NOT ALL WILL BE SAVED
One glorious summer, Luke's family is torn apart. He's expecting nothing more sinister than exams, while his sister Abi anticipates university. But they'll be separated to do their slavedays - a decade of labour demanded by law, enforced by a magically-skilled aristocracy.
Luke will dream of rebellion in a barbaric factory town. Abi will navigate the malice of a high-born estate, and find an unlikely love. But the siblings must choose sides as Britain moves from anger to defiance. They'll become entangled in acts of savagery and magic, as nobles vie for power. No one is safe and none will emerge unscathed. Is there a better way - or will a dangerous young aristocrat remake the world with his dark gifts?
About the Author
Vic James is a current affairs TV director who loves stories in all their forms and Gilded Cage is her debut novel. She has twice judged the Guardian's Not the Booker Prize, has made films for BBC1, BBC2 and Channel 4 News, and is a huge Wattpad.com success story. Under its previous title, Slavedays, her book was read online over a third of a million times in first draft. And it went on to win Wattpad's 'Talk of the Town' award in 2015 - on a site showcasing 200 million stories. Vic James lives and works in London.
Industry Reviews
Beautifully characterised and compellingly plotted, Gilded Cage is an impressive debut * Guardian * A dazzling addition to the growing genre of alternative historical fiction, James's first novel has the added bonus of compelling page-turnability * Daily Mail * I really enjoyed this. It was a fast-paced, entertaining story, in a world that left me wanting to find out more. I will definitely be getting the next book when it comes out -- Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library A dark and intriguing vision of an alternate, magic-drenched Britain, Gilded Cage kept me up way into the night -- Aliette de Bodard, author of The House of Shattered Wings 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, bestselling author of the Summoner series James's dystopian debut, the first part in her Dark Gifts trilogy, addresses issues of inequality that seem all to pertinent * SFX * It's smart, engrossing and incredibly snappily written, with so many compelling characters and pulse-quickening situations that the whole book just flies by. We apologise for the cliche, but it is that good * SciFiNow * The historical parallels are too delicious to ignore . . . one can't help but anticipate the next novel in the series * Washington Post * 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 * Publishers Weekly * An absorbing first installment that presages an intriguing new fantasy series. * Kirkus * Gilded Cage offers a fresh take on a popular genre. James' world is as compelling as her prose and as cleverly constructed. Told by a diverse cast of characters from various echelons of society, Gilded Cage is an unputdownable story . . . it's truly a gem * Fantasy Faction * Ms. James writes with the skill of someone who has been an author for decades. I was blown away by how beautiful the prose was . . . In the end I was left emotionally spent and wanting another book to read immediately * Fantasy Book Review * Twists and turns make this hard to set down * Booklist * The most intriguing political fantasy premise since The Hunger Games . . . While the premise is unique, James' addictive storytelling echoes the strongest qualities of a few of the political YA series of recent years * Barnes & Noble *
