gavar didn’t know where to start.” It is this wonderful combination of characters and themes surrounded by damn good writing that makes The Gilded Cage a must read. It is subtitled Dark Gifts #1 which means there is more to come. I cannot wait for Tarnished City to be released this fall.
characters surrounded by damn good writing
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Now moving on to the story itself. I wish we could have had some understanding as to why Abby chose to sway her parents into doing what they did. As smart as she is, why not allow her baby sister to have another 8 years or so to become who she is going to be and not have her childhood stolen?
And then there is Luke's 6 months where I needed more to empathize with him. I wanted to feel the heart acing, back breaking hell he was thrown into.
If all of the above had been included-Gilded Cage would've become an instant favorite of mine. Not just of this year, but an all time fav.
Wow! I wish there had been MORE!
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Spellbinding page turner!
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